CEO, 06/03/10

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 343; June 3, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Movie news
South Carolina Day by Day Family Literacy Calendar
Step Up to the Plate
Betsy-Tacy houses designated Literary Landmarks by ALTAFF
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......


RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Pop by Gordan Korman
http://tinyurl.com/2w89fcq

Marcus Jordan loves football, but didn't realize how much until he and his mother moved to New York from Kansas, thanks to divorce and a job offer. There he meets Charlie Popovich, a former NFL linebacker who gives him 'extra' training in a nearby park. At first, Marcus doesn't question it, as he's loving the attention and learning more about the game. Plus he's trying to get acceptance from his new team and doesn't have time to think about the oddities that start niggling to the forefront of his brain. Sure, Charlie's retired, but why does he have so much time on his hands? And why does he insist on calling Marcus 'Mac'? And why does he seem to forget things so easily?

Adults may catch on pretty quickly as to what's wrong with Charlie, but I don't think Korman's trying to keep the disease a secret, as part of the plot is Marcus learning more about Alzheimer's, and how to deal with his new-found friend and family. This is one of those sports stories that is well rounded: there's a lot of football, but also a lot of Marcus's home life, school life (including girls and parties) and, of course, Charlie's troubles. Character development is great, with Marcus's changes believable and the secondary characters feel well rounded. Wide ranges of emotions are convincing and will keep readers' attention through this quick paced story. Note: Marcus is a junior in high school and does attend a party with beer and kissing, so this should be in a teen section.

I listened to this on a Playaway and have to also recommend that format.


MOVIE NEWS

Not much on this one, but it reminds me of the crossword documentary:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=66123 (Whiz Kids)

More 3D action! With animals!
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=46557 (Cats & Dogs)

Flipped... I don't know what I think about this book getting adapted...
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=55957

More Kung Fu Panda, with Gary Oldman!
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=66287

Make it a night: all the Twilight movies at once:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=66291

And one of extra special interest to Rhonda:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=44712

(thanks to Ruhama for compiling this list!)


SOUTH CAROLINA DAY BY DAY FAMILY LITERACY CALENDAR

The South Carolina Day by Day Family Literacy Calendar is designed to be a tool that families, caregivers, educators and librarians can use at home and in the classroom to further develop early literacy skills that help young children become prepared for school or do better in school. The Calendar is a project of the South Carolina State Library, working in partnership with many agencies and organizations, and primarily funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Go to the calendar online at http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/sc-day-by-day-calendar.


STEP UP TO THE PLATE

Start throwing some heat this July with programming ideas and promotions for Step Up to the Plate @ your library. July is a big month for baseball with the Home Run Derby (July 12), All-Star Game (July 13) and Induction Day (July 25). Step Up to the Plate makes it easy for libraries to help plan around these events.

Host a “Step Up to the Plate Home Run Derby,” inviting library users of all ages to enter this year’s contest. The first player in each age group to hit a home run (four correct answers) receives a small prize. Ask baseball fans and library lovers to team up for an all ages Library All-Stars Game. Fans will work in two teams of “All Stars” to find the answers to a series of baseball questions. During the “inning” teams will be pitched a series of questions, with each correct answer counting as a hit and each wrong answer registering as an out. Questions can be pulled directly from this year’s Step Up to the Plate playbooks. After the game, encourage players to use their newfound knowledge to participate in the Step Up to the Plate program.

Step Up to the Plate @ your library teams up two American classics - baseball and libraries - to promote the importance of information literacy skills and increase awareness of the library as an essential information resource. Step Up to the Plate centers on a baseball trivia contest. People of all ages are encouraged to visit their library and answer a series of trivia questions inspired by our national pastime. The questions, developed by the library staff at the Hall of Fame, are based on exhibits at the museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

One grand-prize winner will receive a trip to the Hall of Fame in October 2010. Librarians are encouraged to register for free tools to help promote the program locally on the program website http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/publicawareness/campaign%40yourlibrary/sponsorship/stepup/stepup.cfm. Tools include program logos in both English and Spanish and a toolkit that includes sample press materials and programming ideas. Thousands of school and public librarians register for the program each year.


BETSY-TACY HOUSES DESIGNATED LITERARY LANDMARKS BY ALTAFF

The childhood homes of author Maud Hart Lovelace and her best friend, Frances “Bick” Kenney Kirch, in Mankato, Minn., were designated Literary Landmarks by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Lovelace was the author of the Betsy-Tacy book series, which was set at the turn of the 20th century in Mankato. Born Maud Palmer Hart on April 25, 1892, she and her family lived in the house from 1892 to 1906. It was there that she met her best friend, Frances “Bick” Kenney, who moved into the house across the street in 1898. Maud (“Betsy”) and Bick (“Tacy”) were lifelong friends, and the tales of their childhood in Mankato later became the Betsy-Tacy book series.

The Literary Landmark dedication, held May 20, began with a welcome by Betsy-Tacy Society President Penny Banwart, followed by a portrayal of Maud Hart Lovelace by Susan Hynes at “Betsy’s House.” A portrayal of Frances “Bick” Kenney Kirch by Barb Dunker followed at “Tacy’s House.” Tours of the Betsy-Tacy houses were held following the dedication.

Sponsoring the Literary Landmark dedications was the Betsy-Tacy Society, which owns both houses, and celebrates the spirit of the Betsy-Tacy books and the writings, books and life of Maud Hart Lovelace. The nonprofit organization works to promote and preserve Lovelace’s legacy and her work, encourage and support literacy and conserve the author’s historic childhood home. Each year, hundreds of visitors come to Mankato to view the Betsy-Tacy houses. For more information about the Betsy-Tacy Society, visit www.betsy-tacysociety.org.

The Literary Landmarks Association was founded in 1986 by former Friends of Libraries U.S.A.(FOLUSA) president Frederick G. Ruffner to encourage the dedication of historic literary sites. In 1989, the Literary Landmark project became an official FOLUSA committee. The Literary Landmark program continues under ALTAFF, the newly formed division of ALA created by the joining of FOLUSA and the Association for Library Trustees and Friends (ALTA). More than 100 Literary Landmarks across the United States have been dedicated since the program began. Any library or citizens group may apply for a Literary Landmark through ALTAFF; for more information, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/altaff/products_services/literarylandmarks.


DATES TO REMEMBER

June 21 Storywagon starts!
June 24-29 ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC (I’ll be out the 23rd -30th)
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-35 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells


WEBSITE FAVES

Finishing the Dream
http://www.nbclearn.com/finishingthedream

“Finishing the Dream" brings the Civil Rights Movement to life, so students can see what actually happened, and hear and see the people who actually participated in the Movement. The content includes events as they happened, as well as retrospectives that allow students to see and understand the historical impact. The 10 thematic collections allow teachers, parents, and students to explore the Movement from different perspectives -- political, legal, sociological, and personal. The collections can be watched in their entirety or piecemeal, so they can be incorporated into any lesson plan. The transcripts, available for each video clip, allow students to practice their reading skills. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/25/10)


Frogs
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/frogs/?src=e_ce

Frogs are found all over the world from the rainforest to the tundra to the desert. This site highlights the work that the American Museum of Natural History has done with these creatures both in the field and in the museum. Visitors will want to begin with the introduction that offers a brief essay about the frogs’ adaptability and a definition of the amphibian. The featured frog species and the Dart poison frogs sections offer visitors information, high quality photos and sounds of more than a dozen species each. Additionally, visitors can explore the reproductive cycle of frogs, the frog’s evolution over time, frogs and the ecosystem and how the frog population is declining. Students will enjoy the frog sounds from the island of Madagascar and the fun frog facts. Included is an interesting piece on the frog research at the museum: Discovering Frog Diversity around the World with AMNH. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/25/10)


Digital History
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/

This site is a virtual goldmine for teachers and students of American History. The online textbook covers American history from the Revolution to the present and includes more than a dozen timelines that help put events into perspective. There is a rich resource of primary source materials with more than 600 titles that can be browsed or searched by title, author, year of publication or keyword. In the Ethnic Voices sections users will find a complete history of late 19th and early 20th century immigration titled The Huddled Masses as well as a photo album of immigration, chronology and more. The multimedia section features digital stories, a time machine, lectures on such topics as “Slavery and African American Memory” and "The Cultural Civil War of the 1960s," a games database, historical music and Flash movies. The complete teachers’ resource area includes classroom handouts and fact sheets; twenty-four learning modules that include les son plans, fact checks and activities; more than forty resource guides that can be browsed by period or by topic and include readings, primary sources, teaching resources, and audio-visual resources; and a handful of lesson plans for secondary students. Users can use the interactive timeline to navigate through the social, political and cultural events from 1590 to the present. If all this isn’t enough, visitors to the site will also find visual histories, virtual exhibitions, special topics and a comprehensive history reference room that includes book talks, biographies, writing guides and much more. You will definitely want to bookmark this one in order to return often. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/25/10)


The Baldwin Children’s Literature Project
http://www.mainlesson.com/main/displayfeature.php

The Baldwin Project was named in honor of writer and editor James Baldwin (1841-1925). It includes e-text of children's literature that is in the public domain including Nursery Rhymes, Fables, Folk Tales, Myths, Legends and Hero Stories, Literary Fairy Tales, Bible Stories, Nature Stories, Biography, History, Fiction, Poetry, Storytelling, Games, and Craft Activities. Books are also grouped into several themes: Articles include guides to book selections such as Christmas books, world history, the World Series, descriptive science, and making of England; Unit Studies include lists for ancient Rome and Greece, Britain and Norse; and Curricula lists books appropriate for grades kindergarten through grade six. The e-text can be printed with large text for young children and smaller text for older children. The site is rounded out with links to other Internet libraries and reference sites. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/11/10)


The Official Roald Dahl Site
http://www.roalddahl.com/
This site is informative for teachers who use the Roald Dahl books in the classroom and engaging for the students who love his work. The biographical information is extensive and includes a photo gallery and audio of an interview with the writer. Teachers will also find resources for using Dahl’s books in the classroom including lesson plan ideas, classroom activities based on the books, ideas from other teachers, and more. All sorts of interactive activities are available for students, including games based on incidents in familiar books, a monthly poll, the latest news, and postcards to send to friends. The “Books and Stuff” section provides visitors the opportunity to search for a particular work, such as James and the Giant Peach or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and find a synopsis of the story, reader reviews, and a chance to add their own reviews. (Education World Site Reviews, 6/2/10)


Robie House Interior Restoration Project
http://www.gowright.org/robie/

The Robie House, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece in the neighborhood of Hyde Park in the city of Chicago, is slowly being restored to its 1910 splendor. The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust website has an outstanding virtual tour of the house. The first room shown is "Dining Room East", where visitors can see a photo of what it looked liked in "1910", and then by clicking on "Acquisition", visitors can see what it looked like when the Trust acquired it in 1997. Clicking on the "i" (found on the bottom left of each photo) will bring up an informative explanation of the various pieces in the room, such as "Flooring", "Table and Runners", and "Color". Since much of the furniture, fixtures and rugs were long since taken from the house, the Trust will be using the many photographs of the house to recreate the furniture, lighting, fabrics, etc. Visitors should not miss the most stunning picture on the tour, which is "Light Fixtures". Wright's work with George Mann Niedecken on the interior colors of the house, written about in "Articles" on the homepage, combine well with the lighting of the fixtures to produce a beautiful ambiance. (© 2010 Internet Scout Project, 5/28/10)


AND FINALLY…..

June is Adopt a Cat Month! I adopted my two goofball Himalayans Rosie and Posie from a cat shelter in Princeton, Illinois seven years ago. They were littermates and it was love at first sight. Here’s Rosie, who was recently shaved due to matted hair and other hygiene issues, striking a pose for me.