Jean Craighead George, Maurice Sendak, and Jan Berenstain were among the many wonderful authors and illustrators who passed way last year.
School Library Journal 2012 – A Year in Review
By on January 2, 2013
From the Hunger Games, the Common Core, and maker spaces, to Gangnam Style and the ongoing ebook wars, a look at the highlights and key themes of 2012, according to Twitter.
Pick of the Day: Peace
By on January 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
HALPERIN, Wendy Anderson. Peace. illus. by author. 40p. S & S/Atheneum. Jan. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-689-82552-1; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6787-3.
Gr 3 Up–A beautiful book with rich watercolor artwork. Most of the paintings are spreads in a nontraditional layout, with sections sometimes divided into shapes by the meandering text. The book is about peace and how it can be achieved: in the world, in the country, in the city, in one’s school, and within oneself. The layout makes it a [...]
Books to Build Connections to Latino Culture for K-10 | Libro por libro
By on January 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
As a librarian, I love it when I find books that relate to one another in terms of themes or content, which gets me thinking about potential program ideas. The titles selected for this first column of the new year are full of such connections. Starting with the idea of focusing on longer fiction, I found two semiautobiographical novels in verse, and both are historical fiction that deal with the protagonist coming of age.
Partners in Success: When school and public librarians join forces, kids win
By on January 1, 2013 1 Comment
School library and public library collaborations are making a huge difference in kids’ lives.
Books to Celebrate the Everyday Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement
By on January 1, 2013 4 Comments
Fifty years ago this May, people around our country turned on their televisions to the sight of children being viciously assaulted with fire hoses and snarling dogs by uniformed grown men, their faces twisted with hatred. The violence in Birmingham, Alabama, stirred a swelling of national conscience and raised questions demanding an answer: Do we really believe that “all men are created equal”? What would our country look like if we really did? What has to change to make that dream a reality?
Pick of the Day: Wild Horse Scientists
By on December 31, 2012 Leave a Comment
FRYDENBORG, Kay. Wild Horse Scientists. 80p. (Scientists in the Field Series Series). diags. further readig. glossary. index. maps. photos. reprods. websites. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-547-51831-2.
Gr 5 Up–Focusing on the wild horses of Assateague Island, Frydenborg effectively combines scientific facts such as coloration and size, as well as the actual definition of a wild animal, with a compelling narrative about several of the scientists who are working to protect and maintain the wild horse population there. A large [...]
Fairy Tales
By on December 31, 2012
Adaptations of the fairy tales collected by the Grimm brothers are among my great pleasures in life. They account for one of my favorite picture books, Trina Schart Hyman outrageously gorgeous (and even more outrageously out-of-print) version of “Snow White” (Little, Brown, 1974); one of my favorite YA novels, Margo Lanagan’s Tender Morsels (Knopf, 2008), [...]
Libraries Use iPads and Apps to Ramp Up Storytime, but Concerns Remain
By on December 27, 2012
In a shift occurring nationwide, libraries are conducting “digital storytime,” using apps in kids’ programs for education, entertainment, and involving parents in the learning process. But not everyone’s sold on the use of iPads, especially with very young children.
SLJ Pick of the Day: Creepy Crawly Love (CD)
By on December 27, 2012 Leave a Comment
Creepy Crawly Love. CD. 30:47 min. CDBaby.com. 2012. ISBN unavail. $14.99.
PreS-Gr 3–In his first album for children, Duke Otherwise hits all of the right notes. Clever lyrics abound in this collection of 12 original songs about topics such as food, animals, and word play. Children will enjoy listening to each song and trying to figure out what the twist may be. From the tune about “my uncle who’s an ant” to a lion being given the advice that he would [...]
Pick of the Day: Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey
By on December 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
GOLIO, Gary. Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey. illus. by Rudy Gutierrez. 48p. bibliog. discography. further reading. websites. Clarion. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-547-23994-1.
Gr 4-6–A well-conceived marriage of art and text breathes life and passion into this picture biography. Swirling strokes of vibrant colors give the book an almost cinematic quality, animating Coltrane’s passionate journey from a joyous, nurturing early childhood with a loving extended family to the despair of losing too many loved ones in a short time. The [...]
The “Cheap and Cheerful” Librarian, Melissa Techman, Shares Tips on Pinterest
By on December 17, 2012
Melissa Techman has great ideas. So School Library Journal asked the K-5 librarian at Broadus Wood Elementary School in Albemarle County, VA, to guest curate a board of “cheap and cheerful” ideas on Pinterest.
Why Did It Happen? Books to Help Kids Cope with Tragedy
By on December 17, 2012 12 Comments
While there are no books that specifically address the events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, there are a few titles that will ease young fears and offer listeners hope. Here you’ll find a few recommendations from School Library Journal’s Book Review staff.
Mobile Apps Make Student Assessment Easy and Interactive | Cool Tools
By on December 17, 2012
Regardless of what curriculum areas we teach, observing and assessing our students is something that we all do every day. Thanks to mobile devices like iPads and Android tablets, recording our informal observations and formal assessments has never been easier.
Pick of the Day: Mice
By on December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment
FYLEMAN, Rose. Mice. illus. by Lois Ehlert. 40p. S & S/Beach Lane. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5684-6; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5686-0. LC 2011020555.
PreS-Gr 1–This storytime winner brings a new twist to the classic poem. The simple verse describes mousey attributes: “their tails are long,/their faces small,/they haven’t any chins at all.” Ehlert’s quirky, handmade paper-collage rodents (resplendent with hot pink circle ears, big front teeth, and string limbs) demonstrate by holding up a ruler, crafting a self-portrait, and peering into [...]
High School Librarian Named a National Geographic Traveler of the Year
By on December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment
On a family trip to Tanzania, high school librarian Paula Busey became acquainted with Samwel Melami Langidare Mollel, a Maasai warrior who spoke five languages. The high school educator arranged for Melami to guest teach at her Colorado school in an educational exchange that drew the attention of National Geographic, which honored Busey as a 2012 Traveler of the Year.
Authors and Illustrators Share Their Holiday Memories, Part 2
By on December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment
This week, authors Rita Williams-Garcia, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and Mac Barnett share their stories of the season with SLJ.
Edublog Awards Tap the Best of the Web
By on December 14, 2012 1 Comment
’Tis the season for prizes, including the 2012 Edublog Awards. Announced yesterday, the winners and runners-up include “Best Individual Blog,” “Best Twitter Hashtag,” and “Best Individual Tweeter.” John Schumacher’s (aka Mr. Schu) Watch. Connect. Read (pictured) was runner-up in the “Best/library/librarian blog” category.
Pick of the Day: The Diviners (Audiobook)
By on December 14, 2012 Leave a Comment
The Diviners. By Libba Bray. 15 CDs. 15:15 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 978-0-449-80875-7. $60.
Gr 10 Up–Printz winner Libba Bray’s latest literary masterpiece (Little, Brown, 2012) is stunning, suspenseful, and sure to leave listeners utterly breathless. Thoroughly modern flapper Evie O’Neill’s psychic ability to divine secrets from inanimate objects gets her exiled from her stuffy Ohio town. Sent to stay with her Uncle Will in Prohibition-era New York City, the last thing [...]
Movie Review: The Hobbit
By on December 14, 2012 Leave a Comment
In “The Hobbit,” Peter Jackson’s follow up to his epic “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Bilbo Baggins begins his journey to defeat the dragon Smaug.
