Brier Elementary Library
Brier, Washington


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BEST BOOKS

Learn about the Best Books program for Grades 4-6. Click on the links below for information and lists of books. Past year lists are filled with wonderful books that are available in our library!


Best Book Challenge Standings

Place
Class
Books Read
1st
VeCera
51
2nd
Overlesse
35
3rd
Gonsalves/Norenberg
17
4th
Bollen
9
5th
Hemphill
4
6th
Gray
1
7th
King
0
(as of January 18, 2008)

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Current Best Books List

Sasquatch Reading Award 2008 List

Title
Author
Abby Takes a Stand Patricia McKissack
Airball: My Life in Briefs Lisa Harkrader
Chicken Boy Frances O'Roark Dowell
Defiance Valerie Hobbs
Ghost's Grave, The Peg Kehret
Giant Rat of Sumatra, The Sid Fleischman
Legend of Spud Murphy, The Eoin Colfer
Misadventures of Maude March, The Audrey Couloumbis
Owen Foote, Mighty Scientist Stephanie Greene
Sisters Grim, The Michael Buckley
Stumptown Kid Carol Gorman
Whittington Alan Armstrong

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PNW Young Reader's Choice, Jr. 2008 List

Title
Author
Day Joanie Frankenhauser Became a Boy, The Francess Lin Lantz
Dog's Life, A Ann M.Martin
Double Identity Margaret Peterson Haddix
Listening for Lions Gloria Whelan
Princess Academy (Lit Circle, Skills) Shannon Hale
Scarecrow and His Servant, The Philip Pullman
Shakespeare's Secret Elise Broach
Whales on Stilts! (review) M.T. Anderson

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Best Books Information

What is Best Books?
Best Books is program developed each year by Librarians throughout the Edmonds School District. The list of books is a combination of the Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice, Junior Division (YRC) list and the WLMA Sasquatch Award list. It contains about 20 books, of varied genre, for students in grades 4-6. The district librarians develop lessons (taught as stations) like: reader's theater, setting, character development, listening, bookmarks, letter writing, author web research, and more. They also write questions for testing students on these books, and produce a district-wide "Battle of the Best Books" competition. Students are challenged to read as many best books as possible during the year. The program will end the week after Memorial Day.

Is there a discussion forum for the best books?
Yes! Go to Mr. Sonnen's Swift page and click on "discussion"!

How can students vote for their favorite YRC or Sasquatch book?
Ballots are available for students in February. Students must have read or heard at least 2 books from the list they want to vote on (a list of books read is kept in the Library). Deadlines for voting will be announced during morning announcements.

What happens when a student completes a book?
Students come to the library, during recess, for a short 3-4-question discussion/quiz (I just check to see if they read the book). Students get small incentives when they reach certain levels. I tell students that they aren't reading the books for prizes, but because these are great books.

2 books = Best Book membership card
4 books = a small bookmark
6 books = a pencil
8 books = a celebration party (ice cream)
Note: Incentives are subject to change.

Is there a class competition?
Yes, all the books read by a class are added together. Standings are posted near the Best Book display in the Library. The class with the most books read gets an extra recess.

What is the Battle of the Best Books?
The battle is a yearly district-wide competition. Each participating school sends two - 4 member teams to compete. Teams are given several rounds of questions about the Best Books. The team with the most points at the end of the competition wins.

How are teams formed?
Teams consist of up to 4 students. They can be in grades 4-6 and in any classroom. Students have learned that the better teams include a diversity of members. All of the past Brier teams have included boys and girls. Students develop teams on their own.

How are the Brier team's selected to compete at the District level?
There is a school competition held a few weeks prior to the district event during the noon hour in the library. The top 2 teams advance to the district competition. One of Brier's 2003 teams, The Bookworms, became District co-champions!

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Sasquatch Reading Award 2007 List

Title
Author
Becomming Naoimi Leon Pam Munoz Ryan
Cabin on Trouble Creek Jean VanLeeuwen
Eager Helen, Fox
Secret Identity: Shredderman Book 1 Wendelin VanDraanen
Sing a Song of Tunafish Esme' Raji Codell
Snarf Attack Mary Amato
Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly Luis Sepulveda
Tarantula Scientist, The Sy Montgomery
Thin Wood Wall David Patneaude
Troll Fell Katherine Langrish
World According to Humphey, The Betty G. Birney
Wolf Brother Michelle Paver

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PNW Young Reader's Choice, Jr. 2007 List

Title
Author
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy Jenny Nimmo
Chasing Vermeer (Activities) Blue Balliett
Dragon Rider Cornelia Funke
Heartbeat Sharon Creech
Ida B and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (possibly) Save the Worl Katherine Hannigan
Indigo's Star Hilary McKay
Peter and the Starcatchers Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
Star of Kazan Eva Ibbotson

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Sasquatch Reading Award 2006 List

Title
Author
Capture Kathryn Lasky
City of Ember Jeanne DuPrau
Colder Than Ice David Patneaude
Frog Princess E. D. Baker
Gregor the Overlander Suzanne Collins
Kensuke's Kingdom Michael Morpurgo
Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon, The Bea Uusma Schyffert
Minn and Jake Janet Wong
Mummy's Mother Tony Johnston
Puppeteer's Apprentice Anne D. Love
Tadpole Ruth White
When the Circus Comes to Town Laurence Yep

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PNW Young Reader's Choice, Jr. 2006 List

Title
Author
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup Sharon Creech
Gregor the Overlander Suzanne Collins
Kensuke's Kingdom Michael Morpurgo
Mayor of Central Park Avi
Olive's Ocean Kevin Henkes
Rodzina Karen Cushman
Sahara Special Esme Raji Codell
Tale of Despereaux Kate DiCamillo

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Sasquatch Reading Award 2005 List

Title
Author
Doing Time Online Jan Siebold
George Speaks Dick King-Smith
Gloria Rising (alternate site) Ann Cameron
Goosed! Bill Wallace
Great Chicken Debacle Phyllis R. Naylor (alternate site)
Journey to the River Sea Eva Ibbotson (alternate site)
Loser Jerry Spinelli (alternate site)
Midnight for Charlie Bone Jenny Nimmo (alternate site)
Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism Georgia Byng (alternate site)
Stranger Next Door Peg Kehret
United Tates of America Paula Danzinger (alternate site)
Week in the Woods Andrew Clements

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PNW Young Reader's Choice, Jr. 2005 List

Title
Author
Beloved Dearly (alternate site) Doug Cooney
Camp X Eric Walters
Coraline (alternate site) Neil Gaiman
Hoot (alternate site) Carl Hiaasen
Runt Marion Dane Bauer
Saffy's Angel Hilary McKay
Secret Life of Owen Skye Alan Cumyn
Thief Lord Corneila Funke

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Sasquatch Reading Award 2004 List

Title
Author
   

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PNW Young Reader's Choice, Jr. 2004 List

Title
Author
   

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Brier Elementary School Library - Dave Sonnen, Librarian - Updated Winter, 2008

"The mission of the school library media program is to insure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information." -Information Power, 1998