Blog Post
School Library Journal - Best Books of the Year
by kidlit
School Library Journal is one of the main sources that both school and public librarians use for gathering reviews of new children's books. The editors of that publication have put together a Best Books of the Year list.
Here a few highlights from the juvenile fiction section.
Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey.
When a princess is born with a dragon's claw on one hand, she finds herself struggling between her world and the dragon's world. This is a great story for all dragon lovers.
No Talking by Andrew Clements. A boisterous 5th grade class is lured into a contest of boys against the girls and 48 hours of no talking. Can they do it? Could you?
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. This author's strength is his ability to write about serious topics with warmth, humor and compassion. Elijah is an 11-year-old in Buxton, Ontario, a community of former slaves who fled to Canada.
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor
Georgina and her little brother and their mother are forced to live in their car after they lose their home. When Georgina sees a poster offering a substantial award for the return of a missing dog, she kidnaps a dog in hopes of collecting a ransom and helping her mother get the money for a new apartment.
Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. Clementine must find a way to participate in the third grade talent show, but she can't think of anything that she can do. This is the second title in a wonderful new series.
Blog Post
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by jaegerla
If you're looking for a new author to try out and you haven't read his work before, read a book or two that Sherman Alexie has written! His writing is funny, real, and always gives mainstream America a much-deserved kick in the shins. Sherman's newest book is The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. I haven't finished it yet but so far it's great. It is actually considered a youth book but adults can enjoy it, too. If checking things out from the youth department isn't your style, try out some of his other books, such as The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in heaven, Reservation Blues, and The Toughest Indian in the World.
Blog Post
Kid Bits - more TOOTH stories
by ryanikoglu
Who stole my tooth?! "I'm gonna send them Airmail To The Moon." This is what Ora Mae Cotton is going to do to the person who stole her tooth. She was saving it for the tooth fairy of course!
Dear Tooth Fairy: A Harry & Emily Adventure is Emily's letter to the tooth fairy in anticipation of a tooth falling out. Throw Your Tooth On The Roof tells tooth tales/traditions from around the world. AND then there's Mabel The Tooth Fairy And How She Got Her Job... another view all together...
Blog Post
Teaching Kids Healthy Smiles--Lesson Plans
by lola
The University of Michigan School of Dentistry and the Mott's Children Health Center in Flint, Michigan have created a website designed to support Kindergarten through elementary school teachers in their efforts to promote healthy oral hygiene and prevent dental disease. Check out an array of lesson plans, activities and worksheets. Help make those Michigan smiles stay healthy and white!
Pair the lesson with some good books from the library like:
Stories to Go: Teeth
Maisy, Charley and the Wobbly Tooth
Vera Goes to the Dentist
Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder
Blog Post
Saturnalia.
by Maxine
Today, December 17 marks the beginning of the seven day festival of Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the Roman god of seed and sowing. Saturnalia was a celebration of the winter solstice and a time for revelry and mischief. In a reversal of roles, slaves were served feasts and wore their masters' clothes. It was also a time of gift giving and prayer but celebration was the main event.
To read fictional portrayals of Saturnalia and ancient Rome, try the Marcus Falco mysteries of Lindsey Davis.
Blog Post
The Kite Runner Readalikes
by muffy
There is no doubt that one of the blockbuster films of this holiday season is the much anticipated The Kite Runner.
YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) of the American Library Association has just compiled a list of readalikes (fiction and non-fiction) for the novel by Khaled Hosseini.
For 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audio books for teens.
Blog Post
Come to Think of It: Notes on the Turn of the Millennium
by Robb
Daniel Schorr, an institution at CBS for decades and a twenty-year mainstay of NPR joined Diane Rehm 12-13-07 on her radio show to talk about his life in journalism and the state of politics in America today and his recently released book "Come to Think of It: Notes on the Turn of the Millennium"
Blog Post
New Fiction on the New York Times Best Sellers List (12/16/07)
by Mazie
As we approach the longest night of the year, the latest title on the List really jumps out at you. The only new entry is The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz. It is another venture into the heart of evil by a master of the genre.
I just finished another "dark" novel, the latest by the incredibly gifted and prolific Joyce Carol Oates. In the same literary territory as We Were the Mulvaneys and The Falls, The Gravedigger's Daughter is worth your time and patience.
For the whole List, click here.
Blog Post
Great NEW Teen Books for Girls...
by erin
Girls looking for something new to read over the school break (finally!) will be excited by some of the new titles that have just arrived! First there’s Poison Apples by Lily Archer a hilarious tale of revenge about three girls who meet at boarding school – only to discover that each was sent there by their wicked stepmother… Then there’s Indie Girl by Kavita Daswani the story of 15 year old Indie who desperately wants to make it in the world of fashion – even if it means babysitting a famous magazine publisher’s child for the rest of her life. Lastly try My Lost and Found Life by Melodie Bowsher - the story of Ashley whose life goes from perfect to perfectly awful in a matter of hours when her mother is accused of embezzling a million dollars and disappears. Completely on her own Ashley ends up homeless living in a camper behind a gas station. When she gets a job at San Francisco coffee shop her life changes – this time for the better.
Blog Post
The Last Man Alive
by RiponGood
I Am Legend starring Will Smith just opened. It's based on a story of the same name by Richard Matheson. In both the movie and story, Robert Neville survives a deadly disease that has wiped out most of mankind. Most, if not all of those remaining have been turned into Darkseekers, vampire-like creatures. Neville spends his time trying to find a cure for the disease as well as trying to survive in the hostile, post-apocalyptic world. This isn't the first time I Am Legend has been made into a movie. You can see Charlton Heston battles violent, light-sensitive albino mutants as he tries to find a cure for humanity in The Omega Man.
Actually, the story reminds me a lot of a book I'm reading by Max Brooks, World War Z. It's the oral history of those who survived a terrible virus that turned people into mindless zombies! The book is well written and is very thought provoking.