Since 1976, every U.S. president has designated February as Black History Month. From slavery to civil rights, and science to music, the following books for young readers honor the accomplishments of African Americans.
On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: K-8 Books on African Americans Who Inspire
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Pick of the Day: A Trip to the Bottom of the World
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VIVA, Frank. A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse. illus. by author. 40p. Toon Bks. 2012. RTE $12.95. ISBN 978-1-935179-19-1. LC 2011049499.
PreS-Gr 2–From the endpapers, Mouse asks the timeless question of many young travelers, “Are we there yet?” Inspired by Viva’s experiences traveling to Antarctica aboard a Russian research ship, the oblong picture book offers basic facts about the region (it is cold and penguins live there, for instance), while Mouse tries to figure out when it [...]
An Alternative Search Tool for Your Tablet
By on February 4, 2013
A new app for the iPad and Android devices uses a highly visual format to provide a different search experience for the tablet user. More than just a pretty interface, Izik—which debuted last month as the top reference app in iTunes—is based on Blekko, the search engine that boasts higher quality results based on human curation.
YMA Medalists Applegate, Klassen Say Librarians Are Marketing Mavens
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As School Library Journal caught up with Newbery and Caldecott Medalists Katherine Applegate and Jon Klassen this week, a common theme emerged in our talks. In what surely comes as no surprise to SLJ’s readers, both authors credited the library community for helping to champion their books to a wide circle of readers.
What’s the Buzz? New Books in Nonfiction
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Wednesday, February 20, 2013, 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET Need helping choosing books this fall? Check out this webcast dedicated to what’s new in nonfiction! Hear John Peters, Series Made Simple contributor and children’s literature consultant, discuss the trends in nonfiction and what the publishers have to say about the future of the genre. Scholastic Library, DK Publishing, Capstone and Black Rabbit Books will share their forthcoming titles to let you know how to stock up your library this spring! Register now!
Pictures of the Week: ALA Midwinter 2013: “Origami Yoda” Author Tom Angleberger, Authors Sarah Skilton and Cat Winters
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At ALA Midwinter, author Tom Angleberger dresses as a character from his “Origami Yoda series”; authors Sarah Skilton and Cat Winters pose at the Abrams booth.
Adult Books 4 Teens: February 2013
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FICTION
BLOCK, Francesca Lia. The Elementals. 320p. St. Martin’s. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-250-00549-6. LC 2012028277.
Adult/High School–Block’s latest is a perfect example of the “new adult” trend. While she is best known for Weetzie Bat (Harper, 1989) and its sequels, which won her the Margaret A. Edwards award, she has also written adult novels throughout her career, and this book straddles both age groups. Ariel and her friend Jeni had planed on attending UC Berkeley together, but when Ariel can’t [...]
Pick of the Day: Show Way (DVD)
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Show Way. DVD. 12 min. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-47811-3. 59.95. CD, ISBN 978-0-545-47810-6: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0545-47827-4: $29.95.
Gr 2-5–A Show Way was a quilt that had messages stitched into it showing the family’s journey North to freedom, offering hope and a guide for slaves in the South. That theme of “leading the way” is a thread running through Jacqueline Woodson’s carefully woven story (Putnam, 2005). Soonie’s great-grandma was only a child when she was sold away [...]
Reference Book Reviews | February 2013
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Check out SLJ’s latest reference reviews.
Book Review: Professional Reading | February 2013
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