Podcasts are a great way to expand learning beyond the classroom or library. Here are more recommendations from Tech Chicks Anna Adam and Helen Mowers, following up their Dec. 2007 article Listen Up!

Jeffrey Hastings, our gearhead, considers the Zonbu, a $99 open-source desktop computer.

SLJ columnist Jeffrey Hastings reviews the search utility Public Web Browser.

I Heard it from Alice Zucchini: Poems about the Garden, written by Juanita Havill, illustrated by Christine Davenier (Chronicle Books, 2006).

Meet a fly (who used to be a guy) and other fantastic animals. It's Part II of Creature Carnival (Hyperion, 2004), a collection of poetry read by the author.

Samples used under Creative Commons license from Freesound: ominous guitar by nicStage and ambient horror by nathanshadow

"Come along, children of all ages. See fabled beasts not found in cages." So begins Creature Carnival (Hyperion, 2004) a collection of poetry about gargoyles, a sphinx, and other fantastic animals. Read by the author.
Samples used under Creative Commons license from Freesound: ominous guitar by nicStage and ambient horror by nathanshadow.

We love books, but scanning them isn't always easy, especially a big, fat sucker. SLJ's columnist Jeff Hastings test scans using the OpticBook 3600.