Library News

FEBRUARY 2026

Madison Christian School is excited to announce that Joe Sutphin, illustrator of many favorite MCS books, is coming to speak to our K-6th grade students on March 17th!

Joe Sutphin is an illustrator and cartoonist of children’s books and graphic novels. His body of work includes the official graphic novelization of Richard Adams’s "Watership Down," the re-envisioned editions of "Little Pilgrim’s Progress" and "Little Christmas Carol," Andrew Peterson’s beloved "The Wingfeather Saga," the "King’s Cadets and Little Joe," and many others. His encounters with the creatures in the fields and woods around his home have shaped his art throughout his life. Joe lives in a barn in Ohio with his wife, Gina, and five incredible cats.

All K-6th students will get to be a part of Mr. Sutphin’s presentation. If you would like to have your student receive a signed copy of one of his books, you will need to purchase the book from Amazon, a local bookstore, Storyglory Kids, or wherever you choose.

We will collect the books on Monday, March 16th, and Joe will sign them before his presentation on March 17th. Please have your child’s first and last name and teacher’s name on the book.

If you want to learn more about Joe Sutphin, visit joesutphin.com

Past News

MAY 2025

May is Literacy Month!

MCS is excited to welcome author Jim Weller on May 2nd to help kick off Literacy Month! His book, "Orv and Willa Find A Home," is the true story of two American bald eagles who arrived in Dayton, Ohio in 2018. They eventually nest in a tree on the grounds of Carillon Historical Park on the south edge of the city. He will share his book with K-5th students along with many eagle facts. If you want to purchase his book, you can purchase "Orv and Willa Find a Home" on Amazon.

We will be doing lots of fun literacy activities during May. Students will participate in DEAR (Drop Everything And Read), Guest Reader Visits, Teacher Swap (another grade level teacher will come to share a book and activity), an outdoor story walk, buddy reading, and dress like your favorite classic book character parade. (Please wait for directions from your classroom teacher before purchasing any costume items.)

The Classic Book Character Parade will take place on Friday, May 16th at 8:45 am in the “playground” blacktop area. Parents are invited to attend. Please park in the gravel front “holding” parking lot and then walk down to the blacktop “playground” at 8:45 am. Teachers will be sharing through email which classic books their class has read this year. Your student can choose to dress like one of those characters. This dress-up day is optional.

The costume should be worn over the school uniform, or the school uniform should be in the backpack in case your child needs to put it on. Students may wear wigs, make-up, hats, glasses, and clothing for the costume. Please make sure that any clothing fits in length and fits like the uniform. (Ex. no mini-skirts, short tops, tight-fitting pants/tops, low-cut tops, etc.) If you have any questions, please feel free to email Michelle Johnson.

APRIL 2025

FEBRUARY 2025

EAGLE READER BOOK CLUBS

Middle School Book Club:

The Middle School Book Club meets monthly to discuss a novel. Participation is voluntary and students can sign up based on their interests.

This year students have read and discussed Somebody On This Bus Is Going To Be Famous, Stealing Freedom, and 100 Cupboards. Our book club book for February is The Mysterious Benedict Society.

4th/5th Grade Book Club:

The 4th/5th Grade Book Club is held once a month during lunch/recess. One month is for 4th-grade readers and the next is for 5th-grade readers.

This year we have read and discussed Shiloh, Because of Winn Dixie, and Anne of Green Gables. Our book club book for February is Number the Stars.

If you are looking for great book recommendations for your student check out Redeemedreader.com

DECEMBER 2024

Kindergarten-2nd Grade Families:

We encourage you to read with your child over Christmas break. A bookmark will be sent home on December 16th. Please track what your child is reading on the bookmark. After they complete the bookmark, they will be rewarded with a special treat at a favorite restaurant. Simply take the bookmark with you.

If you are looking for good book recommendations check out redeemedreader.com for book lists and recent reviews.

Merry Christmas,

Mrs. Johnson

3rd-5th Grade Families:

We encourage you to have your child read at least one chapter book over Christmas break. After your child reads the book, complete the bottom half of the paper that will be sent home on December 16th and return it on January 6th when we return to school. Your child will receive a certificate for a free kid's meal at Raising Canes.

If you are looking for good book recommendations check out redeemedreader.com for book lists and recent reviews.

Merry Christmas,

Mrs. Johnson

SEPTEMBER 2024

Kindergarten-1st Grade Library News:

MCS Families,

I am thrilled to serve your family as the MCS librarian. Most students LOVE library visits as we read aloud together and learn about our MCS library resources. The best thing, however, is getting to choose a library book to check out!

Some things to keep in mind:

Talk to your child about where they should keep their library books at home. A safe consistent place where pets or younger siblings can’t get them is ideal. Some families find it beneficial to keep the library book in their child’s backpack, read it, and then put it back.
Your child’s library day: Kindergarten visits on Tuesday and Friday | 1st grade visits on Thursday
Please help your child remember to return library books to school on their library day. If your child does not have their library book, they will not be able to check out a new one.
K-1st students should have a library bag that should be used all year to keep their library books from being damaged. A string backpack works well.
Please note that if your child loses or damages a library book you will be charged to replace the book.
Thank you for helping your child become a great reader!
The upcoming School Book Fair will be held from 9/30-10/3. Learn more.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Johnson

2nd-5th Grade Library News:

MCS Families,

I am thrilled to serve your family as the MCS librarian. Most students LOVE library visits. The main objective of the library is to instill a love of reading and to get your child reading! We spend some time reviewing how the library is organized and how to locate books of interest. However, the majority of our time together is reading books, discussing them, and finding books that interest us.

There is a lot of news about books in public libraries and school libraries being inappropriate. I thought it might be helpful for you to know how I choose books for our library. I have a process for selecting books which includes recommendations from "Honey for a Child’s Heart" by Gladys Hunt, Redeemedreader.com, and Common Sense Media. These are great resources to use to help your family choose books wisely as well.

Some things to remember:

Encourage your child to read! Help him/her find a comfortable place to read, set aside time for reading, and talk about what your child is reading.
Library day - Help your child remember to return his/her books on library day. Your child may renew library books without bringing the book to the library if they need more time to finish reading the book.
Book Care - Please encourage your child to find a safe place to keep his/her books. Somewhere that the family pet or younger sibling cannot access is ideal. Help your child understand how to keep books safe in his/her backpack. Maybe a separate pocket or a large ziplock bag. A lot of our books are paperbacks and we need to be careful so that they are not damaged. (Water bottles are books enemies.)
Please note that if your child loses or damages a library book you will be charged to replace the book.
Thank you for helping your child become a great reader!
The upcoming School Book Fair will be held from 9/30-10/3. Learn more.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Johnson