Todd and Gordon began looking to study NJ school libraries several years ago at the behest of Lucille Davy, then NJ Education Commissioner, who prompted the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) to commission the study from CISSL. The New Jersey Study of School Libraries: One Common Goal—Student Learning had two phases: the first was a detailed survey of over 700 librarians, and the second involved focus groups with administrators, teachers, and librarians from 12 schools that were deemed to have successful libraries from diverse geographical regions, economic levels, and educational levels.

The findings of the second phase were released in 2012, and presented again at the American Library Association’s midwinter meeting in Seattle this year. School Library Journal checked in with Dr. Todd and Dr. Gordon to find out what steps they have been taking to promote the research this year, and their best practices recommendations for how other schools can better build successful libraries. They also shared with us some of their most surprising and illuminating findings.

How did you choose the schools that participated in the focus groups phase of the study? What criteria did you use to classify the schools that are “doing it right?”
Ross Todd: They had to have a certified librarian, and, first and foremost, [the librarian had to] distinguish themselves as playing a strong instructional role…centering on informational literacy, the engagement with information technology, and also their engagement with reading and literacy development. In other words, the hallmarks of quality school libraries.

Carol Gordon: Yes, we selected those 12 schools through the high levels of instructional collaboration between the school librarian and the classroom teachers. We weren’t looking at the size of the collections, how much money they spend on their materials, whether they had high test scores. We simply wanted to concentrate on the school librarian as the agent of this facility. Was she a collaborator? Was she a teacher? Did she exploit the instructional role, and if she did, what does her library look like? What do the teachers think, and what does her principal think?

There are hundreds of other factors that could explain why a school library is successful in a school, but I can tell you—we’ve been in many libraries that have beautiful collections and lots of computers, but they’re not successful in the way that these libraries perform. We were looking at the quality of teaching and learning from the perspective of the educators.

Were these instructional collaborations a product of good school leadership, or due to the ability of individual librarians to forge relationships with colleagues?
RT: Is it one factor, simply the school principal? Is it the school librarian? No it’s not. There are a whole lot of factors working together: the culture of learning in a school, the culture of collaboration, the personality of the librarian, the vision of the school librarian as a committed teacher in the school, the school librarian having a powerful vision for the nature of learning that is going to come through that role. [It was] the vision of the library [being] the mission of the school. All of these things work together.

How did you go about conducting the focus groups?
RT: What was really, really exciting was, in fact, the reported number of high levels of instructional collaboration. If you’ve got your ear to the grindstone with instructional library research, often the reporting of participation in instructional collaborations is actually quite low, even though it is part of the mantra, even though it’s part of the rhetoric. So we were really, really delighted.

Fundamentally, we put them to the test in many ways. This was a validation of the self-reporting, because when we approached these schools to understand what’s going on, and try to tease out perhaps the dimensions surrounding effective school libraries, they were prepared to do that. The principal was there, we often had either a curriculum supervisor in the school or a district curriculum leader, and up to five or six classroom teachers [that the librarian] collaborated with. It’s quite a coup!  And that was the exciting bit. We were welcomed with open arms when we went into these schools.

CG: We were really taken aback by the openness and the enthusiasm that the focus groups showed for the school library program, and of course the principal was a major player in these focus groups. And I think we found what surprised us was how the principal reacted to some of our questions.

What areas did the focus groups seek to address?
RT: The first question centered on identifying the dimensions of library infrastructure, personnel, services, and instruction, and their relationship—whatever they saw that was the foundation. Secondly we wanted to tease out what students actually learned, the learning outcomes in terms of engagement with the school library (and this is from the perspective of the principal and the classroom teachers.) The third area was asking them to think outside of the box: ‘if you could change things, if you had a magic wand, unlimited resources, what would you do?’ And that was really enlightening and surprising.

CG: This is when budget cuts were first on the horizon in a big way in New Jersey, and what they told us was, ‘we actually want a bigger library.’ This was pretty unanimous across the groups. And the reason was because they realized that it was important for all children to get this kind of instruction; they needed to teach more in this inquiry mode, integrating technology and literacy techniques into inquiry-based learning. And they wanted space where kids could collaborate with each other, where teachers could collaborate with each other, where teachers could collaborate with students. They saw the need for more technology, which takes up room. And so they had a vision of what this would look like if everyone could take advantage and benefit from it, and that was really a surprise to us.

So you weren’t expecting that to be on their wish lists?
RT: It was a surprise because there is so much discussion surrounding the closure of school libraries, that libraries as a physical space are redundant, and yet—without a flicker of an eyelid—everyone across the board said ‘we’d double the space of this library.’ At the heart of this desire to have a bigger physical space goes to what we saw as one of the key findings: the library [in these schools] was seen as a pedagogical center. It provided the instructional support for teachers [and] for students to engage with information in all of its forms to build knowledge. And also they saw it as a common ground across the school to develop the whole arena of digital citizenship.

So the library was portrayed very much as this learning center, this place that the whole school owned, where teachers could experiment, where teachers and school librarians could take risks and play with ideas and play with technology that supported inquiry. And of course, at the heart of this…was the primary conception of the school librarian as a co-teacher. In these schools, librarians [are] seen as teachers, because they play such a strong and pervasive teaching role.

Principals are in a position where they have to make very very difficult budget choices. When they see the school librarian as an effective teacher, as a powerful teacher—they’re not going to let that person go in budget cuts. And what’s more, principals were willing to invest the money to provide the instruction, the resources, and the technology to support that rich learning.

What did these schools have in common?
CG: It was interesting for us to analyze the different perspectives on the school library. The principals characterized their school libraries with metaphors: a “candy store,” “Emerald City,” “a place of business, where serious learning goes on.” The teachers saw it as a place where the disciplines come together, and also as a place that was an extension of their classroom, where they could find materials that enriched what they taught. So there were different perspectives, very interesting ways that they talked about their school libraries, but this culture was very similar from one school to the other.

The schools were very progressively run. The principals were participatory managers. They wanted teachers to work together, they wanted to see collaboration, they trusted their teachers, and they trusted their librarians, that good things were going to happen if they just let them do their jobs. They valued the school library as a place where learning went beyond testing.

The principals were very emphatic about the fact that they care about testing, but the most important thing to them was the kind of learning that went beyond testing—deep learning that called for thinking, inquiry, and discovery. They were very adamant about that.

Did that surprise you, too?
RT: This was one of the greatest surprises for me. We built as researchers a vast body of important research on the relationship between school libraries and test scores, achievement on standardized testing. And that research is highly important and very, very valuable. All of the school library impact studies, Keith Curry Lance’s work, the Ohio study—that’s really, really important work.

But this really opened my eyes: As I was listening to the classroom teachers and the school principals, they weren’t even wanting to be specific about test scores. They don’t even question that. They were saying that test score achievement is temporal, it’s transitory. School libraries give much more than test scores. There’s a value added: literacy development, empowering these kids to be critical thinkers in their engagement with information outside of school, the lifelong learning, the independent skills of working with information, the career support, giving them the skills to think critically.

What did these librarians have in common?
CG: We did tease out the qualities that the principal and the teachers mentioned about their school librarians, and one is, ‘she’s not judgmental about us. we feel safe, we feel comfortable in going to her to ask a question or to collaborate.’ I think a really important aspect of this is that the school librarian did not impose a curriculum. The librarian did not impose library language and labels in the conversion or in her practice. I think what we had here was a meeting of minds in terms of a common goal.

RT: In the work that we do, one of the things I pick up on is the bashing of teachers. The school library community has to stop this kind of putting down of others in the profession. We often so easily and so unwittingly get caught up in this kind of judgment. [In these schools] the teachers felt safe. They felt that they could make mistakes. They could do things together to learn together. There was this nurturing. They all talked about the school librarians and the culture of help.

CG: Yes. ‘The librarian never says no’ was the phrase we heard over and over again. For instance, the teachers felt, when asking for the materials they needed, that the librarian did everything she could to help them, and she listened to what they needed. There wasn’t a pre-conceived idea of what a good library is, and the type of collection [he or she had] to build. It wasn’t isolated like that. It was completely open, where the librarian was flexible and ready to listen and let her library become what people needed it to be. These librarians were very different people, but they were all very open-minded. They were good listeners. They were not judgmental. They were helpful. They were highly skilled. Definitely there were commonalities in attitude, personality, interpersonal skills, vision.

RT: And the vision was not a library-centered vision. It was a vision for helping that school reach the goals for learning for these kids.

CG: The commonality among these schools was striking.

What else emerged in your discussions?
RT: One of the other key things that came out was the notion of teacher of teachers. We had so many teachers who said that the school librarians help them be better teachers, and that’s the collaborative notion of opening up teachers to the insight of kids being more effective, inquiry-based researchers, engaging teachers with technology tools that will help the students. The librarians actually played a strong role in professional development in their schools; they were seen as having effective professional relationships with the teachers in their schools, and principals were prepared to invest money in the further education of their school librarians, to send the school librarians off to meetings and conferences. They knew that those librarians would come back and would be eager to run professional development in their schools…in the context of instructional collaboration.

CG: When the teachers began talking about their relationship with the school librarian, they became very emotional. We had a couple of teachers break down and cry, because they were overcome by the gratitude they had to the school librarian. And the principals brought this out, too, when they [said] that they don’t know how the school librarians do it—that the librarians seem to be the person they depended on in the school to keep up with the information explosion, to keep up with technological advances, so they felt as though their school was moving along and growing and keeping up with the pace of the information age. And this is a real revolution in a sense.

So the relationship between school librarians and classroom teachers is changing?
CG: In [these schools], the school librarian facilitated the technology integration in a context where teachers felt their students were learning all these other things, like authority, accuracy, plagiarism versus original work, issues of censorship, digital citizenship, Internet safety—all of the burning questions around the use of technology for children. [Teachers] felt as though all of this was being taken care of, but is wasn’t viewed as one more thing they had to do and still cover their curriculum. All the stress is taken away when they can teach in a situation where they are learning as they teach, where they feel as though they have a safety net, when they have someone they’re comfortable with to ask questions. So this is a dramatic revolution in the way we train teachers, and how we keep them trained.

The librarian is emerging in these data as a master teacher—not just a teacher of teachers, but as a master teacher of the digital age. And this is really significant, because librarians have had a difficult time in not being invisible, especially now with digital materials, where the print collections are getting smaller. This is the area where librarians can shine. They are seen as leaders. They’re far from invisible in these schools that we studied.

Your study also addressed the civil rights of school libraries. Can you tell us more?
RT: The schools that we went into with effective school libraries were all public schools. Some of them are actually in quite poor areas. And the principal of social justice emerged so strongly. The people working in these communities saw the school library as a center for equitable access, where all kids—no matter their circumstances, no matter their access to resources outside of school— have equal opportunity. The school library represents a great social equalizer. We use the terms “surrogate home” and “safe haven” because of the notion of safety, to engage with resources, multiple viewpoints and different opinions, in safety. To have access to expert help.

CG: It’s important to know that not all of these schools were well resourced, big budget schools. A lot of these schools were poor schools in poor areas. Some of the librarians [said] that, for many of these children, the library was the nicest place they could go to. It was a place they were comfortable in, where they could find lots of computers and lots of books. So I think the social justice aspect of these findings is important, because we still do have a digital divide.

How are you publicizing the data?
CG: We intend to present at administrative conferences, to educational leaders. We plan to try to publish something in Educational Leadership. The publicity around this study is really in the hands of NJASL, who commissioned the study, and the president of NJASL, Amy Rominiecki, is putting a lot of energy into that (and she was my partner in presenting at ALA). She is very supportive of the findings, and we have had a liaison from CISSL [partnering] with the NJASL board in publicizing this study.

RT: We’ve put out a number of scholarly publications, and we’re working really closely with NJASL. They have an evidence-based advocacy group, they’ve been working with the state legislature, they’ve been working with development of media releases based on the study, they’ve developed advocacy materials, they’ve developed a fantastic Youtube clip. I think they’re doing a fantastic job.

Despite her usual policy of abstaining from heated political interactions on social media, Messner continued the conversation, refusing to be intimidated.

“I’m a writer. Recommending books is probably what I do most in my social media life. Those who follow me are accustomed to that,” Messner tells School Library Journal . “This book connects with what’s going on in the news today. I didn’t think anything of it.”

She explains, “I was at first perplexed about how someone from outside of my Twitter feed, who does not even follow me, could have found my tweet.  And when I looked at the person’s feed and profile, I realized that he or she had to be someone that has set up a search for Islam, and made it their mission to seek out anyone that had something positive to say about the religion.”

The Twitter battle of words was witnessed by many of the author’s supporters and friends, including educators and librarians. A few of them added the title to their future purchase lists, or brought awareness of the book to their own audiences.

Educator and writer Michelle Cusolito, who teaches at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA,  was spurred on to suggest Golden Domes to her local bookstore, Eight Cousins in Falmouth, MA, and to create a Pinterest page for World Religion resources, with Khan’s title its first entry. “What most upset me about the situation was that all Kate wanted to do was promote openness and diversity, and this person was trying to stop that and intimidate her,” Cusolito tells SLJ. “My immediate response is, ‘I have to buy it.’ The second it hit my table, both my kids read it.”

Lauren Strohecker, a school media specialist at McKinley Elementary outside of Philadelphia, PA, tells SLJ that she sympathizes with Messner’s situation, and was disappointed that what Messner meant to be an act of sharing incurred such blowback. “It’s really hard to find books on religion appropriate for younger age groups in a K-6 school library,” Strohecker says. “But it’s important to have these titles available. Kids should have the opportunity to expand their worldview at any age.”

Strohecker has already added Golden Domes to her purchase list for the next school year because of its broad appeal, and plans on using it in a unit about colors. “It’s a book that I can integrate on subjects other than religion,” she explains.

The discussion took place over the course of a few days, with both sides coming to a standstill. Messner says she was shocked at the other party’s continuous harassment and religion bashing, but ultimately chose not to block the person, “Because that conversation—the fact that it happened—opened a lot of people’s eyes to the need for more conversations. Sharing books is powerful, and I think responding to hate with poetry and education is just about the best we can do in this world.”

Strohecker agrees. “We have the choices every day. How do we respond to hate? More hate? Or hope and stories and education? That’s a better route. And if we have that conversation with kids now, we’ll be less likely to see reactions like this one in the future.”

Songs for Junior Rangers. CD. approx. 60 min. with lyrics, poster map, activity. Prod. by National Park Service. Dist. by CDBaby.com. 2012. ISBN unavail. $9.95.

Gr 1-5–This celebration of our national parks features songs that explore Yellowstone, the Everglades, the Statue of Liberty, Carlsbad Caverns, Padre Island,Mount Rushmore, and several more. Jeff Wolin wrote 19 of the songs, and Krishel Augustine wrote the Navajo song. Vocal and instrumental performances on guitar, bass, banjo, fiddle, piano, accordion, sax, trombone, trumpet, harmonica, drums, and percussion are solid and professional. A number of different vocalists and instrumentalists perform, including Trout Fishing in America and Johnette Downing, in such musical styles as blues, rock, tropical, country, funk, reggae, jazz, hip-hop, polka, traditional Navajo, disco, sea shanty, and zydeco. In several instances, the musical style is very appropriate to the park location. For example, “New Orleans Jazz” features jazz music and “Junior Ranger,” which explores Canyon de Chelly, uses the traditional Navajo sound. Among the other numbers are “Humps, Hooves, and Horns” (Yellowstone), “Run Fish Run” (Olympic), “Wapiti Hoppity” (Rocky Mountain), “Beach Party at High Altitude” (Great Sand Dunes), “Skyscraper Plants” (Redwood, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon), “National Fossil Day” (Hagerman Fossil Beds), and more. A lyrics booklet and a foldout map with national park locations indicated are included in the oversized packaging. A fun and educational offering that will have listeners clamoring for a visit to a national park.–Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX

Created in conjunction with the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY, NY) exhibit of the same name, Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop  (Metropolitan Museum of Art; Gr 8 Up) is a free iPad app. Noting that “photographs have been manipulated since the invention of the medium,” the curator introduces viewers to photo “doctoring” from negative retouching to photomontage, with a bit of art history along the way.

The easy-to-navigate app is divided into three parts. A short introductory video with a lively instrumental soundtrack poses questions to viewers as it spotlights images they’ll examine closely later on. Next comes a quiz (hints included), challenging users to consider which photos have been manipulated, and how or why they were changed. If stumped, viewers have the option of zooming in for a closer look.

The doctored “Sherman and His Generals, 1865″ by George N. Barnard

The gallery of 16 before-and-after photos with explanatory information and citations is the centerpiece of the app. The text is well written and the black-and-white pictures cover a range of subjects from portraits to landscapes. In the first of the two photos of Sherman and His Generals, 1865, General Francis Preston Blair, Jr. isn’t present, but there he is, seated to the right in the second.

Blair missed the photo session scheduled at Matthew Brady’s Washington, D.C., studio. The well-known Civil War photographer is quoted as saying, “Later in the day, however, he [Blair] came in, was photographed and I set his portrait in on the group negative.” The photo was later retouched by another photographer, who added background curtains and other details. Also included in the gallery is The Other Series (After Brassaï), 1993, by Kathy Grove, a contemporary artist who takes images by male modernist artists and changes them, often by removing the female figure, a commentary on the fact that “women were largely absent from the canon of Western art history.”

Faking It would be particularly appropriate for history, photography, and art classes. It would be a natural tie-in to using an app such as Adobe Photoshop Express, before students try their hand at editing images. A lavish companion book to the exhibit by Mia Fineman is also available.

Map from “Life and Death: Pompeii and Herculaneum” (The British Museum)

Life and Death: Pompeii and Herculaneum (The British Museum; Gr 9 Up) is a companion piece to the British Museum’s exhibit by the same name, on view in London from March 28th-September 29th, 2013. The app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices, splendidly incorporates sound effects, animation, video, and interactivity.

A short, but dramatic, film sequence on the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, narrated by Paul Roberts, the exhibition curator, opens the production and leads to a map that serves as a table of contents. Pins mark Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other sites on the Bay of Naples. Tapping on one of these locations will bring viewers to a street map of the chosen area and a list, including such topics as “Urban context,” “Commerce,” “Wealth and status,” “Entertaining,” and “Religion and beliefs.” Each list leads to narrated images; video commentary by Roberts and other scholars; photographs; and informative text. Listeners will hear Pliny the Younger’s eyewitness recollections of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79 (narrated by Royce Cronin), learn that a significant number of Herculaneum’s residents were prosperous freedman, and view more than 250 colorful photos of artwork and artifacts.

The images are clear and sharp. The ability to zoom in on the pictures is a valuable feature, as it allows for close-up views of jewelry, frescoes, mosaics, graffiti, carbonized furniture, marble statues, and more. Also provided is a further reading list with some live links. Be aware that Life and Death is a large app and takes time to load.

This is a rich and rewarding production for students of history and art, and anyone interested in archeology. For teachers looking for multimodal resources to support the Common Core State Standards, this app fits the bill.—Daniel Greene U32 Middle/High School, Montpelier, VT

Bramer and Gentile—who both chair council committees on library services—were joined by Thomas Galante, president/CEO of Queens Library; Anthony Marx, president/CEO of the New York Public Library; and Linda Johnson, the  president/CEO of Brooklyn Public Library; as well as representatives from advocacy group Urban Librarians Unite (ULU) and the DC37 municipal employees union.

The children in attendance spoke from a mini-podium, in the role of journalists, asking the council members questions about library funding, according to Joanne King, director of communications for the Queens Library in Jamaica, NY. Queens alone is facing a proposed cut of $29.6 million, which would force the closure of 36 libraries and the layoff more than 420 staff, King says, noting that citywide, more than a thousand library employees would lose their jobs.

“More importantly,” King says, “millions of New Yorkers would lose access to the valuable free services of their public libraries. More than 75 percent of New Yorkers use their public libraries; yet the libraries…account for less than on half of 1 percent of the city’s budget.”

Adds Galante, “Free public libraries are more critical to the fabric of our democratic society than ever before. We are a digital bridge, a community hub, a center of lifelong learning, and the place where new opportunities are realized every single day.”

More information is available via ULU’s Save NYC Libraries site or Queens Library’s Speakup campaign.

Mystery award: The Code Busters 2: The Haunted Lighthouse (Egmont USA) by Penny Warner won the 2012 Agatha Award in the Best Children’s/Young Adult category. In the book, Cody and his friends love codes, and when they receive a mysterious email suggesting that there’s a treasure hidden on Alcatraz Island, they are excited to start a clue hunt. A class trip to the prison is the perfect way for them to start their search. There are more than a dozen codes and puzzles in the book for readers to decipher.

The Agatha Awards honor “traditional mystery”books that are best typified by the works of Agatha Christie—that contain “no explicit sex and no excessive gore or violence.” The prizes were announced at the Malice Domestic 25 convention, an annual “fun fan” convention held in Washington, DC. Awards are also given in five categories for adults: Best Novel, Best First Novel, Best Nonfiction, Best Short Story, and Best Historical Novel.

Industry News

The Presidents: Capstone is adding 60 more titles to the K–3 PebbleGo Biographies module in August 2013. The new titles will complete its U.S. Presidential collection. Current subscribers to the database will receive the additional content at no extra charge. PebbleGo Biographies, which employ reading scaffolding strategies, feature narrated text, animated highlighting, a glossary, visual searching, educational videos and games, an interactive time line of key dates, and activities.

Graphic novels: ABDO’s Spotlight division will publish library editions of IDW’s Jurassic Park and Star Trek graphic novels this fall. There will be eight books in the Classic Jurassic Park set for all ages, based on the 1990s movies, and four Star Trek titles for young adults featuring characters resembling those in the current film franchise. Spotlight’s comic books and graphic novels are published as library editions, with side-sewn pages, a cloth reinforced spine, and a laminated cover.

“These are two of the most popular science fiction story lines in history,” noted Jim Abdo, the company’s publisher. “One warns of what happens when science goes wrong, the other promises a time where science helps humanity come together and build a future. And there is plenty of action and adventure, too. We think our librarian friends will love getting these into the hands of their kids and young adult readers.”

Since the last such study by Pew in 2006, teens are making several aspects of their lives more public online, sharing both personal and contact information more liberally, the report shows. Currently, 91 percent of teens post their photos online, up from 79 percent three years ago. About 71 percent reveal their school name, a 22 percent jump since up from 2006, while 71 percent post their hometown or city name, an increase of 10 percent. About 53 percent share their email address, up from 29 percent, and 20 percent of teens now post their cell phone number, while a mere 2 percent did so in 2006.

Yet while they’re sharing more personal details than before, most teens feel they can adequately protect their online information, according to the report. Among teen Facebook users, the majority say they feel confident about controlling their privacy settings. Sixty percent of teens on Facebook designate their profiles as “private,” accessible by friends only. Less than one percent found managing their Facebook privacy settings “very difficult,” while 56 percent said that maintaining privacy is “not difficult at all.”

In addition, as Danah Boyd, a social media analyst, notes in a post on zephoria.org, the Pew report revealed how race factors into teens’ use social media. About 95 percent of white teens use their real names on at least one service, compared to 77 percent of African-American teens. Related to this, 21 percent of white teens say they post fake information, compared to 39 percent of African-Americans. On Facebook, 48 percent of African-Americans friended celebrities, musicians, or athletes, compared to 25 percent of white users.

As Boyd points out in her post, “Teens are more likely to interact with people of the same race and their norms, practices, and values are shaped by the people around them. So what we’re actually seeing is a manifestation of network effects.” She adds, “the differences in the Pew report point to black youth’s increased interest in being a part of public life, their heightened distrust of those who hold power over them, and their notable appreciation for pop culture.”

Other highlights of the report:

The report also analyzed social media use by age, gender, and ethnicity. Boys and girls post the same kind of content—school name, relationship status, and phone number—but older teens share more of it, the report found. Thirty-nine percent of African American teens use Twitter, as opposed to 23 percent among white teens. And younger teens online are less likely to “friend” people they haven’t met than older teens. In addition, girls limit access to their Facebook profiles more than boys do.

Fifty-eight percent of teens “share inside jokes or cloak their messages in some way” while using social media, the report found. Many teens lied about their age to access websites and online accounts, and one in six said they were contacted by “someone they did not know in a way that made them feel scared or uncomfortable.” And though teens may not have “a good sense” of how third-parties might use their data, the report concluded, 81 percent of parents expressed “high levels of concern” about what advertisers might learn about their children online.

The findings combine the results of several surveys: a national phone survey of 802 teens, ages 12–17, and their parents, conducted on cell phones and landlines in Spanish and English between July 26and September 30, 2012; 24 focus groups, starting in February 2013, comprised of 156 students; and two online focus groups that took place between June 20 and June 27, 2012. Participants were from varied ethnic, racial, regional, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Writing about humor is a good way to suck all the fun out of it, so please—feel free to skip straight to the booklist. Or as Platte F. Clarke advises in Bad Unicorn, “I recommend you close the book now and run away—preferably with screaming and arm flailing.” It’s got to be better than having to read about how literary devices like hyperbole (e.g., “screaming and arm flailing”) are examples of figurative language (Common Core State Standard 5.4) that can add to the complexity of a text (CCSS RL 10). Just don’t tell the kids.

We love giving funny books to children because we want them to enjoy reading. When they come back clamoring for more Pseudonymous Bosch, you may smile a satisfied smile. But you—and your old pal the Stinky Cheese Man—may be accomplishing more than you realize. Numerous academic studies conducted over the past decade indicate that there are more advantages to reading humorous literature than pure pleasure. Experiments have shown that the brain’s response to the unexpected—say, the purple dragon in Chloe and the Lion, or the polar bear sidekick in Timmy Failure—is to seek order. College students made to read Kafka performed twice as well on pattern recognition tests as their peers. Broken rules compel our brains to look for functioning ones.

Seems like Dr. Seuss was on to something when he said, “I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells.” If only he’d been grant-funded, he could have said that in an 80-page thesis instead of a nine-word off-the-cuff remark! Set their brains dancing with these recent funny books.

Picture Books with a Kick

AHLBERG, Allan. The Goldilocks Variations. illus. by Jessica Ahlberg. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6268-4.
PreS-Gr 3–The three bears are just the appetizer in this charmingly illustrated pop-up banquet. Goldilocks encounters a family of aliens, talking furniture, and “a grumpy-looking ‘grandma’ in a bed, six or seven other beds, and somebody or something banging away like billy-o at the back door.” By altering individual elements, Ahlberg reinforces the central idea.

BARNETT, Mac. Chloe and the Lion. illus. by Adam Rex. Hyperion/Disney. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-1334-8.
Gr 1-5–All Chloe wants is a ride on the merry-go-round, but her story is hijacked by a couple of unlikely characters. In a dispute about who’s in charge, the illustrator draws the writer into a gorilla suit, and the writer writes the illustrator into the lion’s belly. Use this book to teach point of view and the collaborative process.

EATON, Maxwell. The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Fishy Business. illus. by author. (The Flying Beaver Brothers Series). Knopf. 2012. RTE $12.99. ISBN 978-0-375-96448-0; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-375-86448-3.
Gr 1-5–A volcano has appeared overnight on Beaver Island. Oh no, it’s really a smokestack for a fish-stick factory run by duplicitous mackerel! This graphic novel is the second entry in a series that features simple cartoon art and razor-sharp comic timing, with an eco-friendly message.

HODGKINSON, Leigh. Goldilocks and Just One Bear. illus. by author. Candlewick/Nosy Crow. 2012. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6172-4.
K-Gr 3–A bear lost in the city tries out the porridge and the chairs in an empty apartment. When the owner turns out to be an all-grown-up Goldilocks, the two stories, old and new, come together in a comic fanfare. Retro-modern ink and watercolor art adds fun details.

KLASSEN, Jon. This Is Not My Hat. illus. by author. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5599-0.
K-Gr 3–The narrative tension between text and art is as crystalline as the water at the bottom of the sea is murky in this tale of underwater mischief. The little fish in the stolen hat is absolutely sure he is going to get away with his crime, but attentive children will holler, “Look behind you!”

SCHWARTZ, Corey Rosen. The Three Ninja Pigs. illus. by Dan Santat. Putnam. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25514-4.
K-Gr 3–These porcine powerhouses are ready to rumble! With their arsenal of martial-arts skills, the Big Bad Wolf doesn’t stand a chance. Except–whoops! Pigs One and Two skipped a few lessons. Rhyming text and dynamic illustrations are a delight, and the glossary of Japanese words invites culture study tie-ins.

WILLEMS, Mo. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. illus. by author. HarperCollins. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210418-2.
K-Gr 3–In this signature retelling, Mama Dinosaur rubs her hands together while saying, “I SURE HOPE NO INNOCENT LITTLE SUCCULENT CHILD HAPPENS BY OUR UNLOCKED HOME WHILE WE ARE… uhhh… SOMEPLACE ELSE!” Children will automatically supply the classic version for comparison.

Funny Transitional Titles

ABBOTT, Tony. The Mysterious Talent Show Mystery. illus. by Colleen Madden. Bk. 4. (Goofballs Series). Egmont USA. 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-167-9; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-400-7.
Gr 2-4–Readers decipher clues while puns ricochet around the room as two young sleuths investigate strange happenings. Wordplay contributes complexity, while snappy dialogue-driven text keeps those pages turning. This series features short chapters and comic black-and-white drawings.

ADDERSON, Caroline. Jasper John Dooley: Left Behind. illus. by Ben Clanton. Bk. 2. (Jasper John Dooley Series). Kids Can. 2013. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-55453-579-8.
Gr 1-3–Jasper, introduced in Star of the Week (2012), feels a little puncture when his Nan leaves for vacation. And when he accidentally staples his snake story to his stomach, that deflated feeling just gets worse. Jasper’s grownups indulge him a bit, but not too much, in this sweet book about managing feelings.

COX, Judy. The Secret Chicken Society. illus. by Amanda Haley. Holiday House. 2012. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-823-42372-9; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-823-42765-9.
Gr 2-4–Few animals are as funny as a chicken, but that’s only one of the things Daniel discovers when he adopts five fuzzy chicks. Summery slapstick with a healthy dose of fun facts.

MONTIJO, Rhode. Gum Girl! Chews Your Destiny. illus. by author. Hyperion/Disney. July 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-423-15740-3.
K-Gr 2–A freak combination of bubble gum and high voltage turns gum-loving Gabby into a sticky, stretchy superhero. A few Spanish words and puns keep the text popping, and artwork in bold geometric shapes gives the book a Powerpuff Girls-meet-Dora energy.

O’RYAN, Ray. Hello, Nebulon! illus. by Jack Colin. Bk. 1. (Galaxy Zack Series). S & S/Little Simon. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5387-6; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5386-9; ebook $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5388-3.
Gr 1-3–Zack is worried about moving to Nebulon–what if his new teacher has two heads? What if the pizza comes with bugs instead of pepperoni? Cartoony space-age illustrations depict Zack making a new friend, riding a hoverbike, and exploring his jazzy new house. First in a forthcoming series.

Middle-Grade Malarkey

AGUIRRE, Jorge. Giants Beware! illus. by Rafael Rosado. First Second. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-1-596-43582-7.
Gr 2-6–Rambunctious Claudette, the daughter of the town blacksmith, sets off to kill the local giant with her best friend and brother in tow. Action and friendship, drawn in a clear, cheerful style, make this graphic novel a great choice for “Bone” (Scholastic) fans.

BEATY, Andrea. Dorko the Magnificent. Abrams/Amulet. 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0638-7.
Gr 3-5–Botched magic tricks and an old lady with a specialty in Extreme Crankiness provide slapstick humor as young Robbie practices for his school’s talent show. Readers will root for Robbie, who works hard and remains optimistic despite setbacks.

BOYCE, Frank Cottrell. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again. illus. by Joe Berger. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5957-8; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6353-7.
Gr 3-6–To keep Dad busy after he’s been laid off, Mum gets him an old camper van to fix. But when the family visits the junkyard looking for parts, they strike flying, floating automotive gold. An inventive and picturesque family story, as full of heart and humor as the original.

CARMAN, Patrick. Floors. Bk. 1. (Floors Series). Scholastic. 2011. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-25519-6; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46092-7.
Gr 4-6–Odd ducks of both the web-footed and human variety alternately help and hinder junior handyman Leo and his pal Remi as Leo attempts to discover the whereabouts of the Whippet Hotel’s owner before it’s too late. Fans of Pseudonymous Bosch will love this book and its sequel, 3 Below (2012). Audio version is available from Audible and Playaway.

CLARKE, Platte F. Bad Unicorn. S & S/Aladdin. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5012-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5014-1.
Gr 4-8–A familiar premise–underdog kid is the only one who can save the world–is put through a satirical shredder. What comes out is action and suspense with a hilarious Monty Pythonesque edge. Multiple points of view keep the plot humming.

GILMAN, Charles. Professor Gargoyle. Bk. 1. (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School Series). Quirk. 2012. Tr $13.99. ISBN 978-1-59474-591-1; pap. $13.99. ISBN 978-1-59474-592-8.
Gr 4-7–In this series kickoff, Robert is a nice kid just trying to navigate the pitfalls of a new school. It doesn’t take him long to realize, however, that the pitfalls of Lovecraft Middle School may involve actual pits. A wide variety of lusciously phantasmagorical vocabulary (“mesmerized,” “fetid,” “ventriloquist”) festoons the readable, peppy text. Audio version available from Listening Library.

MASS, Wendy. Pi in the Sky. Little, Brown. June 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-08916-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-23501-3.
Gr 5-8–Joss is bored with his simple job of delivering pies for the Supreme Overlord of the Universe (his dad). Soon, however, something goes badly wrong, and it is Joss’s responsibility to rebuild Earth. Entertaining, unexpected, and irreverent, and yet packed with information about elemental physics and the contents of the universe.

PASTIS, Stephan. Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. Bk. 1. illus. by author. (Timmy Failure Series). Candlewick. 2013. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6358-2.
Gr 4-6–A self-proclaimed private detective with a magnificent lack of insight, Timmy and his polar bear sidekick “solve” “mysteries” in super-short, heavily illustrated chapters. This is the kind of pattern-violating humor that makes readers’ brains beg for mercy.

REX, Adam. Cold Cereal. (The Cold Cereal Saga). HarperCollins. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-206002-0; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-06-206003-7; ebook $7.99. ISBN 978-0-06-206004-4.
Gr 5-8–Scott thinks he’s a little weird–until he meets Erno and Emily, their friend Biggs, who is very big indeed, and a leprechaun named Mick. This odd team must thwart the evil cereal company that is trying to take over the world. The equally excellent sequel is Unlucky Charms (2013). Audio version available from Listening Library.

SPRATT, R. A. The Adventures of Nanny Piggins. Bk. 1. illus. by Dan Santat. (Nanny Piggins Series). Little, Brown. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-316-06819-2; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-316-06818-5; ebook $2.99. ISBN 978-0-316-23098-8.
Gr 1-6–Parents who hire Nanny Piggins should be aware that she loves trashy novels and cake, and her idea of fun is to drop things off the roof and watch them crash. Kids who like subversive humor will adore her. Nanny Piggins and the Wicked Plan (2013) is a sequel, with more to come.

Older Kids Love Laughs, Too

BEAUDOIN, Sean. The Infects. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5947-9; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6211-0.
Gr 9 Up–Nero’s bad week suddenly gets much worse when people start acting like zombies: lurching, drooling, and lusting after human flesh. It’s ruthlessly fast paced, loaded with pop-culture references, and splattered with gore, and the dialogue raises sarcasm–and profanity–to an art form. Audio version available from Brilliance Audio.

BENWAY, Robin. Also Known As. Walker. 2013. Tr. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-3390-0; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8027-3391-7.
Gr 7 Up–Maggie is the new girl at a fancy New York City prep school, fresh off a safecracking gig in Iceland. Her current assignment is to infiltrate the family of a magazine publisher. There’s romance, swanky settings, and a brassy sidekick named Roux. Especially for fans of Meg Cabot’s “Airhead” series (Scholastic). Audio version available from Brilliance Audio.

EULBERG, Elizabeth. Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality. Scholastic. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-47699-7; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-52078-2.
Gr 7 Up–Lexi keeps a low profile while her seven-year-old sister, Mac, is a pageant queen. But one day, on a dare, she swaps her baggy jeans for skinny ones, curls her hair, and throws on a little makeup. Witty narration and fun dialogue are combined with intelligent thoughts about appearance and self-worth.

HERBACH, Geoff. I’m with Stupid. 2013. ISBN 978-1-4022-7791-7.
–––– . Nothing Special. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4022-6507-5; ISBN 978-1-4022-6508-2.
–––– . Stupid Fast. 2011. ISBN 978-1-4022-563-0; ISBN 978-1-4022-5631-8.ea vol: Sourcebooks/Fire. pap. $9.99. ebook $9.99.
Gr 7 Up–In this series, Felton Reinstein must come to grips with heartbreak, dysfunction, hope, and his own unexpected transformation from nebbish to gifted athlete. As in Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little, Brown, 2007), Felton’s family problems and personal anxieties are deeply felt but leavened considerably by his wry, self-deprecating narration. Audio version for Stupid Fast available from Recorded Books.

STRAND, Jeff. A Bad Day for Voodoo. Sourcebooks/Fire. 2012. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-6680-5; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4022-6682-9.
Gr 7 Up–“My mom came home around six and asked me how my day went. I told her, leaving out the voodoo but leaving in Mr. Click’s leg and death.” By page 10, average Florida teen Tyler has inadvertently killed his history teacher, and then things really get weird. A laugh in every paragraph.

Nonfiction

COY, John. Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball. illus. by Joe Morse. Carolrhoda. 2013. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-6617-1; ebook $12.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-8723-7.
Gr 1-4–Calisthenics were boring, football and soccer, too rough. James Naismith therefore invented a game that relied on speed, accuracy, and no tackling. Muscular paintings in a muted but vibrant palette suit the historical subject without looking musty, while action panels feature a riot of elongated limbs.

GRIFFITHS, Andy. What Body Part Is That?: A Wacky Guide to the Funniest, Weirdest, and Most Disgustingest Parts of Your Body. illus. by Terry Denton. Feiwel & Friends. 2012. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-312-36790-9; ebbok $9.99. ISBN 978-1-466-82759-2.
Gr 3-7–Research has shown “bizarre elaboration” to have a significant positive effect on retention, especially of vocabulary. “Other easier-to-pronounce names for the esophagus are food funnel, nutrient hose, provisions pipe, chow spout, hamburger highway, taco tunnel, and sausage chute.” Readers will remember lots of anatomy and physiology facts once they’ve ingested this profusely illustrated, super-goofy fun fest.

HALE, Nathan. One Dead Spy: The Life, Times, and Last Words of Nathan Hale, America’s Most Famous Spy. ISBN 978-1-419-70396-6. ISBN 978-1-613-12372-0.
–––– . Big Bad Ironclad! A Civil War Steamship Showdown. ISBN 978-1-419-70395-9; ISBN 978-1-613-12371-3.ea vol: illus. by author. 2012. Abrams/Amulet. (Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales Series). Tr $12.95. ebook $12.95.

Gr 3-8–One Dead Spy begins as Nathan Hale is about to be hanged. He was not a very good spy. But in the hands of Nathan Hale, the present-day graphic novelist, he makes an excellent narrator. American history is hilarious in these lively, rigorously researched, visually engaging stories.

LEVINE, Gail Carson. Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems. illus. by Matthew Cordell. HarperCollins. 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-06-178725-6.
Gr 4-6–These spare, sly poems use inference to tell tall tales of deceit and betrayal among family members, friends, and fairy-tale characters. “I have shortened my nose with your saw/because honestly telling lies is so much fun./Forgive me I don’t care about becoming a real boy.”

LEWIS, J. Patrick. Edgar Allan Poe’s Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems. illus. by Michael Slack. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-51338-6.
Gr 4-6–Famous poems are adapted into math problems involving boxer shorts, pizza, termites, and more. I think that I shall never solve/A poem that makes my brain evolve/Word problems are made by fools like me/But only Patrick Lewis can make poems like these. Silly, colorful art adds appeal.

LONG, Ethan. The Wing Wing Brothers Math Spectacular! 2013. ISBN 978-0-8234-2604-1.
–––– . Up! Tall! and High! 2012. ISBN 978-0-8234-2320-0.ea vol: illus. by author. Holiday House. RTE $15.95.

PreK-Gr 1–What can you learn from a bird? The Wing Wing Brothers juggle pies and spin plates to demonstrate greater than, less than, and equal to along with addition and subtraction. And the birds of Up! fly, fall, and mount stilts to explain how up, tall, and high are similar but not identical. Cartoony art adds a friendly wink.

Paula Willey reviews children’s and teen books online at Pink Me

In addition to a tour of the Beaux-Arts building, shoptalk on the MyLibraryNYC collaboration between the city’s public libraries and schools, and the SummerReading.Org initiative offered by the three NYC public library systems, attendees were treated to workshops on topics ranging from instructional strategies to databases to collection development, all conducted by educators and publishing professionals.

Professor Mary Ann Cappiello from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA

Among the sessions was “Creating Multimodal, Multigenre Text Sets,” presented by Mary Ann Cappiello, co-author of Teaching with Text Sets (Shell Education, 2012), member of the Uncommon Corps, blogger, and monthly co-contributor to the Curriculum Connections “On Common Core” column.

Cappiello explained her approach to teaching with text sets—related  books on a topic—by offering five models of instruction that “scaffold, immerse, and extend content,” in her words, and sharing sample lesson templates. Attendees had an opportunity to explore some of Cappiello’s teaching models, with approaches ranging from focused comparisons to in-depth coverage. As an example, she presented a unit on trees that included such titles as Wendy Pfeffer’s A Log’s Life (S & S, 1997), illustrated by Robin Brickman, and Donna Jo Napoli’s Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya (S&S, 2010), illustrated by Kadir Nelson, that also incorporated a related hands-on activity. Participants agreed with one librarian who said that the session opened her eyes to an leveled teaching approach that was an efficient tool for initiating collaborative units.

“Teaching is hard work in the digital era,” admitted Michelle Luhtala, a self-described “fierce advocate of free-range media and BYOD,” during her presentation “Instructional Strategies for Mobile Devices.”  Luhtala, the New Canaan (CT) High School Library Chair (twitter: @mluhtala), discussed some digital projects that have engaged her students and  discussed how her role has changed over the past five years.

Commenting on some of the student trends she has seen, as well as statistics she’s recorded, Luhtala noted upticks in cloud computing, mobile learning, and content creation, along with declines in book and ebook circulation and database usage. She also predicted that the downturn is database use would continue as app use increases. One of her best purchases this year? An expensive, but well-used AP review app.

Junior Library Guild shares its love with librarians and Melissa Jamieson

On the second floor of the NYPL, librarians crowded into one of the paneled conference rooms to hear Junior Library Guild (JLG) professional development specialist Leslie Bermel booktalk some of JLG’s current titles, from picture books to novels suitable for “mature” young adult readers. With a JLG subscription, librarians can choose to receive new titles from up to 52 book categories chosen by the subscriber. Librarians can pay for an annual JLG subscription up-front and continue to receive new books each month. Suitable for readers from pre-K through high school, the books, with special-interest areas including biography, humor, and sports, are selected by JLG’s group of children’s and young adult literature experts.

This system is perfect for busy librarians and those like the attendee who purchased graphic novels through JLG because who felt she didn’t know the genre as well as the avid comic fans in her school. Titles on JLG’s current list include Lemony Snicket’s The Dark, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Little, Brown); Stephen Pastis’s Timothy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (Candlewick); and Shaun Tan’s The Bird King: An Artist’s Notebook (Scholastic).

During the DOE event, experts were on hand to offer participants instruction on databases throughout the day. Publishing representatives from Scholastic, Lerner, Capstone other companies were also available to discuss their digital products and services.

The question for educators: what types of instruction help students develop these skills? In an ideal world, it’s instruction that asks students to do something with information: the raison d’être of librarians.  So how do librarians insert themselves into the critical discussions taking place around these instructional shifts?

Professional development is a good place to start—in the best cases, across institutions. In 2011, the New York City Department of Education Office of Library Services formed a partnership with the City University of New York to do just that—to design a community of practice around the Common Core and the high-school-to-college transition.

Participants—teachers, college faculty, and librarians—began the work by identifying the challenges first-year college students face. These included different knowledge demands and task requirements (for example, secondary schools often require students’ reactions to texts as opposed to thinking about texts within the disciplines), the movement from assignments with built-in supports to independent work, and the increasing volume and complexity of readings. (An opportunity to express some of their frustrations allowed participants to build trust, and, thereafter to focus on instruction as the method to change student outcomes.)

A detailed agenda with clear goals kept everyone engaged and focused at each meeting. Five sessions were devoted to revising and aligning a high school curricular unit on Julia Alvarez’s How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Algonquin, 1991) to the CCSS and college demands. An instructor introduced the unit and received feedback using a set protocol. A summary, which included the findings and listed next steps, was shared by a documentarian for further learning and reflection.

The Common Core prepares students for college by having them discover and apply critical approaches to complex texts to other primary texts and writing assignments. Participants commented on how this unit, focused on a novel, presented many opportunities to integrate informational texts similar to those a college faculty member used in his class. The librarians provided literary analysis from databases such as Contemporary Literary Criticism and Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism (both Gale) to incorporate into the unit, which reflected the types of well-structured arguments students will analyze and write in a first-year college course.

Participants suggested various pedagogical methods for integrating text excerpts from the articles. In this case, the group decided to create its own graphic organizer to model the critical reading approaches they wanted students to incorporate, including space for text excerpts, directions for identifying the author’s main points, and unfamiliar vocabulary. A second organizer posed questions to facilitate textual analysis. During the final session, participants structured the order of the texts for the unit and discussed how to use the same graphic organizers to address the increased complexity of the texts.

The Common Core challenges teachers to look beyond the novel or a textbook as the primary instructional source in favor of collections of texts. Students must build strong content knowledge by reading complex texts and developing the critical thinking skills involved in evaluating arguments and evidence. Participants left the workshop knowing that they can turn to librarians for support in identifying materials for instruction and developing assessments.

The Common Core provides no easy answers or ready-made lesson plans because it focuses on the tough task of making students think. This collaborative model is effective because it outlines a process articulating how librarians contribute to this essential work—collaborating across institutions and disciplines to align curriculum and instruction to students’ sense of wonder and curiosity—and to good old-fashioned inquiry.

Leanne Ellis is a library coordinator for the New York City School Library System, NYC Department of Education, Office of Library Services. To submit an On Common Core opinion piece, please contact Rebecca T. Miller at rmiller@mediasourceinc.com

COLUMBUS, Chris and Ned Vizzini. House of Secrets. illus. by Greg Call. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. 2013. ISBN 9780062192462. JLG Level: FM : Fantasy/Science Fiction Middle (Grades 5–8).

From the director of the first “Harry Potter” films in collaboration with a bestselling YA author, comes a new fantasy that even J. K. Rowling calls, “a breakneck roller coaster of an adventure.” Dr. Walker remembers falling asleep in the hospital, but he wakes up standing over a patient, holding a bloody scalpel. He has carved a symbol into the man’s stomach. With the loss of his job, the family must move to a less expensive home. The Kristoff House, owned by an occult novelist, seems too good to be true―a fully furnished, two-story mansion with views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Eldest son Brenden is sure that he sees the creepy old lady next door spying on them. Too late, the family realizes that they are in grave danger. Screeching that she wants revenge for her father, Dahlia Kristoff reveals her true identity―the Wind Witch. The children’s parents are struck down, the house shakes, and when the chaos is over, a primitive forest now lies outside their door. Will they have to conspire with the Wind Witch? Can they defeat her? How will the children get home? Pirates, enormous pre-historic creatures, and a cowboy meld with magical characters in a fantasy novel with nonstop action.

FERRIS, Jean. Thrice Upon a Marigold. Houghton Harcourt. 2013. ISBN 9780547738468. JLG Level: B+ : Upper Elementary & Junior High (Grades 5–7).

In the kingdom of Zandelphia-Beauridge, a new princess is born―Princess Poppy Allegra April Rosemary. A Welcome Party will introduce her to the empire, but past events lead King Christian and Queen Marigold to worry that well-meaning fairy wishes could put Princess Poppy in danger. Phoebe, daughter of the exiled torturer-in-chief, and Sebastian, son of exiled poisoner-in-chief, stumble on an evil kidnapping plot. When they lose the evidence, they must find another way to convince the royal family of their loyalty. With the aid of an elephant and a dragon, the pair of rescuers will unite with the King and Queen to fight against none other than their own fathers. The third installment of the series continues the wit and pace of a fairy tale with no boundaries.

FISHER, Catherine. Obsidian Mirror. Dial. 2013. ISBN 9780803739697. JLG Level: FM : Fantasy/Science Fiction Middle (Grades 5–8).

In the first of a new trilogy, Fisher sends readers to the past, where magic lurks and possibilities seem infinite. A scientific invention―the obsidian mirror, takes travelers through time, but no one is able to control its powers. A son leaves school to track down the man who murdered his father. The widower who owns it fights desperately to repair the mirror, so that he can be reunited with his beloved. A mysterious runaway volunteers to be the test subject, even though she is aware of the danger. Magical creatures live in the woods nearby, though their connection to the strange house and its inhabitants remains a mystery. The mirror unites them all and no one knows what the future really holds. Dark and suspenseful, Fisher’s characters weave in and out of the tapestrylike plot, leaving readers spellbound.

LERANGIS, Peter. The Colossus Rises: Seven Wonders Book 1. illus. by Mike Reagan. HarperCollins. 2013. ISBN 978006207040. JLG Level: FM : Fantasy/Science Fiction Middle (Grades 5–8).

“On the morning I was scheduled to die, a large barefoot man with a bushy red beard waddled past my house.” So begins the first adventure of Jack McKinley―hero elect who learns he has inherited a gene that gives him powers that could also kill him if he doesn’t get treatment. Finding the seven Loculi with others who have the same genetic trait is their only chance for survival. The first missing Loculus, however, is in a lost world―the city of Atlantis. Professor Bhegad provides training and direction, but it’s up to him and his companions to survive an adventure in which they scale a cliff, fight a griffin, and find a life-saving waterfall. Fans of Rick Riordan will welcome this new seven-book series that blends adventure, magic, and the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World into a fast-paced quest.

MULL, Brandon. Chasing the Prophecy: Beyonders. S & S/Aladdin. 2013. ISBN 9781416997962. JLG Level: FM : Fantasy/Science Fiction Middle (Grades 5–8).

In the thrilling conclusion to the Beyonders, the heroes follow the oracle’s prophecy, splitting into teams to defeat the evil emperor, Maldor. Jason and Rachel are not Lyrians, but time spent in their world teaches them about the power of friendship and good versus evil. The final battle is upon them, and the glimmer of victory is dim. Galloran, the Blind King, claims his throne and leads his people in a fight that could end their lives. Characters who can exchange body parts and drinlings who need no rest join with Rachel who has learned to control a person’s body through her mind. Jason has a powerful sword that he must learn to use if they are to beat Maldor. The evil emperor has his own support army―lurkers who can invade your dreams and learn your secrets. Will their plan be sabotaged in one incident? Do they have to sacrifice everything to gain freedom for the citizens of Lyrian? Though the series ends with this tome, fans will wait eagerly for future tales in this fantastical world.

For strategies about how to use these books and links to supportive sites, check out the Junior Library Guild blog, Shelf Life.

Junior Library Guild is a collection development service that helps school and public libraries acquire the best new children’s and young adult books. Season after season, year after year, Junior Library Guild book selections go on to win awards, collect starred or favorable reviews, and earn industry honors. Visit us at www.JuniorLibraryGuild.com.

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend. DVD. 12 min. with tchr’s. guide. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-47813-7. $59.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-47812-0: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-47932-5: $29.95; CD with paperback book, ISBN 978-0-545-47935-6: $18.95.

PreS-Gr 3–Scaredy Squirrel, the comic rodent whose name is also a defining characteristic, is looking for the perfect friend but instead finds an almost perfect one in the form of a slightly germy, drooling dog. The humor is effectively conveyed in this animated production which brings Scaredy’s personality and his lists to life, successfully evoking Melanie Watts’s cartoon illustrations. David deVries’s well-paced narration is complemented by lively but unobtrusive music and sound effects. A bonus segment, “The Making of Scaredy Squirrel” by director Galen Fott, demystifies animation by demonstrating how the pieces for a very short segment come together. Fott harkens back to Melanie Watts’s book (Kids Can, 2007) and highlights how the film version (Weston Woods) differs from but still remains faithful to the original work. Since the print version uses lists, split pages, and other visually interesting devices to vary format, the use of the CD for read-along might be most appropriate for children who have started to read independently or who are familiar with the other books in the series.–Maria Salvadore, formerly Washington DC Public Library

Please send your pictures of the week to sdiaz@mediasourceinc.com.

The Mystery Writers of America celebrated Edgar Allan Poe’s 204th birthday with the announcement of the Edgar Awards on May 2.

(l. to r.) Art Corriveau 13 Hangmen (Abrams), Jack D. Ferraiolo The Quick Fix (Abrams), Sheila Turnage, Three Times Lucky (Dial), Tom Angleberger, Fake Mustache (Abrams), and Stuart Gibbs, Spy School (S & S). Ferraiolo took the top prize in the Juvenile Fiction category. Photo by Rocco Staino

Last year a group of concerned citizens got together and, a year later, we have a part-time certified librarian (we’d like him to be full-time) and the difference is huge. When we started the process of bringing the library back to life, I was fortunate to have experts say that without a librarian it wasn’t worth reopening—I can see how that is right. Our students come in with their classes, but also during lunch and other free periods to pick the materials they want to read, to get help with research, and to congregate with their peers. It’s wonderful! I’m going to share your article with our administration. Thank you for writing it.

Heather Albee-Scott
Parkside Media Center Project
Jackson, MI

As a former school librarian now in higher ed, I am glad to see the research-based argument that Rebecca Miller puts forth in her editorial, “The Cost of Cuts,” for more reading and fewer cuts to library services. Apparently, though, SLJ did not get the memo about the Rotted Common Core, which is designed to function as the testing delivery system for the education deformers who are addicted to the multi-billion dollar business of standardized testing. As long as high-stakes testing continues, so will the slashing of educational services by the modern day efficiency zealots in charge at ED. Librarians need to climb aboard the anti-testing train, for until high-stakes testing ends, no book is safe. In solidarity.

James Horn, Professor
School of Educational Leadership
Cambridge College, MA

Dino tails

I’m very pleased that School Library Journal reviewed my book, Dig Those Dinosaurs. I’d like to respond to the reviewer’s concern about the position of the Triceratops’ tails in the illustrations. As the reviewer notes, current scientific theory holds that Triceratops did not continually drag their tails behind them. However, this book was vetted by Carl Mehling from the American Museum of Natural History’s Division of Paleontology, who writes: “We have no good reason to believe that Triceratops never placed their tails on the ground. It is more than reasonable to state that we have very little idea about what long-extinct animals’ behaviors were like or what they were capable of.” Mr. Mehling disagrees with the reviewer’s comment that showing the tails down is “a major flaw” in the book.

Lori Haskins Houran
Author
Palm Beach, FL

Dewey in Michigan

This is a response to Anne Colvin’s letter that contradicts my statement that Dewey is not being taught in Michigan schools. I based my statement on several facts.

The state benchmarks that the state tests are based on do not include any about library skills that include the Dewey Decimal System. They did prior to the MEAP testing, but have not included these benchmarks in years. The state of Michigan doesn’t even require schools (including high schools) to have a library. Now that NCA Accreditation has become AdvancEd, librarians are not even required for schools or whole districts to be accredited. The state has cut school funding for years.

Who would be teaching Dewey Decimal in the schools that have no library or have a library but no librarian? I have been in Michigan for 25 years as both a public and a school librarian. My district didn’t teach it for many years until I was hired a decade ago. I am in a growing district and students who have moved here from other Michigan school districts have not had any lessons in Dewey. Almost every student I have had from another state knew about Dewey and other library lessons I am teaching. While the too few librarians remaining here try to do their best, most students in Michigan don’t learn about the Dewey Decimal System. Ask the public librarians if you don’t believe me.

Ann West LaPrise
Elementary Librarian
Huron School District
New Boston, MI

A maverick librarian?

I was appalled at reading the interview with Deven Black in Library Hotline. Why would anyone choose to interview and highlight this man? He is a failure as a teacher, which continues to promulgate the idea that school librarians are terrible teachers, probably do not like the kids, and go into the library to escape them. As I continued reading “How is being a librarian different from being a teacher?,” Mr. Black states students like him more, “I listen to them blow off steam about their teachers…” How completely unprofessional can you get? Did he or anyone at Library Hotline stop to think perhaps this is why he failed at teaching?

You are perpetuating the stereotypes. Those who can’t do, teach. And those who can’t teach move into the libraries? As more schools are dropping certified MLS librarians for aides in the library and cannot seem to understand the correlation between a well-stocked library run by a professional librarian and reading scores this interview can’t help.

As a side note, I was a successful classroom teacher in junior high, middle school, and high school for 25 years. I went back to school and earned my MLS in 1994 and worked for five years as youth Ssrvices manager for the Yuma County Library District before being hired as the Assistant Library Director in 2005. I substituted in school libraries from elementary school through high school. I’m not unfamiliar with what I speak.

Carla Peterson
Assistant Library Director
Yuma County Library District, AZ

I am a retired school librarian working part-time in a public library. I was horrified to see an interview with Deven Black highlighted in Library Hotline. Learning to be a school librarian by tweeting? This kind of training/entry into the school library field is abhorrent and I am very surprised that the interview was published.

Rita Fontinha
Reference Librarian
Milton Public Library, MA

Editor’s Note: The version of the interview in Library Hotline was a very brief excerpt from the lengthy interview that was published in School Library Journal’s newsletter, Extra Helping: “Middle School Maverick: NYC Librarian Deven Black on Partnerships, Principals, and Progress”

“We are especially proud of the programs we’ve developed at AEP and are glad that they will be continued and enhanced,” says Lee Wilson, president of the board of AEP. “Through this partnership, we will be able to support professionals across the industry in deeper, richer ways.”

Notes Jay Diskey, executive director, school division of AAP, “There’s been a synergy between AAP and AEP since we produced our first joint initiative in 2011…. This merger is a logical next step to serve the longterm interests of preK–12 publisher members with a full range of programs, representation and services.” Diskey also notes that the venture “reflects the evolution underway at AAP and gives AEP’s activities greater scope and scalability.”

AEP and the AAP School Division have collaborated on the creation of the Healthy Guidelines for Educational Publishing, the Digital Learning Leadership Briefing on Capitol Hill, the annual Content in Context conference, and various programs with international publishing association partners.

The associations will host an informational session at the Content in Context conference on June 3.

Photo credit: Kurt Bomze.

Author/illustrator Bernard Waber, creator of the iconic character Lyle the crocodile and more than two dozen picture books for children, died on May 16 after a long illness. He was 91. Waber introduced the debonair Lyle in the classic The House on East 88th Street (1962), which marked its 50th anniversary last year. Lyle, Lyle Crocodile (1965) and several sequels followed, along with numerous other acclaimed titles, such as the well-reviewed Courage (2002), a touching celebration of acts of bravery large and small.

“Bernie Waber has been a cherished member of the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt family for decades, and those of us who knew and worked with him are devastated by his death,” says Betsy Groban, SVP and publisher of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. “His warmth, energy, artfulness, elegance, and abiding respect for children were epitomized in his books. Bernie’s gentle and urbane spirit will live on in the many books for children that we are honored to have published.”

Adds Karen Walsh, executive director of publicity, “He was a lovely man, as I’m sure anyone who ever met him would agree, and his books are among the greatest children’s books to ever grace a bookshelf.”

Waber was born in Philadelphia in 1921. He briefly studied finance at the University of Pennsylvania before leaving to serve in the Army during WWII. Later, he enrolled at the Philadelphia College of Art. “It was a decision I never regretted,” Waber once said in an autobiographical essay.

After graduation, he moved with his wife Ethel to New York City, where he landed a job in the promotion department of Condé Nast. On the suggestion of several art directors, he began to submit stories and ideas for children’s books to publishers, and landed a contract with the Houghton Mifflin for Lorenzo (1961), a picture book tale of a very curious fish. He continued in the magazine field for decades while pursuing his love for writing and illustrating children’s books.

Waber collaborated on his final book, Lyle Walks the Dog (2010), with his daughter Paulis.

“In one way or another, I seem to find myself thinking of children’s books most of the time,” Waber once said. “I even enjoy the period when I am between books, for it is then that I am (I hope) susceptible to all manner of adventurous thought….I seem to write best when in motion. Trains, subways, even elevators seem to shake ideas loose from my head. Although I write and illustrate, I believe if forced to choose between the two, I would choose writing. There is a freedom about writing that appeals to me. You can do it almost anywhere—and I have.”

We’ve all endured “death by PowerPoint.” It’s a painful experience for the audience and probably not all that fun for the presenter either. To help my students deliver effective presentations—free of those deadly bullet points—I have my go-to applications.

First, a good presentation begins with a clearly outlined story. Even presentations that are strictly fact-based can have a narrative. I always have students write outlines for the stories their presentations are going to tell, and I offer them a choice of outlining tools, including Text2MindMap, Penultimate, and that reliable standby, Google Documents.

To get started with Text2MindMap, students type their outlines on the provided “canvas.” When they click “draw,” a mindmap appears, illustrating the connections between the topics they provided. If the visualization doesn’t match what the students think are the connected items, they can edit their outlines and generate another mindmap.

Penultimate, a free iPad app, allows you to use a stylus to handwrite and draw in digital notebooks. Students can drag and drop pages into any order at any time during the outlining process. For the student who likes the long-hand approach, Penultimate is a nice blending of analog and digital processes.

After the outlines are done, we can begin creating slides. Telling a story with the aid of a slideshow is best accomplished with high-quality imagery. High-resolution pictures won’t become pixelated when you expand them to fill the slide. If students don’t have their own pictures, they can search for public domain (PD) and Creative Commons licensed images. Pixabay is an outstanding place to find images in the public domain. The Flickr Commons is another recommended source of PD content.

A free, beautifully designed application, Haiku Deck is the best presentation tool currently available for the iPad. Haiku Deck helps you find Creative Commons licensed images for your presentations. Each time you add a slide to your set, the application provides an image search button alongside it. Enter a search term and Haiku Deck will suggest high resolution images for you to use. You can also upload your own images from your iPad or import them from Instagram and Facebook.

When it comes to presentation software, there are plenty of alternatives to PowerPoint or Keynote. There’s Google Slides, which in the last year has expanded its theme options. Like Google Docs, Google Slides is a collaborative tool that students can use to create a presentation as part of a group project. Another benefit of using Google Slides is that as a teacher I can attach comments to specific parts of student slide shows, whether its calling attention to spelling mistakes or praising an especially well-designed slide. Two other worthy applications in this category are Empressr and Slide Rocket.

Empressr is a Web service for creating and sharing high quality online slide presentations—with a couple of features differentiating it from its competitors. First, Empressr gives you the option of embedding video from multiple sources into your slide show. Next is the editor feature, which allows users to draw, create, or edit images inside their slides.

Slide Rocket is similar to Empressr, with some very nice features such as 3-D transitions and a collaboration feature that enables other users to co-create presentations. Slide Rocket makes it easy to include video, images, or third party plug-ins. There’s also an option to sign in with a Google Account, which is why Slide Rocket has become fairly popular in schools that use Google Apps. Students can log in using their Google credentials, work on their projects, and save their work without having to keep track of a separate username and password.

Before my students stand in front of their peers to share their presentations, there’s one last thing that I require. And that’s to share their speaker notes with me so that I can provide some guidance if the images they’ve selected don’t match the spoken message.

A well-designed slidedeck is key, with the potential of making a good presentation into a great one. Have your students try these tools to help them do their very best work.

Three Sources of Images for Student Presentations from School Library Journal on Vimeo.

Hoose’s book describes a year in the life of a wild rufa red knot, a shorebird known as B95 and nicknamed “Moonbird” by scientists, since he has migrated the distance to the moon and part way back over the course of his estimated 20-year lifetime. The book was a finalist for YALSA’s nonfiction award and also a Sibert Honor Book this year.

The timing of the Moonbird sighting is serendipitous; Hoose, who lives in Portland, ME, is headed to the region this weekend to speak at a shorebird festival hosted by the Wetlands Institute on the Cape May Peninsula between the Delaware Bay and Atlantic beaches, the Inquirer reports.