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The Hans Christian Andersen Award shortlist has been revealed; the Christopher Awards names six winners in the Books for Young People category; and Shmoop, a publisher of digital curriculum and test prep, is offering a new SAT math practice tool—Math Shack. All of this and more in this week’s News Bites column.
This year’s Computers in Libraries conference included sessions particularly useful to school librarians, with topics ranging from ebook creation to the flipped classroom.
Whether it’s a class assignment or a novel in verse, poetry expresses our deepest desires and fondest memories. It’s National Poetry Month, and the editors at the Junior Library Guild have selected the following new titles to motivate students to voice their own poetic thoughts.
Spring may have finally arrived, but penguins are never out of season with kids. The latest entry in Nosy Crow’s “Rounds” series offers a blend of fact and fiction on the life cycle of these aquatic creatures, while ‘Antarctica’ by Kids Discover delivers photos and text on one of the places these birds can be found.
Media specialists, teachers, and principals in public and private K–12 schools are invited to submit their collaboration success stories for an opportunity to win the 2013 Gale/LMC TEAMS Award which recognizes the critical collaboration of teachers and librarians to “promote learning and achievement.”
Junior Library Guild Editors select some of the best new fiction for middle grade students. From birthday wishes to Broadway show auditions, these picks have a little bit of everything for kids in Grades 5-8.
Celebrate Earth Day with a selection of fiction and nonfiction titles that highlight environmental issues, introduce conservationists and their important work, and demonstrate that children can take an active role in caring for our planet.
Our fifth annual Battle of the Kids’ Books—an online elimination contest between 16 of 2012’s best children’s and teens’ fiction and nonfiction books—has crowned a winner: Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s No Crystal Stair (Lerner/Carolrhoda). The final match was decided on April 1 by last year’s victor and the 2013 Big Kahuna, Frank Cottrell Boyce.
Baseball season is on its way. The following baseball-themed selections are more than entertainment; they inspire students to hit their own home runs and to make the best of the strikes life throws their way.
SLJ blogger and NYPL youth materials specialist Betsy Bird moderated a panel, “The Alternative Children’s Library,” in which several children’s librarians discussed their own nontraditional paths to the profession. Their places of employment include the Bankstreet School for Children, New York Society Library, Children’s Book Council, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
What do the digital versions of Dean Morrissey’s ‘Ship of Dreams’ and Elin Kelsey’s ‘You Are Stardust’ have in common? A soothing cadence, subtle animations, exquisite artwork, and both offer us an opportunity to let our imaginations soar.
Read News Bites for some great ways to connect with your students—learn more about the immigrant experience with the Smithsonian’s education conferences and offer students Shmoop’s video analysis of dozens of literature favorites.
In honor of National Poetry Month, School Library Journal shares a variety of books on haiku, a distinctive form of poetry that originated in Japan centuries ago.
Junior Library Guild editors select new and fun wordless picture books that provide an opportunity for children to focus on meaning, characters, and plot without the impediment of vocabulary.
SLJ’s very own version of March Madness, our fifth annual Battle of the Kids’ Books (BOB) elimination contest between 16 of 2012’s best children’s and teens’ fiction and nonfiction books, kicked off on March 12 and has been going strong for eight consecutive matches. Here’s an update on which titles will advance to Round Two.
How are New York’s librarians doing when it comes to Common Core? Find out as SLJ columnist Marc Aronson talks to educators who are in the trenches.
Get ready for a busy April with National Bookmobile Day, author/illustrator Patricia Polacco discussing bullying via Skype, and the deadline for submission for the Library of Congress’s new Literacy Awards. Check out these stories and more in News Bites.
Junior Library Guild editors select picture books perfect for the younger set who beg for a scary story, but are safe enough to prevent nightmares.
Finalists for the Lamda Book Awards and Audie Awards were announced; Illustrators and Authors honored with Ezra Jack Keats Awards; March is Music in Schools Month, and other news tidbits for librarians.
SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books kicks off March 12. In Round 1, YA author Kenneth Oppel decides which book advances to the next round: Wonder or Bomb.
