February 17, 2013

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Pick of the Day: Anna Hibiscus (CD)

By on January 17, 2013 1 Comment
Little African girl playing in field of flowers

Anna Hibiscus. By Atinuke. cassette or CD. 1 hr. Recorded Books. 2012. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4618-3465-6, CD: ISBN 978-1-4618-3466-3. $15.75.
Gr 1-3–With this introductory phrase, “Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa,” we are introduced to the many facets of an African child’s daily life with her close-knit family. The culture, land, and people of Africa come shining through in Atinuke’s absolutely delightful stories (Walker, 2007) in this early chapter book. Four vignettes focusing on the child’s life with her large, noisy, [...]

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Photos: John and Hank Green: An Evening of Awesome

By on January 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
JohnHank

Author John Green, brother Hank Green, and special guests the Mountain Goats celebrated the anniversary of ​The Fault in Our Stars​ (Dutton, 2012) with an evening at Carnegie Hall.

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MWA Announces 2013 Edgar Awards Nominees

By on January 16, 2013 1 Comment
code-name-verity

The Mystery Writers of America has announced the nominees for its 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, and television from the previous year, in celebration of the 204th anniversary of Poe’s birth.

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Pick of the Day: Lincoln

By on January 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
title lincoln in white letters mid page

HOLZER, Harold. Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America. 240p. appendix. bibliog. chron. notes. photos. Newmarket. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-226509-8.
Gr 5 Up–In 14 well-crafted, concise, fact-filled chapters, Holzer offers a biography of the 16th president and narrates the story of passage of the 13th amendment in January 1865, which brought an end to slavery in the United States. Illustrated with historical photographs, the text is filled with quotes from Lincoln’s speeches, letters, and other documents, making it a [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Featured, Grades 5 & Up, Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Win A Signed Copy of I See The Promised Land: A Life Of Martin Luther King Jr.

By on January 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
I See The Promised Land

African-American writer, griot, and blues singer Arthur Flowers and Indian scroll painter Manu Chitrakar have combined their very distinctive storytelling traditions in an extraordinary jam session, creating I See the Promised Land, a stunning graphic narrative-style biography of Martin Luther King Jr. In honor of Black History Month, Groundwood Books will be giving away 10 signed copies.

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Music and Game Reviews from Young Adults

By on January 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
11613forza

Our teen reviewers are still catching up from the holiday break. Bruno Mars first came to fame after his vocals were featured on the song “Billionaire,” which he worked on with Travie McCoy in 2010. Now he has released his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox, building on his musical creativity—he cowrote all the songs—while still perfecting the art of chart-topping singles. And how did I not hear about an auto-racing game set in Colorado? (My family might tell you that every time I drive, it’s like an auto race… ) I may have to give Forza Horizon a try myself.

Filed Under: Multimedia, Multimedia Reviews, Teens & YA, Video Games, YA reviews Tagged With:

Pick of the Day: The Mighty Sky (CD)

By on January 15, 2013 1 Comment
CD cover with up close image of Earth from space

The Mighty Sky. CD. 31:31 min. with lyrics. NewSound Kids. 2012. ISBN unavail. $14.98.
K-Gr 4–This production is the brain child of Grammy nominee and NAMMY’s Songwriter of the Year (given by the Native American Music Association), Beth Nielsen Chapman. She was joined in the effort by songwriter Annie Roboff and lyricist Rocky Alvey, director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory. The trio has put together a fantastic album of 11 songs in various musical styles including rock, doo wop, zydeco, English [...]

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Open Circle Names 25 Best Books for Kids’ Social and Emotional Learning

By on January 14, 2013 4 Comments
The_Hundred_Dresses

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Open Circle Program at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW), a provider of evidence-based social and emotional learning for K–5 kids, has released its list of the top 25 children’s books that connect to kids’ social and emotional development . The chosen books cover a range of important skills, such as self-awareness, self-management, empathy, dealing with conflict, and problem-solving.

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Libraries with No Bounds: How Limitless Libraries transformed Nashville Public Schools’ libraries

By Tricia Racke Bengel on January 14, 2013 4 Comments
Limitless libraries logo

An ambitious partnership between Nashville Public Library (NPL) and Metro Nashville Schools has resulted in a successful program called Limitless Libraries.

Filed Under: Programs & Programming, Public Libraries, Schools & Districts, Teens & YA Tagged With: , , ,

Teens Dig Tumblr

By on January 14, 2013 1 Comment
Tumblr library posting

According to Social Times, an online source for all things social media, Tumblr has eclipsed Facebook as the number-one platform of choice, with 61 percent of 13- through 18-year-olds using it, compared to just 55 percent using Facebook. What gives? Is Facebook really for old people?

Tumblr lets teens fine-tune their interests, and it’s highly customizable. Users can post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos from their browsers, phones, desktops, or email accounts, making it accessible anytime, anywhere. More than [...]

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Pick of the Day: Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America’s First Black Paratroopers

By on January 14, 2013 1 Comment
courage has no color

STONE, Tanya Lee. Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America’s First Black Paratroopers. 160p. appendix. bibliog. chron. notes. photos. reprods. Candlewick. Jan. 2013. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5117-6; ebook $24.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6405-3.
Gr 5 Up–A moving, thoughtful history of the United States military’s first black paratrooper unit. During World War II, African American soldiers were mostly relegated to service and security jobs, generally denied the same training and active-combat positions that were available to their white counterparts. [...]

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Pictures of the Week: Belleville Library Hosts Three Kings Celebration

By on January 11, 2013 2 Comments
CAPTION

The Belleville Public Library in New Jersey recently celebrated Three Kings Day.

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Pick of the Day: Splendors & Glooms (Audiobook)

By on January 11, 2013 1 Comment
Audiobook cover- kids on puppet strings with red background

Splendors & Glooms. By Laura Amy Schlitz. 10 cassettes or 10 CDs. 12 hrs. Recorded Books. 2012. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4498-3568-2, CD: ISBN 978-1-4498-3572-9. $108.75
Gr 4-8–Set in a Dickensian London, Davina Porter is the perfect narrator to capture the nuances of the characters and the time period in Schlitz’s exceptional Victorian fantasy (Candlewick, 2012). Listeners will ache for the orphan children, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall, when they come up with money after pawning a watch. Should they have a proper meal [...]

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Jacqueline Woodson’s ‘Each Kindness’ Wins 2013 Charlotte Zolotow Award

By on January 10, 2013 1 Comment
eachkindness

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center has awarded Each Kindness, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E. B. Lewis, its Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. The 2013 Zolotow committee also named Flabbersmashed About You, Me and Momma and Big John, and Sleep Like a Tiger as Honor Books. The awards will be presented on April 6, 2013.

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Scholastic Launches New Multi-Platform Fantasy Series

By on January 10, 2013 1 Comment
SCHOLASTIC SPIRIT ANIMALS

Scholastic has announced it will release Spirit Animals, a new multi-platform, multi-author fantasy adventure series for readers ages 8–12, in September. The story arc of the seven-book series and online game will be established by New York Times bestselling author Brandon Mull, with a second title launching next year from bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

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Pick of the Day: Son (Audiobook)

By on January 10, 2013 1 Comment
Boy in forest in green and white

Son. By Lois Lowry. 7 CDs. 8:11 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 978-0-449-01448-6. $47.
Gr 6 Up–Those frustrated over the ambiguous ending of Lowry’s The Giver (1993) will be thrilled with the conclusion (2012, both Houghton Mifflin) to the quartet. Listeners are brought full circle, returning to the fate of Gabriel, the little baby saved from “release” by Jonas. The story begins with Claire, who emerges from unconsciousness following a difficult birth to [...]

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‘Can*TEEN’ Engages Girls with STEM

By on January 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
Can*TEEN

AASL (American Association of School Librarians) has announced a partnership with the Carnegie Science Center: Girls Math & Science Partnership (GMSP) to support and inspire girls to see themselves in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers via gaming and online activities through the Can*Teen Career Exploration initiative.

Filed Under: Digital Resources, Nonfiction, Programs & Programming, Resources, Technology, Teens & YA Tagged With:

Pick of the Day: The Savage Fortress

By on January 9, 2013 2 Comments
lots of orange and yellow, girl and boy in foreground

CHADDA, Sarwat. The Savage Fortress. 292p. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-38516-9; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46996-8. LC 2011046291
Gr 8 Up–On vacation in India with his aunt, uncle, and younger sister, pudgy Ash Mistry can’t wait to get back home to his video games and London friends. But when his uncle is offered a million pounds to assist mysterious Lord Savage with translations from an archaeological find, Ash becomes embroiled in an overwhelming and deadly real-life battle. He realizes [...]

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Karyn M. Peterson Joins SLJ as News Editor

By on January 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
KarynMPeterson

School Library Journal has a new editor. Karyn M. Peterson has joined the staff as news editor, replacing Debra Whelan, who left in October 2012.

Filed Under: Industry News

Pick of the Day: Planet Dinosaur (DVD)

By on January 8, 2013 1 Comment
Dinosaurs on DVD cover

Planet Dinosaur. DVD. approx. 3 hrs. Prod. by BBC Worldwide. Dist. by Warner Home Video. 2012. ISBN 0-7806-8447-8. $19.96.
Gr 5 Up–In the last two decades, paleontologists have made great discoveries about dinosaurs thanks to new computer-generated imaging (CGI) technology and cutting-edge research. The film, narrated by John Hurt and featuring computer-generated images, brings these prehistoric creatures to life. A whole new cast of dinosaurs are introduced, such as the Predator X, a sea creature that liked to tear the Plesiosaurs [...]

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