In the fifth and final installment of our series celebrating National Poetry Month, Jack Prelutsky, America’s first children’s poet laureate, offers us five of his top poetry collections for kids.
Rich and Playful Voices: Marilyn Singer’s Favorite Poetry Collections
By on April 24, 2013 2 Comments
In our next installment celebrating National Poetry Month, acclaimed and versatile author Marilyn Singer highlights five of her top poetry anthologies for kids.
SLJ Resources for National Poetry Month
By on April 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
April is National Poetry Month, and SLJ has compiled a list of tools and creative ideas for celebrating. From poetry slam best practices to Common Core curriculum connections, this roundup is chock-full of ways to approach the poetic form with kids all year long.
Visual and Vibrant: Douglas Florian’s Favorite Poetry Collections
By on April 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
In honor of National Poetry Month, acclaimed poet and artist Douglas Florian shares his favorite poetry books for children.
JLG’s On the Radar: Poetry Picks for Elementary Readers
By on April 15, 2013 1 Comment
Whether it’s a class assignment or a novel in verse, poetry expresses our deepest desires and fondest memories. It’s National Poetry Month, and the editors at the Junior Library Guild have selected the following new titles to motivate students to voice their own poetic thoughts.
‘Lovingly-Used’ Poetry: Naomi Shihab Nye’s Favorite Collections for Kids
By on April 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
In honor of National Poetry Month, acclaimed poet Naomi Shihab Nye—whose anthology This Same Sky (Simon & Schuster, 1993) continues to be used in both college and fifth grade classrooms—offers us five of her “very favorite lovingly-used poetry collections.”
The Best Poems for Kids…and Grown-ups, Too
By on April 4, 2013 Leave a Comment
In honor of National Poetry Month, children’s poet laureate J. Patrick Lewis picks his favorite collections for kids.
Tech Tidbits: Testing, Testing, One, Two, Spring! ACT and SAT Prep Help
By on April 3, 2013 Leave a Comment
It’s spring! Just like the narrator says in the 1947 educational film Body Care and Grooming, “Ah, spring. When birds are on the wing, when flowers bloom… Spring, when a young man’s fancy likely turns to….”—Author unknown. The answer has to be testing! High-stakes testing! Advanced Placement testing! American College Testing or even the SAT! Students feel pressured to work hard to prove themselves in this world of achievement.
Poetry: It’s in the Details
By on April 1, 2013 1 Comment
From haiku to animal poems to riffs on classic tales, this season’s new poetry titles open readers to the world around them—and some exquisite wordplay.
Meeting the CCSS Through Poetry | Professional Shelf
By on March 27, 2013 Leave a Comment
Can kids garner a passion for literature without Shakespeare, Silverstein, Salinger, or Sendak? Not in the opinion of the “lead architect of the Common Core Standards Initiative.” In celebration of National Poetry Month, we offer three titles that illuminate the intersection between the study of poetry and the goals of the CCSS.
Great Books for Poetry Month: Haiku for Young Readers
By on March 27, 2013 1 Comment
In honor of National Poetry Month, School Library Journal shares a variety of books on haiku, a distinctive form of poetry that originated in Japan centuries ago.
Students Earn Digital Badges with Smithsonian Quests
By on March 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies has introduced a program to encourage research, discovery and creative collaboration with project-based learning. Smithsonian Quests awards online digital badges to students (and teachers!) upon completion of their activities. The projects are aimed at students of various grade levels, and can be done as part of classroom lessons or independently.
Tech Tidbits from the Guybrarian: How Big Is Your Toolbox?
By on March 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
It may start this way: you’ve just finished the first lunch period, and because of today’s snow, there are massive amounts of students in your library—and a surprising number of them are on task. You’re just now welcoming a social studies class that’s here to work on a research project and use the laptop cart and many of your book club students are bursting through the door excitedly.
Fresh Paint: We Have Arrived
By on February 19, 2013 Leave a Comment
As this article goes live, we are three—count ‘em!— three days away from opening the new Gum Spring Library. I’ve been here since mid-January, and I’m just beginning to realize that the expectations I had in my head were way off base. Between preparing volunteers, planning opening day activities, and training pages, few things have gone exactly as planned. Yet despite the many changes we’ve made in our schedule, our confidence grows as we learn what must be done now and what can wait.
Win A Signed Copy of I See The Promised Land: A Life Of Martin Luther King Jr.
By on January 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
African-American writer, griot, and blues singer Arthur Flowers and Indian scroll painter Manu Chitrakar have combined their very distinctive storytelling traditions in an extraordinary jam session, creating I See the Promised Land, a stunning graphic narrative-style biography of Martin Luther King Jr. In honor of Black History Month, Groundwood Books will be giving away 10 signed copies.
‘Can*TEEN’ Engages Girls with STEM
By on January 10, 2013 1 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.
SLJ Reviews Rosen’s ‘Financial Literacy’ Database | Digital Resources January 2013
By on January 1, 2013 1 Comment
“ How long will it take me to pay off my credit card?” “How do I create a budget?” “What is a trade deficit?” Students can find the answers to these and many other financial questions using Rosen’s most recent entry into the digital realm.
Beyond Barron’s: The College Maze
By on October 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
SLJTeen’s sister newsletter, Curriculum Connections, recently ran a terrific article that’s perfect for high school seniors who are thinking about college—and for those of us who work with them. “The College Maze: From Application to Admission (And Beyond)” offers a comprehensive round-up of titles that college-bound students, as well as their parents, caregivers, and counselors, won’t want to miss.
The recommended list of books—which cover everything from choosing a major to guidance for students with disabilities—is bound to spark ideas for [...]
On Common Core | Professional Shelf
By on August 7, 2012 Leave a Comment
As champions of nonfiction literature, Mary Ann Cappiello, Myra Zarnowski, and Mark Aronson have spent the past year speaking to teachers, librarians, and children’s book publishers, advocating for a new role for children’s, middle grade, and young adult nonfiction in all forms (print, digital, audio) in the classroom and in the individual reading lives of children. They are delighted to have the opportunity to join Curriculum Connections for the 2012-2013 school year and share their message with you.
The College Maze | From Application to Admission (And Beyond)
By on August 7, 2012 1 Comment
For the college-bound the pressure is on; there are essays to write, tests to ace, and applications to complete. With guides galore available to teens, this round-up offers a sampling of recent titles. Students (and their parents) will find useful information on the college-search and admission process, minus the hype. And, for those who have sealed the deal, there’s practical advice for “surviving and thriving” in class and on campus, guidance for teens with special needs, and some constructive assessments to aid “undeclared” applicants choose a field of study.
