The Reviews Are In!

A 5th grader logging into the OPAC

In our last blog entry we mentioned that our 5th graders have been learning all about the OPAC, or online library catalog.  While they learned how to do the basics last year, they are discovering all the extra features available now that they can log on with their own accounts.  One of these is writing their own book reviews for titles that appear in the library's collection!

5th graders learning how to use the OPAC in the library

The students have the option of awarding from one to five stars when they write their reviews.  The computer will then average all the reviews for a given book and display its "star rating" as part of the book's record.  Here are just a few of the books that our students have loved.  (These are all books that are nominees for the 2015 Rhode Island Children's Book Award!) 






The Mighty Miss Malone
9/12/2014 By Christian S.
"This book is definitely one of my favorites. The well-worded description made me want to keep reading on and on. I loved the way Christopher Paul Curtis told the story. Most of all, he did a great job putting himself in the characters' shoes. Top notch work."

Island: A Story of the Galapagos

9/11/2014 By Hannah M. 
"This book was so interesting! I think kids should read it if they are interested in history because they could learn about how islands form. There are also some amazing facts about how trees started growing and animals found homes. Great book."

Gaby, Lost and Found

9/11/2014 By Jaden F. 
"This book was amazing because Gaby volunteered at her local pet shelter. Also she went through a lot when her mom got deported. I felt so bad. Gaby also wrote profiles for the animals so they could get adopted. I totally recommend this book to you."






Rump
9/12/2014 By Lindsey P.
"I would say that this book is awesome. So many thrilling events are all happening. I loved how the characters acted. Lastly, I loved the way the book describes words/sentences."
 




All students are allowed to log into the OPAC to submit a book review.  Please encourage your middle school students to share their enthusiasm for books they've discovered on our shelves!