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Picture Book About Islam Ignites Twitter Battle
May 23, 2013 By Shelley Diaz 3 Comments
Children’s book author and former teacher Kate Messner has always had a passion for sharing books with kids, so when she recommended Hena Khan’s Golden Domes and Silver Lanternsto her Twitter followers for its portrayal of Islam, she did not expect the backlash she received. A few days after the original message, someone who does not follow her on Twitter replied with the below, continuing an intense multiday exchange with her about what he believes to be “the real Islam.”

Pick of the Day: Infinity Ring, Book 1: A Mutiny in Time (Audio)
May 24, 2013 By SLJ Leave a Comment
A Mutiny in Time, the first audiobook in James Dashner’s “Infinity Ring” series, is a great kickoff for what is sure to be a rollicking adventure series for elementary grade students. Be sure to check out the review.

College Readiness: Librarians Can Help the Transition | On Common Core
Education buzzwords—whole language, multiple intelligences—come and go, but 45 states chose to adopt the Common Core Learning Standards. The questions educators now face are what types of instruction help students develop these skills? And how do librarians insert themselves into these critical discussions?

Project:Connect | Summer Youth Programming Competition Now Open
May 15, 2013 By Dodie Ownes Leave a Comment
The Project:Connect Summer Youth Programming Competition is now accepting proposals for its fifth Digital Media and Learning (DML5) event. DML supports single or multiday participatory and hands-on learning experiences, such as labs, hackathons, and pop-up events which will be held at U.S.-based organizations from July-September, 2013. Proposals must be submitted by June 10, and selected programs are eligible for awards of up to $10,000.
SLJ’s 2013 BEA Guide to ARCs & Signings
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Pick of the Day: Infinity Ring, Book 1: A Mutiny in Time (Audio)
By SLJ on May 24, 2013 Leave a Comment
Pictures of the Week

Juvenile Fiction Nominees at the Edgar Awards Ceremony on May 2
By SLJ on May 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Mystery Writers of America celebrated Edgar Allan Poe’s 204th birthday with the announcement of the Edgar Awards. Pictured here are the nominees for the Juvenile Fiction category, including winner Jack Ferraiolo for The Quick Fix .
Architects of Dreams: Anythink’s Pam Sandlian Smith on the Power of Children’s Librarians
By Pam Sandlian Smith on May 1, 2013 1 Comment
Anythink’s dynamic director explores how children’s services librarians will shape the future of libraries, libraries as places of discovery and experience, and the shift toward participatory librarianship.
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Be the Change: Take the Lead on Standards: Common Core and More
By SLJ on May 6, 2013 Leave a Comment
SPONSORED BY: Mackin Educational Resources, Capstone, Rosen Publishing, and School Library Journal EVENT DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, June 4, 2013, 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET/ 12:00 - 1:00 PM PT Register now! Whether your district is Common Core or not, its arrival and collision with the broad digital transition create unmatched opportunity for librarians to take leadership on meeting standards using their collection development and technology skills--mixing up materials and tools, stepping up the … [Read More...]

Part 6 On Common Core – Serving the CCSS and Youth
By SLJ on April 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
SPONSORED BY: Lerner Publishing Group and School Library Journal EVENT DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, May 21, 2013, 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET/12:00 - 1:00 PM PT Register now! What resources do librarians have in their collections that meet the goals of the Common Core initiative? How will the Common Core State Standards influence the decisions school and public librarians will be making as they continue to develop their collections? What specifically should educators be looking for in the resources … [Read More...]

Ready to Research! Navigating K-3 Curriculum Objectives
By SLJ on April 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
SPONSORED BY: Capstone and School Library Journal EVENT DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, May 22, 2013, 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET/11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT Register now! Common Core State Standards require that we build strong research habits from the earliest grades. Calls for: · Increased exposure to informational text · Preparation for the rigors of text-based discussion and evaluation · Emphasis on writing, comprehension and collaboration All … [Read More...]
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CISSL Study Helps Define Role of Successful NJ School Libraries
By Karyn M. Peterson on May 23, 2013 Leave a Comment
What does a good school library look like? What role does a good school library play in educating New Jersey students? These are the questions Ross Todd, Ph.D., and Carol Gordon, Ph.D., co-directors of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL), sought to define in a recent two-phase study they conducted in public elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the state. In an interview with SLJ,Todd and Gordon share some of their most surprising and illuminating findings, along with the steps they are taking to promote the research this year and their best practices recommendations for how other schools can build successful libraries.

Picture Book About Islam Ignites Twitter Battle
By Shelley Diaz on May 23, 2013 3 Comments
Children’s book author and former teacher Kate Messner has always had a passion for sharing books with kids, so when she recommended Hena Khan’s Golden Domes and Silver Lanternsto her Twitter followers for its portrayal of Islam, she did not expect the backlash she received. A few days after the original message, someone who does not follow her on Twitter replied with the below, continuing an intense multiday exchange with her about what he believes to be “the real Islam.”

Art and Artifice: Museum Adventures on the iPad | Touch and Go
By Daryl Grabarek on May 23, 2013 Leave a Comment
A museum visit can be a great learning experience for students, but when the exhibit you want to take your students to see is halfway around the world, what’s a teacher to do?

NYC Kids Rally for Libraries; City Council Members Urge Full Funding
By Karyn M. Peterson on May 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
More than a dozen New York City Council members, the presidents of New York’s three library systems, and several hundred librarians, library staff, supporters, advocates, and children from nearby schools rallied on the steps of city hall to protest $106 million in proposed funding cuts. Council members Jimmy Van Bramer and Vincent J. Gentile also pledged to introduce legislation that would create a baseline of stable funding for the city’s public library services.

Agatha Awards Announced; ABDO Revamps ‘Star Trek’, ‘Jurassic Park’ Library Editions | News Bites
By Phyllis Levy Mandell on May 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
Penny Warner’s The Code Busters 2: The Haunted Lighthouse won the 2012 Agatha Award. Capstone is adding 60 more Presidential titles to the K–3 PebbleGo Biographies module in August 2013. ABDO’s will publish library editions of IDW’s “Jurassic Park” and “Star Trek” graphic novels this fall.

Pew Study Shows Teens’ Social Media Use Rising, Race Affects Habits
By Sarah Bayliss on May 22, 2013
Teenagers are revealing more about themselves on social media than ever before, but they’re also taking more steps to protect their privacy online, according to “Teens, Social Media, and Privacy,” a May 21 report issued by Pew Internet. The report also found Twitter use among teens—especially African Americans—is rising, while teens’ fondness for Facebook is on the decline.

Humor That is Seriously Funny | Focus On
By Paula Willey on May 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
Writing about humor is a good way to suck all the fun out of it, so please—feel free to skip straight to the booklist.

NYC Librarians Glean Tips, from Tech to Collection Development, at DOE’s ‘Exploratorium’
By Daryl Grabarek on May 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
In addition to a tour of the New York Public Library’s 42nd Street landmark building and some shoptalk, attendees at NYC’s Exploratorium were treated to workshops on topics ranging from instructional strategies to databases to collection development conducted by educators and publishing professionals.

College Readiness: Librarians Can Help the Transition | On Common Core
By Leanne Ellis on May 21, 2013 1 Comment
Education buzzwords—whole language, multiple intelligences—come and go, but 45 states chose to adopt the Common Core Learning Standards. The questions educators now face are what types of instruction help students develop these skills? And how do librarians insert themselves into these critical discussions?

JLG’s On the Radar: Fantasy for Middle School Readers
By Deborah B. Ford on May 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
In the last 12 years, the fantasy genre has dominated the middle grade market. Thanks to “Harry Potter”, children worry less about the number of pages, and authors have been happy to comply with longer imaginative offerings. These lengthy tomes are fast-paced reads, full of magical creatures, daring adventures, and loyal characters that fight for the good of all. In the following titles selected by JLG editors, themes of family and friendship are woven into sets of enchanted lands, and fans can escape to a place where their own problems seem far away.

Juvenile Fiction Nominees at the Edgar Awards Ceremony on May 2
By SLJ on May 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Mystery Writers of America celebrated Edgar Allan Poe’s 204th birthday with the announcement of the Edgar Awards. Pictured here are the nominees for the Juvenile Fiction category, including winner Jack Ferraiolo for The Quick Fix .

Kids suffer when librarians are cut from schools| Letters
By Phyllis Levy Mandell on May 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
Check out School Library Journal’s reader responses to Rebecca Miller’s editorial, “The Cost of Cuts,” the review of Dig Those Dinosaurs, and more.
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