Newsletter 2413 Issue 2413200955111221

TECH TRENDS

• Get Ready for Scratch Day May 16
  Fans of Scratch—the free programming language designed for kids ages 8 and up—can bring their creations out to play during this year’s Scratch Day, set for May 16.
  
  For those unfamiliar with the freeware, think of Scratch as computer programming with training wheels and glittery tassels. The easy-to-download software is a project launched out of the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that links up music, animation, images, and other digital building blocks to create games and animated imagery. more » » » 

Blogs

• A Fuse #8 Production
  Elizabeth Bird, Children's Librarian, Children's Center at 42nd Street
  Fusenews: Info Bender
  I'll begin with being embarrassed. I don't know how I stayed mute about this before. I'm going to blame my lack of Fusenews. But basically, somehow I failed to mention to you guys ...
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• ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog
  Elizabeth Bluemle, Co-owner, Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, Vt.
  Rescued Treasures
  As booksellers, we see and hear it all the time: that gasp of recognition, the soft "Ohhh!," the excited "Oh my gosh!" when a grownup encounters a long-lost friend in the form of a...
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• Battle of the Kids' Books
  Battle Commander, ,
  Press Conference
  Welcome, everyone. Can you believe that just a few weeks ago we were all standing here waiting for the Battle to commence? And now it is almost time for the final two to have it out ...
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• A Fuse #8 Production
  Elizabeth Bird, Children's Librarian, Children's Center at 42nd Street
  Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results (#9)
  #9: Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (1928) 94 points (16 votes, #5, #2, #8, #7, #6, #3, #6, #5, #9, #2, #7, #3, #7, #3, #5, #5) Because when I read it as an adult, I was transported directly b...
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WATCH AND READ

• More Museum Mayhem
  Twentieth Century Fox follows up its popular Night at the Museum (2006) with an action-packed sequel featuring many of the same characters. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (PG), also directed by Shawn Levy, is scheduled for release in theaters on May 22, 2009, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Ben Stiller reprises his role as Larry Daley, the night guard at New York’s Museum of Natural History, who discovered an amazing secret in the first movie: due to the power of an ancient Egyptian tablet, the museum’s exhibits come to life at nightfall. more » » » 

NEWS

• Scrub Club Web site Hopes to Stem Swine Flu
  Swine flu has been reported in at least 17 U.S. cities and 11 countries—and concern is mounting as it continues to spread. Since we all know that hand washing is the first line of defense against all viruses, school is the perfect place to teach kids the correct way to do it.
  
  With so many youth at risk, you may want to introduce your students to Scrub Club, a Web site that offers an effective and fun way for kids to learn about the importance of hand washing to protect them against influenza. more » » » 
• Teen Substance Abuse Programs Help Curb Risky Sexual Behavior
  Sex and drugs—two hot issues when it comes to teens—have more in common than you think. A new study from the Rand Corporation says school-based drug education not only helps curb substance abuse—it also has a long-term positive impact on teens' sexual behavior.
  
  Researchers found that young adults who attended drug abuse prevention programs as adolescents were less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior five to seven years later, according to the report, “Long-Term Effects of Drug Prevention on Risky Sexual Behavior Among Young Adults.” more » » » 

HOT PICKS

• Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall
  BEARN, Emily. Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall. illus. by Nick Price. 454p. Little, Brown. 2009. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-02703-8. LC number unavailable.
  
  Gr 2-4–Rose Cottage is a modest abode "rife with clutter and chaos." But behind a broom-closet door, hidden by a heavy chest of drawers, lies a 36-room mansion, home to Tumtum and Nutmeg Nutmouse. more » » » 
• A Child Shall Lead Them: The Desegregation of Nashville Public Schools
  A Child Shall Lead Them: The Desegregation of Nashville Public Schools, 1957. DVD. 23 min. Filmakers Library. 2008. $99.
  
  Gr 8 Up–Three years after the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision which banned separate public school systems based on race, the public’s attention was riveted on the debacle occurring outside Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. more » » » 
• Music for Abraham Lincoln: Campaign Songs, Civil War Tunes, Laments for a President
  Music for Abraham Lincoln: Campaign Songs, Civil War Tunes, Laments for a President. CD. 60 min. Enslow Pubs. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7660-3635-2. $23.93.
  
  Gr 6 Up–Produced for the 2009 bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, this collection presents 17 songs that were either written for or about Lincoln or have a documented connection with him. more » » » 

JOB OF THE WEEK