Book Links announced a new column called “Everyday Poetry.”
“Keep a Pocket in Your Poem” by J. Patrick Lewis could be part of a “pocket poetry” display, with miniature copies of covers of favorite poetry books tucked into blue jean pocket shapes. Enjoy sharing this and future poems with your students!
Title: Grace for President
Author: Text by Kelly S. Dipucchio and pictures by LeUyen Pham
ISBN: 978-0868-3819-3
Reading level: K-4
Schu’s notes: The perfect book for teaching about primary elections, the electoral college, and politcal sexism.
Schu’s rating: Four 
out of Four
I would recommend and pass along Grace for President, even if Hillary Clinton were not my number one Democratic nominee for President. Grace reminds me of the star of Molly Lou Melon,–a character who stands up for her beliefs and represents the common person.
When Grace’s teacher shows pictures of all of the presidents, spunky and fun Grace shouts, “Where are all of the girls?” Her teacher explains that America has not had a female commander in chief. After much thinking, Grace decides that she can be an effective president. Grace ends up running against Tom, the “smartest” boy in her grade. Grace and Tom run a full fledged campaign that beautifully parallels Hillary and Barack. In the end, the candidate who is the most prepared and ready from day one is delcared the winner! J J J J J J J J
I plan to give many copies as gifts. Thank you, Kelly DiPuchhio and Leuyen Pham!
Visit the author’s website @ http://www.kellydipucchio.com/
StoryTubes is here! From New York to California, kids in Grades 1-6 are talking up their favorite books. You can too!
Along with your parent or guardian, follow these simple steps:
Beginning April 1, your video becomes part of a national contest!
Voting mania will then begin and happen each week in May! At the end of each week, one lucky contestant will win $500 in books. Their sponsoring organization (school, library or designated organization for home-schooled youth) will receive $1,000 in books.
Four Video Categories:
Hair-Raising Tales
From or For the Heart
Of Heroes and Heroines
Facts, Fads and Phenoms
Tell the story about your favorite book today. When entering, please don’t use your last name in the video. Entries will be evaluated on creativity, content and performance.
Everybody wins when kids get excited about stories. Help get the word out! Posters and flyers are downloadable here.
Found via Tamtheweb.com
Debbie Williams, a media specialist in Alabama, posted on LM_Net about her library cat, Tigger. (He’s the adorable black and white cat posing for his school picture.) She says at age 13 he mainly sleeps and does not roam the library too much, but makes quite the fuss when he does! :) He has his own mailbox and the students just adore him. Lou Grant, my cat, would love to come to the library with me but I would not leave him there. I wonder how Debbie’s school library deals with pet allergies? Iron Frog Productions has an entire section dedicated to library cats. I’ve had so much fun exploring the various library cats. Wow! Thank you, Debbie! http://www.ironfrog.com/catsmap.html
The screenshot explains it all. The lists are well organized and fairly current.
Kids love comics and graphic novels. School Library Journal identified 25 outstanding new graphic novels that will make a nice addition to your school/public library.
Amelia Rules, Volume 4: When the Past Is a Present. Gownley, Jimmy. Renaissance. 2008. $11.99. ISBN 978-0-9712169-9-0.
Gr 3-5—“Amelia Rules” is a funny, witty series about one girl’s journey through childhood as she deals with her parents’ divorce—which ultimately means moving to a new town, starting a new school, and, yes, making new friends. In the latest episode, 11-year-old Amelia’s adventures continue as she goes on her first “date” and deals with a friend whose dad is being sent to war. The first three volumes of the series (The Whole World’s Crazy, What Makes You Happy, and Superheroes) are also highly recommended.
Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper.. Kibuishi, Kazu Scholastic Graphix. 2008. $21.99. ISBN 978-0-439-84680-6.
Gr 4-6—After the death of their father, siblings Emily and Navin and their mom move into a mysterious old house that’s been in the family for generations. When their mother is kidnapped by a strange being who appears in the basement, the kids set off to rescue her, with some unexpected help from a few out-of-this-world friends of their deceased great-grandfather.
Babymouse, Volume 8: Puppy Love. Holm, Jennifer and Matthew Holm. Random. 2007. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-375-83990-0.
Gr 1-3—Babymouse is a smart, spirited, and creative young rodent who spends most of her time daydreaming about a glamorous life filled with excitement and adventure. This time, Babymouse finally gets the pet of her dreams! Kids will also enjoy the series’ first seven volumes: Our Hero, Queen of the World!, Beach Babe, Rock Star, Heartbreaker, Camp Babymouse, and Skater Girl.
Benny and Penny in Just Pretend. Hayes, Geoffrey. Toon. 2008. $12.95. ISBN 978-0-9799238-0-7.
K-Gr 2—Benny’s pesky little sister, Penny, is always tagging along, bugging him to play with her, and demanding hugs. What a pain! But when Penny unexpectedly disappears during a game of hide-and-seek, Benny realizes how much he misses having her around.
Courageous Princess. Espinoza, Rod. Dark Horse. 2007. $14.95. ISBN 978-1-59307-719-8.
Gr 4-6—With her clumsy ways and clever thoughts, young Princess Mablerose isn’t your classic storybook princess—and neither is her tale. As Mablerose proves, sometimes a princess needs to take matters into her own hands—and rescue herself.
Dinosaurs Across America. Yeh, Phil. NBM. 2007. $12.95. ISBN 978-1-56163-509-2.
Gr 3-5—In this full-color, nonfiction comic, a group of time-traveling dinosaurs visit our nation’s 50 states. As they stop in each state, they learn about its capital and a thing or two about the region’s history.
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Hall, M. C. and C. E. Richards. Stone Arch. 2006. $17.95. ISBN 978-1-59889-218-5.
Gr 4-6—This simplified adaptation of the Arthurian legend begins with the birth of King Arthur and swiftly moves along as he frees the sword from the stone, is tutored by Merlin, befriends Lancelot, marries Guinevere, seeks the Holy Grail, and battles Mordred. Other recommended classics in Stone Arch’s “Graphic Revolve” series include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Dracula.
Flight Explorer, Volume 1. Kibuishi, Kazu, editor. Villard. 2008. $10. ISBN 978-0-345-50313-8.
Gr 4-6—This anthology of engaging short stories features many out-of-this-world settings and sidekicks, as well as one lovable monster, a hybrid cat girl, and a young space explorer. Here’s a collection that has something to offer every young fantasy reader.
Jellaby, Volume 1. Soo, Kean. Hyperion. 2008. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-0303-5.
Gr 3-6—When 10-year-old Portia Bennett investigates the strange sounds coming from behind her house, she discovers more than she’s bargained for: a sweet, silent monster whose heart is as big as his head. This endearing tale about starting over and unexpected allies is sure to be a huge hit with young readers.
Korgi, Book 1. Slade, Christian. Top Shelf. 2007. $10. ISBN 978-1-891830-90-7.
Gr 3-6—This beautifully sketched, wordless picture book about a young girl, her magical dog, and an ogreish monster and his minions sports a few unexpected twists and turns—and a very apropos ending. (Hint: the creature gets his due.) Watch for the second volume, due out in August.
Lions, Tigers and Bears, Volume 1: Fear and Pride. Bullock, Mike and Jack Lawrence. Image. 2006. $12.99. ISBN 978-1-58240-657-2.
Gr 4-6—Before Joey leaves town, his grandma has a surprise gift for him: a set of four stuffed animals, called the “Night Pride,” guaranteed to help Joey adjust to his new life. What follows is a classic adventure story in which the stuffed companions spring to life, helping Joey battle the fearsome “Beasties.”
Magic Pickle Graphic Novel. Morse, Scott. Scholastic Graphix. 2008. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-439-87995-8.
Gr 3-5—Magic Pickle and his young partner, Jo Jo Wigman, must combat the “villainous vegetables”—a gang that includes Phantom Carrot, Romaine Gladiator, the scorching Chili Chili Bang Bang, and other veggies too nutritious to mention.
Mail Order Ninja, Volume 2. Owen, Erich and Joshua Elder. TokyoPop. 2006. $5.99. ISBN 978-1-59816-729-0.
Gr 4-6—In this series’ debut, Timmy McAllister was a bully magnet. But that all changed when he ordered his own personal ninja. Unfortunately, in volume two, Timmy’s luck has run out—his ninja has been defeated and his nemesis, Felicity, reigns once again. This time, the young boy must fight the evil elementary school hierarchy on his own.
Owly, Volume 4: A Time to Be Brave. Runton, Andy. Top Shelf. $10. 2007. ISBN 978-1-891830-89-1.
Gr 2-6—Owly is a lonely little brown owl who’s always on the lookout for new friends. This time around, Owly and his pals meet a visitor who’s not at all what he appears to be. Although the “Owly” series is entirely wordless, its characters’ facial expressions and the stories’ symbols make it easy for kids to understand each tale. Volumes 1–3 (The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer, Just a Little Bit Blue, and Flying Lessons) are also highly recommended.
Polo: The Runaway Book. Faller, Regis. Roaring Brook. 2007. $16.95. ISBN 978-1-59643-189-8.
PreS-Gr 2—In this wordless picture book/graphic novel for the youngest readers, Polo sets off on a journey after his book is swiped by a smiley-faced alien. If your kids are ready for another round of Polo, track down The Adventures of Polo.
Sardine in Outer Space, Volume 4. Sfar, Joann and Emmanuel Guibert. First Second. 2007. $13.95. ISBN 978-1-59643-129-4.
Gr 4-6—Join Captain Yellow Shoulder, Sardine, and cousin Little Louis aboard their pirate spaceship, the Huckleberry, as they set out to right the wrongs of the galaxy. In volume four, the swashbuckling threesome takes on the evil duo of Supermuscleman and his assistant, the mad scientist Doc Krok, as well as some other unsavory dudes. Be sure to check out the first three volumes.
The Shocking World of Electricity with Max Axiom, Super Scientist. O’Donnell, Liam. Capstone. 2007. $18.95. ISBN 978-0-7368-6835-8.
Gr 4-6—After Max Axiom walks across his carpet, the super scientist has a genuinely shocking experience when he touches a metal doorknob. He uses the incident as a springboard to explain the omnipresent nature of electricity, including how it works and how we harness it. Other titles in the “Graphic Science” series tackle slightly less shocking topics, such as magnetism, the ecosystem, global warming, food chains, and more.
Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons. Rosenstiehl, Agnès. Toon. 2008. $12.95. ISBN 978-0-9799238-1-4.
PreS-Gr 1—Spunky Lilly dances, skips, and jumps through the pages of this charming book as she explores each season’s distinct pleasures, which include springtime in a park, a beach in summer, apple picking in the fall, and snow in wintertime. With its simple text and illustrations, this comic is perfect for new readers.
Sticky Burr: Adventures in Burrwood Forest. Lechner, John. Candlewick. 2007. $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3054-6.
Gr 3-5—In this silly, clever comic, young Sticky Burr’s quick thinking saves his fellow seed pods from a pack of wild dogs, turning him into a local hero.
Tiger Moth: Insect Ninja. Reynolds, Aaron and Erik Lervold. Stone Arch. 2006. $15.95. ISBN 978-1-59889-057-0.
Gr 1-3—Tiger Moth is a stealth fourth-grade ninja who uses his advanced martial arts skills to battle evil in the bug world. He’s assisted by his apprentice, Kung Pow the Pill Bug. Other entertaining titles in this series include The Fortune Cookies of Weevil, The Dung Beetle Bandits, The Dragon Kite Contest, Kung Pow Chicken, and The Pest Show On Earth.
To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel. Siegel, Siena Cherson and Mark Siegel. S & S. 2006. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-2687-0.
Gr 4-6—In this autobiography, writer Siena Cherson Siegel takes readers along on her quest to become a ballet dancer, starting at age six, when she began taking lessons in Puerto Rico, through an injury that ended her professional dance career at age 18.
UFOs: The Roswell Incident. DeMolay, Jack. Rosen. 2006. $10.35. ISBN 978-1-4042-2156-7.
Gr 3-5—Did an alien spaceship crash in Roswell, NM, in 1947? Was our government involved in a cover-up of the incident? What really went on? UFOs attempts to answer these intriguing questions. Rosen’s “Jr. Graphic Mysteries” series also delves into other mysteries, including the lost city of Atlantis, the Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, the ghosts of Amityville, and the Loch Ness monster.
Warriors, Volume 2: Warrior’s Refuge. Hunter, Erin, Dan Jolley, and James Barry. TokyoPop. 2007. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-125231-0.
Gr 4-6—“Warriors” (based on a popular teen fantasy series) is about four clans of cats who’ve managed to escape domestication and now must fight to stay alive in the wilderness—while obeying the laws laid down by their feline ancestors. Warrior’s Return, the conclusion of this manga trilogy, will be out next month.
The Wind in the Willows. Grahame, Kenneth. Adapted by Michel Plessix. Papercutz. 2008. $13.95. ISBN 978-1-59707-096-6.
Gr 4-6—This sweet adaptation of the familiar story of three friends—Mole, Rat, and Toad—is the first comic in a new series from Papercutz called “Classics Illustrated Deluxe.” Future volumes will feature adaptations of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Invisible Man, and Great Expectations.
The World of Quest, Volume 1. Kruse, Jason T. Yen Press. 2007. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7595-2402-6.
Gr 4-6—In the land of Odyssia, young Prince Nestor is the only one who knows the whereabouts of a magical dagger. But in order to find it, he’s forced to enlist the help of Quest, a reluctant hero who’s not too keen on being the ungrateful prince’s bodyguard. What follows is a tumultuous battle of wits, as the two learn to live with one another—while saving themselves from the evil forces that lurk around every corner.
PC Magazine released a great list of 157 free software tools. Below I have pasted the beginning of the list, please visit http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2260070,00.asp for the rest.
Adobe Reader
www.adobe.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux | Mobile This simplest of Adobe’s PDF programs lets you do just about anything PDF-related (besides create new ones), including online collaboration. It includes a host of features to aid users with disabilities.
AIM
www.aim.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux | Web One of the most widely used pieces of free software ever, AOL Instant Messenger offers a ton of capabilities.
Read our full review of AIM 6.5.
Audacity
audacity.sourceforge.net
Windows | MacOS | Linux Whether you’re recording or editing, Audacity is all about audio in practically any format.
Firefox
www.mozilla.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux This PC Mag Editors’ Choice Web browser has been on top of the heap since version 1.5 came out in late 2005. Read our full review of Firefox 2.0.
GIMP
www.gimp.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) does most of what Photoshop does; the Gimpshop project (plasticbugs.com) even makes it look like Photoshop. Read our full review of The GIMP 2.0.
iTunes
www.apple.com/itunes
Windows | MacOS When you’re attached to the top media player in the land (iPod), success is a given. iTunes continues to build sales and refine its organization of songs, video, games, podcasts, and more. Read our full review of Apple iTunes 7.6.
OpenOffice.org
www.openoffice.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux You can spend a lot for Microsoft Office or nothing for this suite with full-function word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentations, even an equations editor. Read our full review of OpenOffice.org 2.3.
Skype
www.skype.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux You’ll pay to call regular phones, but if you sign up all your friends, Skype provides easy (and even international) calls and video-conferencing for nothing. Read our full review of Skype 3.0.
Thunderbird
www.mozilla.com/thunderbird
Windows | MacOS | Linux Mozilla’s no-cost e-mail alternative is extensible, fast, and easy to master. And a wealth of free add-ons means there’s not much this program won’t do, from calendars to encryption. Read our full review of Thunderbird 2.
Ubuntu
www.ubuntu.com
Linux This Linux-based OS comes with many of these Hall of Fame products (Firefox, OpenOffice.org) preinstalled.
WinAmp
www.winamp.com
Windows After a decade of playing music, the “skinnable” WinAmp has several versions, including one with full CD ripping and burning.
Fund Our Future Rally, originally uploaded by ALA - The American Library Association.
I’m a fan of the Lagoon series but will not spend $60.00 on the DVD. Here is a review retrieved from Booklist. Enjoy!
In this utterly delightful animated adaptation of Mike Thaler’s hilarious book (1997), students are planning a first-time visit to the school library, with voice-over narration explaining what they expect to find there. The kids believe the library is a “scary place” located in the basement behind the boiler room. Even worse is mean librarian Mrs. Beamster (“The Laminator”), who puts kids through a laminator if they talk. Other absurd library rules dictate that there is no talking, whispering, or breathing, so visitation time is only as long as patrons can hold their breath. The books are bolted together, the shelves are electrified, storytime involves reading from catalog cards, and the petting zoo consists of a piranha and a porcupine. And, oh yes, Mrs. Beamster’s assistant is named Igor, and her computer mouse is a real rodent. Jared Lee’s fanciful cartoonlike drawings are vividly animated, and atmospheric background music and monster growls balance Alexander Gould and Diana Canova’s sprightly narration. When the students visit the real library, they find posters saying “Books Are Fun” and a friendly librarian who recommends joke books. The program ends with an enthusiastic “I’m going to love the library” and a roundup of knock-knock jokes. Pure fun. Use this 2008 Notable Children’s Video to introduce the magic of real libraries and story hour.
More than 100 people gathered in the rain at the state capitol steps in Olympia, Washington, February 1 to rally for school libraries (above), despite cold winds and a storm in the eastern half of the state that prevented many from attending, and which later caused Governor Christine Gregoire to declare a state of emergency for 15 counties. The rally and an all-day summit were the culmination of the work of a group of concerned Spokane mothers.
The effort began last spring when Lisa Layera Brunkan, Denette Hill, and Susan McBurney, enraged at the cuts to school library media programs in Washington and determined to strengthen them statewide, began a grassroots movement to combat their school board’s decision to close part of a $10.8-million deficit by halving the hours of the 10 full-time, K-8 teacher librarians still employed by Washington’s second-largest district.
Visit American Libraries for the rest of the article.
The Association for Library Service to Children reviewed over 400 websites and selected 35 to add to its list of Great websites for Kids (www.ala.org/greatsites) The sites are put through a “rigorous evaluation” before added to the list. I’m glad to see that I’ve used nearly 80% of the websites for instructional purposes.
Adoption Clubhouse - www.adoptionclubhouse.org
Afro-America Kids’ Zone - www.afro.com/children/children.html
Bookwink - www.bookwink.com
Bradshaw Foundation - www.bradshawfoundation.com
The Bubblesphere - www.bubbles.org
Sharon Creech’s Web site - www.sharoncreech.com/index.html
Diane deGroat’s Official Site - www.dianedegroat.com
Get Set 4 Kindergarten - www.getset4k.org
International Digital Children’s Library - www.childrenslibrary.org/
Just One More Book - www.justonemorebook.com
Kids Boogaloo - www.alligatorboogaloo.com/kids
Little Critter - www.littlecritter.com
Marc’s Observatory - www.marcsobservatory.com
Math Playground - www.MathPlayground.com
Math Slice - www.mathslice.com
The Mint - www.themint.org
Mr. Young’s Bouncy “A” - www.covenantworks.com/Bouncy-A/index.htm
My First Garden - www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/firstgarden/
My Kids Corner - www.my-kids-corner.com
National Geographic My Wonderful World: Maps - Tools for Adventure - www.nationalgeographic.com/toolsforadventure
Noggin - www.noggin.com
Pagina Junior - www.paginajunior.com
Planet Esme - www.planetesme.com
Play Sports TV - www.playsportstv.com
Professor Garfield - www.professorgarfield.org
Readergirlz - www.readergirlz.com
Savings Quest - www.mysavingsquest.com/
Science Bob - www.sciencebob.com
Science Buddies - www.sciencebuddies.org
Sur La Lune Storytime - www.surlalunefairytales.com/storytime/index.html
Tox Town - www.toxtown.nlm.hih.gov
TVO Kids http://tvokids.com
Chris Van Allsburg’s Web site - www.chrisvanallsburg.com
World Almanac for Kids - www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/index.html
Rebecca Crown Library at Dominican University put together an Election 2008 Subject Guide. It lists non-partisan information about candidates, the election process, and other political information.
 | sammerrin on Our Librarian Won’t Tell… |
 | Dyllun on 2007-2008 Tony Award Nomi… |
 | Gina on Ellis Island: A True Book |
 | Ellis Island: A True… on Ellis Island |
 | thesleepingtypewrite… on Spell Check Poem |
