Voting and Next Year's Nominees

Time is flying by, and we are starting to plan ahead for voting and next year's nominees.

There will be a link to a form to submit votes from this site that goes live the last week in February 2012 and stays open through the first week in March.


We are also planning ahead and taking suggestions for next year's nominees.

Help us by submitting your ideas 
(there is also a link in the menu at the top of the page).

The nominees eventually selected for 2012-13 must have a copyright of 2010 or 2011 and fit with the 15 Book guidelines.

A to Z Library reads Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon

Anna from azlibrarylady.blogspot.com just shared Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon by Ute Krause with her primary students to kick off 15 Books at her school.



Here are a few thoughts from her students:



Thanks for sharing, Anna!

15 Books Poster

Thank you to my pal Anna from atozlibrary for making a printable poster of all the nominees for 15 Books!

Click here to download your own copy

One Copy Can Be Enough

You don't necessarily need multiple copies of each of the 15 books to have students participate in reading and voting.

In my library I only have one copy of each title. Since the majority of students who will be participating are in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades, we are enjoying the titles as a whole classes.
Part of my reasoning for this is financial, but mostly I want all of my K-2 students to be able to participate in the voting in late February. Students only need to have read (or have read to them) 8 of the 15 titles to be able to vote.

I may buy a copy or two more of a few titles depending on the demand after we read them together. Even my Kindergartners know how to place holds - and when they like something they do!

Since for some of the books it will be a long time between the "read-together" and voting, I am trying to incorporate some ways for us to remember the books come voting time.

We recently read Rain School by James Rumford.
After we read the book together, I asked students what they liked about the story, or what they will remember and then recorded their answers.

Here is what they said:

15 Books Wiki is Live

There is now a space on wikispaces organized by book title for information, supporting links, book trailers and lesson ideas for each of the 15 books: http://15books.wikispaces.com

This is a work in progress, and I would love to add any ideas you may have. Click on the discussion tab on any of the book pages to add comments or ideas for that book.

There is a permanent link to this wiki from the menu at the top of this blog.

Thanks for all of your enthusiasm and feedback!

Giveaway to Celebrate the 15 Books Award

Now that all 15 nominees have been revealed, it is time to celebrate and give away a few books.


In an attempt to not show favoritism, the nominees were revealed in alphabetical order by title, and I used the book descriptions from their publishers.


However there are three books on the list that are special.
This award is hosted by me in Minnesota, and three nominees have a Minnesota connection.


I have 1 AUTOGRAPHED copy of each of the nominees with a "Minnesota Connection" to giveaway!
(Information on how to enter the giveaway is at the bottom of this post.)

Mali Under the Night Sky: a Lao Story of Home

by Youme

Mali Under the Night Sky is the true story of Lao-American artist Malichansouk Kouanchao (http://djai.net/mali) based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who walked with her family from Laos to Thailand when she was five years old. Due to wars that were not contained by borders, she and her family had to leave their home to be safe. She remembers the journey, as well as the beauty and strength of Lao culture. Mali draws upon those memories when faced with the challenges of loss.

The Princess and Her Panther 
by Wendy Orr
Illustrated by Lauren Stringer (Minnesota illustrator) 


What do you get when you take:

• one brave big sister
• one not-so-brave little sister
• a spooky nightime backyard,
• and heaps of imagination?

The most magnificent camp out ever!




An excerpt of The Princess and Her Panther read by the author, Wendy Orr:

Blog Post review about Princess and Her Panther at liblaura5.blogspot.com 

The Song of Middle C 

by Alison McGhee (Minnesota Author)
Illustrated by Scott Menchin

Do you play the piano? I do.

Miss Kari, my piano teacher, tells me that true artistry takes great imagination. It also takes a lot of practice. The big day of my piano recital is almost here, and hoo boy, have I been practicing. I've even got the help of my lucky hat and shoes - not to mention my lucky underwear!

What could possibly go wrong?

This contest runs from August 15 to 11:59 PM on August 25. 

The winners will be announced on August 26, the first day of the Minnesota State Fair - also known as the Great Minnesota Get Together! (I'm a big fan of the fair.)

3 Books to give away, 4 Ways to Enter.

Each way will get your name entered one time. 

Do all 4, your name will be entered 4 times. 

• Leave a comment on this post. I would love to hear if you have any special memories of or connections to Minnesota.
• Tweet the link to this post. Please include @liblaura5 in the tweet.
• Follow this blog using the follow button on the left hand side. (You may need to be logged in to blogger or google for this one.)
• If you have a blog, post about the 15 Books Award and this giveaway on your blog*.

*link to your blog in a comment on this post so I will know how to find your fabulous blog.
~ If you think I will be confused about your number of entries, leave me information in the comments.
~~I will email or DM if you win, leave an email in the comments if needed.


I also hope you will join us in selecting the first winner of the 15 Books Student Choice Picture Book Award this school year.

• What is the 15 Books Award?
• How can my students participate?
• How were the 15 Nominees chosen?

All 15 Books

Here they are... all 15 Nominees together in one video:

All 15 nominees have been revealed.

Coming up, a few giveaways to get this party started, so stay tuned.

Want to know more? Interested in joining us? 

Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #15: Wink the Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed by J.C. Phillipps

Wink the Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed 
by J.C. Phillipps



The happiest day of Wink's life was when he was accepted to the Summer Moon School for Young Ninjas. He is sure that he will be a great ninja. 
Silence is the first lesson and everyone is very very silent . . . except for Wink. 
Stealth is the second lesson and everyone is very very stealthy . . . except for Wink. 
Finally, Wink decides that he will be silent and stealthy. But no one notices! 


What's the point of being a great ninja if no one notices? 


Maybe Wink wasn't meant to be a ninja?


(book description)


Finally, all 15 nominees have been revealed.
Coming up next, a few giveaways to get this party started, so stay tuned.

Want to know more? Interested in joining us? 
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #14: Song of Middle C by McGhee

The Song of Middle C 
by Alison McGhee (Minnesota Author)
Illustrated by Scott Menchin

Do you play the piano? I do.

Miss Kari, my piano teacher, tells me that true artistry takes great imagination. It also takes a lot of practice. The big day of my piano recital is almost here, and hoo boy, have I been practicing. I've even got the help of my lucky hat and shoes - not to mention my lucky underwear!

What could possibly go wrong?
(taken from book jacket)


14 books revealed, only 1 book to go.
After that we will be having some giveaways, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us? 
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #13: Rain School by Rumford

Rain School 
by James Rumford


It is the first day of school in Chad, Africa. Children are filling the road.

"Will they give us a notebook?" Thomas asks.
"Will they give us a pencil?”
"Will I learn to read?"

But when he and the other children arrive at the schoolyard, they find no classroom, no desks. Just a teacher. "We will build our school," she says. "This is our first lesson."
(taken from book jacket)




13 books revealed, 2 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up after all the books have been revealed, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #12: The Princess and Her Panther by Orr

The Princess and Her Panther 
by Wendy Orr
Illustrated by Lauren Stringer (Minnesota illustrator) 


What do you get when you take:

• one brave big sister
• one not-so-brave little sister
• a spooky nightime backyard,
• and heaps of imagination?

The most magnificent camp out ever!




An excerpt of The Princess and Her Panther read by the author, Wendy Orr:

Blog Post review about Princess and Her Panther at liblaura5.blogspot.com 




12 books revealed, 3 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up after all the books have been revealed, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #11: Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon by Krause

Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon 
by Ute Krause


It was time to feed the dragon a princess. But since no princess was available, the next best thing was to give him a child. All the children wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a hat. Then a name was pulled from the hat: Oscar!


Oscar's mom wept bitterly - what mother wouldn't? But she should have known Oscar was far too clever to get eaten by an old dragon!
(taken from book jacket)




11 books revealed, 4 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up after all the books have been revealed, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #10: My Abuelita by Johnston

My Abuelita 
by Tony Johnston
Illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Abuelita’s hair is the color of salt. Her face is as crinkled as a dried chile. She booms out words as wild as blossoms blooming. She stuffs her carcacha—her jalopy—with all the things she needs: a plumed snake, a castle, a skeleton, and more. Her grandson knows he has the most amazing grandmother ever—with a very important job. What could Abuelita's job be?


Sprinkled with Spanish and infused with love, My Abuelita is a glorious celebration of family, imagination, and the power of story.


Information taken from dust jacket


The Making of My Abuelita:



10 books revealed, 5 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #9: More Bears by Nesbitt

More Bears!
by Kenn Nesbitt
Illustrated by Troy Cummings

Once upon a time there was a story.
This story was a lovely story with absolutely no bears in it -
not a single bear anywhere. Then one day...
MORE BEARS!!

Review of More Bears on my review site: liblaura5.blogspot.com

9 books revealed, 6 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #8: Mali Under the Night Sky by Youme

Mali Under the Night Sky: a Lao Story of Home
by Youme

Mali Under the Night Sky is the true story of Lao-American artist Malichansouk Kouanchao, who walked with her family from Laos to Thailand when she was five years old. Due to wars that were not contained by borders, she and her family had to leave their home to be safe. She remembers the journey, as well as the beauty and strength of Lao culture. Mali draws upon those memories when faced with the challenges of loss.

Malichansouk Kouanchao is an artist and web designer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her multidisciplinary works explore the relationship between art, transformation, and communal healing.
Visit Mali at http://djai.net/mali
(information taken from jacket flap)

"[W]hat I love about children’s books is that we’re never supposed to have just one book. We’re not supposed to have just one story. [...]for me, the world of stories is aware that we are enriched by diversity, and that we benefit from more stories. The more stories the better, the more voices, the more ears, the better."
-Youme Landowne from an interview with J.L. Powers



8 books revealed, 7 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #7: Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Winter

Here Comes the Garbage Barge 
by Jonah Winter
Illustrated by Red Nose Studio


Before everyone recycled . . .

There was a town that had 3,168 tons of garbage and nowhere to put it.

What did they do?

Enter the Garbage Barge!

Here’s a mostly true and completely stinky story that is sure to make you say, “Pee-yew!”
(taken from jacket flap) 

 

The Making of HERE COMES THE GARBAGE BARGE:




7 books revealed, 8 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #6: The Hallelujah Flight by Bildner

The Hallelujah Flight 
by Phil Bildner
Illustrated by John Holyfield

Introducing this title is a fabulous book trailer created by students at Caldwell Heights Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas:




6 books revealed, 9 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #5: Chalk by Thomson

Chalk 
By Bill Thomson

A rainy day. 

Three kids in a park. 

A dinosaur spring rider. 

A bag of chalk. 

The kids begin to draw...and then...magic! The children draw the sun, butterflies, and a dinosaur that amazingly come to life. Children will never feel the same about the playground after they experience this astounding wordless picture book and the power of the imagination. Bill Thomson embraced traditional painting techniques and meticulously painted each illustration by hand, using acrylic paint and coloured pencils.

(Publisher's Description)

5 books revealed, 10 books to go.
The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog. 
There will also be some giveaways coming up, so stay tuned!

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #4: Calvin Can't Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie

Calvin Can't Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie 
by Jennifer Berne
Illustrated by Keith Bendis

Cavin was born under the eaves of an old barn with his three brothers, four sisters, and sixty-seven thousand four hundred and thirty-two cousins. Calvin may be one of many, but he's certainly different from the rest.
While the other little starlings learn to swoop and hover and fly figure eights, Calvin buries his nose in books. In the library his mind soars, taking him to places his wings never could....

Taken from the jacket flap. 





The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will continue to be revealed on this blog.

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #3: Biblioburro: a True Story From Colombia

Biblioburro: a True Story From Colombia
by Jeanette Winter

Join Luis and his trusty burros, Alfa and Beto, as they travel far and wide to bring treasured books to eager children in the remote villages of rural Colombia. Based on the inspiring life of a real man and his devoted burro team, here is a book to remind us of the immense power stories have to connect us all.

Text taken from jacket flap.



Video created by www.ayokaproductions.org




The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will be revealed on this blog over the next few weeks. 

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #2: The Beckoning Cat

The Beckoning Cat: Based on a Japanese Folktale 
by Koko Nishizuka
Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger

A long time ago in a village by the sea, a white, mud-covered cat appeared on Yohei's doorstep. Yohei was very poor, but he welcomed the stray and shared his dinner with her before she disappeared. Later when Yohei's father grew ill, the boy became desperate -- how could he work if he had to stay at home to care for his father? But the little white cat remembered Yohei's generosity and returned, bringing help with a wave of her paw.

Taken from Jacket Flap.



The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will be revealed on this blog over the next few weeks. 

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Nominee #1: A Beach Tail

A Beach Tail
by Karen Lynn Williams
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Gregory and his father are spending a day at the beach. When Greg finds a stick and draws a lion in the sand, they name him Sandy Lion. "Don't go in the water, and don't leave Sandy," Dad says. Greg follows his father's advice. But he still manages to travel down the beach quite a way before he realizes he can no longer see the blue umbrella where Dad has settled on the dolphin towel.
Swish Swoosh! Greg's journey takes him past such landmarks as a jellyfish, a sandcastle, a ghost crab hole and more. How will he find his way back to Dad? Fortunately, he has his stick and Sandy's tail with him the whole way.

 Book Description taken from the author's site: http://karenlynnwilliams.com/beach.html



The remaining nominees for 15 Books 2011-2012 will be revealed on this blog over the next few weeks. 

Want to know more? Interested in joining us?
Follow this blog, and continue reading here.

Ready, set...

Go!

15 books has been in the works since October 2010.
I am so excited to finally be going public.

With the help of my fabulous colleagues, we selected the 15 Books to be the nominees for 2011-2012 year using the these selection guidelines.

Over the next few weeks I will reveal each of this year's nominees through posts on this blog.

Interested in joining us?
Would you like to know more?
Click on the links below:
About 15 Books
Join Us