The Shelf Elf - Build A Better World

The Shelf Elf
Library Lessons
by Jackie Mims Hopkins
Author’s Note
Several years ago, Skoob, the shelf elf, left his first note in the Matzke Elementary School Library.
When I asked the K–1–2 students what they thought a shelf elf looked like, I realized they didn’t
have many preconceived ideas about elves. As a child, I remember being fascinated by a book
called The Blueberry Pie Elf. I dusted off my old copy and introduced the children to an elf I once knew. With a better understanding of an elf’s point of view, the fantasy of the shelf elf began.
Each week we received notes from Skoob and talked about how
we could help him take care of the books. We also tried to use
quiet voices in the library so we wouldn’t hurt his tiny ears.
Some of the children wrote notes and drew pictures for him. The
enchantment of the shelf elf blossomed and so did the idea to
write a book about him. I hope you will use The Shelf Elf and these
story enrichment ideas as a springboard to create a charming and
unique shelf elf for your library too.
Jackie Mims Hopkins
Published by UpstartBooks
W5527 Highway 106
P.O. Box 800
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538-0800
1-800-448-4887
© Jackie Mims Hopkins, 2004
Illustrations © Rebecca McKillip Thornburgh, 2004
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
The purchase of these lessons entitles the individual librarian or teacher to reproduce
copies for use in the library or classroom. The reproduction of any part for an entire school
system or for commercial use is strictly prohibited. No form of this work may be reproduced
or transmitted or recorded without written permission from the publisher.
Story Enrichment Ideas
Discussion
You do the bookey lookey.
(Repeat, shaking hands in the air.)
After reading The Shelf Elf to the children, ask
them if they think there’s a shelf elf living in
their library. Discuss where the shelf elf might
live in their library and how they can help him
take care of books. What do they think their
shelf elf’s name is? Skoob’s name is “books”
spelled backwards.
That’s what it’s all about!
(Slap thighs twice, clap twice,
open hands on the word “about.”)
Creative Writing
Have your students write a letter to inquire about
their library’s shelf elf. The students should dictate the letter for you to write on a large piece
of chart paper or chalkboard for your shelf elf to
read. After the children leave for the day, respond
on a small piece of paper using tiny writing. In
addition to answering any specific questions the
children may have asked, the response could read
something like this:
Songs
Shelf Elf Song
Sing to the tune of “Did You Ever See a Lassie.”
Do you think we have a shelf elf,
A shelf elf, a shelf elf.
Do you think we have a shelf elf in our li-bra-ry?
Repeat, with the students joining in second time.
Continue to have the shelf elf write notes to the
students throughout the year. He can comment
on their library behavior, request certain books
be read and ask for help from the children. A
special mailbox can be put in the library for
shelf elf mail.
Shelf Marker Song
After discussing the importance of shelf markers and how to use them, sing “The Shelf Marker
Song.” Sing to the tune of “The Hokey Pokey.”
You put your shelf marker in.
(Put right hand and arm forward.)
You pull a book right out.
(Pull right hand and arm back.)
You look through the pages,
To see what it’s about.
(Touch sides of hands together like an open
book. Left hand closes on top of right hand
and then back open like you are turning the
pages of the book.)
Dear Boys and Girls,
My name is _____________ and I am
your shelf elf. I am glad you wrote
a letter to me. Since no one can see
an elf, and no one can hear an elf,
writing a letter is a good way to talk
to me. I really need your help taking
care of all these books. I will watch
each class to see who earns the
Golden Shelf Elf Award.
You do the bookey lookey,
And you see if it’s just right.
(Continue to hold hands like an open book.)
That’s what it’s all about!
(Slap hands on thighs twice, clap hands
twice, open hands on the word “about.”)
Your Shelf Elf,
____________
Library Manners
You do the bookey lookey,
(Hold hands in the air and shake them like the
hand motion in the Hokey Pokey.)
Brainstorm with the children the kinds of library
behaviors the shelf elf is looking for. Write their
suggestions on a poster or large chart paper and
post them in the library.
You do the bookey lookey,
(Repeat, shaking hands in the air.)
Use tokens to reward desired behaviors when
each class visits the library. The tokens may be
1
stored in a small box, sandwich bag, envelope
or jar, one container per class. The class in each
grade level (K–1–2) who accumulates the most
tokens after six weeks receives the Golden Shelf
Elf Award. The winning class may display the
award in their room for the next six weeks.
How Would the Shelf Elf Feel?
To create a Golden Shelf Elf Award, I used metallic gold spray paint on a small cement gnome
that I found at a garden center. I painted three of
them—one for each grade level. I didn’t give the
Golden Shelf Elf Award to the students in grades
3–5, but I did use the token system with them.
Every six weeks, the classes in each grade level
with the most tokens received small prizes.
• 2 tongue depressors
Materials:
• 2 fabric elf hats from a costume shop or 2 elf
hatbands made from the pattern on page 5
• 1 smile and 1 frown pattern from page 5
• a variety of damaged books (torn, scribbled
in, water damaged, dog-eared, chewed, etc.)
• list of scenarios that would make the shelf elf
happy or sad (see page 3)
Prepare in Advance:
• Cut out the hatband pattern or buy elf hats.
Bulletin Board
• Cut out 1 smile and 1 frown pattern. Glue
them on the tongue depressors.
Take a picture of the winning (K–1–2) teacher of
each class and glue his or her face onto the shelf
elf pattern from page 4. Also take a group picture
of each teacher’s class. Put the shelf elf teacher
picture and his or her class picture on a bulletin board that says, “Look Who Won the Golden
Shelf Elf Award.”
• Gather the damaged books.
Activity Directions:
1. Choose two children. One child will stand on
one side of you to represent a sad shelf elf
and the other child will stand on the other
side of you to represent a happy shelf elf.
Put the elf hats on both children and give
the smiling mouth to one and the frowning
mouth to the other.
Activities
The Shelf Elf ’s House
Read a note from the shelf elf asking the children
to build a house for him. Brainstorm objects that
can be used for beds, tables, chairs, building
materials, etc. The children can bring in materials to create his house. In my library, some
of the students created a house for Skoob at
a “Creation Station” in the classroom. We had
several houses on display in the library. When
the house is finished, put a clay doormat at the
front door. (Use a craft clay that won’t crack
when it air dries.) After the children have left for
the day, create footprints on the mat by pressing cardboard shoe prints into the clay, or by
pressing doll shoes into the mat. The footprints
can appear to go into the house and then back
out. The next day when the children come to the
library, excitedly show them the footprints that
the shelf elf left on the doormat. Even though
no one can see an elf, and no one can hear an
elf, footprints and occasional notes from him
certainly enhance the fantasy of this little guy.
When Skoob’s footprints appeared on the clay,
one of my second graders said, “Wow, I thought
Skoob was just pretend!”
2. Explain to the students that you are going
to tell them about something that happened
in the library. The class will decide how the
shelf elf would feel about it. If the situation
would make him happy, the student with
the smiling mouth should hold it up and the
students in the audience should smile while
making a thumbs-up gesture. If the situation
would make the shelf elf sad, the student
with the frowning mouth should hold it up
and the students in the audience should
frown while making a thumbs-down gesture.
Scenarios:
Ask “How would the Shelf Elf feel?” after reading
each scenario to the class.
1. You use a bookmark to save your place.
2. You dog-ear a page to save your place in a
book. (Show a dog-eared page.)
3. You keep a library book for a whole year.
2
Prepare in Advance:
4. You eat a snack and have some juice while
reading your library book. (Show a foodstained page and rippled pages from water
damage.)
1. Create pointers using fun foam and the pointer patterns from the last page. Tie or glue
ribbon streamers on the dowel near the fun
foam shape. Glue craft jewels on the pointer
for a final flashy touch, or use the pointing
Skoob images on the last page. Sandwich
the dowel between the images. Glue them
together.
5. You have clean hands when reading your
library book.
6. You use a shelf marker when looking for a
book on the library shelves.
7. You put a book back on the shelf with the
spine showing.
2. Prepare a bookshelf of misplaced books.
For example, have several books with pages
showing instead of their spines, have some
books upside down with the call numbers at
the top, have some books lying flat on the
shelf or on top of the books, etc.
8. You use a loud voice in the library.
9. You push someone out of the way to get to
the books on the shelf first.
10. You use walking feet in the library.
Activity Directions:
11. You draw or write in a library book. (Show a
page that has been scribbled on.)
1. Have the children look carefully at the shelf
to see if they can find what is wrong with the
book placement.
12. You keep your library book in a safe, dry
place at home.
2. Select a child to use one of the special pointers to touch a book that has been put back
on the shelf incorrectly. Discuss what is
wrong with the position. Talk about using
shelf markers and demonstrate how to put
the book back in the right direction on the
shelf.
13. You turn the pages of your library book carefully and slowly.
14. Your dog chews on your library book. (Show
a book that has been chewed on by a dog.)
What is Wrong with this Shelf?
3. Continue to have the students take turns
pointing out the misplaced books and correcting their positions until all the books are
back in place.
Materials:
• fun foam
• pointer patterns/pointing Skoob pattern from
the last page
• dowels
• ribbons and craft jewels
• tacky glue
3
Shelf Elf Pattern for Bulletin Board
Enlarge to desired size.
4
Elf Hatband Pattern
Increase band length to fit child’s head.
Smile and Frown Patterns
Enlarge to desired size.
5
Pointer Patterns
Enlarge to desired size.
39702
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin