Reading is fundamental for us too!

Recently, I was reading a blog post (can't recall where and I apologize to the author) about how we need to model good reading habits to our students.  The question was posed: when was the last time you read just to enjoy it?  Think about it, we read blogs, professional journals, memos and many other things that pertain to our profession.  For me, that means reading award winners for children and new books.  Don't get me wrong -- I love it!  But am I challenging myself as a reader?  The last book I read that had nothing to do with work was The Help this summer (see earlier posts).  I (and you dear reader) need to carve out time to read for oursevles for the simple joy of it.  Last night after conferences, the principal, assistant principal and I were talking about how we'd read at night after we had gone to bed.  That "rebel reader" in me that read by the nightlight with books I had tucked under my bed!  Now, I drag myself to bed after watching TV.  Let us not forget the simple joy found in a book and let us make sure to share that with children.

Starting Student Blogging

One of the second grade classes at my school is going to be working with me on their own blogs.  The classroom teacher is very excited about working together and having the students publish their writing online.  I am asking those of you reading this, to please be sure to comment on these wonderful students' blog posts.  I will update this post with the website of the blog as soon as they write their first posts.  Anybody have any good resources for blogging with students?

Hispanic Heritage Month

Teachers usually get so caught up in back to school that they can miss a great cultural celebration and oppotunity to teach diversity.  September 15-October 15 each year marks Hispanic Heritage Month.  It is celebrated during this time frame because many Hispanic nations celebrate independence during this time.  From the Library of Congress:
"National Hispanic Heritage Month had its origins in 1968 when Congress passed Pub. L. 90-498 (PDF, 153 KB),  which authorized and requested the President to issue an annual proclamation designating the week including September 15 and 16 as National Hispanic Heritage Week.  By directing that this week should include September 15 and 16, this law celebrated Hispanic Americans and the anniversaries of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua as well as Mexico’s independence on September 16.  In 2010 Mexico is celebrating the bicentennial of its independence. President Lyndon Johnson issued the first such proclamation, Presidential Proclamation 3869, which stated in part:  Wishing to pay special tribute to the Hispanic tradition, and having in mind the fact that our five Central American neighbors celebrate their Independence Day on the fifteenth of September and the Republic of Mexico on the sixteenth, the Congress by House Joint Resolution 1299, has requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating the week including September 15 and 16 as National Hispanic Heritage Week."

Here are some resources:

Book Suggestions from Scholastic

Recommended Reading from State of Florida

History of Hispanic Heritage Month (Library of Congress)

Back to School

Well hello!  Its been quite a summer (thanks Jimmy Buffet for that line, just no rental cars and westbound trains).  This summer has brought many personal changes for me and has prevented me from keeping up the blog.  But rest assured!  Now that school is back, I am going to commit to writing something each school day.  Even if its just a hello, the best way to start a habit is to JUST START!

So for today, I welcome all teachers, students, staff and administrators to a new year.  I always find this time of year a lot like New Years -- resolutions and hope for what is to come.  With that in mind, I wanted to share some web-based resources to help you start your year!

Google Calendar -- great place to keep track of everything going on.  Color coding keeps it easy to keep school and home life ine order too!

Quote a Day (from Education World) -- great way to begin the day with journaling or think aloud activity

Scholastic Teachers -- tons of wonderful resources: lessons, printables, and ideas

Educational Technology Guy -- fantastic blog with great resources

Free Technology for Teachers -- another great blog with resources

Junie B Jones First Grader: Boss of Lunch

As a librarian, I am ashamed to admit that this is my first foray into Junie B.  It is a cute book for children and the short chapters would entice reluctant girl readers.  Do not know if boys would appreciate it as much...  Not as good as I had expected.

Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School (H. Parish)

I am definitely going to use this one in the fall!  It is a wonderful tale that uses descriptive language and puns to describe Amelia's eventful first day.  With classmates with names like Clay and Rose, Amelia makes some silly mistakes, but learns that teachers learn too!

Knuffle Bunny (1-3) (M. Willems)

Now for some kiddie-lit!  All three Knuffle Bunny titles are adorable!  A hit for kids and adults alike.  Mo Willems illustrations combine b/w photographs with wonderful cartoons that bring to life the development of Trixie.

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale - In the first book, Willems tells the (cautionary) story that any parent knows of the dreaded "lost lovey".  The repeated phrases make this a great read for early readers and an endearing tale for parents.  A word of "caution" - beware the laundry!

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity - In the second installment, Willems warns the toddler set that their toys aren't so unique after all... and that what we have in common with others can lead to friendship!  Trixie heads off to pre-school with her beloved (and thought to be one-of-a-kind) Knuffle Bunny, only to find another at school!  Trouble ensues, late-night phone calls bring an end to choas and friendships emerge.

Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion - In this final book, parents get a tissue ready, for Trixie is growing up.  As they fly to visit grandparents, Trixie loses her beloved Knuffle Bunny (again!)  However, on the plane home, she recovers her bunny only to discover that another may need it more than her...  Oh how quickly they grow up!  A fitting end to a wonderful set of books!

The Personal History of Rachel DuPree (Ann Weisgarber)

I read this as a historical fiction buff.  I really enjoyed the survival story of a woman living in the Badlands of South Dakota in the early 20th century, but was very disappointed by the ending.  To me, it was abrupt.  This tells the story of the title character who marries her boss's ex-army son and move west to stake their claim.  As African American land-owners, they feel that this is the best way to move forward in life.  The book tells of the difficulties of life in the Badlands and the survival of Rachel and her family.  ***Spoiler alert!*** In the end, she heads back to be with her mom in Chicago, but as I said, its an abrupt ending.

The Help (K. Stockett)

A good friend warned me that she did not like this book and did not think that I would.  I couldn't disagree more.  This book gives the viewpoints of two African American maids and one white "society" girl of the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi.  The civil rights movement is starting to gain steam and these three women in their own way "help" others gain fulfillment.  I must admit, I initially read this because of the movie coming out later this summer.  But as the author points out: "Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, we are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."  No matter where we are on our journeys through life, we all share the same humanity.

Summer Reading Challengs: Books Read

Ok, so I've been reading, but not posting.  So here is a post blast with the titles I've read so far this summer.  We'll see if I can't be more diligent in my posts from here on out...

Summer Reading Challenge (modified)

As we are getting ready to wrap up the school year here, I find myself energized for reading.  Like most teachers, most of my reading is done during the summer month when deadlines are no longer looming overhead.  I recently read a post by Donalyn Miller on edweek (click here for her post) about reading one book a day each day of summer vacation.  For me, what would work out to approximatley 63 days.  She mentions using picture books to help up your averages.  For instance, if you read 2 books today and none tomorrow, you would still be good.  I think I'm up for the challenge!  However, for me, I'm setting that challenge with a twist: since this is School Library Place, I'd like to keep my readers up to date with the titles I'm reading.  So my challenge to myself (and others!) is this: for each book read, post a short review on your blog.  This way, other teachers and librarians can share in the good read and have ideas to pass on to students as well!  Ok folks.... get reading and get blogging (outside in the sun hopefully!!!)

Happy Graduation *

Yes, that is an asterisk after "graduation" in the title.  That is simply because although I marched in my cap and gown, I am not yet done with the work required of my degree.  I am still in the midst of finishing my final project.  Its almost done, but I won't really be able to celebrate until it is done.
On that note, here is a link to my portfolio for my degree -- I'd love your thoughts and input...

www.wix.com/teachertheresa13/ils

The final project page is blank but will have the finished version of my paper...

Jing for Teachers

This is one that is so incredibly simple that it astounded me!  Jing allows your to show a user (or student) exactly what you are doing on your computer via video/audio file.  It takes video screen shots of your machine along with your audio commentary and uploads to a website for you to share.  Love this one!  Found out about it for a class towards my MLS and am already planning how to use in the library...

Jing Free Download

Don't let them rattle your cage...

The end is coming!  No, I don't mean 2012... I mean the end of the school year.  I spent the last couple of days at a workshop about restraint training.  One line in particular stood out to me: "Don't let them rattle your cage."  How many times as an educator (or even parent) have you let a child's behavior impact your day, mood or attitude?  I don't care if you are teacher of the year, this job can get to you.  There are days that are worse than others, but how do you get through?  And sorry, I don't have the answers to that one either!  But I challenge you as this school year starts to wind down to figure out the ways to keep yourself sane and refreshed.  You chose this job because of the rewards it offers.  Keep those rewards in mind as we make our way to the finish line of another year...

No I Didn't Fall off the Face of the Earth...

Wow -- its been over a month since the last post and I truly apologize.  Life, as they say, has gotten in the way.  I'm in the last semester of my Master's of Library Science program and work has been tough lately (but I have a job and am very grateful for that in this economy or any!)
As testing is ending here (hopefully the same for other areas of the country), we now begin the grind to the end.  I find that this is one of the truly most difficult times of the year.  The students are burnt out from testing (teachers too!) but there is still more left until the end of the year.  So, how do you keep students motivated?  For me, I offer the following suggestions:
1.) Authentic, project based learning.  I am trying a letter writing activity with students about building a monument to a local figure.
2.) Bring out the new technology! I am going to try some new technologies with them, such as creating audio or movie projects.

I wish I had more suggestions, but one of my last papers is calling... Please feel free to share any other ideas in the comments!

Evernote for Teachers

(hat tip to Educational Technology Guy for this one!)

I've read about Evernote and it's been on my list of things to try for some time now.  For someone like me who is constantly bookmarking sites, clipping articles and just randomly storing bits of knowledge, this FREE service is a God-send!  Evernote allows you to save workspaces from your PC, Smartphone or through their website.  You can access these notes from the same items as well.  So if I'm on a field trip with students and want to take notes, I can do so on my cell phone and then access them from the computer back at school to make quizzes or such.  I've also used the site to bookmark favorite crafts that I'd like to try with my son someday.  I am also trying to explore using this for lesson planning to keep resources together.  I'm still playing around with it, but know that its worth a look at for you too!

Black History Month Resources

February is Black History Month and many schools have various celebrations to honor the achievements and contributions of African Americans.  One of my goals is to broaden students' perspectives when it comes to Black History Month.  Many students default to certain well known figures.  I encourage them to study lesser known figures to widen their knowledge base.  How about Elijah McCoy (from whom we get the term "the real McCoy)?  There are a number of great resources out there, here are just a few of them:

(image from africaontheblog.com)

Biography.com has a section devoted to biographies of historic African Americans here.

Library of Congress' website is geared more towards advanced readers.

Garden of Praise has many biographies for kids, including many African Americans.

History.com's Black History Month page is here.

Infoplease has many resources that I have used and modified for different ages.

Be a Beam, not a wall...

If you don't know who Shelly Terrell is, you SHOULD!  She is the queen of Twitter and quite the inspiration!  She is the creator of the 30 Goals, a program that aims to achieve 30 small goals over the course of February and March.  I love this idea simply because small steps can truly lead to great change.  You don't need to move the mountain in one day; take it one bucket at a time...
Today's goal was to be a beam: support someone in a hidden way.  Just as a beam supports a structure internally and is not "out there" for all to see, we as teachers, librarians and education professionals need to be that beam for each other.  Let's face it, education right now is a hot topic and fingers are constantly being pointed (many times at us!).  If we are just isolating ourselves, we are adding to that conflict.  By working together, we can prove to the outsiders (politicians, talking heads, etc.) that we are a community that is about building up, not tearing down.  We strive to build up our students, communities and each other.
So my offer as a beam is to share with you the resources I've found and some of my thoughts on this blog.  With that in mind, I decided to share a "therapeutic" website with you today.  For those moments that you just need to clear your head, try this.  It will help relieve some stress and hopefully give you that moment you need to organize your thoughts....

Collaboration with Teachers

I'm starting the last of my classes for my MLS (Masters of Library Science) degree (graduate in 5 months!) and one of the first discussion boards I posted to is about collaboration.  This post made me reflect on how I've collaborated with teachers in my building and some tips regarding it:
1.) Put yourself out there!  Teachers are not going to come running to you -- they have enough on their plate and sometimes don't realize that you are there as a resource.  Send emails, chat at lunch, put notes in mailboxes.  Then start with the teachers that are interested.
2.) Familiarize yourself with the curriculum.  I know this sounds like a given, but many librarians can get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of running a library.  Start small – get pacing guides or overviews from the various departments/grades.  I find that working with the content areas (Social Studies and Science) or other specialists (Art, Music, Gym) is an easy way to start.  Many districts are pushing for reading across the curriculum and you can be a HUGE asset in that regard.  Suggest book titles to them or collaborate on a project (see #3).
3.) Project based learning – Learn it and Love it!  I will be doing a blog post on this in the future.  But I have found that collaborating on a project divides the work equally and then a rubric that both parties agree to can be devised.  Then grading can be shared (a common concern).
4.) WebQuests (see previous post).


As closing thought, think of collaboration as your way OUT of the library.  You can extend yourself beyond the walls of the library to the school at large.  Remember, you are an asset to your building and have much to share with your colleagues, you just have to make the connections!

Aesop's Fables online

This collection of Aesop's Fables is courtesy of students at UMass Amherst.  They contain digital illustrations of the fables done by college students.  This would be a nice introduction to a unit on fables for students to peruse at their leisure.

Online Jigsaw Puzzles!

Jigsaw Planet is a site that allows you to upload pictures to create puzzles to complete online.  You can also use a variety of the existing puzzles that are already uploaded for public use.  I found a six piece Australia one (see screen shot, took me 30 seconds and I'm not good at puzzles!) all the way up to 100 + piece puzzles to complete.  I really like puzzles to help students view things differently and to look at different possible solutions to problems.  With non-virutal puzzles (or even with these) you can use them as team building activities to help students learn how to work together in a non-academic way.  In the library and classroom, I've even done puzzle relays.  I set up teams of 3-4 students to work together.  They then complete a puzzle and write down the time it took them to complete.  They do this with a series of 5-6 floor puzzles, but any type could work (adjust # of puzzles based on age and size of puzzle).  We then added up the total times for each team to find our puzzle champs!  Students loved this - especially working on the floor!

Getty Games -- Art

(hat tip to Richard Byrne for this one!)

I recently was reading the Free Technology for Teachers blog by Richard Byrne (subscribe here, his original post here) and forwarded this to the art teacher in my building.  She replied that she was addicted within minutes and spent time on this site instead of other things she had planned to do!  That sounds like a recipe for fun for me!

I like the game for the obvious links to art, but working in a library, I like to have a "stash" of online educational activities to have students use (as opposed to the latest car parking game).   

Getty Games

WebQuests for Guided Learning

WebQuests are not something new to education.  Many have been using them for quite some time.  I like to use them in library as a guided instruction in research.  I show my students the sites to use, but then branch out into teaching them how to use various search engines and how to identify reliable sources.  Under no circumstance can they use Wikipedia (except to find links to other sources).
A colleague told me about Zunal as useful tool.  Zunal has many pre-made webquests and allows you to create your own (first one is free, then you need a paid membership). 
However, you can accomplish the same thing by building your own website using a free website creating site such as Wix.  See the links below for ideas!



Zunal

My Wix Site

Twitter for Teachers

I by no means consider myself a "veteran" teacher.  I don't know if I ever will either.  I hope that I continue to learn and grow each day I embark on this journey of education.  As such, a tool that I have come to use greatly is Twitter - and many of my colleagues are shocked by that.  Twitter is an incredible tool to find new websites, read blogs (like this one!) and get inspiration from other like-minded educators.  It is the platform that I am using to create a PLN (Personal Learning Network).  By doing so, I am discovering new things and finding wonderful resources.  WARNING: Information overload can (and will) occur.  Remember this Chinese proverb: "Listen to all, plucking a feather from each passing goose, but follow no one absolutely."  Find your own tweaks on ideas and make them your own. 

Some recommended people to follow

@teachertheresa (me)
@daveandcori
@wmchamberlain
@cybraryman1
@rmbyrne
@DEN
@cnnbrk (breaking news from CNN)

2011 ALA Winners Announced!

As a school librarian, it is always exciting to find out the new award winners for the year.  I chose to include more than the usual Caldecott/Newberry winners and a bit about each.  So, here is a listing of the 2011 ALA award winners:

image from http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/index.cfm

Alex Award (for young adults ages 12-18)

The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by D.C. Pierson, published by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard by Liz Murray, published by Hyperion Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of the Penguin Group
The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni, published by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint of G.P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of the Penguin Group The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton, published by Thomas Dunne Books for Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell, published by Holt Paperbacks, a division of Henry Holt and Company, LLC Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue, published by Little, Brown and Company a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linda by Helen Hunt, published by Delacorte, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Belpre Award (given to honor works by Latino/Latina writers/illustrators)

The Dreamer written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sís and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc

Belpre Honors

90 Miles to Havana written by Enrique Flores-Galbis and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing
The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba written by Margarita Engle and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC
¡Olé! Flamenco written and illustrated by George Ancona and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Belpre Award (illustrators)

Grandma's Gift
Illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez, published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.

Belpre Honors (illustrators)
Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS
Fiesta Babies illustrated by Amy Córdova, written by Carmen Tafolla and published by Tricycle Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc

Me, Frida illustrated by David Diaz, written by Amy Novesky and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS

Caldecott Award (for illustrators)

A Sick Day for Amos McGee illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead, and is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing

Caldecott Honors

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet Slave illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Interrupting Chicken written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, and published by Candlewick Press

Edwards Award (honors an author for his/her body of work for young adults)

Sir Terry Pratchett

Excellence in Non-fiction for Young Adults (the name says it all...)

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing (winner)by Ann Angel, published by Amulet/Abrams

Finalists:
The Dark Game: True Spy Stories by Paul Janeczko, published by Candlewick Press Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw, published by Charlesbridge 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 

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award (given for children's literature) -- you know him better as Dr. Seuss

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile 

Steptoe Award for New Talent

Zora and Me (Author)by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon, published by Candlewick Press 

Seeds of Change (illustrator)illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, written by Jen Cullerton Johnson, and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Coretta Scott King Awards (given to African American authors whose work reflect the African American experience)

Author Awards

One Crazy Summer (winner)by Rita Williams-Garcia, published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Lockdown (honor)by Walter Dean Myers and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Ninth Ward (honor) by Jewell Parker Rhodes and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty (honor) written by G. Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Illustrator Awards
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (winner)illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc
Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix (honor)illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, written by Gary Golio and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Morris Debut Award (given to a debut author whose writes for teens/young adults)

The Freak Observer (winner)by Blythe Woolston, published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group

Finalists
Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber, published by Margaret McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey, published by Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride, published by Henry Holt Hush by Eishes Chayil, published by Walker Publishing Company, a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc

Newberry Medal (given to honor children's literature)

Moon Over Manifest (winner)by Clare Vanderpool, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House Inc.

Newberry Honor

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Heart of a Samurai
by Margi Preus, published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm, published by Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Odyssey Awards (for audio books)

The True Meaning of Smekday (winner)produced by Listening Library an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Adam Rex and narrated by Bahni Turpin

Honors:
Alchemy and Meggy Swann produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Karen Cushman and narrated by Katherine Kellgren The Knife of Never Letting Go produced by Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, an imprint of Brilliance Audio, written by Patrick Ness and narrated by Nick Podehl Revolution produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Jennifer Donnelly and narrated by Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering will grayson, will grayson produced by Brilliance Audio, written by John Green and David Levithan, and narrated by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl

Printz Award (given for excellence in Young Adult literature)

Ship Breaker (winner)by Paolo Bacigalupi, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Honors:
Nothing by Janne Teller and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group Stolen by Lucy Christopher and published by Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc

Schneider Family Book Award (given in different age groups to books that illustrate the experience of a person with a disability)

Middle School Winner:
After Ever After written by Jordan Sonnenblick and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. Tells the story of Jeffrey who is free of cancer, but not the fallout from the treatment.  Tad, his cancer survivor buddy and he swap wisecracks as they cope with their “chemo-brain,” other cancer effects and typical 8th grade angst.

Teen Winner:
Five Flavors of Dumb written by Antony John and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Dumb is not the name Piper, a high school senior who is Deaf, would have chosen for a heavy metal band, yet she volunteers to manage this disparate group of would-be musicians.  In her attempt to make Dumb profitable, Piper learns a few things about music and business, striking a chord within herself.

Young Children's Book Winner:
The Pirate of Kindergarten written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Ginny’s eyes play tricks and, in her world, there are two of everything.  Reading, math, and kindergarten activities are a challenge.  Wearing an eye patch turns her into the pirate of kindergarten, and glasses help bring her world into focus.  Whimsical mixed media illustrations cleverly convey Ginny’s experiences first hand.

Sibert Award (given for informational books)

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery

Stonewall Books (given for excellence in GLBT literature)

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (given to an author or illustrator whose body of work has made a "lasting contribution to literature for children."

Tomie dePaola

(all information can be found at http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/index.cfm) 

 

Educational Games

Sheppard Software is a site that I began using a few years ago.  I was happy when I revisited it recently to see that is has developed into quite the site.  It is very useful in geography and social studies classes.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/

Welcome all!

So after a few failed tries, this is it!  I am entering the world of educational blogging.  I have been sharing links with fellow teachers for some time and thought that this would be a way to centralize all that information.  So please share the news and let others know -- I hope to be posting resources several times a week (along with commentary...)
Thanks!