Jean Darnell: Awaken Librarian

It's NATIONAL NINJA DAY!!!!! I'm super excited to post this and know some of my followers have already started the festivities! Here's my spin... @NinjasRead We're celebrating our #NinjaNames for #NationalNinjaDay ! Get ready, as we'll post our activities all day long! Sensei KuzuMotoki pic.twitter.com/1Mxp0RG5tE — AwakenLibrarian (@awakenlibrarian) December 5, 2016 If you want to learn your own Ninja Name , then check out Ninjas Reads.com to get more ninja resources like the following: Any librarian worth their salt, knows about the marvelous resources available via GetEpic ! Here's a wonderful resource for "How to Draw a Ninja !" Here's a collage of our drawings! We received the anointing nod of Mr. Shoo Rayner, the artist who taught us how to draw those aforementioned ninjas! @awakenlibrarian @EpicKidsBooks fantastic drawings. Well done ! — Shoo Rayner (@shoorayner) December 7, 2016 If drawing isn't your thing, but you...

It all started on Saturday mornings, when cartoons went off and Bruce Lee came on TV. I've watched every Bruce Lee film, read his books on philosophy and Jeet Kune Do. I LOVE ME SOME BRUCE LEE! Today is his birthday, so in honor of my 30+ yrs of admiration, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE LEE! Check out my book review based on his Be Water, My Friend Be Water, My Friend by Ken Mochizuki My rating: 5 of 5 stars As a further extension on what I did with Corey Rosen Schwartz's The Three Ninja Pigs , I decided to connect Mochizuki's book as it delved further into Kung Fu and the greatest Sensei/Martial Artist that's walked this Earth: Bruce Lee . Yes, he's my childhood hero. But, what I liked about Mochizuki's book is that he discussed "Mo Shi Tung" as a child (read in the book what it means)...a hyper-active, jokster, who went from a trouble-maker to a world-wide icon, due to the discipline learned in Kung Fu. He expanded his learning even more by cr...

Be Water, My Friend by Ken Mochizuki My rating: 5 of 5 stars As a further extension on what I did with Corey Rosen Schwartz's The Three Ninja Pigs , I decided to connect Mochizuki's book as it delved further into Kung Fu and the greatest Sensei/Martial Artist that's walked this Earth: Bruce Lee . Yes, he's my childhood hero. But, what I liked about Mochizuki's book is that he discussed "Mo Shi Tung" as a child (read in the book what it means)...a hyper-active, jokster, who went from a trouble-maker to a world-wide icon, due to the discipline learned in Kung Fu. He expanded his learning even more by creating "Jeet Kune Do," and that's what I want to instill in my students as a librarian: Take what you've learned and own it so much that you can create your own enhanced version or style. To me, and hopefully to my students, that's true originality. I'd argue you to find a better model than Bruce Lee: the philosopher, the master...

So my Goodman Owl babies and I recently read Corey Rosen Schwartz's The Three Ninja Pigs! Let me just tell you, I thought that my innocent post on Goodreads about a great lesson in my class, that just so happened to center on The Three Ninja Pigs book, would motivate others to read an exciting book. Take a look at the post here: The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz My rating: 5 of 5 stars I LOVED sharing this book with my elementary babes. We did this right around the Chinese New Year. I was able to combo that wondrous event, with Bruce Lee (my childhood hero)! I appreciated the fact that the Ninja principles of self-discipline, respect, and harmony with nature were evident. Plus, the kids ADORED the illustrations. I taught them the proper bow/greeting for a sensei and had them all bow and greet their teacher, when she returned to collect them from rotation. She was flabbergasted and impressed. GREAT READ and catalyst for activity! So many of my boys are tak...