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Dear McGinn Students & Parents,

At the end of every year, I get to ask myself a question: How am I so lucky to be the media specialist at this amazing school? I am constantly blown away by our students’ wonderful work ethics, and how they love to immerse themselves in a good book. Some of our dedicated readers experience the magic of Harry Potter. Others learn about the immeasurable impact of historic leaders through biographies. Still more enjoy adventures with the likes of Sam, the Library Mouse. And I’m routinely wowed by the knowledge gathered from nonfiction titles.

This school year, our students checked out more than 37,000 titles! Based on how many books McGinn students read this year, here are a few facts we know

• You have shown you are versatile in your book selections. It’s been a pleasure watching students check out mystery, fantasy and humor from our fiction shelves, along with a ton of nonfiction books, graphic novels and biographies.
• McGinn students have expanded their vocabularies and enhanced their fluency.
• McGinn students have done a great job passing along recommendations to their classmates, which is a terrific way to generate interest in specific series or genres.
• McGinn students have become better writers. Your creativity has bloomed and your ability to put words on paper has been shaped by your reading experiences.

With the summer here, there is no doubt our students will continue to read while on break. However, a little motivation can go a long way, so let’s see if McGinn students can use the summer to continue improving their reading skills. Sticking with tradition, we’re going to hold a reading challenge, this year’s titled, An Ocean of Books. Oceans and books share something in common: They can both be explored and offer wonderful experiences and surprises. Students are challenged to read as much as they can during the summer, with the total number of books announced when we return to school in September.

Students who read the most books will be inducted into the McGinn Summer Reading Hall of Fame and have their name displayed in a special place outside of the library. Depending on the number of books students read, they’ll earn recognition in a specific category, this year using an ocean theme.

Clown Fish: You love swimming through the pages of a good book (5-10 books).

Octopus: There’s nothing like wrapping your tentacles around a great title (11-14 books).

Orca: You experience exciting adventures and travel with characters in a pod (15-19 books).

Great White Shark: You are the ultimate reading predator, devouring books with ease (20+ books).

Taking part in the challenge is easy. Use the attached reading log to record the books you have read during the summer and turn it in to Mr. Lohn at the beginning of next school year. The books chosen should be “Just Right” books and fit your reading level. Have fun with the challenge and enjoy all those books this summer.

Mr. Lohn
Media Specialist

An Ocean of Books

Book Log

Thanks for taking part in McGinn’s An Ocean of Books Summer Reading Challenge. By reading this summer, you have made the decision to become a better reader, which is only going to help for the upcoming school year. 

Use the reading log below to keep track of the books you have read this summer. The books should be “Just Right” books that fit your reading level. When you finish a book, fill in the title, author and number of pages in the log, and have a parent or guardian sign the log. When school starts again in September, turn in the reading log to Mr. Lohn in the media center. Books that are longer than most will count for more. So, don’t be afraid to pick up Harry Potter!

Here’s a reminder of the categories you can achieve through your summer reading.

Clown Fish: You love swimming through the pages of a good book (5-10 books).

Octopus: There’s nothing like wrapping your tentacles around a great title (11-14 books).

Orca: You experience exciting adventures and travel with characters in a pod (15-19 books).

Great White Shark: You are the ultimate reading predator, devouring books with ease (20+ books).

NAME __________________________________________________________  GRADE ____________________________________________