We are now two weeks into the school year, so it’s time for me to check the stars and see how we are doing with new initiatives.  This year we started something new:  star reviews (an idea inspired by School Library Journal).  When students read a book they love, they get to put a star sticker inside the book, display the book at the front of the media center, and share a book review in a variety of formats.

So far, six students have put stars in books, 5 students have put stars and written reviews, 3 students have shared their reviews on BTV, 1 student has audio-recorded a review, and an uncountable number of students said that they will be doing a star review soon.  I’ve tried getting students to write book reviews on their own in the past with little success.  I feel like we may have captured something here with this idea.  I see a willingness and an excitement for telling about books, especially from students who want to be on our morning broadcast.  It’s there chance to shine like a star on TV.

One student chose to record her voice for her star review, so you can listen to my conversation with her here.

We’re off to a steady start, and I hope that we can keep reaching for the stars with student involvement in the media center.