Picture Book Madness - Large 2

 

Picture Book Madness

General Overview:

Going along with the basketball theme of "March Madness," the library will be transported into "Picture Book Madness" for the month of March and beginning of April (lasting 6 weeks total). Students will be voting on their favorite picture book each visit until we have a winner chosen.

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Procedure/Steps:

Step 1: Begin researching for picture books. My search led me to the top sellers on the New York's Best Sellers list.

Step 2: Create a flyer to engage students to be ready for the activities and know that we will have a bracket started.

Step 3: Hang flyer around different locations in the school, library, and give copies to teachers to hang in their own rooms.

Step 4: Prepare the judging box by obtaining two clear plastic jars (old pickle jars work well). Print out an image of each book cover that will be in the contest (8 total). Cut into squares, colored construction paper (two colors) to use as the  judging piece. 

Step 5: Make sure to keep the jar covering of the winning book each week so that after the first four weeks, you can reuse the same cover label.

Step 6: Explain to students via the announcements and help of reading teachers that each time their class comes to the library they will get to hear two picture books read aloud. Then after they check out their books, they can pick a jar to put their square in to vote for their favorite. Each week the books will change until we reach week five. Then they will get to hear two that were top picks and narrow it down again. On week six they will again, here two more that were top picks to narrow it down. Finally on week seven we will have a run-off activity involving our top two books. (Could even have a special guest read each book over the announcements).

Step 7: Create a large display either inside or hopefully outside the library highlighting the bracket, so that students can see the winners updated each week.

Step 8: Begin the activities with the first class that arrives on week one.