Reviews of databases and more from School Library Journal
Become The Queen of the Curriculum By Shonda Brisco - 05/01/2009
If you've ever spent any time on the electronic discussion list LM_NET, you know that librarians are regularly seeking curriculum guides and lesson plans on everything from agriculture to zero-tolerance policies. Unfortunately, not all resources seem to be available…but then, maybe they're just not looking in the right place. More
Innovation in Libraries Explores Mobile Services Lauren Barack - 11/09/2009
From instant messaging to e-books, text referencing to cell phone search, libraries are serving up more mobile resources to patrons, helping to turn 24/7 services into more of a reality, according to speakers at the Innovation in Libraries event at the Queens Library in Flushing, NY, November 3.
More
Art Appreciation: SLJ reviews new resource Picturing Books By Shonda Brisco - 11/01/2009
Even though I love children's picture books, I almost always cringe when a high school art student asks me to help them locate examples of titles that use "woodcuts" or "wash." While I handle these books on a daily basis, I admit that I'm not as familiar with the original media used or the style displayed within the pages of these mini museums.
More
School Librarians Weigh in on Net Neutrality Lauren Barack - 10/26/2009
With the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) decision last week to consider how to protect—and regulate—the free nature of the Internet, the battle over Net neutrality went into high gear, and librarians, of course, were in the mix.
More
K12 Online Conference Goes Global Lauren Barack - 10/19/2009
Teachers, media specialists, and students around the world are gearing up for the 4th Annual K12 Online Conference—a chance for tech-savvy educators to virtually mingle and share, while those less familiar with Web 2.0 tools can learn about their use from the experts themselves.
More
The Best in Kids' Books—at Your Fingertips By Shonda Brisco - 10/01/2009
We've all had those days when a teacher runs into the library at the last minute, searching for a list of award-winning books—she wants all of the honored titles and not just the big awards—plus the reading and grade levels and genre for each. Your head spins, you completely forget the names of any of the awards, and to make matters worse, the teacher tells you that she'll be back ...
More
Web Site in a Rush: H1N1 threatening, EdReady goes up fast By Steve Hargadon - 10/01/2009
If a pandemic or other significant event made it difficult or impossible for your students, staff, or teachers to physically attend school, how would you make sure that communication and education still take place? This is the question looming for educational institutions nationwide, given the potential of the H1N1 virus to disrupt or even close schools this year.
More
Good Grammar Counts, Period: Resources for Teaching Grammar By Lauren Barack - 10/01/2009
Good grammar is important, but how do you inspire kids to watch their Ps and Qs (and commas and ellipses)? It’s easy, according to Jeff Rubin (pictured), who breaks into song, a little ditty called “Punctuation, Punctuation,” sung to the tune of “Frère Jacques.” That’s just one example of how to teach younger students the basics, he says.
More
Good Comics for Kids Brigid Alverson, Comics Journalist, School Library Journal October 9, 2008 Good Webcomics for Kids
Webcomics for children: Yes, they exist, and the overall quality seems to be higher t... More
Brian Unbound Brian Kenney, Editor in Chief, May 3, 2007 Does Print Still Matter?
Not to spoil the plot, but of course print still matters. But electronic content is c... More
2009 National Book Awards On the red carpet with nominees in the Young People's Literature category.
Photos by Rocco Staino.
SLJ Covers 2009 A bigger and better view of SLJ's covers from 2009
BookExpo America 2009: SLJ's Day of Dialog School Library Journal held a Day of Dialog in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America on May 28, 2009 at the Brooklyn Public Library. Full story: bit.ly/1a0G7o
Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (unabr.). 9 cassettes or 9 CDs. 11 hrs. Recorded Books (recordedbooks.com). 2009. cassette, ISBN 978-1-4407-3888-3: $67.75; CD, ISBN 978-1-4407-3892-0: $97.75. Gr 7 Up–Seventeen-year-old Jessica Packwood was adopted as an infant and raised in rural Lebanon County, PA, by a socially conscious vegan couple.
Celebrity decorator Evette Rios reads to enthusiastic second graders at the Brooklyn Brownstone School library as part of a First Book donation event. The Eight O' Clock Coffee brand and Candlewick Press are teaming up to contribute 20,000 books to children across the country through their partnership with First Book, an organization that provides new books to children in need.