Have you ever heard of Las Posadas? That's okay because today you will! Here's some info from nationaltoday.com: Las Posadas, (in English, “The Inns”) is a 9 day Mexican Christmas tradition from December 16th-24th and it based on the story of Mary, Joseph, and their search for a safe place to stay before Jesus was born. This has been a tradition in many Latin countries for more than 400 years, and since many Mexican holidays include dramatizations of events or stories, this particular holiday is a new-aged re-enactment of the Christmas story of Mary and Joseph. Each of the 9 days of Las Posadas represents one month that Mary was pregnant with baby Jesus. Hispanics who observe the holiday come together for all nine days and nights to decorate their homes and cook traditional food for each other. Every year, entire communities come together for this event and are filled with song and prayer to honor it… But the festivities don’t stop there. In fact, that’s just the beginning. The main attraction of this holiday tradition is the group of people who act out and relive the nativity scene to remind their people of the story of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in the stable where the Bible says they stayed on Christmas Eve. The celebration begins with a procession at night, where participants carry candles, sing, and act out the nativity… And the kids even get piñatas! Now that you know a little bit about this tradition, watch the video below for a dramatic reading of The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola. Learn more about this holiday tradition and those from other countries by stopping by the library and browsing the holiday section! This winter break reading challenge is a blizzard of books! This year, the challenge is open-ended. To complete the challenge you must read for at least 300 minutes over break. So you will fill in a minimum of 10 snowflakes. However, the more you read the better the prize! Anyone who reads 300 minutes will get a prize bag. The top 5 readers with the most snowflakes will get to eat lunch with Gordon Korman when he visits in March!
You can print a copy and color them in or you can color them in online in Kami, Google Docs, or any other program you use for PDF marking and share it with me. Logs are due 1/7/2022. The log can be accessed here! We have a WHOLE new graphic novel series for you today! And what's really cool is that it's also a TV show and movie! Well...it will be. It was originally supposed to air in 2020, but due to COVID the release date has been pushed back to 2021 or 2022. And that's okay since it gives you time to read the whole series before the show comes out! We all know the books are better.
Don’t have HBO? Totally no problem because you DO have a library! This series is about a group of girls who attend Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types (a super fancy name for a summer camp!). But it turns out that this isn’t any normal summer camp. While the girls are there they encounter a ton of supernatural forces and strange creatures that they have to outsmart! This is definitely not a summer camp where swimming is the main focus! This book series is in graphic novel form, so you will be sure to get all the creepy images in your head. Come by the library to check this new series out! Today is National Poinsettia Day. Which may not sound too exciting since it's just a plant. But it does have a cool bit of history! We even have a Christmas library book at PHIS about it! So click the link below to read about the book and come check it out after you read this bit of history.
Because they are so iconic, be sure to check out the link below for how to make a poinsettia Christmas tree ornament. This is especially important if you have pets since poinsettias are poisonous to animals who eat them! So you can still have your festive flowers and a healthy cat! Here's how the poinsettia became a Christmas flower according to nationaltoday.com: In 16th-century Mexico, the connection between the poinsettia plant and the Christmas season begins. According to legend, a girl wanted desperately to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. Worried, the girl feared she would have no gift to offer because she was so poor. An angel tells her to give any gift with love. After gathering weeds from alongside the road, the young girl placed them in the manger. Miraculously the weeds bloomed into beautiful red stars. The poinsettia initially came to the United States with Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist. In 1825, he sent cuttings home to Charleston, South Carolina. So Christmas is almost here! And being in 5th and 6th grade means it's sometimes hard to know what to get friends and family because...you know...most people don't have jobs. So here is this fun, easy, free craft that will make a useful gift for those you know!
This is a simple craft project that will only take 10 minutes to make! And it's a great way to use old shirts you haven't worn in a while. That said, you should ask a parent you don't plan on giving one of these to as a gift if the shirt you pick is okay to cut apart. Below is a video if you prefer to watch that or there are step-by-step instructions if you prefer those. Happy crafting and gifting! Today is National Cotton Candy Day! Which, while not healthy, is still super delish! During the 18th century (yup, that's ALL the way back in 1700!), cotton candy (also called spun sugar) was first recorded in Europe. At that time, it was very expensive and labor-intensive. Generally, the average person could not afford to purchase cotton candy. Then something magical happened! Check out this cool video that shows you how cotton candy was invented and how it changed over the years. And when you are done, come by the library and check out our candy making and candy history books in the Food section! It is ALL about Christmas, so it's a great read for the coming break! This is a great book for you if you like mysteries set in isolated places where the characters are trapped (in this case, by a blizzard). This is a bit of a deeper read, so it's also great for those of you who look for more complex plots with lots of side-plots. Whoa! It has been a long time since I sent you guys new books, but today is the day!!!! See the new books below and run by the library to grab them before someone else does! |
AuthorHi! I am Areadingwoman (otherwise known as Melissa Arenson). I just love books! I have a bachelor's degree in 9-12 English education, a master's degree in literature, and a specialist's degree in library science. Archives
January 2023
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