February 17, 2013

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Pick of the Day: The Encyclopedia of Me

By on December 12, 2012 Leave a Comment
girl standing on books

RIVERS, Karen. The Encyclopedia of Me. 248p. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-31028-4; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46951-7. LC 2011046292.
Gr 5-8–Diminutive, biracial, freckled Isadora “Tink” Aaron-Martin is grounded for most of the summer after an incident with her best friend. She decides to write an encyclopedia, and in spite of the artificiality of the alphabetical format, Rivers has created a warm, funny, fast-paced story about an endearing middle schooler who keeps her cool and sense of humor when events [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Grades 5 & Up, Pick of the Day, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Boise Librarian Wins SLJ/Scholastic Dav Pilkey Sweepstakes

By Sarah Bayliss on December 11, 2012 1 Comment
SAMSUNG

Sarah Kelley-Chase, branch manager of the Boise Public Library, won a visit from author Dav PIlkey, a contest sponsored by School Library Journal and awarded by Scholastic.

Filed Under: Awards & Contests Tagged With: , , , ,

From Exploring Tolkien’s Symbolic Language to Making Furry Feet, Teachers and Librarians Gear up for ‘The Hobbit’

By Sarah Bayliss on December 11, 2012 1 Comment
A copy of a letter J. R. R. Tolkien wrote in runes to a fan requesting an autographed copy of The Hobbit. Photo credit: Margie Hanssens.

As librarians and teachers prepare for the release of the new film “The Hobbit,” they’re incorporating Tolkien-related activities and events into their libraries and classrooms.

Filed Under: Featured, Librarians & Media Specialists, Public Libraries Tagged With: , , ,

Pick of the Day: Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Extra Credit (CD)

By on December 11, 2012 Leave a Comment
Illustrated audiobook cover of teen boy

Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Extra Credit. By Tom Greenwald. 4 CDs. 4:29 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4558-0309-5. $49.97.
Gr 5-7–In this followup (2012) to Tom Greenwald’s Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading (2011, both Roaring Brook), a poor report card and a reputation for cutting up in school land Charlie Joe in his middle school counselor’s office. Things go from bad to worse, causing Ms. Ferrell to recommend that Charlie Joe attend “Camp Rituhbukkee,” a summer camp that [...]

Filed Under: Audio Reviews, Featured, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day Tagged With: , , , ,

Pick of the Day: Twelve Kinds of Ice

By on December 10, 2012 Leave a Comment
skaters in foreground

OBED, Ellen Bryan. Twelve Kinds of Ice. illus. by Barbara McClintock. 64p. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-618-89129-0.
Gr 3-6–The coming of winter in the rural north brings ice. The first ice “came on the sheep pails…a skim of ice so thin that it broke when we touched it.” Gradually as the weather grows colder, the ice becomes field ice, “short-lived but glorious…,” stream ice, black ice from “water shocked still by the cold before the snow.” The ice and [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Grades 5 & Up, Pick of the Day, Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Pictures of the Week: The Dedication of St. John the Divine as Literary Landmark; Holiday House’s Spring Preview

By on December 7, 2012 Leave a Comment
Hope Larson, author of graphic novel adaptation of a Wrinkle in Time (FSG, 2012) and Leaonard S. Marcus, author of Listening for Madeleine: A Portrait of Madeleine L’Engle in Many Voices (FSG, 2012) autographing books at the dedication of a Literary Landmark at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City in honor of Madeleine L'Engle.

Hope Larson and Leonard S. Marcus autograph books at the dedication of Saint John the Divine as a Literary Landmark in honor of Madeleine L’Engle, and SLJ Book Review editor Trev Jones at the Holiday House Spring preview.

Filed Under: Authors & Illustrators, Books & Media, Events, Publishing Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Pick of the Day: Victor Hugo’s ‘Les Miserables’ (DVD)

By on December 7, 2012 Leave a Comment
Two men in period dress

Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. 2 DVDs. approx. 3 hrs. Prod. by Upside TV/France. Dist. by Worldwide Academic Media. 2010, 2012 release. ISBN 978-1-59163-942-8. $19.95.
Gr 9 Up–Once again, Victor Hugo’s 1862 story of perseverance, love, and personal redemption finds its way onto film. A timeless masterpiece, the story follows the ex-convict Jean Valjean as he emerges from a 19-year prison sentence and returns to an outside world that is just as cruel. Driven by a desire to reform, Valjean is caught [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , , ,

Microsoft Gives Partners in Learning $250 Million More to Support Education Innovation Globally

By Sarah Bayliss on December 6, 2012 Leave a Comment
BillGates

Microsoft has committed $250 million to its Partners in Learning program, a worldwide education initiative that offers resources to both students and teachers.

Filed Under: Featured, Organizations & Associations Tagged With: , , ,

Pick of the Day: Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (DVD)

By on December 6, 2012 Leave a Comment
Man sitting at a bonfire

Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie. DVD. 93 min. Prod. by Entertainment One and National Film Board of Canada. Dist. by Bullfrog Films. 2012. ISBN 1-93777-234-9. $295.
Gr 10 Up–Scientist and TV personality David Suzuki is well known in Canada where he is revered as the host of the long running science program, Nature of Things, and as an environmental activist. This film honors his career by weaving together the story of his life with his last lecture outlining the [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , , ,

Pick of the Day: In Darkness

By on December 5, 2012 Leave a Comment
red background, profile in silhouette

LAKE, Nick. In Darkness. 352p. Bloomsbury. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-743-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-59990-820-5. LC 2011022350.
Gr 9 Up–Trapped in the rubble of Haiti’s massive 2010 earthquake, teenage Shorty desperately waits for rescue. While in darkness, events of his traumatic, violent life replay in his head. He is haunted by his father’s brutal murder, his twin sister’s disappearance, and the armed gang activity that has been his means of survival in Site Soléy (Cite Soleil), a very real and dangerous [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Grades 5 & Up, Pick of the Day, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Listen to a Life Essay Contest Now Open

By on December 5, 2012 1 Comment
Listen to a Life Essay Contest

What student isn’t intrigued by time travel? The annual Listen to a Life Essay Contest gives kids a chance to travel through time and learn about the past, while discovering a direction for their own future. The contest also helps build critical 21st-century skills. Now in its 13th year, this is a powerful learning experience that changes lives and communities.

Filed Under: Audio, Awards & Contests, Programs & Programming, Students, Teens & YA Tagged With:

SLJ’s Top 10 Graphic Novels: 2012

By Brigid Alverson, Robin Brenner, Esther Keller, Michael May, Mike Pawuk, Scott Robins, and Eva Volin on December 4, 2012 6 Comments
TOP10_COMIX_02

Twelve months ago, when we chose 2011’s best graphic novels, we predicted that this year’s list would be even better—and we were right.

Filed Under: Best of, Books & Media, Featured, Graphic Novels, Industry News, Reviews, Teens & YA

Pick of the Day: The Day Carl Sandburg Died (DVD)

By on December 4, 2012 Leave a Comment
Carl Sandburg b & w photo

The Day Carl Sandburg Died. DVD. 84 min. Prod. by Bonesteel Films. Dist. by PBS Dist. 2012. ISBN 978-1-60883-701-4. $24.99.
Gr 8 Up–Carl Sandburg, one of the most celebrated American poets of the 20th century, lived an incredibly colorful life which was reflected in his work. Born into an indigent family of Swedish immigrants in western Illinois, Sandburg initially held a series of manual labor jobs. Later he became a union activist, a social orator, and even a self-proclaimed anarchist. His [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , ,

A Choose-Your-Own-Path ‘Hamlet’ Comic Gets a Huge Boost via Kickstarter

By Sarah Bayliss on December 3, 2012 Leave a Comment
Hamletimage

Cartoonist Ryan North launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to finance a choose-your-own-path version of Hamlet that ultimately raised $220,000.

Filed Under: Industry News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Healthy Lifestyles: A Balancing Act | Focus On

By Joanna K. Fabicon on December 3, 2012 2 Comments
SLJ1212w_FO_BalancingKid

It seems as though not a day goes by without the media covering a story about children’s health. Fast-food restaurants decide to list the nutritional information of their entrees. School districts ban soft-drink vending machines in their cafeterias. Childhood obesity is at epidemic levels.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Collective Book List, Featured, Focus on, Reviews Tagged With:

Soapbox: Not Fast Enough

By Mark Ray on December 3, 2012 3 Comments
markray

SLJ’s latest tech survey shows that school librarians need to master a new game.

Filed Under: Soapbox Tagged With: , , , ,

Pick of the Day: Sleep Like a Tiger

By on December 3, 2012 2 Comments
tiger wearing crown

LOGUE, Mary. Sleep Like a Tiger. illus. by Pamela Zagarenski. 40p. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-64102-7.
PreS-Gr 1–The common theme of a child not ready for bed receives fresh treatment here. When a young girl repeatedly declares that she is not sleepy, her parents remain calm. She dutifully dresses in pajamas and washes up. After climbing into bed, she again proclaims that she is wide awake and questions her parents about how things in the world go to sleep. [...]

Filed Under: Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Quest to Learn: A collaborative effort to design engaging game-like learning environments | Gaming Life

By Dan O’Keefe on December 3, 2012 Leave a Comment
SLJ1212w_Gaming

If you’ve played enough well-designed games, you know that they provide immediate feedback, are constantly challenging, promote learning by doing, and reframe failure as iteration. As most teachers already know, these are core principles of good teaching. This is a powerful relationship. When we make it explicit, and design from it, we see students engaged in playful, studious, and deep learning.

In 2009, the Institute of Play, a not-for-profit design studio founded by a group of game designers, [...]

Filed Under: Opinion, The Gaming Life

Coming Soon: YA Underground

By on December 1, 2012 4 Comments
Amy Cheney

Starting on January 16th, Amy Cheney from Alameda County (CA) Library, Juvenile Hall will be contributing a column to SLJTeen titled YA Underground: Teen Books You Might Have Missed. Scheduled to run every other month, Amy will write about books she’s reading and authors that are of interest to teens—particularly those from poverty classes and/or incarcerated youth.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Collection Development, Teens & YA, YA reviews Tagged With:

Stories for Winter Nights| Listen In

By Sharon Grover and Lizette Hannegan on December 1, 2012 1 Comment
SLJ1212w_ListenInopen

Cold winter weather provides the perfect setting for putting on headphones to listen to a good book. For over 50 years, Search Institute, a nonprofit organization, has worked to improve the lives of young people by examining and offering ideas to combat risky behaviors and determining what kids need to succeed. They were early adopters of the adage “It takes a village to raise a child,” believing that the entire community must band together to help [...]

Filed Under: Audio, Books & Media, Collection Development, Common Core, Curriculum Connections, Featured Tagged With:
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