Be sure to check out School Library Journal’s February 2013 DVD and audio reviews, including 12 starred reviews.
Listen to a Life Essay Contest Now Open
By on December 5, 2012 1 Comment
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.
Stories for Winter Nights| Listen In
By on December 1, 2012 1 Comment
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 [...]
Pick of the Day: Welcome to the Village! (CD)
By on November 30, 2012 Leave a Comment
Welcome to the Village! CD. approx. 37 min. Prod. by Aya World Prods. Dist. by NewSound Music. 2012. ISBN unavail. $13.98.
PreS-Gr 4–The voices of hundreds of children can be heard on Aaron Nigel Smith’s latest recording. Best known for his work on the PBS show Between the Lions, Smith will surprise listeners as he skillfully mixes original songs with traditional and classical tunes that he arranged in this well-programmed, charming album. Opening with the traditional Nigerian song, “Fanga Alafia” (the [...]
Pick of the Day: My Name Is Not Easy (Audio)
By on August 30, 2012 Leave a Comment
My Name Is Not Easy. By Debby Dahl Edwardson. 6 CDs. 6:30 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4558-7955-7. $64.97.
Gr 7 Up–In the early 1960s, children from Iñupiaq, Athabaskan, and Caucasian backgrounds are enrolled at a Catholic boarding school in Alaska in Debby Dahl Edwardson’s National Book Award finalist (Marshall Cavendish, 2011). Luke (white people can’t pronounce his Iñupiaq name) and his brothers Bunna and Isaac are flown to Catholic sponsored Sacred Heart School far from their village. Six-year-old Isaac is [...]
At the Core: Audiobooks Promote Critical Reading Habits | Listen In
By on August 1, 2012 5 Comments
As teachers and librarians return to school this month, many will be tasked with implementing the Common Core State Standards (www.corestandards.org) into their lesson plans. The Common Core mission states that: “The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.” They aim to promote critical thinking through student engagement with high quality literary and informational [...]
Listen In | Catch A Wave: Get kids listening and beat the summer wipeout
By on June 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
As the days of summer approach, thoughts turn away from structured routines and toward opportunities for fun. Unfortunately, research continues to indicate that extended learning breaks contribute to diminishing literacy skills such as fluency, vocabulary acquisition, and reading comprehension. The dreaded summer slide! In this column we explore this phenomenon and offer some ways that school and public librarians can work with families to keep kids reading—with audiobooks.
