Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 353, January 26, 2011
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
ALA Midwinter 2011 Updates
Super Bowl Programming Ideas
ALSC and YALSA News
Allison Kaplan Awarded Bechtel Fellowship
Arbuthnot Lecture
2011 Rainbow Awards
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEW
Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
http://tinyurl.com/32m6k3m
Ruby Jacinski lives in the Back of the Yards in Chicago with her mother and sister. It's a distinctly Polish neighborhood and embodies everything you imagine of an old-time street: nosy neighbors, wariness of the nearby neighborhoods, close-knit families and kids getting together at the corner drugstore. But Ruby is ready to leave it all behind, especially once her mother's arthritis forces her to quit her job. Ruby agrees to drop out of school and work in the stockyards, though she hates every minute of it. Her true love is dancing and she can't get enough of jazz and other 'modern' music. When heartthrob Paulie Suelze suggests she start working at the Starlight, a taxi-dance hall, Ruby decides to check it out. Telling her mom that she got a job as a phone operator, Ruby is thrust into a new world of adulthood, including falling hard for Paulie, who might not have honorable intentions.
I read this book with a feeling of imminent doom the entire time, which ruined it a little bit for me, but it also means I really connected with the main character and didn't want to see her get hurt. The character development of Ruby is believable and I enjoyed watching her become an adult, albeit she did it the hard way. And early--she's only 16 by the end of the book. Other characters didn't feel as well rounded as Ruby, though, and it was a little jarring to watch her and Betty (her sister) interact. Paulie did not elicit any emotions from me either, which was disappointing, as Ruby did fall for him hard and I had hoped to feel the same emotions Ruby did. I did really enjoyed the history and think anyone who has a connection with Chicago will fully appreciate all the details Fletcher has included on this little-known area of history. Older students or adults who read this book could be led to The Jungle by Upton Sinclair next for more on the stockyards or Since You Went Away edited by J.B. Litoff to capture the homefront feeling. For another overall worlds colliding read, direct readers to Summer of the War by Gloria Whelan.
And, as a side note, I think the paperback cover is unappealing and too modern. Blech.
ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES
Don’t forget the SRP workshop this Friday at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha! Featured presenters are Marge Loch-Wouters and Leslie Peterson.
The entire Storywagon schedule has been posted to the Lakeshores calendar:
http://prem.calendars.net/lls
Flags of the World
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/
Flags of the World (FOTW), founded in 1994, is the Internet’s largest site devoted to vexillology (the study of flags). Here you can read more than 47,000 pages about flags and view more than 87,000 images of flags of countries, organizations, states, territories, districts and cities, both past and present.
Folktexts
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html
Features public domain folktales from many countries categorized by theme, topic, or event.
ALA MIDWINTER 2011 UPDATES
A few of us from the Lakeshores area (besides me) attended ALA Midwinter in San Diego, here are some comments:
From Kelly Jensen (Delavan):
While in San Diego, what I spent most of my time doing was wandering the exhibits. I got the chance to talk to many of the publishers about their favorite titles and the trends they've been seeing. I was lucky to be invited to a preview meal from Simon and Schuster and Disney, both of which gave me a really nice look at the range of youth titles coming out (and if anyone is interested, I have the packets from both publishers). But maybe Saturday night was my favorite: I got to have dinner with Lisa McMann (author of the "Wake" trilogy and the forthcoming "Cryer's Cross"), her editor and publicist, as well as about 10 other librarians. It was a great night of talking books and youth services with people from all over the country.
From Jennifer Wharton (Elkhorn):
I went to a couple publisher previews, the Neil Gaiman thing (he was interviewed by Nancy Pearl) and basically spent four days seeing how many books I could collect. I mostly went around the exhibits (and around and around and around). I did some networking with publishers.
SUPER BOWL PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Here’s a list of websites to help you plan your Super Bowl programming and storytimes (and to celebrate a Green Bay victory!):
http://www.packers.com/
http://www.steelers.com/
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/45
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/super-bowl-sunday/printables/
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson096.shtml
http://www.dltk-kids.com/sports/superbowl.htm
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/seasonal/super-bowl/
ALSC AND YALSA NEWS
ALSC names 2011 Notable Children’s Recordings
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6117
ALSC announces 2011 Notable Children's Books
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6122
ALSC announces 2011 Notable Children’s Videos
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6116
YALSA names 2011 Fabulous Films for Young Adult
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6076
YALSA names 2011 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6102
YALSA names 2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6101
YALSA names 2011 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6100
YALSA names 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6094
YALSA names 2011 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6099
ALLISON KAPLAN AWARDED BECHTEL FELLOWSHIP
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has awarded two 2011 Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowships to Victoria Penny and Allison G. Kaplan. The Bechtel Fellowship is designed to allow qualified children’s librarians to spend a month or more reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, a part of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida, Gainesville. The Baldwin Library contains a special collection of 85,000 volumes of children’s literature published mostly before 1950. The fellowship is endowed in memory of Louise Seaman Bechtel and Ruth M. Baldwin and provides a stipend of $4,000.
Allison Kaplan, a faculty associate at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will pursue her study, “Board Books: From Toy to Literacy Tool,” while at the Baldwin Library. Kaplan’s research focus is on special types of books, known as “board books,” which are printed on thick paperboard. These are often considered “toy and movable” books. “By exploring the collection of toy and board books in the Baldwin Library,” said Kaplan, “I hope to be able to better understand what led to the evolution of the board book from a simple toy to an important part of the literacy process.”
Victoria Penny, the early childhood services coordinator at the First Regional Library in Hernando, Miss., has chosen “Rediscovering Child’s Sense of Wonder: Depictions of Nature and Outdoor Play in Historical Children’s Literature” as her topic of study. Penny’s work will investigate illustrations from 19th and 20th century American children’s literature to determine the manner in which this reflects notions of childhood development at the time. “I have always had a personal love for and intellectual interest in nature and the outdoors,” said Penny. “On a professional level, I have recently become much more interested in the importance of outdoor play and green time to children’s development.”
ALSC, a division of the ALA, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,200 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit ALSC’s website at www.ala.org/alsc.
ARBUTHNOT LECTURE
On Friday, April 15, 2011 bestselling children's author Lois Lowry will give the 2011 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture in St. Louis. The event begins at 7 P.M. and will take place in the Main Reading Room of the St. Louis County Library (SLCL). The event is free and open to the public. Tickets can be obtained by visiting St. Louis County Library's event registration page, http://www.slcl.org/arbuthnot/.
Lowry, two-time winner of the Newbery Medal, is an internationally acclaimed author whose career spans more than 30 years. Her two Newbery Medals are from 1990 for "Number the Stars," set in Denmark during World War II, and in 1994 for the eerily dystopian "The Giver" (both Houghton). She was also the recipient of the 2007 Margaret A. Edwards Award, which honors an author's contribution to young adult literature.
The May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture is sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The lecture title honors May Hill Arbuthnot, distinguished writer, editor, and children's literature scholar. Each year, an author, artist, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature is chosen to prepare a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children's literature. This year’s committee was chaired by Shawn Brommer from the South Central Library System in Madison.
2011 RAINBOW LIST
The ALA 2011 Rainbow Project Committee proudly announces the 2011 Rainbow List. Created during the 2011 Midwinter Meeting at San Diego, California, these titles reflect significant gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans-gendered/queer-questioning (glbtq) experience for young people from birth to age 18.
Titles marked with a * are a Top Ten Title for the 2011 List.
*Agell, Charlotte. The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister. 2010. 1 60p. Henry Holt & Co. (9780805089028). Gr 5-8
An illustrated diary-like account of things that India McAllister loves like her dog Tofu, her best friend, Colby, and other things…well, she’s not so sure about, like Amanda the Rodent and Richard, her dad’s boyfriend.
Beale, Elaine. Another Life Altogether. 2010. 416p. Spiegel & Grau. (978-0385530040). Gr 9+
Due to challenges at home, Jessie’s family decides to move to Yorkshire for a “new start”, and she struggles to fit in and find her own voice in her new town. On top of all this, she must also figure out her confusing new crushes.
Bergman, S. Bear. The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You. 2009. Arsenal Pulp Press. (978-1551522647). Gr. 10+
A collection of personal essays from a transmasculine perspective, featuring topics such as coming out, family, identity and religion.
Boyd, Maria. Will. 2010. 304p. Knopf Books for Young Readers. (978-0375862090). GR 9-12
High school jock and all-around popular guy Will Armstrong moons a bus full of girls and is assigned community service, which includes joining the school band and helping out with the musical. While serving his time, he is befriended by a gay boy and is forced to reconsider his own stereotypical views of what it means to be a man.
Cohn, Rachel. Very LeFreak. 2010. 320p. Knopf Books for Young Readers. (978-0375857584). Gr 9+
With a playlist for every moment, and the need for her tech buzzing in her veins, can Very unplug enough to discover what her heart really wants before it's too late and take a chance at real love?
Cruse, Howard. Stuck Rubber Baby. 2010. 224p. DC Comics. (978-1401227135). Gr 10+
While fighting for civil rights in the 1960s South, Toland fights the realization that he is gay, and has to deal with the idea and the change in his own thoughts and personal identity.
de Rossi, Portia. Unbearable Lightness. 2010. 320p. Atria. (978-1439177785). Gr 9+
Coming to terms with coming out and the damaging perceptions of commercial beauty, she shares her story of recovery from her eating disorder and her self-acceptance.
Diaz, Alexandra. Of All The Stupid Things. 2009. 272p. EgmontUSA. (978-1606840344). Gr 10+
When Tara learns that her boyfriend may be gay, she is devastated. But then—when she finds herself attracted to a new girl, Riley—she is forced to examine her own sexuality.
Diersch, Sandra. Out. 2010. 136p. Lorimer. (978-1552774229). Gr 9+
Canadian teenager Alex must confront his latent homophobia when his younger brother comes out to him.
* Eagland, Jane. Wildthorn. 2010. 352p. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. (978-0547370170). Gr 9+
Louisa Cosgrove, a high-spirited young lady in nineteenth century England, loves her cousin Grace and longs to be a doctor.
DATES TO REMEMBER
January 28 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, Country Springs, Waukesha
January 29 Diva Quest, Kenosha
January 31 CSLP Executive Board Meeting
February 4 LD&L Meeting, Madison
February 6 THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!
February 9-15 Rhonda out of the office (tending to my dad after a surgery)
February 11 WLA Board Meeting, Madison (my first as WLA president!)
February 22 Library Legislative Day, Madison
March 3 MWFLS Youth Services Meeting, Horicon
April 5-8 CSLP Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ
April 10-16 National Library Week
May 4-6 WAPL Conference, Madison
May 2-8 National Children’s Book Week
May 10-11 National Library Legislative Day, Washington, DC
May 20 Special Needs Consultants Meeting, Madison
June 20 First day of Storywagon
June 22-29 ALA Annual Conference, New Orleans
October 16-22 Teen Read Week
November 1-4 WLA Annual Conference, Milwaukee
WEBSITE FAVES
Young Adult Books Central
http://www.yabookscentral.com/
Young Adult (& Kid’s) Book Central is a place for people who love books. It features a large database of book reviews. Visitors to the site can find information on young adult and children’s books, along with more than 14,000 reviews, 200 excerpts, 182 author interviews, chances to win free books, forums, and much more. Teachers, students, and parents will appreciate the links to more than one hundred study guides, reader guides, and teacher guides. The site also gives parents, students, and teachers the opportunity to peruse the booklist to find appropriate reading material for their children or students. The book directory lists all the books that have been reviewed, identifies the genre, and gives an age range that is appropriate to interests and reading ability. Visitors to the site also are encouraged to write and submit their own book review. (Education World Site Reviews, 1/11/11)
Kids Know It Network
http://www.kidsknowit.com/
This site’s mission is “to create fun and interactive learning modules that can be utilized by teachers, parents, and home schoolers to enhance their learning environments, and increase the interest and attentiveness of their learners” and they have done it very well. Students will find homework help in a number of subject areas including astronomy, animals, biology, dinosaurs, geography, geology, history, math, memory, and spelling. Each subject area includes games and activities to keep students involved. When it’s time for just fun, students can head over to the game section to play games that are not found in other sections of the site. More than thirty free educational movies are available for teachers to use to supplement their lessons. The videos cover such topics as absolute values, adjectives, averages, eclipses, acceleration, biomes, hurricanes, and more. Each movie ends with an interactive online quiz. Additionally, a comprehensive database of educational songs can be used by teachers and students to enhance learning. The database can be searched by selecting any subject category. (Education World Site Reviews, 1/11/11)
The Art Institute of Chicago: Online Resources
http://www.artic.edu/aic/visitor_info/podcasts/video/education_videos/
The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) recently redesigned their online resources site, and visitors new and old will find much that is compelling here. This particular set of videos on this site was designed for English and Spanish speakers who might be visiting the Institute in the near future, and all told there are nine different short films. The films include an introduction to the AIC, a film on how to teach and instruct students in the galleries, and a rather fine film on the Modern Wing (designed by Renzo Piano) and its green design. Additionally, visitors can slide on over to the "Podcasts" area for artist talks, curator commentaries, and other audio explorations. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 1/1/11)
AND FINALLY……….
My Sweet Adelines chorus has its 5th Annual Diva Quest show this weekend in Kenosha and my daughter is one of the Divas! Let me know if you’d like to go. For more info, go to: http://www.riverportchorus.org/divaquest.html. UW-Madison’s Madhatters, a men’s a cappella group, are the featured guests!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
CEO, January 4, 2011
Children’s Event
Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 352, January 4, 2011
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
One World, Many Stories
YALSA’s Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
Little Golden Books Archive
South Carolina’s Day by Day Calendar
Youth Media Awards
ALA Offers Traveling Exhibit Grant Opportunities
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES
Ideas for SRP 2011 YA Booklist – “You Are Here” Theme
(compiled by Kristin Pekoll, West Bend Community Library)
Around the World in 100 Days by Gary Blackwood
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen
We Were Here by Matt de la Peña
A Field Guide for Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy (taking a summer class in Czech Republic)
Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald (spending the summer in Canada)
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (trip to France)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (going to school in France)
Heist Society by Ally Carter (traveling around Europe)
The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper (taking a summer class in Italy)
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins (living in India)
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (road trip)
How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle (road trip)
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury (about a bike trip across America.)
As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins (involved getting around by various means)
North of Beautiful by Headley (published in '09, paperback came out this past February)
Crash into Me by Albert Borris
Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
SASS: Students across the seven seas (series)
YALSA’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTON
The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The award winner will be announced annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. The award will be presented at ALA Annual Conference.
Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing
By Ann Angel, published by Amulet/Abrams
Janis Joplin, a true "fish out of water" in Port Arthur, TX, follows her own path to become an icon of American music in her short, tragic life.
They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Bartoletti provides readers with an in-depth look at the formation of the KKK and its subsequent evolution into a violent organization. With primary source material, she details the horrific history of the Ku Klux Klan and the people who fell victim to its reign of terror.
Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement
By Rick Bowers, published by National Geographic Society
In 1958, the state of Mississippi began an undercover operation, The Sovereignty Commission, to spy on and potentially squelch the Civil Rights movement. Bowers' expose of this unknown organization reveals the extent to which some were willing to go to see segregation remain the law of the state.
The Dark Game: True Spy Stories
By Paul Janeczko, published by Candlewick Press
This compilation of different spies carries readers from the Revolutionary War through the infamous Cold War era. Delve into stories about the Choctaw Code Talkers of WWI, Soviet moles, Mata Hari and more as you uncover just how they changed the course of history.
Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates
By Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw, published by Charlesbridge
Through fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and scientific debate, the bones of Turkana Boy, Lapede Child, Kennewick Man and Iceman are used to tell the fascinating stories of four member of the human family tree. Maps, photographs, and news headlines add to our understanding of archeology's cutting edge science.
LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS ARCHIVE
The Racine Public Library is starting an archival collection of Little Golden Books for their new Racine History Room. Racine was the home of Western Publishing (which produced the Little Golden Books) for many years. If anyone has items they would like to donate to RPL’s collection, please contact Darcy Mohr at 262-636-9247. Here is a link to a recent article in the Racine Journal Times regarding the collection: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_98786ede-05ab-11e0-8b0d-001cc4c002e0.html
SOUTH CAROLINA’S DAY BY DAY CALENDAR
www.daybydaysc.org
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 has been updated since it was previously featured in the newsletter and now includes PDFs of the calendar by month and PDFs of the calendar in Spanish.
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). (thanks to Denise Lyons, consultant at the South Carolina State Library)
YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS
It’s the equivalent of the Academy Awards to anyone with a passing interest in children’s books and publishing. To allow as many interested people as possible the opportunity to hear the winners of the Youth Media Awards on Jan. 10, during the American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, the ALA will provide a free live webcast. The number of available connections for the webcast are limited. Online visitors interested in following the announcements live can bookmark http://alawebcast.unikron.com. Visitors can begin logging in to the webcast at 7:30 am PST; the Youth Media Awards will begin at 7:45 AM Pacific Standard Time (9:45 for those of us in the Midwest). You should also be able to see results early in the morning on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alayma), on the Web (www.ala.org/yma), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/alayma) along with many blogs and media outlets.
ALA OFFERS TRAVELING EXHIBIT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Public, academic and special libraries, including museum libraries, and Jewish community centers are reminded to apply by January 24 to host one of three new traveling exhibits focusing on Jewish artists who have contributed to the culture of America and the world through their lives and work. More information about the exhibitions, including the online application, is available at www.ala.org/jewishartists.
The exhibits were developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture and ideas, and the ALA Public Programs Office, with funding from Nextbook. The national exhibit tours have been made possible by grants from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the David Berg Foundation and the Nash Family Foundation, with additional support from Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life.
Libraries are invited to apply to host a traveling exhibition on one of three subjects:
1. In a Nutshell: The Worlds of Maurice Sendak
Based on a major retrospective exhibition created by the Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia, this exhibit reveals the push and pull of New and Old Worlds in Sendak’s work and shows how Sendak’s artistic journey has led him deeper into his own family’s history and his Jewish identity.
2. Emma Lazarus: Voice of Liberty, Voice of Conscience
In this exhibit, a vital woman is brought to life in all her fascinating complexity. Viewers see Lazarus’s place in history as a poet, an activist and a prophet of the world we live in today. The exhibit traces her life, intellectual development, work and lasting influence.
3. A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965
Illustrated with colorful posters from Broadway shows and photographs of composers, singers and the casts of hit musicals and films, this exhibit highlights the lives and works of Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and a host of other Jewish songwriters who wove the American songbook deep into the fabric of American culture.
Successful applicants will host one traveling exhibition for a six-week period between April 2011 and February 2012 and receive programming and technical support from the ALA Public Programs Office. Participating libraries are expected to present at least two free public programs for adults on themes related to the exhibitions. All showings of the exhibition must be free and open to the public. Each of the exhibits requires at least 200 square feet of display space.
More information about the exhibitions, including guidelines and the online application, is available at www.ala.org/jewishartists. With questions, contact the ALA Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.
DATES TO REMEMBER
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego (Rhonda out of the office)
January 10 Youth Media Awards Announcements, will be approximately 10 AM CST
January 28 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, Country Springs, Waukesha
January 29 Diva Quest, Kenosha
February 22 Library Legislative Day, Madison
March 3 MWFLS Youth Services Meeting, Horicon (tentative)
April 5-8 CSLP Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ
May 4-6 WAPL conference, Madison
May 20 Special Needs Consultants Meeting, Madison
June 22-29 ALA Annual conference, New Orleans
WEBSITE FAVES
Airline History Museum
http://www.ahmhangar.com/
The Airline History Museum (AHM) in Kansas City, Missouri has a blog with such a tremendous selection of video, photographs, and updates about what's going on at the museum that visitors will feel like they have already been to the museum. "The Beginning" link, at the top of the homepage, will lead visitors to a few paragraphs about the birth of the museum along with a seven-minute documentary. The menu on the left side of the homepage has links under "Aircraft", to "Our Planes", "AHM Movies" and "Photo Albums". Visitors can see under "Our Planes" that the Museum has a Lockheed Constellation (Connie), DC-3, Martin 404, and an L-1011, and each plane featured has many photographs to illustrate the story of how the Museum got each plane, and what each had to go through before being displayed. The arrival of their L-1011-100 even has photos of the engines being removed prior to its arrival at the Museum. One of the most recent blog entries allows visitors to watch video of their DC-3 engine run in Arkansas, which is a pretty great find. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010 http://scout.wisc.edu/, 12/10/10)
Think Green
http://www.thinkgreen.com/
Thinkgreen.com offers teachers and students, as well as the environmentally conscious public, information and resources related to many environmental topics. These topics include recycling, land reuse, and the conversion of waste to energy. The site also offers resources and classroom tools, such as puzzles, worksheets, and lesson plans. (Education World Site Reviews, 12/21/10)
AND FINALLY………
Hope to see some of you at the ALA Midwinter conference!
Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 352, January 4, 2011
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
One World, Many Stories
YALSA’s Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
Little Golden Books Archive
South Carolina’s Day by Day Calendar
Youth Media Awards
ALA Offers Traveling Exhibit Grant Opportunities
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES
Ideas for SRP 2011 YA Booklist – “You Are Here” Theme
(compiled by Kristin Pekoll, West Bend Community Library)
Around the World in 100 Days by Gary Blackwood
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen
We Were Here by Matt de la Peña
A Field Guide for Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy (taking a summer class in Czech Republic)
Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald (spending the summer in Canada)
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (trip to France)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (going to school in France)
Heist Society by Ally Carter (traveling around Europe)
The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper (taking a summer class in Italy)
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins (living in India)
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (road trip)
How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle (road trip)
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury (about a bike trip across America.)
As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins (involved getting around by various means)
North of Beautiful by Headley (published in '09, paperback came out this past February)
Crash into Me by Albert Borris
Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
SASS: Students across the seven seas (series)
YALSA’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTON
The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The award winner will be announced annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. The award will be presented at ALA Annual Conference.
Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing
By Ann Angel, published by Amulet/Abrams
Janis Joplin, a true "fish out of water" in Port Arthur, TX, follows her own path to become an icon of American music in her short, tragic life.
They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Bartoletti provides readers with an in-depth look at the formation of the KKK and its subsequent evolution into a violent organization. With primary source material, she details the horrific history of the Ku Klux Klan and the people who fell victim to its reign of terror.
Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement
By Rick Bowers, published by National Geographic Society
In 1958, the state of Mississippi began an undercover operation, The Sovereignty Commission, to spy on and potentially squelch the Civil Rights movement. Bowers' expose of this unknown organization reveals the extent to which some were willing to go to see segregation remain the law of the state.
The Dark Game: True Spy Stories
By Paul Janeczko, published by Candlewick Press
This compilation of different spies carries readers from the Revolutionary War through the infamous Cold War era. Delve into stories about the Choctaw Code Talkers of WWI, Soviet moles, Mata Hari and more as you uncover just how they changed the course of history.
Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates
By Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw, published by Charlesbridge
Through fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and scientific debate, the bones of Turkana Boy, Lapede Child, Kennewick Man and Iceman are used to tell the fascinating stories of four member of the human family tree. Maps, photographs, and news headlines add to our understanding of archeology's cutting edge science.
LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS ARCHIVE
The Racine Public Library is starting an archival collection of Little Golden Books for their new Racine History Room. Racine was the home of Western Publishing (which produced the Little Golden Books) for many years. If anyone has items they would like to donate to RPL’s collection, please contact Darcy Mohr at 262-636-9247. Here is a link to a recent article in the Racine Journal Times regarding the collection: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_98786ede-05ab-11e0-8b0d-001cc4c002e0.html
SOUTH CAROLINA’S DAY BY DAY CALENDAR
www.daybydaysc.org
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 has been updated since it was previously featured in the newsletter and now includes PDFs of the calendar by month and PDFs of the calendar in Spanish.
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). (thanks to Denise Lyons, consultant at the South Carolina State Library)
YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS
It’s the equivalent of the Academy Awards to anyone with a passing interest in children’s books and publishing. To allow as many interested people as possible the opportunity to hear the winners of the Youth Media Awards on Jan. 10, during the American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, the ALA will provide a free live webcast. The number of available connections for the webcast are limited. Online visitors interested in following the announcements live can bookmark http://alawebcast.unikron.com. Visitors can begin logging in to the webcast at 7:30 am PST; the Youth Media Awards will begin at 7:45 AM Pacific Standard Time (9:45 for those of us in the Midwest). You should also be able to see results early in the morning on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alayma), on the Web (www.ala.org/yma), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/alayma) along with many blogs and media outlets.
ALA OFFERS TRAVELING EXHIBIT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Public, academic and special libraries, including museum libraries, and Jewish community centers are reminded to apply by January 24 to host one of three new traveling exhibits focusing on Jewish artists who have contributed to the culture of America and the world through their lives and work. More information about the exhibitions, including the online application, is available at www.ala.org/jewishartists.
The exhibits were developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture and ideas, and the ALA Public Programs Office, with funding from Nextbook. The national exhibit tours have been made possible by grants from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the David Berg Foundation and the Nash Family Foundation, with additional support from Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life.
Libraries are invited to apply to host a traveling exhibition on one of three subjects:
1. In a Nutshell: The Worlds of Maurice Sendak
Based on a major retrospective exhibition created by the Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia, this exhibit reveals the push and pull of New and Old Worlds in Sendak’s work and shows how Sendak’s artistic journey has led him deeper into his own family’s history and his Jewish identity.
2. Emma Lazarus: Voice of Liberty, Voice of Conscience
In this exhibit, a vital woman is brought to life in all her fascinating complexity. Viewers see Lazarus’s place in history as a poet, an activist and a prophet of the world we live in today. The exhibit traces her life, intellectual development, work and lasting influence.
3. A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965
Illustrated with colorful posters from Broadway shows and photographs of composers, singers and the casts of hit musicals and films, this exhibit highlights the lives and works of Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and a host of other Jewish songwriters who wove the American songbook deep into the fabric of American culture.
Successful applicants will host one traveling exhibition for a six-week period between April 2011 and February 2012 and receive programming and technical support from the ALA Public Programs Office. Participating libraries are expected to present at least two free public programs for adults on themes related to the exhibitions. All showings of the exhibition must be free and open to the public. Each of the exhibits requires at least 200 square feet of display space.
More information about the exhibitions, including guidelines and the online application, is available at www.ala.org/jewishartists. With questions, contact the ALA Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.
DATES TO REMEMBER
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego (Rhonda out of the office)
January 10 Youth Media Awards Announcements, will be approximately 10 AM CST
January 28 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, Country Springs, Waukesha
January 29 Diva Quest, Kenosha
February 22 Library Legislative Day, Madison
March 3 MWFLS Youth Services Meeting, Horicon (tentative)
April 5-8 CSLP Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ
May 4-6 WAPL conference, Madison
May 20 Special Needs Consultants Meeting, Madison
June 22-29 ALA Annual conference, New Orleans
WEBSITE FAVES
Airline History Museum
http://www.ahmhangar.com/
The Airline History Museum (AHM) in Kansas City, Missouri has a blog with such a tremendous selection of video, photographs, and updates about what's going on at the museum that visitors will feel like they have already been to the museum. "The Beginning" link, at the top of the homepage, will lead visitors to a few paragraphs about the birth of the museum along with a seven-minute documentary. The menu on the left side of the homepage has links under "Aircraft", to "Our Planes", "AHM Movies" and "Photo Albums". Visitors can see under "Our Planes" that the Museum has a Lockheed Constellation (Connie), DC-3, Martin 404, and an L-1011, and each plane featured has many photographs to illustrate the story of how the Museum got each plane, and what each had to go through before being displayed. The arrival of their L-1011-100 even has photos of the engines being removed prior to its arrival at the Museum. One of the most recent blog entries allows visitors to watch video of their DC-3 engine run in Arkansas, which is a pretty great find. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010 http://scout.wisc.edu/, 12/10/10)
Think Green
http://www.thinkgreen.com/
Thinkgreen.com offers teachers and students, as well as the environmentally conscious public, information and resources related to many environmental topics. These topics include recycling, land reuse, and the conversion of waste to energy. The site also offers resources and classroom tools, such as puzzles, worksheets, and lesson plans. (Education World Site Reviews, 12/21/10)
AND FINALLY………
Hope to see some of you at the ALA Midwinter conference!
CEO, 12/8/10
Children’s Event
Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 351, December 8, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
Upcoming Holiday Meetings
News from the CCBC
2011 Storywagon Schedule
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEW
Thornspell by Helen Lowe
http://tinyurl.com/2cqa44r
Sigismund has always suspected that there's more than meets the eye with the Wood that's just outside his castle. What he didn't realize was how entangled his part would be and how much magic would be involved. Sigismund is a prince with ties to the faie, hence his father sets up a tutor for him by the name of Balisan. Through him, Sigismund learns more about the fairy realm, swordsmanship, family history and dreamwalking. The Prince learns of a sleeping princess on the inside of the enchanted wood, the protection of which was set in place by his grandfather, many years ago. Only one of his family can break the spell and make his way through the magic to rescue the girl and thwart the evil faie.
As you may have guessed, this is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but from the prince's point of view. This plot-driven story is filled with excitement, wonderful characters (many who are multi-dimensional) and a happy (but not sickly sweet) ending. It is a faced paced read, but I found I had to stop and catch my breath a few times because it is action packed. The only problem I have with the whole story is the kissing between Aurora and Sigismund at the end. It feels off kilter and not convincing. I don’t know how the author could have fixed this, though, so I’ll keep my nitpicking to a minimum.
This book will appeal to many readers. Those that love King Arthur stories, The Warrior Heir (Chima) or books by Melissa Marr will gobble this up. What to read next? Try handing them Dealing with Dragons (Wrede) or Beast (Napoli). And you may feel a little nostalgic and want to watch the Disney version again.
ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES
Lakeshores, MidWisconsin, Waukesha County Federated Library System, and Eastern Shores Library System are pleased to host the 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, which will be held Friday, January 28 at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha. Presenters will be Marge Loch-Wouters and Leslie Peterson. Registration will begin at 8:30 and Marge will spend the morning on storytelling techniques and Leslie will discuss programming in the afternoon. The hotel has a block of rooms available if you are interested in an overnight stay. Cost will be $25 per person. More information will be available soon.
And on to websites of interest!
Teach the Earth
http://serc.carleton.edu/index.html
The Science Education Resource Center (SERC), with financial support from the National Science Foundation, presents this portal for educators who teach geo-science. Hundreds of teaching activities are available including visualizations, data sets and models, lab activities, projects, virtual field trips, and writing assignments. Topics for the activities include climate change, geochemistry, earth surface, energy/material cycles, ocean, solar system, earth history, and more. Teachers may also want to check out the section on methods. These strategies, such as cooperative learning, gallery walk, and others, could also be used effectively to teach other subjects. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)
Aaron Shepherd’s World of Stories
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/
From the venerable Aaron Shepherd, here’s a list of stories from around the world that you can retell. Organized by genre, these include folktales, legends, magicial tales and much more. Also indicated are country/culture, theme, age appropriateness, and number of words.
Mama Lisa’s World
http://www.mamalisa.com
Mama Lisa’s World is a collection of children’s songs and nursery rhymes from around the world. Whatever the culture a child belongs to, whatever the flag he or she lives under, this is the place to find the lyrics to kids songs, in English and in the original languages! Some songs include MP3's and Midi music.
UPCOMING HOLIDAY MEETINGS
The Lakeshores youth services staff will meet this Friday, December 10th at noon at the LLS office. We are having a potluck luncheon, followed by a brief meeting. Please bring a white elephant gift to exchange. (email me if you need hints) Also, Lakeshores will be holding the first annual Ugly Christmas Sweater contest, which will be judged by Jim Novy and Steve Ohs from the LLS office. So get your ugly on, bring a dish to pass, and wrap up that extraordinary item that no longer appeals to you.
MidWisconsin librarians will be meeting Thursday, December 16th at noon at the Beaver Dam Public Library. We are also having the potluck luncheon, brief meeting, and white elephant gift exchange. No ugly sweater contest, unless you feel inclined.
I will get agendas out very soon.
NEWS FROM THE CCBC
Author James St James will be in Madison the first week in April 2011 to deliver a public lecture about his young adult novel, "Freak Show," which is the UW-Madison School of Education's Common Read for the academic year. You can keep updated with details concerning his upcoming visit and find out more about the book discussions and panel discussions connected to the book on the Common Read website at: http://commonread.education.wisc.edu/Home.aspx
You can see photos from Susan Patron's amazing Charlotte Zolotow Lecture from in October on the CCBC's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madison-WI/Cooperative-Childrens-Book-Center/35374628162#!/album.php?aid=237702&id=35374628162 Gene Luen Yang, author of "American Born Chinese," will deliver the 2011 Zolotow Lecture on Oct 5, 2011.
You can also now follow the CCBC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CCBCwisc
We are once again offering weekly podcasts from the CCBC, called "Shelf Stories," where you can hear more about each week's Book of the Week, a bit about trends in publishing, and a connection of the current book to books we've admired in the past. The direct link for the podcasts is http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/podcasts/default.asp.
2011 STORYWAGON SCHEDULE
The 2011 Storywagon schedule for Lakeshores is set. We will have storyteller Janice “Mama” Baer, story-performer Chris Fascione, and the musical duo Fox and Branch. Storywagon will begin on Monday June 20th and run through Thursday July 21st.
“Mama” Baer – June 20-24 and June 27-30
Chris Fascione – June 27-July 1 and July 11-14
Fox and Branch – July 11-15 and July 18-21
The daily schedule will be the same as this year.
DATES TO REMEMBER
December 8 Open House for Lowell Wilson, LLS office
December 9 Fox Lake Bunny Berigan Open House, 5-8 PM
December 10 Lakeshores Youth Services Pot Luck and White Elephant Gift Exchange, LLS office
December 11 Riverport Chorus on WGTD, 11:15 AM
December 16 MidWisconsin Youth Services Pot luck and Gift Exchange, Beaver Dam
December 23-24 LLS office closed
December 30-31 LLS office closed
January 1 THE ROSE BOWL
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego (Rhonda out of the office)
January 10 Youth Media Awards Announcements, will be approximately 10 AM CST
January 28 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, Country Springs, Waukesha
January 29 Diva Quest, Kenosha
February 22 Library Legislative Day
WEBSITE FAVES
ProQuest’s Public Library Toolkit
http://www.proquest.com/en-US/utilities/toolkits/tk-public.shtml
Start here for access to complimentary bookmarks, customizable posters and fliers, digital commercials, and other tools designed to help you promote your public library’s online resources.
The Visual Dictionary
http://www.infovisual.info/
The Visual Dictionary can be used by anyone as a quick reference. It would be especially useful for ESL students for mastery of the language. The terms are categorized into six thematic topics: vegetal biology, animal biology, human body, music, transport, and clothing. The site uses images to explain objects and each of the objects defined on the site provides annotations that identify details of the object and a short description of each part at the bottom of the page. Visitors will find information on everything from the detailed structure of a tree to the description of a police officer’s uniform. Additionally, a few tips for using the site in an educational setting are offered in the help section. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/9/10)
Storybook Corner
http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/projects/family-involvement-storybook-project/storybook-corner
This one has been listed here before but it’s well worth another look. Storybook Corner contains free downloadable Web-based resources for educators and families. These materials show how storybooks that thematically emphasize family involvement can promote family involvement in real life. Many of the resources -- such as the original bilingual children's storybook "Tomasito's Mother Comes to School," illustrated by the award-winning children's book illustrator Joe Cepeda -- are especially useful for promoting involvement among culturally diverse families. Also included at the site are lesson plans and many other resources. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/9/10)
Museum of Science and Industry: Simple Machines
http://www.msichicago.org/fileadmin/Activities/Games/simple_machines/
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has recently expanded their online opportunities and interactive features. One of their latest additions is the "Simple Machines" feature, and here visitors will get to meet the curious robot "Twitch". The premise behind this game is that Twitch must complete a series of tasks to finish an important project. Using fun tools, keyboard motions, and careful object selection, visitors will have a bit of fun, and learn about the principles of force, the world of inclined planes, and other related topics. All of this fun is accompanied by a jaunty soundtrack that is part electronica, part lounge music. The graphics are superb, and the entire experience is quite user-friendly. (Scout Report, 10/22/10)
Lost Titles, Forgotten Rhymes
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/lost/
Anyone interested in locating literary resources should begin their search with this informative reference guide from the Library of Congress. The intent of the guide is to "help readers identify a literary work when they know only its plot or subject, or other textual information such as a character's name, a line of poetry, or a unique word or phrase." The guide is divided into three sections: Finding Novels, Finding Short Stories, and Finding Poems. Each of the sections gives directions for using general search engines, online book databases, library catalogs, listservs, message boards, and physical print resources that are available in public libraries. Included is a list of related resources, including how to find poems in the Library of Congress and locating criticism of individual poems. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/16/10)
A Book in Time
http://www.abookintime.com/
A Book In Time is a one-stop source for history teachers and home-schooling parents to find information, crafts, timelines, maps, and other projects related to whatever time period they are teaching. The site lists reviewed books that enhance the understanding of important eras, people, and events in a typical history curriculum. These booklists are grouped into time periods and cover both American and world history. Each title includes a suggested grade level and is linked to a site for purchase. Additionally, visitors to the site will find links to craft ideas, interactive history sites, maps, and timelines. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)
NASA’s Kid’s Club
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
NASA Kid’s Club is a fun virtual playground for young students to explore important skills and concepts with interactive games. The games are divided into five advancing skill levels and are based on national education standards in math, science, and technology. Games increase in difficulty from identifying patterns to games of logic. The three interactive panels at the top of the home page give students updates about NASA’s vision for space exploration, information about the Space Station crew, and updates on current events, missions, and exciting discoveries. Additionally, teachers can click on the little red apple to find all of NASA’s educational materials listed by subject area and students can find an interactive drawing board by clicking on the cup full of art supplies. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)
AND FINALLY……….
Tune in to the link below to hear my Riverport Chorus, a featured performance group, on the local public radio show in Kenosha. We'll be live and on the air this Saturday, December 11 from 11:15 AM to noon.
To listen to Saturday’s program LIVE: http://www.wgtd.org/aboutWGTD.asp (links are in the upper right hand corner)
If you are unable to listen Saturday, the program will be archived here: http://www.wgtd.org/Radio_Theatre.asp
Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 351, December 8, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com
In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
Upcoming Holiday Meetings
News from the CCBC
2011 Storywagon Schedule
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......
RUHAMA’S REVIEW
Thornspell by Helen Lowe
http://tinyurl.com/2cqa44r
Sigismund has always suspected that there's more than meets the eye with the Wood that's just outside his castle. What he didn't realize was how entangled his part would be and how much magic would be involved. Sigismund is a prince with ties to the faie, hence his father sets up a tutor for him by the name of Balisan. Through him, Sigismund learns more about the fairy realm, swordsmanship, family history and dreamwalking. The Prince learns of a sleeping princess on the inside of the enchanted wood, the protection of which was set in place by his grandfather, many years ago. Only one of his family can break the spell and make his way through the magic to rescue the girl and thwart the evil faie.
As you may have guessed, this is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but from the prince's point of view. This plot-driven story is filled with excitement, wonderful characters (many who are multi-dimensional) and a happy (but not sickly sweet) ending. It is a faced paced read, but I found I had to stop and catch my breath a few times because it is action packed. The only problem I have with the whole story is the kissing between Aurora and Sigismund at the end. It feels off kilter and not convincing. I don’t know how the author could have fixed this, though, so I’ll keep my nitpicking to a minimum.
This book will appeal to many readers. Those that love King Arthur stories, The Warrior Heir (Chima) or books by Melissa Marr will gobble this up. What to read next? Try handing them Dealing with Dragons (Wrede) or Beast (Napoli). And you may feel a little nostalgic and want to watch the Disney version again.
ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES
Lakeshores, MidWisconsin, Waukesha County Federated Library System, and Eastern Shores Library System are pleased to host the 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, which will be held Friday, January 28 at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha. Presenters will be Marge Loch-Wouters and Leslie Peterson. Registration will begin at 8:30 and Marge will spend the morning on storytelling techniques and Leslie will discuss programming in the afternoon. The hotel has a block of rooms available if you are interested in an overnight stay. Cost will be $25 per person. More information will be available soon.
And on to websites of interest!
Teach the Earth
http://serc.carleton.edu/index.html
The Science Education Resource Center (SERC), with financial support from the National Science Foundation, presents this portal for educators who teach geo-science. Hundreds of teaching activities are available including visualizations, data sets and models, lab activities, projects, virtual field trips, and writing assignments. Topics for the activities include climate change, geochemistry, earth surface, energy/material cycles, ocean, solar system, earth history, and more. Teachers may also want to check out the section on methods. These strategies, such as cooperative learning, gallery walk, and others, could also be used effectively to teach other subjects. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)
Aaron Shepherd’s World of Stories
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/
From the venerable Aaron Shepherd, here’s a list of stories from around the world that you can retell. Organized by genre, these include folktales, legends, magicial tales and much more. Also indicated are country/culture, theme, age appropriateness, and number of words.
Mama Lisa’s World
http://www.mamalisa.com
Mama Lisa’s World is a collection of children’s songs and nursery rhymes from around the world. Whatever the culture a child belongs to, whatever the flag he or she lives under, this is the place to find the lyrics to kids songs, in English and in the original languages! Some songs include MP3's and Midi music.
UPCOMING HOLIDAY MEETINGS
The Lakeshores youth services staff will meet this Friday, December 10th at noon at the LLS office. We are having a potluck luncheon, followed by a brief meeting. Please bring a white elephant gift to exchange. (email me if you need hints) Also, Lakeshores will be holding the first annual Ugly Christmas Sweater contest, which will be judged by Jim Novy and Steve Ohs from the LLS office. So get your ugly on, bring a dish to pass, and wrap up that extraordinary item that no longer appeals to you.
MidWisconsin librarians will be meeting Thursday, December 16th at noon at the Beaver Dam Public Library. We are also having the potluck luncheon, brief meeting, and white elephant gift exchange. No ugly sweater contest, unless you feel inclined.
I will get agendas out very soon.
NEWS FROM THE CCBC
Author James St James will be in Madison the first week in April 2011 to deliver a public lecture about his young adult novel, "Freak Show," which is the UW-Madison School of Education's Common Read for the academic year. You can keep updated with details concerning his upcoming visit and find out more about the book discussions and panel discussions connected to the book on the Common Read website at: http://commonread.education.wisc.edu/Home.aspx
You can see photos from Susan Patron's amazing Charlotte Zolotow Lecture from in October on the CCBC's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madison-WI/Cooperative-Childrens-Book-Center/35374628162#!/album.php?aid=237702&id=35374628162 Gene Luen Yang, author of "American Born Chinese," will deliver the 2011 Zolotow Lecture on Oct 5, 2011.
You can also now follow the CCBC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CCBCwisc
We are once again offering weekly podcasts from the CCBC, called "Shelf Stories," where you can hear more about each week's Book of the Week, a bit about trends in publishing, and a connection of the current book to books we've admired in the past. The direct link for the podcasts is http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/podcasts/default.asp.
2011 STORYWAGON SCHEDULE
The 2011 Storywagon schedule for Lakeshores is set. We will have storyteller Janice “Mama” Baer, story-performer Chris Fascione, and the musical duo Fox and Branch. Storywagon will begin on Monday June 20th and run through Thursday July 21st.
“Mama” Baer – June 20-24 and June 27-30
Chris Fascione – June 27-July 1 and July 11-14
Fox and Branch – July 11-15 and July 18-21
The daily schedule will be the same as this year.
DATES TO REMEMBER
December 8 Open House for Lowell Wilson, LLS office
December 9 Fox Lake Bunny Berigan Open House, 5-8 PM
December 10 Lakeshores Youth Services Pot Luck and White Elephant Gift Exchange, LLS office
December 11 Riverport Chorus on WGTD, 11:15 AM
December 16 MidWisconsin Youth Services Pot luck and Gift Exchange, Beaver Dam
December 23-24 LLS office closed
December 30-31 LLS office closed
January 1 THE ROSE BOWL
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego (Rhonda out of the office)
January 10 Youth Media Awards Announcements, will be approximately 10 AM CST
January 28 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, Country Springs, Waukesha
January 29 Diva Quest, Kenosha
February 22 Library Legislative Day
WEBSITE FAVES
ProQuest’s Public Library Toolkit
http://www.proquest.com/en-US/utilities/toolkits/tk-public.shtml
Start here for access to complimentary bookmarks, customizable posters and fliers, digital commercials, and other tools designed to help you promote your public library’s online resources.
The Visual Dictionary
http://www.infovisual.info/
The Visual Dictionary can be used by anyone as a quick reference. It would be especially useful for ESL students for mastery of the language. The terms are categorized into six thematic topics: vegetal biology, animal biology, human body, music, transport, and clothing. The site uses images to explain objects and each of the objects defined on the site provides annotations that identify details of the object and a short description of each part at the bottom of the page. Visitors will find information on everything from the detailed structure of a tree to the description of a police officer’s uniform. Additionally, a few tips for using the site in an educational setting are offered in the help section. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/9/10)
Storybook Corner
http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/projects/family-involvement-storybook-project/storybook-corner
This one has been listed here before but it’s well worth another look. Storybook Corner contains free downloadable Web-based resources for educators and families. These materials show how storybooks that thematically emphasize family involvement can promote family involvement in real life. Many of the resources -- such as the original bilingual children's storybook "Tomasito's Mother Comes to School," illustrated by the award-winning children's book illustrator Joe Cepeda -- are especially useful for promoting involvement among culturally diverse families. Also included at the site are lesson plans and many other resources. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/9/10)
Museum of Science and Industry: Simple Machines
http://www.msichicago.org/fileadmin/Activities/Games/simple_machines/
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has recently expanded their online opportunities and interactive features. One of their latest additions is the "Simple Machines" feature, and here visitors will get to meet the curious robot "Twitch". The premise behind this game is that Twitch must complete a series of tasks to finish an important project. Using fun tools, keyboard motions, and careful object selection, visitors will have a bit of fun, and learn about the principles of force, the world of inclined planes, and other related topics. All of this fun is accompanied by a jaunty soundtrack that is part electronica, part lounge music. The graphics are superb, and the entire experience is quite user-friendly. (Scout Report, 10/22/10)
Lost Titles, Forgotten Rhymes
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/lost/
Anyone interested in locating literary resources should begin their search with this informative reference guide from the Library of Congress. The intent of the guide is to "help readers identify a literary work when they know only its plot or subject, or other textual information such as a character's name, a line of poetry, or a unique word or phrase." The guide is divided into three sections: Finding Novels, Finding Short Stories, and Finding Poems. Each of the sections gives directions for using general search engines, online book databases, library catalogs, listservs, message boards, and physical print resources that are available in public libraries. Included is a list of related resources, including how to find poems in the Library of Congress and locating criticism of individual poems. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/16/10)
A Book in Time
http://www.abookintime.com/
A Book In Time is a one-stop source for history teachers and home-schooling parents to find information, crafts, timelines, maps, and other projects related to whatever time period they are teaching. The site lists reviewed books that enhance the understanding of important eras, people, and events in a typical history curriculum. These booklists are grouped into time periods and cover both American and world history. Each title includes a suggested grade level and is linked to a site for purchase. Additionally, visitors to the site will find links to craft ideas, interactive history sites, maps, and timelines. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)
NASA’s Kid’s Club
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
NASA Kid’s Club is a fun virtual playground for young students to explore important skills and concepts with interactive games. The games are divided into five advancing skill levels and are based on national education standards in math, science, and technology. Games increase in difficulty from identifying patterns to games of logic. The three interactive panels at the top of the home page give students updates about NASA’s vision for space exploration, information about the Space Station crew, and updates on current events, missions, and exciting discoveries. Additionally, teachers can click on the little red apple to find all of NASA’s educational materials listed by subject area and students can find an interactive drawing board by clicking on the cup full of art supplies. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)
AND FINALLY……….
Tune in to the link below to hear my Riverport Chorus, a featured performance group, on the local public radio show in Kenosha. We'll be live and on the air this Saturday, December 11 from 11:15 AM to noon.
To listen to Saturday’s program LIVE: http://www.wgtd.org/aboutWGTD.asp (links are in the upper right hand corner)
If you are unable to listen Saturday, the program will be archived here: http://www.wgtd.org/Radio_Theatre.asp
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
