November it's time to Remember!

Welcome to November, cooler temperatures, falling leaves, and heartfelt Poppies commemorating our veterans.  Celebrating some themes which resonate with the fall, we invite you to enjoy some classic novels for read aloud sessions in front of the hearth.

From our November Author birthday celebrations Natalie Sing reviews authors, Elizabeth George Speare, Frances Hodgson Burnett, whilst I share on  C.S Lewis and Lucy Maud Montgomery.  

 We also encourage you to prepare your students for possible earthquakes,  with earthquake preparation materials.

Scarlet poppy with neighbors (Photo credit: Martin LaBar)

Remembrance Day or Veteran's day

Enjoy some lesson plans or educational resources from our weblinking library on Remembrance Day.

Earthquake Preparation Materials and Lesson plans!

Need some ideas to teach earthquake preparation in your classroom?  With the recent earthquake in BC it is wise to have an emergency plan. Some ideas may be found in our Earthquake Links. 
Thanks Ryan and Michelle for sharing some of your links!

November Birthday Authors

November 21st
Elizabeth George Speare

Cover of The Bronze Bow

In our home we have all four of Elizabeth George Speare’s books on our shelves and they have been read multiple times. Speare lived from 1908-1994, and really knew how to write engaging, interesting and inspiring historical fiction. We have certainly enjoyed her books!
You may recognize some of her titles:

Calico Captive - is based on a true story about a young woman during the French and Indian War, who is taken by the Abenakis tribe along with the rest of her family. She is sold into slavery in Montreal and has to learn how to survive.
Witch at Blackbird Pond - about a young woman who goes to live with her aunt and uncle in a Puritan community in 1687. This book has won many awards including the honoured Newberry Prize. 
The Bronze Bow - one of our family’s all time favorite books set in the time of Jesus and the rule of the Roman empire in Judea. This is a great book with great characters that is both moving and thought provoking! A great book to read and discuss! We have it in our Overdrive E library.
Sign of the Beaver - a wonderful coming of age story about a boy who survives a winter alone with the help of the Penobscot tribe. He teaches Attean how to read and in return he learns much. A wonderful book for Grade 4 students to read themselves or as a read aloud. We have this in our Overdrive library.

November 24th
Frances Hodgson Burnett

en: Frances Burnett, part of a photograph by Herbert Rose Barraud (1845-1896). de: Frances Burnett, Teil einer Fotografie von Herbert Rose Barraud (1845-1896). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Burnett is an author whose works would now be considered classics. She was born in 1849 and died in 1924. This means that her works are available in the public domain, and can be accessed through sites including Overdrive. You can find this icon on the lower left hand corner of the website.
 
We also have some of these books in our Campus library - see below.

My favorite works of hers are probably her best known ones:
The Secret Garden, The Little Princess and Little Lord Fauntleroy.
The Secret Garden  - was one of my favorite books as a teen! My mother came from India to Canada and Mary Lennox traveled from India to England. The book is really about Mary finding herself, where she belongs and has a sense of family. A wonderful story with vivid passages about nature.
The Little Princess  - is about the fall from a higher class to a much lower one in England.  It is about Sara Crewe and her journey from a life of  privilege to that of a servant. She learns to cope with disappointment and humiliation and yet still remains to not be shattered! It is a story about strength,compassion and true friendship.
Finally Little Lord Fauntleroy is almost the opposite of The Little Princess in that a poor boy is thrown into riches. It is about the overcoming of obstacles and winning people’s hearts. It is about kindness and caring.

Other November authors include C.S. Lewis, and Lucy Maud Montgomery

Are you a middle or high school student who has not discovered the world of C.S  Lewis or Montgomery?  Perhaps the most renowned Christian author in the world,  Lewis's classics such as The Narnia series and The Screwtape Letters live on in our memories,  and have been immortalized visually by many a great movie classic. To find out more about this famous author check out these sites Into the Wardrobe and Wikipedia C.S Lewis.  Many of his books are available on our E Library!

Green Gables (Photo credit: Stephen Downes)

Lucy Maud Montgomery is probably Canada's favourite authoress!  Anne of Green Gables was my introduction to Canada, when I was still a native of South Africa.  I remember reading about her homeland,  picturing Prince Edward Island vividly in my dreams, seen from the eyes of a gregarious, red headed orphan.  To find out more about her life and books you can enjoy browsing her commemoration site L.M. Montgomery Institute or share in her official movie site Anne of Green Gables site, or the Wiki on her life.  Having read her books and seen the movies, now all I need to do is visit Prince Edward Island to truly catch a glimpse of her spirit.  To view her heritage collection in our E library go here.

Blessings to you
From Natalie and Pippa