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More money! For Teen Tech Week celebrations, YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) is giving away up to 20 mini-grants for $450 plus $50 worth of tech products. Applications are due by January 7, so get going...
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| Interview |
| Need a Children's Book in Serbian or Slovak? Martin Greenwald Can Help |
 You've undoubtedly heard of George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist, but you may not know that he's supporting the publishing and distribution of children's books across four continents. In 1994 Soros's Open Society Institute—which promotes democratic governance and economic and legal reform—conceived the Step by Step early education program. Five years later, the Institute established the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), as an umbrella organization to distribute books in 33 countries. In 2003, The Reading Corner
began offering downloadable books to educators abroad connected with Step by Step organizations. The latest wrinkle? Foreign-language books for children of expatriates in the U.S.—plus a foray into publishing Arabic books in Israel. SLJ spoke with Director of Publishing Martin Greenwald about these efforts to put books into the hands of children worldwide. read more... |
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| TechTrends |
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| SLJ Goes to the Movies |
| 'Golden Compass' Doesn't Shine |
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Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter (left) and Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards)
Photo Credit: New Line Cinema
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Put away your picket signs. Writer/director Chris Weitz's adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass (Knopf, 1996) strips nearly all ecclesiastical references from the adventure saga, though it retains its strong anti-authoritarian bent. Charges of heresy are bandied about, but there's no mention of either the Holy Church or priests.
The estimated $180 million film remains solemnly faithful to the book, though it does not necessarily depict events in the same order. Weitz crams as much plot as possible into the two-hour running time, spending the first 30 minutes laying out Pullman's particular universe, where everyone has a daemon, an often cuddly animal spirit which serves as one's alter ego and conscience.
read more... |
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 BOOKS
Race: A History Beyond Black and White by Marc Aronson
From SLJ December 2007
 Gr 9 Up–In his introduction, Aronson supplies a definition of the word "race" based on four assumptions, or "pillars," and then examines how each of them came into being historically.... |
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 VIDEO/DVD
Patrick Henry: Quest for Freedom
Gr 3-6–In this first title in the projected animated series, "History's Heroes," Boomer the eagle introduces youngsters to Patrick Henry.... |
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 AUDIO
Twisted
Gr 9 Up–Tired of his image as a geek and being ignored at school, Tyler's graffiti spraying stunt at the end of his junior year in high school gets him arrested.... |
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| News and Views |
| YA Authors Rally behind Fired Librarian |
Young people's authors like Rodman Philbrick, Chris Crutcher, and Christopher Paul Curtis are rallying behind a California librarian who allegedly lost his job over a disputed book.
In a letter dated November 20, librarian Richie Partington, best known for his children's book review site, learned from Superintendent Tony Roehrick that he was being terminated as a consultant to the Bellevue Union Elementary School District in Santa Rosa, CA. read more... |
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| King & King Goes Back on Shelf in Lower Macungie, PA |
The children's gay-themed picture book King & King will not be withdrawn from the Lower Macungie (PA) library despite a local couple's objections. After local township supervisors considered Jeff and Eileen Issa's request to remove the book from the public library, the supervisors decided to let the library's directors determine the fate of the book.
On November 29, the library directors did just that, considering the request for withdrawal for the second time in three months, and for the second time, rejecting it. read more... |
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| 'Big Read' Grants Applications Are Now Available |
Thinking of applying for a grant from the Big Read? You'd better hurry: February 12 is the rapidly approaching deadline. The Big Read, a program in which libraries collaborate with local community organizations, aims to encourage the pursuit of reading for pleasure as well as knowledge.
The grants, which range from $5,000 to $20,000, are courtesy of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest, a Minneapolis-based group that connects Midwest audiences to the arts. read more... |
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| Remarkable Reads |
| We've Got Your Numbers |
Give your early learners lots of options with these multilingual, multisensory, multicolor counting books! Combine simple titles with ones that tell a story using numbers and math concepts. These titles prove that learning about arithmetic doesn't have to be rote or boring!
BYRD, Lee Merrill. Lover Boy/Juanito el cariñoso: A Bilingual Counting Book. tr. by David Dorado Romo. illus. by Francisco Delgado. Cinco Puntos. 2005. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-938317-38-8.
PreS-Gr 2–Brilliantly colored illustrations and a simple story line combine to make this title an endearing choice. In both Spanish and English, readers will follow Johnny/Juanito kissing his way from one to ten, starting with "uno chiquitito" for his big sister and ending with ten "muy deliciosos" smacks for his grandmother.
read more... |
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| Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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 Rocking Rodents: Alvin and the Chipmunks
In 1958, using a state-of-the-art tape player that allowed him to change recording speeds, Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. created a musical novelty group that would remain popular for generations. With comedic flair, the songwriter devised the voices and personas of three singing chipmunks—spunky, impulsive Alvin; brainy, bespectacled Simon; and gullible, sweet-natured Theodore—and took on the role of their human straight man and "manager," David Seville. Their record-breaking first hit, "The Chipmunk Song," now a perennial holiday favorite, led to more recordings, an animated cartoon series, and several movies. read more... |
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| Shameless SLJ Promotions |
Gale and School Library Journal Announce the 2008 Giant Step Award
Has your school or public library made a significant improvement or created new programs that have had a huge impact on student learning? Then enter our Giant Step Award.
Sponsored by Gale, part of Cengage Learning, and School Library Journal, Giant Step recognizes libraries that have made a difference over the last three years with up to $10,000 in cash prizes. So, don't waste any time—run to your computer and apply today! Nominations will be accepted through February 11, 2008.
U.S. and Canadian school library media centers and the youth services departments of public libraries are eligible to apply. Applicants must be certified librarians.
Click here for more details.
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| Librarian's Internet |
| Elf Yourself! |
| elfyourself.com |
This week I thought I'd highlight one of the best "just for fun" sites that will help get kids, parents, and staff in a holiday mood. "Elf Yourself" requires Flash plug-in, and be sure to have your computer speakers (or headphones) on because the sounds are half the fun. To begin, click on the "Start the Elfamorphosis" link. Then, click on the "Random Elf" button and select up to four elf faces. Then click on the "Let's Elf" button (don't select the voice option), then select "Preview" to watch them all dance.
If you'd like to "Elf" a digital image of yourself or someone you know, click on the "Start Over" button and then click on the "Upload Photo" button, and follow the simple instructions. Personalized elves can be very funny (especially if you "Elf" someone who isn't a dancer). If you know someone who's absolutely not in the holiday spirit, you might also want to visit "Scrooge Yourself" at scroogeyourself.com (same creator, similar process, and maybe even funnier results). Happy holidays!—Gail Junion-Metz
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| Children's Librarian |
Boston Public Library
Boston, MA
The Boston Public Library is actively seeking to fill Children's Librarian positions throughout the BPL system. Competitive benefits and salary.
To see all positions available through the SLJ Career Center, click here...
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