Books & Media

In this companion to Jumping Off Swings (Candlewick, 2009), Knowles provides an intimate look at Josh a year after the events of the first book and an honest look at teen pregnancy from the male's perspective.

The Meanest Birthday Girl By Josh Schneider Clarion Books (an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) $14.99 ISBN: 978-0-547-83814-4 Ages 6-9 On shelves now. Life is easier when you can categorize it. When you can slot it in a distinct category and reduce everything to black and white terms. Gray is problematic and messy, after all. [...]

Kadir Nelson’s evocative biography of Nelson Mandela receives stellar treatment in this exceptional DVD presentation from Weston Woods. Forest Whitaker’s rich voice reads the story with background music and crowd sound effects that draw viewers in. Be sure to read the starred review.

Along with the Common Core, many state standards ask that educators incorporate multimodal resources into their lesson plans. As time goes on, more and more quality apps are available to meet that requirement. Here are a few digital resources to consider for your nonfiction science collection.

Children’s book classics such as Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat and the Hat will be available in ebook format for the first time beginning on September 24. Fifteen of author/illustrator Dr. Seuss's (aka Theodor Geisel) beloved titles will make their digital debut on that date, keeping the original layouts and iconic illustrations from their print editions, says publisher Random House Children’s. By November 2013, a total of 41 ebooks will be available for children, parents, and educators.

Hero on a Bicycle is set in Italy in 1944 presents the story of a 13-year-old boy and his encounters with the Partisans in Nazi occupied Florence during World War II. Narrator Simon Vance's incomparable vocal style is a perfect fit for this intense and suspenseful work of historical fiction. Check out the starred review of this audiobook.

I do declare that it has been something like a year since I did a good old-fashioned Librarian Preview.  Where has the time gone?  For a bit I was so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work such a preview requires that I cut them out of my diet, cold turkey. Well that ends today.  [...]

Sophie’s Squash By Pat Zietlow Miller Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf Schwartz & Wade (Random House) ISBN: 9780307978967 $18.99 Grades PreK-1 In Stores *Best New Book* Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library Children are masters of personification. Rock, stick, spoon – they can turn just about anything into a sentient being. In terms of [...]

The latest volume of Papercutz’ Power Rangers graphic novel includes two stories—and one features a 15-foot-tall villain made of trash! The book is out on Sept. 10, but you can check out this sneak preview right now. Enjoy!