February 16, 2013

Interview: Tim Rylands, Edublog Lifetime Achiever

Tim n Books

Winner of the 2012 Edublog Lifetime Achievement Award, UK-based educator Tim Rylands uses gaming and other IT to inspire learning and creative writing. Rylands, who presents internationally at conferences and schools, blogs at www.timrylands.com. He spoke with SLJ about how his teaching techniques, his favorite apps, and why he’s more than just the “Myst man.”

Dell Awards Grants Honoring Innovators in K-12 Learning

JJ Echaniz, Yale freshman and CEO of Forward Tutoring

Dell announced the winners of its Dell Education Challenge, an international competition recognizing projects that support learning issues among K-12 students.

Mischief Maker: National Book Award–winner William Alexander has created a world of fun, fury, and astonishing possibilities

William Alexander

Author Gary D. Schmidt interviews 2012 National Book Award–winner William Alexander.

Pictures of the Week: “I Love My Librarian” Award

A group from Saugatuck Elementary School supports Rae Anne Locke who received the "I Love My Librarian" award on December 18 at the New York Times Center in Manhattan.

“I Love My Librarian” honoree Rae Anne Locke was supported by fellow faculty members from Saugatuck Elementary School.

‘I Love My Librarian’ Awards Honor Three School Librarians

Julie Hatsell Wales, Sue Kowalski, and Rae Anne Locke.

Three school librarians who create a spirit of community in their libraries were among 10 recipients of the 2012 I Love My Librarian awards.

Apply Now for the 2013 Innovations in Reading Prize

Innovations in Reading Prize

Each year, the National Book Foundation awards a number of prizes of up to $2,500 each to individuals and institutions—or partnerships between the two—that have developed innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading. This is the fifth year that the Foundation is offering the 2013 Innovations in Reading Prize, sponsored by Levenger. Wouldn’t you know it? One of the 2012 winners, Bookends (Poudre River Public Library District, CO), found out about the competition right here, in SLJTeen.

High School Librarian Named a National Geographic Traveler of the Year

Samwel Melami in the classroom

On a family trip to Tanzania, high school librarian Paula Busey became acquainted with Samwel Melami Langidare Mollel, a Maasai warrior who spoke five languages. The high school educator arranged for Melami to guest teach at her Colorado school in an educational exchange that drew the attention of National Geographic, which honored Busey as a 2012 Traveler of the Year.

Edublog Awards Tap the Best of the Web

Watch. Connect. Read600

’Tis the season for prizes, including the 2012 Edublog Awards. Announced yesterday, the winners and runners-up include “Best Individual Blog,” “Best Twitter Hashtag,” and “Best Individual Tweeter.” John Schumacher’s (aka Mr. Schu) Watch. Connect. Read (pictured) was runner-up in the “Best/library/librarian blog” category.

Boise Librarian Wins SLJ/Scholastic Dav Pilkey Sweepstakes

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.

YALSA Reveals Five Nonfiction Award Finalists

Titanic

The five finalists for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults were recently announced.

YALSA Names Five William C. Morris Award Finalists

Aftersnow

Finalists for the William C. Morris Award, an honor given to a book for young adults written by a debut author, were announced today.

Listen to a Life Essay Contest Now Open

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.

News Bites: HarperCollins Debuts New Digital Imprint for Young Adult Short Stories & Novellas

harperteen impulse

This week’s round up of news bites includes: HarperCollins creates a digital-only imprint for YA Lit; Curious George gets an Ipad series; Enter and win $500 worth of books for your collection from The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance; and more.

Calling All Teens: Banned Books Video Contest

Youth Free Expression Project

Got a great story to tell about a banned book or another disturbing incident involving censorship? Then encourage your teens to enter the 2012 Youth Free Expression Project’s (YFEP) film contest—and give them a chance to win up to $1,000 and a free trip to the Big Apple.

The annual competition, open to kids 19 and under, hopes to educate youth about their First Amendment rights and the importance of free speech. It’s a perfect way to teach a lesson on [...]

Humorist Bruce Coville Wins Empire State Award, Emphasizes the “Ripple Effect” of Reading

Bruce Coville accepting the Empire State Award for Excellence in Literature for Young People. Photo by Sara Kelly Johns.

Bruce Coville recently became the twenty-third recipient of the Empire State Award for Excellence in Literature for Young People. The author of many humorous middle-grade novels, Coville was celebrated at the New York Library Association annual conference earlier this month.

Collaborative Summer Library Program Launches 2013 Teen Video Challenge

CSLP Beneath the Surface

The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) has launched the 2013 Teen Video Challenge, a national video competition for young adults to get involved with reading and their CSLP Beneath the Surfacepublic library’s summer reading program. Kids across the country are invited to create a 30- to 90-second video with their unique interpretation of the 2013 teen slogan “Beneath the Surface” in combination with reading and libraries. The idea is to involve teens in summer reading, before and during the summer months, by being part of the process. This is an opportunity for teens to showcase their creativity and have their ideas heard by a national audience.

Last Call for Sullivan Award Nominees

It’s not too late to consider nominating yourself or a colleague for the 2013 Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children. The annual award honors an individual who has shown exceptional understanding and support of library services for kids. But don’t delay, the deadline for submitting an application is December 1.

Ellen Hopkins, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Chris Finan are Honored for their Roles Battling Literary Censorship

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New York Times best-selling author Ellen Hopkins, Newbery medalist Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and First Amendment activist Chris Finan were all recognized by the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) on November 12 for their work defending free speech.

SLJ Features on Ebooks and Cyberbullying Garner Eddies

SLJ_June2011_ALT

Two School Library Journal articles took gold and silver prizes at the 2012 annual Eddie Awards, sponsored by FOLIO: magazine and recognizing editorial excellence in magazines and websites. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony in New York on November 14.

First Annual Random House Teaching Awards for Literacy Announced

Random House's Melanie Fallon-Houska (right) and first-place winner Mary Andrews.

This morning, Random House Foundation, Inc., announced the winners of its inaugural Random House Teacher Awards for Literacy given to part-time and full-time public school teachers in the US.