September 19, 2013

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Pick of the Day: Marching to the Mountaintop (Audio)

marching to the mountaintop

The audiobook version of Ann Bausum’s Marching to the Mountaintop, which explores the connection between the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, would be a great resource for students studying the Civil Rights Movement.

Pick of the Day: Henry’s Map

Pig clutching map

A perky, organized piglet maps out the farm.

Pick of the Day: Anthem (DVD)

anthem

The historical and musical background of the “Star Spangled Banner” is expertly told in Anthem, a DVD from the Colonial Music Institute.

Pick of the Day: Home of Song (DVD)

home of song

Paul Spring brilliantly uses storytelling in each of his songs to take listeners on a journey beyond the surface music in his latest album, Home of Song. Read the starred review.

Pick of the Day: Sing

yellow background, lavender bird

A fledgling finds its voice in this interpretation of the popular song Sing.

Pick of the Day: The Young Ancestors (DVD)

young ancestors

The Young Ancestors (Cinema Guild) explains how the Tewa Indian tribe of New Mexico is making an effort to retain its Native language and is the perfect choice for multicultural studies classes in high school and above.

Pick of the Day: The Thing About Luck

Yellow and green cover with "Luck" written large

A story of familial bonds in which a 12-year-old girl spends the summer with her grandparents who are harvesting wheat in the Midwest.

Pick of the Day: When Life Gives You OJ (Audiobook)

when life gives you oj

Erica S. Perl’s When Life Gives You OJ receives stellar treatment in the audiobook version narrated by Abigail Revasch. Read the starred review of this delightful story.

Pick of the Day: And Then It’s Spring (DVD)

and then its spring

Enrich elementary school units on spring and gardening with And Then It’s Spring, a DVD from Weston Woods based on the book written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin Stead.

Pick of the Day: Kindness for Weakness

back view of boy

A gut-wrenching narrative set in a juvenile detention facility

Pick of the Day: The One and Only Ivan (Audiobook)

one and only ivan

Katherine Applegate’s Newbery winner, The One and Only Ivan,, is a heart-wrenching tale that reminds us that every animal has the right to a safe place called home. Be sure to read the starred review of the audiobook from Recorded Books.

Pick of the Day: Inside Outside

boy peering through window on left side of cover

A wordless concept book that is chock-full of homey details

Pick of the Day: Silicon Valley (DVD)

silicon valey

Silicon Valley will be quite “useful in a number of classroom settings as well as for individual research or casual viewing, especially by those with a curiosity about how today’s technology revolution actually began.” Check out the rest of this starred review.

Pick of the Day: Never Forgotten (Audiobook)

never forgotten

Lizan Mitchell reads Never Forgotten, Patricia McKissack’s tribute to those who were stolen from their homes in Africa to become slaves in the New World. Check out the starred review of this 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor book.

Pick of the Day: Far Far Away

blue and green background, house, lower right

The ghost of Jacob Grimm narrates a story about complex characters who have conflicted motivations.

Pick of the Day: Deep Down (DVD)

deep down

Check out the starred review of Deep Down: A Story form the Heart of Coal Country, a DVD from New Day Films that explores the controversial topic of mountaintop removal mining.

Pick of the Day: Steam Train, Dream Train

red train, blue background

Train lovers everywhere will embrace this book.

Orangutan Van/Audio Pick of the Day

orangutan van

The 14 songs performed by Mr. Steve on his latest album, Orangutan Van,/em>, perfectly balance catchy melodies, smart lyrics, and humor. Read the starred review and see why this is quirky fun for the whole family.

Pick of the Day: The Marvelous Land of Oz (Audiobook)

marvelous land of oz

Tara Sands provides spot-on narration for The Marvelous Land of Oz, the second book in Frank L. Baum’s Oz series and a starred audiobook production from Dreamscape Media.

Pick of the Day: The Mystery of Darwin’s Frog

Green frogs red bacground

Crump documents investigations of the Rhinoderma darwinii, an inch-long frog native to Chile and discovered by Darwin in 1834.