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July 7th, 2010

By the time this issue hits your inbox, I'll have sweated my way through ALA annual, which took place a couple of weeks ago in Washington, DC. Temperatures were in the mid-90s and the humidity was outrageous, but we all hunkered down and made the most of it. And why should I complain? I got to have tea with Katherine Paterson (National Ambassador for Young People's Literature), spent an evening at the Newseum learning about a new Dr. Seuss venture from Random House, and toasted the Columbus Metropolitan Library at Library Journal's Library of the Year celebration. Now that's pretty cool.-Dodie Ownes, editor

IN THIS ISSUE

• Ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point-Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010
  This online-only event will bring together public, academic, and school librarians for a daylong virtual conference. Keynoters include technologist Ray Kurzweil, library science program director David Lankes, and futurist Kevin Kelly. Sessions will cover best practices for ebook collections, publisher and content creator guidelines, and demonstrations of the latest ebook technologies. Early bird pricing is available through July 30–$19.95 for librarians and students. For more information or to register, visit www.ebook-summit.com.
  
• Calling All Canadian Teens
  Indigo ("where Canadians shop for books, DVDs, kids' toys, games, and music CDs online") has just announced its first annual Teen Reads Awards. The awards were launched to encourage Canadians between the ages of 11 and 18 to select their favorite titles across a number of categories, including Best Book to Flick and Best Lip Lock. Participants are eligible to win free gift cards, movie tickets, or even a Kobo eReader!
  

• From the Trenches
  What if the unimaginable happened? You became indestructible. You became invisible. You had wings and could fly. You were James Bond. OK, so that last comment is a stretch, but reading about the impossible takes you places you can't go in real life–and that's a great thing. The following books feature characters in extraordinary situations who must find the inner strength to conquer their adversities.
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Game and Music Reviews by Young Adults

• Music and Game Reviews by Young Adults
  Listen up! Two Dixies go to the hounds, Muse rules on the Eclipse soundtrack. Thumbs ready? Iron Man or War Machine, Shrek or Rumpelstiltskin?–lots of choices, lots of fun.
  
  The Court Yard Hounds (Columbia Records)
  Two of the Dixie Chicks, sisters Emily Robinson and Martie Maguire, have recently teamed up to create The Court Yard Hounds. Robinson steps up as the duo's principal singer and delivers the same folk-rock sound that originally made them so popular.
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Book Ninjas–Book Reviews by Young Adults

• Biddeford Book Ninjas-Book Reviews by Young Adults
  The second installment of reviews from the Biddeford Book Ninjas brings you stories of karma, star-crossed lovers, ice cream, and shape-shifting–perfect explorations for the hot summer days ahead.
  
  Brody, Jessica. The Karma Club. May 2010. Farrar. ISBN: 978-0-374-33979-1. Gr 8 and up.
  The cover made me want to pick up this book because it doesn't give everything away. I saw it from so far away that I couldn't see the text on the front... which was a good thing. It says, "When you mess with Karma, Karma messes back."
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Media Mania: Book Tie-ins to High-Interest Movies, TV Shows, and More

• Hot Summer Watching... and Reading: Pretty Little Liars
  A beguiling brew of murder mystery, soap opera, and adolescent angst, Pretty Little Liars (TV-14) premiered on June 8, 2010 on the ABC Family network. Approximately 2.5 million viewers tuned in to savor the first of the season's 10 scheduled episodes, with the buzz continuing to build.
  
  The show is based on Sara Shepard's popular "Pretty Little Liars" novels (HarperTeen), a book series that originated with Alloy Entertainment, the company responsible for developing and creating trend-setting, media-crossing properties such as Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries.
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Seen and Heard

• Project Awards for Teachers
  The Hoenney Center is all for investigating peer teaching and encouraging teacher development. That's why the center, which was founded in 2002 to honor a prominent local lawyer and his wife, will be handing out five awards–each with a $500 prize.
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