August 10th, 2010

INTERVIEW

• Lesbian Teen Constance McMillen Talks About Cancelled Prom
  All Constance McMillen wanted to do was take her girlfriend to the prom. But school officials and parents in Mississippi's Itawamba County School District disapproved–and administrators cancelled the event.
  
  Now the school district has agreed to pay $35,000 in damages to McMillen, who was forced to attend a "fake prom" while her classmates went to another event in which she wasn't invited. SLJ spoke to the 18-year-old about her experience, how difficult it was, and what gay and straight teens and adults can learn from it.
  
  Did you expect taking your girlfriend to the prom would end up making national headlines?
  
  No, I actually just expected for my school to realize that they couldn't do that and change their policy.    more » » » 

NEWS

• Act4SL Advocacy Group Pushes for Librarians in ESEA
  There's a new school library advocacy group in town–and it's called Act4SL. Its aim? To convince legislators that the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires a certified media specialist in every K-12 school.
  
  "Our goal is for every student across the country to have access to the type of school library experiences that will prepare them with 21st century life and learning," says Deb Logan, a school librarian at Mount Gilead High School in Ohio and one of its five founding members.    more » » » 
• Unsupervised Teens Can Lead to Violent Behavior, Study Says
  Parents who let their teens gather with nothing to do and without adult supervision increase the likelihood that those kids will engage in violent behavior–even if they come from "good" neighborhoods, a new study suggests.
  
  "Even if you trust all your neighbors and all the teens are 'A' students, it is best to assume that groups of teens just hanging out can lead to problems, including violence," says Christopher Browning, co-author of the study and associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University."  more » » » 

FRESH Approaches

• Celebrating a Decade of Judy Moody
  It's been 10 years since Megan McDonald's comically capricious and unfailingly endearing character first made her debut in Judy Moody (Candlewick, 2000), winning the hearts and loyalties of a wide spectrum of young readers. Since then, the forever-third-grader has taken center stage in eight more funny-bone-tickling adventures, including the latest, Judy Moody, Girl Detective (August 2010), and played a supporting role in several tales about her younger brother Stink, all humorously and heartwarmingly illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Judy Moody has become a mainstay with kids (13 million books have been sold worldwide), earned numerous awards, and even inspired a feature film (set for release in summer 2011). To mark this milestone, Candlewick has reissued the entire series with an attractive new cover design, available in both hardcover and paperback. In addition, the dedicated website has been refurbished, offering colorful visuals and lots of "Way-Not-Boring Stuff to Do.    more » » » 

REMARKABLE READS

• The 49^th State
  Alaska–with 586,412 square miles–is about one-fifth the size of the lower 48 states and closer to Russia than to any state. Life in Alaska may seem exotic and often it is, with many native populations living in traditional ways and in remote villages. The stories included on this list touch on several of these cultures, bringing readers to a closer understanding of life in the 49th state, now and in the past.    more » » » 

LIBRARIAN'S INTERNET

• Virtual Miniature-Golf
  disney.go.com/disneyxd/#/xdgames/playnow/&content=1166652
  
  We're now in the "Dog Days" of summer. It's the time of year for ice cream cones, trips to the beach or pool, and, of course, a round or two of miniature golf with family and friends. Even if there's no mini-course around, kids can always try their hand at playing a round or two online at your library. "Phineas and Ferb's Gadget Golf," created by the folks at Disney, is designed to let kids ages 7-15 play solo or with a friend.   more » » » 

JOB OF THE WEEK