Welcome to today's workshop, presented by Elizabeth Beaulieu (elizabethbeaulieu@salem.k12.ma.us), Language Arts & Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, and Joanne O'Keefe (joanneokeefe@salem.k12.ma.us), Library Media Specialist at Collins Middle School. During today's session, you will have an opportunity to:
* learn about the many excellent full-text magazine and journal collections, newspapers, encyclopedias, primary documents collections, and other research databases available to the Salem Public Schools research community, and how these resources can be integrated into your work both for and with students;
* enter the blogosphere, and learn about blogging, an interesting way of learning, sharing, and communicating with others; and
* explore these resources and technologies with your colleagues, and consider ways in which you might use these them in the classroom, as well as for your own professional development.
To access these outstanding databases and collections, available to Salem educators through school library memberships in the Northeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS) and the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE), visit the sites below. To log in to any database you wish to search, just enter your public library barcode from any NOBLE public library.
COLLECTIONS AND DATABASES
NMRLS Databases (these include ELibrary, Grolier Online, ¡Informe!, NewsBank, and Thomson Gale's INFOTRAC Databases Biography Resource Center, InfoTrac OneFile, Junior Edition, Kids InfoBits, and more)
NOBLE Databases (these include EBSCO Animals, ERIC, MasterFILE Premier, Middle Search Plus, Newspaper Source, Primary Search, Professional Development Collection, and many more)
BLOGGING BASICS
Is it a journal, a log, a diary, a personal website? Just what is a blog, anyway? And what (or who) is a blogger? Visit the links below to learn more!
Weblog: from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (entry for "weblog")
Wiki: from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What's a wiki? a communal, public blog, or open forum, that allows anyone to add and modify content. This entry, from Wikipedia, a popular example of the wiki, offers readers a history of blogging, an explanation of the many types of blogs (personal, news, political, legal, advice, social, etc.), a glossary of blogging terms, and a lengthy list of links to related sites.
Blog Glossary
The blog culture has spawned an entirely new vocabulary. Bleg, blawg, blogathy, blogerati - find out what these and many more blog-related terms mean at this entertaining and informative site.
A Brief History of Weblogs, by Mallory Jensen
Blogging101: History, Parts, Read/Write, Find, Create, Readings, by Anton Zuiker
Emerging Trends: Educational Blogging, by Robert Whelan, ITS Faculty Technology Center, New York University
This interesting article features a discussion of the benefits of blogs in regular education and with ESL students, who can use blogs to develop their reading, research and writing skills, and collaborate with others.
FREE BLOGGING SITES
Blogger.com
Blog-City
Squarespace
WordPress
This blogging site features a nice "Introduction to Blogging"
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AND AUTHOR BLOGS: A SELECTED LIST
Kids Lit: Books and More for Children and Teens
Read Roger: The Horn Book Editor's Rants and Raves
Cynsations by award-winning children's and young adult book author Cynthia Leitich Smith
MuggleNet.com this blog (and much, much more) will be popular with lovers of the Harry Potter series.
Mad Woman in the Forest: Mumbles, Mutters, and Shrieks (author Laurie Halse Anderson's blog)
Blog Central: Children's and YA Lit (This is one of several lists of blog links available at Blog Central, compiled by Anastasia Suen, author and writing teacher)
Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominees 2006-2007
Here are summaries of the 25 titles nominated for this year's MCBA, along with Lexiles and links to author sites, when available. Also included are links to several other great sites that offer information about books and authors. Happy reading!
CMS RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT CENTER
Finally, let's visit the Research & Technology Support Center, created to help Collins students find the information they need to complete assigned projects, and exhibit their learning through the sophisticated use of a variety of multimedia tools.
In addition to the full-text resources available to the Collins research community, lockers have been established for each grade to make it easy for students to find links to annotated resource lists, projects, and other tools that will help them as they complete classroom assignments in math/science, language arts/social studies, world language, and specialist courses, including art, family and consumer science, music, physical education, and technology education. Here are the lockers:
Grade 6 Locker
Grade 7 Locker
Grade 8 Locker
World Language Resources
Specialist Resources
Art Resources
Family & Consumer Science Resources
Music Resources
Physical Education Resources
Technology Education Resources
We hope that today's session has been helpful. Please contact either Beth or Joanne if you have any questions after today's session, or need help with a particular search for information or the best online resource for your needs.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Online Resources: Finding Them & Integrating Them Effectively
Welcome to the Collins Middle School Instructional Media Center (IMC). Today's program facilitators are Beth Beaulieu, Language Arts & Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator (elizabethbeaulieu@salem.k12.ma.us), and Joanne O'Keefe, Library Media Specialist (joanneokeefe@salem.k12.ma.us). Please feel free to contact either of us if you should have any questions after today's session, if you would like assistance as you integrate these or other online resources into assignments or projects for your students, or as you pursue your own professional development goals.
Today's session will include:
- a virtual tour of selected full-text, bibliographic, video and other online resources available to you and your students, as members of the Collins Middle School research community;
- an introduction to the Research & Technology Support Center, created and maintained by Joanne O'Keefe and Technology Integration Specialist LeAnnette Goodwin, which features links to annotated resource lists, projects, and other tools created to support teachers and students as they carry out research assignments and other curriculum-related projects; and
- an overview of the print resources available in the Instructional Media Center's fiction, nonfiction, reference, and curriculum/professional development collections.
Let's begin by checking out the IMC's Full-Text Resources:
BrainPOP - Each of BrainPOP's 500+ movies (now available in English and Spanish) covering science, English, math, social studies, technology and health is designed for students in grades K-8, and accompanied by an interactive ten-question quiz, comic strip, timeline, and printable activities. More movies are added each week. (NOTE: A User Name and Password are needed to access BrainPOP.)
CobblestoneOnline.net - This collection includes the full text (from 1980 forward) of Cobblestone, Faces, Calliope, Odyssey, Appleseeds, and other magazines. (NOTE: A User Name and Password are needed to access this collection.)
CultureGrams - This comprehensive collection features information about the history, culture, and daily life of 187 countries and territories, including detailed statistics, maps, and much more. (NOTE: A User Name and Password are needed to access this collection.)
Middle Search Plus - This collection includes the full text of 140 popular magazines for middle school research, as well as more than 84,000 biographies, more than 100,000 primary source documents, and a growing image collection that currently includes more than 200,000 photos, maps and flags. All full-text articles included in the database are assigned reading level indicators (Lexiles). (NOTE: A User ID and Password are needed to access this collection.)
NoveList - This outstanding resource, through which readers can learn about books and authors, features a searchable database with a wealth of information including descriptions, suggested reading levels (Lexiles), reviews from high quality magazines and journals, and links to related full-text article and author web sites, about picture books, children's chapter books, young adult novels, and books for adult readers. (NOTE: A User ID and Password are needed to access this database.)
Student Resource Center - This terrific full-text resource features original reference material, subject overviews, critical essays, an extensive archive of primary source documents and periodicals, and full-text daily newspapers. (NOTE: An ID is needed to access this resource.)
In addition to the collections described above, several more full-text databases are available to members of the Collins Middle School research community, through our membership in the Northeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS). Among these databases are:
Biography Resource Center - This fine collection features biographical information about more than 275,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and all disciplines and subject areas. (NOTE: A public library barcode is needed to access this and other NMRLS databases, including Expanded Academic ASAP, Junior Edition (K-12), Professional Collection (full-text magazine and journal articles for educators), and Student Edition.)
Informe - This collection includes full text and images from popular Hispanic magazines.
NewsBank - this collection features 26 newspapers, including the full text of the Boston Globe (1980-present) and the Boston Herald (1997-present).
Next, let's visit the Research & Technology Support Center, created to help Collins students find the information they need to complete assigned projects, and exhibit their learning through the sophisticated use of a variety of multimedia tools.
Lockers have been established for each grade to make it easy for students to find links to annotated resource lists, projects, and other tools that will help them as they complete classroom assignments in math/science, language arts/social studies, world language, and specialist courses, including art, family and consumer science, music, physical education, and technology education. Here are the lockers:
Grade 6 Locker
Grade 7 Locker
Grade 8 Locker
World Language Resources
Specialist Resources
Art Resources
Family & Consumer Science Resources
Music Resources
Physical Education Resources
Technology Education Resources
Finally, let's review the IMC's policies, and take a look at the locations of the IMC's collections.
Today's session will include:
- a virtual tour of selected full-text, bibliographic, video and other online resources available to you and your students, as members of the Collins Middle School research community;
- an introduction to the Research & Technology Support Center, created and maintained by Joanne O'Keefe and Technology Integration Specialist LeAnnette Goodwin, which features links to annotated resource lists, projects, and other tools created to support teachers and students as they carry out research assignments and other curriculum-related projects; and
- an overview of the print resources available in the Instructional Media Center's fiction, nonfiction, reference, and curriculum/professional development collections.
Let's begin by checking out the IMC's Full-Text Resources:
BrainPOP - Each of BrainPOP's 500+ movies (now available in English and Spanish) covering science, English, math, social studies, technology and health is designed for students in grades K-8, and accompanied by an interactive ten-question quiz, comic strip, timeline, and printable activities. More movies are added each week. (NOTE: A User Name and Password are needed to access BrainPOP.)
CobblestoneOnline.net - This collection includes the full text (from 1980 forward) of Cobblestone, Faces, Calliope, Odyssey, Appleseeds, and other magazines. (NOTE: A User Name and Password are needed to access this collection.)
CultureGrams - This comprehensive collection features information about the history, culture, and daily life of 187 countries and territories, including detailed statistics, maps, and much more. (NOTE: A User Name and Password are needed to access this collection.)
Middle Search Plus - This collection includes the full text of 140 popular magazines for middle school research, as well as more than 84,000 biographies, more than 100,000 primary source documents, and a growing image collection that currently includes more than 200,000 photos, maps and flags. All full-text articles included in the database are assigned reading level indicators (Lexiles). (NOTE: A User ID and Password are needed to access this collection.)
NoveList - This outstanding resource, through which readers can learn about books and authors, features a searchable database with a wealth of information including descriptions, suggested reading levels (Lexiles), reviews from high quality magazines and journals, and links to related full-text article and author web sites, about picture books, children's chapter books, young adult novels, and books for adult readers. (NOTE: A User ID and Password are needed to access this database.)
Student Resource Center - This terrific full-text resource features original reference material, subject overviews, critical essays, an extensive archive of primary source documents and periodicals, and full-text daily newspapers. (NOTE: An ID is needed to access this resource.)
In addition to the collections described above, several more full-text databases are available to members of the Collins Middle School research community, through our membership in the Northeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS). Among these databases are:
Biography Resource Center - This fine collection features biographical information about more than 275,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and all disciplines and subject areas. (NOTE: A public library barcode is needed to access this and other NMRLS databases, including Expanded Academic ASAP, Junior Edition (K-12), Professional Collection (full-text magazine and journal articles for educators), and Student Edition.)
Informe - This collection includes full text and images from popular Hispanic magazines.
NewsBank - this collection features 26 newspapers, including the full text of the Boston Globe (1980-present) and the Boston Herald (1997-present).
Next, let's visit the Research & Technology Support Center, created to help Collins students find the information they need to complete assigned projects, and exhibit their learning through the sophisticated use of a variety of multimedia tools.
Lockers have been established for each grade to make it easy for students to find links to annotated resource lists, projects, and other tools that will help them as they complete classroom assignments in math/science, language arts/social studies, world language, and specialist courses, including art, family and consumer science, music, physical education, and technology education. Here are the lockers:
Grade 6 Locker
Grade 7 Locker
Grade 8 Locker
World Language Resources
Specialist Resources
Art Resources
Family & Consumer Science Resources
Music Resources
Physical Education Resources
Technology Education Resources
Finally, let's review the IMC's policies, and take a look at the locations of the IMC's collections.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominees for 2006-2007
Here are summaries of the 25 titles nominated for this year's MCBA, along with Lexiles and links to author sites, when available. Also included are links to several other great sites that offer information about books and authors. Happy reading!
Mayor of Central Park, by Avi (Lexile - 570)
Oscar Westerwit, a squirrel who loves baseball and Broadway musicals, fights back when a gangster rat named Big Daddy Duds and his thugs move uptown in the year 1900, invade Central Park, and evict Oscar and his animal friends from their homes.
The Anybodies, by N. E. Bode (Lexile - 730)
After learning that she is not the biological daughter of boring Mr. and Mrs. Drudger, Fern embarks on magical adventures with her real father and finally finds "a place that feels like home."
Sliding into Home, by Dori Hillestad Butler (Lexile - 580)
When thirteen-year-old Joelle, a star baseball player, moves to a new town where the only option for girls is softball, she starts an all-girl baseball league against the wishes of her school coaches and others in the town.
Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko (Lexile - 600)
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.
Sahara Special, by Esme Raji Codell (Lexile - 660)
Struggling with school and her feelings since her father left, Sahara gets a fresh start with a new and unique teacher who supports her writing talents and the individuality of each of her classmates.
Fire On Ice: Autobiography of a Champion Figure Skater, by Sasha Cohen
Magician's Boy, by Susan Cooper (Lexile - 780)
A boy who works for a magician meets familiar fairy tale characters when he is transported to the Land of Story in search of a missing puppet.
Millions, by Frank Cottrell Boyce
After their mother dies, two brothers find a huge amount of money which they must spend quickly before England switches to the new European currency, but they disagree on what to do with it.
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, by Kate DiCamillo (Lexile - 670)
The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
The Conch Bearer, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Lexile - 790)
In a dingy shack in the less-than-desirable Indian neighborhood he calls home, twelve-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. His task is to return the shell to its rightful home many hundreds of miles away. Accompanying him are Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful child of the streets, and a mysterious man of indeterminate age and surprising resources named Abadhyatta. His quest will take him farther from home than he's ever been and will teach him more than he ever imagined -- and it will force him to make a poignant decision that will change him forever.
City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau (Lexile - 680)
In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.
No Small Thing, by Natale Ghent (Lexile - 780)
In Ontario, Canada, in 1977, twelve-year-old Nat and his sisters find that owning, training, and caring for a pony they acquired for free makes it easier to cope with the poverty they have faced since their father abandoned them.
Mrs. Roopy is Loopy, by Dan Gutman (Lexile - 680)
A.J. and his classmates are convinced that new school librarian, Mrs. Roopy, has multiple personality disorder because she keeps pretending to be famous people.
Among the Betrayed, by Margaret Petersen Haddix (Lexile - 690)
Thirteen-year-old Nina is imprisoned by the Population Police, who give her the option of helping them identify illegal "third-born" children, or face death.
Thunder From the Sea, by Joan Hiatt Harlow (Lexile - 700)
Just when his dreams of being part of a family and having a dog seem to be coming true, Tom wonders if trouble with neighbors on his new island home and the impending birth of a new baby will change everything. Set in Newfoundland in 1929.
Star of Kazan, by Eva Ibbotson (Lexile - 880)
After twelve-year-old Annika, a foundling living in late nineteenth-century Vienna, inherits a trunk of costume jewelry, a woman claiming to be her aristocratic mother arrives and takes her to live in a strangely decrepit mansion in Germany.
Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906, by Gail Langer Karwoski
Tells the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as seen through the eyes of Jacob, a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy who lives in a boarding house with his father and younger sister.
Gifts From the Sea, by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock (Lexile - 900)
Quila and her father, living alone in a remote Maine lighthouse in the 1850s, find their lives profoundly changed when a baby washes ashore and they decide to keep her as part of their family.
Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, by Elaine Konigsburg
Upon leaving an oppressive summer camp, twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her grand uncles have been building in their back yard for over forty years.
Leaping Beauty: and Other Animal Fairy Tales, by Gregory Maguire
The author wreaks havoc on eight classic fairy tales, with a cast of characters including a dancing frog, a gorilla queen, and seven giant giraffes.
Midnight for Charlie Bone, by Jenny Nimmo (Lexile - 630)
Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking.
The Young Man and the Sea, by Rodman Philbrick (Lexile - 800)
After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a bluefin tuna.
The Real Lucky Charm, by Charisse K. Richardson
Thinking that luck--rather than hard work--has helped her succeed on the court and at school, ten-year-old Mia panics and turns to her twin brother for help when her lucky gold basketball goes missing from her charm bracelet.
Becoming Naomi Leon, by Pam Munoz Ryan
When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.
Shredderman: Secret Identity, by Wendelin Van Draanen (Lexile - 520)
Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman!
Full-Text Resources For Information About Books And Authors
Alex Awards
The Alex Awards are named for Margaret Alexander Edward, who worked for many years as a young adult specialist at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library. They are given each year to ten well-written, readable books written for adults, selected from genres that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.
Best Books for Young Adults
Best Books for Young Adults include "significant adult and young adult" fiction and nonfiction books selected from the current year's publications and recommended for young adult readers ages 12 through 18.
Biography Resource Center
This outstanding database features biographical information about more than 275,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and all disciplines and subject areas. More than 400,000 biographies are included from 90 highly regarded Gale Group publications. (To access this database, you will need to use your public library barcode.)
The Caldecott Medal Home Page
Named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, the Caldecott Medal has been awarded annually since 1938 to "the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." This site also features a complete list of all Caldecott Medal winners and honor books from 1938 to the present.
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
Hurst's rich site features book reviews listed by title, author and grade level, literature tie-ins to all areas of the language arts, math, U.S. and world history curricula, and suggested titles for all sorts of themes in children's literature, as well as wonderful profiles of children's and young adult authors.
The Children's Literature Web Guide
Visit this helpful site for information about authors, titles, award-winning books, resources for readers, children's literature online discussion groups, and much more.
Coretta Scott King Award
This award is presented annually to "authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the "American Dream."
Guys Read
This "web-based literacy program", created by author Jon Scieszka to help boys find books they will enjoy, features a searchable (readers can search by author, title, or subject in which they are interested) database of titles for "young guys", "middle guys", and "older guys", as well as links to many author web sites.
Margaret A. Edwards Award
The Margaret A. Edwards Award was established in 1988, and honors an author's lifetime achievement for his or her body of work, and its collective popularity over time.
New York Public Library: Teenlink
Look for the "New! On the Shelf" link on this page for suggestions on great new books to read. (This page is loaded with links to other terrific resources, too.)
The Newbery Medal Home Page
Named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery, the Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association's Association for Library Services to Children to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
NoveList
NoveList is an outstanding resource through which readers can learn about books and authors. This searchable database includes information, including descriptions, suggested reading levels, reviews from high quality magazines and journals, and links to related full-text articles and web sites, about picture books, children's chapter books, young adult novels, and books for adult readers. NoveList is updated monthly, and adds about 10,000 new fiction records, along with descriptions, reviews and other information, to the database each year.
The Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz award honors a work of fiction, nonfiction, poetry or an anthology that "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature."
Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists!
Visit this site, created for teens, to find a terrific collection of booklists organized by subject. Examples of reading lists currently available include: "Boy Meets Book"; "Coolest Classics"; "Fanging Around: Teen Vampire Fiction with Byte"; "Historical Fiction for Hipsters: Stories from the Past That Won't Make You Snore"; "Short Cuts: Short Story Collections You Might Actually Want to Read"; and "Word UP! Poetry Both by and for Teenagers."
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historicl Fiction is given "to a meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults." O'Dell established the annual award of $5,000.00 to encourage other writers to focus on historical fiction.
Mayor of Central Park, by Avi (Lexile - 570)
Oscar Westerwit, a squirrel who loves baseball and Broadway musicals, fights back when a gangster rat named Big Daddy Duds and his thugs move uptown in the year 1900, invade Central Park, and evict Oscar and his animal friends from their homes.
The Anybodies, by N. E. Bode (Lexile - 730)
After learning that she is not the biological daughter of boring Mr. and Mrs. Drudger, Fern embarks on magical adventures with her real father and finally finds "a place that feels like home."
Sliding into Home, by Dori Hillestad Butler (Lexile - 580)
When thirteen-year-old Joelle, a star baseball player, moves to a new town where the only option for girls is softball, she starts an all-girl baseball league against the wishes of her school coaches and others in the town.
Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko (Lexile - 600)
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.
Sahara Special, by Esme Raji Codell (Lexile - 660)
Struggling with school and her feelings since her father left, Sahara gets a fresh start with a new and unique teacher who supports her writing talents and the individuality of each of her classmates.
Fire On Ice: Autobiography of a Champion Figure Skater, by Sasha Cohen
Magician's Boy, by Susan Cooper (Lexile - 780)
A boy who works for a magician meets familiar fairy tale characters when he is transported to the Land of Story in search of a missing puppet.
Millions, by Frank Cottrell Boyce
After their mother dies, two brothers find a huge amount of money which they must spend quickly before England switches to the new European currency, but they disagree on what to do with it.
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, by Kate DiCamillo (Lexile - 670)
The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
The Conch Bearer, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Lexile - 790)
In a dingy shack in the less-than-desirable Indian neighborhood he calls home, twelve-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. His task is to return the shell to its rightful home many hundreds of miles away. Accompanying him are Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful child of the streets, and a mysterious man of indeterminate age and surprising resources named Abadhyatta. His quest will take him farther from home than he's ever been and will teach him more than he ever imagined -- and it will force him to make a poignant decision that will change him forever.
City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau (Lexile - 680)
In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.
No Small Thing, by Natale Ghent (Lexile - 780)
In Ontario, Canada, in 1977, twelve-year-old Nat and his sisters find that owning, training, and caring for a pony they acquired for free makes it easier to cope with the poverty they have faced since their father abandoned them.
Mrs. Roopy is Loopy, by Dan Gutman (Lexile - 680)
A.J. and his classmates are convinced that new school librarian, Mrs. Roopy, has multiple personality disorder because she keeps pretending to be famous people.
Among the Betrayed, by Margaret Petersen Haddix (Lexile - 690)
Thirteen-year-old Nina is imprisoned by the Population Police, who give her the option of helping them identify illegal "third-born" children, or face death.
Thunder From the Sea, by Joan Hiatt Harlow (Lexile - 700)
Just when his dreams of being part of a family and having a dog seem to be coming true, Tom wonders if trouble with neighbors on his new island home and the impending birth of a new baby will change everything. Set in Newfoundland in 1929.
Star of Kazan, by Eva Ibbotson (Lexile - 880)
After twelve-year-old Annika, a foundling living in late nineteenth-century Vienna, inherits a trunk of costume jewelry, a woman claiming to be her aristocratic mother arrives and takes her to live in a strangely decrepit mansion in Germany.
Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906, by Gail Langer Karwoski
Tells the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as seen through the eyes of Jacob, a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy who lives in a boarding house with his father and younger sister.
Gifts From the Sea, by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock (Lexile - 900)
Quila and her father, living alone in a remote Maine lighthouse in the 1850s, find their lives profoundly changed when a baby washes ashore and they decide to keep her as part of their family.
Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, by Elaine Konigsburg
Upon leaving an oppressive summer camp, twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her grand uncles have been building in their back yard for over forty years.
Leaping Beauty: and Other Animal Fairy Tales, by Gregory Maguire
The author wreaks havoc on eight classic fairy tales, with a cast of characters including a dancing frog, a gorilla queen, and seven giant giraffes.
Midnight for Charlie Bone, by Jenny Nimmo (Lexile - 630)
Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking.
The Young Man and the Sea, by Rodman Philbrick (Lexile - 800)
After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a bluefin tuna.
The Real Lucky Charm, by Charisse K. Richardson
Thinking that luck--rather than hard work--has helped her succeed on the court and at school, ten-year-old Mia panics and turns to her twin brother for help when her lucky gold basketball goes missing from her charm bracelet.
Becoming Naomi Leon, by Pam Munoz Ryan
When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.
Shredderman: Secret Identity, by Wendelin Van Draanen (Lexile - 520)
Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman!
Full-Text Resources For Information About Books And Authors
Alex Awards
The Alex Awards are named for Margaret Alexander Edward, who worked for many years as a young adult specialist at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library. They are given each year to ten well-written, readable books written for adults, selected from genres that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.
Best Books for Young Adults
Best Books for Young Adults include "significant adult and young adult" fiction and nonfiction books selected from the current year's publications and recommended for young adult readers ages 12 through 18.
Biography Resource Center
This outstanding database features biographical information about more than 275,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and all disciplines and subject areas. More than 400,000 biographies are included from 90 highly regarded Gale Group publications. (To access this database, you will need to use your public library barcode.)
The Caldecott Medal Home Page
Named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, the Caldecott Medal has been awarded annually since 1938 to "the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." This site also features a complete list of all Caldecott Medal winners and honor books from 1938 to the present.
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
Hurst's rich site features book reviews listed by title, author and grade level, literature tie-ins to all areas of the language arts, math, U.S. and world history curricula, and suggested titles for all sorts of themes in children's literature, as well as wonderful profiles of children's and young adult authors.
The Children's Literature Web Guide
Visit this helpful site for information about authors, titles, award-winning books, resources for readers, children's literature online discussion groups, and much more.
Coretta Scott King Award
This award is presented annually to "authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the "American Dream."
Guys Read
This "web-based literacy program", created by author Jon Scieszka to help boys find books they will enjoy, features a searchable (readers can search by author, title, or subject in which they are interested) database of titles for "young guys", "middle guys", and "older guys", as well as links to many author web sites.
Margaret A. Edwards Award
The Margaret A. Edwards Award was established in 1988, and honors an author's lifetime achievement for his or her body of work, and its collective popularity over time.
New York Public Library: Teenlink
Look for the "New! On the Shelf" link on this page for suggestions on great new books to read. (This page is loaded with links to other terrific resources, too.)
The Newbery Medal Home Page
Named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery, the Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association's Association for Library Services to Children to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
NoveList
NoveList is an outstanding resource through which readers can learn about books and authors. This searchable database includes information, including descriptions, suggested reading levels, reviews from high quality magazines and journals, and links to related full-text articles and web sites, about picture books, children's chapter books, young adult novels, and books for adult readers. NoveList is updated monthly, and adds about 10,000 new fiction records, along with descriptions, reviews and other information, to the database each year.
The Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz award honors a work of fiction, nonfiction, poetry or an anthology that "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature."
Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists!
Visit this site, created for teens, to find a terrific collection of booklists organized by subject. Examples of reading lists currently available include: "Boy Meets Book"; "Coolest Classics"; "Fanging Around: Teen Vampire Fiction with Byte"; "Historical Fiction for Hipsters: Stories from the Past That Won't Make You Snore"; "Short Cuts: Short Story Collections You Might Actually Want to Read"; and "Word UP! Poetry Both by and for Teenagers."
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historicl Fiction is given "to a meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults." O'Dell established the annual award of $5,000.00 to encourage other writers to focus on historical fiction.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Get Graphic! Engage Students With Graphic Novels and Nonfiction!
Graphic novels, which integrate high-quality sequential art and well-written and engaging text, are an effective way to foster students' enjoyment of reading. Highly popular with reluctant readers, graphic novels are also extremely helpful in the improvement of language and literacy development, as the illustrations offer important contextual clues that aid in students' understanding of the written narrative.
Here at the Collins Middle School Instructional Media Center, we have recently introduced a graphic novel and nonfiction book collection, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Foundation for Salem Public Education. Our collection features such classics as Shakespeare's MACBETH and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, GRAPHIC CLASSICS: MARK TWAIN and EDGAR ALLAN POE, and many terrific new fiction titles, as well as important nonfiction books and memoirs, including PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD, by Marjane Satrapi, and MAUS: A SURVIVOR'S TALE, by Art Spiegelman. Response to this new collection by both students and teachers has been extremely positive. This year's summer reading list will include graphic novels among the many choices available to students.
Looking for more information about graphic novels, and ways to incorporate them into your curriculum? These resources may be helpful:
"A Novel Approach: Using Graphic Novels to Attract Reluctant Readers", by Philip Crawford, LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION, Feb. 2004.
http://www.linworth.com/PDF/LMC_Feb04_Crawford.pdf
This article offers an excellent introduction to graphic novels and the ways in which teachers can use them to motivate reluctant readers and develop students' language and literacy skills. It also includes an annotated list of recommended titles, including grade-level suggestions.
Thought Bubbles, by Philip Crawford
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/kqreviews/crawford/thoughtbubbles.htm
These terrific bimonthly articles about all aspects of graphic novels and nonfiction works, incorporating them in the classroom, and using them to motivate readers and develop literacy skills, should be considered essential reading.
No Flying, No Tights
http://www.noflyingnotights.com/
This terrific site, created and maintained by Robin Brenner, features annotated lists of recommended graphic novels organized by type (picture and chapter books) and genre (superheroes, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, action and adventure, humor, and realism), as well as recommended nonfiction titles, for kids ("Sidekicks"), teens ("No Flying, No Tights"), and older teens and adults ("The Lair").
Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries, selected and annotated by Steve Raiteri.
http://my.voyager.net/~sraiteri/graphicnovels.htm
This article includes an extensive list of recommended superhero, science fiction, fantasy, comedy and Japanese Manga titles.
"Spotlight on Graphic Novels". Booklist. March 15, 2005.
This issue features articles, annotated title lists, and the "Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth". If you're just beginning to build your library's graphic novel collection, this resource will be invaluable as you get started.
Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud. NY: HarperCollins, 1993.
Anyone interested in learning more about the history of comics - "juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer" - as well as how they are created, read, and understood, should begin his research with McCloud's wonderfully accessible book, written, of course, in comic book-style. To learn more about the author and his work, visit his web site:
http://www.scottmccloud.com/
Here at the Collins Middle School Instructional Media Center, we have recently introduced a graphic novel and nonfiction book collection, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Foundation for Salem Public Education. Our collection features such classics as Shakespeare's MACBETH and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, GRAPHIC CLASSICS: MARK TWAIN and EDGAR ALLAN POE, and many terrific new fiction titles, as well as important nonfiction books and memoirs, including PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD, by Marjane Satrapi, and MAUS: A SURVIVOR'S TALE, by Art Spiegelman. Response to this new collection by both students and teachers has been extremely positive. This year's summer reading list will include graphic novels among the many choices available to students.
Looking for more information about graphic novels, and ways to incorporate them into your curriculum? These resources may be helpful:
"A Novel Approach: Using Graphic Novels to Attract Reluctant Readers", by Philip Crawford, LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION, Feb. 2004.
http://www.linworth.com/PDF/LMC_Feb04_Crawford.pdf
This article offers an excellent introduction to graphic novels and the ways in which teachers can use them to motivate reluctant readers and develop students' language and literacy skills. It also includes an annotated list of recommended titles, including grade-level suggestions.
Thought Bubbles, by Philip Crawford
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/kqreviews/crawford/thoughtbubbles.htm
These terrific bimonthly articles about all aspects of graphic novels and nonfiction works, incorporating them in the classroom, and using them to motivate readers and develop literacy skills, should be considered essential reading.
No Flying, No Tights
http://www.noflyingnotights.com/
This terrific site, created and maintained by Robin Brenner, features annotated lists of recommended graphic novels organized by type (picture and chapter books) and genre (superheroes, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, action and adventure, humor, and realism), as well as recommended nonfiction titles, for kids ("Sidekicks"), teens ("No Flying, No Tights"), and older teens and adults ("The Lair").
Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries, selected and annotated by Steve Raiteri.
http://my.voyager.net/~sraiteri/graphicnovels.htm
This article includes an extensive list of recommended superhero, science fiction, fantasy, comedy and Japanese Manga titles.
"Spotlight on Graphic Novels". Booklist. March 15, 2005.
This issue features articles, annotated title lists, and the "Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth". If you're just beginning to build your library's graphic novel collection, this resource will be invaluable as you get started.
Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud. NY: HarperCollins, 1993.
Anyone interested in learning more about the history of comics - "juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer" - as well as how they are created, read, and understood, should begin his research with McCloud's wonderfully accessible book, written, of course, in comic book-style. To learn more about the author and his work, visit his web site:
http://www.scottmccloud.com/
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Selected Resources for School Librarians
Are you looking for bibliographic records for books, recorded books, videos, or other materials you're trying to catalog? Are you interested in learning more about the Dewey classification system? Looking for information about books and their authors? Use the annotated resource list below to help you as you process materials to add to your collection, or to search for information about a particular book or author.
FIND BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDS
OCLC WorldCat
http://mblc.state.ma.us/cgi-bin/remote.pl?db=worldcat
This database features more than 46 million bibliographic records, representing 400 languages, and is searchable by ISBN, Title, Author, Keyword, and many other fields.
NOBLE Online Catalog
http://www.noblenet.org
Search the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE) online catalog to locate bibliographic records for books, videos, and other materials available at the Salem Public Library, as well as at 26 other public and college libraries.
San Francisco Public Library Online Catalog
http://sflib1.sfpl.org
Search this catalog in English or Spanish, by ISBN, Title, Author, Keyword, and many other fields.
Boston Public Library Online Catalog
http://www.bpl.org/catalogs/index.htm
Search this catalog to find complete bibliographic records for more than 7.5 million books and other materials available at the BPL.
Library of Congress Online Catalog
http://catalog.loc.gov
This catalog includes detailed bibliographic records for more than 110 million items, in many languages, held at the Library of Congress. (This resource is used by researchers around the world. "Peak usage" days/times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Therefore, plan your use of this catalog accordingly.)
New York Public Library Online Catalog
http://http://leopac.nypl.org/
LION: Cataloging Resources for School Libraries
http://www.libraries.phila.k12.pa.us/lion/cataloging.html
Yahoo: Libraries
http://dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Libraries
Search for public, school, education, and other specialized libraries from this comprehensive list of links.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
Libraries FAQ: Classification, Cataloging & Citation
http://www.ibiblio.org/librariesfaq/sect5.htm
Internet Public Library: Cataloging
http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/hum45.40.40
Dewey Decimal System of Classification
http://www.july15.com/julia/ddecimal.htm#Geography
How to Use the Dewey Decimal System
http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/ddchow.html
Understanding MARC Bibliographies: Machine-Readable Cataloging
http://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/
Dewey Services: Dewey Decimal Classification
http://www.oclc.org/dewey/
MARC Standards
http://www.loc.gov/marc/
FULL-TEXT RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION ABOUT BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Alex Awards
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/alexawards/alexawards.htm
The Alex Awards are named for Margaret Alexander Edward, who worked for many years as a young adult specialist at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library. They are given each year to ten well-written, readable books written for adults, selected from genres that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.
Best Books for Young Adults
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/booksyoung.htm
Best Books for Young Adults include "significant adult and young adult" fiction and nonfiction books selected from the current year's publications and recommended for young adult readers ages 12 through 18.
Biography Resource Center
http://www.nmrls.org
This outstanding database features biographical information about more than 275,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and all disciplines and subject areas. More than 400,000 biographies are included from 90 highly regarded Gale Group publications. (To access this database, you will need to use your public library barcode.)
The Caldecott Medal Home Page
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.htm
Named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, the Caldecott Medal has been awarded annually since 1938 to "the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." This site also features a complete list of all Caldecott Medal winners and honor books from 1938 to the present.
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
http://www.carolhurst.com
Hurst's rich site features book reviews listed by title, author and grade level, literature tie-ins to all areas of the language arts, math, U.S. and world history curricula, and suggested titles for all sorts of themes in children's literature, as well as wonderful profiles of children's and young adult authors.
The Children's Literature Web Guide
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/
Visit this helpful site for information about authors, titles, award-winning books, resources for readers, children's literature online discussion groups, and much more.
Coretta Scott King Award
http://www.ala.org/ala/srrt/corettascottking/corettascott.htm
This award is presented annually to "authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the "American Dream."
Guys Read
http://www.guysread.com
This "web-based literacy program", created by author Jon Scieszka to help boys find books they will enjoy, features a searchable (readers can search by author, title, or subject in which they are interested) database of titles for "young guys", "middle guys", and "older guys", as well as links to many author web sites.
Margaret A. Edwards Award
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/margaretaedwards/margaretedwards.htm
The Margaret A. Edwards Award was established in 1988, and honors an author's lifetime achievement for his or her body of work, and its collective popularity over time.
New York Public Library: Teenlink
http://teenlink.nypl.org
Look for the "New! On the Shelf" link on this page for suggestions on great new books to read. (This page is loaded with links to other terrific resources, too.)
The Newbery Medal Home Page
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/
Named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery, the Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association's Association for Library Services to Children to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
NoveList
http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?authtype=uid
NoveList is an outstanding resource through which readers can learn about books and authors. This searchable database includes information, including descriptions, suggested reading levels, reviews from high quality magazines and journals, and links to related full-text articles and web sites, about picture books, children's chapter books, young adult novels, and books for adult readers. NoveList is updated monthly, and adds about 10,000 new fiction records, along with descriptions, reviews and other information, to the database each year.
The Printz Award
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz
The Michael L. Printz award honors a work of fiction, nonfiction, poetry or an anthology that "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature."
Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists!
http://tln.lib.mi.us/~amutch/jen/
Visit this site, created for teens, to find a terrific collection of booklists organized by subject. Examples of reading lists currently available include: "Boy Meets Book"; "Coolest Classics"; "Fanging Around: Teen Vampire Fiction with Byte"; "Historical Fiction for Hipsters: Stories from the Past That Won't Make You Snore"; "Short Cuts: Short Story Collections You Might Actually Want to Read"; and "Word UP! Poetry Both by and for Teenagers."
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
http://www.scottodell.com/sosoaward.html
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historicl Fiction is given "to a meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults." O'Dell established the annual award of $5,000.00 to encourage other writers to focus on historical fiction.
SELECTED SITES OF INTEREST TO SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS
American Association of School Librarians
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/aaslbooksandprod/aaslbooksproducts.html
Massachusetts School Library Media Association
http://www.mslma.org
FIND BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDS
OCLC WorldCat
http://mblc.state.ma.us/cgi-bin/remote.pl?db=worldcat
This database features more than 46 million bibliographic records, representing 400 languages, and is searchable by ISBN, Title, Author, Keyword, and many other fields.
NOBLE Online Catalog
http://www.noblenet.org
Search the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE) online catalog to locate bibliographic records for books, videos, and other materials available at the Salem Public Library, as well as at 26 other public and college libraries.
San Francisco Public Library Online Catalog
http://sflib1.sfpl.org
Search this catalog in English or Spanish, by ISBN, Title, Author, Keyword, and many other fields.
Boston Public Library Online Catalog
http://www.bpl.org/catalogs/index.htm
Search this catalog to find complete bibliographic records for more than 7.5 million books and other materials available at the BPL.
Library of Congress Online Catalog
http://catalog.loc.gov
This catalog includes detailed bibliographic records for more than 110 million items, in many languages, held at the Library of Congress. (This resource is used by researchers around the world. "Peak usage" days/times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Therefore, plan your use of this catalog accordingly.)
New York Public Library Online Catalog
http://http://leopac.nypl.org/
LION: Cataloging Resources for School Libraries
http://www.libraries.phila.k12.pa.us/lion/cataloging.html
Yahoo: Libraries
http://dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Libraries
Search for public, school, education, and other specialized libraries from this comprehensive list of links.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
Libraries FAQ: Classification, Cataloging & Citation
http://www.ibiblio.org/librariesfaq/sect5.htm
Internet Public Library: Cataloging
http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/hum45.40.40
Dewey Decimal System of Classification
http://www.july15.com/julia/ddecimal.htm#Geography
How to Use the Dewey Decimal System
http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/ddchow.html
Understanding MARC Bibliographies: Machine-Readable Cataloging
http://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/
Dewey Services: Dewey Decimal Classification
http://www.oclc.org/dewey/
MARC Standards
http://www.loc.gov/marc/
FULL-TEXT RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION ABOUT BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Alex Awards
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/alexawards/alexawards.htm
The Alex Awards are named for Margaret Alexander Edward, who worked for many years as a young adult specialist at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library. They are given each year to ten well-written, readable books written for adults, selected from genres that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.
Best Books for Young Adults
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/booksyoung.htm
Best Books for Young Adults include "significant adult and young adult" fiction and nonfiction books selected from the current year's publications and recommended for young adult readers ages 12 through 18.
Biography Resource Center
http://www.nmrls.org
This outstanding database features biographical information about more than 275,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and all disciplines and subject areas. More than 400,000 biographies are included from 90 highly regarded Gale Group publications. (To access this database, you will need to use your public library barcode.)
The Caldecott Medal Home Page
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.htm
Named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, the Caldecott Medal has been awarded annually since 1938 to "the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." This site also features a complete list of all Caldecott Medal winners and honor books from 1938 to the present.
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
http://www.carolhurst.com
Hurst's rich site features book reviews listed by title, author and grade level, literature tie-ins to all areas of the language arts, math, U.S. and world history curricula, and suggested titles for all sorts of themes in children's literature, as well as wonderful profiles of children's and young adult authors.
The Children's Literature Web Guide
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/
Visit this helpful site for information about authors, titles, award-winning books, resources for readers, children's literature online discussion groups, and much more.
Coretta Scott King Award
http://www.ala.org/ala/srrt/corettascottking/corettascott.htm
This award is presented annually to "authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the "American Dream."
Guys Read
http://www.guysread.com
This "web-based literacy program", created by author Jon Scieszka to help boys find books they will enjoy, features a searchable (readers can search by author, title, or subject in which they are interested) database of titles for "young guys", "middle guys", and "older guys", as well as links to many author web sites.
Margaret A. Edwards Award
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/margaretaedwards/margaretedwards.htm
The Margaret A. Edwards Award was established in 1988, and honors an author's lifetime achievement for his or her body of work, and its collective popularity over time.
New York Public Library: Teenlink
http://teenlink.nypl.org
Look for the "New! On the Shelf" link on this page for suggestions on great new books to read. (This page is loaded with links to other terrific resources, too.)
The Newbery Medal Home Page
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/
Named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery, the Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association's Association for Library Services to Children to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
NoveList
http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?authtype=uid
NoveList is an outstanding resource through which readers can learn about books and authors. This searchable database includes information, including descriptions, suggested reading levels, reviews from high quality magazines and journals, and links to related full-text articles and web sites, about picture books, children's chapter books, young adult novels, and books for adult readers. NoveList is updated monthly, and adds about 10,000 new fiction records, along with descriptions, reviews and other information, to the database each year.
The Printz Award
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz
The Michael L. Printz award honors a work of fiction, nonfiction, poetry or an anthology that "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature."
Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists!
http://tln.lib.mi.us/~amutch/jen/
Visit this site, created for teens, to find a terrific collection of booklists organized by subject. Examples of reading lists currently available include: "Boy Meets Book"; "Coolest Classics"; "Fanging Around: Teen Vampire Fiction with Byte"; "Historical Fiction for Hipsters: Stories from the Past That Won't Make You Snore"; "Short Cuts: Short Story Collections You Might Actually Want to Read"; and "Word UP! Poetry Both by and for Teenagers."
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
http://www.scottodell.com/sosoaward.html
The Scott O'Dell Award for Historicl Fiction is given "to a meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults." O'Dell established the annual award of $5,000.00 to encourage other writers to focus on historical fiction.
SELECTED SITES OF INTEREST TO SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS
American Association of School Librarians
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/aaslbooksandprod/aaslbooksproducts.html
Massachusetts School Library Media Association
http://www.mslma.org
April is Poetry Month
"Poetry: the best words in the best order." -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Celebrate Poetry Month! Learn more about this wonderful art form, and find a poem that inspires or motivates you, by visiting the links below.
American Literature: Poetry
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761596671/American_Literature_Poetry.html
Read this informative article to learn about the origins, development and different forms of American poetry, from the 1600s to the present.
National Poetry Month
http://www.poets.org/npm/
http://www.poets.org/npm/faq.cfm#1 (FAQs about National Poetry Month)
The Academy of American Poets: Find a Poet
http://www.poets.org/poets/index.cfm
Search the Academy's growing database (it currently includes more than 450 poets) for biographies, photos, and other information.
The Academy of American Poets: Find a Poem
http://www.poets.org/poems/search.cfm
Search the Academy's companion database of poems (1,200 and growing) by keyword for poem text, or browse lists of titles and/or first lines.
Slam Poetry
http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Slam_poetry
Poetry? A competitive event? Learn more about this form of performance poetry, in which the delivery is as important as the quality of the poetry itself.
Background on Slam Poetry
http://www.slamnation.com/info/backgrnd.htm
Read about the history of the Poetry Slam as a competitive performance event, and learn the rules, too, by reading this brief article, and checking out some of the links available at this site.
SITES FOR TEACHERS
Teach Now! National Poetry Month
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/k_2theme/poetry.htm
Education World: Poetry Month
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/poetrymonth.shtml
Modern American Poetry
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/index.htm
Poetry Forms and Terminology
http://thewordshop.tripod.com/forms.html
Glossary of Poetic Terms
http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display_rpo/terminology.cfm#acrostic
FAVORITE POETS
Shel Silverstein
http://shelsilverstein.com/html/home.html
Edward Lear
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/lear.htm
Selected Poetry of Edward Lear (1812-1888)
http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poet200.html
Dr. Seuss: Seussville
http://www.seussville.com/
The Academy of American Poets: Robert Frost
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=196
Emily Dickinson: The Complete Poems
http://www.bartleby.com/113/
Modern American Poetry: Emily Dickinson's Life
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dickinson/bio.htm
Nobelprize.org: T. S. Eliot
http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/1948/eliot-bio.html
Modern American Poetry: T. S. Eliot's Life and Career
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/eliot/life.htm
The Literature Network: William Shakespeare
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/
Visitors to this site will find a biography of Shakespeare, and links to the full text of his tragedies, histories, comedies, and selected poetry.
Shakespeare of Stratford
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/
"Search Oxford Shakespeare"
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/shakespeare/poetry/
Langston Hughes
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/hughes.htm
Celebrate Poetry Month! Learn more about this wonderful art form, and find a poem that inspires or motivates you, by visiting the links below.
American Literature: Poetry
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761596671/American_Literature_Poetry.html
Read this informative article to learn about the origins, development and different forms of American poetry, from the 1600s to the present.
National Poetry Month
http://www.poets.org/npm/
http://www.poets.org/npm/faq.cfm#1 (FAQs about National Poetry Month)
The Academy of American Poets: Find a Poet
http://www.poets.org/poets/index.cfm
Search the Academy's growing database (it currently includes more than 450 poets) for biographies, photos, and other information.
The Academy of American Poets: Find a Poem
http://www.poets.org/poems/search.cfm
Search the Academy's companion database of poems (1,200 and growing) by keyword for poem text, or browse lists of titles and/or first lines.
Slam Poetry
http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Slam_poetry
Poetry? A competitive event? Learn more about this form of performance poetry, in which the delivery is as important as the quality of the poetry itself.
Background on Slam Poetry
http://www.slamnation.com/info/backgrnd.htm
Read about the history of the Poetry Slam as a competitive performance event, and learn the rules, too, by reading this brief article, and checking out some of the links available at this site.
SITES FOR TEACHERS
Teach Now! National Poetry Month
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/k_2theme/poetry.htm
Education World: Poetry Month
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/poetrymonth.shtml
Modern American Poetry
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/index.htm
Poetry Forms and Terminology
http://thewordshop.tripod.com/forms.html
Glossary of Poetic Terms
http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display_rpo/terminology.cfm#acrostic
FAVORITE POETS
Shel Silverstein
http://shelsilverstein.com/html/home.html
Edward Lear
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/lear.htm
Selected Poetry of Edward Lear (1812-1888)
http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poet200.html
Dr. Seuss: Seussville
http://www.seussville.com/
The Academy of American Poets: Robert Frost
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=196
Emily Dickinson: The Complete Poems
http://www.bartleby.com/113/
Modern American Poetry: Emily Dickinson's Life
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dickinson/bio.htm
Nobelprize.org: T. S. Eliot
http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/1948/eliot-bio.html
Modern American Poetry: T. S. Eliot's Life and Career
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/eliot/life.htm
The Literature Network: William Shakespeare
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/
Visitors to this site will find a biography of Shakespeare, and links to the full text of his tragedies, histories, comedies, and selected poetry.
Shakespeare of Stratford
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/
"Search Oxford Shakespeare"
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/shakespeare/poetry/
Langston Hughes
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/hughes.htm
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Tales of Survival
Having a rough go of it? You're not alone! Try one of the survival (physical and emotional) stories below - they make for compelling reading! To recommend a title for this growing list, please contact Mrs. O'Keefe.
PHYSICAL SURVIVAL
Earthquake in the Early Morning, by Mary Pope Osborne ; illustrated by Sal Murdocca
The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to San Francisco in 1906, in time for them to experience one of the biggest earthquakes the United States had ever known.
New York: Random House, 2001, 72 p.
Earthquake Terror, by Peg Kehret
When an earthquake hits the isolated island in Northern California where his family is camping, twelve-year-old Jonathan must find a way to keep himself, his partially paralyzed sister and their dog alive until help arrives.
New York: Cobblehill Books, copyright 1996, 132 p.
Earthshake: Poems From the Ground Up, by Lisa Westberg Peters ; pictures by Cathie Felstead
Presents twenty-two poems about geology. End notes provide information about the earth's surface and interior, types of rocks, and how volcanoes, glaciers, and erosion modify the landscape.
New York: Greenwillow Books, 2003, 32 p.
Escaping the Giant Wave, by Peg Kehret
When an earthquake creates a tsunami while thirteen-year-old Kyle is babysitting his sister during a family vacation at a Pacific Coast resort, he tries to save himself, his sister, and a boy who has bullied him for years.
New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003, 151 p.
High Tide in Hawaii, by Mary Pope Osborne
Jack and Annie travel in their Magic Tree House back to a Hawaiian island of long ago where they make friends, learn how to surf, and encounter a tsunami.
New York: Random House, 2003, 96 p.
Ice Drift, by Theodore Taylor (2005)
Two Inuit brothers must fend for themselves while stranded on an ice float that is adrift in the Greenland Strait.
PaperQuake: a Puzzle, by Kathryn Reiss
Certain that she is being drawn by more than coincidences into the lives of people living nearly 100 years ago, Violet, who feels like the odd sister in a set of triplets, searches for clues to help her avert an imminent tragedy.
San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, copyright 1998, 264 p.
Quake!, by Joe Cottonwood
With their parents away at the 1989 World Series, fourteen-year-old Franny, her younger brother, and their cousin try to cope with the frightening events following an earthquake that destroys their home on Loma Prieta mountain.
New York: Scholastic Inc., 1995, 146 p.
Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906, by Gail Langer Karwoski
Tells the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as seen through the eyes of Jacob, a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy who lives in a boarding house with his father and younger sister.
Atlanta: Peachtree, c2004, 153 p.
A Sea So Far, by Jean Thesman
After surviving the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires, two teenage girls, a wealthy semi-invalid and her hired companion, travel together to Ireland and discover they share much in common, from a love of romance novels to grief over the loss of their mothers.
New York: Viking, 2001, 195 p.
The Shark Callers, by Eric Campbell
Two teenage boys, one on a shark hunt and the other traveling with his family, face the challenge of their lives when a volcano erupts, causing a massive tidal wave in the South Seas.
San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1994, 232 p.
Storm-Blast, by Curtis Parkinson
Regan, Matt, and Carol have to depend on each other to survive when their small boat gets swallowed up in a fierce Caribbean storm.
Toronto, Ont.; Plattsburgh, N.Y.: Tundra Books, c2003, 156 p.
The Strange case of Baby H, by Kathryn Reiss
In the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, twelve-year-old Clara finds a baby left on the doorstep of her family's boarding house, and sets out to unravel the surrounding mysteries.
Middleton, Wis.: Pleasant Co., 2002, 163 p. (from the American Girl History Mysteries series, no. 18)
The Tears of the Salamander, by Peter Dickinson
When Alfredo, a twelve-year-old choir boy in eighteenth-century Italy, loses his family in a fire, he goes to live with Uncle Giorgio, who he discovers is a sorcerer in control of the fires of Mt. Etna with sinister plans for his nephew.
New York, N.Y.: Wendy Lamb Books, c2003, 197 p.
EMOTIONAL SURVIVAL
Speak, by Laure Halse Anderson
PHYSICAL SURVIVAL
Earthquake in the Early Morning, by Mary Pope Osborne ; illustrated by Sal Murdocca
The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to San Francisco in 1906, in time for them to experience one of the biggest earthquakes the United States had ever known.
New York: Random House, 2001, 72 p.
Earthquake Terror, by Peg Kehret
When an earthquake hits the isolated island in Northern California where his family is camping, twelve-year-old Jonathan must find a way to keep himself, his partially paralyzed sister and their dog alive until help arrives.
New York: Cobblehill Books, copyright 1996, 132 p.
Earthshake: Poems From the Ground Up, by Lisa Westberg Peters ; pictures by Cathie Felstead
Presents twenty-two poems about geology. End notes provide information about the earth's surface and interior, types of rocks, and how volcanoes, glaciers, and erosion modify the landscape.
New York: Greenwillow Books, 2003, 32 p.
Escaping the Giant Wave, by Peg Kehret
When an earthquake creates a tsunami while thirteen-year-old Kyle is babysitting his sister during a family vacation at a Pacific Coast resort, he tries to save himself, his sister, and a boy who has bullied him for years.
New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003, 151 p.
High Tide in Hawaii, by Mary Pope Osborne
Jack and Annie travel in their Magic Tree House back to a Hawaiian island of long ago where they make friends, learn how to surf, and encounter a tsunami.
New York: Random House, 2003, 96 p.
Ice Drift, by Theodore Taylor (2005)
Two Inuit brothers must fend for themselves while stranded on an ice float that is adrift in the Greenland Strait.
PaperQuake: a Puzzle, by Kathryn Reiss
Certain that she is being drawn by more than coincidences into the lives of people living nearly 100 years ago, Violet, who feels like the odd sister in a set of triplets, searches for clues to help her avert an imminent tragedy.
San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, copyright 1998, 264 p.
Quake!, by Joe Cottonwood
With their parents away at the 1989 World Series, fourteen-year-old Franny, her younger brother, and their cousin try to cope with the frightening events following an earthquake that destroys their home on Loma Prieta mountain.
New York: Scholastic Inc., 1995, 146 p.
Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906, by Gail Langer Karwoski
Tells the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as seen through the eyes of Jacob, a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy who lives in a boarding house with his father and younger sister.
Atlanta: Peachtree, c2004, 153 p.
A Sea So Far, by Jean Thesman
After surviving the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires, two teenage girls, a wealthy semi-invalid and her hired companion, travel together to Ireland and discover they share much in common, from a love of romance novels to grief over the loss of their mothers.
New York: Viking, 2001, 195 p.
The Shark Callers, by Eric Campbell
Two teenage boys, one on a shark hunt and the other traveling with his family, face the challenge of their lives when a volcano erupts, causing a massive tidal wave in the South Seas.
San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1994, 232 p.
Storm-Blast, by Curtis Parkinson
Regan, Matt, and Carol have to depend on each other to survive when their small boat gets swallowed up in a fierce Caribbean storm.
Toronto, Ont.; Plattsburgh, N.Y.: Tundra Books, c2003, 156 p.
The Strange case of Baby H, by Kathryn Reiss
In the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, twelve-year-old Clara finds a baby left on the doorstep of her family's boarding house, and sets out to unravel the surrounding mysteries.
Middleton, Wis.: Pleasant Co., 2002, 163 p. (from the American Girl History Mysteries series, no. 18)
The Tears of the Salamander, by Peter Dickinson
When Alfredo, a twelve-year-old choir boy in eighteenth-century Italy, loses his family in a fire, he goes to live with Uncle Giorgio, who he discovers is a sorcerer in control of the fires of Mt. Etna with sinister plans for his nephew.
New York, N.Y.: Wendy Lamb Books, c2003, 197 p.
EMOTIONAL SURVIVAL
Speak, by Laure Halse Anderson
Monday, October 31, 2005
Coping With Disorders
This selected annotated list of fiction books about ADHD, anorexia, Axell-crown disease, bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome, and other disorders has been created for students, parents, teachers and counselors.
ADHD
95 Pounds of Hope , by Anna Gavalda ; translated by Gill Rosner
From the first day, school had always been torture for Gregory, but his expulsion from school in sixth grade allows him to find his own path and deal with his parents' fights and his beloved grandfather's illness.
New York: Viking, 2003, 90 p.
Joey Pigza Trilogy
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, by Jack Gantos.
To the constant disappointment of his mother and teacher, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his perscription medicine wears off and he starts acting wired.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, copyright 1998, 153 p.
Joey Pigza Loses Control, by Jack Gantos.
Joey, who is still taking medication to keep him from getting too wired, goes to spend the summer with the hard-drinking father he has never known and tries to help the baseball team he coaches win the championship.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, copyright 2000, 195 p.
What Would Joey Do?, by Jack Gantos.
Joey tries to keep his life from degenerating into total chaos when his mother sends him to be home-schooled with a hostile blind girl, his divorced parents cannot stop fighting, and his grandmother is dying of emphysema.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002, 240 p.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan.
After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.
New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2005, 384 p.
Parents Wanted, by George Harrar ; illustrations by Dan Murphy.
Twelve-year-old Andrew, who has ADD, is adopted by new parents after years of other foster homes and desperately hopes that he will not mess up the situation.
Minneapolis, Minn.: Milkweed Editions, 2001, 239 p.
Trout and Me, by Susan Shreve.
Ben's troubles at school get progressively worse when he starts hanging around Trout, a new boy in his fifth grade class, who is also labeled as learning disabled.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002, 136 p.
ANOREXIA
Girls Under Pressure, by Jacqueline Wilson.
Ellie learns to deal with her self-image as she battles anorexia.
New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 2002, 214 p.
ASPERGER SYNDROME
The Case of the Prank That Stank, by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz.
Seventh-graders Agatha Wong and Orville Wright, who has Asperger's syndrome, try to prove that the prank they organized did not cause the fire that burned down their rival school's field house.
New York: Razorbill, 2005, 182 p.
Colder Than Ice, by David Patneaude.
Josh Showalter, an insecure and overweight sixth-grader, hopes for a new start when he transfers to a school in northern Idaho, but he and his new friends are soon the target of a cold-hearted bully.
Chicago, Ill.: Albert Whitman & Company, 2003, 168 p.
AUTISM
Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko.
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004, 240 p.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon.
Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.
New York: Doubleday, 2003, 256 p.
A Wizard Alone, by Diane Duane.
While Nita mourns her mother's death, teenage wizard Kit and his dog Ponch set out to find a young autistic boy who vanished in the middle of his Ordeal, pursued by the Lone Power.
San Diego: Harcourt, 2002, 319 p.
AXELL-CROWN DISEASE
Life in the Fat Lane, by Cherie Bennett.
Sixteen-year-old Lara, winner of beauty pageants and Homecoming Queen, is distressed and bewildered when she starts gaining weight and becomes a fat girl.
New York: Delacorte Press, copyright 1998, 260 p.
BULIMIA
Fat Chance, by Leslea Newman.
In a series of diary entries, thirteen-year-old Judi recounts her struggles to lose weight, hide her bulimia from her mother, find a boy friend, and decide on a profession.
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1994, 214 p.
Perfect, by Natasha Friend.
Following the death of her father, a thirteen-year-old uses bulimia as a way to avoid her mother's and ten-year-old sister's grief, as well as her own.
Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions, 2004, 172 p.
CUTTING/SELF-MUTILATION
Cut, by Patricia McCormick.
While confined to a mental hospital, thirteen-year-old Callie slowly comes to understand some of the reasons behind her self-mutilation, and gradually starts to get better.
Asheville, NC: Front Street, copyright 2000, 136 p.
DYSCALCULIA
My Thirteenth Winter: a memoir, by Samantha Abeel.
New York: Orchard Books, 2003.
MOOD DISORDERS
The Illustrated Mum, by Jacqueline Wilson.
Ten-year-old Dolphin is determined to stay with her family, no matter what, but when her sister goes to live with her newly-discovered father, sending their mother further into manic-depression, Dolphin's life takes a turn for the better.
New York: Delacorte Press, 2005, 283 p.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Kissing Doorknobs, by Terry Spencer Hesser.
Fourteen-year-old Tara describes how her increasingly strange compulsions begin to take over her life and affect her relationships with her family and friends.
New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 1998, 149 p.
Not as Crazy as I Seem, by George Harrar.
As fifteen-year-old Devon begins mid-year at a new prestigious prep school, he is plagued by compulsions such as the need to sort things into groups of four.
Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003, 224 p.
TOURETTE'S SYNDROME
Quit It, by Marcia Byalick
Diagnosed with a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics, such as coughing and head jerking, sixth-grader Carrie must cope with the embarrassment and strain of various reactions from friends, family, and strangers.
New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 2002, 144 p.
ADHD
95 Pounds of Hope , by Anna Gavalda ; translated by Gill Rosner
From the first day, school had always been torture for Gregory, but his expulsion from school in sixth grade allows him to find his own path and deal with his parents' fights and his beloved grandfather's illness.
New York: Viking, 2003, 90 p.
Joey Pigza Trilogy
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, by Jack Gantos.
To the constant disappointment of his mother and teacher, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his perscription medicine wears off and he starts acting wired.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, copyright 1998, 153 p.
Joey Pigza Loses Control, by Jack Gantos.
Joey, who is still taking medication to keep him from getting too wired, goes to spend the summer with the hard-drinking father he has never known and tries to help the baseball team he coaches win the championship.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, copyright 2000, 195 p.
What Would Joey Do?, by Jack Gantos.
Joey tries to keep his life from degenerating into total chaos when his mother sends him to be home-schooled with a hostile blind girl, his divorced parents cannot stop fighting, and his grandmother is dying of emphysema.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002, 240 p.
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan.
After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.
New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2005, 384 p.
Parents Wanted, by George Harrar ; illustrations by Dan Murphy.
Twelve-year-old Andrew, who has ADD, is adopted by new parents after years of other foster homes and desperately hopes that he will not mess up the situation.
Minneapolis, Minn.: Milkweed Editions, 2001, 239 p.
Trout and Me, by Susan Shreve.
Ben's troubles at school get progressively worse when he starts hanging around Trout, a new boy in his fifth grade class, who is also labeled as learning disabled.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002, 136 p.
ANOREXIA
Girls Under Pressure, by Jacqueline Wilson.
Ellie learns to deal with her self-image as she battles anorexia.
New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 2002, 214 p.
ASPERGER SYNDROME
The Case of the Prank That Stank, by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz.
Seventh-graders Agatha Wong and Orville Wright, who has Asperger's syndrome, try to prove that the prank they organized did not cause the fire that burned down their rival school's field house.
New York: Razorbill, 2005, 182 p.
Colder Than Ice, by David Patneaude.
Josh Showalter, an insecure and overweight sixth-grader, hopes for a new start when he transfers to a school in northern Idaho, but he and his new friends are soon the target of a cold-hearted bully.
Chicago, Ill.: Albert Whitman & Company, 2003, 168 p.
AUTISM
Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko.
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004, 240 p.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon.
Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.
New York: Doubleday, 2003, 256 p.
A Wizard Alone, by Diane Duane.
While Nita mourns her mother's death, teenage wizard Kit and his dog Ponch set out to find a young autistic boy who vanished in the middle of his Ordeal, pursued by the Lone Power.
San Diego: Harcourt, 2002, 319 p.
AXELL-CROWN DISEASE
Life in the Fat Lane, by Cherie Bennett.
Sixteen-year-old Lara, winner of beauty pageants and Homecoming Queen, is distressed and bewildered when she starts gaining weight and becomes a fat girl.
New York: Delacorte Press, copyright 1998, 260 p.
BULIMIA
Fat Chance, by Leslea Newman.
In a series of diary entries, thirteen-year-old Judi recounts her struggles to lose weight, hide her bulimia from her mother, find a boy friend, and decide on a profession.
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1994, 214 p.
Perfect, by Natasha Friend.
Following the death of her father, a thirteen-year-old uses bulimia as a way to avoid her mother's and ten-year-old sister's grief, as well as her own.
Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions, 2004, 172 p.
CUTTING/SELF-MUTILATION
Cut, by Patricia McCormick.
While confined to a mental hospital, thirteen-year-old Callie slowly comes to understand some of the reasons behind her self-mutilation, and gradually starts to get better.
Asheville, NC: Front Street, copyright 2000, 136 p.
DYSCALCULIA
My Thirteenth Winter: a memoir, by Samantha Abeel.
New York: Orchard Books, 2003.
MOOD DISORDERS
The Illustrated Mum, by Jacqueline Wilson.
Ten-year-old Dolphin is determined to stay with her family, no matter what, but when her sister goes to live with her newly-discovered father, sending their mother further into manic-depression, Dolphin's life takes a turn for the better.
New York: Delacorte Press, 2005, 283 p.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
Kissing Doorknobs, by Terry Spencer Hesser.
Fourteen-year-old Tara describes how her increasingly strange compulsions begin to take over her life and affect her relationships with her family and friends.
New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 1998, 149 p.
Not as Crazy as I Seem, by George Harrar.
As fifteen-year-old Devon begins mid-year at a new prestigious prep school, he is plagued by compulsions such as the need to sort things into groups of four.
Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003, 224 p.
TOURETTE'S SYNDROME
Quit It, by Marcia Byalick
Diagnosed with a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics, such as coughing and head jerking, sixth-grader Carrie must cope with the embarrassment and strain of various reactions from friends, family, and strangers.
New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 2002, 144 p.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Selected Memoirs by Children's and Young Adult Authors
Cleary, Beverly. A Gift from Yamhill: a Memoir
Follows the popular children's author from her childhood years in Oregon through high school and into young adulthood, highlighting her family life and her growing interest in writing.
Cleary, Beverly. My Own Two Feet: a Memoir
Follows the popular children's author through college years during the Depression; jobs including that of librarian; marriage; and writing and publication of her first book, "Henry Huggins."
Crutcher, Chris. King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography
Chris Crutcher, author of young adult novels such as "Ironman" and "Whale Talk," as well as short stories, tells of growing up in Cascade, Idaho, and becoming a writer.
Ehrlich, Amy, ed. When I Was Your Age: Original Stories About Growing Up
This collection includes: All-ball / by Mary Pope Osborne -- The great rat hunt / by Laurence Yep -- Everything will be okay / by James Howe -- Why I never ran away from home / by Katherine Paterson -- Reverend Abbott and those bloodshot eyes / by Walter Dean Myers -- Muffin / by Susan Cooper -- Taking a dare / by Nicholasa Mohr -- Flying / by Reeve Lindbergh -- Scout's honor / by Avi -- Blue / by Francesca Lia Block.
Fleischman, Sid. The Abracadabra Kid: a Writer's Life
The autobiography of the Newbery award-winning children's author who set out from childhood to be a magician.
Gantos, Jack. A Hole in My Life
The author relates how, as a young adult, he became a drug user and smuggler, was arrested, did time in prison, and eventually got out and went to college, all the while hoping to become a writer.
Giff, Patricia Reilly. Don't Tell the Girls
Newbery Honor-winning author, Patricia Reilly Giff, recounts her discoveries as she unravels some of the mysteries of her Irish ancestors.
Kehret, Peg. Five Pages a Day: A Writer's Journey
A biography of the author of numerous books for young people, describing her childhood bout with polio, how she became a writer, family relationships, and the importance of writing in her life.
Lowry, Lois. Looking Back: a Book of Memories
Using family photographs and quotes from her books, the author provides glimpses into her life.
Myers, Walter Dean. Bad Boy: a Memoir
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. How I Came to Be a Writer
Details the career of one writer from stories composed in grade school through first published pieces to novels written to date.
Nixon, Joan Lowery. The Making of a Writer
The author recalls events from her childhood that contributed to her development as a writer.
Nuwer, Hank. To the Young Writer: Nine Writers Talk About Their Craft
Nine writers, including a Hollywood screenwriter, a novelist, and a sportswriter, talk about their craft, including:
Angelo Pizzo: scripting for Hollywood -- Patrick O'Driscoll: covering the news -- Rebecca Kai Dotlich: the joy and tears of poetry -- Dale Ratermann: the sports world -- David Young: the craft of advertising -- Alanna Nash: reviewing the music -- Toyomi Igus: multicultural messages for readers of all ages -- Max Aguilera-Hellweg: a visual storyteller -- Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: the challenges of fiction .
Paulsen, Gary. The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer
The author recalls his experiences as a migrant laborer and carnival worker after he ran away from home at age sixteen.
Paulsen, Gary. Guts, or, How I Lived the Same as Brian Robeson
The author relates incidents in his life and how they inspired parts of his books about the character, Brian Robeson.
Paulsen, Gary. My Life in Dog Years
The author describes some of the dogs that have had special places in his life, including his first dog, Snowball, in the Philippines; Dirk, who protected him from bullies; and Cookie, who saved his life.
Peck, Richard. Anonymously Yours
The popular author describes how he grew up in Decatur, Illinois, went into teaching, and eventually became a writer, incorporating his earlier experiences into novels intended to reach and change young readers.
Spinelli, Jerry. Knots in My Yo-Yo String: the Autobiography of a Kid
This Italian-American Newbery Medalist presents a humorous account of his childhood and youth in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
Uchida, Yoshiko. The Invisible Thread
Children's author, Yoshiko Uchida, describes growing up in Berkeley, California, as a Nisei, second generation Japanese American, and her family's internment in a Nevada concentration camp during World War II.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Laura's Album: a Remembrance Scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Photographs and mementos accompany an account of the life and literary career of the author of the well-loved "Little House" books.
Zindel, Paul. The Pigman and Me
An account of Paul Zindel's teenage years on Staten Island, when his life was enriched by finding his own personal pigman, or mentor.
Yep, Laurence. The Lost Garden
The author describes how he grew up as a Chinese American in San Francisco and how he came to use his writing to celebrate his family and his ethnic heritage.
Follows the popular children's author from her childhood years in Oregon through high school and into young adulthood, highlighting her family life and her growing interest in writing.
Cleary, Beverly. My Own Two Feet: a Memoir
Follows the popular children's author through college years during the Depression; jobs including that of librarian; marriage; and writing and publication of her first book, "Henry Huggins."
Crutcher, Chris. King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography
Chris Crutcher, author of young adult novels such as "Ironman" and "Whale Talk," as well as short stories, tells of growing up in Cascade, Idaho, and becoming a writer.
Ehrlich, Amy, ed. When I Was Your Age: Original Stories About Growing Up
This collection includes: All-ball / by Mary Pope Osborne -- The great rat hunt / by Laurence Yep -- Everything will be okay / by James Howe -- Why I never ran away from home / by Katherine Paterson -- Reverend Abbott and those bloodshot eyes / by Walter Dean Myers -- Muffin / by Susan Cooper -- Taking a dare / by Nicholasa Mohr -- Flying / by Reeve Lindbergh -- Scout's honor / by Avi -- Blue / by Francesca Lia Block.
Fleischman, Sid. The Abracadabra Kid: a Writer's Life
The autobiography of the Newbery award-winning children's author who set out from childhood to be a magician.
Gantos, Jack. A Hole in My Life
The author relates how, as a young adult, he became a drug user and smuggler, was arrested, did time in prison, and eventually got out and went to college, all the while hoping to become a writer.
Giff, Patricia Reilly. Don't Tell the Girls
Newbery Honor-winning author, Patricia Reilly Giff, recounts her discoveries as she unravels some of the mysteries of her Irish ancestors.
Kehret, Peg. Five Pages a Day: A Writer's Journey
A biography of the author of numerous books for young people, describing her childhood bout with polio, how she became a writer, family relationships, and the importance of writing in her life.
Lowry, Lois. Looking Back: a Book of Memories
Using family photographs and quotes from her books, the author provides glimpses into her life.
Myers, Walter Dean. Bad Boy: a Memoir
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. How I Came to Be a Writer
Details the career of one writer from stories composed in grade school through first published pieces to novels written to date.
Nixon, Joan Lowery. The Making of a Writer
The author recalls events from her childhood that contributed to her development as a writer.
Nuwer, Hank. To the Young Writer: Nine Writers Talk About Their Craft
Nine writers, including a Hollywood screenwriter, a novelist, and a sportswriter, talk about their craft, including:
Angelo Pizzo: scripting for Hollywood -- Patrick O'Driscoll: covering the news -- Rebecca Kai Dotlich: the joy and tears of poetry -- Dale Ratermann: the sports world -- David Young: the craft of advertising -- Alanna Nash: reviewing the music -- Toyomi Igus: multicultural messages for readers of all ages -- Max Aguilera-Hellweg: a visual storyteller -- Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: the challenges of fiction .
Paulsen, Gary. The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer
The author recalls his experiences as a migrant laborer and carnival worker after he ran away from home at age sixteen.
Paulsen, Gary. Guts, or, How I Lived the Same as Brian Robeson
The author relates incidents in his life and how they inspired parts of his books about the character, Brian Robeson.
Paulsen, Gary. My Life in Dog Years
The author describes some of the dogs that have had special places in his life, including his first dog, Snowball, in the Philippines; Dirk, who protected him from bullies; and Cookie, who saved his life.
Peck, Richard. Anonymously Yours
The popular author describes how he grew up in Decatur, Illinois, went into teaching, and eventually became a writer, incorporating his earlier experiences into novels intended to reach and change young readers.
Spinelli, Jerry. Knots in My Yo-Yo String: the Autobiography of a Kid
This Italian-American Newbery Medalist presents a humorous account of his childhood and youth in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
Uchida, Yoshiko. The Invisible Thread
Children's author, Yoshiko Uchida, describes growing up in Berkeley, California, as a Nisei, second generation Japanese American, and her family's internment in a Nevada concentration camp during World War II.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Laura's Album: a Remembrance Scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Photographs and mementos accompany an account of the life and literary career of the author of the well-loved "Little House" books.
Zindel, Paul. The Pigman and Me
An account of Paul Zindel's teenage years on Staten Island, when his life was enriched by finding his own personal pigman, or mentor.
Yep, Laurence. The Lost Garden
The author describes how he grew up as a Chinese American in San Francisco and how he came to use his writing to celebrate his family and his ethnic heritage.
BASEBALL - Fiction Suggestions
All the Way Home, by Patricia Reilly Giff
In 1941, circumstances bring together Brick, a boy from New York's apple country, and Mariel, a young girl made shy by her bout with polio, and the two make a journey from Brooklyn back to help Brick's elderly neighbors save their apple crop and to help Mariel learn about her past.
New York: Delacorte, c2001, 169 p.
The Boy Who Saved Baseball, by John H. Ritter
The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato. (Lexile 660)
New York: Philomel Books, c2003, 216 p.
The Crazy Horse Electric Game, by Chris Crutcher
A high school athlete, frustrated at being disabled after an accident, runs away from home to Oakland, California, and is helped back to mental and physical health by a Black benefactor and the people in a special school where he enrolls.
(Lexile 870)
Greenwillow Books, copyright 1987, 215p.
Free Radical, by Claire Rudolf Murphy
In Fairbanks, Alaska, in the middle of the summer Little League baseball season, fifteen-year-old Luke is stunned when his mother confesses that she is wanted by the FBI for her role in the death of a student during an anti-Vietnam War protest thirty years ago. (Lexile 640)
New York: Clarion Books, 2002, 198 p.
Gold Dust, by Chris Lynch
In 1975, twelve-year-old Richard befriends Napolean, a Caribbean newcomer to his Catholic school, hoping that Napoleon will learn to love baseball and the Red Sox, and will win acceptance in the racially polarized Boston school. (Lexile 690)
New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, copyright 2000, 196 p.
High Heat, by Carl Deuker
When sophomore Shane Hunter's father is arrested for money laundering at his Lexus dealership, the star pitcher's life of affluence and private school begins to fall apart. (Lexile 620)
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003, 277 p.
Joey Pigza Loses Control, by Jack Gantos
Joey, who is still taking medication to keep him from getting too wired, goes to spend the summer with the hard-drinking father he has never known and tries to help the baseball team he coaches win the championship. (Lexile 800)
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, copyright 2000, 195 p.
Mickey & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure, by Dan Gutman
When Joe travels back in time to 1944, he meets the Milwaukee Chicks, one of the only all-female professional baseball teams in the history of the game. (Lexile 630)
New York: HarperCollins, 2003, 160 p.
My Thirteenth Season, by Kristi Roberts
Already downhearted due to the loss of her mother and her father's overwhelming grief, thirteen-year-old Fran decides to give up her dream of becoming the first female in professional baseball after a coach attacks her just for being a girl.
New York: Henry Holt, 2005, 154 p.
Out Standing in My Field, by Patrick Jennings
Although fifth-grader Ty Cutter is named after baseball great Ty Cobb, he is the worst player on the Brewer's team--which happens to be coached by his overly-competitive father. (Lexile 730)
New York: Scholastic Press, c2005, 165 p.
Ruby Tuesday, by Jennifer Anne Kogler
The 1988 World Series win by the Los Angeles Dodgers sets off a chain of life-changing events for thirteen-year-old Ruby Tuesday as she travels to Las Vegas and learns some surprising truths about her family members and their careers as gamblers and musicians.
New York: HarperCollins, 2005, 307 p.
The Speed of Light, by Ron Carlson
Twelve-year-old Larry spends the summer before junior high school with his best friends, Witt and Rafferty, playing different forms of baseball and discovering the secrets of the universe.
New York: HarperTempest, c2003, 280 p.
Stealing Home, by Matt Christopher; Text by Paul Mantell
Joey is sure he will not get along with the exchange student from Nicaragua who is staying with his family for a year, but they find common ground on the baseball field.
New York: Little, Brown, c2004, 144 p.
Stumptown Kid, by Carol Gorman and Ron J. Findley
In a small Iowa town in 1952, eleven-year-old Charlie Nebraska, whose father died in the Korean War, learns the meanings of both racism and heroism when he befriends a black man who had played baseball in the Negro Leagues.
Atlanta, Ga.: Peachtree, 2005, 224 p.
Summerland, by Michael Chabon
Ethan Feld, the worst baseball player in the history of the game, finds himself recruited by a 100-year-old scout to help a band of fairies triumph over an ancient enemy. (Lexile 950)
New York: Talk Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, 2002, 512 p.
The Truth About Twelve, by Theresa Martin Golding
Tremendously burdened by a secret guilt, twelve-year-old Lindy uses her skill at baseball to help her cope with a new school, scornful classmates, and complicated family problems.
Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds Mills Press, 2004, 171 p.
In 1941, circumstances bring together Brick, a boy from New York's apple country, and Mariel, a young girl made shy by her bout with polio, and the two make a journey from Brooklyn back to help Brick's elderly neighbors save their apple crop and to help Mariel learn about her past.
New York: Delacorte, c2001, 169 p.
The Boy Who Saved Baseball, by John H. Ritter
The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato. (Lexile 660)
New York: Philomel Books, c2003, 216 p.
The Crazy Horse Electric Game, by Chris Crutcher
A high school athlete, frustrated at being disabled after an accident, runs away from home to Oakland, California, and is helped back to mental and physical health by a Black benefactor and the people in a special school where he enrolls.
(Lexile 870)
Greenwillow Books, copyright 1987, 215p.
Free Radical, by Claire Rudolf Murphy
In Fairbanks, Alaska, in the middle of the summer Little League baseball season, fifteen-year-old Luke is stunned when his mother confesses that she is wanted by the FBI for her role in the death of a student during an anti-Vietnam War protest thirty years ago. (Lexile 640)
New York: Clarion Books, 2002, 198 p.
Gold Dust, by Chris Lynch
In 1975, twelve-year-old Richard befriends Napolean, a Caribbean newcomer to his Catholic school, hoping that Napoleon will learn to love baseball and the Red Sox, and will win acceptance in the racially polarized Boston school. (Lexile 690)
New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, copyright 2000, 196 p.
High Heat, by Carl Deuker
When sophomore Shane Hunter's father is arrested for money laundering at his Lexus dealership, the star pitcher's life of affluence and private school begins to fall apart. (Lexile 620)
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003, 277 p.
Joey Pigza Loses Control, by Jack Gantos
Joey, who is still taking medication to keep him from getting too wired, goes to spend the summer with the hard-drinking father he has never known and tries to help the baseball team he coaches win the championship. (Lexile 800)
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, copyright 2000, 195 p.
Mickey & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure, by Dan Gutman
When Joe travels back in time to 1944, he meets the Milwaukee Chicks, one of the only all-female professional baseball teams in the history of the game. (Lexile 630)
New York: HarperCollins, 2003, 160 p.
My Thirteenth Season, by Kristi Roberts
Already downhearted due to the loss of her mother and her father's overwhelming grief, thirteen-year-old Fran decides to give up her dream of becoming the first female in professional baseball after a coach attacks her just for being a girl.
New York: Henry Holt, 2005, 154 p.
Out Standing in My Field, by Patrick Jennings
Although fifth-grader Ty Cutter is named after baseball great Ty Cobb, he is the worst player on the Brewer's team--which happens to be coached by his overly-competitive father. (Lexile 730)
New York: Scholastic Press, c2005, 165 p.
Ruby Tuesday, by Jennifer Anne Kogler
The 1988 World Series win by the Los Angeles Dodgers sets off a chain of life-changing events for thirteen-year-old Ruby Tuesday as she travels to Las Vegas and learns some surprising truths about her family members and their careers as gamblers and musicians.
New York: HarperCollins, 2005, 307 p.
The Speed of Light, by Ron Carlson
Twelve-year-old Larry spends the summer before junior high school with his best friends, Witt and Rafferty, playing different forms of baseball and discovering the secrets of the universe.
New York: HarperTempest, c2003, 280 p.
Stealing Home, by Matt Christopher; Text by Paul Mantell
Joey is sure he will not get along with the exchange student from Nicaragua who is staying with his family for a year, but they find common ground on the baseball field.
New York: Little, Brown, c2004, 144 p.
Stumptown Kid, by Carol Gorman and Ron J. Findley
In a small Iowa town in 1952, eleven-year-old Charlie Nebraska, whose father died in the Korean War, learns the meanings of both racism and heroism when he befriends a black man who had played baseball in the Negro Leagues.
Atlanta, Ga.: Peachtree, 2005, 224 p.
Summerland, by Michael Chabon
Ethan Feld, the worst baseball player in the history of the game, finds himself recruited by a 100-year-old scout to help a band of fairies triumph over an ancient enemy. (Lexile 950)
New York: Talk Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, 2002, 512 p.
The Truth About Twelve, by Theresa Martin Golding
Tremendously burdened by a secret guilt, twelve-year-old Lindy uses her skill at baseball to help her cope with a new school, scornful classmates, and complicated family problems.
Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds Mills Press, 2004, 171 p.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominees for 2005-2006
Here are summaries of the 25 titles nominated for this year's award, along with links to author sites, when available.
The Secret School, by Avi
In 1925, fourteen-year-old Ida Bidson secretly takes over as the teacher when the one-room schoolhouse in her remote Colorado area closes unexpectedly.
AVI web site:
http://www.avi-writer.com/
Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett
When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Interview with author BLUE BALLIETT:
http://www.bookpage.com/0406bp/blue_balliett.html
Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism, by Georgia Byng
Unlucky and unloved, Molly Moon, living in a dreary orphanage in a small English town, discovers a hidden talent for hypnotism and hypnotizes her way to stardom in New York City.
GEORGIA BYNG web site:
http://www.harperchildrens.com/authorintro/index.asp?authorid=24912
Meet MOLLY MOON web site:
http://www.meetmollymoon.com/
Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy.
Biography of SUZANNE COLLLINS:
http://www2.scholastic.com/teachers/authorsandbooks/authorstudies/authorhome.jhtml?authorID=6004&collateralID=12653&displayName=Biography
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, by Sharon Creech
With the help of her wise old grandmother, twelve-year-old Rosie manages to work out some problems in her relationship with her best friend, Bailey, the boy next door.
SHARON CREECH web site:
http://www.sharoncreech.com/index.html
United Tates of America, by Paula Danziger
Eleven-year-old aspiring artist Skate experiences many changes in her life when she enters middle school. She finds her best friend drifing away from her, and she loses her beloved great uncle.
ABOUT PAULA DANZIGER:
http://www.scholastic.com/titles/paula/index.htm
AUTHOR PROFILE: PAULA DANZIGER:
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-danziger-paula.asp
Once Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris
A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.
JEAN FERRIS web site:
http://www.jeanferris.com/bio.htm
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.
NEIL GAIMAN web site:
http://www.neilgaiman.com/
REVIEW of CORALINE:
http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/0380977788.asp
All the Way Home, by Patricia Reilly Giff
In 1941, circumstances bring together Brick, a boy from New York's apple country, and Mariel, a young girl made shy by her bout with polio, and the two make a journey from Brooklyn back to help Brick's elderly neighbors save their apple crop and to help Mariel learn about her past.
PATRICIA REILLY GIFF web site:
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/patriciareillygiff/
Working Like a Dog: the Story of Working Dogs Through History, by Gena K. Gorrell
ABOUT THE BOOK:
http://www.tundrabooks.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780887765896#bio
Because of Anya, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
While ten-year-old Anya faces the difficulties of losing her hair to alopecia, her classmate Keely learns how to stand up for what she knows is right.
Hana's Suitcase: a True Story, by Karen Levine
A biography of a Czech girl who died in the Holocaust, told in alternating chapters with an account of how the curator of a Japanese Holocaust center learned about her life after Hana's suitcase was sent to her.
Travel Team, by Mike Lupica
After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to national prominence--twelve-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory.
REVIEW of TRAVEL TEAM:
http://aol.teenreads.com/reviews/0399241507.asp
Belle Teal, by Ann M. Martin
Belle Teal Harper is from a poor family in the country, and beginning fifth-grade is a challenge as her grandmother's memory is slipping away, her brother and father are fighting again, and she becomes involved with the two new children in her class.
About ANN M. MARTIN:
http://www.scholastic.com/annmartin/bio.htm
Half and Half, by Lensey Namioka
At Seattle's annual Folk Fest, twelve-year-old Fiona and her older brother are torn between trying to please their Chinese grandmother and making their Scottish grandparents happy.
LENSEY NAMIOKA web site:
http://www.lensey.com/home.html
Ruby Electric, Theresa Nelson
Twelve-year-old Ruby Miller, movie buff and aspiring screen writer, tries to resolve the mysteries surrounding her little brother's stuffed woolly mammoth and their father's five year absence.
THERESA NELSON web site:
http://www.theresanelson.net/
Storm-Blast, by Curtis Parkinson
A day of snorkeling turns to horror as a sudden storm strands three teenagers in the Caribbean.
Trouble Don't Last, by Shelley Pearsall
Samuel, an eleven-year-old Kentucky slave, and Harrison, the elderly slave who helped raise him, attempt to escape to Canada via the Underground Railroad. Eleven-year-old Samuel was born as Master Hackler's slave, and working the Kentucky farm is the only life he's ever known, until one dark night in 1859, that is. With no warning, cranky old Harrison, a fellow slave, pulls Samuel from his bed and, together, they run. The journey north seems much more frightening than Master Hackler ever was, and Samuel's not sure what freedom means aside from running, hiding, and starving. But as they move from one refuge to the next on the Underground Railroad, Samuel uncovers the secret of his own past, and future. And old Harrison begins to see past a whole lifetime of hurt to the promise of a new life7and a poignant reunion, in Canada. In a heartbreaking and hopeful first novel, Shelley Pearsall tells a suspenseful, emotionally charged story of freedom and family. Trouble Don't Last includes a historical note and map.
SHELLEY PEARSALL web site:
http://www.shelleypearsall.com/
Stuart's Cape, by Sara Pennypacker
Bored because there is nothing to do in the house to which his family has just moved and worried about starting third grade in a new school, Stuart makes a magical cape out of his uncle's ties and has a series of adventures.
I, Freddy: Book One in the Golden Hamster Saga, by by Dietlof Reiche ; translated by John Brownjohn ; illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Freddy is dissatisfied with his monotonous treadmill life at the pet store. He endures countless indignities in order to get himself adopted so he can lead a more civilized life--a life befitting a golden hamster. After encountering a tomcat and two guinea pigs who speak in Shakespearean couplets, Freddy teaches himself to read and write on a computer. He then pens an autobiography about his journey out of captivity and towards self-improvement.
The Boy Who Saved Baseball, by John H. Ritter
The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato.
JOHN H. RITTER web site:
http://www.johnhritter.com/
The Freedom Trail Mystery, by Nancy Speck
While at summer field hockey camp in Boston, Maine natives Serena Marlowe and Carly Heiser stumble upon an unusual thief who is stealing historical artifacts from Boston's Revolutionary War days. Their pointed guidebook and a map of Boston are included.
Loser, by Jerry Spinelli
Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.
About JERRY SPINELLI
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-spinelli-jerry.asp
Niagara Falls, or Does It?, by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Fourth-graders Hank, Ashley, and Frankie are excitedly preparing for a magic show at the Rock 'N Bowl when Hank's creative alternative to an English essay lands him in detention and grounded the week of the show.
Locomotion, by Jacqueline Woodson
In a series of poems, eleven-year-old Lonnie writes about his life, after the death of his parents, separated from his younger sister, living in a foster home, and finding his poetic voice at school.
JACQUELINE WOODSON web site:
http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/
The Secret School, by Avi
In 1925, fourteen-year-old Ida Bidson secretly takes over as the teacher when the one-room schoolhouse in her remote Colorado area closes unexpectedly.
AVI web site:
http://www.avi-writer.com/
Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett
When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Interview with author BLUE BALLIETT:
http://www.bookpage.com/0406bp/blue_balliett.html
Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism, by Georgia Byng
Unlucky and unloved, Molly Moon, living in a dreary orphanage in a small English town, discovers a hidden talent for hypnotism and hypnotizes her way to stardom in New York City.
GEORGIA BYNG web site:
http://www.harperchildrens.com/authorintro/index.asp?authorid=24912
Meet MOLLY MOON web site:
http://www.meetmollymoon.com/
Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy.
Biography of SUZANNE COLLLINS:
http://www2.scholastic.com/teachers/authorsandbooks/authorstudies/authorhome.jhtml?authorID=6004&collateralID=12653&displayName=Biography
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, by Sharon Creech
With the help of her wise old grandmother, twelve-year-old Rosie manages to work out some problems in her relationship with her best friend, Bailey, the boy next door.
SHARON CREECH web site:
http://www.sharoncreech.com/index.html
United Tates of America, by Paula Danziger
Eleven-year-old aspiring artist Skate experiences many changes in her life when she enters middle school. She finds her best friend drifing away from her, and she loses her beloved great uncle.
ABOUT PAULA DANZIGER:
http://www.scholastic.com/titles/paula/index.htm
AUTHOR PROFILE: PAULA DANZIGER:
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-danziger-paula.asp
Once Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris
A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.
JEAN FERRIS web site:
http://www.jeanferris.com/bio.htm
Coraline, by Neil Gaiman
Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.
NEIL GAIMAN web site:
http://www.neilgaiman.com/
REVIEW of CORALINE:
http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/0380977788.asp
All the Way Home, by Patricia Reilly Giff
In 1941, circumstances bring together Brick, a boy from New York's apple country, and Mariel, a young girl made shy by her bout with polio, and the two make a journey from Brooklyn back to help Brick's elderly neighbors save their apple crop and to help Mariel learn about her past.
PATRICIA REILLY GIFF web site:
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/patriciareillygiff/
Working Like a Dog: the Story of Working Dogs Through History, by Gena K. Gorrell
ABOUT THE BOOK:
http://www.tundrabooks.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780887765896#bio
Because of Anya, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
While ten-year-old Anya faces the difficulties of losing her hair to alopecia, her classmate Keely learns how to stand up for what she knows is right.
Hana's Suitcase: a True Story, by Karen Levine
A biography of a Czech girl who died in the Holocaust, told in alternating chapters with an account of how the curator of a Japanese Holocaust center learned about her life after Hana's suitcase was sent to her.
Travel Team, by Mike Lupica
After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to national prominence--twelve-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory.
REVIEW of TRAVEL TEAM:
http://aol.teenreads.com/reviews/0399241507.asp
Belle Teal, by Ann M. Martin
Belle Teal Harper is from a poor family in the country, and beginning fifth-grade is a challenge as her grandmother's memory is slipping away, her brother and father are fighting again, and she becomes involved with the two new children in her class.
About ANN M. MARTIN:
http://www.scholastic.com/annmartin/bio.htm
Half and Half, by Lensey Namioka
At Seattle's annual Folk Fest, twelve-year-old Fiona and her older brother are torn between trying to please their Chinese grandmother and making their Scottish grandparents happy.
LENSEY NAMIOKA web site:
http://www.lensey.com/home.html
Ruby Electric, Theresa Nelson
Twelve-year-old Ruby Miller, movie buff and aspiring screen writer, tries to resolve the mysteries surrounding her little brother's stuffed woolly mammoth and their father's five year absence.
THERESA NELSON web site:
http://www.theresanelson.net/
Storm-Blast, by Curtis Parkinson
A day of snorkeling turns to horror as a sudden storm strands three teenagers in the Caribbean.
Trouble Don't Last, by Shelley Pearsall
Samuel, an eleven-year-old Kentucky slave, and Harrison, the elderly slave who helped raise him, attempt to escape to Canada via the Underground Railroad. Eleven-year-old Samuel was born as Master Hackler's slave, and working the Kentucky farm is the only life he's ever known, until one dark night in 1859, that is. With no warning, cranky old Harrison, a fellow slave, pulls Samuel from his bed and, together, they run. The journey north seems much more frightening than Master Hackler ever was, and Samuel's not sure what freedom means aside from running, hiding, and starving. But as they move from one refuge to the next on the Underground Railroad, Samuel uncovers the secret of his own past, and future. And old Harrison begins to see past a whole lifetime of hurt to the promise of a new life7and a poignant reunion, in Canada. In a heartbreaking and hopeful first novel, Shelley Pearsall tells a suspenseful, emotionally charged story of freedom and family. Trouble Don't Last includes a historical note and map.
SHELLEY PEARSALL web site:
http://www.shelleypearsall.com/
Stuart's Cape, by Sara Pennypacker
Bored because there is nothing to do in the house to which his family has just moved and worried about starting third grade in a new school, Stuart makes a magical cape out of his uncle's ties and has a series of adventures.
I, Freddy: Book One in the Golden Hamster Saga, by by Dietlof Reiche ; translated by John Brownjohn ; illustrated by Joe Cepeda
Freddy is dissatisfied with his monotonous treadmill life at the pet store. He endures countless indignities in order to get himself adopted so he can lead a more civilized life--a life befitting a golden hamster. After encountering a tomcat and two guinea pigs who speak in Shakespearean couplets, Freddy teaches himself to read and write on a computer. He then pens an autobiography about his journey out of captivity and towards self-improvement.
The Boy Who Saved Baseball, by John H. Ritter
The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato.
JOHN H. RITTER web site:
http://www.johnhritter.com/
The Freedom Trail Mystery, by Nancy Speck
While at summer field hockey camp in Boston, Maine natives Serena Marlowe and Carly Heiser stumble upon an unusual thief who is stealing historical artifacts from Boston's Revolutionary War days. Their pointed guidebook and a map of Boston are included.
Loser, by Jerry Spinelli
Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.
About JERRY SPINELLI
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-spinelli-jerry.asp
Niagara Falls, or Does It?, by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Fourth-graders Hank, Ashley, and Frankie are excitedly preparing for a magic show at the Rock 'N Bowl when Hank's creative alternative to an English essay lands him in detention and grounded the week of the show.
Locomotion, by Jacqueline Woodson
In a series of poems, eleven-year-old Lonnie writes about his life, after the death of his parents, separated from his younger sister, living in a foster home, and finding his poetic voice at school.
JACQUELINE WOODSON web site:
http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Challenged and Banned Books
"It's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers." -- Judy Blume
Censorship refers to the act of examining books, plays, videos, or other materials in order to suppress parts thought to be objectionable on moral, political, or other grounds. The issue is of particular importance to young readers, as a majority of challenges reported each year are to books, videos or other materials in schools or school libraries. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict material, based on the objections of a person or group, and is much more than an expression of an individual's or group's point of view; rather, it is an attempt to remove material from either the curriculum or the library, and as a result, threatens to restrict the access of others. A banning is the actual removal of the material from the classroom or library. (Source: American Library Association http://www.ala.org/bbooks/challeng.html)
Want to learn more? Visit the links below:
The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 (How many have you read?)
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm
Banned Book Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm
Established by the American Library Association in 1982 and observed annually during the last week in September, Banned Book Week serves as a reminder of the importance of our freedom to read. Visit this ALA site first to learn more about issues relating to censorship.
Banned Books and Censorship: Information and Resources
http://libraries.luc.edu/about/exhibits/banned/index.shtml
Censored, by George Suttle
http://GeorgeSuttle.com/censorship/censors-all.shtml
This site features loads of links to general resources, information about censorship of books and other media, free expression and U.S. law, and much more.
The Censorship Pages
http://www.booksatoz.com/censorship/
This site, created and maintained by Books AtoZ, features extensive links to articles, information and quotations about censorship.
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression
(Who received this year's Jefferson Muzzles?)
http://www.tjcenter.org/
ARTICLES ABOUT CENSORSHIP
Common Sense and Censorship: Thoughts About Young Adult Literature, by Kelly Burgess
http://teenagerstoday.com/resources/articles/censorship.htm
"Other Days, Other Ways: American Book Censorship 1918-1945", by James J. Martin, originally published in THE JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL REVIEW, vol. 10: no. 2, pp. 133-141.
http://ihr.org/jhr/v10/v10p133_Martin.html
QUOTATIONS ABOUT CENSORSHIP
Anti-Censorship Page: Quotes on Freedom of Speech and Censorship
http://cgd.best.vwh.net/home/anticens.htm
Nonstop English: Quotations about Censorship
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/reading/quotations/k_Censorship.asp
Welcome to the Quote Garden! Quotations about Censorship
http://www.quotegarden.com/censorship.html
Censorship refers to the act of examining books, plays, videos, or other materials in order to suppress parts thought to be objectionable on moral, political, or other grounds. The issue is of particular importance to young readers, as a majority of challenges reported each year are to books, videos or other materials in schools or school libraries. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict material, based on the objections of a person or group, and is much more than an expression of an individual's or group's point of view; rather, it is an attempt to remove material from either the curriculum or the library, and as a result, threatens to restrict the access of others. A banning is the actual removal of the material from the classroom or library. (Source: American Library Association http://www.ala.org/bbooks/challeng.html)
Want to learn more? Visit the links below:
The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 (How many have you read?)
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm
Banned Book Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm
Established by the American Library Association in 1982 and observed annually during the last week in September, Banned Book Week serves as a reminder of the importance of our freedom to read. Visit this ALA site first to learn more about issues relating to censorship.
Banned Books and Censorship: Information and Resources
http://libraries.luc.edu/about/exhibits/banned/index.shtml
Censored, by George Suttle
http://GeorgeSuttle.com/censorship/censors-all.shtml
This site features loads of links to general resources, information about censorship of books and other media, free expression and U.S. law, and much more.
The Censorship Pages
http://www.booksatoz.com/censorship/
This site, created and maintained by Books AtoZ, features extensive links to articles, information and quotations about censorship.
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression
(Who received this year's Jefferson Muzzles?)
http://www.tjcenter.org/
ARTICLES ABOUT CENSORSHIP
Common Sense and Censorship: Thoughts About Young Adult Literature, by Kelly Burgess
http://teenagerstoday.com/resources/articles/censorship.htm
"Other Days, Other Ways: American Book Censorship 1918-1945", by James J. Martin, originally published in THE JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL REVIEW, vol. 10: no. 2, pp. 133-141.
http://ihr.org/jhr/v10/v10p133_Martin.html
QUOTATIONS ABOUT CENSORSHIP
Anti-Censorship Page: Quotes on Freedom of Speech and Censorship
http://cgd.best.vwh.net/home/anticens.htm
Nonstop English: Quotations about Censorship
http://www.nonstopenglish.com/reading/quotations/k_Censorship.asp
Welcome to the Quote Garden! Quotations about Censorship
http://www.quotegarden.com/censorship.html
Monday, May 09, 2005
Get Graphic! Engage Student Readers With Graphic Novels
Graphic novels, which integrate high-quality sequential art and well-written and engaging text, are an effective way to foster students' enjoyment of reading. Highly popular with reluctant readers, graphic novels are also extremely helpful in the improvement of language and literacy development, as the illustrations offer important contextual clues that aid in students' understanding of the written narrative.
Here at the Collins Middle School Instructional Media Center, we have recently introduced a graphic novel and nonfiction book collection, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Foundation for Salem Public Education. Our collection features such classics as Shakespeare's MACBETH and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, GRAPHIC CLASSICS: MARK TWAIN and EDGAR ALLAN POE, and many terrific new fiction titles, as well as important nonfiction books and memoirs, including PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD, by Marjane Satrapi, and MAUS: A SURVIVOR'S TALE, by Art Spiegelman. Response to this new collection by both students and teachers has been extremely positive. This year's summer reading list will include graphic novels among the many choices available to students.
Looking for more information about graphic novels, and ways to incorporate them into your curriculum? These resources may be helpful:
"A Novel Approach: Using Graphic Novels to Attract Reluctant Readers", by Philip Crawford, LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION, Feb. 2004.
http://www.linworth.com/PDF/LMC_Feb04_Crawford.pdf
This article offers an excellent introduction to graphic novels and the ways in which teachers can use them to motivate reluctant readers and develop students' language and literacy skills. It also includes an annotated list of recommended titles, including grade-level suggestions.
Thought Bubbles, by Philip Crawford
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/kqreviews/crawford/thoughtbubbles.htm
These terrific bimonthly articles about all aspects of graphic novels and nonfiction works, incorporating them in the classroom, and using them to motivate readers and develop literacy skills, should be considered essential reading.
No Flying, No Tights
http://www.noflyingnotights.com/
This terrific site, created and maintained by Robin Brenner, features annotated lists of recommended graphic novels organized by type (picture and chapter books) and genre (superheroes, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, action and adventure, humor, and realism), as well as recommended nonfiction titles, for kids ("Sidekicks"), teens ("No Flying, No Tights"), and older teens and adults ("The Lair").
Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries, selected and annotated by Steve Raiteri.
http://my.voyager.net/~sraiteri/graphicnovels.htm
This article includes an extensive list of recommended superhero, science fiction, fantasy, comedy and Japanese Manga titles.
"Spotlight on Graphic Novels". Booklist. March 15, 2005.
This issue features articles, annotated title lists, and the "Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth". If you're just beginning to build your library's graphic novel collection, this resource will be invaluable as you get started.
Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud. NY: HarperCollins, 1993.
Anyone interested in learning more about the history of comics - "juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer" - as well as how they are created, read, and understood, should begin his research with McCloud's wonderfully accessible book, written, of course, in comic book-style. To learn more about the author and his work, visit his web site:
http://www.scottmccloud.com/
Here at the Collins Middle School Instructional Media Center, we have recently introduced a graphic novel and nonfiction book collection, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Foundation for Salem Public Education. Our collection features such classics as Shakespeare's MACBETH and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, GRAPHIC CLASSICS: MARK TWAIN and EDGAR ALLAN POE, and many terrific new fiction titles, as well as important nonfiction books and memoirs, including PERSEPOLIS: THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD, by Marjane Satrapi, and MAUS: A SURVIVOR'S TALE, by Art Spiegelman. Response to this new collection by both students and teachers has been extremely positive. This year's summer reading list will include graphic novels among the many choices available to students.
Looking for more information about graphic novels, and ways to incorporate them into your curriculum? These resources may be helpful:
"A Novel Approach: Using Graphic Novels to Attract Reluctant Readers", by Philip Crawford, LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION, Feb. 2004.
http://www.linworth.com/PDF/LMC_Feb04_Crawford.pdf
This article offers an excellent introduction to graphic novels and the ways in which teachers can use them to motivate reluctant readers and develop students' language and literacy skills. It also includes an annotated list of recommended titles, including grade-level suggestions.
Thought Bubbles, by Philip Crawford
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/kqreviews/crawford/thoughtbubbles.htm
These terrific bimonthly articles about all aspects of graphic novels and nonfiction works, incorporating them in the classroom, and using them to motivate readers and develop literacy skills, should be considered essential reading.
No Flying, No Tights
http://www.noflyingnotights.com/
This terrific site, created and maintained by Robin Brenner, features annotated lists of recommended graphic novels organized by type (picture and chapter books) and genre (superheroes, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, action and adventure, humor, and realism), as well as recommended nonfiction titles, for kids ("Sidekicks"), teens ("No Flying, No Tights"), and older teens and adults ("The Lair").
Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries, selected and annotated by Steve Raiteri.
http://my.voyager.net/~sraiteri/graphicnovels.htm
This article includes an extensive list of recommended superhero, science fiction, fantasy, comedy and Japanese Manga titles.
"Spotlight on Graphic Novels". Booklist. March 15, 2005.
This issue features articles, annotated title lists, and the "Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth". If you're just beginning to build your library's graphic novel collection, this resource will be invaluable as you get started.
Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud. NY: HarperCollins, 1993.
Anyone interested in learning more about the history of comics - "juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer" - as well as how they are created, read, and understood, should begin his research with McCloud's wonderfully accessible book, written, of course, in comic book-style. To learn more about the author and his work, visit his web site:
http://www.scottmccloud.com/
Sunday, April 03, 2005
April is Poetry Month
"Poetry: the best words in the best order." -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Celebrate Poetry Month! Learn more about this wonderful art form, and find a poem that inspires or motivates you, by visiting the links below.
American Literature: Poetry
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761596671/American_Literature_Poetry.html
Read this informative article to learn about the origins, development and different forms of American poetry, from the 1600s to the present.
National Poetry Month
http://www.poets.org/npm/
http://www.poets.org/npm/faq.cfm#1 (FAQs about National Poetry Month)
The Academy of American Poets: Find a Poet
http://www.poets.org/poets/index.cfm
Search the Academy's growing database (it currently includes more than 450 poets) for biographies, photos, and other information.
The Academy of American Poets: Find a Poem
http://www.poets.org/poems/search.cfm
Search the Academy's companion database of poems (1,200 and growing) by keyword for poem text, or browse lists of titles and/or first lines.
Slam Poetry
http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Slam_poetry
Poetry? A competitive event? Learn more about this form of performance poetry, in which the delivery is as important as the quality of the poetry itself.
Background on Slam Poetry
http://www.slamnation.com/info/backgrnd.htm
Read about the history of the Poetry Slam as a competitive performance event, and learn the rules, too, by reading this brief article, and checking out some of the links available at this site.
SITES FOR TEACHERS
Teach Now! National Poetry Month
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/k_2theme/poetry.htm
Education World: Poetry Month
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/poetrymonth.shtml
Modern American Poetry
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/index.htm
Poetry Forms and Terminology
http://thewordshop.tripod.com/forms.html
Glossary of Poetic Terms
http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display_rpo/terminology.cfm#acrostic
FAVORITE POETS
Shel Silverstein
http://shelsilverstein.com/html/home.html
Edward Lear
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/lear.htm
Selected Poetry of Edward Lear (1812-1888)
http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poet200.html
Dr. Seuss: Seussville
http://www.seussville.com/
The Academy of American Poets: Robert Frost
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=196
Emily Dickinson: The Complete Poems
http://www.bartleby.com/113/
Modern American Poetry: Emily Dickinson's Life
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dickinson/bio.htm
Nobelprize.org: T. S. Eliot
http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/1948/eliot-bio.html
Modern American Poetry: T. S. Eliot's Life and Career
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/eliot/life.htm
The Literature Network: William Shakespeare
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/
Visitors to this site will find a biography of Shakespeare, and links to the full text of his tragedies, histories, comedies, and selected poetry.
Shakespeare of Stratford
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/
"Search Oxford Shakespeare"
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/shakespeare/poetry/
Langston Hughes
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/hughes.htm
Celebrate Poetry Month! Learn more about this wonderful art form, and find a poem that inspires or motivates you, by visiting the links below.
American Literature: Poetry
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761596671/American_Literature_Poetry.html
Read this informative article to learn about the origins, development and different forms of American poetry, from the 1600s to the present.
National Poetry Month
http://www.poets.org/npm/
http://www.poets.org/npm/faq.cfm#1 (FAQs about National Poetry Month)
The Academy of American Poets: Find a Poet
http://www.poets.org/poets/index.cfm
Search the Academy's growing database (it currently includes more than 450 poets) for biographies, photos, and other information.
The Academy of American Poets: Find a Poem
http://www.poets.org/poems/search.cfm
Search the Academy's companion database of poems (1,200 and growing) by keyword for poem text, or browse lists of titles and/or first lines.
Slam Poetry
http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Slam_poetry
Poetry? A competitive event? Learn more about this form of performance poetry, in which the delivery is as important as the quality of the poetry itself.
Background on Slam Poetry
http://www.slamnation.com/info/backgrnd.htm
Read about the history of the Poetry Slam as a competitive performance event, and learn the rules, too, by reading this brief article, and checking out some of the links available at this site.
SITES FOR TEACHERS
Teach Now! National Poetry Month
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/k_2theme/poetry.htm
Education World: Poetry Month
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/poetrymonth.shtml
Modern American Poetry
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/index.htm
Poetry Forms and Terminology
http://thewordshop.tripod.com/forms.html
Glossary of Poetic Terms
http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display_rpo/terminology.cfm#acrostic
FAVORITE POETS
Shel Silverstein
http://shelsilverstein.com/html/home.html
Edward Lear
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/lear.htm
Selected Poetry of Edward Lear (1812-1888)
http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poet200.html
Dr. Seuss: Seussville
http://www.seussville.com/
The Academy of American Poets: Robert Frost
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=196
Emily Dickinson: The Complete Poems
http://www.bartleby.com/113/
Modern American Poetry: Emily Dickinson's Life
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dickinson/bio.htm
Nobelprize.org: T. S. Eliot
http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/1948/eliot-bio.html
Modern American Poetry: T. S. Eliot's Life and Career
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/eliot/life.htm
The Literature Network: William Shakespeare
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/
Visitors to this site will find a biography of Shakespeare, and links to the full text of his tragedies, histories, comedies, and selected poetry.
Shakespeare of Stratford
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/
"Search Oxford Shakespeare"
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/shakespeare/poetry/
Langston Hughes
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/hughes.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)