INTERVIEW
 To Infinity and Beyond: An Interview with Buzz Aldrin
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, talks about his new book Look to the Stars (Putnam, 2009).
Was your new children’s book Look to the Stars a tribute to your dad?
Well, the book isn’t really a tribute to my father. Rather, it is a story by a guy—me—who became a celebrity who was placed on a pedestal. It all happened because I was in the right place at the right time and was fortunate to have a good education. I was also fortunate to come from a family who knew major names in space and air travel. Today, any kid leading an ordinary life will be able to experience space travel. more » » »
Blogs
- ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog
Elizabeth Bluemle, Co-owner, Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, Vt.
Store Newsletters: The (Mostly) Pros, and Cons
Every year, The Flying Pig creates a 16-page full-color newsletter (to be precise, it's a book-recommendation catalog, but we've always called it "the newsletter"). It's a mammoth project, c...
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- Bowllan's Blog
Amy Bowllan, The Hewitt School, New York
Writers Against Racism: PoCC Opening Ceremonies
I made it to Denver safely, and if you look closely at my picture, you'll see pain in my eyes. Carting my bags through the Denver airport was MOST challenging - time to invest in a...
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- NeverEndingSearch
Joyce Valenza Ph.D, High School Librarian,
My picks for the Eddies
You have till December 8th to get your own Edublog Award nominations out. More people are participating and I personally found decisions harder than ever to make this year. After a bit of soul...
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- A Fuse #8 Production
Elizabeth Bird, Children's Librarian, Children's Center at 42nd Street
Fusenews: Andre the Giant Has a Posse
SLJ kept me informed when the letters objecting vehemently to the November issue of the magazine started rolling in. By "rolling in" I of course mean "there were six". ...
more » » »
NEWS
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YALSA Unveils Five William C. Morris Award Finalists
A modern tale of star-crossed lovers, a story about a dead teen, and Cinderella with a twist are among the five books selected as finalists for the 2010 William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a previously unpublished author and is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).
The 2010 finalists are: Ash (Little, Brown) by Malinda Lo, a fairy tale about a girl's move from comfort to despair to true love with a little help from fairies and magic; Beautiful Creatures (Little, Brown) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, a Southern Gothic love story; The Everafter (HarperCollins) by Amy Huntley, about a dead teen who re-experiences certain times in her life; Flash Burnout (Houghton) by L. K. Madigan, which deals with family, teen romance, drug addiction, and friendship; and Hold Still (Penguin) by Nina LaCour, a story about starting over after a friend’s suicide. more » » »
 Gates Foundation Boosts Library Broadband Efforts
As demand for library Internet access continues to grow, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced two plans to help libraries improve broadband connections: one involves state broadband improvement plans; the other offers help with getting federal broadband stimulus funds.
Five states will get a total of nearly $3.4 million in grants to implement local broadband improvement plans, including upgraded connections and increased participation rates in the federal E-rate discount program. Arkansas, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia were selected, the Gates say, because of the large number of libraries needing high-speed Internet access. The state libraries of California and Texas, which also participated in the program, will be eligible for grants in early 2010. more » » »
REMARKABLE READS
 Social Justice
Youth-led social activism comes in many forms–knocking on doors to promote a cause, tackling human rights concerns, or even building a windmill. Tweens and teens are certainly capable of bringing positive change to their communities–they may just need a little push and support, and these titles will provide a great start. more » » »
LIBRARIAN'S INTERNET
 Winter Whimsy
www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/bells.htm
Winter Bells is engaging, kid-appropriate, visually stunning, and has wonderful original music. The premise of this charming online game is simple: use your mouse to make the rabbit jump and land on top of bells as they fall gently from the sky like big snowflakes. Each time the rabbit lands on a bell, you get points. The object of the game is to see how many points the rabbit can accumulate before it misses one and falls back to the ground, ending the game. more » » »
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JOB OF THE WEEK
Director
Schlow Centre Region Library
State College, PA
If you are a talented strategic thinker, library systems innovator and collaborative leader with public library management/administration experience, this may be the position for you! |
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