Group items tagged

Having completed four years worth of "Best of" lists for picture books, I was finally inspired to compile a list of the  best middle-grade and chapter books I have read in the last year. Maybe I didn't want to be forced to pick any favorites, or maybe this was the first year that I felt like I had actually read enough newly published books in a given year to compile a fair list. Either way, although I remain dedicated to working through that massive pile of older books that I want to share with my readers, I am very excited about this list and passionate about all of the books that made it on to this list. If you were to encounter me in my workplace and ask me about any of these titles, I would gush, most likely somewhat embarrassingly, about any or all of them, if you gave me enough time. 

"Extreme Speed Booking" The idea behind the site is to introduce students to a variety of books and form classroom book groups. How does Extreme Speed Booking work? A whole lot like speed dating. :) Students spend a little time with each book and then rate them accordingly with "I want to read more", "Interesting", "Not for me", or "I've already read". Students can also make a note of how interested they are in reading the book (maybe a 1-10 scale)? This process introduces students to a variety of books, genres and authors. Students may come across titles and authors they wouldn't otherwise find. It also helps teachers form classroom book groups that are of high-interest and investment to students because they had input.

Book Talk Resources Galore: I thought it would be a good idea to archive all of the Book Talk Tuesday posts- make them a little easier to access. On this blog you will find the links to all of the books that have been shared. We will still post Book Talk Tuesday on The Lemme Library page each week... only once the week is over will I archive the post on this blog.

"Publishers have spent a lot of time and money building their own company Web sites with fresh information on their books and authors. The trouble is, very few book buyers visit them. In search of an alternative, three major publishers said on Friday that they would create a new venture, called Bookish.com, which is expected to make its debut late this summer. The site intends to provide information for all things literary: suggestions on what books to buy, reviews of books, excerpts from books and news about authors. Visitors will also be able to buy books directly from the site or from other retailers and write recommendations and reviews for other readers." As of early August 16 2011, the site is not ready. However, you can enter your email address to be notified when it goes live. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/07/books/publishers-plan-a-joint-one-stop-book-site.html?_r=1&src=recg

I think book trailers are an effective way to connect young readers with books. I include book trailers in almost every booktalking session.

Let's put our hands together for SLJ blogger Betsy Bird who spent the last six weeks sorting through 200 titles to bring you the Top 100 Picture Books and Chapter Books of all time. Dying to know who topped the lists? Maurice Sendak's classic Where the Wild Things Are made best picture book, while E. B. White's Charlotte's Web ranked the best chapter book.

Connecting K-6 Teachers With Great Books
My goal is to create a resource for teachers, home schoolers and anyone interested in quality books for children. Each title is one I have carefully evaluated and selected to support curriculum as well as your class read-alouds. Elementary school librarians are losing their jobs nationwide resulting in the loss of this valuable resource for students and teachers. I have 35 years experience working with kids and their books, so you can consider me your personal librarian!

Ten Young Adult Books that reflect the Immigration experience:

Presently, this is my favorite book quote source: THESE ARE CONFESSIONS AND/OR THOUGHTS OF A BOOK LOVER, BIBLIOPHILE, BOOK ADDICT, READER, LOVER OF LITERATURE, NERD...CALL ME WHAT YOU WILL, BUT HERE THEY ARE. IF YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR A BOOKFESSION, SEND IT TO MY ASK BOX!

Some of the text below applies to the 2013 event, but the site's URL stays the same year to year. "World Book Night 2013 is a celebration of literacy by publishers, bookstores, libraries and individuals who love books and reading. On World Book Night 2013, 25,000 'book givers' will each give away 20 copies of a specially-printed, not-for-resale WBN edition of book they have read and loved (from a list of 25-30 titles selected by librarians and booksellers) to complete strangers - people who may never have owned a book of their own. To promote this literacy event, libraries and bookstores - as organizational participants in the event - form a nationwide advocacy and distribution network." Last year was the inaugural event, which happens on April 23rd. If you want your library to participate as a distribution center, fill out the attached application by October 1, 2012. Specific responsibilities of official participants are outlined in the application. The deadline on the form indicates September 1st, but according to discussions on ALAConnect, it was extended by a month. Sign up for the mailing list to learn when applications go online annually: http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/component/forme/?fid=3

After organizing their own bookshelf earlier this year, Sean Ohlenkamp and wife Lisa re-doubled their efforts for Type Books in Toronto. After several sleepless nights of animating with a crew of over 20 people, the Joy of Books was born. Music composed especially for the short by Grayson Matthews. See many more books here. (via metafilter)

Banned book map thru Google map with details around the US w/banned books from 2007-present. Terrific resource for Banned Book Week for MS/HS!

"Enter a book you like and the site will analyse our database of real readers' favorite books (more than 75,000 different titles so far, and more than a million reader recommendations) to provide book recommendations and suggestions for what to read next."

Might be a good resource to follow: The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

is a unique and vital gathering place for books, ideas, and expertise in the field of children's
and young adult literature. The CCBC is a noncirculating examination, study, and research library
for Wisconsin school and public librarians, teachers, early childhood care providers, university
students, and others interested in children's and young adult literature. The CCBC is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) School of Education (SoE), and receives additional support from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

"Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States." 50 State Salute (Want your library to participate to represent Oregon?): http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/calendarofevents#50statesalute Virtual Read-Out: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/calendarofevents#virtualreadout Ideas and Resources (listed in the column on the left): http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources BBW Promotional Items from ALA Store: http://www.alastore.ala.org/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=269

I think there is also a perception that if we don't have the paper books then we don't need the library or the librarians in schools. I think it's flawed logic. Information is changing its format; yes, it's online, it's an ebook, it's a book you can download onto an iPad, but it's still information. Kids need to know how to evaluate it even more so now than before because there is much more of it. Kids need to be able to determine whether it is useful or valid information. Librarians take the lead in helping educate students through the information jungle, and with even more sources and formats, the role of the librarian becomes even more critical. So even though paper books are becoming less prominent, the skills needed are even more advanced than what was needed before. School librarians are critical to helping students navigate through this information explosion.

Making a digital story with kids from The Book Chook - interesting presentation of how to make a digital story in movie format... 

Book set to consider purchasing... eBook and accompanying text. CyberSmarts: Staying Safe Online New!
This exciting five-book series is geared for grades 3-6 and instructs readers in how to deal with important online safety issues. Kids are becoming more technologically literate at an early age, but it is crucial that they understand the dangers and risks of interacting with others online. This series emphasizes engaging in safe online conduct. Each book in the series contains a robust glossary of terms and sidebars that further explore important or high-interest material.

FREE BOOKS! If you're an educator or program administrator, and at least 70 percent of the children in your program come from low-income families, we can help.

Poetry Books for Grades 3 - 5 Annotated list!