CEO Newsletter, 6/4/08

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 314, June 4, 2008

http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm



In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Catch the Reading Bug
Author Event in Waukesha
Kit Kittredge Movie
Events This Week
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally…….


RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Hannah, Divided by Adele Griffin

http://www.amazon.com/Do-Math-Secrets-Lies-Algebra/dp/0061229555/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1208111630&sr=11-1

Hannah is a farm girl who is exceptional at math. In fact, she can't stop counting--she's constantly tapping out numbers and looking for ways that the number thirty-two is special. Her story takes place during the Depression, so when a wealthy patron of clever children wants to take her under her wings for a scholarship, she can hardly refuse. Hannah is whisked off her dairy farm to the city, where she studies math and reading (in which she's fallen far behind) to prepare for entrance exams. Life is very different there, but she manages to adjust, and loves all the new math she's studying. The book does end with the test, and it's implied she doesn't pass, so there is room for another book, though it stands alone quite well.

The title is clever, as it incorporates the math aspect of Hannah's life, as well as her physical division between country and city life. In a lot of ways, this felt like Anne of Green Gables for the younger set, and would prepare them for Montgomery's works. Hannah shows how one can change when thrust into new circumstances, as well as how you have to make decisions for yourself sometimes, rather than trying to please others. I enjoyed watching her grow and develop from country mouse to city mouse, and appreciated that she came to terms with failure as a learning process, rather than a sign to quit. I also liked that she enjoyed math, and became determined to forge ahead, especially in a time when women/girls didn't do things like math and science.


CATCH THE READING BUG

Okay, I lied. THIS is the last resource for Catch the Reading Bug.
This is the Librarian’s Index to the Internet Tip for the Week. You’ll find over 100 insect and spider sites with facts and fun for kids and grown-ups. http://search.lii.decenturl.com/lii-k
(from LII This Week, 6/5/08)


AUTHOR EVENT IN WAUKESHA

The Wisconsin chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) invites book lovers of all ages to attend their Summer Reading Celebration at Martha Merrell's Books in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 21st, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM. Fifteen children's authors will be reading from and signing their books. Children's activities and refreshments will be offered. Some of the authors include Ann Angel, Julie Bowe, Dori Chaconas, Kathleen Ernst, Deborah Lynn Jacobs, and Kashmira Sheth. For a complete list of participating authors and more information, contact Denice Ryan Martin, SCBWI-WI volunteer, at deepaul@centurytel.net.


Kit Kittredge Movie

The Kit Kittredge movie will be in theaters nationwide on July 2. Kit is a resourceful young girl whose bravery and determination will help save her family when they fall on hard times in the midst of the Great Depression. Oscar® nominee Abigail Breslin stars in this first major motion picture adaptation of the popular American Girl® book series. The official movie website is http://www.kitkittredge.com/. You can watch the trailer here to.

Read Meet Kit with your book discussion group today, and be prepared for the FILM curriculum available later this month at http://www.youthfilmproject.org/programs.htm.


EVENTS THIS WEEK

Thursday, June 5
UN World Environment Day
Richard Scarry’s birthday

Friday, June 6
D-Day
National Hunger Awareness Day
Bonza Bottler Day

Saturday, June 7
Cheer Coach Day
Do-Dah Parade
National Trails Day

Sunday, June 8
Abused Women and Children’s Awareness Day
Children’s Sunday
Multicultural American Child Awareness Day
Race Unity Day
Upsy Daisy Day
Write to Your Father Day
Frank Lloyd Wright’s birthday

Monday, June 9
YoYo Day

Tuesday, June 10
Ball Point Pen Day
Maurice Sendak’s birthday

Wednesday, June 11
Vince Lombardi’s birthday


DATES TO REMEMBER

June 16 First day of Storywagon
June 27 First day of Summerfest!
June 26-July 2 2008 ALA Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA
July 5 First day of Bristol Renaissance Faire
November 4-7 WLA Conference, Middleton


WEBSITE FAVES

Spin Stories, Tell Tales
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3481/

At the Kennedy Center’s ARTSEDGE site, students discover the who, what, where, when, why and how of storytelling through interactive games, media galleries, lesson plans and more. The site introduces students to the techniques that storytellers use to bring stories to life. Interactive demonstrations and quizzes help students appreciate and master a storyteller’s primary tools: words, imagination, face, body and voice. (Big Deal Book Newsletter, 6/2/08)


Plant the Seeds of Learning
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/firstgarden/

Learning about gardens, flowers, vegetables and the principles of horticulture can be a really fun experience for you and the children you teach. The University of Illinois’s My First Garden Web site is intended for elementary students to learn about the beauty of gardens and the care involved in planning, nurturing and enjoying the benefits of gardening in a variety of spaces and places. As students go through the basics, the FUNdamentals and the process of planning a garden, they will be acquiring skills that will last a lifetime. The site is accessible in English and Spanish. (Big Deal Book Newsletter, 6/2/08)


Picturing America
http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/index.php?sec=home

This innovative free resource provides teachers with an engaging way to teach American history, culture and other subjects. It introduces students to America's art treasures through high quality reproductions of notable American art including "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," "Washington Crossing the Delaware," and "Looking Down Yosemite Valley". Visitors to the site can peruse the image gallery by clicking the right arrow to scroll through the images, roll the mouse over the interactive boxes at the bottom of the page or sort the images by theme. Themes include leadership, freedom & equality, democracy, courage, landscapes, and creativity & ingenuity. There is also an illustrated teachers' resource book with activities organized by elementary, middle and high school levels. K-12 schools, home school consortia, and public libraries are invited to apply for a set of 20 laminated posters and the teachers' resource book to use in their classrooms. (Education World Site Reviews, 6/3/08)


AND FINALLY…..
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