February 17, 2013

Pick of the Day: Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington

portrait of booker T.

ASIM, Jabari. Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington. illus. by Bryan Collier. 48p. bibliog. chron. Little, Brown. Dec. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-08657-8.
Gr 2-4–Here sits a barefooted boy leaning against a tree trunk, eyes closed, dreaming about reading. Here he is following his master’s daughter to school, carrying her books, feeling their “magic seeping into his hands.” Booker was born a slave, and slaves were forbidden to read. Emancipation came while he was still young. He worked [...]

On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Scary Stories for Elementary Souls

spookynight

It’s the day before Halloween and things that go bump in the night are high on everyone’s reading list. Even at the age of five kids ask, “Where are the scary books?” Of course, their definition of scary differs widely from our fifth graders. So for those kids whose idea of frightening fare is a talking pumpkin, haunted cupcake, or plotting carrots, these books are perfect.

Pick of the Day: Nic Bishop Snakes

Book cover with green snake

BISHOP, Nic. Nic Bishop Snakes. photos by author. 48p. CIP. further reading. glossary. index. Scholastic. Oct. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-20638-9. LC 2011039316.
Gr 3-5–Nearly two dozen close-ups of photogenic snakes are highlighted in this introduction. A lucid text, set either on different colored pages or overlaid on photo backgrounds, briefly describes basic anatomy; major physical characteristics common to all snakes; distinctive characteristics of more than a dozen world species; locomotion; diet; hunting and feeding methods; defense mechanisms; and egg-laying and [...]

Fiske Interactive College Guide 2012: A Review

FISKEinteractiveIcon512

Students hitting the college-tour circuit may want to take along “The Fiske Interactive College Guide 2012.” Features allow students to browse college websites, to email admissions offices directly, to create and save lists of schools, to add notes, and more.

Pick of the Day: Shadow on the Mountain

Shadow on the Mountain

PREUS, Margi. Shadow on the Mountain. 386p. bibliog. chron. maps. photos. CIP. Abrams/Amulet. 2012. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0424-6. LC 2012015623.
Gr 6-9–This engrossing offering sheds light on the Norwegians’ courage during World War II. Preus masterfully weds a story of friendship with the complications faced by 14-year-old Espen and his friends as Nazi restrictions and atrocities become part of their everyday lives. Espen not only has to deal with the political turmoil, but also with discovering that his best friend has [...]

On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Creepy Crawly Nonfiction

Orange tarantula

In October eyes are usually drawn to ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night, but reality can be just as scary. Wasps sting the brain of a cockroach, paralyzing it so that the predator can lay its eggs in the zombified body. Tarantulas liquefy their prey in order to suck up dinner with their stomach muscles. Crocodiles can grow 3000 teeth in their lifetime, but they can’t chew their food. Detection rats use their sense of smell to sniff out explosive land mines. Forest fire beetles can discover a conflagration more than 20 miles away. And there’s nothing more unique than the distinct about the shape of wombat poop.

On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Sequels, Prequels, and Companions: Oh My!

Puzzling

As trends and genres continue to evolve, one thing remains consistent: the return of beloved characters and stories. Whether it’s a sequel, a prequel, or a companion novel that walks alongside the original, books that connect to each other continue to be fan favorites.

Election 2012: SLJ’s Resources for Kids and Teens

Focus_On_Election

From books and websites to apps, recommended resources on the American political process and the presidency.

On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Picture Book Biographies for Older Readers

Noah Webster

Sometimes ordinary people are able to do extraordinary things. Annie Sullivan thought of a way to teach a deaf and blind student to communicate. Charles Ives listened to the sounds of everyday life and created a new kind of music. Henri Rousseau became one of the most gifted self-taught painters in history. Sarah Winnemucca stood up against injustices and wrote the first autobiography by a Native American woman.

The Wild World of Steve Jenkins | An Author Study

Sisters and Brothers

The Common Core’s emphasis on nonfiction challenges educators to provide insightful and interesting materials to students. In order to best serve my population, I decided to create a series of nonfiction author study units similar to those we already did. Since most teachers at my school tend to assign animal research reports to introduce nonfiction, I chose Steve Jenkins for my first nonfiction author study—someone whose books are found in most classrooms and libraries.

Fresh and Fun | Books for Emergent Readers

Castle

Whether they are taking their first steps and beginning to sound out words or making leaps and bounds toward decoding longer sentences and more complex story plots, emergent readers benefit from high-quality books that grab their interest and support their efforts. Ranging from funny tales to nonfiction, these books are guaranteed to reel in developing readers and keep them turning pages.

On the Radar Teen: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Sports Books that Slam Dunk the Competition

Sport pages

With the kick-off of a new school year comes the kick-off of football season. Sports activities fill our students’ days and nights with competition and energy. Thankfully, there are great new sports-themed books (football and more) to grab their attention even in the midst of strong opponents. You’ll note that all of these authors are big names in YA lit, which will help grab the attention of your tween and teen readers.

Nail-biters: Gripping Tales | Focus On

Gripping Illustration

 

In this Article

On the Web

Just what constitutes a “nail-biter” is certainly open for debate, but librarians know they are highly sought after titles. Suspense and action are two main requisites, and a good thriller is structured to keep readers hanging at the end of almost every chapter, leaving them hungry for more. For those serving reluctant readers, these titles are gold. Fortunately, nail-biters can be found in almost every genre. Since YA lit has been dominated by [...]

December Holiday Books: October 2012

December Holiday Book Covers

BARRETT , Judi. Santa from Cincinnati: How a Little Boy Named Santa Grew Up to Become the Real Thing. illus. by Kevin Hawkes. 48p. CIP. S & S/Atheneum. Oct. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2993-2; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-2994-9. LC 2011050810.
Gr 1-3–Barrett explains Santa’s origins in the form of a personal memoir, complete with appealing scrapbook-style “photo” layouts. It’s no surprise that Santa was jolly from birth, always loved cookies, and uttered “ho, [...]

Touched by an Angel: Martine Leavitt’s ‘My Book of Life by Angel’ Is a Harrowing Tale of Redemption

Martine Leavitt

Your latest novel is a dark and disturbing story about a 16-year-old named Angel who moves in with a guy she meets at the mall and is lured into a life of drugs, violence, and prostitution. It must have been tough to write.

I tried to put it off as long as I could. I wrote Heck Superhero and Tom Finder—both about homeless boys—and I knew that someday I was going to have to write a book about a [...]

Are Dewey’s Days Numbered?: Libraries Nationwide Are Ditching the Old Classification System

School Library Journal October Cover

Pushing between snack time and reading group, Zack, a third-grade boy, ducks into our school library while another class is beginning to check out books.

A Universe to Discover | From Galileo to Barnum Brown

Barnum's Bones

Biographies and introductions on scientists can introduce young readers and listeners to the excitement that inspires a lifetime of study. They can also encourage students to consider such pursuits themselves—now and in the future. From Galileo to Barnum Brown, the titles recommended here range from gorgeously illustrated picture books to exciting stories of phenomenal discoveries supported by clear color photos, generous lists of additional resources, detailed author notes, and website updates.

Pick of the Day: This Is Not My Hat

Fish wearing a hat on a black background

KLASSEN, Jon. This Is Not My Hat. illus. by author. 40p. Candlewick. Oct. 2012. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5599-0.
PreS-Gr 1–With this new creation, Klassen repeats the theme from I Want My Hat Back (Candlewick, 2011), but with a twist. The narrator here is the thief–a small, self-confident fish who has pilfered a little blue bowler from a big sleeping fish. He wastes no time or words in confessing his crime as he swims across the page announcing, “This hat is not [...]

On the Radar—Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: New Science Nonfiction Supports Common Core

Book cover of underwater animals

During the last ten years, researchers have learned that elementary students are more likely to read and hear fiction in their classrooms more than informational text. However, if you ever visited an elementary school library, you’d see that far more nonfiction is circulated on average than fiction. Kids love to see the photographs and learn more about their world. Consequently, those books have the commonly known disease of the banana-peel spine. They’ve been read so much their spines are literally peeling off the book. With an increase in emphasis on informational text due to adoption of Common Core State Standards, nonfiction circulation is bound to increase. These new nonfiction releases will satisfy the standards while feeding your starved-for-information students and patrons.

Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins: Monster Movie Mash: Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania

Frankenweenie

Two new animated offerings—Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania—pay homage to classic Hollywood monsters with fresh interpretations and plenty of panache—just in time for Halloween.