September 18, 2013

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ALSC Offers Morris Seminar on Book Evaluation

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The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is seeking applications for its third biennial “Bill Morris Seminar: Book Evaluation Training,” to be held on Friday, January 24, 2014, prior to the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. This invitational seminar supports and honors William C. Morris’s dedication to connecting librarians and children with excellent children’s books.

SLJ/LJ Resources for September 11

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September 11 marks a difficult anniversary. To help children’s and young adult librarians navigate the challenging teachable moments that the day might raise and to guide those librarians working in universities and public libraries to address the potential research needs of their patrons, our editors have compiled these resources.

Books for Boys

Books for Boys

Wednesday, October 2, 2013, 3:00-4:00 PM ET Learn about fall’s collection of new books for boys during this School Library Journal webcast event. From illustrated books to chapter books, and even audio books topics will range from superheroes to farmers, and then some! Attendees will learn some tips to promote and support genres that boys like, including comic books, graphic novels, sports, and nonfiction, as well as some ideas for creating reading role models and communities for boys grades K-12. If you want ways to get books in the hands of your guys this session will inspire you. Register Now!

Pick of the Day: Counting by 7s

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When her parents are killed in an accident, 12-year-old Willow is taken in temporarily by her friend Quang-ha’s mother, who must stay ahead of Social Services, and becomes a catalyst for change..

Gale, ‘Library Media Connection’ Name TEAMS Award Winners

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Gale, part of Cengage Learning, and Library Media Connection magazine today announced the three winners of the TEAMS Award—Teachers and Media Specialists Influencing Student Achievement, a biannual honor recognizing the critical collaboration between teachers and library media specialists in promoting learning.

‘The Smartest Kids in the World’ | Professional Shelf

the smartest kids in the world

Amanda Ripley set off on a year-long “field trip to the smart-kid countries” to see if she could account for the success of the high achieving students around the world. What made these kids smarter than their American peers? The writer reports in ‘The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got that Way’ (S&S, 2013).

Read Like a Professor, Write Like a Superhero

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Making the reading-writing connection for students in the Common Core era requires models of good literature, a keen understanding of the text craft and structure, and solid skills in writing conventions. This season’s crop of writing guides provides students with all of the above.

Pick of the Day: Oblivion (Audio)

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Oblivion, the final book in Anthony Horowitz’s “The Gatekeepers” series, is read by Simon Prebbles who masterfully conveys the terror of a dangerous dystopian world. Read the starred review of this suspense-filled audiobook.

Round Rock Library (TX) Gets $49.5K Grant to Create After-School Maker Program

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The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has awarded the Round Rock Public Library System a grant of $49,500 to build Innovation Station, an after-school maker space and program that aims to engage middle schoolers in project-based science, technology, engineering, mathematics, art and design activities. The grant is part of a total $1.6 million in awards that TSLAC is distributing in fiscal 2014 to Texas library programs.

Detroit Public Library Partners to Feed Kids After School

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The Detroit Public Library (DPL), Forgotten Harvest, and the Chrysler Foundation have partnered to provide free nutritious snacks to school-aged children who attend after school reading programs at 20 DPL branches throughout the city. The snack packs—typically fruit, a drink, and a nutritious item such as yogurt—also are available to children on days when Detroit Public Schools are closed and during special DPL-sponsored programs.

Pick of the Day: Living with Jackie Chan

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In this companion to Jumping Off Swings (Candlewick, 2009), Knowles provides an intimate look at Josh a year after the events of the first book and an honest look at teen pregnancy from the male’s perspective.

IMLS Awards Grant to Preserve Video Games

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The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded the International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG) a grant in order to help preserve and curate a significant portion of its collection of approximately 50,000 video games and related artifacts, one of the world’s most extensive public collections.

Kid Lit Cartoonists Plan September Fundraisers for Moore, OK, School Libraries

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Later this month, cartoonists Jeff Kinney, Dav Pilkey, Lincoln Peirce, and Stephan Pastis will present “Drawn Together: Cartoonists Benefit Moore, Oklahoma School Libraries,” two fundraising events for the city of Moore, OK, in which the kid lit stars will discuss their inspiration and creative processes and answer questions from the audience.

Pick of the Day: Nelson Mandela | DVD

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Kadir Nelson’s evocative biography of Nelson Mandela receives stellar treatment in this exceptional DVD presentation from Weston Woods. Forest Whitaker’s rich voice reads the story with background music and crowd sound effects that draw viewers in. Be sure to read the starred review.

Popularity Contest: 2013 Hugo Awards Crown SF Winners

Infinity Ring- Curse of the Ancients

The arrival of fall marks the start of the literary awards season. Already Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami is being touted as an odds-on favorite to win the Nobel Prize for Literature next month. But the cynic in me guesses that the always inscrutable Swedish committee of judges will bypass the best-selling author of 1Q84, Kafka [...]

Morrison’s ‘Bluest Eye’ Joins Wide Range of Books Challenged in Alabama Schools

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Toni Morrison’s acclaimed novel The Bluest Eye—which tackles such difficult subjects as racism, incest, and child abuse—could become the latest in a wide range of books that have been officially challenged in Alabama’s 132 school districts in recent years, if State Senator Bill Holtzclaw, R-Madison, has his way. The legislator is calling for its removal from school libraries in the state, a position that has so far resonated with at least one local school board member.

Dr. Seuss Ebooks Finally Available on September 24

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Children’s book classics such as Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat and the Hat will be available in ebook format for the first time beginning on September 24. Fifteen of author/illustrator Dr. Seuss’s (aka Theodor Geisel) beloved titles will make their digital debut on that date, keeping the original layouts and iconic illustrations from their print editions, says publisher Random House Children’s. By November 2013, a total of 41 ebooks will be available for children, parents, and educators.

Pick of the Day: Hero on a Bicycle | Audio

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Hero on a Bicycle is set in Italy in 1944 presents the story of a 13-year-old boy and his encounters with the Partisans in Nazi occupied Florence during World War II. Narrator Simon Vance’s incomparable vocal style is a perfect fit for this intense and suspenseful work of historical fiction. Check out the starred review of this audiobook.

SLJ Reviews Air & Space Smithsonian Magazine Archive Database

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Combining an industry and educational standard in the field of aerospace with a recognized leader in the world of science and arts, the Air & Space and Smithsonian Magazine Archive Database is seamless in action and an excellent source for both papers and projects.