Ancient Civilizations Projects

Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs

Ancient Mayans
Kids Konnect
Ancient Mayans
Mayan Kids
Mr. Donn Mayans

Ancient Aztecs
Mr. Donn - Aztecs
Kids Konnect
Kids Past

Ancient Incas
Mr. Donn - Incas
Kids Konnect
Kids Past

Book Review

Chat Room by Kristin Butcher

Linda is a quite girl in school. She doesn’t really have many friends and is very unsure of herself. When the school develops a chat room, she is intrigued about how it will operate and who will use it. When she visits the chat room, she realizes that she can say all of the things that she thinks throughout the day, but doesn’t say. She becomes more outgoing, but only online. She starts to receive gifts from someone from the chat room. She is not sure who it is or how he/she figured out her identity. Is it a real person or is it a hoax? Will she be safe or is it a dangerous situation?

This was a good realistic fiction story about the Internet and why you should be safe online. Good drama!

Book Review

Dewey the library cat: a true story by Vicki Myron

When librarian, Vicki Myron, found a tiny alley cat in the freezing cold book return drop of the Spencer Library, she knew that this cat was special. It was a very resilient cat and needed to be kept. She couldn't keep it, she wanted it to be the library cat. All she had to do was convince the community and library board to allow the cat to stay. Dewey became a household name and people from around the world came to seem him. He was a very special cat who took over a library.

This was a moving story about a very special cat. Very enjoyable.

Genre in Literature

What type of books do you like? Non-fiction, historical fiction?
What are the characteristics of different types of books?

Genre List

Genre Definitions

New Books

Looking for something new to read? Check out some of these new titles in the WMS Library:

* Tom Thumb: the remarkable true story of a man in miniature by George Sullivan

* The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow

* True (--sort of) by Katherine Hannigan

* Hammerin' Hank Greenberg : baseball pioneer by Shelley Sommer

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school! I hope everyone had a restful and wonderful summer.


The books that you may need to read for the summer reading project are on display in the library. You can borrow one book at a time.

I look forward to seeing everyone in the library during the year!

Book Review

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
Vidya has a loving family. She is very proud of her father who is a doctor. He is involved in the nonviolence movement in India during WWII. He wants to get the British out of India, but in a peaceful way. He is an enlightened man for this time period, he is allowing his daughter to get an education. Everything changes when her father is gravely injured trying to help someone else. He will never be the same. Vidya's family is no longer allowed to stay in their own home, they must move in with her father's family. Vidya is no longer allowed to do anything. She is separated from her brother and father. Her movements are watched and she is no longer allowed to get the same education. What will happen to her and the family? Can they survive?

This was an excellent historical fiction book about the culture of India. If you enjoy historical stories, you should try Climbing the Stairs.