The 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards were announced yesterday, and they’re "tales of restless spirits—a fledgling artist behind the Iron Curtain, a teen on a Spokane Indian reservation, a little girl on a big-city night, and a stranger in the strangest land." Figured them out yet? Press release here.
Racism. Sexism. Homophobia. They’re all still alive and well. But the Denmark-based Living Library hopes to combat prejudices and stereotypes by loaning real people—at 30 minute intervals. Think of a normal library—but instead of books, users borrow a Muslim, a transgender person, or a political refugee. The idea is the brainchild of Ronni Abergel, a Danish antiviolence campaigner, who has taken his Living Library to nearly two dozen countries, including Australia and Turkey. The good news is he’s heading back to the U.S. soon. If you're interested in having a Living Library session at your branch, take a look at his guide, "Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover."
How did you come up with such a fabulous idea?
It was in 2000, during our preparations for the Roskilde Festival [Denmark's largest annual music festival]. As founder of the Danish youth organization Stop the Violence, I wanted to do something that would make people see each other in a different light. We thought that if people who believed they where opposites actually sat down and talked to each other about their perceptions, then we could actually prevent a lot of violence among young people. We realized that through understanding comes tolerance and with tolerance for differences, it’s possible to achieve respect for diversity and engage people in the community. read more...
ADVERTISEMENT
What Are They Reading for Fun? Teen Edition
Aside from the titles on summer reading lists, kids are asking mainly for fiction.
Sharon Senser McKellar, Oakland Public Library, CA:
We're seeing a lot of Anne Schraff’s “Bluford High” books (Scholastic) borrowed by teens, while last summer they seemed more interested in adult urban fiction, such as Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever (2004) and Zane’s Addicted (2001, both Atria). We have our fair share of graphic novel fans who are into Tokyopop’s manga series; last year we saw more readers of Masashi Kishimoto’s “Naruto” series (Viz Media) and superhero comics. We've noticed a decrease in interest in Harry Potter (Scholastic) and other completed series, although Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” is still popular. Tween boys are happy to have Eagle, in Jeff Stone's “Five Ancestors” series (Random,
2008), while the girls are checking out Annie Bryant’s “Beacon Street Girls” books (B’tween). read more...
If your students like the fabulous books offered online for free by the International Children's Digital Library (ICDL), they’ll love the new changes to its Web site.
The world’s largest collection of children's literature on the Internet has added ClearText technology, which significantly enhances the translation and readability of the books on offer. What that means is easier reading of scanned books on a small screen. Users, for instance, can simply click text to display a magnified version or to read the text in a different language. The visually impaired can also read with a screen reader. read more...
Two Kentucky school districts—Jenkins Independent and Webster County—have cut down to four-day weeks and say the move has been positive.
"Not only [have] we saved money, but by reallocating students' instructional time, we have been able to utilize a lot of educational enterprises we couldn't do with a five-day week," Webster Superintendent James Kemp told the Associated Press. read more...
If you’ve ever observed a bunch of first graders playing soccer, you've had the privilege of seeing some truly dysfunctional organizational behavior—either everyone is trying to kick the ball, or no one wants to touch it! In the following titles, even the fans get involved in the game, for better or worse. Check out the U.S. Soccer Foundation's 2nd Annual Passback Tour, a series of skills clinics for urban youth across the country. View photos from past events and see if one is coming to your area.
ELLIOT, Laura. Hunter & Stripe and the Soccer Showdown. illus. by Lynn Munsinger. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. 2005. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-06-052759-4; PLB $16.89. ISBN 978-0-06-052760-0. K-Gr 4– When two raccoon best friends are placed on different soccer teams, it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal–until they face off against each other and have a falling-out. read more...
Every July 1st, Canadians celebrate Dominion Day (aka Canada Day). On this day in 1867, each of Canada’s provinces agreed to be part of a union. Teach kids and adults about the people, lands, culture, and government of our neighbor to the north with the help of this fantastic Web site. You’ll find resources for students at every level, puzzles and quizzes, maps, Canadian symbols, and much more. Be sure to download the mp3 files of the national anthem, “O Canada.” — Gail Junion-Metz
The Glenview Public Library seeks an energetic, creative, people-oriented, child-focused individual with strong personnel skills to lead its Youth Services Department. read more...
To see all positions available through the SLJ Career Center, click here...
Racism. Sexism. Homophobia. They’re all still alive and well. But the Denmark-based Living Library hopes to combat prejudices and stereotypes by loaning real people—at 30 minute intervals. Think of a normal library—but instead of books, users borrow a Muslim, a transgender person, or a political refugee. The idea is the brainchild of Ronni Abergel, a Danish antiviolence campaigner, who has taken his Living Library to nearly two dozen countries, including Australia and Turkey. The good news is he’s heading back to the U.S. soon. If you're interested in having a Living Library session at your branch, take a look at his guide, 
