Spring has arrived and with it a new crop of exciting young adult fiction. In this issue, discover Joyce Adams Burner’s top picks of the season, along with some perfect-for-Earth-Day titles on naturalists. Favorite Canadian authors and an interview with Shenaaz Nanji round out our offerings. Dig in.

Daryl Grabarek
Editor, Curriculum Connections
dgrabarek@reedbusiness.com

What's New

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  Fresh Picks for Spring Reading
  Surprisingly original characters crop up in this spring’s new young adult novels. In circumstances comic or tragic, facing physical peril or personal crisis, these protagonists speak with refreshingly clear and honest voices, and are sure to enliven class discussions and reading. more » » » 
  Related TeachingBooks.net resources » » »

Nick's Picks

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  Nick's Picks
  In this month’s Nick’s Picks, I highlight a few favorite Canadian authors and related online resources. I hope these multimedia materials connect you to these titles in fun, meaningful ways and prompt you to consider integrating them throughout your curriculum. more » » » 

Interview

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  To Go Forward, We Must Understand the Past
  On August 6, 1972, President Idi Amin of Uganda had a dream: In it God told him to "expel all foreign Indians" from Uganda. Heeding this "message," Amin gave Indians 90 days to leave the country. In her first novel, Child of Dandelions (Front Street, 2008), Shenaaz Nanji opens with Amin's edict and traces these three life-altering months through the eyes of 15-year-old Sabine. more » » » 
  TeachingBooks.net resources on this interview » » »

Make These Curriculum Connections

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  Champions of the Earth
  Celebrate Earth Day (April 22) by introducing elementary students to imaginative, perceptive, and steadfast individuals who explored and observed the natural world, shared their passion for its wonders through paintings and prose, revealed the importance of protecting wild places, and spearheaded conservation efforts. Combining spectacular artwork with eloquent narrative, these books highlight the accomplishments of seven influential naturalists and provide inspiration for Earth’s future caretakers. more » » » 
  Related Teachingbooks.net Resources » » » 

Professional Shelf

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  Show and Tell
  The past half century has witnessed an extraordinary growth in the field of children’s book art. In the illuminating Show & Tell (Chronicle, 2008), Dilys Evans explores that development through the work of 12 distinguished artists. more » » »