Scaredy Squirrel finds an almost perfect friend in a slightly germy, drooling dog in this animated film from Weston Woods based on Melanie Watts’s picture book, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend.
Pick of the Day: Yellow Star
By on May 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
Tavia Gilbert’s spot-on narration brings all of the characters to life in Jennifer Roy’s Yellow Star, a story-in-verse offering a glimpse of the experiences of her aunt in the Lodz Ghetto during World War II. Be sure to read the starred audiobook review of the personal account of a young girl.
Pick of the Day: What’s on MyPlate (DVD)
By on May 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
Teach your students how to use the MyPlate concept to develop healthy eating habits with Learning ZoneXpress’s What’s on MyPlate, an excellent DVD for middle and high school students.
Pick of the Day: What Came from the Stars (AUDIO)
By on May 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
Graham Winton’s narration brings to life Gary Schmidt’s beautiful fantasy, What Came form the Stars, about healing and forgiveness. Check out the starred review of this must-have audiobook for middle school students.
Teens Review ‘Walking Dead’, ‘Lego City Undercover’, ‘Wheelhouse’ | Games and Music
By on May 12, 2013 Leave a Comment
Now that The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is out for Xbox and PS3, zombies are officially everywhere, and as our reviewer says, “… who doesn’t like to destroy zombies?” Gamers who like clever characters and inside jokes will find lots of brick-busting fun in Lego City Undercover. Brad Paisley shakes up a pure C&W vibe on his latest album Wheelhouse, which may leave some fans scratching their heads.
Pick of the Day: Shadow on the Mountain (AUDIO)
By on May 9, 2013 Leave a Comment
Margi Preus’s Shadow on the Mountain is set in Norway during the Nazi occupation and expertly narrated by Jeff Woodman who gives perfect voices to all the characters. Don’t miss the starred review of this audiobook about a lesser-known part of World War II history.
Page to Screen: Summer Reading Blockbusters, Dystopian Teen Lit, and Childhood Classics
By on May 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
As reviews for Baz Lurhmann’s whirlwind adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby come roaring in, take a look at the latest installment of SLJ’s Page to Screen, where you’ll find updates on already much-touted future movies, and news of recent options on film rights. This roundup of releases will have your students and patrons heading to the theater—and, hopefully, to bookshelves as well.
Pick of the Day: Julian Bond (DVD)
By on May 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
African-American activist Julian Bond relates his family’s struggle for equality in the starred DVD review of Julian Bond: Reflections from the Frontlines of the Civil Rights Movement from Filmakers Library.
Pick of the Day: The Last Dragonslayer (AUDIO)
By on May 3, 2013 Leave a Comment
Don’t miss the starred review of Jasper Fford’s The Last Dragonslayer, the first title in his “The Chronicles of Kazam” trilogy, a book populated with outrageous individuals and fantastic creatures. Elizabeth Jasicki’s narration of this audiobook is spot-on.
Pick of the Day: An Original DUCKumentary (DVD)
By on May 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
Meet a variety of ducks and learn all about them via breathtaking visuals and spot-on narration in PBS’s starred DVD production, An Original DUCKumentary..
Pick of the Day: Marching to the Mountaintop (Audio)
By on April 26, 2013 Leave a Comment
Ann Bausum explores the connections between the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Marching to the Mountaintop. Check out the review for this wonderful audiobook for listeners in middle school and above.
2013 ALSC & YALSA Audio Picks: The year’s best notable recordings and amazing audiobooks for children and teens.
By on April 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
It’s time to update your audiobook collection, so don’t miss ALSC’s Notable Recordings and YALSA”s Amazing Audiobooks lists for 2013.
Want a Free DVD of Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ for Your School? Here’s How to Get It
By on April 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
Following Participant Media’s announcement in February that it would donate DVDs of Steven Spielberg’s critically acclaimed film Lincoln to all middle and high schools throughout the United States, a number of librarians have contacted us for follow-up information. Here’s how to get your copy.
Fact and Fiction: Pairing Stories and Informational Audiobooks | Listen In
By on April 9, 2013 1 Comment
When stories and informational audiobooks are paired together, they create a winning combination that can help students establish a foundation of knowledge about certain topics.
Music and Game Reviews from Young Adults: The Walking Dead, Sly Cooper, and MLB 13
By on April 3, 2013 Leave a Comment
Though I’m surrounded by Walking Dead fans, I’d have never imagined a soundtrack—guess I was wrong! This might be just the thing to listen to while taking part in Run For Your Lives, a zombie-infested 5K obstacle course race that’s going nationwide. Spring training has wrapped up and the baseball season has begun, so there’s no better time to break out MLB 13: The Show, which sports many new features. Ready for some classic gaming? Sounds like Sly Cooper, Thieves in Time has all the moves for a satisfying experience.
Book/Multimedia Review Stars List | April 2013
By on April 2, 2013 1 Comment
This month’s star listings include That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems, among others.
Pick of the Day: The Abolitionists (DVD)
By on April 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
The struggles of the abolitionists to raise the collective consciousness of Northerners and Southerners to the horror of the slave system are recreated in The Abolitionists, an incredibly well-crafted DVD program. Check out the starred review.
Music and Game Reviews from Young Adults
By on March 19, 2013 1 Comment
OK, rub it in—our music reviewer wasn’t even born when My Bloody Valentine released its first album in 1991…. How about a puzzle game in which a cave with a “wicked sense of humor” is your guide? I don’t usually associate puppets with blood and gore, but the review of Black Knight Sword has changed my outlook.
Music and Game Reviews from Young Adults
By on March 4, 2013 Leave a Comment
There’s just enough on Josh Groban’s new release, All That Echoes, to keep his groupies happy, though he may be stretching it. Fans of Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers can add the “breakout rock band of 2012″ Imagine Dragons to this sound canon. The popular Japanese role-playing game (RPG) Emblem: Awakening makes an impressive debut here in the States, with our reviewer promising “countless hours of serious entertainment.”
Page to Screen: Upcoming Kids’ Books Set for Film Adaptations
By on February 27, 2013 2 Comments
The search for the next big film franchise usually begins with a beloved book or series, and film producers are continually eyeing the publishing world for inspiration. In fact, 2013 already promises a packed calendar of book-related film projects based on popular kid and young adult titles. Check out this roundup of releases that will have your students and patrons heading to the theater—and, hopefully, to bookshelves as well.
