Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 347; August 11, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book
Movie News
Celebrating a Decade of Judy Moody
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEW
Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix by R. L. LaFevers
http://tinyurl.com/yd6s5ue
Nathaniel's parents have been lost at sea and now he's being sent to live with his only known living relative: cousin Phil A. Fludd. To his consternation, this cousin turns out to be a woman, a beastologist and ready to take off on an adventure the very next morning, and Nathaniel is expected to go with her! Phil explains the Fludd history as they fly to Arabia, telling Nathaniel that all Fludds are explorers, with one of their missions being to record strange and exotic beasts. This particular mission is to watch the phoenix die and be reborn. Complications ensue when Phil is taken hostage by Bedouins, who don't like her setting up camp on their land. It's up to Nathaniel to keep watch and protect the phoenix's nest and ashes.
This is book one of what I hope will be a long series of adventures for Nathaniel and his cousin. There are many questions still to be answered about the loss of Nathaniel's parents, several beasts to encounter and much that Nathaniel needs to learn about himself, including how his need to draw and sketch are valuable assets. The characters are all accessible, humorous and very likable. Illustrations complement the text and will encourage reluctant readers to continue to the end. A glossary at the end gives further description of terms used in the text. Give this to Judy Moody lovers, as well as those needing a little magical adventure in their lives.
THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!
Voiced by award-winning actor Martin Short, Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat guides friends Sally and Nick – with a little help from the Fish, Thing 1 and Thing 2 – on fun-filled expeditions where they make natural-science discoveries such as learning how bees make honey or why owls sleep during the day.
Filled with adventure and silliness, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!™, based on the acclaimed The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library book series, will appeal to preschoolers’ natural curiosity and engage them in the process of scientific exploration and discovery.
THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!™ supports young children’s science learning by introducing scientific inquiry skills, teaching core science concepts and vocabulary, and preparing preschoolers for kindergarten and first grade science curriculum — all in whimsical style. The show premiers September 6, 2010. Go to the website at http://pbskids.org/catinthehat/.
2010 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK
Since 2000, Wisconsin has improved on five of the 10 key measures of child well-being included in the 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a state-by-state analysis published each year by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Wisconsin’s ranked 10th best overall among the states in this year’s report, the same as a decade ago and the same as last year.
Wisconsin ranked among the top 10 states on four of the 10 indicators covered in this year’s Data Book. Wisconsin’s percentage of teens who are neither in school nor working is one of the lowest in the country, at 5% (5th best in the nation). Wisconsin also scored well on percentage of children whose parents do not have secure employment, ranking 7th best in the country at 22%.
The 2010 Data Book is based on data from 2007 and 2008, primarily the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey (ACS). While this is the most recent data available for many of the measures, it does not capture the impact of the recent severe recession. In addition to the data included in the 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book, information on hundreds of other measures of child well-being is available via the Kids Count Data Center, which offers tools for creating maps and graphs of the data at the national, state, county and city levels. The Data Center’s Wisconsin data is available at http://datacenter.kidscount.org/wi. The 2010 KIDS Count Data Book can be found online at http://datacenter.kidscount.org/DataBook/2010/Default.aspx.
CELEBRATING A DECADE OF JUDY MOODY
It's been 10 years since Megan McDonald's comically capricious and unfailingly endearing character first made her debut in Judy Moody (Candlewick, 2000), winning the hearts and loyalties of a wide spectrum of young readers. Since then, the forever-third-grader has taken center stage in eight more funny-bone-tickling adventures, including the latest, Judy Moody, Girl Detective (August 2010), and played a supporting role in several tales about her younger brother Stink, all humorously and heartwarmingly illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Judy Moody has become a mainstay with kids (13 million books have been sold worldwide), earned numerous awards, and even inspired a feature film (set for release in summer 2011). To mark this milestone, Candlewick has reissued the entire series with an attractive new cover design, available in both hardcover and paperback. In addition, the dedicated website, http://www.judymoody.com/ has been refurbished, offering colorful visuals and lots of "Way-Not-Boring Stuff to Do”. (SLJ’S Extra Helping, 8/10/10)
MOVIE NEWS
Well, yet another book getting its movie:
http://www.movies.com/hachi:-a-dogs-tale/m22720
Teaser trailer for Yogi:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi737805849/
A new Muppets movie? As animation?
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4c15c030a696fa14c0791f2acbc0e09b
Flipped as a historical fiction? The trailer's cute, though:
http://www.movies.com/flipped/details/m60238
(Thanks to Ruhama for this compilation!)
DATES TO REMEMBER
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
Sept 27 – Oct 1 Rhonda on vacation (guess where?)
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
WEBSITE FAVES
Reader's Almanac
http://blog.loa.org/
The Library of America's is known for offering up the best of "Classic American writers, classic American books", and their blog is a veritable trove of just that. The site offers a daily update, complete with links to special stories recently featured in their critical print editions, along with video features, interviews, and rare items of interest. Recent posts include an excellent bit of commentary on Zora Neale Hurston, complete with a rare movie clip of her conducting ethnographic work in Florida in 1928. Visitors can browse through past posts, and they won't want to miss their RSS feed and their excellent list of high-quality literary blogs. This site is a must for anyone with an interest in American literature and culture. (Internet Scout Report, 7/30/10)
Alaska's Digital Archive
http://vilda.alaska.edu/
There's a great deal of history up north in Alaska, and the Alaska Digital Library has done a lovely job of digitizing a number of items from a variety of area institutions. This project was initiated by the Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and the Alaska State Library in Juneau. The initiative has already digitized several thousand images, and many of them are organized into thematic collections here. Visitors might wish to start by looking at some of their 1,200 maps, which include an 1897 gold prospecting map and an early map of Hudson Bay from 1758. Moving on, the "Movement to Statehood" collection provides a fascinating host of materials related to the state's history, complete with photographs of the military presence in the Aleutian Islands. Also, visitors can create their own collections for future reference. (Internet Scout Report, 7/30/10)
Wordle
http://www.wordle.net/
If you've ever wanted to create a "word cloud", this application is the perfect way to do it. With Wordle, visitors just provide the text, and the application will generate these "clouds", which give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently. Users can tweak the clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. On the website, visitors can look at samples that use the US Constitution and other pieces of text. This version is compatible with all operating systems. (Internet Scout Report, 7/30/10)
Mosquito Mayhem
www.cbc.ca/kids/games/skeetersplat
Mosquitoes can ruin a picnic, a camping trip, and even a walk in the park. Kids spend most of the summer scratching their bites, so why not let them have fun getting a bit of virtual revenge by playing "Skeeter Splat," created by the folks at CBC television in Canada, which is home to even bigger mosquitoes than we get here in the States. "Skeeter Splat" was created especially for elementary to middle school-age kids-and it's super easy to play. All kids have to do is click on any of the mosquitoes that fly onto the screen. (Note: there are three different color "skeeters." The farther away they are from the skin, the more points they're worth). Don't let one land on the skin though because it'll bite and start to drain the "bite meter." When the meter's empty the game's over. There are other things to watch out for besides "skeeters." Don't click on any bees or spiders because they'll drain the meter even faster. Do, however, click on any blood drops that move across the screen to increase the "bite meter" level, and be sure to click on any lightning bolts, snow flakes, or bug spray cans you see to temporarily get rid of, or slow down, the attacking bugs. "Skeeter Splat" is easy to play, but it's a real challenge to rack up a high score. Consider holding a Mosquito Mayhem journey this August to find out who's your library's "splat champ". (Gail Junion-Metz in SLJ ‘s Extra Helping, 8/3/10)
The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM)
http://www.thegateway.org/
GEM is a one-stop source for high-quality Internet lesson plans, curriculum units, and other educational resources for parents, teachers, and others involved in education. It currently contains 24,926 education resources. This extensive collection is categorized by subject area, grade level, and keyword. Each collection is reviewed and must meet certain standards to be included in the Gateway. Search results provide a comprehensive list of annotated links. Each record provides a "more info" option that provides the complete GEM review and gives a short description of the resource, including author, title, and location. This is one site teachers will want to bookmark and visit often! (Educational World Site Reviews, 8/10/10)
FREE (Federal Resources for Educational Excellence)
http://www.free.ed.gov/
Teachers will find this site to be a welcome one-stop source of educational resources from more than thirty-five federal organizations including the Library of Congress, NASA, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and others. Resources are available on thousands of topics in a variety of formats including teaching ideas, learning activities, photographs, maps, primary documents, and much more. The What's New section lists the newest additions to the site by date. (Education World Site Reviews, 8/10/10)
AND FINALLY…….
The cat plant is blooming! ☺
Trouble Clef Quartet and Riverport Chorus will be performing tomorrow, Thursday the 12th, in the Gazebo next to the Burlington Public Library during Burlington’s Farmer’s Market. Trouble Clef is my daughter Bethany’s quartet!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
CEO, 072810
Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 346; July 28, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Movie News
Storyblocks: A New Tool to Build Early Literacy Skills
Study Says Comics Are Key to Promoting Literacy in Boys
Read ‘Em Their Writes
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEW
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
http://tinyurl.com/282hnyb
Newbery Honor winner
Minli is very poor, but doesn't realize it thanks to all the stories her Ba tells her. This is how she learns the history of The Fruitless Mountain (where they live), the Old Man in the Moon and several other fanciful tales. Her Ma, however, sees these as worthless and a waste of time and often laments they don't have enough food or gold. As Minli grows older, she becomes aware of her mother's unhappiness and decides to set out to change their fortune, which can only be done by seeing the Old Man in the Moon. Along the way, she meets a dragon, who becomes a good friend and helps her travel. She also learns many more stories, sees much of the world and even meets a king!
This is a wonderfully woven story (with many stories) that explores some fun Chinese legends, history and ideas. The stories within the story are artfully done, changing the font and adding illustrations to indicate it's a separate tale from the main narrative. The intricacies come together delightfully, without hitting the reader over the head. Character development is superb, especially the growth of Ma and Ba, arguably secondary characters. Minli's childlike belief is refreshing and the friendship she has with Dragon is remarkable. The illustrations are beautiful, colorful and fit the imagery of the text, rather than forcing it. Overall, a quick read that will fit the bill for folk/fairy tale lovers.
MOVIE NEWS
The Avengers
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/17973.html
The Hobbit
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/
The Haunted Mansion
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/17977.html
Pirates 4 Trailer
http://www.moviestrailer.org/pirates-of-the-caribbean-on-stranger-tides-movie-trailer.html
Tangled
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/tangled/?cmp=dcom_EMC_tangled_insider_100727_feat_promo_2__extl#/video/
Secretariat
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/secretariat/?cmp=dcom_EMC_secretariat_insider_100727_feat_promo_3__extl
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
http://www.walden.com/site/movie/the_chronicles_of_narnia_the_voyage_of_the_dawn_treader/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter_July2010
(and who DIDN’T get teary at the end of Toy Story 3?)
STORYBLOCKS: A NEW TOOL TO BUILD EARLY LITERACY SKILLS
The Colorado State Library has announced the launch of www.storyblocks.org, an online video collection featuring one-minute songs and rhymes for babies, toddlers and preschool children in both English and Spanish. Filmed in partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS, librarians throughout Colorado share successful activities as well as literacy tips. Parents, child care providers and others will discover ways to engage very young children in fun and playful interactions that also build healthy brain development.
StoryBlocks.org is a project of the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL), an advisory group to the State Library. CLEL received a federal grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to create the videos and Web site. The goal is to build awareness and to encourage parents and others to engage with children from birth on early language and pre-literacy skills. The methods used in the videos are based on brain and child development research that show the impact that songs, rhymes and stories have on very young children.
Eight Colorado public libraries helped to fund the project: Arapahoe Library District, Denver Public Library, Douglas County Libraries, Fort Morgan Public Library, Lafayette Public Library, Salida Regional Library and Westminster Public Library. Donations also came from two non-profit organizations: Friends of Food for Thought and Library People and one anonymous donor.
Along with this grant-funded video project, CLEL offers book lists, activities and research information on early literacy at their Web site, http://www.CLEL.org.
For more information on StoryBlocks.org (www.storyblocks.org), contact Patricia Froehlich, youth services senior consultant at the Colorado State Library at froehlichp@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6908.
STUDY SAYS COMICS ARE KEY TO PROMOTING LITERACY IN BOYS
A new report says comics and graphic novels may hold the secret to promoting literacy in young boys. Long dismissed as fluff by parents, educators, and even librarians, the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) reaffirms what researchers have long held to be true: girls are generally more inclined to read than boys. But it goes on to say that's partly because their literary interests aren't well represented in school libraries and classrooms.
Boys are more likely to enjoy reading science and nonfiction, informational texts, how-to manuals, fantasy, adventure stories, and stories that are scary or gross, along with books about hobbies and things they do or want to do. They also tend to prefer visual media, such as the Internet, newspapers, and magazines that focus on sports, electronics and video games.
CCL states in its Lessons in Learning article "More than just funny books: Comics and prose literacy for boys" that comics and graphic novels "hold untapped potential to address this disparity by promoting improved literacy among young males" and provides an overview of current research on the reading habits of boys and the potential for comics to boost their literacy. The report says comics serve as an effective gateway to reading prose-based works and contribute to visual literacy, as well as the ability to understand and respond to a visual image.
Comics also can help develop many of the same literacy skills as books, such as how to follow a sequence of events; connect narratives to the reader's own experiences, predict what will happen next, and interpret symbols. Even before children are ready to read text, comic books can give them practice in understanding material printed on a page, tracking left to right and top to bottom, and inferring what happens between individual panels in a story, the report says, adding that thanks to their strong visual element, they're a used as teaching aids for second-language learners and students with learning difficulties. (SLJ’s Extra Helping, 7/27/10)
READ ‘EM THEIR WRITES
Lakeshores Library System presents “READ ‘EM THEIR WRITES”, a continuing education opportunity on Tuesday, August 10, 2010. The workshop will be held at the Waterford Public Library, 101 North River Street, Waterford, WI. Registration will be 9:00-9:30 and we’ll begin at 9:30 and end at noon. The workshop will be presented by Gary Warren Niebuhr, the director of the Greendale Public Library and the author of several books on mystery and crime fiction readers advisory. He’ll provide information on starting mystery and crime fiction book clubs, how to elect books and recommend titles for discussion. To register, contact me at the LLS office at rpuntney@lakeshores.lib.wi.us or 262-514-4500 x67. Registration deadline is Friday, August 6th.
DATES TO REMEMBER
August 4 MWFLS Battle of the books, Watertown, 1:00 PM
August 10 “Read ‘Em Their Writes” workshop, 9:30-12, Waterford PL
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
Sept 27 – Oct 1 Rhonda on vacation (guess where?)
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
WEBSITE FAVES
The Robert Louis Stevenson Website
http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/
From his tales of Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver to his verses for children, Robert Louis Stevenson remains a tremendous literary force well over a century after his death in 1894. This fascinating site provides resources for academics, young people, and people with a general interest in Stevenson's life and literary musings. Along the top of the homepage, visitors will find ten sections, including "Gallery", "Life", "Works", and "In the Footsteps of RLS". The "In the Footsteps of RLS" brings together Google Maps and information about Stevenson's many travels to give visitors an interactive way to track his journeys through France, Scotland, and the South Seas. Moving on, the "Gallery" area contains photos from every part of Stevenson's life, ranging from a photo of him at age 4 (wearing a cape) to his time as a married man living in the South Sea Islands. As for the "Works" section, visitors would do well to check out his 1878 travelogue, "Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes". (Internet Scout Report, 7/23/10)
Little Brown Downloads
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/kids_fun_downloads.aspx
Fun stuff to go with “I Don’t Want A Cool Cat”, “Smells Like Dog” and more children’s titles published by Hachette.
Introduction to Reading Music
http://datadragon.com/education/reading/
Learn about clefs, time signatures, types of notes, types of rests, basic counting, symbols and shaping. (Internet Public Library)
100 Geeky Places To Take Your Kids This Summer
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/100-geeky-places-to-bring-your-kids-this-summer/
Summer is petering out and school is getting closer, but there's still time to get in some trips. This site points you to places that will appeal to your kids' curiosity - science museums, living history towns, the Crayola factory, LegoLand, National Center for the History of Electronic Games, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and many others places you may not have known existed. And, Geek Dad points out, don't forget your local library. Includes local attractions like the Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, and several museums in Chicago. (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2010, 7/30/10)
AdViews
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adviews/
"a digital archive of thousands of vintage television commercials dating from the 1950s to the 1980s." Since advertisers like to connect with people at a deep emotional level, these ads, many of them viewable on iTunes, could be a remarkable resource for understanding the concerns and values of Americans during this period. Note that the most prominent search box is for all of the digital collections from the Duke library; to search AdViews specifically, use the search box for Current Collection. . (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2010, 5/28/10)
AND FINALLY…….
Riverport is performing Sunday afternoon at the Taste of Wisconsin on the lakefront in Kenosha at the Snap On stage at 3:30! It’s free! For more info, go to http://www.tasteofwi.com/.
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 346; July 28, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Movie News
Storyblocks: A New Tool to Build Early Literacy Skills
Study Says Comics Are Key to Promoting Literacy in Boys
Read ‘Em Their Writes
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEW
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
http://tinyurl.com/282hnyb
Newbery Honor winner
Minli is very poor, but doesn't realize it thanks to all the stories her Ba tells her. This is how she learns the history of The Fruitless Mountain (where they live), the Old Man in the Moon and several other fanciful tales. Her Ma, however, sees these as worthless and a waste of time and often laments they don't have enough food or gold. As Minli grows older, she becomes aware of her mother's unhappiness and decides to set out to change their fortune, which can only be done by seeing the Old Man in the Moon. Along the way, she meets a dragon, who becomes a good friend and helps her travel. She also learns many more stories, sees much of the world and even meets a king!
This is a wonderfully woven story (with many stories) that explores some fun Chinese legends, history and ideas. The stories within the story are artfully done, changing the font and adding illustrations to indicate it's a separate tale from the main narrative. The intricacies come together delightfully, without hitting the reader over the head. Character development is superb, especially the growth of Ma and Ba, arguably secondary characters. Minli's childlike belief is refreshing and the friendship she has with Dragon is remarkable. The illustrations are beautiful, colorful and fit the imagery of the text, rather than forcing it. Overall, a quick read that will fit the bill for folk/fairy tale lovers.
MOVIE NEWS
The Avengers
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/17973.html
The Hobbit
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/
The Haunted Mansion
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/17977.html
Pirates 4 Trailer
http://www.moviestrailer.org/pirates-of-the-caribbean-on-stranger-tides-movie-trailer.html
Tangled
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/tangled/?cmp=dcom_EMC_tangled_insider_100727_feat_promo_2__extl#/video/
Secretariat
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/secretariat/?cmp=dcom_EMC_secretariat_insider_100727_feat_promo_3__extl
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
http://www.walden.com/site/movie/the_chronicles_of_narnia_the_voyage_of_the_dawn_treader/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter_July2010
(and who DIDN’T get teary at the end of Toy Story 3?)
STORYBLOCKS: A NEW TOOL TO BUILD EARLY LITERACY SKILLS
The Colorado State Library has announced the launch of www.storyblocks.org, an online video collection featuring one-minute songs and rhymes for babies, toddlers and preschool children in both English and Spanish. Filmed in partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS, librarians throughout Colorado share successful activities as well as literacy tips. Parents, child care providers and others will discover ways to engage very young children in fun and playful interactions that also build healthy brain development.
StoryBlocks.org is a project of the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL), an advisory group to the State Library. CLEL received a federal grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to create the videos and Web site. The goal is to build awareness and to encourage parents and others to engage with children from birth on early language and pre-literacy skills. The methods used in the videos are based on brain and child development research that show the impact that songs, rhymes and stories have on very young children.
Eight Colorado public libraries helped to fund the project: Arapahoe Library District, Denver Public Library, Douglas County Libraries, Fort Morgan Public Library, Lafayette Public Library, Salida Regional Library and Westminster Public Library. Donations also came from two non-profit organizations: Friends of Food for Thought and Library People and one anonymous donor.
Along with this grant-funded video project, CLEL offers book lists, activities and research information on early literacy at their Web site, http://www.CLEL.org.
For more information on StoryBlocks.org (www.storyblocks.org), contact Patricia Froehlich, youth services senior consultant at the Colorado State Library at froehlichp@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6908.
STUDY SAYS COMICS ARE KEY TO PROMOTING LITERACY IN BOYS
A new report says comics and graphic novels may hold the secret to promoting literacy in young boys. Long dismissed as fluff by parents, educators, and even librarians, the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) reaffirms what researchers have long held to be true: girls are generally more inclined to read than boys. But it goes on to say that's partly because their literary interests aren't well represented in school libraries and classrooms.
Boys are more likely to enjoy reading science and nonfiction, informational texts, how-to manuals, fantasy, adventure stories, and stories that are scary or gross, along with books about hobbies and things they do or want to do. They also tend to prefer visual media, such as the Internet, newspapers, and magazines that focus on sports, electronics and video games.
CCL states in its Lessons in Learning article "More than just funny books: Comics and prose literacy for boys" that comics and graphic novels "hold untapped potential to address this disparity by promoting improved literacy among young males" and provides an overview of current research on the reading habits of boys and the potential for comics to boost their literacy. The report says comics serve as an effective gateway to reading prose-based works and contribute to visual literacy, as well as the ability to understand and respond to a visual image.
Comics also can help develop many of the same literacy skills as books, such as how to follow a sequence of events; connect narratives to the reader's own experiences, predict what will happen next, and interpret symbols. Even before children are ready to read text, comic books can give them practice in understanding material printed on a page, tracking left to right and top to bottom, and inferring what happens between individual panels in a story, the report says, adding that thanks to their strong visual element, they're a used as teaching aids for second-language learners and students with learning difficulties. (SLJ’s Extra Helping, 7/27/10)
READ ‘EM THEIR WRITES
Lakeshores Library System presents “READ ‘EM THEIR WRITES”, a continuing education opportunity on Tuesday, August 10, 2010. The workshop will be held at the Waterford Public Library, 101 North River Street, Waterford, WI. Registration will be 9:00-9:30 and we’ll begin at 9:30 and end at noon. The workshop will be presented by Gary Warren Niebuhr, the director of the Greendale Public Library and the author of several books on mystery and crime fiction readers advisory. He’ll provide information on starting mystery and crime fiction book clubs, how to elect books and recommend titles for discussion. To register, contact me at the LLS office at rpuntney@lakeshores.lib.wi.us or 262-514-4500 x67. Registration deadline is Friday, August 6th.
DATES TO REMEMBER
August 4 MWFLS Battle of the books, Watertown, 1:00 PM
August 10 “Read ‘Em Their Writes” workshop, 9:30-12, Waterford PL
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
Sept 27 – Oct 1 Rhonda on vacation (guess where?)
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
WEBSITE FAVES
The Robert Louis Stevenson Website
http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/
From his tales of Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver to his verses for children, Robert Louis Stevenson remains a tremendous literary force well over a century after his death in 1894. This fascinating site provides resources for academics, young people, and people with a general interest in Stevenson's life and literary musings. Along the top of the homepage, visitors will find ten sections, including "Gallery", "Life", "Works", and "In the Footsteps of RLS". The "In the Footsteps of RLS" brings together Google Maps and information about Stevenson's many travels to give visitors an interactive way to track his journeys through France, Scotland, and the South Seas. Moving on, the "Gallery" area contains photos from every part of Stevenson's life, ranging from a photo of him at age 4 (wearing a cape) to his time as a married man living in the South Sea Islands. As for the "Works" section, visitors would do well to check out his 1878 travelogue, "Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes". (Internet Scout Report, 7/23/10)
Little Brown Downloads
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/kids_fun_downloads.aspx
Fun stuff to go with “I Don’t Want A Cool Cat”, “Smells Like Dog” and more children’s titles published by Hachette.
Introduction to Reading Music
http://datadragon.com/education/reading/
Learn about clefs, time signatures, types of notes, types of rests, basic counting, symbols and shaping. (Internet Public Library)
100 Geeky Places To Take Your Kids This Summer
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/100-geeky-places-to-bring-your-kids-this-summer/
Summer is petering out and school is getting closer, but there's still time to get in some trips. This site points you to places that will appeal to your kids' curiosity - science museums, living history towns, the Crayola factory, LegoLand, National Center for the History of Electronic Games, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and many others places you may not have known existed. And, Geek Dad points out, don't forget your local library. Includes local attractions like the Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, and several museums in Chicago. (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2010, 7/30/10)
AdViews
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adviews/
"a digital archive of thousands of vintage television commercials dating from the 1950s to the 1980s." Since advertisers like to connect with people at a deep emotional level, these ads, many of them viewable on iTunes, could be a remarkable resource for understanding the concerns and values of Americans during this period. Note that the most prominent search box is for all of the digital collections from the Duke library; to search AdViews specifically, use the search box for Current Collection. . (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2010, 5/28/10)
AND FINALLY…….
Riverport is performing Sunday afternoon at the Taste of Wisconsin on the lakefront in Kenosha at the Snap On stage at 3:30! It’s free! For more info, go to http://www.tasteofwi.com/.
CEO, 072110
Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 345; July 21, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Design Squad’s Trash to Treasure Competition
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival
Boosting Family Involvement through Better Policy Report
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEW
Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
http://tinyurl.com/39v3jcv
Told from two different perspectives, this is a story of immigrants from Mexico, half of which are illegal, and a Yankee farm family. Tyler lives on a dairy farm in Vermont, and they need help. His grandfather recently died, his father had a farming accident and his older brother is leaving for college. This leads to hiring Mari and her family, and thus begins a tale of friendship, freedom and understanding. Tyler and Mari are in school together, and discover they both enjoy stargazing, which often saves their friendship throughout the tumultuous events in the narrative. As the year progresses, Tyler learns more about Mexican culture, just as Mari learns more about life in Vermont. They both learn more about deportation, ICE and coyotes. A subplot throughout is the disappearance of Mari's mother, which gives Tyler a chance to be a hero.
Overall, this book was disappointing. I enjoyed Tyler's growth through the year, especially his struggle with being friends with an illegal alien. I also appreciated the overall struggle of following the law, but also recognizing many of the people affected by the law aren't criminal or in the United States with evil intent. The topic is unique and can spur discussion, especially as both sides of the story unfold. The format, however, is one of the weaknesses. Switching from third to first person was awkward, especially as how the story was told didn't change. Having Mari as an omniscient narrator was jarring, and some of her story feels forced as Alvarez squeezes information into letters just to keep the story moving. The use of Spanish (and the italics to indicate it) was also inconsistent and some of the translating felt weird. And the subplot of actually finding Mari's mother felt like it was resolved with too many gimmicks and was hurried.
DESIGN SQUAD’S TRASH TO TREASURE COMPETITION
Design Squad, the PBS engineering reality competition series, is offering kids a chance to get in on the action this summer. Complement your library's summer outreach efforts and increase the chances of someone from YOUR community appearing on the next season of Design Squad by encouraging kids to enter.
The 2010 Trash to Treasure Competition challenges kids, ages 5-19, to recycle, reuse, and re-engineer everyday materials into out-of-the-box inventions. Three winners will win a trip to Boston to see their designs built and appear on an episode of Design Squad. Twenty-five finalists will be featured on the series website and will receive a Design Squad t-shirt. Entries will be accepted through September 5, 2010 at pbs.org/designsquad.
To help share the excitement, the following resources are available:
1. Contest Flyer
Print, post, and distribute the promotional flyer. You can find a PDF on the Design Squad website.
2. Invent It, Build It Activity Guide
Explore the invention process with kids through fun, hands-on challenges from this award-winning activity guide.
3. Promotional Language
Include a message about the competition in your newsletters, announcements, and print pieces.
4. Logo and Images
Include a web button on your website linking to our contest page. Or, spice up your newsletters with some fun signature images.
BANNED BOOKS WEEK: CELEBRATING THE FREEDOM TO READ
Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States. It will be held September 25 - October 2 this year.
Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them. The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.
For more information on getting involved with Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, please see Calendar of Events and Ideas and Resources. You can also contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4220, or bbw@ala.org.
SHEBOYGAN CHIDLREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL
An exciting new event for children, parents and anyone who loves children's literature is coming to the greater Sheboygan area this fall. The first annual Sheboygan Children's Book Festival, October 15-17, will bring exceptional children's book authors and illustrators to the community for a celebration of books, reading, writing and art.
The children's book festival, which includes the grand opening celebration for Bookworm Gardens, will be part of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center's “Sheboygan Shindig”, October 15-21. The “Sheboygan Shindig” is an arts and literary extravaganza that will feature the opening of the major exhibition, “Animal Instinct”. plus entertainment, live animals, art-making workshops, special tours and symposia and more.
Some of the outstanding and award-winning authors and illustrators scheduled to take part in the festival are: Avi, Kathi Appelt, and Wisconsin's own Lois Ehlert. Others include Calef Brown and David McLimans.
To learn more, visit www.sheboyganchildrensbookfestival.org. Author and illustrator biographies, book lists, and the event schedule will be updated as new information is announced. Visitors to the site can sign up for email updates or make a donation.
BOOSTING FAMILY INVOLVEMENT THROUGH BETTER POLICY REPORT
Available through SparkAction!’s website, the Harvard Family Research Project’s report, “Taking Leadership, Innovating Change: Profiles in Family, School, and Community Engagement” looks at ways to systematize policy efforts (currently often marginalized and piecemeal) toward achieving educational equity, and to help make family involvement more clearly seen as a major part of achieving educational equity. Research shows the importance of parent-school partnerships in education, and especially among disadvantaged families. Public libraries are not mentioned, which is disappointing, but typical. Go to http://sparkaction.org/resources/37790 to view the report in its entirety. (NCSET E-News, 7/19/20)
DATES TO REMEMBER
August 4 MWFLS Battle of the books, Watertown, 1:00 PM
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
September 27 – October 1 Rhonda on vacation (guess where?)
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
WEBSITE FAVES
Sandra Boynton Event Kit
http://www.workman.com/blog/boyntoneventkit/
Love Boynton? He’s a link to Workman’s new downloadable authorless event kit, which includes a poster and other goodies.
Astro-Venture
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/astrobiology/astroventure/avhome.html
Students are sure to enjoy the interactivity of this adventure. They will be guided through four training modules as they learn how astronomy, geology, atmospheric science, and biology affect a planet's ability to support human life. After each training session, students are given a mission to complete, using scientific inquiry, to select a planet and star system that meets the requirements for human habitation. The final mission requires students to use all of the knowledge they have acquired to create a simulated planet that has all the characteristics in each of the four areas required to make it habitable to humans. Additionally, there is a Teacher/Parent section with lesson plans and suggestions for use, career fact sheets, and other related resources. This is a web site you don't want to miss. (Education World Site Reviews, 7/6/10)
The Gateway to Educational Materials
http://www.thegateway.org/
GEM is a one-stop source for high-quality Internet lesson plans, curriculum units, and other educational resources for parents, teachers, and others involved in education. It currently contains 24,926 education resources. This extensive collection is categorized by subject area, grade level, and keyword. Each collection is reviewed and must meet certain standards to be included in the Gateway. Search results provide a comprehensive list of annotated links. Each record provides a "more info" option that provides the complete GEM review and gives a short description of the resource, including author, title, and location. This is one site you will want to bookmark and visit often! . (Education World Site Reviews, 7/6/10)
AND FINALLY……
There’s a family of swans that resides in a small pond near the Lakeshores office. Often when I am heading to work in the morning they are sitting right along side the road. The parents are diligent and there’s been no undue loss of life. Eight of the cygnets have survived this year (which may actually be all of them), as compared to two last year.
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 345; July 21, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Design Squad’s Trash to Treasure Competition
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival
Boosting Family Involvement through Better Policy Report
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEW
Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
http://tinyurl.com/39v3jcv
Told from two different perspectives, this is a story of immigrants from Mexico, half of which are illegal, and a Yankee farm family. Tyler lives on a dairy farm in Vermont, and they need help. His grandfather recently died, his father had a farming accident and his older brother is leaving for college. This leads to hiring Mari and her family, and thus begins a tale of friendship, freedom and understanding. Tyler and Mari are in school together, and discover they both enjoy stargazing, which often saves their friendship throughout the tumultuous events in the narrative. As the year progresses, Tyler learns more about Mexican culture, just as Mari learns more about life in Vermont. They both learn more about deportation, ICE and coyotes. A subplot throughout is the disappearance of Mari's mother, which gives Tyler a chance to be a hero.
Overall, this book was disappointing. I enjoyed Tyler's growth through the year, especially his struggle with being friends with an illegal alien. I also appreciated the overall struggle of following the law, but also recognizing many of the people affected by the law aren't criminal or in the United States with evil intent. The topic is unique and can spur discussion, especially as both sides of the story unfold. The format, however, is one of the weaknesses. Switching from third to first person was awkward, especially as how the story was told didn't change. Having Mari as an omniscient narrator was jarring, and some of her story feels forced as Alvarez squeezes information into letters just to keep the story moving. The use of Spanish (and the italics to indicate it) was also inconsistent and some of the translating felt weird. And the subplot of actually finding Mari's mother felt like it was resolved with too many gimmicks and was hurried.
DESIGN SQUAD’S TRASH TO TREASURE COMPETITION
Design Squad, the PBS engineering reality competition series, is offering kids a chance to get in on the action this summer. Complement your library's summer outreach efforts and increase the chances of someone from YOUR community appearing on the next season of Design Squad by encouraging kids to enter.
The 2010 Trash to Treasure Competition challenges kids, ages 5-19, to recycle, reuse, and re-engineer everyday materials into out-of-the-box inventions. Three winners will win a trip to Boston to see their designs built and appear on an episode of Design Squad. Twenty-five finalists will be featured on the series website and will receive a Design Squad t-shirt. Entries will be accepted through September 5, 2010 at pbs.org/designsquad.
To help share the excitement, the following resources are available:
1. Contest Flyer
Print, post, and distribute the promotional flyer. You can find a PDF on the Design Squad website.
2. Invent It, Build It Activity Guide
Explore the invention process with kids through fun, hands-on challenges from this award-winning activity guide.
3. Promotional Language
Include a message about the competition in your newsletters, announcements, and print pieces.
4. Logo and Images
Include a web button on your website linking to our contest page. Or, spice up your newsletters with some fun signature images.
BANNED BOOKS WEEK: CELEBRATING THE FREEDOM TO READ
Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States. It will be held September 25 - October 2 this year.
Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them. The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.
For more information on getting involved with Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, please see Calendar of Events and Ideas and Resources. You can also contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4220, or bbw@ala.org.
SHEBOYGAN CHIDLREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL
An exciting new event for children, parents and anyone who loves children's literature is coming to the greater Sheboygan area this fall. The first annual Sheboygan Children's Book Festival, October 15-17, will bring exceptional children's book authors and illustrators to the community for a celebration of books, reading, writing and art.
The children's book festival, which includes the grand opening celebration for Bookworm Gardens, will be part of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center's “Sheboygan Shindig”, October 15-21. The “Sheboygan Shindig” is an arts and literary extravaganza that will feature the opening of the major exhibition, “Animal Instinct”. plus entertainment, live animals, art-making workshops, special tours and symposia and more.
Some of the outstanding and award-winning authors and illustrators scheduled to take part in the festival are: Avi, Kathi Appelt, and Wisconsin's own Lois Ehlert. Others include Calef Brown and David McLimans.
To learn more, visit www.sheboyganchildrensbookfestival.org. Author and illustrator biographies, book lists, and the event schedule will be updated as new information is announced. Visitors to the site can sign up for email updates or make a donation.
BOOSTING FAMILY INVOLVEMENT THROUGH BETTER POLICY REPORT
Available through SparkAction!’s website, the Harvard Family Research Project’s report, “Taking Leadership, Innovating Change: Profiles in Family, School, and Community Engagement” looks at ways to systematize policy efforts (currently often marginalized and piecemeal) toward achieving educational equity, and to help make family involvement more clearly seen as a major part of achieving educational equity. Research shows the importance of parent-school partnerships in education, and especially among disadvantaged families. Public libraries are not mentioned, which is disappointing, but typical. Go to http://sparkaction.org/resources/37790 to view the report in its entirety. (NCSET E-News, 7/19/20)
DATES TO REMEMBER
August 4 MWFLS Battle of the books, Watertown, 1:00 PM
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
September 27 – October 1 Rhonda on vacation (guess where?)
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
WEBSITE FAVES
Sandra Boynton Event Kit
http://www.workman.com/blog/boyntoneventkit/
Love Boynton? He’s a link to Workman’s new downloadable authorless event kit, which includes a poster and other goodies.
Astro-Venture
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/astrobiology/astroventure/avhome.html
Students are sure to enjoy the interactivity of this adventure. They will be guided through four training modules as they learn how astronomy, geology, atmospheric science, and biology affect a planet's ability to support human life. After each training session, students are given a mission to complete, using scientific inquiry, to select a planet and star system that meets the requirements for human habitation. The final mission requires students to use all of the knowledge they have acquired to create a simulated planet that has all the characteristics in each of the four areas required to make it habitable to humans. Additionally, there is a Teacher/Parent section with lesson plans and suggestions for use, career fact sheets, and other related resources. This is a web site you don't want to miss. (Education World Site Reviews, 7/6/10)
The Gateway to Educational Materials
http://www.thegateway.org/
GEM is a one-stop source for high-quality Internet lesson plans, curriculum units, and other educational resources for parents, teachers, and others involved in education. It currently contains 24,926 education resources. This extensive collection is categorized by subject area, grade level, and keyword. Each collection is reviewed and must meet certain standards to be included in the Gateway. Search results provide a comprehensive list of annotated links. Each record provides a "more info" option that provides the complete GEM review and gives a short description of the resource, including author, title, and location. This is one site you will want to bookmark and visit often! . (Education World Site Reviews, 7/6/10)
AND FINALLY……
There’s a family of swans that resides in a small pond near the Lakeshores office. Often when I am heading to work in the morning they are sitting right along side the road. The parents are diligent and there’s been no undue loss of life. Eight of the cygnets have survived this year (which may actually be all of them), as compared to two last year.
CEO, 071210
Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 344; July 12, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Northwoods Children’s Book Conference
ALSC Announces Exceptional Websites for Children
Movie News
The Business of Children’s Publishing
National Indicators of the Well-Being of Children
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEWS
Maggie's Ball by Lindsay Barrett George
http://tinyurl.com/36up5zt
Maggie the dog has a bright yellow ball, but it gets lost! She searches through town trying to discover where it went. She visits the four shops on the circle, but no one has it. In the end, she not only finds her ball, but also a friend. Bright and colorful illustrations easily convey emotions and actions. Several pages can be used for I Spy or learning more about circles. Text is simple and works for younger aged storytimes.
What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson
http://tinyurl.com/2b7ctj4
Have you ever thought a ladybug would save the day? Because she's small and quiet, the ladybug overhears the entire plan of two thieves to steal the farm's prize cow. She immediately comes up with a plan to foil the robbers and keep the farm safe and breaks her silence for one day. The concept is neat, but has several aspects that fall flat. The rhyme is generally good, but the cadence is tricky and some of the text tries too hard. The illustrations also are generally good, but some of the mixed media is disconcerting and some pages are quite busy. Overall, an additional purchase.
Nibbles: A Green Tale by Charlotte Middleton
http://tinyurl.com/2g4kkvn
Nibbles loves dandelion leaves, as does his whole family, as does his whole town! These guinea pigs aren't careful, though, and eat the plants almost to extinction. But Nibbles will save the day with a garden and everyone can still enjoy their favorite treat. Adults will enjoy the irony of the guinea pigs' plight and children will appreciate the resourcefulness of Nibbles (and librarians will rejoice). The illustrations are mixed media, colorful and work well for storytime or a lap.
NORTHWOOD CHILDREN’S BOOK CONFERENCE
Northwoods Children’s Book Conference is pleased to announce Anita Silvey as the keynote speaker and presenter for this year’s conference to be held September 30 and October 1 at Lakewoods Resort in Cable, Wisconsin. Ms. Silvey is a nationally recognized author and advocate of youth literacy. She has devoted 35 years promoting books that will turn the young--and families--into readers. To do this she has appeared frequently on NPR, "The Today Show," "60 Minutes," and radio programs in the United States and Canada to talk about books for children and teenagers. As Publishers Weekly has said "It would be hard to find a more authoritative voice than Anita Silvey."
Anita Silvey has been in the book industry as an author, publisher of children’s books, editor of journals in the field, and reviewer/evaluator. In a unique career in the children’s book field, Ms. Silvey has divided her time equally between publishing and evaluating children’s books. But her lifelong conviction that “only the very best of anything can be good enough for the young” forms the cornerstone of her work. Ms. Silvey served for eleven years as Editor-in-Chief of The Horn Book Magazine, a publication many call “the Bible of children’s literature.” As Editor of Horn Book, she read several thousand books a year, hunting for those of exceptional quality that children return to again and again. Bev Bauer, of Redbery Books and a sponsor of the event says, “I have followed Anita Silvey from afar my entire career. It’s a real highlight to have her here for the conference.”
Silvey will be delivering the keynote address on Friday, October 1st, the title of which is also the title of her latest book, “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book. In addition, she will present a three-hour workshop Thursday, September 30 titled “Like a Rolling Stone, the Changing Landscape of Young Adult Books.” In the spirit of her title, the conference will conclude at the end of the day with a fun-filled hour of presenters and selected attendees sharing thoughts on the influential children’s book that gave them everything they needed to know to prepare the for life.
More information and registration details can be found online at http://www.northwoodsbook.org/ or by calling Redbery Books, 715 798-5014. Sponsors include Northern Waters Library Service and Children’s Literature Network.
ALSC ANNOUNCES EXCEPTIONAL WEBSITES FOR CHILDREN
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has added recommended Web sites to Great Web Sites for Kids www.ala.org/greatsites, its online resource containing hundreds of links to outstanding Web sites for children. Great Web Sites for Kids (GWS) features links to websites of interest to children 14 years of age and younger, organized into diverse subject headings, from astronomy and space to zoos and aquariums, from games and entertainment to geography and maps. There is also a special section with sites of interest to parents, caregivers and teachers. Members of the ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids Committee review and evaluate potential sites for inclusion and vote on the sites to be included. They also regularly check the entire site to ensure currency and re-evaluate sites when necessary.
The newly added sites are:
Aaron Shepard’s Folktales - www.aaronshep.com/stories/folk.html
Academic Skill Builders - www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/
BAM! Body and Mind - www.bam.gov/
Book Worm for Kids - www.bookworm4kids.com/
Census in Schools - www.census.gov/schools/census_for_kids/
Chicos - www.chicos.net/
Cool Science for Kids - www.hhmi.org/coolscience/forkids/index.html
Dogo News - www.dogonews.com/
Enchanted Learning - www.littleexplorers.com/languages/spanish/Aisfor.shtml
Exploratorium Science of Gardening - www.exploratorium.edu/gardening/feed/index.html
Games for Change - www.gamesforchange.org
Genna’s World - www.gennasworld.com
If I Was King of the World www.ifiwasthekingoftheworld.com/
Jefferson Lab - http://education.jlab.org/
Lab TV - www.ndep.us/LabTV.aspx
MakeBeliefsComix - www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/
Math Apprentice - www.mathapprentice.com/
Mr. PicassoHead - www.mrpicassohead.com
Nourish Interactive - www.nourishinteractive.com/
NSA www.nsa.gov/kids/
Pat Mora - www.patmora.com
Plimoth Plantation - www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html
Smarty Games - www.smartygames.com/
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne extension - http://urbanext.illinois.edu/kids/index.html
US Mint for Kids - www.usmint.gov/kids/
Wacky Web Tales - www.eduplace.com/tales/
You Are Here www.ftc.gov/youarehere/
The complete listing of great sites with annotations and selection criteria can be found at www.ala.org/greatsites.
MOVIE NEWS
Sorcerer’s Apprentice
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/
Loosely based on the brief segment in Fantasia….
Ramona and Beezus
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493949/
Looks like the focus of the film is not Ramona, but I could be wrong….
Hugo Cabret
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/
Jude Law added to the cast…..
Charlie St. Cloud
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1438254/
THE BUSINESS OF CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING
“The Business of Children’s Publishing” will be held October 1 and 2 at Carthage College in Kenosha at the Hedberg Library. The conference will be 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM both days.
Featured speakers include Ann Bausum (National Geographic), Kevin Luthardt (Peachtree), Quinlan Lee (Adams Literary). Anita Eerdmans (Eerdmans Publishing), and Scottie Bowditch (Penquin). The conference will focus on what different aspects are essential in children’s publishing, including what do publishers do, what does an agent do, what do an editor do and what does a marketing manager to? For further information, contact John Stewig at jstewig@carthage.edu or call (262) 552-5480.
NATIONAL INDICATORS OF THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released "America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2010." This report continues a series of annual reports to the nation on the well-being of children in the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences, in cooperation with 21 other federal agencies, contributes indicators to the report and supports its production.
According to the report's section on education, eighth graders’ average mathematics scale scores increased between 2007 and 2009, as did eighth graders’ average reading scale scores. Not all the report's findings were positive, however; the proportion of youth aged 16-19 who were neither enrolled in school nor working increased from 8 percent to 9 percent between 2008 and 2009.
The 2010 Childstats website includes 68 tables and 59 figures that describe the population of children and depict their well-being in the areas of family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.
You can view, download, and print the report at http://childstats.gov/
DATES TO REMEMBER
July 13 Barbershop Music Appreciation Day ☺
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
September 27 – October 1 Rhonda on vacation
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
WEBSITE FAVES
SunGuard Man
www.sunguardman.org
Now that school's out and summer's here, kids will be outside and exposed to the sun's rays. Make sure that they and their parents know how to be "sun smart." Start your tour by clicking on the red tabs at the top of each page. Kids can find out what UV radiation is and why they need to protect themselves from it, what their chances of getting skin cancer are, how to prevent skin cancer, why it's important to use sunscreen, the dangers of tanning beds/booths, and how to do a skin self-exam. Check out the "Games & Activities" on the navbar, where you can try your hand at shooting down some nasty UV rays in "Ray-Zin-Noma Attacks the Ballpark." The "Adventures of SGM" contains six animated cartoon episodes with cool sounds and music. Don't miss the "Teacher Resources," which include PDF handouts, flyers, a teacher's guide, and even a ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation. Finally find out what the current UV index is in your area of the country by clicking on the map at the bottom of the navbar. Kids can have fun in the sun if they're SunGuard Man smart! (SLJ’s Extra Helping, 6/8/10)
A Place of Our Own
http://aplaceofourown.org/index.php
The multiple award-winning PBS television series, website and outreach program, A Place of Our Own, and the Spanish language version, Los Niños en su Casa is aimed at child caregivers including parents, grandparents, daycare workers, and nannies. The goal is to give child caregivers a supportive and informative place to turn for help with the important task of caring for children of their own or someone else's. Visitors to the website will find that topics for the week, Monday-Friday, can be viewed and selected on the homepage. Each day there is a new topic covered, such as getting kids to share. The topic begins as question sent in from a child caregiver, and then answered by the show's host, someone in the medical community such as a pediatrician or a therapist, parents, or other caregivers. For more responses, visitors can join the discussion by going to the "Message Board". Visitors will find a helpful "featured activity" that relates to the topic, such as making box structures to encourage sharing among children. Sometimes a topic even has a "featured video", such as the video offered on separation anxiety. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 7/8/10)
Laura’s Life
http://lauramitolife.blogspot.com/
Laura is 4th grader at Stonegate Elementary School in Zionsville, Indiana, and lives "in the middle of nowhere", rural Indiana. As a second grader she decided to read all the Newbery Medal winners before she got to middle school, which for her starts in 5th grade. She reached her goal with time to spare. At the ALA conference last month, Laura was able to meet Rebecca Stead, Rodman Philbrick, members of the ALA Executive Board and the ALSC board, and attend the Newbery Caldecott banquet and shared these experiences on her blog.
Digital Comic Museum
http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/
For well over a century, comic books have been the stuff of childhood pastimes. Some people never grow tired of comics, and this website might be just the tonic they are looking for. The Digital Comic Museum presents hundreds of unique comics in their original format, and visitors will need to complete a short registration form before they get started here. The works here were published decades ago by long-gone companies such as the Croydon Publishing Company and Key Publications. Visitors can make their way through 1950s classics like "Black Cobra" and other gems, including the war-time classic "Joe Yank" and "Sparky Watts", who was billed as the "World's Strongest Funny Man". Scholars of this commercial art form may also find the site quite useful, as it provides a look into a number of rather obscure comic book titles. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 6/11/10)
TeensHealth
http://teenshealth.org/teen/
The non-profit health organization Nemours has developed a website that is just for teens and their health issues. The health issues covered on the site include growth and emotions, as well as other bodily health issues. The categories of health issues that are covered include "Food & Fitness", "Infections", "School & Jobs", and "Mind". On the homepage visitors will find several colorful boxes with different themes, such as "Hot Topics", "Expert Answers On...", a "Quiz", and "Featured Articles". Some of the "Featured Articles" are on golf safety tips, strength training, and smart snacking. The current "Quiz" question is about insomnia, and once the question is answered, visitors can click "Find Out More" and read about (or listen to) information on nine different sleep problems facing teens. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 6/25/10)
AND FINALLY…..
Today’s photo of Posie was taken this morning before work. It was the first time I’d caught her in the kitty condo. It will probably be the only time. ☺
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 344; July 12, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Northwoods Children’s Book Conference
ALSC Announces Exceptional Websites for Children
Movie News
The Business of Children’s Publishing
National Indicators of the Well-Being of Children
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEWS
Maggie's Ball by Lindsay Barrett George
http://tinyurl.com/36up5zt
Maggie the dog has a bright yellow ball, but it gets lost! She searches through town trying to discover where it went. She visits the four shops on the circle, but no one has it. In the end, she not only finds her ball, but also a friend. Bright and colorful illustrations easily convey emotions and actions. Several pages can be used for I Spy or learning more about circles. Text is simple and works for younger aged storytimes.
What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson
http://tinyurl.com/2b7ctj4
Have you ever thought a ladybug would save the day? Because she's small and quiet, the ladybug overhears the entire plan of two thieves to steal the farm's prize cow. She immediately comes up with a plan to foil the robbers and keep the farm safe and breaks her silence for one day. The concept is neat, but has several aspects that fall flat. The rhyme is generally good, but the cadence is tricky and some of the text tries too hard. The illustrations also are generally good, but some of the mixed media is disconcerting and some pages are quite busy. Overall, an additional purchase.
Nibbles: A Green Tale by Charlotte Middleton
http://tinyurl.com/2g4kkvn
Nibbles loves dandelion leaves, as does his whole family, as does his whole town! These guinea pigs aren't careful, though, and eat the plants almost to extinction. But Nibbles will save the day with a garden and everyone can still enjoy their favorite treat. Adults will enjoy the irony of the guinea pigs' plight and children will appreciate the resourcefulness of Nibbles (and librarians will rejoice). The illustrations are mixed media, colorful and work well for storytime or a lap.
NORTHWOOD CHILDREN’S BOOK CONFERENCE
Northwoods Children’s Book Conference is pleased to announce Anita Silvey as the keynote speaker and presenter for this year’s conference to be held September 30 and October 1 at Lakewoods Resort in Cable, Wisconsin. Ms. Silvey is a nationally recognized author and advocate of youth literacy. She has devoted 35 years promoting books that will turn the young--and families--into readers. To do this she has appeared frequently on NPR, "The Today Show," "60 Minutes," and radio programs in the United States and Canada to talk about books for children and teenagers. As Publishers Weekly has said "It would be hard to find a more authoritative voice than Anita Silvey."
Anita Silvey has been in the book industry as an author, publisher of children’s books, editor of journals in the field, and reviewer/evaluator. In a unique career in the children’s book field, Ms. Silvey has divided her time equally between publishing and evaluating children’s books. But her lifelong conviction that “only the very best of anything can be good enough for the young” forms the cornerstone of her work. Ms. Silvey served for eleven years as Editor-in-Chief of The Horn Book Magazine, a publication many call “the Bible of children’s literature.” As Editor of Horn Book, she read several thousand books a year, hunting for those of exceptional quality that children return to again and again. Bev Bauer, of Redbery Books and a sponsor of the event says, “I have followed Anita Silvey from afar my entire career. It’s a real highlight to have her here for the conference.”
Silvey will be delivering the keynote address on Friday, October 1st, the title of which is also the title of her latest book, “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book. In addition, she will present a three-hour workshop Thursday, September 30 titled “Like a Rolling Stone, the Changing Landscape of Young Adult Books.” In the spirit of her title, the conference will conclude at the end of the day with a fun-filled hour of presenters and selected attendees sharing thoughts on the influential children’s book that gave them everything they needed to know to prepare the for life.
More information and registration details can be found online at http://www.northwoodsbook.org/ or by calling Redbery Books, 715 798-5014. Sponsors include Northern Waters Library Service and Children’s Literature Network.
ALSC ANNOUNCES EXCEPTIONAL WEBSITES FOR CHILDREN
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has added recommended Web sites to Great Web Sites for Kids www.ala.org/greatsites, its online resource containing hundreds of links to outstanding Web sites for children. Great Web Sites for Kids (GWS) features links to websites of interest to children 14 years of age and younger, organized into diverse subject headings, from astronomy and space to zoos and aquariums, from games and entertainment to geography and maps. There is also a special section with sites of interest to parents, caregivers and teachers. Members of the ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids Committee review and evaluate potential sites for inclusion and vote on the sites to be included. They also regularly check the entire site to ensure currency and re-evaluate sites when necessary.
The newly added sites are:
Aaron Shepard’s Folktales - www.aaronshep.com/stories/folk.html
Academic Skill Builders - www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/
BAM! Body and Mind - www.bam.gov/
Book Worm for Kids - www.bookworm4kids.com/
Census in Schools - www.census.gov/schools/census_for_kids/
Chicos - www.chicos.net/
Cool Science for Kids - www.hhmi.org/coolscience/forkids/index.html
Dogo News - www.dogonews.com/
Enchanted Learning - www.littleexplorers.com/languages/spanish/Aisfor.shtml
Exploratorium Science of Gardening - www.exploratorium.edu/gardening/feed/index.html
Games for Change - www.gamesforchange.org
Genna’s World - www.gennasworld.com
If I Was King of the World www.ifiwasthekingoftheworld.com/
Jefferson Lab - http://education.jlab.org/
Lab TV - www.ndep.us/LabTV.aspx
MakeBeliefsComix - www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/
Math Apprentice - www.mathapprentice.com/
Mr. PicassoHead - www.mrpicassohead.com
Nourish Interactive - www.nourishinteractive.com/
NSA www.nsa.gov/kids/
Pat Mora - www.patmora.com
Plimoth Plantation - www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html
Smarty Games - www.smartygames.com/
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne extension - http://urbanext.illinois.edu/kids/index.html
US Mint for Kids - www.usmint.gov/kids/
Wacky Web Tales - www.eduplace.com/tales/
You Are Here www.ftc.gov/youarehere/
The complete listing of great sites with annotations and selection criteria can be found at www.ala.org/greatsites.
MOVIE NEWS
Sorcerer’s Apprentice
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/
Loosely based on the brief segment in Fantasia….
Ramona and Beezus
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493949/
Looks like the focus of the film is not Ramona, but I could be wrong….
Hugo Cabret
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/
Jude Law added to the cast…..
Charlie St. Cloud
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1438254/
THE BUSINESS OF CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING
“The Business of Children’s Publishing” will be held October 1 and 2 at Carthage College in Kenosha at the Hedberg Library. The conference will be 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM both days.
Featured speakers include Ann Bausum (National Geographic), Kevin Luthardt (Peachtree), Quinlan Lee (Adams Literary). Anita Eerdmans (Eerdmans Publishing), and Scottie Bowditch (Penquin). The conference will focus on what different aspects are essential in children’s publishing, including what do publishers do, what does an agent do, what do an editor do and what does a marketing manager to? For further information, contact John Stewig at jstewig@carthage.edu or call (262) 552-5480.
NATIONAL INDICATORS OF THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released "America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2010." This report continues a series of annual reports to the nation on the well-being of children in the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences, in cooperation with 21 other federal agencies, contributes indicators to the report and supports its production.
According to the report's section on education, eighth graders’ average mathematics scale scores increased between 2007 and 2009, as did eighth graders’ average reading scale scores. Not all the report's findings were positive, however; the proportion of youth aged 16-19 who were neither enrolled in school nor working increased from 8 percent to 9 percent between 2008 and 2009.
The 2010 Childstats website includes 68 tables and 59 figures that describe the population of children and depict their well-being in the areas of family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.
You can view, download, and print the report at http://childstats.gov/
DATES TO REMEMBER
July 13 Barbershop Music Appreciation Day ☺
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
September 27 – October 1 Rhonda on vacation
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
WEBSITE FAVES
SunGuard Man
www.sunguardman.org
Now that school's out and summer's here, kids will be outside and exposed to the sun's rays. Make sure that they and their parents know how to be "sun smart." Start your tour by clicking on the red tabs at the top of each page. Kids can find out what UV radiation is and why they need to protect themselves from it, what their chances of getting skin cancer are, how to prevent skin cancer, why it's important to use sunscreen, the dangers of tanning beds/booths, and how to do a skin self-exam. Check out the "Games & Activities" on the navbar, where you can try your hand at shooting down some nasty UV rays in "Ray-Zin-Noma Attacks the Ballpark." The "Adventures of SGM" contains six animated cartoon episodes with cool sounds and music. Don't miss the "Teacher Resources," which include PDF handouts, flyers, a teacher's guide, and even a ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation. Finally find out what the current UV index is in your area of the country by clicking on the map at the bottom of the navbar. Kids can have fun in the sun if they're SunGuard Man smart! (SLJ’s Extra Helping, 6/8/10)
A Place of Our Own
http://aplaceofourown.org/index.php
The multiple award-winning PBS television series, website and outreach program, A Place of Our Own, and the Spanish language version, Los Niños en su Casa is aimed at child caregivers including parents, grandparents, daycare workers, and nannies. The goal is to give child caregivers a supportive and informative place to turn for help with the important task of caring for children of their own or someone else's. Visitors to the website will find that topics for the week, Monday-Friday, can be viewed and selected on the homepage. Each day there is a new topic covered, such as getting kids to share. The topic begins as question sent in from a child caregiver, and then answered by the show's host, someone in the medical community such as a pediatrician or a therapist, parents, or other caregivers. For more responses, visitors can join the discussion by going to the "Message Board". Visitors will find a helpful "featured activity" that relates to the topic, such as making box structures to encourage sharing among children. Sometimes a topic even has a "featured video", such as the video offered on separation anxiety. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 7/8/10)
Laura’s Life
http://lauramitolife.blogspot.com/
Laura is 4th grader at Stonegate Elementary School in Zionsville, Indiana, and lives "in the middle of nowhere", rural Indiana. As a second grader she decided to read all the Newbery Medal winners before she got to middle school, which for her starts in 5th grade. She reached her goal with time to spare. At the ALA conference last month, Laura was able to meet Rebecca Stead, Rodman Philbrick, members of the ALA Executive Board and the ALSC board, and attend the Newbery Caldecott banquet and shared these experiences on her blog.
Digital Comic Museum
http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/
For well over a century, comic books have been the stuff of childhood pastimes. Some people never grow tired of comics, and this website might be just the tonic they are looking for. The Digital Comic Museum presents hundreds of unique comics in their original format, and visitors will need to complete a short registration form before they get started here. The works here were published decades ago by long-gone companies such as the Croydon Publishing Company and Key Publications. Visitors can make their way through 1950s classics like "Black Cobra" and other gems, including the war-time classic "Joe Yank" and "Sparky Watts", who was billed as the "World's Strongest Funny Man". Scholars of this commercial art form may also find the site quite useful, as it provides a look into a number of rather obscure comic book titles. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 6/11/10)
TeensHealth
http://teenshealth.org/teen/
The non-profit health organization Nemours has developed a website that is just for teens and their health issues. The health issues covered on the site include growth and emotions, as well as other bodily health issues. The categories of health issues that are covered include "Food & Fitness", "Infections", "School & Jobs", and "Mind". On the homepage visitors will find several colorful boxes with different themes, such as "Hot Topics", "Expert Answers On...", a "Quiz", and "Featured Articles". Some of the "Featured Articles" are on golf safety tips, strength training, and smart snacking. The current "Quiz" question is about insomnia, and once the question is answered, visitors can click "Find Out More" and read about (or listen to) information on nine different sleep problems facing teens. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 6/25/10)
AND FINALLY…..
Today’s photo of Posie was taken this morning before work. It was the first time I’d caught her in the kitty condo. It will probably be the only time. ☺
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