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Ready to get your 2.0 groove on? Beginning July 21, SLJ will offer a free, online learning program to provide all us with a chance to experience the 2.0 Web. Self-guided and fun, it will be an easy way (I promise) to try some new tools, like podcasts, wikis, and more. The program will wrap up in early September. Click here for more information.
Sarasi Jayaratne isn’t your average 18-year-old. When a tsunami struck Sri Lanka in 2004, she began collecting books to create classroom libraries in her parents’ native country. Four years later, Jayaratne’s efforts have turned into a major project and her very own successful charity, Keep Reading.
Jayaratne has big plans—she wants to create 100 libraries in needy Sri Lanka schools and promote English as a universal language there to help ease the ethnic differences that have fueled the country’s civil war. SLJ caught up with the Cornell University-bound teen to talk about her lofty goals. read more...
Candlewick recently launched “Read, Listen, & Wonder,” a new multimedia series that pairs titles from the much-lauded “Read & Wonder” line with accompanying audio CDs. Illustrated with eye-catching visuals in a diverse array of artistic styles, these nature-themed picture books have a knack for presenting factual information with a narrative flair, introducing the animal world in a way that both captivates and enlightens young readers (K-Gr 3). Each CD features a read-aloud version of the text complete with music and sound effects, an “All About…” segment presenting additional facts, and a read-along rendering with
page-turning prompts. The volumes are published in paperback, with a front-cover fold-over that includes a plastic CD pocket. read more...
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What Are They Reading for Fun?
Summer reading: series, graphic novels, and tattoos, too.
Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, FL:
In Florida we are well into summer, and patrons here, as elsewhere, are into series: Paul Langan’s “Bluford High” (Scholastic) and D.J. MacHale’s “Pendragon” (S & S) are in great demand. Graphic novels, of course, are hot, especially manga: “Death Note” by Tsugumi Ohba, “Bleach” by Tite Kubo, and Rumiko Takahashi’s “InuYasha” (all Viz Media). John Feinstein’s Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl (Knopf, 2007), Frank Beddor’s Princess Alyss of Wonderland (Dial, 2007), John Flanagan’s The Battle for Skandia (Philomel, 2008), Caroline Cooney’s Code Orange (Delacorte, 2005), and anything by Sarah Dessen, especially Lock and Key (Viking, 2008), are among
the fiction that is circulating well. Books on tattoos and on drawing manga have been heavily requested lately, especially by teenage boys. read more...
Funny accents, strange wigs, and spoiler-free plot summaries are the common elements in the winning videos made by contestants in StoryTubes, a new contest for kids that promotes reading—and new media skills—by capitalizing on the popularity of YouTube.
Sponsored by major publishers such as Simon and Schuster and Scholastic, in conjunction with regional public libraries in five regions across the country, the contest asks children in grades one through six to choose a favorite book and summarize it in a video less than two minutes long, then upload it to YouTube.com. The most creative and compelling videos are then posted on StoryTubes.info. read more...
Remember those cute, colorful illustrations of Tootle the Train, Scuffy the Tugboat, and The Pokey Little Puppy? Well, you’ll be able to see them and other original artwork from Little Golden Books during an ongoing exhibit at New York’s Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM).
From epic quests to the adventures of a young wizard (not Harry!), there’s more than enough adventure and fantasy in these books for fans of Tolkien’s classic.
CROGGON, Alison. The Naming. Candlewick. 2005. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-2639-6; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3162-8 Gr 7 Up– Australian author Croggon is also a poet, which explains the beautiful imagery in her writing. read more...
On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney opened his first theme park—Disneyland. On that first day there were only 20 attractions open (including the perennial favorite the spinning tea cups). Even though the grand opening was by “invitation only,” many tickets were counterfeited and over 28,000 folks showed up to take in the sights. There were numerous opening-day snafus (including a shortage of food and bathrooms), but hardly anyone seemed to mind.
For those of you old enough and lucky enough to have visited Disneyland in the 50s, this super series of Web pages will bring back tons of wonderful memories. Kids who have visited either Disneyland or Disney World in the last few years will find this a quaint but fascinating look at not only the park’s past but their parents' and grandparents' pasts as well. — Gail Junion-Metz
The City of Richmond, (VA) Public Library seeks a qualified candidate to help develop and implement programs and services for the Main Library; supervise Children's Department staff and services; and supervise Circulation Manager. read more...
To see all positions available through the SLJ Career Center, click here...
Sarasi Jayaratne isn’t your average 18-year-old. When a tsunami struck Sri Lanka in 2004, she began collecting books to create classroom libraries in her parents’ native country. Four years later, Jayaratne’s efforts have turned into a major project and her very own successful charity, 
Candlewick recently launched “Read, Listen, & Wonder,” a new multimedia series that pairs titles from the much-lauded “Read & Wonder” line with accompanying audio CDs. Illustrated with eye-catching visuals in a diverse array of artistic styles, these nature-themed picture books have a knack for presenting factual information with a narrative flair, introducing the animal world in a way that both captivates and enlightens young readers (K-Gr 3). Each CD features a read-aloud version of the text complete with music and sound effects, an “All About…” segment presenting additional facts, and a read-along rendering with
page-turning prompts. The volumes are published in paperback, with a front-cover fold-over that includes a plastic CD pocket. 
