Thinking of buying a new notebook computer? Then check out Jeff Hasting's video review of the hot new ultramobile PC (UMPC) from ASUS. It's so inexpensive and light, I'm thinking of splurging.
SLJ spoke to Printz Award-winning author, An Na (A Step From Heaven, Front Street, 2001), about her involvement with Fusion Stories and her new book, The Fold (Putnam, 2008).
As part of May’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month, 10 Asian authors have banded together to create Fusion Stories, a Web site that offers teens contemporary novels that move beyond traditional tales set in Asia or stories about coming to America for the first time. The Asian authors involved with this project range from brother and sister authors Paula and David Yoo, to Readergirlz creator Justina Chen Headley. read more...
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What Are They Reading for Fun?
This month it's contemporary classics in poetry, but there are also signs of spring in sports and nature reading choices.
Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL: My students don’t often look for poetry, but some booktalking of Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog (HarperCollins, 2001) and Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust (Scholastic, 1997) has generated waiting lists. They enjoyed comparing Ernest L. Thayer’s Casey at the Bat, illustrated by Christopher Bing (Handprint, 2000), with Dan Gutman’s Casey Back at Bat, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (HarperCollins, 2007). To celebrate spring, the younger kids want Alan Madison’s Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly (Random, 2007), and the older students love the surprise in Jeanne Willis’s Tadpole’s Promise (S & S, 2005).
Barbara O’Connor’s How to Steal a Dog (Farrar, 2007), Jane O’Connor’s “Fancy Nancy” books (HarperCollins), and Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” (Hyperion) are popular. read more...
School budgets may be disintegrating and college costs spiraling, but U.S. parents still have high hopes for little Susie and Johnny: According to a new federal report, 91 percent of parents expect their middle-to-high-school children to attend college or continue their education in some way.
"Parent Expectations and Planning for College", released by the National Center for Educational Statistics (nces.ed.gov), reports that nine in 10 students in grades six through 12, or about 91 percent, had parents who expected them to continue their education beyond high school. Of these students, 65 percent had parents who expected them to earn a bachelor's degree or higher, and 26 percent had parents who expected them to complete some postsecondary education. read more...
It’s still not too late to sign up for National Library Legislative Day, an annual event sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), which brings hundreds of library supporters to Washington, DC, to urge lawmakers to support libraries.
“It’s so important during an election year to have as many librarians as possible walking the halls of Congress,” says Melanie Anderson, ALA’s assistant director of the office of government relations. read more...
These titles bring Christian values to one real-life decision that most teenagers face: “Should I have sex, or not?” Pressure from boyfriends, jealousy, and alcohol abuse lead to a breakdown in values, but ultimately, each young woman finds that she must make the decision for herself, based on her own beliefs and convictions.
CARLSON, Melody. Deep Green: Color Me Jealous. NavPress. 2004. pap. $12.99. ISBN 978-1-57683-530-2. Gr 9 Up– Jordan jumps on the popular-girl track when she makes the cheerleading squad and leaves her old friends behind. read more...
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4–10 and National Teacher Day is May 6. Librarians are in a unique position to help kids find creative and thoughtful new ways to say “thanks” to their teachers. This site contains 65 ways to make teachers feel special. The main list contains suggestions for school administrators, but most can be used by librarians as well. There are also plenty of activities designed specifically for kids–just click on the elementary, middle school, and high school links in the yellow bar. There are even ideas for parents, art projects, and an adorable “I Love My Teacher” printable coloring page from Jan Brett. Take time this year to make Teacher Appreciation Week extra special! — Gail
Junion-Metz
Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon, is seeking a dynamic, service-oriented individual to direct the operations of the Central Library for this nationally recognized library system. The Central Library Director is responsible for directing, overseeing, and participating in the development of the Central Library's vision, goals, and objectives in alignment with the Library Department's vision. This position will work with other senior managers to coordinate and participate in the development of the Library Department's goals and work plan. It will also assign work and mentor four Central management team employees, who supervise various work units at the Central Library, and one administrative assistant. read more...
To see all positions available through the SLJ Career Center, click here...
SLJ spoke to Printz Award-winning author, An Na (A Step From Heaven, Front Street, 2001), about her involvement with Fusion Stories and her new book, The Fold (Putnam, 2008).
