The world's largest reviewer of books, multimedia, and technology for children and teens
With their emphasis on clear observation, logical thinking, and well-drawn conclusions, mysteries support many Common Core State Standards and lend themselves to an array of interesting writing assignments. These audiobooks are sure to spark student interest.
Participant Media announced today that it will distribute free DVDs of Steven Spielberg’s critically acclaimed film Lincoln to all middle and high schools, both public and private, throughout the United States, along with teacher guides and lesson plans.
Move over Carrie Underwood, the Foo Fighters, Kanye West, and make way for the Okee Dokee Brothers—Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing. The group’s latest album, Can You Canoe?, nabbed the coveted 2013 Grammy Award for Best Children’s Album on February 10 at the star-studded awards ceremony held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
‘Lincoln: Discover the Story’ is a free app that explores the passage of the 13th amendment and takes viewers behind the scenes of the Steven Spielberg movie.
What a delight to see that Paper Mario is back in action, paperizing everything in sight! Our music reviews highlight two very different performers, both chart leaders in their own genres, who sweep away listeners with their unique voices and styles.
Be sure to check out School Library Journal’s February 2013 DVD and audio reviews, including 12 starred reviews.
Touch Press’s extraordinary new app, ‘The Orchestra” brings readers and listeners on stage with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra.
A new app takes viewers on a virtual tour deep inside the tombs and pyramids of Egypt’s Giza Plateau.
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.
Population growth, extreme weather, global warming—are all topics of interest to students and digital producers. Here’s a round-up of some recent apps that address these issues.
In this month’s column we celebrate our multilingual world by showcasing audio and video recordings in a variety of languages from the TeachingBooks.net collection. ¡Disfrute!
Our latest music reviews feature the bad old boys (Aerosmith)… and the good new boys (One Direction)—and it sounds like their albums couldn’t be more different from each other. The Avengers finally make it to the gaming table with some superhero moves, and NBA2K13 is bound to please those who are looking for action on the hardwood.
Take Me Home, One Direction (Columbia)
One Direction is certainly a phenomenon in the music world. This Simon Cowell-created boy band is so popular with its [...]
Go ahead, have a second helping of stuffing and gravy—Just Dance 4 will keep it from going right to the hips! Feeling nostalgic, missing Ash and Pikachu? Fire up Skylanders Giants for a battle fix. And dear sweet Taylor Swift is not one to stay in that country box—she’s even experimenting with dub-step, and clearly it’s working. Her new album Red earned the highest sales of any album since 2002 (Eminem’s The Eminem Show), with 1.2 million copies sold in the record’s opening week.
Whether your teens like blasting a soccer ball into the net or covering their enemies in corrosive goo, our reviewers think they’ll like the the new releases FIFA 13 and Borderlands 2. For those that want to get their feet moving instead of their thumbs, Push and Shove from No Doubt delivers a pack of dance tunes guaranteed to delight old and new fans.
Gum in My Hair: How to Cope with Bullying Version 2.0. DVD. 21:22 min. with tchr’s. guide. Twisted Scholar. 2012. ISBN 978-0-9837899-2-5. $69.95.
Gr 4-9–The host of this entertaining and effective program uses lighthearted humor to help kids learn about bullying—what it looks like, who are the perpetrators, and how it can be prevented. Approximately half of all kids have been bullied and the same amount of kids has bullied others. The video host, along with students who [...]
Just how popular are audiobooks? Well, just check with your students. Along with the usual notebooks and textbooks in their backpacks, there’s bound to be tablets, ereaders, iPods, MP3 players, and, yes, audiobooks.
If the number of awards given to audiobooks—including the Audio Publishers Association’s Audie Award, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Odyssey Award, School Library Journal’s Best Audiobooks for Teens and Tweens, ALA’s Notable Audiobooks and Amazing Audiobooks, and a Grammy for the best spoken word album—is any [...]
Wreck-it Ralph, the newest 3-D animated release from Disney, takes audience into world of video games to tell a humor-filled tale of friendship, heroism, and self-discovery. Fans of Ralph will also enjoy exciting but accessible picture books and chapter books based on the film.
Fans of all things fey will enjoy Winx Club, a TV series about a flight of stylish teenage fairies with an updated look and an array of magical abilities. In addition to dolls, dress-up accessories, and video games, the franchise also includes fun, fast-moving chapter books and graphic novels based on the TV show.
Get your students interested in the electoral process in the United States and globally with ePals World Election Center. The site includes projects and activities to reinforce K–12 students’ critical thinking skills and cultural awareness by having them learn about candidates, government, and more. Kids have the opportunity to voice their opinions about issues affecting them at home and learn about the elections abroad.
Thermodynamics leading to the creation of a rock album? That’s what our reviewer says led to Muse’s The 2nd Law! Green Day is showing some maturity with Uno, putting their “bratty” roots behind them. And it’s not football season without a new release of Madden NFL, the thirteenth edition—it sounds almost classy!
