June 18

OJCS Storytime for the LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!

Kiki & Coco in Paris – Photographs by Stephanie Rausser, story by Nina Gruener, doll by Jess Brown.

We made it to the last week of school!  Woo hoo!!  Maybe you and your family are going away somewhere for a little trip or to a cottage.  This book is about a girl who takes a very big trip, to Paris, France.  Here it is on a world map.

France location on the World Map

Your activity this summer – make a travelogue!

How to Make the Perfect Photo Book | ShutterflyWherever you go this summer, whether to visit family in a different city or town, to a cottage, or somewhere even further, create your own travelogue.  A travelogue can be a photo album with notes next to the photos, a google doc with your pictures in it and some description, a book of drawings and notes about the places you visit, or even a video.  Travelogues can be a fun summer project that allow you to share your experience with your classmates and teachers in September.

Alternative Activity – A Picnic in Paris

Fresh juices, various vegetables and berries, baguette and cheese ...

If you aren’t going anywhere at all this summer, you can imagine that you are travelling to Paris for a picnic.  In Paris you see people picnicking everywhere!

You will need;

  • a picnic blankey
  • a baguette
  • some cheeses or vegan cheeses
  • some fruit
  • some grape juice (so you can pretend it’s wine!)

Set it up in the backyard on a nice day and imagine you are far far away!!

June 15

Fun Summer Reading Recommendations for Middle Schoolers

Lazy hours spent reading on the patio or at the beach is one the best things about summer!  Here is a list of not-heavy, super fun, reading recommendations for our grades 6, 7, and 8s that you can find at your nearest public library or bookstore.

I can’t wait to see everyone in September, I have missed you all very much.

Have a wonderful summer!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT – YOUR SUMMER BOOK BUCKET LIST:  In the comments on this page, post a list of books you plan to read over the summer.  They can be from your personal collection, from this list, books you’ve seen mentioned online, books you’ve seen in bookstores, or other books you already had in mind to borrow or buy this summer.

 

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by [Ben Philippe]A hilarious YA contemporary realistic novel about a witty Black French Canadian teen who moves to Austin, Texas, and experiences the joys, clichés, and awkward humiliations of the American high school experience—including falling in love. 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot Dog GirlNow in paperback, a fresh and funny contemporary YA rom-com about teens working as costumed characters in a local amusement park.

 

 

 

 

 

THE QUEEN'S ASSASSINPerfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

 

 

 

MY CALAMITY JANE

Welcome to 1876 America, a place bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou—better known as werewolves.

And where there are garou, there’re hunters: the one and only Calamity Jane, to be precise, along with her fellow stars of Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, Annie Oakley and Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler.

After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there’s talk of a garou cure. But rumors can be deceiving—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they’re a day late and a Jane short.

 

INFINITY SONBalancing epic and intensely personal stakes, bestselling author Adam Silvera’s Infinity Son is a gritty, fast-paced adventure about two brothers caught up in a magical war generations in the making.

 

 

 

 

 

THE UPSIDE OF FALLINGA fun, flirty teen debut from Wattpad phenom Alex Light about a fake relationship and real love.

 

 

 

 

 

DRAGON HOOPSThe trials of a high school basketball team trying to clinch the state title and the graphic novelist chronicling them. (kirkus reviews)

 

 

 

 

 

A story of scorned witches, sinister curses, and resurrection, The Bone Witch is the start of a dark fantasy trilogy.

 

 

 

 

 

When Wyatt gets framed for a friend’s crime, he thinks his life is over. But then a mysterious stranger visits him in jail with an unusual proposal: spend three months in a secret government camp and have a ten-year prison sentence wiped clean.

 

 

 

 

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDASixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight.

 

 

 

 

 

A human teen and an alien invader make an unlikely and potentially dangerous connection. (kirkus reviews)

 

 

 

 

 

THE NOVICEFletcher is working as a blacksmith’s apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.

 

 

 

 

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy Book 1) by [Leigh Bardugo]Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

 

NIMONA

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona’s powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

 

 

P.K. SUBBANP.K. Subban is a remarkable athlete and role model. Initially drafted in 2007 to the Montreal Canadiens, P.K. now plays for the New Jersey Devils. He’s set records and won the Norris Trophy, the highest honor in hockey for a defenseman. Often the center of controversy, he is the pride of many fans and a hero to young athletes of color. His stand against racism relies more on actions to support others than on relating his own experiences. He is known to have made the largest donation to charity by a Canadian athlete in history, and works to build an understanding between at-risk youth and law enforcement across North America.

 

 

 

Superman Smashes the Klan (2019-2020) (Superman Smashes the Klan (2019-))The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. While Dr. Lee is eager to begin his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to the famous superhero Superman!
Tommy adjusts quickly to the fast pace of their new neighborhood, befriending Jimmy Olsen and joining the baseball team, while his younger sister Roberta feels out of place when she fails to fit in with the neighborhood kids. She’s awkward, quiet, and self-conscious of how she looks different from the kids around her, so she sticks to watching people instead of talking to them. While the Lees try to adjust to their new lives, an evil is stirring in Metropolis: the Ku Klux Klan.

 

 

 

 

 

June 12

Fun Summer Reading Recommendations for Grade 4 and 5

Lazy hours spent reading on the patio or at the beach is one the best things about summer!  Here is a list of not-heavy, super fun, reading recommendations for our grades 4s and 5s that you can find at your nearest public library or bookstore.

I can’t wait to see everyone in September, I have missed you all very much.

Have a wonderful summer!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT – YOUR SUMMER BOOK BUCKET LIST:  In the comments on this page, post a list of books you plan to read over the summer.  They can be from your personal collection, from this list, books you’ve seen mentioned online, books you’ve seen in bookstores, or other books you already had in mind to borrow or buy this summer.

ME, FRIDA, AND THE SECRET OF THE PEACOCK RINGA room locked for fifty years.

A valuable peacock ring.

A mysterious brother-sister duo.

 

 

 

 

ALI CROSSJames Patterson’s blockbuster Alex Cross series has sold over 100 million copies–and now he’s bringing those thrills to a new generation! Alex‘s son Ali is eager to follow in his father’s footsteps as a detective, but when his best friend goes missing, what price will he have to pay to solve the mystery?

 

 

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOONAn elderly witch, a magical girl, a brave carpenter, a wise monster, a tiny dragon, paper birds, and a madwoman converge to thwart a magician who feeds on sorrow. (kirkus)

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Kids on EarthEver since the monster apocalypse hit town, average 13-year-old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he’s armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack’s loyal pet monster, Rover; and Jack’s crush, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it?

 

INSIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF A CACTUSBorn without arms, white “problem-solving ninja” Aven Green can do almost anything with her feet instead—even solve a mystery. (Kirkus)

 

 

 

 

 

TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKYBest-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia’s epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods. Rick Riordan Presents is dedicated to publishing authors of highly entertaining fiction based on world cultures and mythologies.

 

 

 

 

JINXEDThe Golden Compass for the digital age! When a coding star enters an elite technology academy, she discovers a world of competition, intrigue, and family secrets-plus a robotic companion that isn’t what it seems.

 

 

 

 

 

SMALL SPACESAfter suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

 

 

SNAPDRAGONKat Leyh’s Snapdragon is a magical realist graphic novel about a young girl who befriends her town’s witch and discovers the strange magic within herself.
 

 

 

 

 

Nessie QuestFans of Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe and Melissa Savage’s own Lemons will devour this voice-driven novel packed with humor and heart about two friends who head off on an adventure to find the Loch Ness Monster.

 

 

 

 

MALAMANDERA quirky, creepy fantasy set in Eerie-on-Sea finds a colorful cast of characters in hot pursuit of a sea monster thought to convey a surprising gift.

 

 

 

 

 

THE STORM KEEPER'S ISLANDFionn Boyle comes from a long line of brave seafarers, people with the ocean behind their eyes. But he can’t help but fear the open sea. For years, Fionn’s mother has told him stories of Arranmore Island, a strange place that seems to haunt her. Fionn has always wondered about this mysterious island, and from the day he arrives he starts noticing things that can’t be explained. He can sense the island all around him, and it feels like the island is watching him, too.

June 11

OJCS Storytime for the Week of June 15th

Bunnicula and Friends – The Vampire Bunny by James Howe, illustrated by Jeff Mack

Your Assignment: Bunniculicious Salad

There is nothing Bunnicula loves more than veggies!  You are going to make your own Bunniculicious salad.  You can use any and all of your favourite veggies.  Just make sure you get help from a parent to chop them up.

Here are some delicious salad possibilities;

  • tomato
  • cucumber
  • olives
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • lettuce
  • spinach
  • celery
  • carrots
  • cheese (feta, cheddar, parmesan)
  • crumbled tofu
  • beans (chickpeas, kidney beans)
  • nuts

Easiest dressing ever: Thousand Island Dressing

  • Mix mayo, ketchup, and relish together.  Shazam.  Instant dressing.

Easiest dressing ever #2: Creamy Maple Balsamic

  • Mix mayo, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup together.

If you want to share a photo of your finished salad, I will post them here.  Send them to b.ruel@theojcs.ca

June 8

Super Fun Summer Reads K-3

It is very important that you continue to read a little bit every day all summer long, that way you are well practiced and ready for a new school year in September.  Here is a list of fun recommendations for our grades k up to grade 3 that you can find at your nearest public library.

I can’t wait to see everyone in September, I have missed you all very much.

Have a wonderful summer!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT – YOUR SUMMER BOOK BUCKET LIST:  In the comments on this page, post a list of books you plan to read over the summer.  They can be from your personal collection, from this list, books you’ve seen mentioned online, books you’ve seen in bookstores, or other books you already had in mind to borrow or buy this summer.

Fun Picture Books

Cover image for Please Don't Eat MeBeloved author-illustrator Liz Climo is back with a hilarious take on (reluctant) friendship that will appeal to fans of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates and I Want My Hat Back!
When a carefree bunny is approached by a voracious bear in the woods, Bunny has just one request: “Please don’t eat me.”

 

ALL ARE WELCOMECelebrate diversity and inclusion with this New York Times bestselling picture book about a school where all are welcome! Look under the jacket for a poster, and don’t miss the fold-out page at the end of the book.

 

 

From the creators of the bestselling Oi Frog! Frog comes an hilarious tale about one duck’s quest for a missing vowel!

 

 

Cover image for In a JarHere’s a marvelous picture book, charmingly written and beautifully illustrated, about the power of memory and the magic of friendship.

 

 

 

HAIR LOVEZuri’s hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it’s beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he’ll do anything to make her — and her hair — happy.

 

 

Meet a very Serious Goose in late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s first fun and funny picture book! There is nothing silly about this goose. You CANNOT make her laugh, so DON’T EVEN TRY!

 

 

 

THE COOL BEAN

Everyone knows the cool beans. They’re sooooo cool.

And then there’s the uncool has-bean . . .

Always on the sidelines, one bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to fit in with the crowd—until one day the cool beans show him how it’s done.

 

SOFIA VALDEZ, FUTURE PREZThe newest picture book from the creators of Iggy Peck, ArchitectRosie Revere, Engineer; and Ada Twist, Scientist stars Sofia Valdez, a community leader who stands up for what she believes in!

 

 

 

 

 

A hilarious, timely conversation about the differences between facts and opinions, by the creator of the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight Goon

 

 

Cover image for CockroachHilarious illustrated non-fiction about cockroaches perfect for beginning readers. You’ll bug out over this perfect pairing of humorous text and funny illustrations about this insect that’s been around for over 335 million years!

 

 

 

Abigail is determined to get the perfect pet.
So she chooses Fido. He keeps her cool from the sun, stays where she tells him, and even gives her air to breathe. That’s because Fido is a tree!

 

 

Cover image for Goodnight, VeggiesEvery veggie needs their shut-eye in this bedtime book that celebrates community, the joys of a small garden, and the importance of taking care of ourselves. 

 

 

 

I AM PERFECTLY DESIGNEDI Am Perfectly Designed is an exuberant celebration of loving who you are, exactly as you are, from Karamo Brown, the Culture Expert of Netflix’s hit series Queer Eye, and Jason Brown―featuring illustrations by Anoosha Syed.

 

 

 

A potato and his eggplant nemesis struggle to find the perfect pants in this hilarious, heartwarming tale of forgiveness by bestselling Geisel-Award winning creator Laurie Keller.

 

 

 

Chapter Books

Roald Dahl meets The Penderwicks in this quirky, humorous, whimsical, and heartwarming middle grade debut about two siblings who run away from home to escape working in the family coffin business.

 

 

 

Cover image for Rory Branagan (Detective) (Rory Branagan, Book 1)Meet RORY BRANAGAN – he eats bad guys for breakfast. Well, not ACTUALLY. But he IS the best detective in town. First in a hilarious illustrated comedy-crime series for kids.

 

 

 

Cover image for Scallywag on the Salish SeaA nameless boy finds treasure, courage, and clues to his past in this hilarious high-seas adventure.

 

 

 

 

Cover image for Cool Cat ClubSmart cat. Messy puppy. Here comes trouble… Meet Jasper and Scruff, an unlikely pair as they learn about friendship, determination, and working together.

 

 

 

 

RACE TO THE SUNBest-selling author Rick Riordan welcomes indigenous fantasy writer Rebecca Roanhorse to his imprint with this thrilling adventure about a Navajo girl who discovers she’s a monsterslayer.

 

 

 

Moo: A Novel

Fans of Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog and Hate That Cat will love her newest tween novel, Moo. This uplifting tale reminds us that if we’re open to new experiences, life is full of surprises.

 

 

 

Kitty and the Sky Garden AdventureKitty is a superhero-in-training with feline superpowers. She dreams of being like her superhero mum one day, but she’s still got a lot to learn.

 

 

 

 

Cover image for What Is Inside THIS Box? (Monkey & Cake)From the author of The Day the Crayons Quit comes a groundbreaking new friendship series, introducing mischievous Monkey and inquisitive Cake as they grapple with life’s biggest questions.

 

 

 

Cover image for Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a ForestFrom the world of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes a historical novel based on the life of Dr. Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist and environmentalist from Kenya.

 

 

 

Cover image for Tales of Bunjitsu BunnyIntroducing Isabel, aka Bunjitsu Bunny! She is the BEST bunjitsu artist in her school, and she can throw farther, kick higher, and hit harder than anyone else! But she never hurts another creature . . . unless she has to.

 

 

 

The Unicorn Quest by [Kamilla Benko]An enchanting, exciting fantasy about a real-world girl searching for her sister in a land full of magic and strange creatures, blending the timeless feel of A Wrinkle in Time with Frozen‘s powerful themes of identity, enchantment, and sisterhood.

 

 

 

 

From the Desk of Zoe WashingtonFrom debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating mystery full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right—even in the face of great opposition. A perfect book for fans of Front Desk and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook!

 

 

 

The Haunted House Next Door (Volume 1)Meet Desmond Cole! A fearless eight-year-old who runs his own ghost patrol, looking for ghosts, monsters, and mischief makers everywhere. Oh, and he just so happens to be my new best friend…and thank goodness! Because I’m afraid of everything.

 

 

Aru Shah and the End of Time: A Pandava Novel Book 1 (Pandava Series) by [Roshani Chokshi]Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. 

 

 

 

 

 

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June 4

OJCS Storytime for the Week of June 8th

Part 2 – Continuing the Slinky Malinki Series by Lynley Dodd

I hope you enjoyed last week’s Slinky Malinki stories.  This week we are in for a few more where we meet some new kitties.

Your activity this week:

Create your own cat character!  Draw a picture of your own cat character and give it a special name.  If you would like to share, send them to b.ruel@theojcs.ca  and I will post them up here.

June 1

Research Skills Continued – Taking Great Notes

How to Take Great Notes for Our Research Project

You are going to watch a video that takes you step by step through the process of taking notes for research.

Use Your Own Words When You Take Notes

One key thing to remember however, is to never copy word for word from a website or book.

During our first research workshop I use the example of a research project I am doing on tigers.  So if this is what the website says:

The short notes on my page might look like this;

-Tigers have an orange coat with dark stripes
-Tigers weigh about 450 pounds
-It has claws as long as house keys
-It is the largest cat in the world

Notice how I didn’t just copy each sentence exactly as it was?  When you copy things exactly, that is called PLAGIARISM and it is a no-no.  We need to try to avoid copying word for word as much as we can.  The only exception is copying down a FACT.  Something that is a fact never changes.  So if it says a tiger weighs 450 pounds, that is what I need to copy down in my notes.  I can’t invent a new number!!

Putting it Together

Once you have a page of notes about your subject, you can start putting your information together in proper sentences and paragraphs without any fear of plagiarism because you wrote little notes in your own words.  Here is what some sentences based on my notes would look like.  Notice how it looks nothing like the paragraph I found online.

Tigers are the biggest cat in the world weighing in at 450 pounds.  They are orange with black stripes.  They also have claws as long as house keys.

Have fun researching your projects.  I can’t wait to read them!

June 1

Life Hacks That Seem Impossible Likely Are

There has been a rise in the past year of viral video ‘life hacks’ or ‘kitchen hacks’ depicting recipes or experiments that create impossible results.  These videos have kids rushing to try out these sometimes dangerous experiments thinking that incredible things will happen, only to be left disappointed that it didn’t work for them.

What’s wrong with posting these kind of hoaxes online?  They contribute to the growing problem of misinformation.  That is, spreading information that simply isn’t true.  In some cases, they are also putting children in danger.  Bleaching strawberries, making popcorn with a clothes iron, microwaving things that shouldn’t be microwaved, playing with hot glue, plugging random things into electrical sockets are just a few examples of potentially dangerous hacks.  One woman in England ended up in hospital after trying a life hack where you boil eggs still in their shell in the microwave!  In the following video, Chris Foxx tries out some recipe hacks to see if they work.

In this video Lifehacker explains what is wrong with creating pointless hack videos.

This video, made as a joke, shows how silly and simple making these types of videos can be. He uses a lot of squishies to make it look convincing.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:  Make a fake life hack or kitchen hack video!  Yes, you heard right.  The best way to learn about the ridiculous nature of incredible and untrue hack videos is to make one yourself.  Maybe you will use baking soda to transform an apple into an orange.  Or put toothpaste in chocolate chip cookies to make them mint chocolate chip.  The sky is the limit with this assignment.  If you would like to share with me, I will post your fake hacks on this page.  Send your videos to b.ruel@theojcs.ca.

Our student lifehack videos!  Amazing work.