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Teen Tech Week™ is happening all this week (March 4–10), and YALSA invites you to Geek Out @ your library! This year’s theme encourages libraries to throw open their physical and virtual doors to teens and showcase the outstanding technology they offer, from services such as online homework help and digital literacy-focused programs to resources like e-books, movies, music, audiobooks, databases and more.
Here are a few extra ways you can participate this week:
*Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #ttw12. Your post could be featured on YALSA's homepage *Check out YALSA's Pinterest board on Teen Tech Week *Be part of Thursday's Hunger Games tweetup (3:30-5 p.m. Eastern on March 8, using hashtag #THGyalsa)
As if Teen Tech week isn't enough, you can also take part in Share a Story- Shape a Future, an annual blog tour for literacy. Share a Story ~ Shape a Future is, as the name suggests, an opportunity to share ideas, encourage each other, and spread the word about children's literacy. For 5 days in March, they harness the power of the Worldwide web to share ideas about ways to engage kids as readers. Their site states, "You won't find statistics, academic analysis, or judgments that tell you why you should read. You'll hear about favorite books, but you won't see any self-promotion or pitches. This is not an author or book tour. Share a Story-Shape a Future aims to build a community of readers, one person at a time."
The theme this year is the Culture of Reading, and Donalyn Miller kick-starts the event by talking about Creating a Reading Culture. She and her guests will explain what a "reading culture" is, and offer ways to encourage kids to read more at home and school, as well as across age groups.
0 Comments on Celebrate Teen Tech Week and Help Share a Story, Shape a Future as of 1/1/1900
It was a big day for children's and young adult books! The American Library Association (ALA) announced the 2012 Youth Media Award winners at its Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, which includes the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards.
The John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature went to: “Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos.
Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: "Inside Out & Back Again," written by Thanhha Lai and "Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin.
The Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children went to: “A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka.
Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco, "Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and “Me … Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell.
A big congrats goes out to all and all winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards can be found on the ALA website.
0 Comments on 2012 Newbery and Caldecott winners announced as of 1/1/1900
Are you an unpublished writer or illustrator of children’s books? Have you dreamed of a chance to have your writing or portfolios reviewed by a literary agent or book publisher? Then here's an amazing opportunity for you.
The Shoreline Arts Alliance is presenting the twelfth annual New Voices in Children’s Literature: Tassy Walden Awards competition. This contest affords unpublished authors and illustrators of children’s books the opportunity to have manuscripts and portfolios reviewed by literary agents and possibly by editors and art directors at some of the major publishing houses for children’s literature.
The New Voices in Children’s Literature: Tassy Walden Awards is a Connecticut statewide, juried competition opened to writers and illustrators who are not published or under contract for publication. Categories are: Picture Book (text only), Illustrated Picture Book (author and illustrator must be same person), Illustrator’s Portfolio, Middle Grade Novel and Young Adult/Teen Novel.
All submissions for this year’s contest must be postmarked by February 3, 2012.
As if the contest is not enough, The Shoreline Arts Alliance will also be offering FREE workshops in preparation for this year’s contest. The facilitators will review the submission guidelines and the current industry standards and provide insight and answer questions related to getting your work "out there" to literary agents and publishers. Workshops are in the following locations: November 15, 5:30 – 7:30pm,New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm Street, New Haven November 29, 7 – 9pm, Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, 84 Lyme Street, Old Lyme December 1, 7 – 9pm, Fairfield University Bookstore, 1499 Post Road, Fairfield
Please visit www.ShorelineArts.org or contact the office at (203) 453-3890 for 2011 Call for Entry and guidelines or for additional information or questions on preparing manuscripts and portfolios for submission. And GOOD LUCK!
3 Comments on Calling unpublished CT children's authors and illustrators, last added: 10/29/2011
Hurricane Irene has hit the East Coast and will be ripping it's way north like a buzzsaw. Perhaps, you've heard some of the questions from your kids already...
What's a hurricane?What do we need to do? We'll still have our Playstation, right? Of course, that last one is a little tricky to get through, but there's another chance to explain electricity.
This time though we're talking hurricanes, and if you're looking for a great way to teach children about hurricanes, Sylvan Dell Publishing is offering a free e-book, Ready, Set . . . WAIT!: What Animals Do Before a Hurricane for the next few days. Ready, Set…WAIT! deals with what costal animals do before a storm hits. Of course, it has Sylvan Dell's free educational section in the back and tons of teaching activities, quizzes, and related websites on the book’s homepage.
April is Poetry Month and there are so many ways you can celebrate! If you're in the CT area on April 20th, I hope you get the chance to stop by The Beacon Falls Public Library at 4pm as I'll be reading my most recent books, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade and Oh!The Possibilities.
On Thursday, April 14th, New York City is hosting the 9th annual Poem in Your Pocket Day (PIYP). It's so easy to participate. All you have to do is carry a poem in your pocket.
If you're a writer, perhaps you might consider participating in NaPoWriMo (or at least make a note of it on your calendar to participate next year!) Every April many poets throughout the country participate in NaPoWriMo, an adaptation of National Novel Writing Month. NaPoWriMo challenges participants to write and post a poem each day in April.
And as reported at Kidlitosphere Central, here are more ways to participate:
Gregory K. will present Gotta Book: 30 Poets/30 Days with previously unpublished poems by favorite children’s authors.
Irene Latham at will host a month-long Poetry Party with poetry quotes, trivia, craft tips, publishing resources and free books!
Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup hosts 2nd Annual Poetry Potluck with original poems and favorite recipes by guest bloggers.
Tricia Stohr-Hunt at Miss Rumphius Effect will present a Poetry in the Classrom series highlighting a topic, theme, poet, or
0 Comments on Celebrate Poetry Month! as of 4/6/2011 4:17:00 AM
The fourth annual Children’s Choice Book Awards has announced the 30 finalists in six categories, including Author and Illustrator of the Year. The Children's Choice Book Awards is the only national children's book awards program where winning titles are selected by young readers of all ages.
Children and teens are now able to cast their vote for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at www.BookWeekOnline.com until April 29, 2011.
“This year’s outstanding roster of finalists represents the voices of over 16,000 children and teens, who read and selected the titles – fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, picture books - that appealed to them the most,” said Robin Adelson, Executive Director at The Children’s Book Council. “I’m eager to see which titles will emerge as the winners!”
The Children’s Choice Book Award winners will be announced LIVE at the annual Children’s Choice Book Awards Gala on May 2 at The Lighthouse in New York City as part of Children’s Book Week (May 2-8, 2011), the oldest national literacy event in the United States.
Did you guys get a chance to watch The Celebrity Apprentice last night? If you write for children or know how difficult it is to write a children's book, I'm sure you were one of the viewers who got a kick out of watching the remaining 15 celebrities rack their brains and try their hand at penning a children's book for 4-5 year-olds. I know I did.
The celebs had to do it all--pre-think, build their story, get to know their main character (who needed to be based on one of the celebs on the team), make trouble for their main character and actually put their ideas into words. Then when it was all said and done, they needed to read and act their story out loud.
If you're a writer who has immersed herself in writing course after course, yes, I'm sure you cringed as the celebs committed many of the no-no's we hear in the industry. However, overall, I really enjoyed the show. If anything, hopefully it helped squash the misconception that writing a children's book is, dare I say it, easy! We saw how difficult it is to come up with an idea--especially one that hasn't been done a million times. Also, hearing all of the questions raised as to whether you should write in rhyme, what's age-appropriate, and what children find entertaining show all the thought and preparation that goes into writing a children's book.
In the end, Meatloaf's team went with the theme of anti-bullying. Lil' Jon, as the protagonist, stands up to school bullies and in the end, he puts on his gold chain, wipes away his tears and raps, “I know my ABCs and my 1-2-3s." I mean how great was it to watch Jose Canseco criticize John Rich's rhymes, arguing that the word “nobody” would send a bad message about teachers?
And the ladies went with the theme of just being yourself. The tale was about La Toya the lioness, who will not be able to roar until she accepts herself. Again how great was it to see the ladies argue over whether deafness should be incorporated into the narrative (that was dubbed a downer by the way) and Niki Taylor, much like Jose Canseco, voiced concerns that children wouldn't know what shy means?
The judges were children’s book publisher Margery Cuyler [of Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books] and Holly Robinson Peete, former Celebrity Apprentice contestant and author of My Brother Charlie. It was agreed that the women used microscopic font in the book and the story’s theme wa
1 Comments on What can children's authors learn from The Celebrity Apprentice?, last added: 3/14/2011
We've watched as the celebs on Celebrity Apprentice have tried their hand at everything from coming up with the next great flavor of Snapple last season (loved Brett's Trop-A-Rocka by the way) to running a pizza joint. This Sunday, however, will be the show of all shows as the celebs try their hand at penning a children's book!
I can only imagine what the mind of Gary Busey will come up with.
As if that's not enough, #1 Bestselling Author/Illustrator Michael Rex and Margery Cuyler, publisher of Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books, will be appearing in the episode airing this Sunday, March 13th.
In the episode, the celebs will split into two teams and engage themselves in one of the most prominent niches in the book publishing industry - children’s literature. Both teams will author an original children’s picture book to help raise money for charity. Their works will be evaluated by actress Robin Holly and by Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books publisher Margery Cuyler.
The winning celebrity team will present their charity with a check. Last season, “The Celebrity Apprentice” raised over $1.25 million dollars for charity.
We've all seen many celebrities from Madonna to Jamie Lee Curtis write children's books. Yes, some have been successful and others have flopped, but just the fact that The Celebrity Apprentice has decided to tackle this prominent and challenging niche is an important sign of how big children's books play in a child's life.
Go Celebrity Apprentice!
2 Comments on Celebrity Apprentice takes a stab at writing children's books, last added: 3/14/2011
If you write for children, you would enjoy the show. It was pretty comical watching these celebs rack their brains, coming up with ideas! Try the NBC.com website. They might have a replay.
There are some great celebrations going on this week when it comes to reading and literacy...
Today is World Read Aloud Day!
World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology. By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.
For more information, please visit LitWorld--an International Non-Profit Organization.
Share a Story--Shape a Future!
The 2011 Share a Story - Shape a Future literacy blog tour is taking place this week. This year's overall theme is Unwrapping the Gift of Literacy. Different aspects of this theme will be discussed each day at their website:
Monday: The Power of a Book - From the literal power of owning a book and a good story to the intangible power that comes with knowing how to read.
Tuesday: The Gift of Reading - Whether you're looking for a book to excite a reader, want to help someone learn to read or celebrate the "gift" ... it's covered.
Wednesday: Unwrapping Literacy 2.0 - With all of the talk of digital literacy, e-readers, etc. What does "literacy" look like in this new century?
Thursday: Love of Reading v. Homework - Do they have to be at odds? We'll talk about ways to help readers at home and at school.
Friday: The Gift that Keeps on Giving - To wrap up the week we'll be remembering "that moment" when we realized we were a reader or writer and how to celebrate it with others. Lots(!) of interviews this day.
(Share a Story, Shape a Future image courtesy of Elizabeth Dulemba)
Hope you can guys can read aloud to a child today and everyday and be sure to visit the Share a Story--Shape a Future website! There are so many great discussions and resources available!
0 Comments on Celebrating reading and literacy as of 1/1/1900
Have you guys heard about the 90-Second Newbery Video Contest taking place over at James Kennedy.com?
The Newbery Medal is the most prestigious award in children’s literature. The American Library Association has awarded it every year since 1922. (This year it went to Clare Vanderpool’s Moon Over Manifest.) That’s a lot of Newbery winners. Maybe too many? You can’t read all 90 books! (Well, maybe you can.)
But you do have 90 seconds to spare, right? So here’s the contest, open to anyone: make a video that compresses the story of a Newbery award-winning book into 90 seconds or less.
Pretty cool, huh?
You can check out the very first entry below... a 90-second version of A Wrinkle in Time (1963).
Everyone longs to eliminate bullying in their communities, so the No Name-Calling Week Coalition, created by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, and consisting of over 40 national partner organizations, organized an actual No Name-Calling Week in schools for the first time in 2004. The event is now held annually in schools nationwide and is taking place this week (Jan. 24-28).
No Name-Calling is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.
No Name-Calling Week was inspired by a young adult novel entitled The Misfits by popular author James Howe, in which a group of students organize a "No Name-Calling Day" at school.
Thanks for calling our attention to this, Lori. I've recommended some great children's books I've used to diminish the bullying culture: http://booksofwonder.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/the-bullies-the-victims-and-the-silent-bystanders/
Wow, Janice. What a wonderful post. Thanks so much for sharing. I've had a lot of people ask me about books that deal with bullying. You have some good ones on there.
If you're a college basketball fan, you'll be excited to hear that Publisher's Weekly reports that Dickie V has joined the children's book ranks and I'm sure he'll be a diaper dandy!
Vitale, the legendary ESPN college basketball analyst, grandfather of five and an advocate for early childhood development, has recently released the first in what will be a series of educational and inspirational books for children. Ascend Books published Dickie V's ABCs and 1-2-3s: A Great Start for Young Superstars, a 32-page, 6" x 8" board book with full color illustrations by Craig Lueck, who is an illustrator at Hallmark Cards. The book teaches the alphabet through basketball words that Vitale uses in his national broadcasts and has a feature I can't wait to check out-- a button children can press to hear a recorded message from Vitale.
Ascend Books has signed Vitale to six more children's titles, which will cover issues including motivation, childhood obesity, bullying, and the importance of a positive attitude. The next book is slated for publication in fall 2011. It'll be fun to watch Dickie V "Bringing a W!"
2 Comments on Sure to be a diaper dandy, last added: 12/1/2010
ALA's Banned Books Week might be officially over, but unfortunately, censorship is not. Just because Banned Books Week has drifted off on a cold breeze, it doesn't mean an adult won't challenge a book for "inappropriate content." It doesn't mean a book will be safe on the shelves. It also means there's still a chance a child or teen might miss out on a book that could have a huge impact on his or her life. That's why it's important for everyone to realize that just because Banned Books Week is over, the fight isn't.
That's exactly the point of ALA's Banned Books Week--to remind us all of the censorship that does occur throughout the year and how we need to celebrate the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.
Just because a book might be unorthodox or unfamiliar to an adult, I hope they stop to realize that they have the option to not buy it . It would be unfortunate for them to take the book off the shelves because that book might be just the medicine a trouble teen needs.
Ellen Hopkins, who was recently disinvited from TeenLitFest (which was canceled) wrote an article about her books and how they do explore tough subject matter such as addiction, abuse, thoughts of suicide, teen prostitution. "But they bring young adult readers a middle-aged author's broader perspective," Hopkins says. "They show outcomes to choices, offer understanding. And each is infused with hope. I don't sugarcoat, but neither is the content gratuitous. Something would-be censors could only know if they'd actually read the books rather than skimming for dirty words or sexual content."
Fortunately, we do have Banned Books Weeks to bring the issue to the forefront. And although some of the books featured during Banned Books Week have been banned or restricted, in a majority of cases other books were not, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.
Laurie Halse Anderson stresses that even though some people will be tempted to tuck the issue away, there are still ways to get involved. Anderson says, "I think the best place for those of you who want to continue the discussion about censorship and First Amendment issues is over at SpeakLoudly.org."
Hopefully for the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, we all continue to speak loudly.
Thankfully, there's a variety of options today in digital learning and parents can simply pull out their iPod or iPhone and entertain their children with apps that read children's books. There's a whole bunch of applications that are focused towards kids and even focus on education. Most books are $1.99/ea from iTunes and can also be purchased on your phone from anywhere.
Find out how children's books are embracing digital technology at Examiner.com
Please note: This blog is moving! Please subscribe at the new address: http://loricalabrese.com/blog so you don't miss any of the latest children's literature news! Sorry for any inconvenience!
1 Comments on Children's books embrace digital technology, last added: 10/24/2009
Barnes & Nobles looks to find its own cozy nook in the e-book reader department with what it's calling the planet's "most advanced e-book reader": the "Android-based" nook.
This eReader looks amazing! Read the entire article at Examiner.com
Just a reminder: I'm in the process of moving this blog to http://loricalabrese.com/blog, so be sure to stop by the new site (excuse our appearance), and sign up for e-mail updates or subscribe in an Reader, so you don't miss any of the latest children's book news! Thanks!
0 Comments on Barnes and Noble finds it own nook as of 1/1/1900
What do you think of when you think of Halloween? Perhaps visions of witches, ghosts, and goblins dance through your head. Or perhaps costumes, and candy clutter your mind? Certainly one image that evokes Halloween spooky cheer is...the pumpkin. Big, round orange pumpkins are a symbol of Halloween and the fall season, and with them, comes fond memories of pumpkin picking, carving, and eating.
Did you know that pumpkins are a fruit? Do you know where pumpkins were first grown? Did you know pumpkins are part of the gourd family? Share the story of the pumpkin with your young readers with these beautiful picture books that follow the pumpkin from seed to sprout to pumpkin to pie!
Pumpkins by Ken Robbins Ken Robbins is widely known for his sumptuous photo essays on numerous subjects of interest to kids. In this beautiful picture book, Robbins tackles one of everyone’s favorite autumn arrivals—pumpkins. The full-color photographs capture the lifespan of a pumpkin from a tiny seed to a blooming vine, then a small gourd, and finally a jack-o-lantern. To get you in the spirit of lighting up a dark Halloween night, the book also gives instructions to safely carve your own jack-o-lantern.
From Seed to Pumpkin (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 1) (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) by Wendy Pfeffer This book is part of an interesting science series, designed to explain the stages in the development of a seed into a pumpkin. The book explains the difficult subject of plant development in clear and easy to understand text. After your young readers understand how a pumpkin obtains and distributes water and nutrients, they can also find an easy recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds and an activity on "How Plants Drink Water."
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie (Picture the Seasons) by Jill Esbaum Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie follows Apples for Everyone in the Picture the Seasons series by National Geographic. What's striking about this book are the beautifully photographed pictures of everyone's favorite fall treat. The glossy, festive images and lively text are sure to get your family in the mood to celebrate the season.
Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington The text in Pumpkin, Pumpkin is very simple, but it's a great resource to accompany the books above and introduce children to the life cycle of a pumpkin, plant growth, and sequence concepts.
Today, I'm honored to be hosting Nonfiction Monday! Nonfiction Monday takes place at various wonderful blogs throughout the Kidlitosphere! If you'd like to see the schedule for Nonfiction Monday, please visit Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day.
If you'd like to add your post to the pumpkin patch, please add it to Mr. Linky below.
11 Comments on Nonfiction Monday: a pumpkin patch of children's books, last added: 10/21/2009
Thanks for hosting! These books look great. We'll have to look for them at the library. Another pumpkin life cycle book we like is Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell.
Do pumpkin spice lattes count? There is something pure autumn about the smell of pumpkin pie in the oven Mmmm ... Just received Mystery Vine: A Pumpkin Surprise in today's mail. It's the first Halloween book to arrive this season. Yeah!
Thanks for hosting Lori, I'll be back to check out some posts.
Hah! Terry-you crack me up. I've been eye-ing down those pumpkin coffees in Dunkin' Donuts for awhile now, and thanks to you I could really go for one about now! Looks like I'll be making a trip tomorrow! :)
Thanks everyone for contributing this week! There are some amazing new books that I have to find! :)
I actually went to Mr. Linky support about my problem with the widget yesterday and they were very helpful. It turns out the I was using Firefox as a browser, and the widget only works in Safari. I thought I'd let you know in case anyone else had a problem.
Thanks for hosting. I'm going to get a pumpkin latte this morning. :-)
Thanks so much for the update! I'm still a little confused though (it doesn't take much!)!
I always use FireFox, and don't have any problems with the widget. I'm currently switching to a wordpress site, so I hope I don't run into any problems in the future.
Fingers crossed!
I had a pumpkin latte yesterday and it was delish! :) Enjoy!
Book number 4 in the ever-so popular children's book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney was released today and is titled Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.
Since the series debuted in 2007, the four previous Wimpy Kid releases have sold more than 21 million copies combined worldwide. There's such a strong demand for book 4 that it has a 4 million first edition printing, which is just 20 percent less than the record-setting first-run of the current smash hit The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.
The book finds Greg on summer vacation with his family. It’s summer vacation, the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn. Greg, a self-confessed “indoor person,” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and “family togetherness.” Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?
Many bookstore chains across the US, such as Borders and Waldenbooks, are planning noon release parties for children today and there are many things you can do to celebrate the launch:
Want to write like a Wimpy Kid? Now every kid can write like a Wimpy Kid with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book. This is a great companion to the popular books and lets kids express themselves in an exciting new way. In the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, kids will be asked: What was the best dream you ever had? The worst thing you ever ate? The best secret you ever heard? The most trouble you ever got in for something that wasn’t even your fault to begin with? This Do-It-Yourself Book features art throughout, along with ruled and blank pages for readers to create their own stories, keep their own diaries, and record their favorites and least faves.
Want to host a Diary of a Wimpy Kid launch party? Find activities such as the Wimpy Kid trivia game, expert game, and the how well do you know your friend game in the event kit (pdf).
0 Comments on Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days released today as of 10/12/2009 8:59:00 PM
The Walt Disney Company has brought the world of Disney Storybooks online. Disney Publishing has released a new subscription-based website, DisneyDigitalBooks.com, that offers Disney's storybooks in digital format. Disney Publishing's vault of digital files will be transformed into fun, interactive digital books filled with special features, including realistic page turning, an interactive dictionary and word pronunciation guides. For $79.95 a year, families can access over 500 electronic replicas of new and classic Disney books, from “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too” to "Up!”
DisneyDigitalBooks.com, which is aimed at children ages 3 to 12, is organized by reading level and aims to feature the full Disney experience. The eBooks come with a ‘look and listen’ section that will target beginning readers, where the books will be read aloud by voice actors to accompanying music (with each word highlighted on the screen as it is spoken). Another area is dedicated to children who read on their own. Find an unfamiliar word? Click on it and a voice says it aloud. Chapter books for teenagers and trivia features round out the service.
0 Comments on Walt Disney brings their storybooks online as of 10/5/2009 11:57:00 AM
Earth Science covers all of the sciences related to the planet Earth. Even though children might cringe when they hear the term, it's important as ever to teach children the importance of taking care of Earth. To get children excited about Earth Science, celebrate Earth Science Week, held from October 11th-17th. Since October 1998, the American Geological Institute has organized this national and international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. This year's Earth Science Week will celebrate the theme "Understanding Climate."
Click on the following links to see the many ways that everyone can participate in Earth Science Week!
Mission and Theme: Check out the Earth Science Week mission and objectives.
Events Near You: Find Earth Science Week events in your community.
Baby-Preschool: Think you can't teach babies about weather? Think again. Inthe board book, Kipper's Book of Weather: Kipper Concept Books, the fun illustrations expose children to wind, sunshine, fog, and hail. Each page has only one word one it, making it a good tool to teach early reading skills.
Ages 4-8: What's The Weather? (Little Secrets (Quality))by Scholastic makes learning about weather fun. With lift-the-flaps, pull-tabs, foil, and glitter, WHAT'S THE WEATHER is a wonderfully fun book that explains what weather is and what causes it to change. Discover facts about where rain comes from, what snowflakes really are, and the truth about thunder and lightning! The rhythmic text, graphic artwork, and interactive novelty elements carry readers from page to page, introducing all sorts of questions, and allowing readers to discover the answers.
Ages 9-12: Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past by James M. Deen delves into glaciers, global warming, and yes, frozen bodies! This is a very unique book in that it takes a look at something you wouldn't normally think of when it comes to global warming--how many frozen bodies have been found in the melting ice.
Young Adult: We've all heard of global warming, but how many of us really know the facts behind it all? When our weather changes, how can we really tell that the Earth's climate is changing? What I love about How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming (About Our Changing Climate) by Lynne Cherry is that it presents all the evidence--evidence from flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, trees, glaciers and much more gathered by scientists around the world. This non-scary (let's admit it- the whole global warming thing can be a little frightening) book is action-oriented, and is an inspiring look at how scientists do their work, what they're discovering about global warming and how kids really can make a difference.
Nonfiction Monday takes place at various wonderful blogs throughout the Kidlitosphere! Today, you can check out the Roundup at Moms Inspire Learning. If you'd like to see the schedule for Nonfiction Monday, please visit Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day.
0 Comments on Celebrate Earth science week as of 10/5/2009 11:57:00 AM
Jumpstart, one of the nation's leading nonprofit organizations in the field of early childhood education, knows that reading aloud with preschool children lays the groundwork for strong literacy skills and future success in school and in life. In 2006, they created 'Read for the Record,' an international campaign to bring preschool children together with valued grownups in their lives to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all over the world.
The fourth annual campaign takes place this year on October 8, 2009. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world will open Eric Carle's beloved book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and read aloud to children in their communities. By pledging to read, you're not only helping reach 1,000,000 children, you're also supporting Jumpstart's yearlong literacy programs that ensure that children from low-income communities have the quality early education experiences they deserve.
In 2008, Jumpstart broke their own world record as nearly 700,000 readers shared the classic children's tale, Corduroy. Pledge to read today to help set a new world record.
Read for the Record is a wonderful opportunity to have children around the world simultaneously experience the joy of reading. On one historic day, one amazing book will be read aloud in classrooms, libraries and homes from Japan, Germany, and Brazil to cities and rural communities across America.
About Jumpstart: Jumpstart brings college students and community volunteers together with preschool children for year long, individualized tutoring and mentoring. Since 1993, more than 70,000 preschool children across America have benefited from millions of hours of Jumpstart service. This year alone, Jumpstart volunteers are serving more than one million hours with 15,000 preschool children in 80 communities across America.
Have you nominated your librarian for the I Love My Librarian! Award? If you know a librarian whose work has improved the lives of people in their communities, the New York Times, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the American Library Association (ALA) are encouraging the nominations of public, school, college, and academic librarians for the I Love My Librarian! Award.
The public can nominate a librarian online until October 9, and each will be judged by a selection committee based on their quality of service to library users, demonstrated knowledge of the library and its resources, and a commitment to helping library users.
Nominees must have a master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program in library and information studies or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Nominees also must work in a public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college or university, or at an accredited K–12 school in the United States.
This marks the second year that media specialists are eligible for the award. Of the 10 winners selected in 2008, three were school librarians and one was a youth services librarian. These winners, who hailed from Alabama, California, Michigan, and New York, were selected from over 3,200 nominations.
The awards will be presented on December 3 at the New York Times headquarters in New York City. Winners will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque, and a $500 travel stipend to attend the awards ceremony.
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Chances are you've heard of the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Award. They are all children's book awards that highlight the best books and create standards that other authors and illustrators should strive for. Many children's book awards are chosen by librarians, but one special award is chosen by the children's and YA blogging community--The Cybils.
The Cybils reward children's and young adult authors/ illustrators whose books combine the highest literary merit and 'kid appeal.' They also foster a sense of community among bloggers who write about children's and YA literature.
The Cybils have announced that nominations are open today! Anyone can nominate any book published in English from October 2008 to October 15, 2009. Only one book allowed per category. Nominations are open from October 1st and close October 15.
When all the nominations are collected, there are panelists in each category who read the books and narrow them down to a shortlist. On January 1st, the finalists are announced and a second group of judges will pick the winners, which are announced on Valentine's Day.
I'm Involved!
I'm happy to announce that I'm a part of The Cybils for the second year in a row! Last year I was a Round II judge for the Nonfiction Middle Grade/ YA category and I had a fantastic time discovering books that I might not have normally read. This year, I'm a Round II judge for the Fiction Picture Books category and I can't wait to dive into an amazing bunch of books.
If you are a librarian or a teacher (or not) – spread the word!
GO NOMINATE your favorite (the best of the best) book published in the last year in nine different categories. You can see titles already nominated with these links:
It is SO much fun ... I envy you on the Picture Books panel. I'm not sure I could read that many books. I am doing Easy Readers again this year ... and my to-do list is getting longer today because I keep going over to check the various lists of nominees. Fun, fun!
It really is so much fun and I can't wait to get reading some books. Nonfiction was fun last year, but I'm really excited about picture books this year!
Reader's Digest, Reading Is Fundamental, and other organizations are partnering to bring learning to life for Reader's Digest's National Make It Matter Day, this Saturday (October 3rd). Members of local communities as well as local and national organizations will rally behind literacy and education in over 100 events at select schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and libraries across the U.S..
Be a part of Make it Matter Day and rally to support reading, writing, and learning. If everyone puts their collective hearts and hands behind it, we can really make it matter.
How can you be a part of Make It Matter Day?
-Find an event in your area. There are hundreds planned coast-to-coast. -Other ways to get involved:
Read to a child.
Volunteer at your local library, elementary school, or Boys & Girls Club.
Banned Books Week begins this Saturday (September 26th) and events are taking place all over the country. If you're in Chicago, you can check out The Banned Books Week Read-Out!, a FREE event that will take place this Saturday from noon to 2:00 PM in historic Bughouse Square, located at 901 N Clark St., in Chicago, IL.
Immediately following the program, there will be a book signing and an open mic (2:00 pm to 3:00 pm). The authors and their publishers have graciously donated 100 copies of their works to give away to attendees. Musician Matt Ryd will kick-off the open mic portion of the event with censored music.
During the last week of September every year, teachers, librarians, and booksellers around the country teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature. They draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2009 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held beginning this Saturday, September 26 through October 3.
Read the entire article on Banned Books Week at Examiner.com.
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As if Teen Tech week isn't enough, you can also take part in Share a Story- Shape a Future, an annual blog tour for literacy. Share a Story ~ Shape a Future is, as the name suggests, an opportunity to share ideas, encourage each other, and spread the word about children's literacy. For 5 days in March, they harness the power of the Worldwide web to share ideas about ways to engage kids as readers. Their site states, "You won't find statistics, academic analysis, or judgments that tell you why you should read. You'll hear about favorite books, but you won't see any self-promotion or pitches. This is not an author or book tour. Share a Story-Shape a Future aims to build a community of readers, one person at a time."
Hurricane Irene has hit the East Coast and will be ripping it's way north like a buzzsaw. Perhaps, you've heard some of the questions from your kids already...
for the next few days. Ready, Set…WAIT! deals with what costal animals do before a storm hits. Of course, it has Sylvan Dell's free educational section in the back and tons of teaching activities, quizzes, and related websites on the book’s homepage. 
and 
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The judges were children’s book publisher Margery Cuyler [of Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books] and Holly Robinson Peete, former Celebrity Apprentice contestant and author of 
. It was agreed that the women used microscopic font in the book and the story’s theme wa
No Name-Calling Week was inspired by a young adult novel entitled 
by popular author James Howe, in which a group of students organize a "No 
If you're a college basketball fan, you'll be excited to hear that 
, a 32-page, 6" x 8" board book with full color illustrations by Craig Lueck, who is an illustrator at Hallmark Cards. The book teaches the alphabet through basketball words that Vitale uses in his national broadcasts and has a feature I can't wait to check out-- a button children can press to hear a recorded message from Vitale.
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by Ken Robbins
by Wendy Pfeffer
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Want to write like a Wimpy Kid? Now every kid can write like a Wimpy Kid with the 
. This is a great companion to the popular books and lets kids express themselves in an exciting new way. In the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, kids will be asked: What was the best dream you ever had? The worst thing you ever ate? The best secret you ever heard? The most trouble you ever got in for something that wasn’t even your fault to begin with? This Do-It-Yourself Book features art throughout, along with ruled and blank pages for readers to create their own stories, keep their own diaries, and record their favorites and least faves.
by James M. Deen delves into glaciers, global warming, and yes, frozen bodies! This is a very unique book in that it takes a look at something you wouldn't normally think of when it comes to global warming--how many frozen bodies have been found in the melting ice.
by Lynne Cherry is that it presents all the evidence--evidence from flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, trees, glaciers and much more gathered by scientists around the world. This non-scary (let's admit it- the whole global warming thing can be a little frightening) book is action-oriented, and is an inspiring look at how scientists do their work, what they're discovering about global warming and how kids really can make a difference.
and read aloud to children in their communities. By pledging to read, you're not only helping reach 1,000,000 children, you're also supporting Jumpstart's yearlong literacy programs that ensure that children from low-income communities have the quality early education experiences they deserve.
Wow! This is a great opportunity for authors and illustrators. Thanks for sharing.
I think so too, Kristi! Hopefully some writers will take advantage of this opportunity!
Thanks for stopping by!
I am a self-published author/illustrator. Does that disqualify me from entering this contest?
http://honeycombadventures.com/books/