NYC Metro Card, Fruit Strip, and $20 bill

You might ask, "What do these three things have in common?" Well, I found all three of these items being used at bookmarks in library books on Friday. Yes, all in the same day. Fortunately, I was able to return the $20 bill and the fruit strip, but the metro card had expired. This is just one more reason why I LOVE my job. Oh, and I was particularly pleased that none of the students had turned the corners of the pages to mark their spots. That's a big NO-NO!

Llama Drama in Pre-Kindergarten

Yes, there was plenty of llama drama in pre-k as students and teachers donned their pjs to listen to Llama Llama Red Pajama being read by Austin ISD Chief Academic Officer, Ramona Trevino. Ms. Trevino is no stranger to Zilker as she served as principal here for many fine years. The district is focusing on reading as one of its initiatives, certainly something the library can and does support each and every day. Thanks for visiting Ms. Trevino. You were a hoot!

Origami Yoda Mania

Darth Paper Strikes Back: An Orgami Yoda Book was in high demand when classes were checking out. I had made a quick trip to Costco to purchase three copies and had them ready to go on Monday morning. These were the lucky students who snagged the first check out.

I also gave directions out to interested students on how to make their own Origami Yoda. Here's one 4th grader's finished Yoda. "Do or do not...there is no try."

Starting the year right!

These fifth graders were basking in the morning August sun and reading. What a great way to begin the year.

2011 Friends of Zilker Library Reception

Nine years of library advocacy. Wow, where does the time go? Members are thanked with a literary celebration and this year we were entertained by Lucas Miller. He sang his way through habitats, ecosystems, animals, and ecology and we all joined in on the fun. We had 74 memberships this year and a special thank you goes out to Capitol Rubber Stamp, who generously provides the plaques with names each year. Owners Sharon and Jack Pike were previous Zilker parents.

Phil Bildner Visits Again

We just can't seem to get enough of author Phil Bildner. We invited him back again this last spring and, as always, he was a tremendous hit with the students. He is so relevant and spot on with the 4th and 5th graders, and they appreciate his hip and happenin' attitude and appreciation for the books, music, movies, and technology they are currently interested in. The teachers appreciate his focus on writing, revising, and editing. All in all, another homerun for Phil.








Here is a selection of his favorite books he read to his students when he was teaching. Do you recognize any of them? Why not give one a try?

Revisiting an old friend

I don't often reread books. I always say, "Too many books, too little time." I did, however, just spend my Thanksgiving break reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows again. I want to see the movie, but knew I would have to review to remember everything that transpired in that last volume of 759 pages (not that I was counting.) And I was reminded of something important; that you can enjoy and savor a book more than once. I have vivid memories of reading this book the first time. I was at my mom and stepdad's house, spread on the couch, putting in hours and hours of reading. Did I mention I'm a slow reader? Yet, I wanted to see this series through to the end and just couldn't seem to put it down. When finished, I remembering sighing and thinking what an impact these Potter books had on an entire world. This time the reading was still as satisfying, yet I seemed to linger over the words. What's interesting is I finished it very quickly. Anyway, now I'm ready to see the movie and I don't think it will be very long before we need to introduce the next generation of readers to the magic of Harry Potter.

Giving Thanks

During this holiday time I'd like to give thanks to the following students and their families who recently donated books to the library.


I wonder if Lily is as ticklish as orangutans. Orangutans Are Ticklish is full of beautiful photographs and interesting tidbits about animals. I found myself stroking the pictures, they were that lifelike.


Mmmm, do you think Grace interrupts her night time story like this little chicken does with her Papa? I don't think so, although I was reminded of many of a student when I read Interrupting Chicken. It is precious.


Alysa has a book about Mouse bringing his own bedtime rituals and routine to Bear. As one might expect, Bear is quite happy with the way he has done things all along. Or is he? Read A Bedtime for Bear to find out.

Author Visit from Phil Bildner

Oh, what a treat third graders were served when author Phil Bildner visited Zilker. He is from New York and very interested in sports, particularly baseball. He is so contemporary and connected well with our students. He spoke about the writing process and had students practicing their writing. Plans are to have him make another visit to Zilker this year...he's THAT GOOD!

Friends of the Zilker Library Reception

We are beginning our ninth year of our library advocacy program called Friends of the Zilker Library. Proceeds are used to purchase additional resources to support and enrich the curriculum and meet the individual needs of our students. One of the perks of contributing is the library hosts a literature event in the spring. This past year we were dazzled by Mr. Puppet and his shenanigans. Approximately 75 folks joined in for an evening of food, fun, and frolic. Makes you want to join, doesn't it?

Kindergarten Philanthropy

Last spring kindergarten student Alysa sold lemonade one weekend and donated the proceeds to the Zilker Library. Here was the note:



Don't you love how she makes sure that I know that the money is for books? You mean I'm not supposed to use it for lunch? Hah! Not to worry, Alysa. Here are a couple of books I have in mind to purchase for the library because of your generous donation:






Many thanks for your support for the library. You're a gem!

What I've Been Reading

These are some of my favorites from this summer and fall.


This is a wonderful story of the gifts we each receive in our lives. The Beaumont family receives their "savvy" on their 13th birthday. Mibs' birthday arrives with Poppa in the hospital, unconscious. She feels she is the one to save him and thus begins the adventure. Plenty of fun and insight. I have a 5th grade teacher reading it to her class and they love it. It's easy to see why. I now wonder what all of the tattoos around here might say if they could speak. Read the book to find out what I'm talking about.


I don't generally like horror or ghost stories. I personally like to be able to sleep at night and don't want to obsess over supernatural stuff. This book, however, has just the right blend of creepiness and character development to keep you turning the pages. I can certainly see why it won the Newbery Award and I know this is popular with the students as it is never on the shelves. I liked this so much that I read another one of Gaiman's books, Neverwhere. It has a bit more mature theme, but excellent.


O.K., this is the book that EVERYBODY is talking about. It is set in the grim future with a competition to the death held each year to provide food for the winner and his/her clan. It kind of reminded me of Rollerball. Do you remember that movie with James Caan? There is death, destruction, gore, monsters, romance, adventure, deception, and suspense. What's not to like? Matter of fact, I have 5th grader Ian who purchased the second book in the three part series, and he just brought it to me to read. Who would think it would be a student placing a book in the librarian's hand? I love it. Author Suzanne Collins has a fantastic hit. Be sure to read them.

Wow! Is it October already?

O.K., not like I add to the library blog tons, but I usually have a beginning of the year entry. Here it is October and I've yet to welcome the 2009-2010 school year. We have over 500 students at Zilker this year and I've met them all! They are so smart and fun and come each day ready to learn. And they love to read and be read to frequently. I am in heaven. The teachers are as enthusiastic as their students and they have made many requests for me to pull units for them (i.e. communities, families, friends, weather, American symbols.) Tomorrow I'm giving a lesson to fourth graders on note taking for their research on Texas Indians. So, as you can see, plenty is happening in the library. Here are a few photos I took last week during check out for third and fourth grades. You'll get a glimpse at how much these kids love to read. And no, none of these kids posed. They were actually reading just like this!