Students in grades three through eight can enter the Dare to Dream…Change the World Second Annual Writing Contest for Children by creating an original biographical poem and a paragraph about someone who not only dreamed, but took action and made the world a better place. The contest “aims to promote literacy, poetry writing, and nonfiction research while inspiring students to follow their own dreams.”

Entries can be submitted through April 30, 2014. Winners will be announced by June 1, 2014. Be sure to check out the rules and submission information. The grand prize winner will receive $1,500 worth of Kane Miller and Usborne books for a school or community library of their choice. The top 30 entries will be published as a free ebook by sponsor Kane Miller Books.

The contest, cosponsored by Educational Development Corporation, has been announced by Jill Corcoran, compiler and contributing poet to Dare to Dream … Change the World (Kane Miller, 2013), a collection of biographical and inspirational poems for children featuring a culturally diverse mix of subjects ranging from Jonas Salk to Steven Spielberg, and from Christa McAuliffe to Michelle Kwan. A free, downloadable curriculum guide is available on the contest and publisher websites.

Pin It to Win

Teachers have until September 27, 2013 to enter Raytheon’s “Pin It to Win It” sweepstakes on Pinterest “that encourages knowledge sharing and promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.” The contest is part of Raytheon’s MathMovesU initiative, which aims to inspire student interest in STEM subjects and support teachers by providing easy access to STEM education resources.

Educators must create a back-to-school Pinterest board, re-pin and share creative STEM education content, such as inventive experiments or lesson tips, to the MathMovesU “Back-to-School” Pinterest board. Twenty-five winners will be randomly selected to receive a MathMovesU bag filled with classroom supplies, such as calculators, rulers, protractors, and compasses.

Picture Book Art

From September 17, 2013 through March 24, 2014, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, will feature an exhibit of artwork from Eric Carle’s new picture book, Friends (Philomel). The title has a release date of November 19, 2013, and showcases Carle’s signature tissue-paper collage artwork. It tells the story of a little boy who braves harsh weather, tall mountains, and long distances to reunite with his best friend who moves away. Visit the Museum’s website for hours and admission fees.

“Friends was inspired by many of my own friendships,” says Carle. “One that I had as a three-year-old boy, another as a six-year-old when I was taken by my parents to Germany, and another as a young man when I arrived back in the United States with my portfolio in hand. I have always believed that friendship is very important. I know it was for me as a child. I can still remember my strong attachments and feelings for my friends when I was a boy.”

Canadian Children’s Lit Awards

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) has announced the finalists for its seven major children’s book awards: TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, John Spray Mystery Award, and Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy. The winners will be announced at the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards and Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse in Toronto on October 22 and in Montreal on October 29.

The finalists for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($30,000) are: Kids of Kabul (Groundwood; ages 11 Up) by Deborah Ellis; One Year in Coal Harbor (Groundwood; ages 9–13) by Polly Horvath; Susin Nielsen’s The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen (Tundra; ages 11 Up); The Stamp Collector (Fitzhenry & Whiteside; ages 8 Up) written by Jennifer Lanthier and illustrated by Francois Thisdale; and Virginia Wolf (Kids Can, ages 5–10) written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault.

The Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award finalists are: Mr. King’s Things (Kids an; ages 3–7) written and illustrated by Genevieve Cote, Mr. Zinger’s Hat (Tundra; ages 4–8), The Stamp Collector (Fitzhenry & Whiteside; ages 8 Up) written by Jennifer Lanthier and illustrated by Francois Thisdale; Uncle Wally’s Old Brown Shoe (Orca; ages 4–8) written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards and Virginia Wolf (Kids Can, ages 5–10) written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault.

The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000) finalists are: A Call to Battle (Scholastic Canada; ages 10–14) by Gillian Chan, The Lynching of Louie Sam (Annick Press; ages 12 Up) by Elizabeth Stewart, Making Bombs for Hitler (Scholastic Canada; ages 9–14) by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Amy McAuley’s Violins of Autumn (Walker; ages 12 Up), and Yesterday’s Dead (Second Story Press; ages 10–14) by Pat Bourke.

The finalists for the John Spray Mystery Award ($5,000) include: Becoming Holmes (Tundra; ages 11–14) by Shane Peacock, Devil’s Pass (Orca; ages 12–14) by Sigmund Brouwer, Neil Flambe and the Tokyo Treasure (S & S; ages 8–13) written and illustrated by Kevin Sylvester.

A complete list of finalists in all the categories can be found on The Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s website.

For the first time, TD Bank Group is partnering with CBC Books to present the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Fan Choice Award. Young readers will be asked to pick their favorite book from the shortlisted TD Award titles in an online poll starting on Monday, September 9. The book with the most votes will win, and one entrant will win a trip to Toronto to present the award at the ceremony on October 22.

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano (Scholastic; Gr 6–10) by Sonia Manzano won the 2013 Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, established by the Consortium for Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) “to encourage and commend authors, illustrators, and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States, and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use.”

In Manzano’s novel, 14-year-old Evelyn Serrano lives in Spanish Harlem in 1969. The family is of Puerto Rican descent, and the teenager struggles with her own sense of identity and what it means to be Puerto Rican in El Barrio.

Honorable Mention went to Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert (Clarion; Gr 2–4) written by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by David Diaz.  The picture-book biography tells the story of the life of the first black saint of the Americas who was born in 1579 in Lima, Peru.

There were also three Commended Titles: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (S & S; Gr 9 Up) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Drummer Boy of John John (Lee & Low; PreS-Gr 3) written by Mark Greenwood and illustrated by Frané Lessac, and In Darkness (Bloomsbury; Gr 9 Up) by Nick Lake.

Titles published in 2012 were considered for the 2013 award. Books are judged for their literary quality; cultural contextualization; exceptional integration of text, illustration, and design; and potential for classroom use. The award presentation will be held on October 5, 2013 at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Dot Day

Celebrate International Dot Day with its creator, Peter H. Reynolds, at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, on September 15, 2013 from 1–4 pm EST. The event was inspired by Reynolds’s book for young readers, The Dot (Candlewick, 2003), that “encourages children and adults to unleash their inner creativity through reading, art, and more.” International Dot Day has been celebrated in classrooms and libraries since 2009.

Events at the Carle include a book signing with Reynolds, a storytime, screening of the three films (Weston Woods) in Reynolds’s “Creatrilogy” series (The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color). All the activities are free with Museum admission.

“What began as one little dot on the pages of a book has grown into a movement that has countless people fearlessly expressing their creativity—not only on International Dot Day, but now all year long,” noted Reynolds.

A Black Hole Is NOT a Hole. By Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano. CD. 1:17 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2013. ISBN 978-0-8041-2181-1. $15.
Gr 5-7–Gravity, quasars, the formation of black holes, and the meaning of event horizon are just some of the ideas covered in the impressive scope of this book (Charlesbridge, 2012). DeCristofano does a commendable job of introducing concepts that are difficult to visualize and making them accessible by providing examples with which students can identify. For example, the type of snow used in snowballs helps describe density of matter and whirlpools are used to explain the pull of black holes. Many scientists and their work are introduced including Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Grote Reber, a pioneer of the radio telescope. Ideas like a black hole being lumpy or smooth depending on the collapsing star it comes from and the concept of “spaghettification,” the stretching out of objects, will intrigue students. The author’s conversational tone and infusion of humor will hook listeners. Maxell Glick, Tara Sands, and Everette Plen provide well-paced narration; Plen makes occasional comic quips. There’s a four-page glossary at the end that provides succinct definitions. Make sure to have the book available so listeners can peruse the illustrations, diagrams, charts, and photos.–C. A. Fehmel,St. LouisCounty Library, MO

Interactive Comics

Thirty-two titles from the “DC Super-Pets,” “DC Super Heroes: The Man of Steel,” “Superman,” and “Batman” series are now available as interactive ebooks from Capstone. An additional 28 titles will be released in the fall. There’s a one-time fee for “DC Super-Pets” interactive ebooks ($31.99 ea.) and “DC Super Heroes” ($33.99 ea.), which grants access to unlimited circulation for all students 24/7 in school, at home, or on any mobile device. “Our DC Comics brand of full-color chapter books offers readers the perfect introduction to DC Comics characters and are among Capstone’s most successful and best-selling series,” noted Matt Keller, Capstone’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Librarians can expand their digital collection with the titles kids love without having to worry about hidden fees or circulation limits.”

Math Challenge

WGBH Educational Foundation’s Innovation Math Challenge is for anyone who wants to create fun and engaging math educational media—educators, student teams, gamers, or programmers. Applicants can submit entries of games, math videos, infographics, or manipulatives. The contest challenges individuals or teams to design and create a web-based digital resource between two and six minutes in length related to middle school math and connected to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. The entry should be “engaging, rich in content and context, and go beyond strictly procedural teaching.” The deadline for submission is November 22. Check out the website for more information and contest rules. Up to 100 winners will each receive $1,000.

Penguin Young Readers Group Award
Online applications for the 2014 Penguin Young Readers Group Awards are being accepted by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Grants Administration Committee. Up to four children’s librarians working at a school or public library can receive a $600 stipend to attend their first American Library Association (ALA) Conference to be held in Las Vegas, June 26–July 1, 2014. To apply, you must be a personal member of ALSC and ALA, have less than 10 years but more than one year experience as a children’s librarian, and never have attended an ALA Annual Conference. Applicants will be judged on their involvement in ALSC and other professional/educational associations, new programs or innovations started in the library, and library experience. Check out all the requirements and apply by October 18, 2013.

Coming to a theater near you
The much-awaited film adaptation of Artemis Fowl is finally being developed by the Walt Disney Studios. The screen play is being written by Michael Goldberg (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) and Harvey Weinstein will produce it. The film will be based on the first two titles in the series by Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl and Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident). The release date has not yet been announced. Artemis Fowl is 12 years old, a genius, a millionaire, and a criminal mastermind. The series has more than 21 million copies in print. “This is a special project for me because my children absolutely love this book,” notes Weinstein.

Kwame Alexander’s He Said/She Said
In advance of the November 2013 publication of his new young adult novel, He Said/She Said (HarperCollins), author Kwame Alexander is offering a free beach-themed toolkit for libraries and schools. The kit includes activity suggestions for beach-themed book release parties. The book is a teen love story that also deals with social issues. There’s also a contest related to the release of the book geared towards high school students between the ages of 15 and 19. Here are the categories: Best Social Issue Poster Message by a Girl, Best Social Issue Poster Message by a Boy, Best He Said/She Said Book Review by a Girl, Best He Said/She Said Book Review by a Boy, Best He Said/She Said Book Cover Design by a Girl, Best He Said/She Said Book Cover Design by a Boy, Best He Said/She Said Book Illustration by a Girl, Best He Said/She Said Book Illustration by a Boy, Most Effective Social Media Engagement by a Girl, Most Effective Social Media Engagement by a Boy. Prizes include autographed copies of the book, gift cards, and more. Be sure to check out the contest rules and complete an entry form. Entries must be received by December 20, 2013, and winners will be notified by January 17, 2014.

HarperAudio wants you to decide who should be the voice of Four in Allegiant, the final book in Veronica Roth’s young adult “Divergent” trilogy. The first two books—Divergent (2011) and Insurgent (2012, both Katherine Tegen Bks.), have met with critical acclaim and are currently being adapted for the big screen. Set in dystopian Chicago, society is split into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent)—that cultivate a specific virtue. All 16-year-olds must choose one of these groups and devote their entire life to it.

The hardcover edition and the audiobook version of Allegiant will be released in October 2013. The final installment in the series is being written from a split point of view—Tris and Four. Emma Galvin will again perform the part of Tris in the audio version. But it is up to readers to decide who will voice Four. The publisher has chosen four narrators (anonymous for now) and fans can vote for their favorite. Polls are open through August 2 at 12 pm. After casting a vote, teens can enter to win a Kindle Fire KD loaded with copies of the first two titles, a pair of Skullcandy Crusher headphones, 12 Audible credits, and a copy of Allegiant signed by Roth. Only one winner will be selected in a random drawing. The winning narrator will be announced at 5 pm on August 2

Save the Date

The Library of Congress’s 2013 National Book Festival will be held on September 21 and 22 on the National Mall between 9th and 14th Street in Washington, DC, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday September 21st, and from noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 22nd. This two-day celebration of literacy and reading will feature a terrific lineup of educational activities and authors, illustrators, and poets, including Katherine Paterson, Paolo Bacigalupi, Susan Cooper, Cynthia Kadohata, Grace Lin, Christopher Myers, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Kadir Nelson, Patrick Ness, and scores of others. Attendees can get books signed, have photos taken with PBS storybook characters, and participate in a variety of other activities. Co-chaired by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, the event is free and open to the public.

Support Literacy

Over the past 10 years, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and Macy’s Be Book Smart campaign has raised nearly $30 million and has distributed its 10 millionth book to kids in underserved communities. This year alone, from June 21 to July 21, the Be Book Smart campaign, held in Macy’s stores across the country, raised more than $3.9 million through customer supported fundraising campaigns, in-store events, and volunteer activities. “Yet again, all of us at RIF are overwhelmed by the generosity demonstrated by Macy’s and its caring customers who helped make this possible,” noted Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of RIF. “We are extremely fortunate to have had 10 years of support and commitment from Macy’s to give millions of children the opportunity to dream big, explore new worlds, and to write their best life stories.”

Granted

The Kids in Need Foundation is calling for applications for its 2013 grants program. The awards range from $100 to $500 and must be used for classroom projects. To apply for the program, certified pre-K—12 teachers should visit the Foundation’s website by September 30, 2013 and complete an application. Winning teachers must have a project that makes “creative use of common teaching aids, approaches the curriculum from an imaginative angle, or ties non-traditional concepts together for the purpose of illustrating commonalities.” From 300-600 grants are given each year. Check out the guidelines before applying, and examine the sponsor list to select the application that is most relevant to your location, grade level, or preference. Sponsors include: Office Depot Foundation, Office Depot Star Teacher, Ready Steady Go!, Jo-Ann Craft & Fabric Stores (for preK only), Fred Meyer Fund, and VIA Credit Union. The Kids in Need Foundation is a non-profit organization that gives free school supplies to disadvantaged school children and teachers from under-funded schools.

For the Love of Reading

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund released Raising a Reader! How Comics & Graphic Novels Can Help Your Kids Love to Read, a free resource for educators and parents written by Dr. Meryl Jaffe, with an introduction by Jennifer L. Holm and art by Raina Telgemeier and Matthew Holm. The guide explains the skills that graphic novels offer kids, how to teach reading with comics, and more. Visit www.cbldf.org to download a copy for free.

“Comics are an incredible tool for helping create a genuine love of reading,” noted Holm. “With Raising A Reader!, we set out to create a resource all about what graphic novels offer kids that includes vital information about how to read comics, how to create reading dialogues with them, and how comics are important tools for 21st-century learners.

Día Programming Award

Applications for the 2013 Estela and Raúl Mora Award are now being accepted by REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking. The award recognizes exemplary programming that celebrates El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day, Book Day) or El día de los jóvenes! El día de los libros (Youth Day/Book Day). Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. Libraries, schools, colleges, museums, and other community organizations can apply for the award. The deadline is August 15, 2013.

The award was established in 2000 by author Pat Mora and her family “to honor their parents and to motivate libraries to celebrate Día.”

Awarded

Edie Parsons has won the first Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award. The award is “for authors over the age of 50 who have not been traditionally published in the children’s literature field.” The award was established by the Cushman’s in association with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Karen Cushman published her first children’s book, The Midwife’s Apprentice (a 1996 Newbery Medal winner), when she was 53. Parsons is currently looking for a publisher for Mercury Sea, a middle grade fantasy. “The story takes place in a world where alchemy works, crystal ships sail the seas, and the industrial revolution never happened,” noted Parsons in a recent interview. Parsons will receive a $500 award and free tuition to attend any SCBWI conference.

Ig Publishing has announced the launch of a new imprint, Lizzie Skurnick Books, committed to bringing back into print the best in young adult literature. The list will run the gamut from 1930s and 1940s classics to thrillers and novels dealing with social issues from the 1970s and 1980s. The launch is scheduled for September 2013 with Lois Duncan’s 1958 debut novel, Debutante Hill. Among the other titles scheduled for fall publication are To All My Fans with Love, from Sylvie by Ellen Conford, Me and Fat Glenda by Lila Perl, and M.E. Kerr’s I’ll Love You When You’re More Like Me, among others. Among the titles scheduled for spring 2014 publication are Domestic Arrangements by Norma Kleinm, Written in the Stars by Lois Duncan, and Sydney Taylor’s All of a Kind Family.

Lizzie Skurnick is the author of Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading (Morrow, 2009) and a columnist for the New York Times Magazine, among a host of other accomplishments.

Picture Book Award

The shortlist for the PEN/Stephen Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing has been announced by PEN American Center, “the largest branch of the world’s leading literary and human rights organization.” The finalists include: Snakes (Scholastic, 2012) written and illustrated by Nic Bishop; Oh, No! (Random, 2012) written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Andrea Castellani; I Lay My Stitches Down (Eerdmans, 2011) written by Cynthia Grady and illustrated by Michele Wood; Those Rebels, John & Tom (Scholastic, 2012) written by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham; and The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau (Eerdmans, 2012) written by Michelle Markel and illustrated by Amanda Hall.

The winner, chosen by a panel of three judges selected by PEN’s Children’s Young Adult Book Authors Committee, and Kathleen Kroll, the author’s widow, will be announced later this summer and will be honored at the 2013 PEN Literary Awards Ceremony on October 21, 2013 at CUNY Graduate Center in New York City.

The award, established in memory of children’s book author Stephen Kroll who passed away in 2011, acknowledges the literary contributions of picture book writers.

Children’s Lit Award

Laurie Halse Anderson is the winner of the 2013 Empire State Award for Excellence in Literature for Young People. Given annually by the Youth Services Section of the New York Library Association, the award acknowledges a body of work by a living author or illustrator residing in the state. Anderson is the author of numerous picture books, such as The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School (2009) and Independent Dames, (2008, both S & S), but she is best known for her young adult novels, such as Speak (Farrar, 1999) and Chains (S & S, 2008). The award will be given to Anderson on September 27, 2013 at a luncheon during NYLA’s annual conference in Niagara Falls, NY.

The award was first given in 1990, and past winners include Maurice Sendak, Jerry Pinkney, Linda Sue Park, and Bruce Coville among others.

Do You Love Your Librarian?

The American Library Association (ALA) has announced that nominations are open for the 2013 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award. Library users are asked to nominate librarians in public, school, college, community college, and university libraries “for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community. Nominations are being accepted online through September 6, 2013. Up to 10 librarians will be selected, an each winner will receive a $5,000 award.

Nominees must be librarians with a master’s degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Reward a Classroom

Parents can help teachers purchase supplies for their classroom. Teachers must be enrolled in Staples Teacher Rewards and parents must sign up for Staples Rewards® to join Reward A Classroom. Log in on the company website, and when parents shop at Staples, they earn 2% back in rewards for everything they purchase as well as 5% back on each Copy & Print purchase. Teachers can earn up to $50 from each parent. Parents can link to the teacher’s Rewards account and when they make purchases, rewards will accrue to the teacher of their choice.

Obituaries

Anna Held Audette, teacher and artist, died on June 9, 2013 after a long illness. She provided the illustrations and photographs for Click, Rumble Roar: Poems about Machines (HarperCollins, 1987)), edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins, and her photographs were published in A Song in Stone: City Poems (Crowell, 1983) by Hopkins. Her photography appears in many museum collections

Madeleine Comora, coauthor of the multi-award-winning picture book George Washington’s Teeth (Farrar, 2003) and Rembrandt & Titus: Artist & Son (Fulcrum, 2005) died on July 3, 2013 at the age of 50. Comora was an author and poet whose work has appeared in many anthologies. She held a degree in fine art from the Otis Art Institute and studied with the children’s poet, Myra Cohn Livingston.

Librarians can pair audio with print to build literacy skills. The launch of the Playaway Bookpack program has been announced by Findaway World. Each Bookpack features a preloaded audiobook and its print version, and is packaged in a plastic hanging bag. There are currently more than 200 titles available for preschool through young adult readers. “Playaways have been used as powerful read-along companions for years. Launching Playaway Bookpacks is our way of making it easier than ever for users to access these pairings and especially easy for libraries and classrooms to deliver this service,” said Nancy Stickney, Vice President Playaway Products Group.

Books for preschool to third grade students include titles from Peggy Parish’s Amelia Bedelia collection, Gene Zion’s Harry the Dirty Dog and Other Stories, William Steig’s Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and Other Stories, and Jean Fritz’s What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? And Other Stories of Famous Americans. For grades three to six, works range from Gennifer Choldenko’s Al Capone Does My Shirts and Carl Hiaasen’s Hoot to Russell Freedman’s Lincoln: A Photobiography and Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. Among the middle school selections are Irene Hunt’s Across Five Aprils, Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars, and Christopher Paul Curtis’s The Watsons Go to Birmingham. Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens, Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter are among the titles for young adults. Be sure to check out the complete list.

Medal for Libraries and Museums

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is now accepting nominations for the 2014 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal honors museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions to their communities. Public or private nonprofit museums, including art, history, science and technology, children’s, and natural history museums; and all types of nonprofit libraries, including public, school, academic, research, and archival, are eligible to apply. Complete applications must be mailed to The National Medal for Museum and Library Service, Office of the Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1800 M St. NW, 9th floor, Washington, DC 20036-5802 and postmarked by October 15, 2013 (no faxes or emails). Check out eligibility requirements for libraries and museums, and then complete a nomination form.

National Book Awards Virtual Exhibit

The National Book Foundation’s Up All Night online exhibition showcases the National Book Award Winners and Finalists in Young People’s Literature from 1969 to 2012. The exhibition features 228 titles, including picture books, novels, graphic novels, novels-in-verse, poetry, and nonfiction books. Forty-five readers, writers, and National Book Award authors who were inspired by the titles have contributed videos, interviews, collages, essays, poems, and other artwork. For example William Alexander, the 2012 National Book Award Winner in Young People’s Literature for Goblin Secrets (S &S, 2012), contributed essays and recordings of himself reading passages from Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Stone (1973 winner).

Educator Workshop at Serious Play Conference

Interested in designing serious games? Administrators and teachers interested in integrating educational games into the K-12 curriculum are invited to attend a one-day workshop on August 19, 2013 at DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Washington during the Serious Play Conference. Teachers and administrators who have incorporated game-based learning as well as senior serious games developers will share their insights and discuss what kind of products are best for different ages, where in the curriculum they work well, and how to measure learning objectives. The one-day workshop is $200 and registration is open now.

Serious games are simulations of real-world events or processes designed for the purpose of solving a problem. The Serious Play Conference is an annual event held to examine the current challenges and future developments in the field.

Teens are encouraged to read the books before they vote. The nominated titles include: Every Day by David Levithan (Knopf), Son by Lois Lowry (Houghton Harcourt), The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic), and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (Hyperion). Download this PDF for the full list.

Stop the Summer Slide

“Children not reading at grade level by the beginning of fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school,” said Barbara Lurie, co-founder and executive director of Kids Read Now, speaking at the recent Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America) meeting in Chicago.

She attributes this in large part to the “summer reading slide.” Kids Read Now’s summer reading program focuses on children in first through third grades and is supported by the One Call Now Foundation. Children in participating schools receive books to keep. Their progress is tracked by phone calls made to families through One Call Now. At its inception in 2011, the program worked with seven schools in Ohio to help improve reading levels. In 2012, 40 schools in Georgia, New York, and Ohio participated: 2,000 children received more than 11,000 books.

According to Kids Read Now, they are expanding the program to include data collection that will allow them to measure results and make improvements as necessary.

Digital Content

Channel One News, a digital video content provider, has revamped ChannelOne.com to make it “easier to access, share, and interact with Channel One News’s bite-sized, educational videos and supplemental resources from any device, since mobile and tablet devices are increasingly being used in the classroom.” Channel One News is expanding its digital distribution so the daily news program, video segments on thousands of topics, blog posts from reporters, and supplemental resources aligned with Common Core State Standards can be accessed inside and outside the classroom. Also, ChannelOne.com has launched “Impact,” a resource that connects students who are interested in service-based initiatives with organizations.

“Channel One News has been in classrooms across the country for more than 20 years, and we’ve always believed that the news is a powerful tool to spark important conversations and real world learning,” noted Channel One News Chief Executive Officer, CJ Kettler. “But we also recognize that teachers’ classroom routines are changing due to the increased use of technology and mobile devices in schools. With the new ChannelOne.com, teachers and students can use the news and real world events to enable authentic learning both in and outside of the classroom. We’re excited about the opportunities that exist to continue to serve the educational community by further leveraging our non-fiction content through strategic partnerships.”

Library Giveaway

To celebrate 25 years of children’s book publishing, Chronicle Books is offering The Chronicle Kids YA Summer Library Giveaway. If you are least 13 years old, just click on the link, fill in your name and email address, and submit it to Chronicle Books by July 3, 2013. The winner, selected by a random drawing, will receive signed copies of The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams, The Orphan of Awkward Falls by Keith Graves, Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl, copies of Nobody’s Secret by Michaela MacColl, How I Stole Johnny Depp’s Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain, Spinning Out by David Stahler Jr., The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner, and advanced readers copies of Weiner’s The Templeton Twins Make a Scene and Collean Gleason’s The Clockwork Scarab.

A Fake Blake

A school librarian at Hitchin Boys’ School in the UK has discovered that “Two Sunflowers Move into the Yellow Room,” a poem attributed to 19th-century English poet William Blake, was actually written by American author Nancy Willard and published in an anthology, A Visit to William Blake’s Inn (Harcourt, 1981). The article about Thomas Pitchford’s discovery was published recently in a BBC News story. Many schools have been teaching the poem as an example of Blake’s work. Pitchford’s blog, the Library Spider, has examples of how the poem was attributed to Blake and has been used in classrooms.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Scholastic is sponsoring a contest to give public libraries the opportunity to win a Harry Potter party pack. To enter, librarians are asked to describe in up to 500 words how they would host a Harry Potter celebration that would also acquaint a new generation of children with the beloved series. All entries must be submitted by July 17. On July 31st, Harry Potter’s birthday, 15 winners will be announced. Parties will be held on August 27—the date when new paperback editions of the full series will be released with cover art by author/artist Kazu Kibuishi.

The winning libraries will receive 100 copies of the new edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, a paperback boxed set of all seven Harry Potter books signed by Kibuishi, a $100 gift card to fund the library’s Harry Potter celebration, and a Harry Potter kit with stickers, name tags, bookmarks, and more.

“Throughout the past 15 years, librarians have introduced millions of children to Harry Potter, and helped young readers discover the joy of reading,” said Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing. “Today we celebrate librarians, the magic of Harry Potter, and all the future readers who are getting ready to start their journey to Hogwarts.”

Summer Reading Challenge for Latino Students

During the summer months, students can lose important literacy skills they learned during the school year. Libraries, summer camps, youth groups, and cultural centers planning programs this summer can register their group for the Latino Children’s Summer Reading Program, sponsored by Google and launched by Latinas for Latino Literature (L4LL). The program runs through August 12. Register for free online, and receive reading lists featuring Latino books for all ages, reading logs, bilingual student pledges in which readers agree to read at least eight titles, and certificates of achievement. Once registered, each group will be entered to win a Google Hangout with Latina poet Margarita Engle or author/illustrator Lulu Delacre. Hangouts will take place in July.

To incorporate the program into your class or camp, print the summer reading packets for students. Have them sign the pledge at the beginning of the program, and give them logs to take home to record the number of books they have read. At the end of the program, ask the students to write a book report on one of the books that they have read or one of the books that you’ve read together as a class, or ask them to give an oral presentation. Give all the students certificates of achievement at the conclusion of the program.

Latinas for Latino Literature was created in 2012 by four Latina bloggers in response to the New York Times article, “For Young Latino Readers, an Image Is Missing,” in which the author notes that Hispanic children now make up about a quarter of public school enrollment, but most books for young readers don’t have characters who are non-white Latino children.

Capstone in helping young victims affected by the recent tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. The publisher will work with the two schools most affected by the disaster, Briarwood Elementary and Plaza Towers Elementary, to distribute books to rebuild their libraries. For every book that customers purchase through Capstone’s website, the publisher will donate one book to the Moore schools. Those who would like to participate should use the promo code “moorerelief” when placing orders online.

And, there’s another way to help. Through its library division, Capstone Rewards members can donate their points to the school libraries. The company will double the total rewards points accumulated and give them to the schools to order new books. Members should log in to their Capstone Rewards account, redeem points, and email the redemption code to communitygiveing@coughlancompanies.com with the subject line “Moore Recovery Donation.”
Additionally, Capstone is donating more than 750 books for the students affected by the disaster to keep for their home libraries. “Providing children with good books to read is important for re-establishing a sense of normalcy and routine. Helping to provide Moore schools and educators with the books and resources they need to rebuild their fundamental role in the community is so important,” noted Ashley Andersen Zantop, Capstone Group Publisher and General Manager. “We hope our customers and friends join us. Capstone is preparing to send books to these schools as soon as they are ready to receive them.”

Granted

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation’s Minigrant Program has presented 59 awards to teachers and librarians in 29 states. The grants of up to $500 are given to educators in public schools and libraries for specific programs that “foster the love of learning, enhance creative expression, and optimize interaction between educator and students.” Bad River Public Tribal Library in Odanah, Wisconsin, received a grant for a program designed to teach children and young adults about the Ojibwe culture by designing and making their own traditional dance outfits. Creekside Elementary in Boulder, Colorado, will use their funding to have fifth graders work with kindergarten and first grade students to make applehead dolls and create a fictional narrative about each doll.

“Reflecting on the past 25 years of the Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant Program gives us great pride and satisfaction, knowing that we have directly supported so many extraordinary teachers and librarians,” said Deborah Pope, Executive Director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. “In an environment where educators have increasingly limited resources, we applaud those who have reached beyond the basic curriculum to create programs that inspire and encourage students in a creative and cooperative context.”

Database Update

The World Almanac for Kids Online has been relaunched by Infobase Learning to include a new streamlined interface and new content. The database goes beyond the print edition, featuring online-only content as well as Chelsea House and Facts On File sets and series that support Common Core standards. Search and browse options have been improved and are more kid-friendly. New sections include “Our Planet Earth,” “Space and Astronomy,” “American History,” and “Holidays and Celebrations”—and new material has been added to existing sections. Plans for the future include new information on the human body, plants, and sports. The “Homework Help” section has been revised to include topics such as resources for student reports and research, test prep, reading maps and time lines, and more. There’s also teacher support with new curricular handouts and iPad-friendly videos.

“By providing a trusted, content-rich, age-appropriate source for homework assignments and online research, The World Almanac for Kids Online serves a vital purpose for elementary and middle school students and their parents and teachers,” said Mark McDonnell, the president and CEO of Infobase Learning. “This site’s engaging material and appealing formats go a long way in getting kids excited about learning and coming back for more.”

25^th Annual Lambda Awards Announced

The winners of the 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards were announced on June 3 at a gala ceremony hosted by comedienne Kate Clinton at The Great Hall at Cooper Union in New York City. On the heels of BookExpo America, the “Lammys” ceremony celebrated excellence in LGBT literature and 25 years of the groundbreaking literary awards. Ingrid Abrams, a children’s librarian at Brooklyn Public Library presented the award in the LGBT Children’s/Young Adult category to Benjamin Alire Sáenz for his acclaimed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (S & S). Finalists included other 2012 SLJ Best Books: A.S. King’s Ask the Passengers, (Little, Brown), David Levithan’s Every Day (Knopf), and emily m. danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post, (HarperCollins).

Same Sun Here (Brilliance), written by Silas House and Neela Vaswani and read by the authors, was the winner of the Children’s Title for Ages 8–12. Alexander McCall Smith’s The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case (Listening Library), read by Adjoa Andoh, received the award in the Children’s Titles for Ages Up to 8 category, while The Fault in Our Stars (Brilliance) by John Green, read by Kate Rudd, won in the Teens category.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Audible), read by a full cast including Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Simon Prebble, and others, garnered the awards for Distinguished Achievement in Production as well as Multi-Voiced Performance. The judges remarked that “in this age when encounters with vampires seem to come with the regularity of trips to the grocery store, it is a chilling pleasure to listen to this startlingly terrifying original book.” A complete list of finalists and award winners can be found on the APA’s website.

Michele Cobb, President of the APA, said: “Another great night, another great year, another great list of winners. As the industry grows and thrives we reach new heights of visibility, quality and enthusiasm for the format–all reflected in every one of tonight’s nominees and winners!”

The Audio Publishers Association is a not-for-profit trade organization whose primary goals are to “promote awareness of the audiobook industry, gather and disseminate industry statistics, encourage high production standards, and represent the interests of audiobook publishers.”

Authors of SLJ’s DOD 2013 panel “Middle School Drama and Trauma.” l. to r. Holly Sloan, Ayun Halliday, Gordon Korman, Linda Urban, and Josh Farrar.

From tragic turning points to budding first love, some of the most talented and up-and-coming authors for the middle grade audience shared their insights on the writing process, connection to their intended audience, and how humor plays a part in all of their works at SLJ’s annual Day of Dialog.

Held at Columbia University’s Faculty House and moderated by Caroline Ward, head of youth servicesat Ferguson Library in Stanford, CT, the second panel of the day focused on themes of friendship, loss, identity, and overcoming great obstacles. Ward posed several questions that led to lively conversation among the panelists.

The speakers noted that readers between the ages of 10 and 12 were special because they’re beginning to take charge of their own opinions and experiencing important emotions for the first time, something Josh Farrar noted was “gold to authors.” Farrar explores first crushes in his book A Song for Bijou (Bloomsbury, 2013), a tale about Alex, a boy who falls for Bijou, a girl who relocates to Brooklyn, NY, after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

The prolific Gordon Korman incorporates humor in most of his titles, including Hypnotize Me (Scholastic, 2013), which features a main character who doesn’t know that he’s descended from the two most powerful hypnotist bloodlines on the planet. Middle schoolers see humor in their world and often use it to protect themselves, noted Korman. The other panelists agreed that because of the age level of the protagonists, there will always be some underlying humor in even an issue-filled book for tweens. While Farrar’s story is about a survivor of the tragic earthquake, humor and positive relationships lighten the tale’s mood and offer hope.

Ward’s inquiry to the novelists about writing gender specific novels stirred up passionate reactions from the crowd. Linda Urban, author of The Center of Everything (Houghton Harcourt), whose main character turns 12 while coming to terms with her grief following the death of her grandmother, made a plea to the editors and publishers in the room to create gender neutral covers for middle grade titles. Urban argued that the cover art often will make the book interesting to either girls or boys, even though the story itself might have more universal appeal.

Ayun Halliday, author of Peanut (Random), a graphic novel about a girl who fakes a peanut allergy in the hope that she will get sympathy and make friends in her new school, raved about her novel’s unique cover design, which features a single peanut against a blue background, and has no obvious intended audience. Holly Sloan, a former TV and film screenwriter, wrote Counting by Sevens about a 12-year-old girl genius whose world is forever changed when her parents die in a car crash, declared “There are no books for boys or girls. There are books for people”.

Mystery award: The Code Busters 2: The Haunted Lighthouse (Egmont USA) by Penny Warner won the 2012 Agatha Award in the Best Children’s/Young Adult category. In the book, Cody and his friends love codes, and when they receive a mysterious email suggesting that there’s a treasure hidden on Alcatraz Island, they are excited to start a clue hunt. A class trip to the prison is the perfect way for them to start their search. There are more than a dozen codes and puzzles in the book for readers to decipher.

The Agatha Awards honor “traditional mystery”books that are best typified by the works of Agatha Christie—that contain “no explicit sex and no excessive gore or violence.” The prizes were announced at the Malice Domestic 25 convention, an annual “fun fan” convention held in Washington, DC. Awards are also given in five categories for adults: Best Novel, Best First Novel, Best Nonfiction, Best Short Story, and Best Historical Novel.

Industry News

The Presidents: Capstone is adding 60 more titles to the K–3 PebbleGo Biographies module in August 2013. The new titles will complete its U.S. Presidential collection. Current subscribers to the database will receive the additional content at no extra charge. PebbleGo Biographies, which employ reading scaffolding strategies, feature narrated text, animated highlighting, a glossary, visual searching, educational videos and games, an interactive time line of key dates, and activities.

Graphic novels: ABDO’s Spotlight division will publish library editions of IDW’s Jurassic Park and Star Trek graphic novels this fall. There will be eight books in the Classic Jurassic Park set for all ages, based on the 1990s movies, and four Star Trek titles for young adults featuring characters resembling those in the current film franchise. Spotlight’s comic books and graphic novels are published as library editions, with side-sewn pages, a cloth reinforced spine, and a laminated cover.

“These are two of the most popular science fiction story lines in history,” noted Jim Abdo, the company’s publisher. “One warns of what happens when science goes wrong, the other promises a time where science helps humanity come together and build a future. And there is plenty of action and adventure, too. We think our librarian friends will love getting these into the hands of their kids and young adult readers.”

A first for the Navajo Nation:

Tapahonso has written five books of poetry and stories, as well as a children’s book—Songs of Shiprock Fair (Kiva Pub., 1999). Saánii Dahataal (1993) and Blue Horses Rush In (1997, both Univ. of Arizona Press) are two of her better known collections. In 1999 she was named Storyteller of the Year by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers.

Take the Challenge—Fight Obesity

Improve kids’ eating habits: A Day without Sugar, or Un Día Sin Azucar in Spanish, is a new initiative that has been launched by Arte Público Press, a U.S. publisher of Hispanic literature. The campaign challenges children to cut back on their sugar intake. Educators, community organizations, and families are encouraged to focus on the health risk of consuming too much sugar by challenging children to go through an entire day without any sugary drinks, candy, cookies, and other foods with added sugar. The initiative has provided free materials, such as a toolkit that outlines fun activities that can be used to teach kids about sugar, low-sugar recipes, coloring pages, fact sheets, and more.

According to an Arte Público news release, “nationally among children ages 6–11, roughly 30 percent are overweight and roughly 15 percent are obese. Among Mexican-American children, roughly 39 percent are overweight and roughly 24 percent are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If current trends persist, half of all Latino children born after 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes during the course of their lives.”

And the Winner Is…

South Asia Book Awards: The Rumor (Tundra; PreS–Gr 4), written by Anushka Ravishankar and illustrated by Kanyika Kini, and Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War (Groundwood; Gr 5–12), written by Deborah Ellis, have won the 2013 South Asia Book Award (SABA) for children’s and young adult literature. The award is given annually for up to two outstanding works of literature, ranging from early childhood to secondary reading levels, which “accurately and skillfully portray South Asia or South Asians in the diaspora, that is the experience of individuals living in South Asia or of South Asians living in other parts of the world.”

The titles recognized as Honor Books are: Chained (Farrar; Gr 4–7) by Lynne Kelly; The Elephant’s Friend and Other Tales from Ancient India (Candlewick; K–Gr 4) by Marcia Williams; The Wooden Sword (Whitman; K–Gr 5), written by Ann Redisch Stampler and illustrated by Carol Liddiment; and Same Sun Here (Candlewick; Gr 4–7) by Silas House and Neela Vaswani.

There were also five titles recognized as Highly Commended Books: Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth (Chronicle; PreS–Gr 3) by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes; Michael Morpurgo’s Shadow (Feiwel & Friends; Gr 5–8); The Sweetest Mango (Tulika; PreS–Gr 3), written by Malavika Sherry and illustrated by Ajanta Guhathakurta; Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary (Houghton Harcourt; Gr 9 Up), written by Keshni Kashyap and illustrated by Mari Araki; and Veera Hiranandani’s The Whole Story of Half a Girl (Delacorte; Gr 5–8).

The award ceremony will take place on October 19, 2013 at The Madison Concourse & Governor’s Club Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin. The event, sponsored by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium (SANOC), is free and open to the public. Books will be sold at the ceremony and authors will sign copies at the close of the event.

Debut authors and illustrators: Author Karina Wolf and illustrators Ben and Sean Hilts are first-prize winners of the 2013 Marion Vannett Ridgway Award for The Insomniacs (Putnam, 2012). Established in 1993, the award is given each year to first-time children’s book authors or illustrators to celebrate the memory of Ridgway, an artist’s representative who worked in New York City’s publishing community for more than 40 years and encouraged new talent. The honor award was given to illustrator Christian Robinson for Harlem’s Little Blackbird (Random, 2012). The first prize recipient receives $800, while the honor award winner gets $200.

Designed to be an essential road map to the event, the guide aims to help library professionals navigate the more than 1,000 booths and the hundreds of author signings scheduled throughout the weekend. It includes publishers’ booth numbers, times and locations of book signings both in booths and in autograph areas, a list of ARC and book giveaways, and the buzz on a few hot new titles being featured this year.

The guide also includes previews and descriptions of all the new children’s and young adult book releases, making it a resource for non-attendees as well.

You can sign up here to receive your free copy.

Author/illustrator extraordinaire:

Willems has created more than 40 books for children. The exhibit will feature “preliminary drawings that give viewers a glimpse of Willems’ process, as well as other finished illustrations that fully reveal his comedic genius and the influence of his early work as an animator for Sesame Street. Willems’ own work is accompanied by a selection of work from his private collection by the comic book artists and cartoonists who have inspired him most, including Charles M. Schulz, William Steig, and Saul Steinberg.”

Related programming include a members-only opening featuring a talk by the author on June 22 (reservations required), Mo Willems Day at The Carle on June 23 with a book signing for guests and another Mo Willems Day at The Carle on July 13. Ongoing events for school groups and guests will take place in the Museum’s Art Studio, Auditorium, Galleries, and Reading Library.

And the Winner Is…

Jane Addams Book Awards:  Each Kindness (Penguin) by Jacqueline Woodson and We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March (Peachtree) by Cynthia Levinson are winners of the 2013 Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards in the Books for Younger Children and Books for Older Children categories.

Two books were named Honor Books in the Books for Younger Children category: Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers (Marshall Cavendish) by Sarah Warren and We March (Roaring Brook) by Shane W. Evans. In the Books for Older Children category, two titles were named Honor Books: Marching to the Mountaintop: How Poverty, Labor Fights and Civil Rights Set the Stage for Martin Luther King Jr.’s Final Hours (National Geographic) by Ann Bausum and Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World (Houghton Harcourt) by Sy Montgomery.

Established in 1953, the annual Jane Addams Book Award honors books published in the U.S. during the previous year that “address themes of topics that engage children in thinking about peace, justice, world community, and/or equality of the sexes and all races.”

Debut author awards: The 2013 winners of the International Reading Association (IRA) Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards have been announced. The award recognizes promising debut authors—only first and second books by an author can be considered. Deborah Jo Larson’s One Frozen Lake (Minnesota Historical Society Pr.) won in the Primary Fiction category, and E. S. Redmond’s The Unruly Queen (Candlewick) received an Honor. Eight Days Gone by Linda McReynolds took the Primary Nonfiction prize, while the Honor in that category went to Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building (Lee & Low) by Christy Hale.

Susan Verrico was the Intermediate Fiction winner for Privateer’s Apprentice (Peachtree), and Lana Krumwiede and Natalie Dias Lorenzi nabbed the Honor award for Freakling (Candlewick) and Flying the Dragon (Charlesbridge), respectively. The Intermediate Nonfiction winner was James Doyle for A Young Scientist’s Guide to Defying Disasters with Skill and Daring (Gibbs Smith).

In the Young Adult category, the Fiction winner was Lovely, Dark and Deep (S & S) by Amy McNamara, and the Honors went to Out of Reach (S & S) by Carrie Arcos and E. M. Kokie for Personal Effects (Candlewick). We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March (Peachtree) by Cynthia Levinson won the Young Adult Nonfiction award.

Peer awards: Fifteen books have won the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) 2013 Crystal Kite Award. The awards recognize books from 15 regional SCBWI divisions around the world and the winners are selected by other children’s book writers and illustrators. All titles nominated must be published by a SCBWI member.

This year’s winners are: The Magyar Conspiracy (Tafelberg) by Neil Malherbe (Africa), Ten Tiny Things (Fremantle) by Meg McKinlay (Australia/New Zealand), The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins) by Katherine Applegate (California/Hawaii), Glory Be (Scholastic) by Augusta Scattergood (Southeast), The Dark Unwinding (Scholastic) by Sharon Cameron (Mid-South), Samurai Awakening (Tuttle) by Benjamin Martin (Middle East/India/Asia), Creepy Carrots (S & S) by Aaron Reynolds (Midwest), How to Babysit a Grandpa (Knopf) by Jean Reagan (Southwest), See You at Harry’s (Candlewick) by Jo Knowles (New England), Capture the Flag (Scholastic) by Kate Messner (New York), Boy + Bot (Knopf) by Ame Dyckman (Atlantic), Chained (Farrar) by Lynne Kelly (Texas/OK), The Stamp Collector  Fitzhenry and Whiteside) by Jennifer Lanthier (Americas), Fifteen Days Without a Head (Oxford Univ. Pr.) by Dave Cousins (UK/Europe), Pickle (Roaring Brook) by Kim Baker.

Tech awards: Tod Brekhus, Capstone Digital president, has won EdTech Digest’s 2013 Leadership Award, and the company’s flagship product, myOn reader, was selected as the best e-Learning Solution in the Cool Tool Award category. The awards honor “tools, trendsetters, and leaders in the education and technology sector. The distinguished awards program recognizes outstanding solutions—and the best and brightest minds—in education and technology.” Log on to EdTech Digest’s website for a full list of award finalists and winners.

“We are very proud to have myON reader chosen as the best e-Learning Solution,” noted Brekhus. “In just three short years, myON reader has created a unique reading environment that makes reading fun for students, a critical component in their individual academic success.” myOn reader offers online access to more than 4,000 books with multimedia supports and creates a collaborative reading environment where students, educators, and parents work together to support student reading performance.

Library Makeovers

In-need schools receive free renovations: Twenty-five school libraries across the country will be renovated thanks to the 2013 Target School Library Makeover Program. Each in-need school will get 2,000 books, new carpet and furniture, and a technology upgrade that includes iPads, interactive white boards, and more. In addition, students and their siblings will receive seven books to take home. The school libraries slated for renovation are in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas, and Washington.

To renovate the schools, Target is partnering with The Heart of America Foundation, a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC, that promotes volunteer service and literacy, and recruiting the Target design and construction teams to do the work pro bono.

“The Target School Library Makeover program is part of our commitment to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “By reimagining school libraries and transforming outdated spaces into state-of-the-art learning centers, Target hopes to ignite a love of learning and put more children on the path to high school graduation.”

Game On

Games in the classroom: Administrators and teachers are invited to attend a one-day workshop focused on integrating games into the K–12 classroom on August 19, 2013 at Digipen Institute of Technology in Redmond, WA. The workshop is part of the Serious Play Conference that will be held August 20–22. Attendees will get advice on the types of games that produce the best results. The workshop will feature serious games developers as well as teachers and administrators who have integrated game-based learning. Speakers include David Martz, Muzzy Lane Software; Susan Meek, Breakaway Games; Dan White, Filament Games, Ray Yan, Digipen; Tammie Schrader, an elementary school science teacher from Spokane, WA; and Michele Zimmerman, master trainer, Amazing Grace Christian Schools. The speakers will discuss the kinds of products that are best for different ages, where they work in the curriculum, and how to create and measure learning objectives. Register now for the workshop: the early bird price is $100; a pass for the Serious Play Conference and the workshop is $350.

Serious games are simulations of real-world events or processes that are designed for solving a problem and their primary purpose is to train or educate users. The Serious Play Conference examines the current challenges and future developments of serious games.

Advocacy

New website: Everyday Advocacy is a new website launched by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The website offers resources “designed to empower librarians and library staff to take action in their libraries, communities, and beyond.” Make sure to check out the website to easy to implement ideas and tips.

Summer Programs for Students

The joy of reading: Middle and high school students from all over the world will come together at The Great Books Summer Program to discuss the books they love and some topics in literature. There’s an intermediate program for students in grades 6 to 8 and a senior program for those in grades 9 to 12. The sample readings include works by Dante, Virgil, T. S. Eliot, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Hardy, Emily Dickinson, and Herman Melville, among others. Guest speakers include writers and filmmakers. The program gives students the opportunity to experience college life and have fun by exploring the surrounding areas, swimming, going to baseball games, attending Shakespeare productions, and more. The programs are held on the campuses of Amherst College in Massachusetts, Stanford University in California, and Oxford University in England. Tuition ranges from $1,745 for a one week session to $5,385 for a three week session.

As an incentive to get kids to visit the library during the summer, Bedtime Math is offering two math-focused programs for free to libraries across the country. The “Bedtime Math Pajama Party” kit contains games for three-to-nine-year-olds that teach basic math, such as “Twisted Tangrams,” as well as glow-in-the-dark magnets, party favor bags, and everything that’s needed to plan for programming the event in the library. The kit can be ordered online.

“Summer of Numbers” sets include two-month calendars (June 15–August 17) that feature Bedtime Math problems. The set also includes gold star stickers that kids can apply each day they do a math problem. Library representatives can order the calendars through May 15 for delivery before mid-June.

Both programs have been piloted in dozens of libraries in New Jersey and across the U.S. “Since the beginning, we have said that literacy and numeracy go hand in hand, and that public libraries are allies with Bedtime Math to keep students engaged and learning during the summer and all extended school breaks. We look forward to sharing these free library-and kid-tested programs more broadly,” noted Laura Overdeck, Bedtime Math founder.

National Geographic and Common Core

National Geographic Kids is being launched by Gale, part of Cengage Learning, as a new resource in their National Geographic Virtual Library product line. Intended for elementary and middle school students, National Geographic Kids includes full issues of the magazine from 2009 to the present, 500 downloadable images, and 200 National Geographic Kids books, including nonfiction titles and the National Geographic Readers. The resource’s content supports Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

You can purchase or subscribe National Geographic Kids as a stand-alone or as part of the complete National Geographic Virtual Library line. You can get a free trial of the product and find out more information.

Ebooks

Four S. E. Hinton novels are now available in ebook format for the first time from Diversion Books: Taming the Star Runner, Rumble Fish, Some of Tim’s Stories, and Tex. They can also be purchased from the iBookstore and all major online ebook retailers.

Capstone Partners with Save the Children

Capstone is working with Save the Children to raise money for the organization’s emergency fund to help children and families during severe crises and natural disasters with food, medical care, and education. Capstone will donate money to Save the Children from its sale of Flood, a wordless picture book by Alvaro F. Villa about a family’s experience after a flood. You can request a free reader’s guide to the book from Capstone Young Readers.