Our first title to discuss from the YALSA Hub Reading Challenge is Raina Telgemeier’s Drama. Drama has been singled out as one of the Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten for 2013, and was also selected as a Stonewall Book Award Honor book. As a refresher, the Great Graphic Novels for Teens Selection list [...]
10 to Note: Spring Preview 2013
By on February 12, 2013
It’s time to once again to look at the season before us and say “that looks good”. What follows are books coming out in March, April, and May that appear to have promise. Picture Book Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird; illustrated by Brandon Dorman April 23 | Greenwillow | Grades K-2 Ever heard of [...]
Scholastic Plans ‘39 Clues’ Baldacci Webcast at Smithsonian American History Museum
By on January 24, 2013 2 Comments
Scholastic will offer a free, behind-the-scenes video tour of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History with author David Baldacci as a guide. The “Decoding History” virtual field trip coincides with the release of Baldacci’s new book, “The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers: Day of Doom,” the latest in the bestselling series.
Kids’ Ebook Reading Nearly Doubled Since 2010, Scholastic Reading Survey Finds
By on January 14, 2013
The number of kids reading ebooks has nearly doubled since 2010, according to Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report, which was released today. The national survey of kids age 6–17 and their parents also found that half of kids age 9–17 say they would read more books for fun if they had greater access to ebooks—although 80 percent of kids who read ebooks say they still read books for fun primarily in print.
Review: Titanic
By on January 14, 2013
Titanic: Voices From The Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson. Scholastic 2012. Review copy from publisher. Finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award. It’s About: The sinking of the “unsinkable” Titanic on April 15, 1912, resulting in the loss of over 1,400 men, women and children. The Good: I believe the first Titanic movie I [...]
Scholastic Launches New Multi-Platform Fantasy Series
By on January 10, 2013 1 Comment
Scholastic has announced it will release Spirit Animals, a new multi-platform, multi-author fantasy adventure series for readers ages 8–12, in September. The story arc of the seven-book series and online game will be established by New York Times bestselling author Brandon Mull, with a second title launching next year from bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.
The Raven Boys, at Long Last
By on December 31, 2012
The Raven Boys, Maggie Stiefvater Scholastic Press, September 2012 Reviewed from ARC So, I’m ready to talk about The Raven Boys. I’ve read it twice. I really really like it. Maggie Stiefvater clearly grew up drinking from the same story well as I did, and this is one that hits pretty much all my buttons. [...]
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster (Is Not a Disaster)
By on December 14, 2012
Occasional guest blogger Joy Piedmont is back! She (unlike, say, Karyn) likes to read nonfiction, and has OPINIONS about it. Thoughtful, considered opinions. Making her a perfect candidate to guest write as we try to catch up on our nonfiction 2012 piles. So, with no further ado… Titanic: Voices from the Disaster, Deborah Hopkinson Scholastic [...]
Boise Librarian Wins SLJ/Scholastic Dav Pilkey Sweepstakes
By on December 11, 2012 1 Comment
Sarah Kelley-Chase, branch manager of the Boise Public Library, won a visit from author Dav PIlkey, a contest sponsored by School Library Journal and awarded by Scholastic.
News Bites: “YA for NJ” Auction for Sandy Relief
By on November 28, 2012 Leave a Comment
Check out News Bites for the latest information on what authors are doing to help out victims of Hurricane Sandy, the latest changes at Random House, a literacy campaign for kids in need, and more.
Pick of the Day: Unspoken
By on November 19, 2012 Leave a Comment
COLE, Henry. Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad. illus. by author. 32p. CIP. Scholastic. Nov. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-39997-5. LC 2011043583.
Gr 3-8–Gorgeously rendered in soft, dark pencils, this wordless book is reminiscent of the naturalistic pencil artistry of Maurice Sendak and Brian Selznick, but unique in its accurate re-creation of a Civil War-era farm in northwestern Virginia. On the dedication page, readers see a star quilt on a split rail fence, symbolizing the North Star. Confederate soldiers [...]
Fusenews: You know what they say about the size of a man’s autograph, don’t you?
By on November 16, 2012
Okay, let’s do this thing. I’ve had a remarkably busy week and I’m itching to discuss it alongside all the other newsworthy schtoof floating about in the atmosphere. First up . . .
That Linda Epstein gal, that Linda Epstain gal, I do I LIKE that Linda Epstein gal (can you tell I’ve been reading [...]
Review: Endangered
By on November 12, 2012
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer. Scholastic. 2012. Review copy from publisher.
The Plot: Sophie, 14, is in Congo (the Democratic Republic of Congo) visiting her mother, who runs a sanctuary for bonobos. During the school year, she lives with her father in America.
Sophie saves a young bonobo who she names Otto; she cares for him, beginning to [...]
Review: Cardboard by Doug TenNapel
By on October 10, 2012
Cardboard
By Doug TenNapel
Scholastic Books/Graphix Imprint, August 2012
978-0-545-41873-7, softcover; 978-0-545-41872-0, hardcover
You’ve always known for years that the best toy you ever had wasn’t a Transformer, Strawberry Shortcake, or Star Wars action figure (though they are cool). The best toy you ever had was that big cardboard box your parents got from a new appliance that could [...]
News Bites: Support Common Core with a New Nonfiction Program from Scholastic
By on October 3, 2012 1 Comment
XBOOKS is a nonfiction language arts program from Scholastic for middle school students that offers informational texts in both print and digital formats that cover science and social studies topics. XBOOKS is an interactive program that features print and online components to build student proficiency in reading, writing, and thinking critically about informational texts. The program, developed and written by master teachers Dr. Jeffrey Wilhelm and Laura Robb, aligns with Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
So. Many. Books.
By on October 1, 2012
Remind me to never ever make a schedule. Because here we are, October first, and do you know how close we are to posting reviews of Q2 books?
About 2 weeks.
In a possibly misguided attempt to get caught up — in general, this year is so rich with multiply starred books that getting them all covered [...]
Pick of the Day: The Raven Boys
By on October 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
STIEFVATER, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Bk. 1. 408p. (The Raven Cycle). Scholastic. 212. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-42492-9; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-46979-1.
Gr 8 Up–Blue was born into a psychic family with the misfortune of having no psychic ability of her own. However, her presence helps others “see” more clearly, which has led to every psychic she’s ever met predicting that if Blue were to kiss her true love, he would die. Not interested in boys yet and especially repulsed by the [...]
Watch and Read—Spotlight on Media Tie-ins: Go, Go Power Rangers: Refreshed Books and a New Graphic Novel Series
By on September 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
First introduced in 1993 with Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, this iconic live-action TV series starring a group of teens able to transform into a team of color-coded costumed superheroes is still going strong. Power Rangers: Samurai, the show’s l8th iteration, premiered in 2011 on Nickelodeon, followed by 2012’s Power Rangers: Super Samurai (TVY7), a second set of episodes featuring the same characters.
Review: The Raven Boys
By on September 18, 2012
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Scholastic. 2012. Reviewed from arc from publisher. Official website.
The Plot: Blue Sargent, sixteen, is part of a family of psychics in Henrietta, Virginia. Since she can remember, the same prediction has been made about her: she would kill her true love. With a kiss. Blue keeps people at arms length, to [...]
