A neat info graphic from my colleague at NYPL…give it a click to blow it up and find loads of great new titles for kids and teens.

(http://images.mentalfloss.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/fall-foliage.jpg)

It’s September, and that means new friends, new challenges and new (gulp!) teachers as middle school students head back to school. Here’s a list of school-related stories for students getting ready to face the new year.

All of these titles are available in the Sixth Avenue library and are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. (CIP) stands for the Library of Congress’ “Cataloging in Publication,” which is where we have borrowed these annotations.

The Red Blazer Girls : the mistaken masterpiece by Michael D. Beil.

Red Blazer Girls Sophie, Margaret, Becca, and Leigh Ann are hired by Father Julian who wants them to authenticate a painting, while Sophie faces off with her arch-rival and takes care of movie-star Nate Etan’s dog.(CIP)

Blubber by Judy Blume.

Jill goes along with the rest of the fifth-grade class in tormenting a classmate and then finds out what it is like when she, too, becomes a target. (CIP)

Falcon Quinn and the black mirror by Jennifer Finney Boylan.

Thirteen-year-old Falcon Quinn and his friends, Max and Megan get on the bus expecting to be taken to school, but they soon find themselves at a place called Shadow Island, a training ground for monsters.(CIP)

Evolution, me, and other freaks of nature by Robin Brande.

Following her conscience leads high school freshman Mena to clash with her parents and former friends from their conservative Christian church, but might result in better things when she stands up for a teacher who refuses to include “Intelligent Design” in lessons on evolution.(CIP)

Ask me no questions by Marina Budhos.

Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family. (CIP)

All-American girl by Meg Cabot.

Sophomore Samantha Madison stops a presidential assassination attempt, is appointed teen ambassador to the United Nations, and catches the eye of the very cute First Son. (CIP)

Cheating lessons : a novel by Nan Willard Cappo.

When her team is announced as finalists in the state Classics Bowl contest, Bernadette suspects that cheating may have been involved. (CIP)

If a tree falls at lunch period by Gennifer Choldenko.

Kirsten and Walk, seventh-graders at an elite private school, describe how race, wealth, weight, and other issues shape their relationships as they and other misfits stand up to a mean but influential classmate.(CIP)

Sing a song of tuna fish : hard-to-swallow stories from fifth grade by Esmé Raji Codell.

Provides fictionalized anecdotes of the author’s childhood as a ten-year old living in Chicago. (CIP)

The chocolate war : a novel by Robert Cormier.

A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school’s annual fund raising drive and arousing the wrath of the school bullies. (CIP)

Stotan! by Chris Crutcher.

A high school coach invites members of his swimming team to a memorable week of rigorous training that tests their moral fiber as well as their physical stamina. (CIP)

Bloomability by Sharon Creech.

Thirteen-year-old Dinnie finds her world expanding after her aunt and uncle take her from New Mexico to Lugano, Switzerland, to attend an international school. (CIP)

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger

When the unconventional English teacher who helped her conquer many of her feelings of insecurity is fired, a junior high student uses her new found courage to campaign for the teacher’s reinstatement. (CIP)

Liar, liar by Barthe DeClements.

Sixth-grader Gretchen and her friends begin to have problems when a new girl starts telling some very believable, but untrue, stories. (CIP)

Francie by Karen English.

When the sixteen-year-old boy whom she tutors in reading is accused of attempting to murder a white man, Francie gets herself in serious trouble for her efforts at friendship. (CIP)

Carlos is gonna get it by Kevin Emerson.

Recounts the events that occur at the end of seventh grade, when a group of friends plan to trick Carlos, an annoying “problem” student who says he is visited by aliens, while they are on a field trip in the mountains of New Hampshire. (CIP)

This is what I did by Ann Dee Ellis.

Bullied because of an incident in his past, eighth-grader Logan is unhappy at his new school and has difficulty relating to others until he meets a quirky girl and a counselor who believe in him. (CIP)

The skin I’m in by Sharon G. Flake.

Thirteen-year-old Maleeka, uncomfortable because her skin is extremely dark, meets a new teacher with a birthmark on her face and makes some discoveries about how to love who she is and what she looks like. (CIP)

I’ll see you in the library,

Jennifer Hubert Swan, Middle School Librarian

For the past year, I served as chair of the 2012 Young Adult Library Services Association Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee. I feel like I learned so much about both how to critically evaluate nonficton and manage a committee of people from different libraries, geographic locations and walks of life. It was truly a pleasure and a great deal of fun. In November of 2011, we announced our finalists and in January of 2012, we announced our winner. All of the books are listed below, and are available in the 6th Avenue library for your reading pleasure. Please stop by and check them out, they are all great reads!

WINNER: The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin

FINALIST: Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science by Marc Aronson & Marina Budhos

FINALIST: Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal

FINALIST: Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Sue Macy

FINALIST: Music Was IT: Young Leonard Bernstein by Susan Goldman Rubin

This year, the Eighth Grade Core (English and Social Studies) were looking for a way to punch up the summer reading assignment. Over the summer, our rising eighth graders choose from a list of selected classics. In the past we had the students do booktalks, but that was starting to feel a little stale. When one of the teachers mentioned she’d like the students to present their books using a “speed dating” model, we decided to have the students write “single’s ads” for their dusty old classics who wanted to attract new readers. While there was some initial confusion over what a single’s ad was (“Do you mean a Match.com profile?”) they soon got the hang of it using these writing prompts and reading the example I had way too much fun writing for them:

• “My ideal reader/date must love…because…”.
• “A knowledge of/passion for…is a plus.”
• “On our first date, we will…”.
• “My favorite food or type of restaurant is…so you must love eating…”.
• “My favorite song is…because…, or I love listening to…”.
• “My favorite season is…because…”.
• “Usually, on my days off, I like to…”.
• “My favorite hobbies are….”.
• “I’d like to travel with you to…because…”.
• “My favorite movies include…because…”.

Example: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

“Depression-era gentleman seeks eager young reader who enjoys creek water out of a tin cup, seeing greater America from the back of a rusty Model-T, and doesn’t mind a little dust in his or her hair. Must love sunsets over prairies, long soliloquies about turtles, and know how to change a tire. Knowledge of migrant worker laws and rights a plus. Our first date will start with breaking a picket line and end with peach cobbler (made from the peaches we hand pick by moonlight). If you think you are the reader for me, you can find me at your local public library, not too far down on the shelf from Shakespeare.”

Here are some of the eighth grade’s Lonely Hearts Classics Singles Ads. Can you guess the book titles from their descriptions? (Answers at the end) Maybe after reading them, you’ll be inspired to make a date with a classic!

1. Blond English girl seeks courageous young reader who enjoys tea, cats and small doors. Must play croquet with flamingos and enjoy falling down rabbit holes. Our first date will consist of painting white roses red and avoiding being beheaded. My favorite food is cake marked EAT ME and I enjoy drinking tea. If you know “Why a raven is like a writing desk?” or dislike the songs of a mock turtle then we should get along quite well. My ideal reader only enjoys books with pictures and dialogue, “and what is the use of a book without pictures or conversations in it?” I absolutely hate uncivil mad hatters, melancholy frogs and easily offended mice. My hobbies are chasing white rabbits and playing with my cat, Dinah. I have been called many things, peculiar and outlandish being among them. Being 146 years old, you can find me in the classics section, along with Huckleberry Finn and The Secret Garden.–I.T.

2. Southern tomboy seeks understanding young reader, easily impressed by her newly found maturity and femininity. A passion for deep conversations over dinner is a plus. I’d like to travel with you to exotic places all around the world so I can find my own place. Our first date will start with a game of bridge and a long conversation, and end with condensed milk from the can we bought from the store we walked to in our fancy costumes and mexican hat. On my days off I like to walk around the town and try to convince the young children that I am from a foreign country. My favorite song is Please Don’t Leave Me by Pink because although I hope that I will run away with my brother and his wife, deep down inside, I have this fear that he will leave me here, and I won’t be a member of the world.–O.O.

3. Seeking an adventurous creative reader who enjoys riding on a raft during twilight. The perfect reader for me should know how and enjoy hunting alone, not being a picky eater, occasionally play hooky from school, and constantly be on the move. On our first date we will sit out in the moonlight around the campfire telling stories with Jim, a runaway slave who has become one of my dearest friends. If you are on a date with me you must not be a vegetarian because we will be eating whatever we hunt, which could consist of the occasional boar, dog and catfish. My favorite genre of music is classical and country that I overhear. Over the course of all the many seasons, summer is my favorite season because of the warm soothing weather, which allows me to do things like drifting on a raft as I soak up the warm sunlight. Usually on the days when I am just resting, I enjoy talking to Jim and telling stories about the journeys and adventures we’ve had in the past. When we travel on the raft we will discover the simpleness of nature and observe the beauty around us. If you want to meet me you will find in the literature aisle.–I.Z.

4. Tough, afraid, kind teenage boy searches the high seas for a reader who enjoys the sound of drunken arguing as well as the sound of the open water. Knowing how to sail is a must. Will not take someone greedy. Must love a hearty meal of a biscuit and long sleepless nights. Must be able to be mutinous and not have it gnaw at a guilty conscience. My ideal reader must love or not mind fighting and running a lot because we’ll be abandoning friends, enemies, and other crew members for our own gain, and for someone you care about, yet also despise, but who wants to protect you. Must love long adventures for wealth and newfound friendships.–J.G.

5. I am a young boy, but my best friend is a 70-year old African American man, and a small cat. My ideal date must love an unexpected trip to a tropic island in the middle of the ocean. Having knowledge of survival and fishing in a reef is always a plus. Our first date will start on a raft then move to building a hut for shelter, and finish with walking along the beach watching the sunset. Usually, on my days off I like to build extra catchments and taking walks to get more familiar with out little Cay. My favorite food is fish, but on occasion I enjoy climbing trees to get coconuts. My favorite hobbies include building hammocks or mattresses and finding ways to improve our lives on the island. I would love to visit the main land with you because I’m really tired of being stuck on this little Devil’s Mouth.–E.P.

6. English gentleman looking for a reader who loves going on nightly excursions through a haunted moor. My ideal reader must enjoy going on thrilling adventures, where you don’t only have to run, hide, and shoot, but you have to be sly and have an intelligent mind. On our first date, she must be prepared to get killed by the horror that lurks in the darkness. If you want to stay alive, bring a pistol and a mind that is alert and ready to find the truth behind what is really happening on the moor. A knowledge of solving mystery cases is a plus. Being able to observe and have a close and careful eye to everything around you is an asset. My favorite hobbies are playing the violin, smoking in the parlor until the room becomes foggy from puffing my pipe all afternoon, and, of course, solving mystery crimes. My favorite meal is a pot of coffee and possibly some biscuits; otherwise I don’t waste my time for food. I am not a very romantic person, my only relationships would be the cases I have solved, so if you bore me, I will move onto another case. If it would please you to come to tea, dress properly, in a skirt and blouse, as any sensible English lady would do. My address is Section D, The New York Public Library.–L.V.

7. Strong hardworking male looking for a partner. Just recently became single due to an accident involving an unfit relationship and a Luger.  For the second amendment haters out there, a Luger is a German pistol.  Yeah…   Anyways, I like fluffy animals like rabbits, puppies, and mice.  Unfortunately, I usually end up killing them.  By accident of course.  I entertain theoreticals and I am persistent and repetitive. I work in the fields and I am used to taking care of others, taking responsibility for false accusations, and taking charge. I love sad endings and being on the run. Our relationship will begin with true love and passion, it will contain tears, labor, and hardships, and end with utter tragedy.  You can find me raking leaves, on the Kindle store.–M.W.

8. Enthralling middle aged looking gentleman, seeking a reader who enjoys long nights and sleeping during the day. I enjoy such hobbies as hypnosis and shape shifting.  Must not have a fear of blood.  I am not fond of eating, but you should be it is good for your body. On our first date, I will captivate you with my dashing looks and hypnotic eyes. You must not be religious. If  you feel that you are the right reader for me, find me in my castle library. I’ll be waiting. –J.H.

9. Drug addicted teen seeks a reader who loves living on the edge, smoking pot, and beating those clean-cut preppy boys who think that they’re better than us in a game of basket-ball. A knowledge on dark alleys to shoot heroin in is a plus. On our first date we will take the subway to central park and sit on the rocks where we will drink and mug old people who walk by. My favorite food is French fries because they’re dirt cheep, and they fill you up. My favorite season is fall because its not too warm, or too cold if I end up sleeping on a park bench. Usually, on my free days I like to hang out with friends and take the subway to various parts of the city. I’d like to travel to Boston because I hear the dope down there is cheap, and powerful. If you think I’m the book for you, look for me in the memoir/auto-biography section of the library. –A.B.

10. I am looking for love because I would like to forget my devotion for my sister’s husband. My ideal reader would have a passion for writing as well as not mind the occasional strange or eccentric happening. My favorite season is Spring, when the world is not dreary and drained of color. Usually, when I have time to spare and the weather is warm, I like to sit outside and write, with the pale tulips and the gray moat ruffling in the breeze, staring up at the pale yellow bowl of sky above. I do not appreciate facial hair on a man, since it may remind me of my sister’s husband. My family lives in a crumbling castle, and struggles with finances because my father refuses to write another novel. If you desire, I can welcome you into a life of passion, excitement, scandal, and raw truth. If you think you might be interested, you can find me sitting on your local library and bookstore shelf. –E.J.

11. Nomadic man seeks someone who can run long distance, enjoys fires and doesn’t mind teaching a little about books and being in the wild.  Medical knowledge will help since I have recently been injected with a needle and it is very painful, also knowledge about reading, books and starting colonies would be great.  On our first date we will run from the hound for 1 hour straight, than we will stop and build a big bon fire, and read poetry to each other late at night.  My favorite food is charred steak and seared tuna; I like all my food on the cooked side due to growing up near many fires.  My favorite song is “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash, I love listening to it because it reminds me of beautiful fires when I was a fire fighter back in the day.    We will most likely be itinerant since the hound is after me, so the chances of us having many romantic days are quite unlikely.  Usually on my days off I like to kick back relax and read a good classic.  On our travel we will be looking for places that have been hit by the war, and we will try to find one that will be great to make a colony out of.  If you think you are the reader for me I’d love to meet you sometime and share some stories.–L.B.

12. If you are going to read me, you must like baseball.  My favorite team is the New York Yankees and my favorite player is Joe DiMaggio- just for your reference.  I watch baseball games with my very good friend, the young man next door, but I’d really like to watch some with you.  I am very lonely after all!  Baseball is not truly my passion though.  You should know that I have been a fisherman all of my life.  I enjoy waking up early in the morning and setting out to fish in the waters just off of my home in Cuba.  For our first date, I will pick you up in my small wooden fishing boat and we will sail back to my ocean-view beach shack.  Did I mention that a marlin I hooked will be pulling us?  It will be a lovely evening of sea legs, sushi and sharks.  My reader will be adventurous; they will not be afraid to battle off sharks or get a little salt water on their legs.  They will always have patience (I have not been so lucky with catching fish this season).  My ideal reader will be over 75.  My past love interests have included The Dairy of Anne Frank and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.–E.R. 

13. Quiet young lady seeks new reader who enjoys long walks along the woods and exploring old, gothic mansions.  Our first date will most possibly include escaping from an orphanage that is infested with typhus.  I do hope you are neat and clean because I, an avid user of hand sanitizer, do not get along with germs.  It wouldn’t be ideal if you are afraid of mysterious attics, cackling laughter and dark, creaky corridors.  As our relationship progresses, I would love to investigate some secrets well hidden inside Thornfield Hall, my current place of dwelling.  I already know that we will go through some rough patches like heartbreak, jealousy and near starvation, but I promise it’ll all be okay.  If you love suspense, secrecy, mystery and thrill, this is the perfect adventure for you.–P.M.

 

(1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 2. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers 3.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 4. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 5. The Cay by Theodore Taylor 6.The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 8. Dracula by Bram Stoker 9. The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll 10. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith 11. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 12. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 13. Jane Austen by Charlotte Bronte)

 

(Photo courtesy of Sham Jolimie under Creative Commons)

Every Thursday the teaching team will meet with the 8th grade to check in with them, help them stay on task, and make suggestions. This week we wanted to make sure the students were set with everything they needed before the holidays, so that they could not only do some work during the break, but also be ready to hit the ground running when we return to school on January 4. Our technology teacher CJ set them up with official school Gmail accounts (which up until now have been reserved for our high school students) so that they would have a professional account to contact organizations and receive information. CJ turned off most of the social networking aspects of Gmail, as these accounts are just to be used for this project. We explained the importance of acting like a professional in both their written correspondence and spoken interviews. So to that end, we provided them with these email and phone guidelines (authored by our etiquette-savvy Core teachers, SMR and RB):

SJ PROJECT 2010-2011
EMAIL TEMPLATE
Heading: LREI Students Seek To Assist YOU

Mr./Ms. Contact Person, Job Title
Audubon Society
14 Tenth Avenue
New York, NY 10023

Dear Ms. Contact Person:
Or Dear Sir or Madam:
Or Dear Audubon Society:

We are eighth graders at LREI: The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School. Our class is embarking on a Social Justice Project and is seeking to assist organizations in NYC, like yours, which work on behalf of various civil and human rights issues.

Our group is very interested in your organization and would like to assist you in any way (i.e. as volunteers) to gain hands-on experience in the field.

There are four students in our group and our goal is to volunteer 5 times over the next 4 months. Concurrently, we will be writing about, researching and creating a website on the topic of social justice for our school and wider community.

If your organization is interested, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can follow up with more specific information about our project. If there is someone else that we should contact, please let us know.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Group Names
LREI: Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School
272 Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10014
Contact email

SJ PROJECT 2010-2011
PHONE SCRIPT

(We had quite a bit of fun reading these aloud and role-playing them in class:)

“Hello. May I speak with [Contact Person] or [a volunteer coordinator]?
Thank you.”
(If the answer if no): “May I leave a message?”

Script: (something like this can be left on voicemail or message, too)

Hi! My name is ___________________ and I’m an eighth grader at LREI: Little Red School House, in Greenwich Village. I am embarking on a Social Justice Project at my school and am looking to find volunteer opportunities with NYC civil and human rights related organizations.

My group heard about your organization, and is very interested in the possibility of volunteering for you, and learning about what you do. We have a team of 4 students and are looking to volunteer approximately 5 times over the next few months.

Possible ways the conversation could go:

a) Can I talk to your teacher?: Yes, my teacher’s name is __________ and they can explain more about our project’s assignments.

b) What are you actually doing? Can you tell me more about this?: Sure! The curriculum in our class this year focuses on civil and humans rights. As a way for us to gain some real-world experience learning about these issues, our grade has chosen Social Justice-related topics and are learning about them through research, interviews and volunteer experiences with various NYC organizations whose work relates to our study.

We learned about your organization’s work on behalf of ________________________ and are excited about what you do. We’d like to learn more by visiting and helping out. We have a group of 4 students who would like to come at least 5 times over the next few months.

We are also building websites about what we learn and will present our final project to the entire school.

c) I am not the person that you should speak to, can I give you the contact of the correct person? Yes, thank you. We will follow up with them by phone call and email. (Make sure that you write everything down!)

d) What type of work/volunteer experience do you want to have? We are interested in learning about anything that relates to your organization, the issues and communities that you work with, and how you do what you do. We are mostly available afterschool and on the weekends as apprentices, interns or helpers.

In years past, students have done everything from tutoring, helping with conferences and attending meetings.

e) We actually cannot accommodate any volunteers OR we cannot have any volunteers under 18: “Okay, thank you very much for your time. Do you know of any other organization, like yours, that we could contact for our project?”

OR

“Even though we will not be able to volunteer with you, is there a possibility that we can interview you or someone else in your organization about what you do there?”

f) We cannot have you volunteer without an adult: “Okay, great. If there is an adult that can accompany us, we will let you know within the next few days.”

Before you get off of the phone, consider asking these important questions:

“When is a good time to call back and discuss our next steps?”

“What is the best contact information for you (email and phone)?”

“May we create out first meeting in January, what are good times and days for you?” (Please, discuss with your groups prior to the phone calls when good days/times are for your group?)

I love how many different skills this project includes, from independent research and web design to telephone and email etiquette. All of these are life skills that will help our students in both education and business. I’m looking forward to seeing how their attempts to connect are met, and how they handle both successes and challenges. Because as we all know, life has a way of going off script–usually at the most inopportune moments!

Happy holidays. I’ll see you next year in the library,

Jennifer Hubert Swan, Middle School Librarian

(Graphic courtesy of Wesley Fryer, under Creative Commons)
As a librarian, few things excite me more than getting up to my elbows in a good research project (second only to getting lost in a good book!) And this one’s really special. In small teams, the 8th grade will be creating social justice websites as part of their year-long Humanities curriculum, “Choosing to Participate.” The ten teams will be covering topics ranging from Schools & Education and War to Women & Girl’s Issues and Refugees. We have done this project before, but not quite in this way. Each team member has a specific role, as set out by our Core (English & History) teachers, SMR and RB and our amazing tech-wizard (and middle school technology teacher) CJ:

Webmaster
– Responsible for creating website design and overseeing the display of all site content

Photo/Video Editor
– Coordinates all photo and video content for site
– Primary editor of video content
– Provides Webmaster with fully captioned content for site

Copy Editor
– Oversees the creation of all written content for site
– Establishes editorial tone and norms for all written content
– Proofreading for grammar/punctuation errors

Research and Content Producer
– Primary researcher for project
– Coordinates interviews
– Fact checks written copy, photo and video content

Each group has a folder in iDisk (we’re a Mac school) that is accessible to the group members and all the teachers working on the project. My job is to help coordinate the work of the Research and Content Producers, while CJ will be working with the Webmasters, SMR and RB with the Copy Editors and our middle art teacher, CC with the Photo & Video editors.

In our first RCP meeting, we discussed the four media the students would be collecting information from: websites, databases, personal interviews and books. In their iDisk folders, there is a sub-folder labeled “Resources” that contains an Excel document with a page for each media type. Team members will log each piece of information they use to create their website, and viola! Creating their website’s Documentation page will be a snap. Of course, nothing is ever that easy when working with 8th graders, but providing them with the structure to make it happen is half the battle.

I’m so excited about this assignment because it totally embodies the spirit of what librarian extraordinaire Buffy Hamilton defines as “the embedded librarian.” This kind of collaborative venture involving a team of students and teachers working together on a project that teaches a number of different skill sets, both digital and analog, is an education model that we have always utilized here at LREI, and will hopefully see happening more and more in the greater education world. Here’s the quote from Buffy’s longer blog post that inspires me on a daily basis to keep trying to create these kinds of learning environments for my students:

“I dream of a model of school librarianship that embeds us in the classroom whether it be the classroom of a teacher, our library space, or a learning space outside the traditional school building (such as virtual). Until we are integrated into our school’s department or interdisciplinary teams, I feel we cannot realize our full potential as sponsors of transliteracy and information specialists who can facilitate and support powerful learning experiences with teachers and students. What if we envisioned the school library as an academic department that partnered and co-taught with other departments rather than as “support” personnel? How much more could I do for my school if I was embedded directly into the heart of instruction either with another academic department, or even better, an interdisciplinary team?”–Buffy J. Hamilton, “It’s Broken; Let’s Fix It: The Traditional Model of School Librarianship” The Unquiet Librarian

I can’t wait to share more details with you as the project unfolds, so watch this blog as we document our hits and misses, and both teach and learn from our student activists!

(and since this is the first time we’re structuring the project this way, if you’ve done a similar project and have some suggestions or advice for me, please leave them in the comments)

I’ll see you in the library (and the classroom! and online!),

Jennifer Hubert Swan, Middle School librarian

On November 16th, the 8th grade was given the opportunity to attend the National Book Award Teen Press conference at the Schomburg Center of the New York Public Library. There, they listened to the five nominees for the National Book Award for Young People read from their books, then they had a chance to ask the authors questions and and get their books signed. The National Book Award Foundation provided each student who attended with a free book beforehand that they could read in anticipation of the event, and the titles were SHIPBREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi, MOCKINGBIRD by Kathryn Erskine, DARK WATER by Laura McNeal, LOCKDOWN by Walter Dean Myers and ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia. As you can see from the pictures below, we had an amazing time!

April is here and that means spring and poetry are in the air. Our annual Poem in Your Pocket Day is Tuesday, April 20. If you need a poem (and who doesn’t need a great poem these days?), our libraries are bursting with wonderful poetry titles, ranging from a first edition of T.S. Eliot‘s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats to Maya Angelou‘s striking and modern picture book, Life Doesn’t Frighten Me at All. And of course, perennial favorite Shel Silverstein.

In addition, there are several great poetry websites that you and your child can explore together.

Poetry Foundation: Children’s Poetry
Poets.org
Scholastic National Poetry Month Resources
The Children’s Poetry Archive
Printable Poetry for Kids
PBS Kids: Fern’s Poetry Club

And check out this great idea for writing found poetry!

Let me take this opportunity to share one of my very favorite poems with you, Pied Beauty by Gerald Manley Hopkins. I love this poem because not only is it great fun to read aloud, it also celebrates the amazing, crazy diversity of nature.

Pied Beauty by Gerald Manley Hopkins

GLORY be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.

What is YOUR favorite poem? Feel free to leave the name of your favorite poem or poet in the comments, or share a link to a favorite poetry site.

I’ll see you in the library,

Jennifer Hubert Swan, Middle School Librarian

At the recent American Library Association Midwinter Conference in Boston (January 15-19) the winners of the numerous 2010 ALA childrens’ and young adult book awards were announced. Here are some of the front runners, but you can find the full list here.

The winner of the 2010 John Newbery Medal for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.

The winner of the 2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book for children is The Lion & the Mouse illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.

The winner of the 2010 Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults is Going Bovine written by Libba Bray.

The winner of the 2010 Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults is Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson.

The winner of the 2010 Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award winner is My People illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr. The book was written by Langston Hughes.

The winner of the 2010 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award winner is The Rock and the River written by Kekla Magoon.

The winner of the 2010 Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience is Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros illustrated by Rafael López and written by Pat Mora.

The winner of the 2010 Pura Belpré (Author) Award is Return to Sender written by Julia Alvarez.

The winners of the 2010 Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience are:

Django written and illustrated by Bonnie Christensen wins the award for best young children ages 0 to 10.

Anything but Typical written by Nora Raleigh Baskin is the winner for middle grades (ages 11-13).

The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is Marcelo in the Real World written by Francisco X. Stork.

The winner of the 2010 William C. Morris Award that honors a book written by a first-time author for young adults is Flash Burnout written by L.K. Madigan.

The winner of the first ever 2010 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award is Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith written by Deborah Heiligman.

Finally, the Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences (this was the committee I served on!) are:

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
The Bride’s Farewell by Meg Rosoff.
Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr.
The Good Soldiers by David Finkel.
The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir by Diana Welch and Liz Welch with Amanda Welch and Dan Welch.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman.
My Abandonment by Peter Rock.
Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel by Gail Carriger.
Stitches: A Memoir by David Small
Tunneling to the Center of the Earth by Kevin Wilson.

Many of these titles are available through your LREI library. Please come see me or any of the librarians for more information on any of these great books!

I’ll see you in the library,

Jennifer Hubert Swan, Middle School Librarian.