Reviews+

They may be young, but teacher Arturo Avina’s talented kindergarteners are already celebrities in their own right. Students at the Los Angeles Unified School District Olympic Primary Center are the stars of a short-film adaptation of Harry G. Allard Jr.’s beloved children’s classic Miss Nelson Is Missing. Over the course of two months, Avina directed the youngsters, filmed the scenes, and, with the help of the budding actors, edited the movie with technology available in most classrooms.

This week's column takes a look at productions that incorporate music: an iPad app featuring a new setting for a classic counting tune, and iBooks that take children around the world as they drift off to asleep.

Teach your students how to use the MyPlate concept to develop healthy eating habits with Learning ZoneXpress’s What’s on MyPlate, an excellent DVD for middle and high school students.

Now, the next part of my readalong of The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Previously: Chapters One to Ten. Chapters Eleven to Twenty. Chapters Twenty One to Thirty. Chapter Thirty One Jerry recognizes the bullies and is confronted by Janza. And, wait, really? “You live in the closet.” This is the big insult? “He wanted [...]

Dave Roman discusses his new release, Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry, the sequel to his first Astronaut Academy book. Here’s a sample to get you started: I pitched “Astronaut Academy” to First Second as two books, because a futuristic space station school is filled with endless possibilities. Book 1 establishes a world where people (like characters in [...]

I had a great time at the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California Spring Workshop last Saturday in South Pasadena. Kristin Fontichiaro and I each spoke about the Common Core State Standards, she offering a great perspective on the ways school and public librarians can support CCSS curriculums while I pondered what effects and implications [...]

The post California Core appeared first on The Horn Book.

The doors to the exhibit halls at BookExpo America (BEA), one of the biggest shows of the year, open on May 30, and School Library Journal has prepared a special free guidebook, the 2013 BEA Guide to ARCs & Signings, for its readers.

“Summer is the time when you can read what you want to read, not what you have to read.” With that in mind, here is some middle-grade fiction and poetry that is perfect to suggest to young bilingual readers who are looking for something to read for pleasure.

We have a treat for you today: A preview of Odd Duck, written by Cecil Castellucci and illustrated by Sara Varon, out this month from First Second. Castellucci is well known for her young adult work, which includes the Minx graphic novel The Plain Janes (illustrated by Jim Rugg) and the hybrid graphic novel The [...]