OK, so we look a little different. But it’s still us! We needed to move to this new design—and kept resisting, naturally—for all kinds of technological reasons. Best of all, the newsletter will now look the same whatever email system you use, not just great in some and a mess in others. So at least we know everyone will be seeing the same thing. And don’t think of skipping the interview with Caroline Kennedy, below. Not only does she really get libraries, her fundraising program for school libraries is something other communities might replicate.
Caroline Kennedy is asking New Yorkers to shop until they drop. Well, at least for one week out of the year. Her Shop for Public Schools program—which this year ran from October 1-8—raises money specifically for needy school libraries by asking retailers to donate a portion of their proceeds. The program is a key part of Fund for Public Schools, which raises private investments and where Kennedy is vice chair.
SLJ spoke to the attorney, author, and philanthropist about the importance of school libraries and what’s next on her agenda. more » » »
WIRED magazine writer, Clive Thompson, is reporting how "Twitter is the app that everyone loves to hate." (Thanks to Michael Dean. for the heads up) How could anyone HATE Twitter?&nb...
Boots and Pieces By Emily Ecton Aladdin (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) $5.99 ISBN: 978-1-4169-6167-3 Ages 8-12 On shelves now Straight-to-paperback works of fiction do not tend to win g...
Where The New Media Landscape Can Take You Readers of this blog may have been puzzled by the last comment that was posted -- Betty Carter had graciously offered some advice on how to "make a c...
This is apt. So I'm currently reading Melissa Anelli's Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon (due out in November, I believe).&n...
Edgy biographies, autobigraphies, and, of course, fantasy fiction.
Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL:
Urban fiction for teens is in high demand at the Douglass Branch. Teens enjoy the work of Sharon Flake, especially Money Hungry (2001) and Begging for Change (2003, both Hyperion), and that of Sharon Draper and Walter Dean Myers. A favorite with teen girls is Traci L. Jones’s Standing Against the Wind (Farrar, 2006). Series such as Anne E. Schraff’s “Bluford High” (Scholastic) and L. Divine’s “Drama High” (Dafina) are rarely found on the shelves; readers are eager to share their favorite characters and moments from those books with me and with each other. Graphic novels are also popular, with Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z and Kazuki Takahashi’s “Yu-Gi-Oh!” (both Viz Media) being read
both in and out of the library. A recent author visit to the area has reinvigorated interest in Jennifer Holm’s "Babymouse" books (Random). In nonfiction, the “Hip-Hop” (Mason Crest) biographies of artists like Chris Brown and Ashanti are favored for browsing. more » » »
You know the drill—five syllables in the first line, seven in the next, and five in the final line. Originally designated for the examination and contemplation of nature, modern haiku covers every topic imaginable. For a jump start, visit the Haiku page at Kidszone, where you’ll find a simple introduction to the form and reproducible worksheets.
GRAVDAHL, John. Curious Catwalk. illus. by author. Propeller. 2003. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-9678577-8-7.
PreS-Gr 1–Little black feline Nosy explores the world around her, visiting the seaport via a catwalk. Gravdahl’s verses lend a gentle cadence to the feline’s graceful meanderings on and off her boat. His delightful watercolor, pencil, and gouache illustrations reflect the light and wonder of her waterfront home. more » » »
The myth that girls aren’t good at math must be put to rest—otherwise it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, says a new report.
Many people still hold the belief that females intrinsically have less aptitude than males to excel in math at the very highest levels. Even former Harvard University President Lawrence Summers gave credence to this notion in 2005, suggesting that it might explain the shortage of women mathematicians among the tenured faculty of elite American research universities. more » » »
Not all is well with Dick and Jane. Although many people like to believe that American kids are doing well in school, more than half of white and Asian children can’t read at grade level by fourth grade. And for Latino, black, and American Indian kids, that number shoots up to a whopping 80 percent, says a new report from the nonprofit grant-giving organization Foundation for Child Development.
“Most of the children who do not master the fundamentals of elementary education will require costly remediation in middle and high school,” says “America's Vanishing Potential: The Case for PreK-3rd Education.” “Many will struggle to avoid dropping out of school. Some will end up in prison, and most will not be able to lay claim to the American Dream.” more » » »
John Philip Sousa’s most famous march is "The Stars and Stripes Forever," the official march of the United States. Kids can find out all about John Philip Sousa and listen to his march music on this cool site, which consists of five different flash-based audio programs (each about six minutes long). Programs also cover American military bands and parade music that was influenced greatly by Sousa’s compositions.
Show host Naomi Lewin does a great job making each program fascinating, and she even sings the silly words that have been made up to many of the tunes. (Remember “Be kind to your web footed friends, because a duck may be somebody’s mother, etc… yep, she sings it!) For a real change of pace, try using these Web-based audio programs to let kids hear for themselves why Sousa is called the “March King.”--Gail Junion-Metz.
Assists the Executive Director in administration of Maag library staff and programs; acts for Executive Director when specifically assigned and serves as lead for programs and supervisor for staff of the Information Services Unit.
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