We may have settled on our Best Books of 2012 back at the end of November, but here we are in early January and we’re still finding great books from last year. This week, we have three very different takes on thrillers that all bring to mind (for me anyway) the movies. First up is [...]
‘Anansi the Spider’ Author/Illustrator Gerald McDermott Dies at 71
By on January 11, 2013 2 Comments
Gerald McDermott, award-winning author and illustrator best known for his original take on folktales, died on December 26. He was 71.
Reading Rainbow Partners With National Geographic Kids, Expands App
By on January 11, 2013
RRKidz has announced that its flagship brand Reading Rainbow is partnering with publisher National Geographic Kids to expand its interactive reading subscription app, available exclusively on the iPad. The company is also expanding its library with a new branded island featuring dozens of books as well as videos hosted and narrated by RRKidz co-founder LeVar Burton.
Pick of the Day: Splendors & Glooms (Audiobook)
By on January 11, 2013 1 Comment
Splendors & Glooms. By Laura Amy Schlitz. 10 cassettes or 10 CDs. 12 hrs. Recorded Books. 2012. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4498-3568-2, CD: ISBN 978-1-4498-3572-9. $108.75
Gr 4-8–Set in a Dickensian London, Davina Porter is the perfect narrator to capture the nuances of the characters and the time period in Schlitz’s exceptional Victorian fantasy (Candlewick, 2012). Listeners will ache for the orphan children, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall, when they come up with money after pawning a watch. Should they have a proper meal [...]
Jacqueline Woodson’s ‘Each Kindness’ Wins 2013 Charlotte Zolotow Award
By on January 10, 2013 1 Comment
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center has awarded Each Kindness, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E. B. Lewis, its Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. The 2013 Zolotow committee also named Flabbersmashed About You, Me and Momma and Big John, and Sleep Like a Tiger as Honor Books. The awards will be presented on April 6, 2013.
Scholastic Launches New Multi-Platform Fantasy Series
By on January 10, 2013 1 Comment
Scholastic has announced it will release Spirit Animals, a new multi-platform, multi-author fantasy adventure series for readers ages 8–12, in September. The story arc of the seven-book series and online game will be established by New York Times bestselling author Brandon Mull, with a second title launching next year from bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.
A (LONG) List of Recommended Apps
By on January 10, 2013 3 Comments
Selecting our 10 top apps of the year is always an impossible task. Read our expanded list of favorites from 2011 and 2012.
Great Books for Celebrating Martin Luther King Day
By on January 10, 2013 3 Comments
Looking for a way to bring Martin Luther King Day to life? These resources are the perfect way to shed light on King, as well as the Civil Rights Movement as a whole.
Pick of the Day: Son (Audiobook)
By on January 10, 2013 1 Comment
Son. By Lois Lowry. 7 CDs. 8:11 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 978-0-449-01448-6. $47.
Gr 6 Up–Those frustrated over the ambiguous ending of Lowry’s The Giver (1993) will be thrilled with the conclusion (2012, both Houghton Mifflin) to the quartet. Listeners are brought full circle, returning to the fate of Gabriel, the little baby saved from “release” by Jonas. The story begins with Claire, who emerges from unconsciousness following a difficult birth to [...]
‘Can*TEEN’ Engages Girls with STEM
By on January 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
AASL (American Association of School Librarians) has announced a partnership with the Carnegie Science Center: Girls Math & Science Partnership (GMSP) to support and inspire girls to see themselves in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers via gaming and online activities through the Can*Teen Career Exploration initiative.
Pick of the Day: The Savage Fortress
By on January 9, 2013 2 Comments
CHADDA, Sarwat. The Savage Fortress. 292p. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-38516-9; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46996-8. LC 2011046291
Gr 8 Up–On vacation in India with his aunt, uncle, and younger sister, pudgy Ash Mistry can’t wait to get back home to his video games and London friends. But when his uncle is offered a million pounds to assist mysterious Lord Savage with translations from an archaeological find, Ash becomes embroiled in an overwhelming and deadly real-life battle. He realizes [...]
Weekly Reviews: Francesca Lia Block and Ursula K. Le Guin
By on January 9, 2013
Today we feature new books by two authors well-known among teen readers. With Francesca Lia Block’s return to adult fiction we have, as Jamie says in her review, a perfect example of the New Adult category. In an Interview Magazine piece, Block was asked about the themes in this book, “In The Elementals, I explore the [...]
From Cannons to Courage | Nonfiction Notes, January 2013
By on January 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
Educators eager to implement the Common Core standards into their work need look no further than School Library Journal’s newest column, Nonfiction Notes. This month, we examine titles that include biographies, the American Revolution, and exploration.
Whiskers, Dreams, and Grave-Robbing Schemes | More on Abraham Lincoln
By on January 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
From fabulous picture books to top-shelf literary nonfiction, 2013 brings a number of new titles about America’s favorite president, Abraham Lincoln.
Our Bodies, Our Minds | Confronting Self-Image in YA Fiction
By on January 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
Though books related to body image have abounded in recent years, the following titles offer a new perspective on the subject. These novels tackle fresh and original topics that range from morbid obesity to gender dysmorphia.
‘Twelve Kinds of Ice’ | An Ode to Childhood and Winter
By on January 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
Ellen Bryan Obed’s ‘Twelve Kinds of Ice’ is an ideal mentor text on many levels.
Deconstructing Nonfiction | On Common Core
By on January 8, 2013 6 Comments
If students are not familiar with nonfiction texts, they may assume that every nonfiction book serves the same function.
A Mission Above and Beyond Them | An Interview with Tanya Lee Stone
By on January 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
Author Tanya Lee Stone talked to Curriculum Connections about the importance of visual storytelling in her work “Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America’s First Black Paratroopers.”
Pick of the Day: Planet Dinosaur (DVD)
By on January 8, 2013 1 Comment
Planet Dinosaur. DVD. approx. 3 hrs. Prod. by BBC Worldwide. Dist. by Warner Home Video. 2012. ISBN 0-7806-8447-8. $19.96.
Gr 5 Up–In the last two decades, paleontologists have made great discoveries about dinosaurs thanks to new computer-generated imaging (CGI) technology and cutting-edge research. The film, narrated by John Hurt and featuring computer-generated images, brings these prehistoric creatures to life. A whole new cast of dinosaurs are introduced, such as the Predator X, a sea creature that liked to tear the Plesiosaurs [...]
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie
By on January 8, 2013
The first big breakout novel of 2013 was actually published in 2012, thanks to Oprah’s Book Club. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie was originally scheduled to be published this month, but after Oprah’s big announcement, Knopf moved up the publication date. With recent reviews in the New York Times, Washington Post, L.A. Times, you name [...]
