lsky_libraries

Several titles in this series are a fit for the Saskatchewan Health Curriculum. "Written in a narrative style, interspersed with conversation and first-person accounts, the books have 13 chapters each, plus a table of contents, a glossary, an index and a page listing a few web sites for further information. Although the books have an American slant - there are referrals to the President's Challenge fitness program, and the Food Pyramid - this does not affect the reader's understanding of the concepts presented. In fact, any time a measurement is given in Imperial form, its metric counterpart is written in parentheses, and on nutrition labels, the amounts are always given in metric form. "

This would be a useful addition to school library collections. Upper elementary reading level - information relevant to middle years health curricula.

"Teaching Resources is a website created by veteran teacher Laura Candler to share ready-to-use classroom resources. The site consists of dozens of pages of helpful information and free printables. Topics include Literature Circles, Learning Centers, Classroom Management, and academic subject areas such as math, literacy, science, and social studies."

FREEDOM TO READ WEEK, February 21-27, 2010

Review: "'Canadian Citizenship in Action' is a series of four books intended to help middle years's students understand just what living in a democracy like ours means, and how each person can participate, as well as what barriers may be encountered."

You may wish to consider purchasing this series for middle years social studies - if you don't already have it in your library.

Review: "Heather C. Hudak and Weigl Educational Publishers have created a template to encompass all cultures, races, ethnicities found in Canada. Into this template, Hudak has pieced each culture without acknowledging its uniqueness, its special history or its struggle for freedom and opportunity! " NOT recommended!

You might want to take note of the comments in the review - some schools may have purchased this series. It is interesting to note however that Saskatchewan Education recommended "The Ukranians in Canada", "The French in Canada" and the "Chinese in Canada" for grades 3-5 in 2005.

"I believe there is room for us to (1) continue debating the pros/cons, strengths/weaknesses, etc. surrounding the different iterations-containers-of books, (2) continue having our favorites, and yet (3) agree that there is a unifying concept of "the book" that encompasses all-print books, ebooks, and whatever other formats may follow."

PDF book lists including: Kids Taking Action; Children's Fiction about Art, Intercultural Connections around the World.

"A Mohawk writer from the Six Nations territory in southern Ontario, Janet was born in Vancouver British Columbia January 29th 1963. She began her creative career as a visual artist, and started writing in 1996. Since then, she continues to stretch her abilities as a writer working and studying in the genres of poetry, short fiction, science fiction, play writing, spoken word performance poetry and video poetry. "

"Keepers of the Morning Star: An Anthology of Native Women's Theater showcases the exciting range of Native women's theater today from the dynamic fusion of storytelling, ceremony, music, and dance to the bold experimentation of poetic stream-of-consciousness and Native agit-prop. While negotiating complex issues, including family, community, repatriation, sovereignty, urban relocation, and cultural and spiritual appropriation, this collection celebrates the enduring power of Native women's traditions to heal and transform."

A positive and interesting review of the play "SongCatcher: A Native Interpretation of the Story of Frances Densmore." in this collection can be found at American Indians in Children's literature.

Trace Holden Caulfield's perambulations around Manhattan in "The Catcher in the Rye" to places like the Edmont Hotel, where Holden had an awkward encounter with Sunny the hooker; the lake in Central Park, where he wondered about the ducks in winter; and the clock at the Biltmore, where he waited for his date.

some great ideas that go beyond the written book report

This is an amazing assignment! "One of our grade 7 Humanities teachers, Dan McWilliam, just finished a project with his grade 7 students. In order to understand the concept of perspective in historical accounts, Dan had his students re-write a 'picture book' on colonialization from an alternate perspective."

A week's worth of news, rapped. New every Friday.

an incredible book/reading wiki

"If I was starting a library in an elementary school, these are the first ten books I'd buy. In reading these books, students would be reading stories Native writers create about Native people and places. The books I list here include fiction, historical fiction, traditional story, and poetry. "

Suzanne Collins reads the first chapter...

"Guys Lit Wire exists solely to bring literary news and reviews to the attention of teenage boys and the people who care about them. We are more than happy to welcome female readers - but our main goal is to bring the attention of good books to guys who might have missed them. "

this looks a good place to look for books that teenage boys might enjoy

great links to tons of information about fantasy for middle years students

Eric Carle talks about his book - charming! Synopsis This is the classic edition of the bestselling story written for the very young. A newly hatched caterpillar eats his way through all kinds of food.  

One of the richest resources on YouTube is an extraordinary channel named SpokenVerse. It offers 466 readings of great poems in English, from Shakespeare to today. Their reader is a pleasure to listen to. He makes no effort to "perform," but simply and clearly respects the poetry, with understated emotion when necessary. (Roger Ebert)