Lakeshores and Mid-Wisconsin Children's Librarians

CEO Newsletter, May 25, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer

Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 356, May 24, 2011
http://www.lakeshores.lib.wi.us/site/childrensya
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
One World, Many Stories
Mixing in Math
Grant Opportunity from Build-A-Bear
DigitalLiteracy.gov
2011-12 WrestleMania Reading Challenge
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEWS

The Secret of Rover by Rachel Wildavsky
http://tinyurl.com/4bgvhve

Katie and David, twins, have lived in the two extremes of life: poverty and wealth. Their parents and uncle worked for years to create a top-secret governmental program (called Rover) and once it was completed, they didn't have to want for anything anymore. Except perhaps another family member. Finally, after asking for years, the twins' parents agree to adopt a baby from Katkajan and immediately head off to get her. Unbeknownst to anyone, this is a nefarious plot by the Katkajans to get Rover and suddenly, Katie and David are prisoners in their own home. They decide to escape and try to get to their uncle's remote cabin in Vermont, as he is probably the only one left who can help.

This book has an intriguing concept, especially as it's portrayed as realistic fiction, rather than fantasy, and the plot moves quickly, but is not executed very well. The device of Trixie (the evil Katkajan in charge of the twins) constantly finding the kids every time they escaped or plotted to escape got old (and there are one too many twists, making the book drag a little by the end). Katie and David bicker constantly, which got annoying and felt over-the-top (as opposed to the realistic fighting between siblings it was meant to be). The sudden mood changes also were overwhelming and the overall relationship between the two was irritating. I also found the use of nicknames inconsistent, which was a little jarring to the overall feel of the text. A secondary purchase.

If you hop over to the Amazon reviews, you'll see that others have loved it.

The Fred and Susie Show
www.fredandsusie.com

A locally produced video series for children ages 4 to 7.

Various puppets help teach children facts about animals, family values, hygiene and art projects. There are a lot of props, sound effects and interesting backgrounds. Everything is packaged to keep attention, including small segments, songs and jokes interspersed, and is adapted to fit today's children. Humor abounds, which helps older children appreciate the show. Each DVD is about 50 minutes long and has several extra activities, bonus features and printables, if the disc is put in the computer. The art projects are filmed well; including close ups of the materials needed and tips for completing the project.

Some of the audio is low quality (e.g. Fred often sounds far away), some of the breaks seem excessive and some of the blue screens are a little disconcerting, but overall, the sets and layout are well done. I appreciated the changes in location and the variety of puppets used. The amount of factual information slipped in is phenomenal. The live action works well with the puppets and Susie is fun to watch. There is an element of Sesame Street to the episodes and patrons who enjoy Veggie Tales will like this series.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Planet Earth on You Tube – Metafilter
http://www.metafilter.com/101281/The-Definitive-Look-at-the-Diversity-of-Our-Planet

The breathtaking TV series is now available in its entirety on YouTube. Here are the links. (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2011, 3/11/11)

National Geographic Travel and Cultures
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/

Travel tips, blogs, photos, contests and much more.

Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library SRP Booklists
http://dpi.wi.gov/rll/wrlbph/summer_2011.html

The Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library has created booklists for the “One World, Many Stories” and “You Are Here” themes. These are items that are available in audio book format at the WTBBL.

MIXING IN MATH

Mixing in Math (MiM) is a set of FREE materials in English and Spanish, designed for integrating numeracy into story time, summer reading, and crafts for children and families. It's an appealing and engaging way to draw in new patrons, to offer them something different, and to reinforce skills children are learning in school.

MiM was designed with input from hundreds of librarians from MA, CT, NY, CA, MO, and other states. MiM resources include posters, games, calendars, crafts, and projects that are easy to use and fun for adults and children. The resources combine common library themes, such as animals, food, and holidays with the math of sizes, shapes, patters, measurement. MiM was funded by the National Science Foundation, and created at TERC, a non-profit educational organization.

Check the MiM website: http://mixinginmath.terc.edu to learn more and to download the materials.

(thanks to Sarah Sogigian at the Massachusetts State Library for sharing this!)

GRANT OPPORTUNITY FROM BUILD-A-BEAR

Build-A-Bear Workshop provides direct support for children in literacy and education programs, such as summer reading programs, early childhood education programs and literacy programs for children with special needs. The grants are made possible through the sale of Turner the Owl, a special furry friend available in all Build-A-Bear Workshop stores. With the sale of each Turner the Owl, 50 cents is donated to First Book and 50 cents is donated through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to other literacy programs throughout the United States and Canada. Grant requests reviewed on a rolling basis through October 2011. For more information go to: http://www.buildabear.com/shopping/contents/content.jsp?catId=400002&id=700010.

DIGITALLITERACY.GOV

The U.S. Department of Commerce has launched DigitalLiteracy.gov, a gateway to materials, research, online learning tools and more to help librarians and educators access and share materials to use when training learners of all ages on topics such as information literacy, computer skills, digital literacies and more. The Dept. of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) created the portal in partnership with nine federal agencies to provide librarians, teachers, workforce trainers and others a central location to share digital literacy content and practices. Individuals are welcome to visit the site to find resources, upload their own and/or connect with others who are offering training on these topics. Visit http://www.digitalliteracy.gov/ to access the resource.

2011-12 WRESTLEMANIA READING CHALLENGE

YALSA and WWE are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2011-2012 WrestleMania Reading Challenge! Sign up by July 31, and teens at your library could win a trip to WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami next April – and you could win $2,000 for your library!

Libraries and educators who register will receive promotional packs with large posters, mini posters, and other materials to help you promote the challenge in late August. Libraries with multiple branches can register once and request the number of promotional packs they need to distribute to all branches.

Participation in the challenge is open to those in grades 5-12 in all 50 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, as well as all legal residents of Canada excluding Quebec. Teens and tweens who wish to compete for tickets and a trip to WrestleMania 28 in Miami, Florida, will complete and submit a special project during Teen Read Week, Oct. 16-22, 2011.

Twenty-one finalists will be chosen in January 2012 and will win transportation, hotel, tickets and spending money to attend WrestleMania 28 in Miami. Their sponsoring library will win $2,000. Finalists will compete in the WrestleMania Reading Challenge Championships, where they can win ringside tickets to WrestleMania 28 and other prizes. Registration is open now through July 31 at www.ala.org/wrestlemania.

DATES TO REMEMBER

June 20 First day of Storywagon
June 22-29 ALA Annual Conference, New Orleans
August 3 Michael Sullivan workshop, Franklin
August 22-24 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 8-11 ARSL Conference, Fresno, Texas
October 16-22 Teen Read Week
November 1 2012 Summer Reading Program workshop, Milwaukee Public Museum Planetarium
November 1-4 WLA Annual Conference, Milwaukee

WEBSITE FAVES

The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota
http://www.mammothsite.com/default.htm

The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs contains thousands of fossilized mammoths, and was discovered by chance in 1974 while excavating for a housing development in South Dakota. Their website offers visitors a 360-degree virtual tour of the unique museum that was built over the site of the now dry sinkhole, along with views of excavations that are still in progress. The "Paleontology" tab informs visitors not only about the woolly and Columbian mammoths that drowned in the sinkhole, but other animals as well. The "Mammoth Site Vertebrate List" link shows a slew of other animals, such as camels, shrub oxen, and the giant short-faced bear that lived throughout the Great Plains of South Dakota. A PDF of the 85 species of flora and fauna recovered at The Mammoth Site, as of January 2008, is also available in the same link. Visitors should also check out the "Research" tab to learn about current and ongoing research at the site. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 4/15/11)

The National Gallery: 30 Highlight Paintings
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/explore-the-paintings/30-highlight-paintings/

Vermeer, Seurat, Gainsborough, Rembrandt - the National Gallery in London presents this website with thirty "greatest hits" of their collection. Visitors to the site can zoom in on the details of any of the paintings, such as a close-up of Venus' elaborately braided hair in Sandro Botticelli's Venus and Mars, 1485, or get close enough to see the individual brushstrokes in Van Gogh's Sunflowers, 1888. Each painting is accompanied by commentary, for example, this version of Sunflowers is one of four that Van Gogh painted in 1888 (not counting several in other years), and "the various versions and replicas remain much debated among Van Gogh scholars." (Internet Scout Report, 4/29/11)

Smart History
http://smarthistory.org/

Art teachers and students will want to spend some time visiting Smart History. It includes more than two hundred artworks and one hundred and fifty videos and podcasts. All those resources are organized thematically, by style, by artist, and by time period. Themes include For the Very Beginner, Image and Power, The Skill of Describing, Oil Paint, and Print Making. The video section includes Mies's corporate classicism," Odysseus at the Getty, and Magrittes treacherous pipe. Visitors to the site easily can locate the works of more than a hundred artist, including Jean Arp, Carvaggio, Gaugin, Monet, and others. Smart History gives visitors reliable content and a delivery model that’s engaging, with podcasts and screen-casts that are spontaneous conversations about works of art. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/3/11)

National Jukebox
http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/

If you don't have a Wurlitzer handy, the National Jukebox website is the next best thing. Actually, it's probably the "first-best" thing, as it contains over 10,000 recordings made by the Victor Talking Machine Company between 1901 and 1925. It is a tremendous endeavor, and one that brings the sounds of another era into the life of anyone with an Internet connection. First-time visitors should click on the "Making the Jukebox" to get started. Here they can view a slide show of Library of Congress staffers at work selecting the items to be digitized and other shots documenting the entire process. Next, visitors can listen to the "Playlists of Recordings", which feature playlists compiled by Library of Congress curators and project partners. Currently they include "Early Tin Pan Alley", "The Fox Trot", and "Songs by Irving Berlin". The interactive "Victrola Book of the Opera" from 1919 is quite a pip, and visitors can use it to read stories of great operas while listening to period recordings. Also, it's a good idea to read up in the "How'd They Do That?" section, found toward the bottom of the homepage, for more behind the scenes information on the project. (Internet Scout Report, 5/20/11)

4-H Youth Development Organization
http://www.4-h.org/

With over 100 years of service, the 4-H Organization is committed to helping "young people and their families gain the skills they need to be proactive forces in their communities and develop ideas for a more innovative economy." Their work includes outreach to agricultural communities, teen leadership programs, and many other initiatives. On the site's homepage, visitors will find four primary areas, including "About 4-H", "Programs", and "Resource Library". In the "Resource Library" area, visitors can learn about 4-H curriculum materials, volunteer resources, and grant opportunities. Moving on, the "Programs" area includes information about their youth research programs that address climate change, community leadership, and childhood obesity. Also, visitors can sign up for the "Power of YOUth News" updates and other news bulletins. (Internet Scout Report, 5/20/11)

AND FINALLY……

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Summer Reading Program Skit 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:44:00 +0000

Thanks to Tricia and Cheryl for sharing this!

Summer Reading Program Skit 2011
Where in the World will I Go?

Traveler (excited about summer vacation) – I’m so happy that summer vacation is almost here! I am looking forward to traveling the whole world! I’m going to learn about different cultures and taste new foods. I’m going to learn to play different sports and make new friends everywhere! I’ve already packed my bags so that I’m ready to leave as soon as school is out. I’ve got some snacks, clothes for different kinds of weather and even remembered my passport. The only thing I’ve got left to do is to buy my tickets. I wonder how much it costs to travel around the world.
(Traveler goes on the internet with the IPAD and checks out prices.)
OH MY! Did you know that plane tickets cost $400? ONE WAY?? Hmmm…maybe I can travel by ship. Well, that’s not any better. I guess I could travel by car and just explore my country....WOW! Did you know that gas costs $3.50 a GALLON?! Even a horse costs money! What am I going to do? I guess I’ll just have to spend my summer walking around my neighborhood. How disappointing. How will I learn about other cultures just walking around my neighborhood?
(Traveler pouts and wanders around the stage. The world enters.)
Earth – I couldn’t help but overhear you. I think I can help. I know a little earth magic. I think I can use it to help you be able to travel the world this summer and it will cost you nothing.
Traveler – REALLY????? Can we try it now?
World – Sure. I just need a few items to cast the spell. Do you have anything blue that would represent the sky that shines over all of us around the world?
Traveler – Sure I do…let me just look in here….OK. Here it is!
World – We’ll just drop that in this magic pot. OK. Now I need something that represents the sun that shines over all the people of the world.
Traveler – Am I prepared or what? I told you I was already packed! I’m getting so excited!
World – One last thing…I need a compass to show us the way.
Traveler – Here! Is that it? What do I do now? When can I leave?
World – One second…I have to stir this all together and then I need (patting all round)…ahh, here it is! I need to add some light and some heat (light match and drop it into the bowl of water), stir carefully and THAT’S IT! Here it is! Your magic ticket to travel around the world for free! (Reach in and pull out a library card and pass it to the traveler.)
Traveler – This is it? It’s a library card!!! How is this going to help me travel around the world?
World – That is your ticket to anywhere you want to go! The summer reading program theme this summer is One World, Many Stories. Not only can you win prizes just for reading, but there will be programs that will teach you about cultures from all over the world. There will be games, food, animals, stories, dancing, music, and even magic from all over the world available for you to try out. You will meet amazing new people and you’ll be able to do all of the things you planned to experience this summer all at your local library. And the whole trip costs you nothing!
Traveler – Well, visiting the library wasn’t the way I initially planned to travel the world, but it certainly fits in my budget. What do I do next?
World – You can walk or drive to either Rochester or Waterford Library starting on Saturday, June 11 to sign up. You’ll get a calendar with all of the information you need to make sure that you don’t miss any adventures. At Waterford Library this summer we’re going to see a Martial Arts demonstration and learn a little bit about Korea, learn how to belly dance, play games from around the world, meet animals from around the world, and even learn how to party in all different countries. At our final program, kids will get to try World Wide Weiners and try hot dog toppings from around the world. At Rochester Library …..
(Cheryl fills in)
So don’t forget to sign up on Saturday June 11 so we can go

(sung to Sailing, Sailing)
Traveling, traveling
All the world to see.
Many a land and tales to tell
All without a fee!
Fun and games and
music and prizes, too.
Come to the libraries
Join the fun
One World and Many Stories!

CEO Newsletter, 3/4/11

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:35:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer

Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 355, March 4, 2011
http://www.lakeshores.lib.wi.us/site/childrensya
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
New LLS Website
Michael Sullivan Workshop in Franklin
What’s in Your Story Hour Closet?
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Matched by Ally Condie
http://tinyurl.com/4r452mo

Welcome to the future: everything is done precisely and perfectly. Our story opens with 17 year old Cassia attending her Match banquet, where she will meet her future husband. This is the day she has been waiting for her whole life, and when her Match turns out to be childhood friend Xander, it's like a dream come true. But when Cassia loads Xander's data chip into her reader later, another face pops up and she is confused. Why has Ky been added her to this file? Is it really an honest mistake? As events unfold (the Official assigned to her assures it is a mistake), Cassia finds herself learning more about the boy who has been a mystery and falling in love. As this happens, Cassia begins to wonder if the Society actually knows what's best and has everything figured out like they say they have.

This futuristic story has several typical elements: the teenager who questions the system, forbidden romance and the potential future of society. What makes this book stand out is characterization and the backstory that's woven throughout each element of the Society. And it does make you think as you read: should some things be calculated and assigned, like your job and your mate? Is life truly better when a governmental agency is controlling everything? Cassia admits that she's not sure which is better: having everything figured out for you or the element of choice, which I found refreshing. Secondary characters also are developed, as well as setting (fun book club project: develop the complete history of the Provinces). The ending is hopeful, yet leaves an element of mystery, which I also found refreshing. Fans of The Hunger Games, the Uglies trilogy and The Giver will gobble this book up. There even is an element of Fahrenheit 451 to this tale, so hand it to adults as well as teens.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Agropolis Museum: Food and Agricultures of the World
http://www.museum.agropolis.fr/english/index.html

This website for the Agropolis museum in France is about food and how humans have produced it over the centuries. The exhibits offer a fresh way of looking at food and the role it plays in society. Visitors should not miss the fascinating and moving virtual exhibit "The Banquet de l'Humanite (The dining table of the world)", which explains the ongoing struggle for food worldwide. The exhibit, which is a sculpture at the physical museum, is pictured on the site, and it features clay figures seated around a table representing the world. Visitors will read that the figures represent countries with low, medium, and high rates of food production, and food information on each country can be linked to in the text below the sculpture. Additionally, there are two clay figures that aren't even seated at the table, and they are called the "Excluded Ones". They represent the "new poor people in a society of mass consumption." They are often unemployed, homeless or poor city dwellers. The "World's Food" virtual exhibit offers basics about food and human nutritional needs. Visitors should be sure to click on the colorful boxes at the top of the page, to see images of similar types of food, but in different cultures. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/25/11)

National Geographic Video: Animals, Travel, Kids
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/

The "Video" section of the wonderful National Geographic website has so much to offer visitors. Many of the videos are just several minutes long, such as the two minute and twelve second video taken of an Australian sea lion attacking and eating an octopus, with a "Crittercam" that is attached to the sea lion. The videos are divided into six categories, including "Adventure", "Animals", "Environment", "Kids", "Movies", and "Music Videos". Within each of the categories, there are at least half a dozen subcategories, so visitors have a constant supply of videos, with new videos added frequently. The homepage of the Video section has "Featured Videos", and presently includes a very timely four minute segment entitled "Egypt Antiquities Damaged, At Risk During Unrest" about the damage that looters had done to artifacts at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The "Movies" category contains mainly clips or previews from films, and visitors should check out the four clips from the movie "God Grew Tired of Us", about former child soldiers of Africa. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 3/4/11)

NEW LLS WEBSITE

Steve Ohs has been working for the past few months on the new LLS webiste and it is now up and online at www.lakeshores.lib.wi.us. The children’s and young adults page has been reorganized with new content and the RSS feed from the blog is incorporated into the page as well. I will be adding new content as time allows. Steve has done a GREAT job on the new website!

MICHAEL SULLIVAN WORKSHOP IN FRANKLIN

Milwaukee County Federated Library System and their youth services committee are sponsoring a workshop presented by Michael Sullivan, distinguished teacher, librarian and author of numerous titles on connecting boys with books. You can read more about Michael and his mission at http://talestoldtall.com/index.html.

He will be at Franklin Public Library on August 3, 2011 and will be presenting 2 different programs, one in the morning and one in the afternoon – Connecting Boys with Books and Why Boys Lit Gets a Bad Rap. This is an excellent opportunity to learn how to help bring boys into the library and get them excited about books!

WHAT’S IN YOUR STORY HOUR CLOSET?
(contributed by Luci Bledsoe, Johnson Creek Public Library)

What supplies do you keep on hand for your story hours? Do you have favorite items that you believe are necessary for your story hour programming? I know we all have (or try to have) construction paper; glue; crayons; scissors (best time to purchase the last three items is when school supplies appear in the stores at the end of July); wiggle eyes; fun foam; felt and poster board, but the following suggestions are either very inexpensive or can be donated by your library customers and story hour parents. Send an email to Rhonda, explaining what it is and suggesting possible uses and she will share your ideas in a future issue of the CEO.

What do we have in our closet at Johnson Creek PL?

• Cotton balls (the white ones are perfect for snowmen; if you can find the colored ones, they are great for decorating paper Easter eggs or making spring pictures)
• Brown paper lunch bags (paper bag puppets)
• White paper lunch bags (perfect for Valentine bags; gift bags for making a Mother’s or Father’s Day gift)
• Advertising Magnets (cut them with scissors; put a dab of glue on the printed side and attach to the craft project for a memorable refrigerator magnet (thanks to Nancy B at West Bend for this idea!)
• Old or damaged compact discs or CD-ROMS (used to make CD-ROM fish or birds; hanging mobiles—use 2 discs for a project and glue the printed sides together)
• Empty cereal boxes (have a volunteer or staff member cut them and save the fronts and backs. We use them for patterns (for our Valentine Story Hour, we cut out half hearts and showed the children how to fold paper; trace the half heart; and cut on the traced line). Although we have our die cut machine, we still need to make or cut an original pattern for tracing. *Extra bonus—if there is a promotional item available such as a small toy, send for a free toy for a SLP prize!)
• Stickers (magazines and other companies will send stickers as a small gift—they go into our sticker box and are used for a variety of crafts)
• Paper towel tubes (we do not use toilet paper tubes for obvious reasons! We have used cut down paper towel tubes for making small turkeys; groundhogs, binoculars, etc.
• Yarn (don’t buy it, just put up a list of what you need and your customers will donate! We use scrap yarn for holiday crafts; paper dolls; gift bags, etc.)
• Ribbons (again we use donated scrap ribbon for holiday crafts; lacing paper plates together, etc.)
• Gift bows (use as a color matching activity)
• Cheap white envelopes (hold game pieces when we make paper dominoes or play Color and Shape Bingo)
• Reinforcement labels for hole-punched paper (we use both white and colored. The white ones are used to reinforce punched holes for adding a bow to a paper bunny or cat)
• Inexpensive paper punch (if you make a paper bunny, punch 2 holes on the neck; add a ribbon for a bow, and it is one classy bunny!)
• Cheap paper plates, both large and small (lace a whole plate and ½ plate together; fill with paper flowers and small candies for a Mother’s Day gift or May Day gift; we also use them for small trays if we work with glitter or paint; also can be used for masks)
• Paper cups (planting a seedling or bean or radish seeds)
• Craft sticks (ask your local doctor’s office to see if they will donate tongue depressors, use for paper plate puppets)
• Powdered detergent measuring cups (fill with dirt, add a small seedling; glue buttons on sides for wheels, and you have a small wheelbarrow for a gift)
• Scoopable kitty litter jug lids (I used to use milk bottle caps, but they are potentially dangerous due to their size. I use kitty litter bottle caps for counting; matching colors; shape recognition, graphing, etc.)
• Brass paper fasteners (allows the head/arms/or legs of a paper animal to move)

DATES TO REMEMBER

March 7 CSLP board of directors meeting
March 7 Library Alliance meeting, Madison
March 8 Mardi Gras
March 22 Library Legislative Day, Madison
March 22 Rob Reid workshop, Hustisford
March 26 Riverport Chorus performance, Wilmot
April 5-8 CSLP Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ
April 10-16 National Library Week
May 4-6 WAPL Conference, Madison
May 2-8 National Children’s Book Week
May 10-11 National Library Legislative Day, Washington, DC
May 20 Special Needs Consultants Meeting, Madison
June 20 First day of Storywagon
June 22-29 ALA Annual Conference, New Orleans
August 3 Michael Sullivan workshop, Franklin
October 16-22 Teen Read Week
November 1-4 WLA Annual Conference, Milwaukee

WEBSITE FAVES

Preservation Nation
http://www.preservationnation.org/

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a lively, colorful website called PreservationNation.org. One look at the "History" section of the "About Us" tab and visitors will appreciate the work that the Trust has accomplished by getting more and more types of sites deemed historically valuable. Visitors can check out some of these designated sites in the History section of About Us: "Rural Heritage", "Main Streets", "Historic Hotels of America", "Historic Artists' Homes and Studios", "Historic Houses of Worship", and "African American Historic Places". The "Resources" tab allows visitors to peruse historic properties for sale, with search functions for price, property type, location and even number of bathrooms. The "Issues" tab alerts visitors to the historic preservation issues that affect them. Some that are listed include "Teardowns", "Chain Drugstores", and "Community Revitalization". Visitors shouldn't miss the "Travel & Sites" tab to learn about Gozaic, the travel planning resource for the cultural and heritage traveler. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/11/11)

Children's Library
http://www.archive.org/details/iacl

Drawing on materials from the New York Public Library, the National Yiddish Book Center, and the University of California Libraries, the Internet Archive has created this trove of digitized children's books. Currently, there are over 2,700 books available here and they include works like "Infant's cabinet of birds & beasts" from 1820 and "What the Moon Saw: And Other Tales" from 1866. On the left side of the page, visitors can take a look at the "Spotlight Item" and there is a tag cloud available here as well. Those persons looking for the most popular items can view the "Most Downloaded Items Last Week". Not surprisingly, some of these items include "Pinocchio" and "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Visitors are also welcome to receive updates from their forum here, and they can also chime in with their own questions. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/11/11)

Child Trends
http://childtrends.org/

Child Trends is a non-profit, non-partisan research center, and is the "nation's only independent research and policy center focused exclusively on improving outcomes for children." Child Trends has twelve areas of research, listed across the top of any page. Some of the topics include "Child Poverty," "Fatherhood & Parenting," "Youth Development," and "Health." In each section, the research focus on that topic is explained in a brief introduction, followed by resources that include research briefs, executive summaries and full reports, fact sheets, and a publications archive of materials over three years old. A feature that visitors shouldn't miss is "What Works/LINKS," which can be accessed via the left side menu. The data in this section is about "programs that work -or don't- to enhance children's development". There are effectiveness charts, "Lifecourse Interventions that Work," and a continually updated database on programs that work (or don't). Visitors who are "Program Providers" in policy, education, or the media will find the "Information for..." heading on the left side of the homepage useful for fulfilling their specific needs. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/18/11)

The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition Collection
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/columbianexpo/

In 1893, the city of Chicago was the host of the World's Columbian Exposition. It was a seminal cultural moment in American history, as many new inventions and ideas were discussed and introduced there. After the Exposition closed, the Field Museum was opened in 1894 to house many of the items from this tremendous undertaking. Today, the Field Museum has created this digital collection which features images and data on thousands of items. First-time visitors may wish to start with the "History of the Collection." Here, they can read about how the Exposition came into being and the incorporation of modern anthropological techniques and methods. Moving on, there are "Photo Highlights" organized by region of the world. In this section, visitors will find Inuit boots, Mayan pottery, and spindle shafts from Peru. Museologists and others working in the field will want to look over "Bird's Eye View of The Fair." This area contains a wonderful selection of photographs that document how the artifacts from the collection were displayed at the Exposition. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/18/11)

American Sign Museum
http://www.signmuseum.net/

The American Sign Museum is the only public collection of its kind, and it is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its fun, colorful website just may bring back memories for some visitors. Users should definitely watch the video tour of the museum with the founder, Tod Swormstedt. The link can be found near the top of the homepage, and is entitled "Take a Video Tour." The founder explains his goals in opening the museum, which are to show "the history of the sign industry and its significant contribution to commerce and the American landscape." He also goes on to reference the urban renewal program from the 1960s called SOS, which meant Scrap Our Signs, as a source of many of the museum's holdings. The excellent "Exhibits" link on the left hand menu contains a link to the museum's permanent collection and visitors will find it is divided into eight categories, including "Painted/Non-illuminated Signs," "Plastic Signs," and "Neon Signs and Displays: The Glory Days." The Exhibits link also offers to visitors half a dozen sections of signs that can be seen from the road (On the Road), while walking around (Walking Tours), or from an armchair (Sign History). (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 2/18/11)

Tulane Special Collections: Carnival Exhibit
http://specialcollections.tulane.edu/Carnival.html

From 1870 to 1930, the world of the New Orleans Carnival was a colorful and opulent cornucopia of fantastic processions and amazing tableau balls. This appropriately colorful and remarkable digital collection from Tulane University's Special Collections department presents a selection of the ball invitations, dance cards, admit cards, exotic costumes, and elaborate floats that drew on a range of themes from history. The materials here are drawn from the extensive Carnival collection preserved by the Tulane Manuscripts Department, and they are divided into three sections, including "Costume Designs" and "Invitations". The "Invitations" area is a good place to start, and it includes materials from the Mistick Krewe of Comus. The float designs are just as remarkable and they bring together mythical birds, elaborate flower arrangements, as well as temples, tombs, palaces, and pleasure gardens. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 3/4/11)

AND FINALLY………

NCAA brackets are announced March 14. Let March basketball Madness commence.

CEO, 2/9/11

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:36:00 +0000

Children’s
Event
Organizer

Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 354, February 9, 2011

http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
Center for Children’s Literature’s Annual Seuss-a-Thon
Dollar General Literacy Foundation
Joyce Foundation Grant Opportunities
OLC’s Teen Programming Guide
Ruksana Kahn Wins Zolotow Award
Teen Tech Week™ Publicity Tools Available
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
http://tinyurl.com/2g6644l

Alex knows something is wrong, but can't remember what happened. Gradually, through a series of flashbacks triggered by different things, she realizes that she's been date raped. Because the administration at her boarding school won't do anything, Alex turns to the Mockingbirds, a group of students that perform justice if a student asks for help. A trial is set up: Alex and her roommate (her student advocate) begin to compile their side of the argument.

Whitney has created a well-drawn character who experiences real emotions and growth. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well, and appreciated that Alex had an adult she felt she could talk to. The pacing is spot on: readers will be drawn to the next chapter to discover what happens next, yet could take a break if feeling overwhelmed. The twists and turns are realistic and the support of friends and the Mockingbirds was comforting. The comparison to the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a nice touch and not heavy handed. There is an author's note at the end of the book and a list of resources for those that have been raped or know someone who has.

Note: this is a sensitive subject and Whitney frankly discusses the rape, so this is best for older teens.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Encyclopedia Smithsonian’s World Cultures
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia/Search/World%20Cultures

Includes links to online Smithsonian exhibits, fact sheets, reading lists, research and much more.

ALSC’s Great Websites: Cultures of the World
http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/displaysection.cfm&sec=36

A superb collection of ALSC-vetted sites including National Geographic Kids and UNICEF’s Voices of Youth.

Kids.gov Social Studies World Cultures
http://www.kids.gov/6_8/6_8_social_studies_countries.shtml

The 5th through 8th grade section here contains a great list of websites that could be listed here independently.

Cultures and Customs Around the World
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111929/

And we had a FABULOUS SRP workshop January 28th at the Country Springs Hotel with Marge Loch-Wouters and Leslie Peterson! I posted photos to the Lakeshores Library System Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=115500778473191&aid=39404. Please tag yourself if you are in any of the pictures!

CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S LITERATURE’S ANNUAL SEUSS-A-THON

The Carthage College Center for Children's Literature will he hosting its annual Seuss-a-thon on Saturday, February 26, 2011, in the Hedberg Library at Carthage College in Kenosha. From 9:00am to 5:00pm, various performances of Seussical and readings of Dr. Seuss books will take place, interactive activities will be provided, and gourmet green eggs and ham will be served. There will even be a visit from the Cat in the Hat himself!

You are welcome to stop by and listen throughout the day, or sign up for a time to read. For information on reserving a time to read or making a donation, contact Marilyn Ward, Professor of Education at Carthage College, either by phone (262) 551-5875 or by email mward@carthage.edu.

DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and libraries that offer literacy programs in communities served by Dollar General in 35 states. Currently the Foundation is accepting grant requests through the following programs: Adult Literacy Grants support nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance. Family Literacy Grants support family literacy service providers that combine parent and youth literacy instruction. Summer Reading Grants help nonprofit organizations and libraries with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs for students who are new readers, below grade level readers, or readers with learning disabilities. Online applications must be submitted by February 24, 2011. Visit the Foundation’s website at http://www.dollargeneral.com/dgliteracy/pages/grant_programs.aspx to access guidelines for each grant program.

JOYCE FOUNDATION GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

The Joyce Foundation supports efforts to protect the natural environment of the Great Lakes; to reduce poverty and violence in the region; and to ensure that its people have access to good schools, decent jobs, and a diverse and thriving culture. The Foundation focuses its grantmaking on initiatives that promise to have an impact on the Great Lakes region, specifically the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Foundation’s program areas include the following: Education, Employment, Environment, Gun Violence, Money and Politics, and Culture. (Several program areas have specific geographic limitations within the Great Lakes region: K-12 education grantmaking focuses on the cities of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee. Early childhood grantmaking focuses on the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Culture grants are primarily provided to organizations in the Chicago metropolitan area.) Letters of inquiry should be submitted six to eight weeks before the proposal deadline. The 2011 proposal deadlines are April 11 and August 17. Visit the Foundation’s website for detailed guidelines for each of the program areas. More information is available at http://www.joycefdn.org/content.cfm/home. (Grant Station Insider, 1/28/11)

OLC’S TEEN PROGRAMMING GUIDE

The Ohio Library Council’s (OLC) Young Adult Services Division has produced a Teen Programming Guide to share innovative and creative ideas for programs and displays. This awesome guide for library staff who work with teens is organized by the calendar year. It includes 25 great program themes around scheduled library/literary events like Teen Tech Week, and seasonally appropriate tie-ins including an Anti-Valentine’s Party. Each program idea includes resources, detailed instructions, timelines, and photos from Ohio library staff who have successfully implemented the programs at their libraries.

OLC has made the guide available free to all libraries at: http://olc.org/pdf/YA_TeenProgramGuide122010.pdf (Idaho Scoop, 1/28/11)

RUKHSANA KHAN WINS ZOLOTOW AWARD

"Big Red Lollipop" by Rukhsana Khan is the fourteenth annual winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. The award is given by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and will be formally presented on March 5, 2011 in Madison, WI.

Author Rukhsana Khan’s first-person narrative tells the story of Rubina, who’s thrilled to receive her first invitation to a classmate’s birthday party. But when her mother, unfamiliar with this cultural tradition, insists that she take her younger sister along to the party, the whole event is ruined for Rubina. Khan realistically and humorously presents sibling conflict in an authentic child voice as she shows a young girl successfully negotiating two cultures. Big Red Lollipop was edited by Catherine Frank and published in the United States in 2010 by Viking, an imprint of the Penguin Group.

The 2011 Zolotow Award committee named four Honor Books: "April and Esme, Tooth Fairies," written and illustrated by Bob Graham, edited by Joan Powers, and published by Candlewick Press; "City Dog, Country Frog," written by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon J Muth, edited by Christian Trimmer, and published by Hyperion / Disney Book Group; "Hip-Pocket Papa," written by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Alan Marks, edited by Emily Mitchell, and published by Charlesbridge; and "A Sick Day for Amos McGee," written by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, edited by Neal Porter, a Neal Porter Book / Roaring Brook Press.

The 2011 Zolotow Award committee also cited six titles as Highly Commended: "A Beach Tail," written by Karen Lynn Williams and illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Boyds Mills Press); "Chavela and the Magic Bubble," written by Monica Brown and illustrated by Magaly Morales (Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); "I Am a Backhoe," written and illustrated by Anna Grossnickle Hines (Tricycle Press / Crown Publishing Group / Random House Children’s Books); "Little Black Crow," written and illustrated by Chris Raschka (Atheneum / Simon & Schuster); "My Garden," written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow / HarperCollins); and "Willoughby & the Moon," written and illustrated by Greg Foley (Balzer & Bray / HarperCollins).

Established in 1998, the Charlotte Zolotow Award honors the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children's book editor for 38 years with Harper Junior Books, and author of more than 70 picture books, including such classic works as "Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present," (Harper, 1962) and "William's Doll" (Harper, 1972). Ms. Zolotow attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison on a writing scholarship from 1933 to 1936, where she studied with Professor Helen C. White. The award is given annually for outstanding writing in a picture book for children in the birth through seven age range published in the United States in the preceding year.

Members of the 2011 Zolotow Award committee were: Carling Febry, chair (Librarian, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Madison, Wisconsin); Suzy Grindrod (Kindergarten Teacher, Emerson Elementary School, Madison, Wisconsin); Kathleen T. Horning (Director, Cooperative Children's Book Center, Madison, Wisconsin); Tracy Moore (Children’s Librarian, Madison Public Library, Madison, Wisconsin); and Maryann H. Owen (Youth Services Librarian, Racine Public Library, Racine, Wisconsin).

The Cooperative Children's Book Center is a noncirculating library for adults with a professional, career or academic interest in children's and young adult literature. The Friends ofthe CCBC, Inc., is a nonprofit organization offering lectures, speaker receptions, book sales and other benefits for members, as well as assistance to the CCBC.

TEEN TECH WEEK™ PUBLICITY TOOLS AVAILABLE

School and public libraries can promote Teen Tech Week™ (March 6-12) with online resources offered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).

Since 2007, Teen Tech Week http://www.ala.org/teentechweek, sponsored by YALSA, has ensured that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' nonprint resources for education and recreation and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.

The promotional effort for this year’s Teen Tech Week, held March 6- 12, is coordinated by ALA’s Public Information Office (PIO) and YALSA. It includes a number of online tools libraries can use to publicize Teen Tech Week activities:

Sample Press Release http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw11/publicity/publicity.cfm#release

Tips for Creating a Press Release http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw11/publicity/publicity.cfm#tips

Sample http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw11/publicity/publicity.cfm#psa

PSA http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw11/publicity/publicity.cfm#psa Sample Letters to Editor http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw11/publicity/publicity.cfm#editor

Sample Proclamation
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw11/publicity/publicity.cfm#proclamation

Tips on Using the TTW Logo
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw11/publicity/publicity.cfm#logo

Downloadable audio PSAs http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw11/publicity/publicity.cfm#audio (featuring Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants)

The 2011 Teen Tech Week theme of “Mix and Mash @ your library” fosters teen creativity and positions the library as a physical and virtual place for safe exploration of the many types of technology available at libraries, including DVDs, music, gaming, video production, online homework help, social networking, tech workshops, audiobooks and more.

For more information on Teen Tech Week, please visit www.ala.org/teentechweek.

DATES TO REMEMBER

February 11 WLA Board Meeting, Madison (my first as WLA president!)
February 14 WLA Conference Planning Meeting, Milwaukee
February 22 Library Legislative Day, Madison
February 23-25 Rhonda out of the office
March 3 MWFLS Youth Services Meeting, Horicon
April 5-8 CSLP Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ
April 10-16 National Library Week
May 4-6 WAPL Conference, Madison
May 2-8 National Children’s Book Week
May 10-11 National Library Legislative Day, Washington, DC
May 20 Special Needs Consultants Meeting, Madison
June 20 First day of Storywagon
June 22-29 ALA Annual Conference, New Orleans
October 16-22 Teen Read Week
November 1-4 WLA Annual Conference, Milwaukee

WEBSITE FAVES

Digital Sanborn Maps of Milwaukee 1894 and 1910
http://www4.uwm.edu/Library/digilib/sanborn/

It might be hard to wander around Milwaukee in 1910, unless you have a friend with a functioning time machine. Well, such a journey through time and space is almost possible with this fine collection from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Library. The collection brings together the Sanborn Fire Maps from 1894 and 1910, and these documents are excellent historical resources for academics, geographers, urban planners, and those with a love of the built environment. Each map contains copious details on the construction materials of dwellings, sidewalk widths, and elevator locations. This collection is quite a pip, as it allows users to use Google Maps to wander around the city at their leisure, picking out details along the way. Visitors can use the "Browse" button to look through different sections of these maps, or they can just search for certain terms and locations. (Internet Scout Report, 1/28/11)

GrantCraft
http://www.grantcraft.org/

GrantCraft was originally started in October 2001 as a small collection of case studies and examples, and it was designed to be used as orientation material for new program officers at the Ford Foundation. Over the past decade, the site has grown significantly, and it offers videos, workshops, guides, and other tools to help grantmakers across the spectrum. On the homepage, visitors can start by looking over the "Guides" area to learn more about the challenges facing grantmakers today. Moving along, the "What We're Reading" area features some of their favorite resources from "the field and beyond". The bottom of the homepage features "Videos", such as information from the State Fiscal Analyses Initiative and nuts-and-bolts programs like "Building a Network". Finally, visitors can also sign up for free updates and they also shouldn't miss the "New to Grantmaking?" area. (Internet Scout Report, 1/28/11)

Vivian Maier: Her Discovered Work
http://vivianmaier.blogspot.com/

Often the true legacy of an artist goes unappreciated until after they pass away, and the case of artist Vivian Maier is a rather intriguing story. Maier lived in Chicago, and from the 1950s to the 1990s, she took well over 100,000 photographs of the city landscape and its denizens. Just after her death in 2009, John Maloof found her collection of negatives at a furniture and antiques auction. The collection is enormous and he is currently in the process of archiving these works and placing some of them on this website. The site features some of the photos from her time wandering the streets of Chicago, and there are amazing photos of homeless men eating sandwiches, elegantly dressed women waiting for a bus, and of course the "L". (Internet Scout Report, 1/28/11)

AND FINALLY……..

3 degrees and 15 below wind chills at Lambeau Field Green Bay yesterday but the “Return to Titletown” celebration was GREAT fun and I’d happily go again!

CEO, January 26, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer

Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 353, January 26, 2011

http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
ALA Midwinter 2011 Updates
Super Bowl Programming Ideas
ALSC and YALSA News
Allison Kaplan Awarded Bechtel Fellowship
Arbuthnot Lecture
2011 Rainbow Awards
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
http://tinyurl.com/32m6k3m

Ruby Jacinski lives in the Back of the Yards in Chicago with her mother and sister. It's a distinctly Polish neighborhood and embodies everything you imagine of an old-time street: nosy neighbors, wariness of the nearby neighborhoods, close-knit families and kids getting together at the corner drugstore. But Ruby is ready to leave it all behind, especially once her mother's arthritis forces her to quit her job. Ruby agrees to drop out of school and work in the stockyards, though she hates every minute of it. Her true love is dancing and she can't get enough of jazz and other 'modern' music. When heartthrob Paulie Suelze suggests she start working at the Starlight, a taxi-dance hall, Ruby decides to check it out. Telling her mom that she got a job as a phone operator, Ruby is thrust into a new world of adulthood, including falling hard for Paulie, who might not have honorable intentions.

I read this book with a feeling of imminent doom the entire time, which ruined it a little bit for me, but it also means I really connected with the main character and didn't want to see her get hurt. The character development of Ruby is believable and I enjoyed watching her become an adult, albeit she did it the hard way. And early--she's only 16 by the end of the book. Other characters didn't feel as well rounded as Ruby, though, and it was a little jarring to watch her and Betty (her sister) interact. Paulie did not elicit any emotions from me either, which was disappointing, as Ruby did fall for him hard and I had hoped to feel the same emotions Ruby did. I did really enjoyed the history and think anyone who has a connection with Chicago will fully appreciate all the details Fletcher has included on this little-known area of history. Older students or adults who read this book could be led to The Jungle by Upton Sinclair next for more on the stockyards or Since You Went Away edited by J.B. Litoff to capture the homefront feeling. For another overall worlds colliding read, direct readers to Summer of the War by Gloria Whelan.

And, as a side note, I think the paperback cover is unappealing and too modern. Blech.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Don’t forget the SRP workshop this Friday at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha! Featured presenters are Marge Loch-Wouters and Leslie Peterson.

The entire Storywagon schedule has been posted to the Lakeshores calendar:
http://prem.calendars.net/lls

Flags of the World
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/

Flags of the World (FOTW), founded in 1994, is the Internet’s largest site devoted to vexillology (the study of flags). Here you can read more than 47,000 pages about flags and view more than 87,000 images of flags of countries, organizations, states, territories, districts and cities, both past and present.

Folktexts
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html

Features public domain folktales from many countries categorized by theme, topic, or event.

ALA MIDWINTER 2011 UPDATES

A few of us from the Lakeshores area (besides me) attended ALA Midwinter in San Diego, here are some comments:

From Kelly Jensen (Delavan):

While in San Diego, what I spent most of my time doing was wandering the exhibits. I got the chance to talk to many of the publishers about their favorite titles and the trends they've been seeing. I was lucky to be invited to a preview meal from Simon and Schuster and Disney, both of which gave me a really nice look at the range of youth titles coming out (and if anyone is interested, I have the packets from both publishers). But maybe Saturday night was my favorite: I got to have dinner with Lisa McMann (author of the "Wake" trilogy and the forthcoming "Cryer's Cross"), her editor and publicist, as well as about 10 other librarians. It was a great night of talking books and youth services with people from all over the country.

From Jennifer Wharton (Elkhorn):

I went to a couple publisher previews, the Neil Gaiman thing (he was interviewed by Nancy Pearl) and basically spent four days seeing how many books I could collect. I mostly went around the exhibits (and around and around and around). I did some networking with publishers.

SUPER BOWL PROGRAMMING IDEAS

Here’s a list of websites to help you plan your Super Bowl programming and storytimes (and to celebrate a Green Bay victory!):

http://www.packers.com/

http://www.steelers.com/

http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/45

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/super-bowl-sunday/printables/

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson096.shtml

http://www.dltk-kids.com/sports/superbowl.htm

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/seasonal/super-bowl/

ALSC AND YALSA NEWS

ALSC names 2011 Notable Children’s Recordings
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6117

ALSC announces 2011 Notable Children's Books
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6122

ALSC announces 2011 Notable Children’s Videos
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6116

YALSA names 2011 Fabulous Films for Young Adult
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6076

YALSA names 2011 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6102

YALSA names 2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6101

YALSA names 2011 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6100

YALSA names 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6094

YALSA names 2011 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=6099

ALLISON KAPLAN AWARDED BECHTEL FELLOWSHIP

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has awarded two 2011 Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowships to Victoria Penny and Allison G. Kaplan. The Bechtel Fellowship is designed to allow qualified children’s librarians to spend a month or more reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, a part of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida, Gainesville. The Baldwin Library contains a special collection of 85,000 volumes of children’s literature published mostly before 1950. The fellowship is endowed in memory of Louise Seaman Bechtel and Ruth M. Baldwin and provides a stipend of $4,000.

Allison Kaplan, a faculty associate at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will pursue her study, “Board Books: From Toy to Literacy Tool,” while at the Baldwin Library. Kaplan’s research focus is on special types of books, known as “board books,” which are printed on thick paperboard. These are often considered “toy and movable” books. “By exploring the collection of toy and board books in the Baldwin Library,” said Kaplan, “I hope to be able to better understand what led to the evolution of the board book from a simple toy to an important part of the literacy process.”

Victoria Penny, the early childhood services coordinator at the First Regional Library in Hernando, Miss., has chosen “Rediscovering Child’s Sense of Wonder: Depictions of Nature and Outdoor Play in Historical Children’s Literature” as her topic of study. Penny’s work will investigate illustrations from 19th and 20th century American children’s literature to determine the manner in which this reflects notions of childhood development at the time. “I have always had a personal love for and intellectual interest in nature and the outdoors,” said Penny. “On a professional level, I have recently become much more interested in the importance of outdoor play and green time to children’s development.”

ALSC, a division of the ALA, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,200 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit ALSC’s website at www.ala.org/alsc.

ARBUTHNOT LECTURE

On Friday, April 15, 2011 bestselling children's author Lois Lowry will give the 2011 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture in St. Louis. The event begins at 7 P.M. and will take place in the Main Reading Room of the St. Louis County Library (SLCL). The event is free and open to the public. Tickets can be obtained by visiting St. Louis County Library's event registration page, http://www.slcl.org/arbuthnot/.

Lowry, two-time winner of the Newbery Medal, is an internationally acclaimed author whose career spans more than 30 years. Her two Newbery Medals are from 1990 for "Number the Stars," set in Denmark during World War II, and in 1994 for the eerily dystopian "The Giver" (both Houghton). She was also the recipient of the 2007 Margaret A. Edwards Award, which honors an author's contribution to young adult literature.

The May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture is sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The lecture title honors May Hill Arbuthnot, distinguished writer, editor, and children's literature scholar. Each year, an author, artist, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature is chosen to prepare a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children's literature. This year’s committee was chaired by Shawn Brommer from the South Central Library System in Madison.

2011 RAINBOW LIST

The ALA 2011 Rainbow Project Committee proudly announces the 2011 Rainbow List. Created during the 2011 Midwinter Meeting at San Diego, California, these titles reflect significant gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans-gendered/queer-questioning (glbtq) experience for young people from birth to age 18.

Titles marked with a * are a Top Ten Title for the 2011 List.

*Agell, Charlotte. The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister. 2010. 1 60p. Henry Holt & Co. (9780805089028). Gr 5-8
An illustrated diary-like account of things that India McAllister loves like her dog Tofu, her best friend, Colby, and other things…well, she’s not so sure about, like Amanda the Rodent and Richard, her dad’s boyfriend.

Beale, Elaine. Another Life Altogether. 2010. 416p. Spiegel & Grau. (978-0385530040). Gr 9+
Due to challenges at home, Jessie’s family decides to move to Yorkshire for a “new start”, and she struggles to fit in and find her own voice in her new town. On top of all this, she must also figure out her confusing new crushes.

Bergman, S. Bear. The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You. 2009. Arsenal Pulp Press. (978-1551522647). Gr. 10+
A collection of personal essays from a transmasculine perspective, featuring topics such as coming out, family, identity and religion.

Boyd, Maria. Will. 2010. 304p. Knopf Books for Young Readers. (978-0375862090). GR 9-12
High school jock and all-around popular guy Will Armstrong moons a bus full of girls and is assigned community service, which includes joining the school band and helping out with the musical. While serving his time, he is befriended by a gay boy and is forced to reconsider his own stereotypical views of what it means to be a man.

Cohn, Rachel. Very LeFreak. 2010. 320p. Knopf Books for Young Readers. (978-0375857584). Gr 9+
With a playlist for every moment, and the need for her tech buzzing in her veins, can Very unplug enough to discover what her heart really wants before it's too late and take a chance at real love?

Cruse, Howard. Stuck Rubber Baby. 2010. 224p. DC Comics. (978-1401227135). Gr 10+
While fighting for civil rights in the 1960s South, Toland fights the realization that he is gay, and has to deal with the idea and the change in his own thoughts and personal identity.

de Rossi, Portia. Unbearable Lightness. 2010. 320p. Atria. (978-1439177785). Gr 9+
Coming to terms with coming out and the damaging perceptions of commercial beauty, she shares her story of recovery from her eating disorder and her self-acceptance.

Diaz, Alexandra. Of All The Stupid Things. 2009. 272p. EgmontUSA. (978-1606840344). Gr 10+
When Tara learns that her boyfriend may be gay, she is devastated. But then—when she finds herself attracted to a new girl, Riley—she is forced to examine her own sexuality.

Diersch, Sandra. Out. 2010. 136p. Lorimer. (978-1552774229). Gr 9+
Canadian teenager Alex must confront his latent homophobia when his younger brother comes out to him.

* Eagland, Jane. Wildthorn. 2010. 352p. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. (978-0547370170). Gr 9+
Louisa Cosgrove, a high-spirited young lady in nineteenth century England, loves her cousin Grace and longs to be a doctor.

DATES TO REMEMBER

January 28 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, Country Springs, Waukesha
January 29 Diva Quest, Kenosha
January 31 CSLP Executive Board Meeting
February 4 LD&L Meeting, Madison
February 6 THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!
February 9-15 Rhonda out of the office (tending to my dad after a surgery)
February 11 WLA Board Meeting, Madison (my first as WLA president!)
February 22 Library Legislative Day, Madison
March 3 MWFLS Youth Services Meeting, Horicon
April 5-8 CSLP Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ
April 10-16 National Library Week
May 4-6 WAPL Conference, Madison
May 2-8 National Children’s Book Week
May 10-11 National Library Legislative Day, Washington, DC
May 20 Special Needs Consultants Meeting, Madison
June 20 First day of Storywagon
June 22-29 ALA Annual Conference, New Orleans
October 16-22 Teen Read Week
November 1-4 WLA Annual Conference, Milwaukee

WEBSITE FAVES

Young Adult Books Central
http://www.yabookscentral.com/

Young Adult (& Kid’s) Book Central is a place for people who love books. It features a large database of book reviews. Visitors to the site can find information on young adult and children’s books, along with more than 14,000 reviews, 200 excerpts, 182 author interviews, chances to win free books, forums, and much more. Teachers, students, and parents will appreciate the links to more than one hundred study guides, reader guides, and teacher guides. The site also gives parents, students, and teachers the opportunity to peruse the booklist to find appropriate reading material for their children or students. The book directory lists all the books that have been reviewed, identifies the genre, and gives an age range that is appropriate to interests and reading ability. Visitors to the site also are encouraged to write and submit their own book review. (Education World Site Reviews, 1/11/11)

Kids Know It Network
http://www.kidsknowit.com/

This site’s mission is “to create fun and interactive learning modules that can be utilized by teachers, parents, and home schoolers to enhance their learning environments, and increase the interest and attentiveness of their learners” and they have done it very well. Students will find homework help in a number of subject areas including astronomy, animals, biology, dinosaurs, geography, geology, history, math, memory, and spelling. Each subject area includes games and activities to keep students involved. When it’s time for just fun, students can head over to the game section to play games that are not found in other sections of the site. More than thirty free educational movies are available for teachers to use to supplement their lessons. The videos cover such topics as absolute values, adjectives, averages, eclipses, acceleration, biomes, hurricanes, and more. Each movie ends with an interactive online quiz. Additionally, a comprehensive database of educational songs can be used by teachers and students to enhance learning. The database can be searched by selecting any subject category. (Education World Site Reviews, 1/11/11)

The Art Institute of Chicago: Online Resources
http://www.artic.edu/aic/visitor_info/podcasts/video/education_videos/

The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) recently redesigned their online resources site, and visitors new and old will find much that is compelling here. This particular set of videos on this site was designed for English and Spanish speakers who might be visiting the Institute in the near future, and all told there are nine different short films. The films include an introduction to the AIC, a film on how to teach and instruct students in the galleries, and a rather fine film on the Modern Wing (designed by Renzo Piano) and its green design. Additionally, visitors can slide on over to the "Podcasts" area for artist talks, curator commentaries, and other audio explorations. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 1/1/11)

AND FINALLY……….

My Sweet Adelines chorus has its 5th Annual Diva Quest show this weekend in Kenosha and my daughter is one of the Divas! Let me know if you’d like to go. For more info, go to: http://www.riverportchorus.org/divaquest.html. UW-Madison’s Madhatters, a men’s a cappella group, are the featured guests!

CEO, January 4, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 04:54:00 +0000

Children’s Event
Organizer

Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 352, January 4, 2011

http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
One World, Many Stories
YALSA’s Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
Little Golden Books Archive
South Carolina’s Day by Day Calendar
Youth Media Awards
ALA Offers Traveling Exhibit Grant Opportunities
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Ideas for SRP 2011 YA Booklist – “You Are Here” Theme
(compiled by Kristin Pekoll, West Bend Community Library)

Around the World in 100 Days by Gary Blackwood
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen
We Were Here by Matt de la Peña
A Field Guide for Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy (taking a summer class in Czech Republic)
Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald (spending the summer in Canada)
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (trip to France)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (going to school in France)
Heist Society by Ally Carter (traveling around Europe)
The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper (taking a summer class in Italy)
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins (living in India)
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (road trip)
How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle (road trip)
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury (about a bike trip across America.)
As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins (involved getting around by various means)
North of Beautiful by Headley (published in '09, paperback came out this past February)
Crash into Me by Albert Borris
Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis
SASS: Students across the seven seas (series)

YALSA’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTON

The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The award winner will be announced annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. The award will be presented at ALA Annual Conference.

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing
By Ann Angel, published by Amulet/Abrams

Janis Joplin, a true "fish out of water" in Port Arthur, TX, follows her own path to become an icon of American music in her short, tragic life.

They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Bartoletti provides readers with an in-depth look at the formation of the KKK and its subsequent evolution into a violent organization. With primary source material, she details the horrific history of the Ku Klux Klan and the people who fell victim to its reign of terror.

Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement
By Rick Bowers, published by National Geographic Society

In 1958, the state of Mississippi began an undercover operation, The Sovereignty Commission, to spy on and potentially squelch the Civil Rights movement. Bowers' expose of this unknown organization reveals the extent to which some were willing to go to see segregation remain the law of the state.

The Dark Game: True Spy Stories
By Paul Janeczko, published by Candlewick Press

This compilation of different spies carries readers from the Revolutionary War through the infamous Cold War era. Delve into stories about the Choctaw Code Talkers of WWI, Soviet moles, Mata Hari and more as you uncover just how they changed the course of history.

Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates
By Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw, published by Charlesbridge

Through fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and scientific debate, the bones of Turkana Boy, Lapede Child, Kennewick Man and Iceman are used to tell the fascinating stories of four member of the human family tree. Maps, photographs, and news headlines add to our understanding of archeology's cutting edge science.

LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS ARCHIVE

The Racine Public Library is starting an archival collection of Little Golden Books for their new Racine History Room. Racine was the home of Western Publishing (which produced the Little Golden Books) for many years. If anyone has items they would like to donate to RPL’s collection, please contact Darcy Mohr at 262-636-9247. Here is a link to a recent article in the Racine Journal Times regarding the collection: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_98786ede-05ab-11e0-8b0d-001cc4c002e0.html

SOUTH CAROLINA’S DAY BY DAY CALENDAR
www.daybydaysc.org

The South Carolina Day by Day Family Literacy Calendar is designed to be a tool that families, caregivers, educators and librarians can use at home and in the classroom to further develop early literacy skills that help young children become prepared for school or do better in school. The calendar has been updated since it was previously featured in the newsletter and now includes PDFs of the calendar by month and PDFs of the calendar in Spanish.

The Calendar is a project of the South Carolina State Library, working in partnership with many agencies and organizations, and primarily funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). (thanks to Denise Lyons, consultant at the South Carolina State Library)

YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS

It’s the equivalent of the Academy Awards to anyone with a passing interest in children’s books and publishing. To allow as many interested people as possible the opportunity to hear the winners of the Youth Media Awards on Jan. 10, during the American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Diego, the ALA will provide a free live webcast. The number of available connections for the webcast are limited. Online visitors interested in following the announcements live can bookmark http://alawebcast.unikron.com. Visitors can begin logging in to the webcast at 7:30 am PST; the Youth Media Awards will begin at 7:45 AM Pacific Standard Time (9:45 for those of us in the Midwest). You should also be able to see results early in the morning on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alayma), on the Web (www.ala.org/yma), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/alayma) along with many blogs and media outlets.

ALA OFFERS TRAVELING EXHIBIT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Public, academic and special libraries, including museum libraries, and Jewish community centers are reminded to apply by January 24 to host one of three new traveling exhibits focusing on Jewish artists who have contributed to the culture of America and the world through their lives and work. More information about the exhibitions, including the online application, is available at www.ala.org/jewishartists.

The exhibits were developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture and ideas, and the ALA Public Programs Office, with funding from Nextbook. The national exhibit tours have been made possible by grants from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the David Berg Foundation and the Nash Family Foundation, with additional support from Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life.

Libraries are invited to apply to host a traveling exhibition on one of three subjects:

1. In a Nutshell: The Worlds of Maurice Sendak
Based on a major retrospective exhibition created by the Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia, this exhibit reveals the push and pull of New and Old Worlds in Sendak’s work and shows how Sendak’s artistic journey has led him deeper into his own family’s history and his Jewish identity.

2. Emma Lazarus: Voice of Liberty, Voice of Conscience
In this exhibit, a vital woman is brought to life in all her fascinating complexity. Viewers see Lazarus’s place in history as a poet, an activist and a prophet of the world we live in today. The exhibit traces her life, intellectual development, work and lasting influence.

3. A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965
Illustrated with colorful posters from Broadway shows and photographs of composers, singers and the casts of hit musicals and films, this exhibit highlights the lives and works of Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and a host of other Jewish songwriters who wove the American songbook deep into the fabric of American culture.

Successful applicants will host one traveling exhibition for a six-week period between April 2011 and February 2012 and receive programming and technical support from the ALA Public Programs Office. Participating libraries are expected to present at least two free public programs for adults on themes related to the exhibitions. All showings of the exhibition must be free and open to the public. Each of the exhibits requires at least 200 square feet of display space.

More information about the exhibitions, including guidelines and the online application, is available at www.ala.org/jewishartists. With questions, contact the ALA Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.

DATES TO REMEMBER

January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego (Rhonda out of the office)
January 10 Youth Media Awards Announcements, will be approximately 10 AM CST
January 28 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, Country Springs, Waukesha
January 29 Diva Quest, Kenosha
February 22 Library Legislative Day, Madison
March 3 MWFLS Youth Services Meeting, Horicon (tentative)
April 5-8 CSLP Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, AZ
May 4-6 WAPL conference, Madison
May 20 Special Needs Consultants Meeting, Madison
June 22-29 ALA Annual conference, New Orleans

WEBSITE FAVES

Airline History Museum
http://www.ahmhangar.com/

The Airline History Museum (AHM) in Kansas City, Missouri has a blog with such a tremendous selection of video, photographs, and updates about what's going on at the museum that visitors will feel like they have already been to the museum. "The Beginning" link, at the top of the homepage, will lead visitors to a few paragraphs about the birth of the museum along with a seven-minute documentary. The menu on the left side of the homepage has links under "Aircraft", to "Our Planes", "AHM Movies" and "Photo Albums". Visitors can see under "Our Planes" that the Museum has a Lockheed Constellation (Connie), DC-3, Martin 404, and an L-1011, and each plane featured has many photographs to illustrate the story of how the Museum got each plane, and what each had to go through before being displayed. The arrival of their L-1011-100 even has photos of the engines being removed prior to its arrival at the Museum. One of the most recent blog entries allows visitors to watch video of their DC-3 engine run in Arkansas, which is a pretty great find. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010 http://scout.wisc.edu/, 12/10/10)

Think Green
http://www.thinkgreen.com/

Thinkgreen.com offers teachers and students, as well as the environmentally conscious public, information and resources related to many environmental topics. These topics include recycling, land reuse, and the conversion of waste to energy. The site also offers resources and classroom tools, such as puzzles, worksheets, and lesson plans. (Education World Site Reviews, 12/21/10)

AND FINALLY………

Hope to see some of you at the ALA Midwinter conference!

CEO, 12/8/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 04:51:00 +0000

Children’s Event
Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 351, December 8, 2010

http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
Upcoming Holiday Meetings
News from the CCBC
2011 Storywagon Schedule
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Thornspell by Helen Lowe
http://tinyurl.com/2cqa44r

Sigismund has always suspected that there's more than meets the eye with the Wood that's just outside his castle. What he didn't realize was how entangled his part would be and how much magic would be involved. Sigismund is a prince with ties to the faie, hence his father sets up a tutor for him by the name of Balisan. Through him, Sigismund learns more about the fairy realm, swordsmanship, family history and dreamwalking. The Prince learns of a sleeping princess on the inside of the enchanted wood, the protection of which was set in place by his grandfather, many years ago. Only one of his family can break the spell and make his way through the magic to rescue the girl and thwart the evil faie.

As you may have guessed, this is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but from the prince's point of view. This plot-driven story is filled with excitement, wonderful characters (many who are multi-dimensional) and a happy (but not sickly sweet) ending. It is a faced paced read, but I found I had to stop and catch my breath a few times because it is action packed. The only problem I have with the whole story is the kissing between Aurora and Sigismund at the end. It feels off kilter and not convincing. I don’t know how the author could have fixed this, though, so I’ll keep my nitpicking to a minimum.

This book will appeal to many readers. Those that love King Arthur stories, The Warrior Heir (Chima) or books by Melissa Marr will gobble this up. What to read next? Try handing them Dealing with Dragons (Wrede) or Beast (Napoli). And you may feel a little nostalgic and want to watch the Disney version again.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Lakeshores, MidWisconsin, Waukesha County Federated Library System, and Eastern Shores Library System are pleased to host the 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, which will be held Friday, January 28 at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha. Presenters will be Marge Loch-Wouters and Leslie Peterson. Registration will begin at 8:30 and Marge will spend the morning on storytelling techniques and Leslie will discuss programming in the afternoon. The hotel has a block of rooms available if you are interested in an overnight stay. Cost will be $25 per person. More information will be available soon.

And on to websites of interest!

Teach the Earth
http://serc.carleton.edu/index.html

The Science Education Resource Center (SERC), with financial support from the National Science Foundation, presents this portal for educators who teach geo-science. Hundreds of teaching activities are available including visualizations, data sets and models, lab activities, projects, virtual field trips, and writing assignments. Topics for the activities include climate change, geochemistry, earth surface, energy/material cycles, ocean, solar system, earth history, and more. Teachers may also want to check out the section on methods. These strategies, such as cooperative learning, gallery walk, and others, could also be used effectively to teach other subjects. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)

Aaron Shepherd’s World of Stories
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/

From the venerable Aaron Shepherd, here’s a list of stories from around the world that you can retell. Organized by genre, these include folktales, legends, magicial tales and much more. Also indicated are country/culture, theme, age appropriateness, and number of words.

Mama Lisa’s World
http://www.mamalisa.com

Mama Lisa’s World is a collection of children’s songs and nursery rhymes from around the world. Whatever the culture a child belongs to, whatever the flag he or she lives under, this is the place to find the lyrics to kids songs, in English and in the original languages! Some songs include MP3's and Midi music.

UPCOMING HOLIDAY MEETINGS

The Lakeshores youth services staff will meet this Friday, December 10th at noon at the LLS office. We are having a potluck luncheon, followed by a brief meeting. Please bring a white elephant gift to exchange. (email me if you need hints) Also, Lakeshores will be holding the first annual Ugly Christmas Sweater contest, which will be judged by Jim Novy and Steve Ohs from the LLS office. So get your ugly on, bring a dish to pass, and wrap up that extraordinary item that no longer appeals to you.

MidWisconsin librarians will be meeting Thursday, December 16th at noon at the Beaver Dam Public Library. We are also having the potluck luncheon, brief meeting, and white elephant gift exchange. No ugly sweater contest, unless you feel inclined.

I will get agendas out very soon.

NEWS FROM THE CCBC

Author James St James will be in Madison the first week in April 2011 to deliver a public lecture about his young adult novel, "Freak Show," which is the UW-Madison School of Education's Common Read for the academic year. You can keep updated with details concerning his upcoming visit and find out more about the book discussions and panel discussions connected to the book on the Common Read website at: http://commonread.education.wisc.edu/Home.aspx

You can see photos from Susan Patron's amazing Charlotte Zolotow Lecture from in October on the CCBC's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madison-WI/Cooperative-Childrens-Book-Center/35374628162#!/album.php?aid=237702&id=35374628162 Gene Luen Yang, author of "American Born Chinese," will deliver the 2011 Zolotow Lecture on Oct 5, 2011.

You can also now follow the CCBC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CCBCwisc

We are once again offering weekly podcasts from the CCBC, called "Shelf Stories," where you can hear more about each week's Book of the Week, a bit about trends in publishing, and a connection of the current book to books we've admired in the past. The direct link for the podcasts is http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/podcasts/default.asp.

2011 STORYWAGON SCHEDULE

The 2011 Storywagon schedule for Lakeshores is set. We will have storyteller Janice “Mama” Baer, story-performer Chris Fascione, and the musical duo Fox and Branch. Storywagon will begin on Monday June 20th and run through Thursday July 21st.

“Mama” Baer – June 20-24 and June 27-30

Chris Fascione – June 27-July 1 and July 11-14

Fox and Branch – July 11-15 and July 18-21

The daily schedule will be the same as this year.

DATES TO REMEMBER

December 8 Open House for Lowell Wilson, LLS office
December 9 Fox Lake Bunny Berigan Open House, 5-8 PM
December 10 Lakeshores Youth Services Pot Luck and White Elephant Gift Exchange, LLS office
December 11 Riverport Chorus on WGTD, 11:15 AM
December 16 MidWisconsin Youth Services Pot luck and Gift Exchange, Beaver Dam
December 23-24 LLS office closed
December 30-31 LLS office closed
January 1 THE ROSE BOWL
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego (Rhonda out of the office)
January 10 Youth Media Awards Announcements, will be approximately 10 AM CST
January 28 2011 Summer Reading Program workshop, Country Springs, Waukesha
January 29 Diva Quest, Kenosha
February 22 Library Legislative Day

WEBSITE FAVES

ProQuest’s Public Library Toolkit
http://www.proquest.com/en-US/utilities/toolkits/tk-public.shtml

Start here for access to complimentary bookmarks, customizable posters and fliers, digital commercials, and other tools designed to help you promote your public library’s online resources.

The Visual Dictionary
http://www.infovisual.info/

The Visual Dictionary can be used by anyone as a quick reference. It would be especially useful for ESL students for mastery of the language. The terms are categorized into six thematic topics: vegetal biology, animal biology, human body, music, transport, and clothing. The site uses images to explain objects and each of the objects defined on the site provides annotations that identify details of the object and a short description of each part at the bottom of the page. Visitors will find information on everything from the detailed structure of a tree to the description of a police officer’s uniform. Additionally, a few tips for using the site in an educational setting are offered in the help section. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/9/10)

Storybook Corner
http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/projects/family-involvement-storybook-project/storybook-corner

This one has been listed here before but it’s well worth another look. Storybook Corner contains free downloadable Web-based resources for educators and families. These materials show how storybooks that thematically emphasize family involvement can promote family involvement in real life. Many of the resources -- such as the original bilingual children's storybook "Tomasito's Mother Comes to School," illustrated by the award-winning children's book illustrator Joe Cepeda -- are especially useful for promoting involvement among culturally diverse families. Also included at the site are lesson plans and many other resources. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/9/10)

Museum of Science and Industry: Simple Machines
http://www.msichicago.org/fileadmin/Activities/Games/simple_machines/

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has recently expanded their online opportunities and interactive features. One of their latest additions is the "Simple Machines" feature, and here visitors will get to meet the curious robot "Twitch". The premise behind this game is that Twitch must complete a series of tasks to finish an important project. Using fun tools, keyboard motions, and careful object selection, visitors will have a bit of fun, and learn about the principles of force, the world of inclined planes, and other related topics. All of this fun is accompanied by a jaunty soundtrack that is part electronica, part lounge music. The graphics are superb, and the entire experience is quite user-friendly. (Scout Report, 10/22/10)

Lost Titles, Forgotten Rhymes
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/lost/

Anyone interested in locating literary resources should begin their search with this informative reference guide from the Library of Congress. The intent of the guide is to "help readers identify a literary work when they know only its plot or subject, or other textual information such as a character's name, a line of poetry, or a unique word or phrase." The guide is divided into three sections: Finding Novels, Finding Short Stories, and Finding Poems. Each of the sections gives directions for using general search engines, online book databases, library catalogs, listservs, message boards, and physical print resources that are available in public libraries. Included is a list of related resources, including how to find poems in the Library of Congress and locating criticism of individual poems. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/16/10)

A Book in Time
http://www.abookintime.com/

A Book In Time is a one-stop source for history teachers and home-schooling parents to find information, crafts, timelines, maps, and other projects related to whatever time period they are teaching. The site lists reviewed books that enhance the understanding of important eras, people, and events in a typical history curriculum. These booklists are grouped into time periods and cover both American and world history. Each title includes a suggested grade level and is linked to a site for purchase. Additionally, visitors to the site will find links to craft ideas, interactive history sites, maps, and timelines. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)

NASA’s Kid’s Club
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html

NASA Kid’s Club is a fun virtual playground for young students to explore important skills and concepts with interactive games. The games are divided into five advancing skill levels and are based on national education standards in math, science, and technology. Games increase in difficulty from identifying patterns to games of logic. The three interactive panels at the top of the home page give students updates about NASA’s vision for space exploration, information about the Space Station crew, and updates on current events, missions, and exciting discoveries. Additionally, teachers can click on the little red apple to find all of NASA’s educational materials listed by subject area and students can find an interactive drawing board by clicking on the cup full of art supplies. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/2/10)

AND FINALLY……….

Tune in to the link below to hear my Riverport Chorus, a featured performance group, on the local public radio show in Kenosha. We'll be live and on the air this Saturday, December 11 from 11:15 AM to noon.

To listen to Saturday’s program LIVE: http://www.wgtd.org/aboutWGTD.asp (links are in the upper right hand corner)

If you are unable to listen Saturday, the program will be archived here: http://www.wgtd.org/Radio_Theatre.asp

CEO, 10/29/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:05:00 +0000

Children’s
Event
Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update

ISSUE 350!
October 29, 2010

http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
9th Annual International Children and Young Adult Literature Celebration
YSS Book Discussion at WLA
2011 Storywagon Schedule
Events This Week
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

How to Grow Up and Rule the World by Vordak the Incomprehensible
http://tinyurl.com/23plwy5

For anyone needing a handbook about ruling the world, hand them this tome of wisdom! Vordak the Incomprehensible has retired from being the Evil Ruler of the World and is willing to share his knowledge with those of us who would like to attempt to take his place. The very first thing he advises is to take his quiz to see how evil you truly are. Then he works through several steps towards being ready to Rule the World. Along the way he gives Commandments of Incomprehensibility, diagrams and helpful advice covering a myriad of subjects, from creating your secret lair to hiring henchmen.

Vordak is a fountain of wisdom when it comes to all aspects of evil geniuses ruling the world and will have you giggling through the book (but don't let him hear you). Each chapter has 'extra' humor added for adults, too, like when describing what a BLI (Beings of Limited Intelligence) is: "This group includes zombies, trained primates, and fans of the Jonas Brothers." Vordak, though claiming to be Incomprehensible, writes clearly and cleverly and makes good use of the illustrations included in the text. This is great for those who love Captain Underpants or any of the comic book superheros.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Dining Customs of Different Cultures
http://life.familyeducation.com/cross-cultural-relations/behavior/48976.html

Table Manners Across Cultures
http://www.videojug.com/interview/table-manners-across-cultures-2

Teach about Other Cultures Through Food
http://www.suite101.com/content/social-studies-cultural-unit-lesson-plan-a171552

9TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE CELEBRATION

Educators, librarians, students and children literature enthusiasts come together for an interactive workshop with award-winning authors on Saturday, November 20, from 8:30-5:00 in Room 325-326 Pyle Center, Madison. Authors will discuss the stories that they have written and other works to integrate into the classroom. The workshop will close with a reception and book signing. Participants will be inspired to continue to internationalize curriculum in their schools and communities.

The annual celebration is sponsored by the Wisconsin International Outreach Consortium http://www.wioc.wisc.edu/. Held in observance of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, the aim of this workshop - designed for teachers, school and public librarians, students and faculty of education and library science - was to encourage the internationalization of school curriculum by incorporating literature about cultures from around the world that depicts unbiased and educated information.

For more information, please contact Rachel Weiss at rweiss@southasia.wisc.edu or go to: http://www.wioc.wisc.edu/childlit/. (I’ll be giving the opening comments!)

YSS BOOK DISCUSSION AT WLA

Are you going to the WLA conference this year? Mark your calendars and start reading for a great program, you won't want to miss. The YSS Book Discussion will be held Thursday (November 4) at 4 PM. This is your chance to participate in a book discussion led by librarians from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC). Everyone attending should have read either Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (Atheneum, 2010) or Bruiser by Neal Shusterman (HarperTeen, 2010) in preparation for this session. Participants will follow CCBC book discussion guidelines www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/discguide.asp. Please go online to Survey Monkey to indicate your book choice at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3NNRPHB

2011 STORYWAGON SCHEDULE

The 2011 Storywagon schedule for Lakeshores is set. We will have storyteller Janice “Mama” Baer, story-performer Chris Fascione, and the musical duo Fox and Branch. Storywagon will begin on Monday June 20th and run through Thursday July 21st.

“Mama” Baer – June 20-24 and June 27-30

Chris Fascione – June 27-July 1 and July 11-14

Fox and Branch – July 11-15 and July 18-21

The daily schedule will be the same as this year.

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Friday, October 29
Frankenstein Friday
Stock Market Crash (1929)

Saturday, October 30
Checklists Day
Create a Great Funeral Day
Haunted Refrigerator Night
National Forgiveness Day
Happy birthday to my college roommate and cousin, Laurie!

Sunday, October 31
Halloween
Magic Day
National Knock-Knock Day
National UNICEF Day
Reformation Day

Monday, November 1
All Saints' Day
National Authors' Day
National Cook For Your Pets Day
National Family Literacy Day
Day of the Dead/Dia De Los Muertos

Tuesday, November 2
All Souls' Day
General Election Day
National Traffic Directors Day
Plan Your Epitaph Day

Wednesday, November 3
Cliché' Day
Sandwich Day

Thursday, November 4
Mischief Night
National Chicken Lady Day
National Men Make Dinner Day
Use Your Common Sense Day
Sterling North’s birthday

Friday, November 5
Guy Fawkes Day
Diwali

Saturday, November 6
Sadie Hawkins Day
Saxophone Day
John Philip Sousa’s birthday

Sunday, November 7
Daylight Savings Time Ends - Standard Time Resumes
Zero-Tasking Day

Monday, November 8
Abet and Aid Punsters Day

Tuesday, November 9
National Young Readers Day
Lois Ehlert’s birthday

Wednesday, November 10
Area Codes Day
Neil Gaiman’s birthday

Thursday, November 11
Death/Duty Day
Armistice Day

DATES TO REMEMBER

November 2 Election Day
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
November 14 Riverport Chorus Style Show, Radisson Hotel, Kenosha
November 9th Annual International Children and Young Adult Literature Celebration, Madison
November 20 Tellebration!, Monona Public Library
December 2 WLA Board meeting, Madison
December 3 WLA Leadership meeting, Madison
December 10 Lakeshores Youth Services Pot Luck and White Elephant Gift Exchange, LLS office
December 16 MidWisconsin Youth Services Pot luck and Gift Exchange, Beaver Dam
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
February 22 Library Legislative Day

WEBSITE FAVES

Giggle Poetry
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/

Giggle Poetry, as the name suggests, approaches poetry with a sense of humor. Poems from Bruce Lansky and other poets are archived for students to enjoy reading or to use as examples. Included are fill-in-the-blank poems, poetry contests, favorite poems, school poems, and more. Teachers will love the easy-to-follow instructions for writing limericks, nursery rhymes, and list poems. These could be used as a supplement to the writing curriculum. The site also provides poems to read and rate whether they should be published. A special poetry teachers section includes information on how to teach students to write poetry, poetry that students can perform in class, and fun activities to involve students. This site is sure to put a smile on your face and a giggle in your heart. (Education World Site Reviews, 10/19/10)

Universal Leonardo
http://www.universalleonardo.org/

Universal Leonardo covers a massive amount of information about the man and his extraordinary skills. First time visitors may want to begin with the Explore section where they will find interactive exhibits that look at Leonardo da Vinci’s work on the forces of nature, the human body, light and vision, and the natural world and learn how these things are all interconnected according to da Vinci. Alternatively, the interactive timeline at the top of the page provides a visual representation of the interconnectedness by linking related images. The Play section is delightful for all ages and includes online games and activities such as making a monster and making Mona Lisa smile as well as a few activities that can be downloaded and used in the classroom. The Discover section gives users the opportunity to learn about the scientific techniques used to analyze the “Madonna of the Yarnwinder”. Additionally, users can also browse through collections of paintings, manuscripts, inventions, and drawings and learn about the life and times of this celebrated artist. (Education World Site Reviews,10/12/10)

The Hoagy Carmichael Collection
http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/hoagy/

As a secular saint of Tin Pan Alley, Hoagy Carmichael looms large in the world of American popular song. As a native Hoosier, Carmichael graduated from the Indiana University School of Law and went on to write hundreds of standards, including "Star Dust" and "Two Sleepy People". This digital tribute and archive to his work was created by staff members at the Indiana University Library. On the site's homepage, visitors can read a brief introduction about Carmichael and the digitization project. Next, the "Browse" section will give visitors access to photographs, correspondence, typescripts, publicity, and personal effects from the collection. The "Lyric Sheets" area shouldn't be missed as visitors can look at the music for "Always", "Air pollution blues", and several hundred other ditties. The "Photographs" area includes portraits of Carmichael as a young man and during his time on the Movie Time USA tour in the 1940s. Additionally, visitors can get help with research about Carmichael and also perform a more detailed search across the entire collection. (Scout Report, 10/29/10)

AND FINALLY……..

Seattle update: Trouble Clef came in 16th out of 20 at their quartet competition in Seattle last weekend. I was very happy with that and very proud of them, as they competed against many young women in their early 20’s. (all of the girls in TC are 14) They scored 11th in the showmanship category and 12th in the sound category. Next year’s competition is in Houston, and they are ready to try again!

This is Issue #350 of the CEO!!

See you next week at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells at the WLA conference!

CEO Newsletter, 10/5/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:04:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 349; October 8, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
9th Annual International Children and Young Adult Literature Celebration
Teen Read Week
2011 Storywagon Schedule
Events This Week
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
http://tinyurl.com/3yrkht7

Set in Texas at the turn of the 19th century, Calpurnia is the only girl in a family full of boys, which has recently started to become a problem, as Callie is starting to grow up and become a lady. To escape cooking lessons, sewing for hours and dressing properly, she develops a relationship with her standoffish grandfather. They both find they enjoy botany and science, Callie jumping in feet first to labeling, harvesting specimens and reading advanced books, one of which is by *the* Charles Darwin. In fact, Callie catches her grandfather's dream of wanting to find a new type of plant and they both throw all their resources into studying local flora.

I love Calpurnia's scientific mind (e.g. she explains her birth order by saying she's 'spliced midway between three older brothers... and three younger brothers') and how she bonds with her grandfather with the mutual interest. I also really enjoyed the snippets from Darwin to introduce each chapter: the author made sure to pair the appropriate statement with the events of that chapter. Callie's character development is consistent and her family isn't just flat secondary characters. Watching her relationships develop as she turns into a young lady is entertaining and painful (especially losing and regaining the friendship of her oldest brother). The story wraps up neatly (if not a little too perfectly) and leaves readers feeling satisfied.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

Multicultural Children’s Literature
http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/

Welcome to the wonderfully diverse world of children's multicultural literature, "literature that represents any distinct cultural group through accurate portrayal and rich detail" (Yokota, 1993, p. 157). Such literature appears in different genres which together present a multitude of perspectives about the lives, culture, and contributions of each cultural group to American society. This web site contains links to annotated bibliographies of children's multicultural books appropriate for the elementary grades (kindergarten through grade six). Cultural groups currently listed include: African Americans, Chinese Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Japanese Americans, Jewish Americans, Native Americans, and Korean Americans. Books are categorized by genre: realistic fiction, information (non-fiction), traditional literature, biography, historical fiction, poetry, and fantasy.

Multicultural Education Internet Resource Guide
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Multi.html

This guide to over 50 web sites was created to assist multicultural educators in locating educational resources on the Internet. World wide access to multicultural information and current events in other regions makes the Internet an important educational tool. Teachers through the internet have access to lesson plans, on-line photo galleries, stories, maps, virtual field trip, international radio programming, and e-mail pen pals. In the multicultural classroom these resources can be used to create thematic units. Other sites, such as those devoted to art and geography can supplement an existing lesson. Many of the sites listed are source sites with lessons, pictures, problems and quizzes on-line, and other sites are Index sites which provide extensive links related to a subject of interest. A listing of professional organizations for multicultural educators is also provided. Highly recommended sites are marked by an "*".

9TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE CELEBRATION

Educators, librarians, students and children literature enthusiasts come together for an interactive workshop with award-winning authors on Saturday, November 20, from 8:30-5:00 in Room 325-326 Pyle Center, Madison. Authors will discuss the stories that they have written and other works to integrate into the classroom. The workshop will close with a reception and book signing. Participants will be inspired to continue to internationalize curriculum in their schools and communities.

The annual celebration is sponsored by the Wisconsin International Outreach Consortium http://www.wioc.wisc.edu/. Held in observance of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, the aim of this workshop - designed for teachers, school and public librarians, students and faculty of education and library science - was to encourage the internationalization of school curriculum by incorporating literature about cultures from around the world that depicts unbiased and educated information.

For more information, please contact Rachel Weiss at rweiss@southasia.wisc.edu or go to: http://www.wioc.wisc.edu/childlit/.

TEEN READ WEEK

Teen Read Week is an annual celebration aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators and other concerned adults to encourage youth to read for pleasure and visit their libraries for free reading materials. Scheduled for October 17–23, this year’s event carries the theme “Books with Beat @ your library” and encourages teens to discover poetry, audio books, books about music and more. Schools and libraries can start planning now with the wide variety of resources available at the Teen Read Week Web site, including program ideas, planning resources, publicity tools, booklists and materials to promote the event. You can also download the Books with Beat @ your library reading list (PDF) in Spanish! Go to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2010/home.cfm for more information.

2011 STORYWAGON SCHEDULE

I have finalized the 2011 Storywagon schedule for Lakeshores. We will have storyteller Janice “Mama” Baer, story-performer Chris Fascione, and the musical duo Fox and Branch. Storywagon will begin on Monday June 20th and run through Thursday July 21st.

“Mama” Baer – June 20-24 and June 27-30

Chris Fascione – June 27-July 1 and July 11-14

Fox and Branch – July 11-15 and July 18-21

The daily schedule will be the same as this year.

EVENTS THIS WEEK AND NEXT

Friday, October 8
Play Tag Day

Saturday, October 9
National Sneakers Day
Moldy Cheese Day

Sunday, October 10
National Angel Food Cake Day
Tuxedo Day

Monday, October 11
Columbus Day (Observed)
National Coming Out Day
National Kick Butt Day
It's My Party Day
Eleanor Roosevelt's Birthday
World Egg Day

Tuesday, October 12
Columbus Day (Traditional)
Freethought Day
International Moment of Frustration Scream Day
National Face Your Fears Day
Farmer’s Day

Wednesday, October 13
Emergency Nurses Day
International Top Spinning Day
National Bring Teddy Bear to Work Day

Thursday, October 14
Be Bald and Be Free Day
National Occupational Therapy Day
National FRUMP Day (Honors Frugal, Responsible, Unpretentious, Mature Persons)
national lower case day
National Take Comfort Day

Friday, October 15
National Boss Day
National Mammography Day
UN International Day Of Rural Women
White Cane Safety Day
Mushroom Day
National Grouch Day

Saturday, October 16
Dictionary Day
Fall Astronomy Day
Sweetest Day
UN World Food Day
Learn a Word Day
Sunday, October 17
Mulligan Day
UN International Day For The Eradication of Poverty
Gaudy Day

Monday, October 18
No Beard Day
Scary Black Cat Day
International Adjust Your Chair Day

Tuesday, October 19
New Friends Day
Evaluate Your Life Day

Wednesday, October 20
National Fruit Day
Suspenders Day
Electric Light Day

Thursday, October 21
Garbanzo Bean Day
Babbling Day
National Knee Day

Friday, October 22
Parachute Birthday
National Nut Day

DATES TO REMEMBER

October 17-23 Teen Read Week
October 21-24 Rhonda in Seattle, Sweet Adelines International Convention
November 2 Election Day
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
November 14 Riverport Chorus Style Show, Radisson Hotel, Kenosha
November 9th Annual International Children and Young Adult Literature Celebration, Madison
November 20 Tellebration!, Monona Public Library
December 2 WLA Board meeting, Madison
December 3 WLA Leadership meeting, Madison
December 10 Lakeshores Youth Services Pot Luck and White Elephant Gift Exchange, LLS office
December 16 MidWisconsin Youth Services Pot luck and Gift Exchange, Beaver Dam
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego
February 22 Library Legislative Day

WEBSITE FAVES

Carnegie Hall Musical Adventures
http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/explore_and_learn/art_online_resources_listening_adventures.html

This fun and interactive site is a great way for students to learn about the orchestra and its instruments as well as the symphony and some history of Carnegie Hall. The Young Person's Guide teaches students about the four families of musical instruments and their place in the orchestra. Students go on a safari through the instrument filled jungle collecting all the instruments in a problem solving adventure. The Animated History introduces students to the history of Carnegie Hall, highlighting many of the artists and speakers who have appeared there. In Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" students listen to and view an animated version of the symphony while learning about the music, instruments of the orchestra, and the composer. I interactive activities are included along the way. (Education World Site Reviews, 9/28/10)

North American Mammals
http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/

This online database, based on the Mammals of North America by Roland W. Kays and Don E. Wilson, and The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals by Don E. Wilson and Sue Ruff, is a rich resource for teachers, students or anyone interested in biology or the identification of mammals in North America. The wealth of information is extensive from the printable and customizable field guide to the interactive Geographical Information Systems (GIS) maps of species distribution. Teachers or students will appreciate the ability to select and create a personal field guide for the animals that are specific to their study. Each page of the guide includes the location for which the information was collected, the animal’s scientific and common names, the species' image and distribution range, the descriptive information for the species, and a special area for notes. There are two types of maps; one that shows static distribution and the other that interactively offers a variety of overlays that include topography, states and province boundaries, cities, rivers, and US interstate highways. Additionally, users can make use of a variety of other search options such as; location and have the results displayed as a list or as a set of images; family tree to find all the taxa included within a group; conservation status to find the endangered species; and special collections of bones and teeth to help identify species or compare functional parts of the skull and skeleton. Any of these searches can be converted into a printable, personal field guide. (Education World Site Reviews, 9/28/10)

AND FINALLY……

I leave on the 21st for Seattle, where my daughter Bethany’s barbershop quartet “Trouble Clef” will be competing on the 23rd in the Young Women in Harmony Rising Star competition. Members of “Trouble Clef” are all 14 and from Burlington. They’ve been together for just over a year and have worked hard to reach their goal of going to the Rising Star contest. Their competition will be webcast at http://www.sweetadelineintl.org/webcast.cfm. The girls will be onstage at approximately 10:20 AM Pacific time. ☺

CEO, 09/20/2010

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 04:25:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 348; September 20, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
One World, Many Stories
Tellebration!
2010 Charlotte Zolotow Lecture
Events This Week
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

The Clock with out a Face: a Gus Twintig Mystery by Eli Horowitz
http://tinyurl.com/2eekhyz

Fans of Where's Waldo or books by Graeme Base will enjoy this mystery. It seems the jewel-encrusted hands of the Emerald Khroniker have been stolen, and it's up to Roy Dodge, private detective and his confidential assistant, Gus Twintig, to solve the case. Each page reveals a different level of the 13 floor building, with a brief bit of banter with each resident and a drawing of the apartment, which reveals clues to astute readers. As the pair progress down the building, each apartment dweller gives clues as well, and each states that they, too, have had something stolen. This is a clever (and sometimes frustrating) book, with great word-play and intricate drawings. In fact, like Where's Waldo, there are additional things on each page to seek (for example: a donut, a ladder and an eye). I'm hoping Gus will be able to provide us more mysteries to solve in the future (those that have read this will understand the probable difficulty with that).

The clock hand jewels are truly hidden around the United States, but I don't know how long that part of the mystery will last, as half the emeralds have been recovered. And note it takes quite a bit of sleuthing to figure this out! I peeked at the answer for one of them...

If you wish to search for the missing emeralds, be sure to follow the blog to see which have been recovered. Here's the first entry:
http://gustwintig.com/news/2010/3/21/the-emerald-khroniker-has-been-stolen.html

If you just want to find the answers, check out the wiki:
http://clockwithoutaface.wikia.com/wiki/The_Clock_Without_A_Face_Wiki

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES

This is the first of the 2011 CSLP theme’s websites! Send me suggestions!

Magnificent Maps
http://www.bl.uk/magnificentmaps/

The British Library has a few maps in its collection, and it is an institution that is well-positioned to create an exhibition with the title "Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art". This digital exhibit is meant to complement an in situ exhibit that explores these main themes through 80 different maps. On this site, visitors can look over four of these marvelous maps in exquisite detail, and also watch and listen as the exhibit's curators talk about each work. The maps include the Psalter World Map from 1625, which is most likely a copy of the lost map which decorated King Henry III's bedchamber in Westminster Palace. "The Island" map shouldn't be missed either, as it satirizes "the London-centric view of the English capital and its commuter towns as independent from the rest of the country." The site is rounded out by a blog maintained by the curators, and it is worth a look. (Scout Report, 9/3/10)

Hot Air Balloon
http://www.hotairballoon.com/

Here you will find a directory and calendar of hot air balloon festivals, rallies and events around the world.

Story Lovers Multicultural – Worldwide Stories
http://www.story-lovers.com/listsmulticulturalstories.html

This is a link from the Story Lovers website, includes a bibliography and web links of multicultural stories, myths, finger plays, songs and more.

Multicultural and Intercultural Games and Activities
http://wilderdom.com/games/MulticulturalExperientialActivities.html

From Wilderdom, which is known for team building resources. You’ll find many games and activities from other cultures for kids of all ages and adults.

CCBC’s Multicultural Literature Page
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/multicultural.asp

There is no single definition of the term "multicultural literature" as it is applied to books for children and young adults. The CCBC uses the term to mean books by and about people of color.

All children deserve books in which they can see themselves and the world in which they live reflected. Multicultural literature belongs in every classroom and library -- on the shelves and in the hands of children, librarians, and teachers. The challenge for librarians, teachers and others is identifying authentic, reliable books by and about people of color. This page is designed to provide resources to aid in that search.

TELLABRATION!

Guilds and storytelling enthusiasts all around the globe share their storytelling talents in concerts held in cities and towns to celebrate the art of storytelling. Locally, TELLABRATION! brings together each area’s most celebrated storytellers, to delight, captivate, and mesmerize audiences with their tales. This year’s Tellabration will be held Saturday, November 20 from 3:30- 5:00 PM at the Monona Public Library, 1000 Nichols Road, Monona.

This program is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. Featured storytellers are Marge Loch-Wouters (2009 Lucy Beck Award Winner), Sadarri Saskill, Kay Elmsley-Weeden, and Karen Wendt.

Fore more information contact Karen Wendt at kmwendt@mononalibrary.org 608-222-6127. You can register at http://www.mononalibrary.org.

2010 CHARLOTTE ZOLOTOW LECTURE

Author Susan Patron will deliver the 13th annual Charlotte Zolotow Lecture on Wednesday evening, September 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wisconsin State Historical Society Auditorium, located at 816 State Street in Madison.

Ms. Patron is the author of a number of highly regarded books for children, including The Higher Power of Lucky, winner of the 2007 Newbery Medal.

This free public lecture sponsored by the CCBC and the Friends of the CCBC is part of the 2010 Wisconsin Book Festival.

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Back by popular demand, the “Events This Week” section of the CEO returns! See what you can celebrate at your library these next two weeks!

Monday, September 20
International Women's Ecommerce Day
National Woman Road Warrior Day
International Student Day
National Farm Safety Day
National Punch Day

Tuesday, September 21
UN International Day of Peace
UN Opening of General Assembly
World Alzheimer's Day
Miniature Golf Day
World Gratitude Day

Wednesday, September 22
American Business Women's Day
Autumnal Equinox
Fall Begins Northern Hemisphere
Dear Diary Day
Elephant Appreciation Day
Hobbit Day
International Day of Radiant Peace
Long Count Day
National Centenarian's Day
Spring Begins Southern Hemisphere
Sukkot begins at sundown
Emancipation Proclamation anniversary
Ice Cream Cone Day
Band-Aid Day

Thursday, September 23
Checkers Day
Harvest Moon
Innergize Day
The Jetsons premiered in 1962
Airmail Day

Friday, September 24
Hug a Vegetarian Day
Love Note Day
National Punctuation Day
F. Scott Fitzgerald birthday
Jim Henson birthday
Gall Bladder Good Health Day
Bullwinkle premiered in 1961
National Bluebird of Happiness Day

Saturday, September 25
Family Health and Fitness Day
Fish Amnesty Day (this is for all of my dad’s family)
National Hunting and Fishing Day
National One Hit Wonder Day
National Public Lands Day
R.E.A.D. in America Day
Shel Silverstein birthday
One Hit Wonder Day
National Comic Book Day

Sunday, September 26
Johnny Appleseed birthday
T.S. Eliot birthday
George Gershwin birthday
Shamu (aquatic entertainer) birthday
Rocky Horror Picture Show opened in 1975
Record Player Day
National Pancake Day
Good Neighbor Day
National Food Service Employees Day

Monday, September 27
Ancestor Appreciation Day
Family Day - A Day To Eat Dinner With Your Children
World Tourism Day
Fun and Fancy Free Day
Crush a Can Day

Tuesday, September 28
National Good Neighbor Day
UN World Maritime Day
Marshmallow Twisters Day
Read a Child a Book You Like Day

Wednesday, September 29
National Women's Health and Fitness Day
Stan Berenstain birthday
Blackberries Day
Broadway Musicals Day
Happy Goose Day

Thursday, September 30
Truman Capote birthday
Ask a Stupid Question Day
Chewing Gum Day
Safety Pin Invented

Friday, October 1
National Denim Day
National Diversity Day
World Smile Day
World Vegetarian Day
Homemade Cookie Day
Less Than Perfect Day
National Book It! Day

Saturday, October 2
Guardian Angels Day
National Custodial Workers' Day
UN International Day of Non-Violence
World Card Making Day
World Farm Animals Day
Name Your Car Day
Charlie Brown birthday (Peanuts comic strip debuted in1950)
Huckleberry Hound, Pixie and Dixie AND Yogi Bear premiered in 1958

Sunday, October 3
Country Inn Bed-and-Breakfast Day
Intergeneration Day
Captain Kangaroo first aired in 1955
Look at the Leaves Day

DATES TO REMEMBER

September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
Sept 26 – Oct 1 Rhonda on vacation
September 29 Zolotow lecture, Madison
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
November 20 Tellebration!, Monona Public Library
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego

WEBSITE FAVES

Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science
http://www.msichicago.org/online-science/

The Online Science website created by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is for those visitors who are too far away, too busy, or too wary of Chicago traffic to visit the Museum. There are "Videos", "Activities" and "Podcasts", which cover the cute, the gooey, and the awe-inspiring in science. The video of "Baby Chicks Hatching" is a minute-and-a-half of rooting for life, and it was filmed in the Museum's own baby chick hatchery. The "Activities" area may seem geared towards kids, but the timeless scientific concepts, and some new ones, will refresh and stimulate the memories of any adult. Visitors will love "Simple Machines", the tale of Twitch an adorable, lazy, red blob with legs, who has work to do at the Museum, but wants to use as little force as possible to do it. This game teaches about planes, pulleys and levers, accompanied by a charming soundtrack. The podcasts are lectures by people involved in and behind the exhibits at the Museum, and include topics such as the repairing the Hubble telescope, human longevity, tornado science, and the science workforce. (Internet Scout Report, 8/20/10)

StoryPlace
http://www.storyplace.org/

StoryPlace, presented in both English and Spanish, offers children the opportunity to view online stories, participate in interactive activities, and print activity pages. Five themes are currently available in the Pre-school Library: colors, teddy bears, crocodiles, animals, and monkeys. Each section features activities centered on the theme. For instance, in the teddy bear theme, children can choose to view and listen to the story 6 Little Teddy Bears, help Bella Teddy Bear choose the correct clothing for the weather, or print a teddy bear doll to cut out and put together. There is also an annotated booklist for each theme. The site developers plan to add an Early Elementary Library soon. (Education World Site Reviews, 8/24/10)

Literacy Center
http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.php

The simplicity of this site makes it possible for very young children to practice basic literacy skills that are so important to prekindergarten and kindergarten students. Children could easily do the activities independently after a brief orientation by an adult. Students can practice skills such as letters and sounds, numbers and their meanings, shapes, colors, writing, words, and keyboard. Each skill area has several activities from which to choose with some overlap that reinforces prior learning. For instance, the writing area shows learners the proper pencil strokes to make a letter, then says the letter name, or the pencil demonstrates how to draw a shape, then repeats the name of the shape. This site presents material in an appealing format that focuses on learning rather than bells and whistles. (Education World Site Reviews, 8/17/10)

Alphabet Soup
http://www.alphabet-soup.net/

This site contains information and ideas for the early childhood teacher or parent. Information is organized by themes such as Back to School, Apples, Insects, and Dinosaurs. In addition to the theme area, the site offers holiday pages, complete with ideas, activities, crafts, and links to e-cards. Printable resources are available, such as themed writing paper, bookmarks, and awards. The Parent and Teacher section offers Alphabites (alphabet-based activities), related Web resources, and Teacher Tools (printable activities). Other resources at this site include ideas for craft and art activities, book lists, and recipes. This site is definitely worth a look if you are working with young children. (Education World Site Reviews, 8/17/10)

AND FINALLY…..

Librarians on Wisconsin Public Radio!
On September 13th, Wisconsin Public Radio host, Kathleen Dunn, talked with two top Wisconsin librarians about the growth in library usage, and the future of libraries in the Digital Age. Her guests were Marge Loch-Wouters, Youth Services Coordinator, La Crosse Public Library (and WLA Librarian of the Year) and Erick Plumb, Interim Director, Monona Public Library (Monona is this year’s WLA Library of the Year). You can listen to the archive by going to this link www.wpr.org/kathleendunn or download the mp3 http://wpr.org/wcast/download-mp3-request.cfm?mp3file=dun100913e.mp3&iNoteID=92557. (IFLS NewsFlashes and Arrowhead’s Monday e-Memo)

CEO, 08/11/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:40:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 347; August 11, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book
Movie News
Celebrating a Decade of Judy Moody
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix by R. L. LaFevers
http://tinyurl.com/yd6s5ue

Nathaniel's parents have been lost at sea and now he's being sent to live with his only known living relative: cousin Phil A. Fludd. To his consternation, this cousin turns out to be a woman, a beastologist and ready to take off on an adventure the very next morning, and Nathaniel is expected to go with her! Phil explains the Fludd history as they fly to Arabia, telling Nathaniel that all Fludds are explorers, with one of their missions being to record strange and exotic beasts. This particular mission is to watch the phoenix die and be reborn. Complications ensue when Phil is taken hostage by Bedouins, who don't like her setting up camp on their land. It's up to Nathaniel to keep watch and protect the phoenix's nest and ashes.

This is book one of what I hope will be a long series of adventures for Nathaniel and his cousin. There are many questions still to be answered about the loss of Nathaniel's parents, several beasts to encounter and much that Nathaniel needs to learn about himself, including how his need to draw and sketch are valuable assets. The characters are all accessible, humorous and very likable. Illustrations complement the text and will encourage reluctant readers to continue to the end. A glossary at the end gives further description of terms used in the text. Give this to Judy Moody lovers, as well as those needing a little magical adventure in their lives.

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!

Voiced by award-winning actor Martin Short, Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat guides friends Sally and Nick – with a little help from the Fish, Thing 1 and Thing 2 – on fun-filled expeditions where they make natural-science discoveries such as learning how bees make honey or why owls sleep during the day.

Filled with adventure and silliness, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!™, based on the acclaimed The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library book series, will appeal to preschoolers’ natural curiosity and engage them in the process of scientific exploration and discovery.

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!™ supports young children’s science learning by introducing scientific inquiry skills, teaching core science concepts and vocabulary, and preparing preschoolers for kindergarten and first grade science curriculum — all in whimsical style. The show premiers September 6, 2010. Go to the website at http://pbskids.org/catinthehat/.

2010 KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK

Since 2000, Wisconsin has improved on five of the 10 key measures of child well-being included in the 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a state-by-state analysis published each year by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Wisconsin’s ranked 10th best overall among the states in this year’s report, the same as a decade ago and the same as last year.
Wisconsin ranked among the top 10 states on four of the 10 indicators covered in this year’s Data Book. Wisconsin’s percentage of teens who are neither in school nor working is one of the lowest in the country, at 5% (5th best in the nation). Wisconsin also scored well on percentage of children whose parents do not have secure employment, ranking 7th best in the country at 22%.

The 2010 Data Book is based on data from 2007 and 2008, primarily the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey (ACS). While this is the most recent data available for many of the measures, it does not capture the impact of the recent severe recession. In addition to the data included in the 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book, information on hundreds of other measures of child well-being is available via the Kids Count Data Center, which offers tools for creating maps and graphs of the data at the national, state, county and city levels. The Data Center’s Wisconsin data is available at http://datacenter.kidscount.org/wi. The 2010 KIDS Count Data Book can be found online at http://datacenter.kidscount.org/DataBook/2010/Default.aspx.

CELEBRATING A DECADE OF JUDY MOODY

It's been 10 years since Megan McDonald's comically capricious and unfailingly endearing character first made her debut in Judy Moody (Candlewick, 2000), winning the hearts and loyalties of a wide spectrum of young readers. Since then, the forever-third-grader has taken center stage in eight more funny-bone-tickling adventures, including the latest, Judy Moody, Girl Detective (August 2010), and played a supporting role in several tales about her younger brother Stink, all humorously and heartwarmingly illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Judy Moody has become a mainstay with kids (13 million books have been sold worldwide), earned numerous awards, and even inspired a feature film (set for release in summer 2011). To mark this milestone, Candlewick has reissued the entire series with an attractive new cover design, available in both hardcover and paperback. In addition, the dedicated website, http://www.judymoody.com/ has been refurbished, offering colorful visuals and lots of "Way-Not-Boring Stuff to Do”. (SLJ’S Extra Helping, 8/10/10)

MOVIE NEWS

Well, yet another book getting its movie:
http://www.movies.com/hachi:-a-dogs-tale/m22720

Teaser trailer for Yogi:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi737805849/

A new Muppets movie? As animation?
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4c15c030a696fa14c0791f2acbc0e09b

Flipped as a historical fiction? The trailer's cute, though:
http://www.movies.com/flipped/details/m60238

(Thanks to Ruhama for this compilation!)

DATES TO REMEMBER

August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
Sept 27 – Oct 1 Rhonda on vacation (guess where?)
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego

WEBSITE FAVES

Reader's Almanac
http://blog.loa.org/

The Library of America's is known for offering up the best of "Classic American writers, classic American books", and their blog is a veritable trove of just that. The site offers a daily update, complete with links to special stories recently featured in their critical print editions, along with video features, interviews, and rare items of interest. Recent posts include an excellent bit of commentary on Zora Neale Hurston, complete with a rare movie clip of her conducting ethnographic work in Florida in 1928. Visitors can browse through past posts, and they won't want to miss their RSS feed and their excellent list of high-quality literary blogs. This site is a must for anyone with an interest in American literature and culture. (Internet Scout Report, 7/30/10)

Alaska's Digital Archive
http://vilda.alaska.edu/

There's a great deal of history up north in Alaska, and the Alaska Digital Library has done a lovely job of digitizing a number of items from a variety of area institutions. This project was initiated by the Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and the Alaska State Library in Juneau. The initiative has already digitized several thousand images, and many of them are organized into thematic collections here. Visitors might wish to start by looking at some of their 1,200 maps, which include an 1897 gold prospecting map and an early map of Hudson Bay from 1758. Moving on, the "Movement to Statehood" collection provides a fascinating host of materials related to the state's history, complete with photographs of the military presence in the Aleutian Islands. Also, visitors can create their own collections for future reference. (Internet Scout Report, 7/30/10)

Wordle
http://www.wordle.net/

If you've ever wanted to create a "word cloud", this application is the perfect way to do it. With Wordle, visitors just provide the text, and the application will generate these "clouds", which give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently. Users can tweak the clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. On the website, visitors can look at samples that use the US Constitution and other pieces of text. This version is compatible with all operating systems. (Internet Scout Report, 7/30/10)

Mosquito Mayhem
www.cbc.ca/kids/games/skeetersplat

Mosquitoes can ruin a picnic, a camping trip, and even a walk in the park. Kids spend most of the summer scratching their bites, so why not let them have fun getting a bit of virtual revenge by playing "Skeeter Splat," created by the folks at CBC television in Canada, which is home to even bigger mosquitoes than we get here in the States. "Skeeter Splat" was created especially for elementary to middle school-age kids-and it's super easy to play. All kids have to do is click on any of the mosquitoes that fly onto the screen. (Note: there are three different color "skeeters." The farther away they are from the skin, the more points they're worth). Don't let one land on the skin though because it'll bite and start to drain the "bite meter." When the meter's empty the game's over. There are other things to watch out for besides "skeeters." Don't click on any bees or spiders because they'll drain the meter even faster. Do, however, click on any blood drops that move across the screen to increase the "bite meter" level, and be sure to click on any lightning bolts, snow flakes, or bug spray cans you see to temporarily get rid of, or slow down, the attacking bugs. "Skeeter Splat" is easy to play, but it's a real challenge to rack up a high score. Consider holding a Mosquito Mayhem journey this August to find out who's your library's "splat champ". (Gail Junion-Metz in SLJ ‘s Extra Helping, 8/3/10)

The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) 
http://www.thegateway.org/

GEM is a one-stop source for high-quality Internet lesson plans, curriculum units, and other educational resources for parents, teachers, and others involved in education. It currently contains 24,926 education resources. This extensive collection is categorized by subject area, grade level, and keyword. Each collection is reviewed and must meet certain standards to be included in the Gateway. Search results provide a comprehensive list of annotated links. Each record provides a "more info" option that provides the complete GEM review and gives a short description of the resource, including author, title, and location. This is one site teachers will want to bookmark and visit often! (Educational World Site Reviews, 8/10/10)

FREE (Federal Resources for Educational Excellence)
http://www.free.ed.gov/

Teachers will find this site to be a welcome one-stop source of educational resources from more than thirty-five federal organizations including the Library of Congress, NASA, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and others. Resources are available on thousands of topics in a variety of formats including teaching ideas, learning activities, photographs, maps, primary documents, and much more. The What's New section lists the newest additions to the site by date. (Education World Site Reviews, 8/10/10)

AND FINALLY…….

The cat plant is blooming! ☺

Trouble Clef Quartet and Riverport Chorus will be performing tomorrow, Thursday the 12th, in the Gazebo next to the Burlington Public Library during Burlington’s Farmer’s Market. Trouble Clef is my daughter Bethany’s quartet!

CEO, 072810

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:11:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 346; July 28, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Movie News
Storyblocks: A New Tool to Build Early Literacy Skills
Study Says Comics Are Key to Promoting Literacy in Boys
Read ‘Em Their Writes
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
http://tinyurl.com/282hnyb

Newbery Honor winner

Minli is very poor, but doesn't realize it thanks to all the stories her Ba tells her. This is how she learns the history of The Fruitless Mountain (where they live), the Old Man in the Moon and several other fanciful tales. Her Ma, however, sees these as worthless and a waste of time and often laments they don't have enough food or gold. As Minli grows older, she becomes aware of her mother's unhappiness and decides to set out to change their fortune, which can only be done by seeing the Old Man in the Moon. Along the way, she meets a dragon, who becomes a good friend and helps her travel. She also learns many more stories, sees much of the world and even meets a king!

This is a wonderfully woven story (with many stories) that explores some fun Chinese legends, history and ideas. The stories within the story are artfully done, changing the font and adding illustrations to indicate it's a separate tale from the main narrative. The intricacies come together delightfully, without hitting the reader over the head. Character development is superb, especially the growth of Ma and Ba, arguably secondary characters. Minli's childlike belief is refreshing and the friendship she has with Dragon is remarkable. The illustrations are beautiful, colorful and fit the imagery of the text, rather than forcing it. Overall, a quick read that will fit the bill for folk/fairy tale lovers.

MOVIE NEWS

The Avengers
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/17973.html

The Hobbit
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/

The Haunted Mansion
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/17977.html

Pirates 4 Trailer
http://www.moviestrailer.org/pirates-of-the-caribbean-on-stranger-tides-movie-trailer.html

Tangled
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/tangled/?cmp=dcom_EMC_tangled_insider_100727_feat_promo_2__extl#/video/

Secretariat
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/secretariat/?cmp=dcom_EMC_secretariat_insider_100727_feat_promo_3__extl

Voyage of the Dawn Treader
http://www.walden.com/site/movie/the_chronicles_of_narnia_the_voyage_of_the_dawn_treader/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter_July2010

(and who DIDN’T get teary at the end of Toy Story 3?)

STORYBLOCKS: A NEW TOOL TO BUILD EARLY LITERACY SKILLS

The Colorado State Library has announced the launch of www.storyblocks.org, an online video collection featuring one-minute songs and rhymes for babies, toddlers and preschool children in both English and Spanish. Filmed in partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS, librarians throughout Colorado share successful activities as well as literacy tips. Parents, child care providers and others will discover ways to engage very young children in fun and playful interactions that also build healthy brain development.

StoryBlocks.org is a project of the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL), an advisory group to the State Library. CLEL received a federal grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to create the videos and Web site. The goal is to build awareness and to encourage parents and others to engage with children from birth on early language and pre-literacy skills. The methods used in the videos are based on brain and child development research that show the impact that songs, rhymes and stories have on very young children.

Eight Colorado public libraries helped to fund the project: Arapahoe Library District, Denver Public Library, Douglas County Libraries, Fort Morgan Public Library, Lafayette Public Library, Salida Regional Library and Westminster Public Library. Donations also came from two non-profit organizations: Friends of Food for Thought and Library People and one anonymous donor.

Along with this grant-funded video project, CLEL offers book lists, activities and research information on early literacy at their Web site, http://www.CLEL.org.

For more information on StoryBlocks.org (www.storyblocks.org), contact Patricia Froehlich, youth services senior consultant at the Colorado State Library at froehlichp@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6908.

STUDY SAYS COMICS ARE KEY TO PROMOTING LITERACY IN BOYS

A new report says comics and graphic novels may hold the secret to promoting literacy in young boys. Long dismissed as fluff by parents, educators, and even librarians, the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) reaffirms what researchers have long held to be true: girls are generally more inclined to read than boys. But it goes on to say that's partly because their literary interests aren't well represented in school libraries and classrooms.

Boys are more likely to enjoy reading science and nonfiction, informational texts, how-to manuals, fantasy, adventure stories, and stories that are scary or gross, along with books about hobbies and things they do or want to do. They also tend to prefer visual media, such as the Internet, newspapers, and magazines that focus on sports, electronics and video games.

CCL states in its Lessons in Learning article "More than just funny books: Comics and prose literacy for boys" that comics and graphic novels "hold untapped potential to address this disparity by promoting improved literacy among young males" and provides an overview of current research on the reading habits of boys and the potential for comics to boost their literacy. The report says comics serve as an effective gateway to reading prose-based works and contribute to visual literacy, as well as the ability to understand and respond to a visual image.

Comics also can help develop many of the same literacy skills as books, such as how to follow a sequence of events; connect narratives to the reader's own experiences, predict what will happen next, and interpret symbols. Even before children are ready to read text, comic books can give them practice in understanding material printed on a page, tracking left to right and top to bottom, and inferring what happens between individual panels in a story, the report says, adding that thanks to their strong visual element, they're a used as teaching aids for second-language learners and students with learning difficulties. (SLJ’s Extra Helping, 7/27/10)

READ ‘EM THEIR WRITES

Lakeshores Library System presents “READ ‘EM THEIR WRITES”, a continuing education opportunity on Tuesday, August 10, 2010. The workshop will be held at the Waterford Public Library, 101 North River Street, Waterford, WI. Registration will be 9:00-9:30 and we’ll begin at 9:30 and end at noon. The workshop will be presented by Gary Warren Niebuhr, the director of the Greendale Public Library and the author of several books on mystery and crime fiction readers advisory. He’ll provide information on starting mystery and crime fiction book clubs, how to elect books and recommend titles for discussion. To register, contact me at the LLS office at rpuntney@lakeshores.lib.wi.us or 262-514-4500 x67. Registration deadline is Friday, August 6th.

DATES TO REMEMBER

August 4 MWFLS Battle of the books, Watertown, 1:00 PM
August 10 “Read ‘Em Their Writes” workshop, 9:30-12, Waterford PL
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
Sept 27 – Oct 1 Rhonda on vacation (guess where?)
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego

WEBSITE FAVES

The Robert Louis Stevenson Website
http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/

From his tales of Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver to his verses for children, Robert Louis Stevenson remains a tremendous literary force well over a century after his death in 1894. This fascinating site provides resources for academics, young people, and people with a general interest in Stevenson's life and literary musings. Along the top of the homepage, visitors will find ten sections, including "Gallery", "Life", "Works", and "In the Footsteps of RLS". The "In the Footsteps of RLS" brings together Google Maps and information about Stevenson's many travels to give visitors an interactive way to track his journeys through France, Scotland, and the South Seas. Moving on, the "Gallery" area contains photos from every part of Stevenson's life, ranging from a photo of him at age 4 (wearing a cape) to his time as a married man living in the South Sea Islands. As for the "Works" section, visitors would do well to check out his 1878 travelogue, "Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes". (Internet Scout Report, 7/23/10)

Little Brown Downloads
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/kids_fun_downloads.aspx

Fun stuff to go with “I Don’t Want A Cool Cat”, “Smells Like Dog” and more children’s titles published by Hachette.

Introduction to Reading Music
http://datadragon.com/education/reading/

Learn about clefs, time signatures, types of notes, types of rests, basic counting, symbols and shaping. (Internet Public Library)

100 Geeky Places To Take Your Kids This Summer
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/100-geeky-places-to-bring-your-kids-this-summer/

Summer is petering out and school is getting closer, but there's still time to get in some trips. This site points you to places that will appeal to your kids' curiosity - science museums, living history towns, the Crayola factory, LegoLand, National Center for the History of Electronic Games, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and many others places you may not have known existed. And, Geek Dad points out, don't forget your local library. Includes local attractions like the Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, and several museums in Chicago. (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2010, 7/30/10)

AdViews
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adviews/

"a digital archive of thousands of vintage television commercials dating from the 1950s to the 1980s." Since advertisers like to connect with people at a deep emotional level, these ads, many of them viewable on iTunes, could be a remarkable resource for understanding the concerns and values of Americans during this period. Note that the most prominent search box is for all of the digital collections from the Duke library; to search AdViews specifically, use the search box for Current Collection. . (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2010, 5/28/10)

AND FINALLY…….

Riverport is performing Sunday afternoon at the Taste of Wisconsin on the lakefront in Kenosha at the Snap On stage at 3:30! It’s free! For more info, go to http://www.tasteofwi.com/.

CEO, 072110

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:10:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 345; July 21, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Design Squad’s Trash to Treasure Competition
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival
Boosting Family Involvement through Better Policy Report
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
http://tinyurl.com/39v3jcv

Told from two different perspectives, this is a story of immigrants from Mexico, half of which are illegal, and a Yankee farm family. Tyler lives on a dairy farm in Vermont, and they need help. His grandfather recently died, his father had a farming accident and his older brother is leaving for college. This leads to hiring Mari and her family, and thus begins a tale of friendship, freedom and understanding. Tyler and Mari are in school together, and discover they both enjoy stargazing, which often saves their friendship throughout the tumultuous events in the narrative. As the year progresses, Tyler learns more about Mexican culture, just as Mari learns more about life in Vermont. They both learn more about deportation, ICE and coyotes. A subplot throughout is the disappearance of Mari's mother, which gives Tyler a chance to be a hero.

Overall, this book was disappointing. I enjoyed Tyler's growth through the year, especially his struggle with being friends with an illegal alien. I also appreciated the overall struggle of following the law, but also recognizing many of the people affected by the law aren't criminal or in the United States with evil intent. The topic is unique and can spur discussion, especially as both sides of the story unfold. The format, however, is one of the weaknesses. Switching from third to first person was awkward, especially as how the story was told didn't change. Having Mari as an omniscient narrator was jarring, and some of her story feels forced as Alvarez squeezes information into letters just to keep the story moving. The use of Spanish (and the italics to indicate it) was also inconsistent and some of the translating felt weird. And the subplot of actually finding Mari's mother felt like it was resolved with too many gimmicks and was hurried.

DESIGN SQUAD’S TRASH TO TREASURE COMPETITION

Design Squad, the PBS engineering reality competition series, is offering kids a chance to get in on the action this summer. Complement your library's summer outreach efforts and increase the chances of someone from YOUR community appearing on the next season of Design Squad by encouraging kids to enter.

The 2010 Trash to Treasure Competition challenges kids, ages 5-19, to recycle, reuse, and re-engineer everyday materials into out-of-the-box inventions. Three winners will win a trip to Boston to see their designs built and appear on an episode of Design Squad. Twenty-five finalists will be featured on the series website and will receive a Design Squad t-shirt. Entries will be accepted through September 5, 2010 at pbs.org/designsquad.

To help share the excitement, the following resources are available:

1. Contest Flyer
Print, post, and distribute the promotional flyer. You can find a PDF on the Design Squad website.

2. Invent It, Build It Activity Guide
Explore the invention process with kids through fun, hands-on challenges from this award-winning activity guide.

3. Promotional Language
Include a message about the competition in your newsletters, announcements, and print pieces.

4. Logo and Images
Include a web button on your website linking to our contest page. Or, spice up your newsletters with some fun signature images.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK: CELEBRATING THE FREEDOM TO READ

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. It will be held September 25 - October 2 this year.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them. The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.

For more information on getting involved with Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, please see Calendar of Events and Ideas and Resources. You can also contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4220, or bbw@ala.org.

SHEBOYGAN CHIDLREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL

An exciting new event for children, parents and anyone who loves children's literature is coming to the greater Sheboygan area this fall. The first annual Sheboygan Children's Book Festival, October 15-17, will bring exceptional children's book authors and illustrators to the community for a celebration of books, reading, writing and art.

The children's book festival, which includes the grand opening celebration for Bookworm Gardens, will be part of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center's “Sheboygan Shindig”, October 15-21. The “Sheboygan Shindig” is an arts and literary extravaganza that will feature the opening of the major exhibition, “Animal Instinct”. plus entertainment, live animals, art-making workshops, special tours and symposia and more.

Some of the outstanding and award-winning authors and illustrators scheduled to take part in the festival are: Avi, Kathi Appelt, and Wisconsin's own Lois Ehlert. Others include Calef Brown and David McLimans.

To learn more, visit www.sheboyganchildrensbookfestival.org. Author and illustrator biographies, book lists, and the event schedule will be updated as new information is announced. Visitors to the site can sign up for email updates or make a donation.

BOOSTING FAMILY INVOLVEMENT THROUGH BETTER POLICY REPORT

Available through SparkAction!’s website, the Harvard Family Research Project’s report, “Taking Leadership, Innovating Change: Profiles in Family, School, and Community Engagement” looks at ways to systematize policy efforts (currently often marginalized and piecemeal) toward achieving educational equity, and to help make family involvement more clearly seen as a major part of achieving educational equity. Research shows the importance of parent-school partnerships in education, and especially among disadvantaged families. Public libraries are not mentioned, which is disappointing, but typical. Go to http://sparkaction.org/resources/37790 to view the report in its entirety. (NCSET E-News, 7/19/20)

DATES TO REMEMBER

August 4 MWFLS Battle of the books, Watertown, 1:00 PM
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
September 27 – October 1 Rhonda on vacation (guess where?)
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego

WEBSITE FAVES

Sandra Boynton Event Kit
http://www.workman.com/blog/boyntoneventkit/

Love Boynton? He’s a link to Workman’s new downloadable authorless event kit, which includes a poster and other goodies.

Astro-Venture
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/astrobiology/astroventure/avhome.html

Students are sure to enjoy the interactivity of this adventure. They will be guided through four training modules as they learn how astronomy, geology, atmospheric science, and biology affect a planet's ability to support human life. After each training session, students are given a mission to complete, using scientific inquiry, to select a planet and star system that meets the requirements for human habitation. The final mission requires students to use all of the knowledge they have acquired to create a simulated planet that has all the characteristics in each of the four areas required to make it habitable to humans. Additionally, there is a Teacher/Parent section with lesson plans and suggestions for use, career fact sheets, and other related resources. This is a web site you don't want to miss. (Education World Site Reviews, 7/6/10)

The Gateway to Educational Materials
http://www.thegateway.org/

GEM is a one-stop source for high-quality Internet lesson plans, curriculum units, and other educational resources for parents, teachers, and others involved in education. It currently contains 24,926 education resources. This extensive collection is categorized by subject area, grade level, and keyword. Each collection is reviewed and must meet certain standards to be included in the Gateway. Search results provide a comprehensive list of annotated links. Each record provides a "more info" option that provides the complete GEM review and gives a short description of the resource, including author, title, and location. This is one site you will want to bookmark and visit often! . (Education World Site Reviews, 7/6/10)

AND FINALLY……

There’s a family of swans that resides in a small pond near the Lakeshores office. Often when I am heading to work in the morning they are sitting right along side the road. The parents are diligent and there’s been no undue loss of life. Eight of the cygnets have survived this year (which may actually be all of them), as compared to two last year.

CEO, 071210

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:09:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 344; July 12, 2010
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Northwoods Children’s Book Conference
ALSC Announces Exceptional Websites for Children
Movie News
The Business of Children’s Publishing
National Indicators of the Well-Being of Children
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEWS

Maggie's Ball by Lindsay Barrett George
http://tinyurl.com/36up5zt

Maggie the dog has a bright yellow ball, but it gets lost! She searches through town trying to discover where it went. She visits the four shops on the circle, but no one has it. In the end, she not only finds her ball, but also a friend. Bright and colorful illustrations easily convey emotions and actions. Several pages can be used for I Spy or learning more about circles. Text is simple and works for younger aged storytimes.

What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson
http://tinyurl.com/2b7ctj4

Have you ever thought a ladybug would save the day? Because she's small and quiet, the ladybug overhears the entire plan of two thieves to steal the farm's prize cow. She immediately comes up with a plan to foil the robbers and keep the farm safe and breaks her silence for one day. The concept is neat, but has several aspects that fall flat. The rhyme is generally good, but the cadence is tricky and some of the text tries too hard. The illustrations also are generally good, but some of the mixed media is disconcerting and some pages are quite busy. Overall, an additional purchase.

Nibbles: A Green Tale by Charlotte Middleton
http://tinyurl.com/2g4kkvn

Nibbles loves dandelion leaves, as does his whole family, as does his whole town! These guinea pigs aren't careful, though, and eat the plants almost to extinction. But Nibbles will save the day with a garden and everyone can still enjoy their favorite treat. Adults will enjoy the irony of the guinea pigs' plight and children will appreciate the resourcefulness of Nibbles (and librarians will rejoice). The illustrations are mixed media, colorful and work well for storytime or a lap.

NORTHWOOD CHILDREN’S BOOK CONFERENCE

Northwoods Children’s Book Conference is pleased to announce Anita Silvey as the keynote speaker and presenter for this year’s conference to be held September 30 and October 1 at Lakewoods Resort in Cable, Wisconsin. Ms. Silvey is a nationally recognized author and advocate of youth literacy. She has devoted 35 years promoting books that will turn the young--and families--into readers. To do this she has appeared frequently on NPR, "The Today Show," "60 Minutes," and radio programs in the United States and Canada to talk about books for children and teenagers. As Publishers Weekly has said "It would be hard to find a more authoritative voice than Anita Silvey."

Anita Silvey has been in the book industry as an author, publisher of children’s books, editor of journals in the field, and reviewer/evaluator. In a unique career in the children’s book field, Ms. Silvey has divided her time equally between publishing and evaluating children’s books. But her lifelong conviction that “only the very best of anything can be good enough for the young” forms the cornerstone of her work. Ms. Silvey served for eleven years as Editor-in-Chief of The Horn Book Magazine, a publication many call “the Bible of children’s literature.” As Editor of Horn Book, she read several thousand books a year, hunting for those of exceptional quality that children return to again and again. Bev Bauer, of Redbery Books and a sponsor of the event says, “I have followed Anita Silvey from afar my entire career. It’s a real highlight to have her here for the conference.”

Silvey will be delivering the keynote address on Friday, October 1st, the title of which is also the title of her latest book, “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book. In addition, she will present a three-hour workshop Thursday, September 30 titled “Like a Rolling Stone, the Changing Landscape of Young Adult Books.” In the spirit of her title, the conference will conclude at the end of the day with a fun-filled hour of presenters and selected attendees sharing thoughts on the influential children’s book that gave them everything they needed to know to prepare the for life.

More information and registration details can be found online at http://www.northwoodsbook.org/ or by calling Redbery Books, 715 798-5014. Sponsors include Northern Waters Library Service and Children’s Literature Network.

ALSC ANNOUNCES EXCEPTIONAL WEBSITES FOR CHILDREN

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has added recommended Web sites to Great Web Sites for Kids www.ala.org/greatsites, its online resource containing hundreds of links to outstanding Web sites for children. Great Web Sites for Kids (GWS) features links to websites of interest to children 14 years of age and younger, organized into diverse subject headings, from astronomy and space to zoos and aquariums, from games and entertainment to geography and maps. There is also a special section with sites of interest to parents, caregivers and teachers. Members of the ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids Committee review and evaluate potential sites for inclusion and vote on the sites to be included. They also regularly check the entire site to ensure currency and re-evaluate sites when necessary.

The newly added sites are:
Aaron Shepard’s Folktales - www.aaronshep.com/stories/folk.html
Academic Skill Builders - www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/
BAM! Body and Mind - www.bam.gov/
Book Worm for Kids - www.bookworm4kids.com/
Census in Schools - www.census.gov/schools/census_for_kids/
Chicos - www.chicos.net/
Cool Science for Kids - www.hhmi.org/coolscience/forkids/index.html
Dogo News - www.dogonews.com/
Enchanted Learning - www.littleexplorers.com/languages/spanish/Aisfor.shtml
Exploratorium Science of Gardening - www.exploratorium.edu/gardening/feed/index.html
Games for Change - www.gamesforchange.org
Genna’s World - www.gennasworld.com
If I Was King of the World www.ifiwasthekingoftheworld.com/
Jefferson Lab - http://education.jlab.org/
Lab TV - www.ndep.us/LabTV.aspx
MakeBeliefsComix - www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/
Math Apprentice - www.mathapprentice.com/
Mr. PicassoHead - www.mrpicassohead.com
Nourish Interactive - www.nourishinteractive.com/
NSA www.nsa.gov/kids/
Pat Mora - www.patmora.com
Plimoth Plantation - www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html
Smarty Games - www.smartygames.com/
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne extension - http://urbanext.illinois.edu/kids/index.html
US Mint for Kids - www.usmint.gov/kids/
Wacky Web Tales - www.eduplace.com/tales/
You Are Here www.ftc.gov/youarehere/

The complete listing of great sites with annotations and selection criteria can be found at www.ala.org/greatsites.

MOVIE NEWS

Sorcerer’s Apprentice
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/

Loosely based on the brief segment in Fantasia….

Ramona and Beezus
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493949/

Looks like the focus of the film is not Ramona, but I could be wrong….

Hugo Cabret
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/

Jude Law added to the cast…..

Charlie St. Cloud
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1438254/

THE BUSINESS OF CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING

“The Business of Children’s Publishing” will be held October 1 and 2 at Carthage College in Kenosha at the Hedberg Library. The conference will be 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM both days.
Featured speakers include Ann Bausum (National Geographic), Kevin Luthardt (Peachtree), Quinlan Lee (Adams Literary). Anita Eerdmans (Eerdmans Publishing), and Scottie Bowditch (Penquin). The conference will focus on what different aspects are essential in children’s publishing, including what do publishers do, what does an agent do, what do an editor do and what does a marketing manager to? For further information, contact John Stewig at jstewig@carthage.edu or call (262) 552-5480.

NATIONAL INDICATORS OF THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN

The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released "America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2010." This report continues a series of annual reports to the nation on the well-being of children in the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences, in cooperation with 21 other federal agencies, contributes indicators to the report and supports its production.

According to the report's section on education, eighth graders’ average mathematics scale scores increased between 2007 and 2009, as did eighth graders’ average reading scale scores. Not all the report's findings were positive, however; the proportion of youth aged 16-19 who were neither enrolled in school nor working increased from 8 percent to 9 percent between 2008 and 2009.

The 2010 Childstats website includes 68 tables and 59 figures that describe the population of children and depict their well-being in the areas of family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.

You can view, download, and print the report at http://childstats.gov/

DATES TO REMEMBER

July 13 Barbershop Music Appreciation Day ☺
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
August 19 UW-Madison SLIS Alumni Board meeting
August 20 WLA Strategic Planning meeting
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-25 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
September 27 – October 1 Rhonda on vacation
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
January 6-11 ALA Midwinter meeting, San Diego

WEBSITE FAVES

SunGuard Man
www.sunguardman.org

Now that school's out and summer's here, kids will be outside and exposed to the sun's rays. Make sure that they and their parents know how to be "sun smart." Start your tour by clicking on the red tabs at the top of each page. Kids can find out what UV radiation is and why they need to protect themselves from it, what their chances of getting skin cancer are, how to prevent skin cancer, why it's important to use sunscreen, the dangers of tanning beds/booths, and how to do a skin self-exam. Check out the "Games & Activities" on the navbar, where you can try your hand at shooting down some nasty UV rays in "Ray-Zin-Noma Attacks the Ballpark." The "Adventures of SGM" contains six animated cartoon episodes with cool sounds and music. Don't miss the "Teacher Resources," which include PDF handouts, flyers, a teacher's guide, and even a ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation. Finally find out what the current UV index is in your area of the country by clicking on the map at the bottom of the navbar. Kids can have fun in the sun if they're SunGuard Man smart! (SLJ’s Extra Helping, 6/8/10)

A Place of Our Own
http://aplaceofourown.org/index.php

The multiple award-winning PBS television series, website and outreach program, A Place of Our Own, and the Spanish language version, Los Niños en su Casa is aimed at child caregivers including parents, grandparents, daycare workers, and nannies. The goal is to give child caregivers a supportive and informative place to turn for help with the important task of caring for children of their own or someone else's. Visitors to the website will find that topics for the week, Monday-Friday, can be viewed and selected on the homepage. Each day there is a new topic covered, such as getting kids to share. The topic begins as question sent in from a child caregiver, and then answered by the show's host, someone in the medical community such as a pediatrician or a therapist, parents, or other caregivers. For more responses, visitors can join the discussion by going to the "Message Board". Visitors will find a helpful "featured activity" that relates to the topic, such as making box structures to encourage sharing among children. Sometimes a topic even has a "featured video", such as the video offered on separation anxiety. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 7/8/10)

Laura’s Life
http://lauramitolife.blogspot.com/

Laura is 4th grader at Stonegate Elementary School in Zionsville, Indiana, and lives "in the middle of nowhere", rural Indiana. As a second grader she decided to read all the Newbery Medal winners before she got to middle school, which for her starts in 5th grade. She reached her goal with time to spare. At the ALA conference last month, Laura was able to meet Rebecca Stead, Rodman Philbrick, members of the ALA Executive Board and the ALSC board, and attend the Newbery Caldecott banquet and shared these experiences on her blog.

Digital Comic Museum
http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/

For well over a century, comic books have been the stuff of childhood pastimes. Some people never grow tired of comics, and this website might be just the tonic they are looking for. The Digital Comic Museum presents hundreds of unique comics in their original format, and visitors will need to complete a short registration form before they get started here. The works here were published decades ago by long-gone companies such as the Croydon Publishing Company and Key Publications. Visitors can make their way through 1950s classics like "Black Cobra" and other gems, including the war-time classic "Joe Yank" and "Sparky Watts", who was billed as the "World's Strongest Funny Man". Scholars of this commercial art form may also find the site quite useful, as it provides a look into a number of rather obscure comic book titles. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 6/11/10)

TeensHealth
http://teenshealth.org/teen/

The non-profit health organization Nemours has developed a website that is just for teens and their health issues. The health issues covered on the site include growth and emotions, as well as other bodily health issues. The categories of health issues that are covered include "Food & Fitness", "Infections", "School & Jobs", and "Mind". On the homepage visitors will find several colorful boxes with different themes, such as "Hot Topics", "Expert Answers On...", a "Quiz", and "Featured Articles". Some of the "Featured Articles" are on golf safety tips, strength training, and smart snacking. The current "Quiz" question is about insomnia, and once the question is answered, visitors can click "Find Out More" and read about (or listen to) information on nine different sleep problems facing teens. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project - http://scout.wisc.edu, 6/25/10)

AND FINALLY…..

Today’s photo of Posie was taken this morning before work. It was the first time I’d caught her in the kitty condo. It will probably be the only time. ☺

READ AND WIN! SUMMER READING CHALLENGE AND EVENTS BEGIN JUNE 19

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:13:00 +0000

READ AND WIN! SUMMER READING CHALLENGE AND EVENTS BEGIN JUNE 19

Racine - The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St, is launching is 2010 Summer Reading Challenge for ALL ages beginning Saturday, June 19 and running through Saturday, July 31. Registration may be done after June 19 at any public service desk at the main or mobile library, as well as on the library's website at www.racinelibrary.info . Participants of all ages, once registered, will be given a reading record and asked to complete a challenge: either to read a specified number of books or to read for a specific amount of time. Once the challenge is completed, reading records are turned in to the main or mobile library, and participants receive a gift and an entry into the library's grand prize drawing. A library card is not needed for participation in the reading challenge, although one is recommended so that full use may be made of the library's many resources. Library cards for all ages are available for free by completing a simple registration form. Forms may be obtained from any library information desk or at the mobile library.

In addition to the reading challenge, the library will be celebrating summer reading through its series of special events. The following programs will offer something of interest to all ages.

Early Childhood Storytimes begin June 22 and will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10am in the Youth Services Dept. Two different age appropriate programs are held simultaneously to accommodate different learning levels. Both programs are designed to teach crucial early literacy skills. Children ages 1-3 are invited to sit with their parents in a 20 minute storytime featuring songs, fingerplay, and short stories. Children ages 4-5 who are able to sit independently are invited to attend a longer preschool storytime offering more complex stories and activities. These are drop-in events and no registration is needed to attend.

Make a Splash! summer programs are designed for kids ages 5-10. The library is offering the following opportunities for kids to experience music, stories, and other fun activities. Some registration is required as listed below. For more information or to register call the Youth Services Department at 262.636.9245.

     - Storywagon Series - This series of performances by professional entertainers is held on Thursdays at 10 am and 1:30 pm in the Youth Services Dept. Thursday, June 24 will feature the musical fun of Pint Size Polkas; Thursday, July 1 the library hosts dramatic demonstrations in "Get Excited About Science" with Steve Bellevue; on Thursday, July 15 Bassmeister Curt Strutz will send you into side-splitting laughter with his Fishing Comedy Show. All programs are free and no registration is necessary.

   - Family Fun Nights - Special activity nights for families looking for some quality time together. Programs are held once a month on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm; registration is required. June 24 families will spend time with the Master Gardener's Club learning all about growing your own family garden. July 22, families are invited to participate in a game night with board games, Wii gaming, and some fun group games. August 26, the library will host a family "End of Summer Pity Party".

   - Make a Splash Activity Days - Story and activity days are held weekly on Tuesdays at 2:30pm. Registration is required. Themes vary weekly with such topics as Water Science, Pirate Parties, and Outdoor Water Games.

   - Ruff Readers - The library's award-winning read-to-the-dogs program continues over the summer. Kids ages 6-12 are invited to spend 15 minutes reading to one of our specially-trained listening dogs. This is a relaxed and fun way for kids to practice reading over the summer. Participants may drop-in during the reading times or may call 262.636.9245 to reserve a time slot. The following schedule begins June 21:

Mondays @ 10:30am : Dewey or Daisy
Mondays @ 4pm: Hobbs
Tuesdays @ 1pm: Lucy
Tuesdays @ 4:30pm: Bowie
Thursdays @ 4:30: Marshall & Epstein

Make Waves! is the library's series of activity days just for teens ages 11-17. These programs are held on Mondays at 2:30pm. Registration is required and space is limited for some of the events. Call 262.636.9245 for more information or to register. The following is a schedule of upcoming events:
   - June 28 - Water Your Imagination with cool science experiments and creative art activities
   - July 12 - Beach Bum Day - Join us for beach games, crafts, and a community service cleanup at North Beach.
   - July 19 - (Tentative) Kayaking and Orienteering at REC on Sixth St. Space is limited.
   - July 26 - Water Wars - Outdoor water games.

Water Your Mind! just for adults. Summer fun isn't just for the kids! The library has created some interesting and thought-provoking entertainment just for grownups. Some registration is required as listed below. Call the library at 262.636.9245 for more information.
   - Watercolor Workshop - Thursday, July 1 at 10am. - Our friends from RAM will lead you through a hands-on mini watercolor project. Supplies provided. Registration is required as space is limited.
   - Great Lakes Diving Adventure - Friday, July 2 at 11:15am and 3:00pm. - A presentation by a mother/son duo who have explored shipwrecks in many of the Great Lakes and throughout the world. They'll be introducing us to diving history, equipment, safety and what's to be found in our own watery backyard. No registration necessary.
   - Protecting Our Local Waterways - Thursday, July 15 at 6:30pm (tentative)- A presentation by the Root River Environmental Center about water conservation, watershed projects, and the REC's role in the Root River revival. No registration necessary.
   - Sierra Club Presentation - Thursday, July 22 at 6:30pm - This local environmental group presents intriguing and educational programs. Join us as they explore practical ways you can help to protect our valuable natural resources. No registration necessary.
   - Wii Gaming for Adults - Tutorial Days on Thursday June 1 & July 8 at 10am; Game Days on Thursdays beginning July 22 from 10-noon.   Come have some fun with this popular active video game experience in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere! Drop in only; no registration.

All of the above programs are free and open to all. Dates and times may be subject to change. Visit the library's website (racinelibrary.info ) or call 262.636.9245 to confirm events.

The library is also offering two free concerts for all ages.

Geneva Red Harmonica Blues Concert - Monday, June 21 at 6:00pm - World renowned Blues Harmonica player Geneva Red will give an introduction to America's Blues music through performance by her juke joint duo The Original Delta Fireballs. This is a hands on harmonica workshop for participants. Bring your own harmonicas if possible (a 10 hole diatonic harmonica in the key of C is needed); the library has a limited number available for use. Call 262.636.9245 if you plan on attending.

Comedy Juggler Steve Russell - Monday, August 2 at 6:30pm - In this slightly off-center variety show, you get all the laughs of a stand-up comedian with the added bonus of disappearing bananas, impaled potatoes and adeptly juggled luncheon meat. Lots of laughs, fun and surprises for ALL ages. Free; no registration necessary.

CEO, 05/10/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:20:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 342; May 10, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
One last “Make a Splash – Read” site……
Nancy Drew turns 80!
National Children’s Book Week
Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s Youth Literacy Grant
Free Shakespeare in the Park
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd
http://tinyurl.com/yzftvcs

Laura lives in England and is 16. Her life has just turned upside down because of climate change, the government deciding to do something about it and a family that is on the brink of collapsing. Severe weather has caused major changes around the British Isles and carbon rationing has been instituted: every family is only allowed so much fuel per week. This means a change in television watching, computer usage, eating, washing and every other habit you can think of. It also means Laura has to think about what she's willing to give up so she and her band mates can still practice (she plays bass for the dirty angels). Laura also has to deal with school (and flunking), the cute boy next door, her sister working in the black market and her dad deciding to go back to the land (he buys a pig and some chickens) in the middle of London.

Overall, I found this book to be disappointing. The love interests felt flat and more along the lines of a device to make her more of a teenager. The memorabilia 'taped' in the diary was hard to read and quite small. I never connected with the main character and just found her annoying (I liked the older neighbor Arthur better than Laura...). And despite the explanations of Britishisms in the back, this one was a little confusing to understand. As far as diaries go, though, this was written convincingly and felt like a girl writing entries. I also appreciated her band and the ups and downs that went with the territory. However, if you want a better 'end of the world' story, read Life As We Knew It. If you want a better 'school girl in England' story, read Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging.

ONE LAST “MAKE A SPLASH – READ” SITE……

These are too cute to resist!
http://www.ivillage.com/koi-pond-cupcakes/3-r-139108

NANCY DREW TURNS 80!

April 28th marked the 80th anniversary of the publication of the first three Nancy Drew titles. Here are a few sites to help you celebrate Nancy’s anniversary at your library!

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/yr/features/nancydrew/index.html

http://www.ndsleuths.com/

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/nancydrewpresskit.html

NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK

Celebrate books and reading during this week’s special celebration! Since 1919, Children's Book Week has been celebrated nationally in schools, libraries, bookstores, clubs, private homes -- any place where there are children and books. Educators, librarians, booksellers, and families have celebrated children's books and the love of reading with storytelling, parties, author and illustrator appearances, and other book-related events.

It all began with the idea that children's books can change lives. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children's books. He proposed creating a Children's Book Week, which would be supported by all interested groups: publishers, booksellers, and librarians.

Mathiews enlisted two important allies: Frederic G. Melcher, the visionary editor of Publishers Weekly, and Anne Carroll Moore, the Superintendent of Children's Works at the New York Public Library and a major figure in the library world. With the help of Melcher and Moore, in 1916 the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association cooperated with the Boy Scouts in sponsoring a Good Book Week.

In 1944, the newly-established Children's Book Council assumed responsibility for administering Children's Book Week. In 2008, Children’s Book Week moved from November to May. At that time, responsibility for Children’s Book Week, including planning official events and creating original materials, was transferred to Every Child a Reader, the philanthropic arm of the children’s publishing industry. Also in 2008, the Children's Book Council created the Children's Choice Book Awards, the only national child-chosen book awards program, giving young readers a powerful voice in their own reading choices.

For more information, go to http://www.bookweekonline.com/

DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION’S YOUTH LITERACY GRANT

Dollar General’s foundation provides funding to schools, public libraries and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. The maximum grant amount is $3,000. Deadline to apply is May 21, 2010. Go to http://www.dollargeneral.com/dgliteracy/Pages/youth_grants.aspx for more information.

FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

This summer, for the first time ever in the Festival City, Milwaukee will add free Shakespeare in the Park to her summer festival retinue and you're invited! Optimist Theatre, in partnership with Alverno College and individuals and organizations from all segments of the city, will create and share a fully local, fully professional, and fully accessible production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Shakespeare’s masterpiece of magic, humor, forgiveness, and redemption will be completely free to the audience, but of the highest creative caliber: simple, fierce, and imaginative. The Tempest stars James Pickering as Prospero, fearsome sorcerer and loving father; Angela Iannone as Ariel, nimble and powerful spirit; Tom Reed as Caliban, vengeful monster and damaged soul; and Jacque Troy as Antonio, scheming sister and seductive conspirator.

Shakespeare in the Park is free for all to attend, but seating space is limited, so RSVP now. Show dates and times are:

Friday, June 18 at 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 19 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 20 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, June 24 at 8:00 pm
Friday, June 25 at 12:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 26 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 27 at 8:00 pm

To RSVP, email your date preference and the total number of people who will be attending to SSFry@OptimistTheatre.org. You’ll receive a confirmation with more details including directions, parking, info on food concessions and other entertainment. Closer to the date, you’ll be emailed a reminder.

For the latest news about Optimist Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park and The Tempest, there are three places to check:

Optimist Theatre’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/OptimistTheatre
Our blog at http://optimisttheatre.wordpress.com/
The latest addition, our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/OptimistTheatre

And, of course, the Optimist Theatre website at www.OptimistTheatre.org

DATES TO REMEMBER

May 10-16 National Children’s Book Week
May 21 Special Needs Consultants meeting, Madison
June 24-29 ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells

WEBSITE FAVES

Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/Matisse

This website is the online version of the current blockbuster exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917. The exhibition is a curator's delight - an in-depth examination of a specific, productive period in Matisse's long career. The exhibit is an opportunity to bring together works never seen before in the same place and many of the paintings in the exhibit were conserved before the show, dark varnishes removed, and colors brightened. Twenty-one works have been selected for the online exhibit, including Bathers by a River, one of Matisse's largest paintings. There is also a video of the installation of this large painting in the new modern wing at AIC, as well as a curators' overview. (Internet Scout Report, 5/7/10)

Neil Gaiman on Libraries - The Book Case
http://www.bookpage.com/the-book-case/2010/04/14/neil-gaiman-talks-about-his-love-of-libraries/

Gaiman explains why he believes that in these difficult economic times, despite the glut of free information from the net, "libraries are as important as they have ever been, and they may be more important than they have ever been." (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2009,4/23/10)

Road Trip Planning - Tips, Resources and Advice
http://roadtripamerica.com/

Offers advice on all aspects of road trip planning, including routes, destinations, road food, road trip gear, a fuel cost calculator, and lots more. Learn from other road trip adventurers and contribute yourself on the forum. (Neat New Stuff I Found This Week, http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html, Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2009, 4/23/10)

Ruhama’s Blog: C2E2 Evaluation
http://librariane.blogspot.com/2010/04/extravaganzaa.html

Jennifer Wharton, Sara Soukup, Ruhama and I attended C2E2 in Chicago last month. In addition the expo, several sessions of interest to librarians were presented that day. Here’s Ruhama’s blog entry about our day.

AND FINALLY…….

It looks like I’ll be returning to Seattle this fall, this time for the Sweet Adelines International convention and competition. My daughter’s quartet, Trouble Clef, will be competing in the Rising Star competition, which is for quartets comprised of young women under the age of 25. We’re all very excited!

CEO, 06/03/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:19:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 343; June 3, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Movie news
South Carolina Day by Day Family Literacy Calendar
Step Up to the Plate
Betsy-Tacy houses designated Literary Landmarks by ALTAFF
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Pop by Gordan Korman
http://tinyurl.com/2w89fcq

Marcus Jordan loves football, but didn't realize how much until he and his mother moved to New York from Kansas, thanks to divorce and a job offer. There he meets Charlie Popovich, a former NFL linebacker who gives him 'extra' training in a nearby park. At first, Marcus doesn't question it, as he's loving the attention and learning more about the game. Plus he's trying to get acceptance from his new team and doesn't have time to think about the oddities that start niggling to the forefront of his brain. Sure, Charlie's retired, but why does he have so much time on his hands? And why does he insist on calling Marcus 'Mac'? And why does he seem to forget things so easily?

Adults may catch on pretty quickly as to what's wrong with Charlie, but I don't think Korman's trying to keep the disease a secret, as part of the plot is Marcus learning more about Alzheimer's, and how to deal with his new-found friend and family. This is one of those sports stories that is well rounded: there's a lot of football, but also a lot of Marcus's home life, school life (including girls and parties) and, of course, Charlie's troubles. Character development is great, with Marcus's changes believable and the secondary characters feel well rounded. Wide ranges of emotions are convincing and will keep readers' attention through this quick paced story. Note: Marcus is a junior in high school and does attend a party with beer and kissing, so this should be in a teen section.

I listened to this on a Playaway and have to also recommend that format.

MOVIE NEWS

Not much on this one, but it reminds me of the crossword documentary:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=66123 (Whiz Kids)

More 3D action! With animals!
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=46557 (Cats & Dogs)

Flipped... I don't know what I think about this book getting adapted...
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=55957

More Kung Fu Panda, with Gary Oldman!
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=66287

Make it a night: all the Twilight movies at once:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=66291

And one of extra special interest to Rhonda:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=44712

(thanks to Ruhama for compiling this list!)

SOUTH CAROLINA DAY BY DAY FAMILY LITERACY CALENDAR

The South Carolina Day by Day Family Literacy Calendar is designed to be a tool that families, caregivers, educators and librarians can use at home and in the classroom to further develop early literacy skills that help young children become prepared for school or do better in school. The Calendar is a project of the South Carolina State Library, working in partnership with many agencies and organizations, and primarily funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Go to the calendar online at http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/sc-day-by-day-calendar.

STEP UP TO THE PLATE

Start throwing some heat this July with programming ideas and promotions for Step Up to the Plate @ your library. July is a big month for baseball with the Home Run Derby (July 12), All-Star Game (July 13) and Induction Day (July 25). Step Up to the Plate makes it easy for libraries to help plan around these events.

Host a “Step Up to the Plate Home Run Derby,” inviting library users of all ages to enter this year’s contest. The first player in each age group to hit a home run (four correct answers) receives a small prize. Ask baseball fans and library lovers to team up for an all ages Library All-Stars Game. Fans will work in two teams of “All Stars” to find the answers to a series of baseball questions. During the “inning” teams will be pitched a series of questions, with each correct answer counting as a hit and each wrong answer registering as an out. Questions can be pulled directly from this year’s Step Up to the Plate playbooks. After the game, encourage players to use their newfound knowledge to participate in the Step Up to the Plate program.

Step Up to the Plate @ your library teams up two American classics - baseball and libraries - to promote the importance of information literacy skills and increase awareness of the library as an essential information resource. Step Up to the Plate centers on a baseball trivia contest. People of all ages are encouraged to visit their library and answer a series of trivia questions inspired by our national pastime. The questions, developed by the library staff at the Hall of Fame, are based on exhibits at the museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

One grand-prize winner will receive a trip to the Hall of Fame in October 2010. Librarians are encouraged to register for free tools to help promote the program locally on the program website http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/publicawareness/campaign%40yourlibrary/sponsorship/stepup/stepup.cfm. Tools include program logos in both English and Spanish and a toolkit that includes sample press materials and programming ideas. Thousands of school and public librarians register for the program each year.

BETSY-TACY HOUSES DESIGNATED LITERARY LANDMARKS BY ALTAFF

The childhood homes of author Maud Hart Lovelace and her best friend, Frances “Bick” Kenney Kirch, in Mankato, Minn., were designated Literary Landmarks by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Lovelace was the author of the Betsy-Tacy book series, which was set at the turn of the 20th century in Mankato. Born Maud Palmer Hart on April 25, 1892, she and her family lived in the house from 1892 to 1906. It was there that she met her best friend, Frances “Bick” Kenney, who moved into the house across the street in 1898. Maud (“Betsy”) and Bick (“Tacy”) were lifelong friends, and the tales of their childhood in Mankato later became the Betsy-Tacy book series.

The Literary Landmark dedication, held May 20, began with a welcome by Betsy-Tacy Society President Penny Banwart, followed by a portrayal of Maud Hart Lovelace by Susan Hynes at “Betsy’s House.” A portrayal of Frances “Bick” Kenney Kirch by Barb Dunker followed at “Tacy’s House.” Tours of the Betsy-Tacy houses were held following the dedication.

Sponsoring the Literary Landmark dedications was the Betsy-Tacy Society, which owns both houses, and celebrates the spirit of the Betsy-Tacy books and the writings, books and life of Maud Hart Lovelace. The nonprofit organization works to promote and preserve Lovelace’s legacy and her work, encourage and support literacy and conserve the author’s historic childhood home. Each year, hundreds of visitors come to Mankato to view the Betsy-Tacy houses. For more information about the Betsy-Tacy Society, visit www.betsy-tacysociety.org.

The Literary Landmarks Association was founded in 1986 by former Friends of Libraries U.S.A.(FOLUSA) president Frederick G. Ruffner to encourage the dedication of historic literary sites. In 1989, the Literary Landmark project became an official FOLUSA committee. The Literary Landmark program continues under ALTAFF, the newly formed division of ALA created by the joining of FOLUSA and the Association for Library Trustees and Friends (ALTA). More than 100 Literary Landmarks across the United States have been dedicated since the program began. Any library or citizens group may apply for a Literary Landmark through ALTAFF; for more information, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/altaff/products_services/literarylandmarks.

DATES TO REMEMBER

June 21 Storywagon starts!
June 24-29 ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC (I’ll be out the 23rd -30th)
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
August 23-25 CSLP Board meeting, Chicago
September 23-35 ALSC Institute, Atlanta
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells

WEBSITE FAVES

Finishing the Dream
http://www.nbclearn.com/finishingthedream

“Finishing the Dream" brings the Civil Rights Movement to life, so students can see what actually happened, and hear and see the people who actually participated in the Movement. The content includes events as they happened, as well as retrospectives that allow students to see and understand the historical impact. The 10 thematic collections allow teachers, parents, and students to explore the Movement from different perspectives -- political, legal, sociological, and personal. The collections can be watched in their entirety or piecemeal, so they can be incorporated into any lesson plan. The transcripts, available for each video clip, allow students to practice their reading skills. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/25/10)

Frogs
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/frogs/?src=e_ce

Frogs are found all over the world from the rainforest to the tundra to the desert. This site highlights the work that the American Museum of Natural History has done with these creatures both in the field and in the museum. Visitors will want to begin with the introduction that offers a brief essay about the frogs’ adaptability and a definition of the amphibian. The featured frog species and the Dart poison frogs sections offer visitors information, high quality photos and sounds of more than a dozen species each. Additionally, visitors can explore the reproductive cycle of frogs, the frog’s evolution over time, frogs and the ecosystem and how the frog population is declining. Students will enjoy the frog sounds from the island of Madagascar and the fun frog facts. Included is an interesting piece on the frog research at the museum: Discovering Frog Diversity around the World with AMNH. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/25/10)

Digital History
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/

This site is a virtual goldmine for teachers and students of American History. The online textbook covers American history from the Revolution to the present and includes more than a dozen timelines that help put events into perspective. There is a rich resource of primary source materials with more than 600 titles that can be browsed or searched by title, author, year of publication or keyword. In the Ethnic Voices sections users will find a complete history of late 19th and early 20th century immigration titled The Huddled Masses as well as a photo album of immigration, chronology and more. The multimedia section features digital stories, a time machine, lectures on such topics as “Slavery and African American Memory” and "The Cultural Civil War of the 1960s," a games database, historical music and Flash movies. The complete teachers’ resource area includes classroom handouts and fact sheets; twenty-four learning modules that include les son plans, fact checks and activities; more than forty resource guides that can be browsed by period or by topic and include readings, primary sources, teaching resources, and audio-visual resources; and a handful of lesson plans for secondary students. Users can use the interactive timeline to navigate through the social, political and cultural events from 1590 to the present. If all this isn’t enough, visitors to the site will also find visual histories, virtual exhibitions, special topics and a comprehensive history reference room that includes book talks, biographies, writing guides and much more. You will definitely want to bookmark this one in order to return often. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/25/10)

The Baldwin Children’s Literature Project
http://www.mainlesson.com/main/displayfeature.php

The Baldwin Project was named in honor of writer and editor James Baldwin (1841-1925). It includes e-text of children's literature that is in the public domain including Nursery Rhymes, Fables, Folk Tales, Myths, Legends and Hero Stories, Literary Fairy Tales, Bible Stories, Nature Stories, Biography, History, Fiction, Poetry, Storytelling, Games, and Craft Activities. Books are also grouped into several themes: Articles include guides to book selections such as Christmas books, world history, the World Series, descriptive science, and making of England; Unit Studies include lists for ancient Rome and Greece, Britain and Norse; and Curricula lists books appropriate for grades kindergarten through grade six. The e-text can be printed with large text for young children and smaller text for older children. The site is rounded out with links to other Internet libraries and reference sites. (Education World Site Reviews, 5/11/10)

The Official Roald Dahl Site
http://www.roalddahl.com/
This site is informative for teachers who use the Roald Dahl books in the classroom and engaging for the students who love his work. The biographical information is extensive and includes a photo gallery and audio of an interview with the writer. Teachers will also find resources for using Dahl’s books in the classroom including lesson plan ideas, classroom activities based on the books, ideas from other teachers, and more. All sorts of interactive activities are available for students, including games based on incidents in familiar books, a monthly poll, the latest news, and postcards to send to friends. The “Books and Stuff” section provides visitors the opportunity to search for a particular work, such as James and the Giant Peach or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and find a synopsis of the story, reader reviews, and a chance to add their own reviews. (Education World Site Reviews, 6/2/10)

Robie House Interior Restoration Project
http://www.gowright.org/robie/

The Robie House, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece in the neighborhood of Hyde Park in the city of Chicago, is slowly being restored to its 1910 splendor. The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust website has an outstanding virtual tour of the house. The first room shown is "Dining Room East", where visitors can see a photo of what it looked liked in "1910", and then by clicking on "Acquisition", visitors can see what it looked like when the Trust acquired it in 1997. Clicking on the "i" (found on the bottom left of each photo) will bring up an informative explanation of the various pieces in the room, such as "Flooring", "Table and Runners", and "Color". Since much of the furniture, fixtures and rugs were long since taken from the house, the Trust will be using the many photographs of the house to recreate the furniture, lighting, fabrics, etc. Visitors should not miss the most stunning picture on the tour, which is "Light Fixtures". Wright's work with George Mann Niedecken on the interior colors of the house, written about in "Articles" on the homepage, combine well with the lighting of the fixtures to produce a beautiful ambiance. (© 2010 Internet Scout Project, 5/28/10)

AND FINALLY…..

June is Adopt a Cat Month! I adopted my two goofball Himalayans Rosie and Posie from a cat shelter in Princeton, Illinois seven years ago. They were littermates and it was love at first sight. Here’s Rosie, who was recently shaved due to matted hair and other hygiene issues, striking a pose for me.

CEO, 4/15/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:32:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 341; April 14, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Make a Splash – READ!
Update on WLA Restructuring
Movie News
Andy Griffiths at the Center for Children’s Literature
Wisconsin Authors and Illustrators Speak Grant
Lois Lenski Covey Foundation Grants
CSLP Info
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEWS

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
http://tinyurl.com/yhaoekb

Katsa does not like her life: her uncle the king uses her to punish people he thinks has done him wrong. Katsa was born with a Grace, as many children are in her world, though each have something different. Katsa's Grace is killing and it has kept her from forming friendships (other than her cousin) or expecting a normal life (she vows to never get married). To combat all the dirty work she must do, Katsa forms a subversive group (called the Council) with the mission of helping and rescuing those in trouble (especially trouble from her uncle), and one particular mission plunges her deeper into a nefarious plot than she ever expected. A kidnapping results in the Council's help, which leads to Katsa meeting the kidnapped Prince's grandson, also Graced, who understands Katsa's position in society. Po is determined to find answers to the kidnapping and encourages Katsa to leave her uncle's employ, hoping she'll join him in his quest for answers. The answers they discover, however, are a threat to their lives and it will use every aspect of their Graces to solve the problem.

This is a gripping story that has a little bit of everything: action, adventure, love, mystery and magic. Katsa's character develops nicely and readers will sympathize with her as she struggles with whatever life throws her way. Po is also likable and it is fascinating to watch him grow and change as the story unfolds. The narrator is omniscient, though events are generally seen through Katsa's eyes. There are several lessons learned in this book, one of them being everything is not as it seems. Po's Grace, for example, is not truly fighting, but he and his mother determined that's how they would portray it, as the ability to read minds and sense surroundings is not beneficial to the son of a king. Katsa also struggles with women's rights from time to time and the societal response to those Graced is interesting. The story stands on its own, though a prequel has since been written, and will appeal boys and girls, teens and adults.

MAKE WAVES – READ!

Oceanworld
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/index.html

From Texas A&M University, Oceanworld is a fabulous resource for kids interested in anything related to the world’s oceans from fisheries, waves, ice, el Niño, forams, and much more.

Enchanted Learning’s All About Oceans and Seas
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/Waves.shtml

Disney Nature’s Oceans
http://disney.go.com/disneynature/oceans/

New film from Disney Nature opens April 22nd on Earth Day.

UPDATE ON WLA RESTRUCTURING

Get the latest scoop on proposed changes to WLA unit structure and viability requirements during the WAPL Spring Conference April 28 – 30 at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. The WAPL membership general session on Thursday, April 29 at 4:00 p.m. will answer members’ questions about a proposal under discussion and development throughout 2010 for presentation to the membership at the annual Business Meeting at the WLA conference in November. Find out what the proposed restructuring will mean to for your membership or leadership experience. Speakers include Lisa Strand, WLA Executive Director and Jim Trojanowski, Director of Northern Waters Library Service. Jim is the WAPL representative on the WLA Board.

Go online to find the WAPL spring conference schedule at-a-glance, plus the full program listing. The deadline for conference registration is April 9. Register online (where you can opt to send a check, using the receipt and confirmation email to submit to your library for payment) or print the PDF registration form and send it in.

To make room reservations at the conference center go to www.blueharborresort.com or phone 866-701-2583 and use code 7A9582. The room registration deadline is April 6.

MOVIE NEWS

Toy Story 3 clip! If the link is too long, be sure to Google this--Ken is hilarious!
http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEjBfsmpnxGhmo?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+movieweb_movienews+%28MovieWeb%3A+Movie+News%29

Apparently it's not enough to adapt books and Disney rides; now it's board games:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=55643 (Battleship)

And comic strips:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=53516 (Marmaduke)

Sorcerer's Apprentice as live action:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=51019

What do you think about Ramona on the big screen?
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=37342

(Thanks to Ruhama for this compilation!)

ANDY GRIFFITHS AT THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Come, giggle, laugh, guffaw, chortle, chuckle and in general enjoy the chance to hear Andy Griffiths talk about his writing for children. He will be in Kenosha at Carthage College at the Hedberg Library’s Neimann Theatre on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 2:00 PM.

The Center for Children’s Literature cordially invites adults and children to this free admission event. In order to reserve a place, contact the Center for Children’s Literature at (262) 552-5480 or email at jstewig@carthage.edu. Space is limited, so please let them know if you can attend as soon as possible!

Andy Griffiths is the author of “The Day My Butt Went Psycho” and “The Cat on the Mat is Flat”. Learn more about him at http://www.andygriffiths.com.au/.

WISCONSIN AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS SPEAK GRANT

The Wisconsin Center for the Book's Wisconsin Authors and Illustrators Speak program, offers towns and cities the opportunity to celebrate and explore the literature of our state with writers and artists. The Center for the Book will award up four grants of $300 each to qualifying organizations wishing to bring a Wisconsin author or illustrator to their community to speak at a public event. The event must be free of admission charges and be scheduled between September 1, 2010 and April 30, 2011. A Wisconsin author or illustrator is defined as one who has lived in Wisconsin for a significant period of time, including someone who may no longer be living in the state.

Any Wisconsin nonprofit organization interested in books and reading is eligible to apply for one of the grants. Collaboration among groups is encouraged. Such groups may include libraries, schools, community organizations, and places of worship. Applications will be judged on the basis of community outreach and collaboration, thoroughness of planning, and rationale for the choice of speaker. Application information can be found at http://wisconsincenterforthebook.wordpress.com/wais/ or by contacting Sarah McGowan, Wisconsin Authors and Illustrators program chair, at windsong@centurytel.net. Completed applications are due July 1, 2010.

LOIS LENSKI COVEY FOUNDATION GRANTS

The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc. annually awards grants for purchasing books published for young people preschool through grade 12. Grants for 2010 will range from $500 to $3000 and are specifically for children’s book purchases rather than administrative or operational uses.

The LLCF library grant program provides grants for public libraries, school libraries, and charitable organizations [501(c)(3)] that have lending libraries where children up to age 18 may check out books to read or to use for gathering information. We will also consider applications from non-profit abuse centers, rehab centers, detention centers, etc., as long as a lending library is actively maintained on the premises. Only libraries or organizations within the United States, its territories, or commonwealths are eligible. he Foundation gives to libraries or organizations that serve economically or socially at-risk children, have limited book budgets, and demonstrate real need.

The library grant program provides grants for purchasing children’s books. The books may be fiction or non-fiction. The library grant program DOES NOT provide grants for book-donation programs, classroom libraries, atlases, dictionaries, basal readers or similar texts, workbooks or similar instructional tools, or for textbooks or encyclopedias. Grant applications for audio books will be considered only in the cases of children with special needs, where audio books would be particularly appropriate in addressing those needs.

In order for a library to be considered, it must have been in operation for at least three years. County or district library systems cannot apply as a whole; public or school libraries within a county or district system are eligible to apply individually. A link to a downloadable application is available at the Grant Application web page. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2010.

CSLP INFO

The themes for 2012 are:

Children’s theme is “Dream Big – Read” = “Sueña en grande – Lee”
Teen theme is “Own the Night” = “Se dueño de la noche”
Adult theme is “Between the Covers” = “Entre las carátulas”

I asked the CSLP translator to provide the Spanish translation of this at the meeting in Tacoma last week.

The concept for 2013 is “underground”. So think of things that exist or occur underground – subways, caves, worms, volcano lava, plant root systems, you get the idea. ☺ It will be a fun theme.

I also have posters of the artwork for next year’s “One World Many Stories”, “You are Here” and “Novel Destinations” themes which I will display at our children’s meeting next Tuesday. The poster for the children’s theme is particularly breathtaking.

DATES TO REMEMBER

April 15 Kevin Henkes at Rochester Public Library, 6 PM
April 16 C2E2, Chicago
April 20 Lakeshores youth services meeting, noon, LLS office
April 22-25 Sweet Adelines Region 22 Competition, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
April 28-30 WAPL Conference, Blue Harbor Resort, Sheboygan
June 24-29 ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells

WEBSITE FAVES

AdViews: A Digital Archive of Vintage Television Commercials
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adviews/

While watching television commercials might seem like a form of torture to some, this amazing archive is a treasure trove for those with an interest in media studies and popular culture. The AdViews digital archive consists of several thousand vintage television commercials from the 1950s through 1980s, and it is part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History at Duke University. First-time visitors should check out the "About" area for a bit more background on the project, and then type in some keywords like "peanuts" or "toothpaste" into the search engine. The results are returned in a grid format, and the commercials are played back via iTunes. The "AdViews Expert Interviews" area contains talks with former advertising executives, professors of marketing, and media studies experts. The site also has a nice blog that highlights new items in the collection and a quiz to "Test Your Ad Knowledge." (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project, http://scout.wisc.edu, 3/19/10)

StoryCorps: Recording The Lives of Everyday Americans
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4516989

StoryCorps' mission is to provide "Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives". Since 2003, 50,000 Americans have taken that opportunity, and some of their stories can be heard on NPR's radio show, Morning Edition. The StoryCorps website has links to over a dozen stories on its homepage, along with photos of those key to the story. To "Read the StoryCorps Blog", visitors should go to the menu on the right side of the page, under "Follow Us Online, On The Road". The stories of these Americans range from heart-rending to humorous. Some of the titles include "A Boy Raises a Man-And Becomes One Himself", about a 16-year-old who raises his son as a single dad; "Boy Scout Tells Leader Why He Stayed 25 Years", about a Boy Scout troop for special needs scouts; and "Coping With Memory Loss as it Spans Generations", about a 55-year-old woman who has early onset Alzheimer's disease, and is dealing with her mother, who also has Alzheimer's. (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project, http://scout.wisc.edu, 3/19/10)

Heritage Preservation
http://www.heritagepreservation.org/

The Heritage Preservation: The National Institute for Conservation is a 30-year-old non-profit in Washington, DC, that is concerned with preserving the treasures of the United States that are already in institutions, such as museums, historical societies, and libraries, as well as those historical treasures that are in people's homes, basements, and attics. Their website is comprehensive, and lists the programs they run to help accomplish this monumental task. Under the "Programs" tab visitors will find links to the "Conservation Assessment Program" and "Heritage Emergency National Task Force", which is like FEMA for historical objects. "Rescue Public Murals" and "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" are also programs the Heritage Preservation runs. Visitors can see photographs of "Murals That Have Been Lost" and "Murals That Have Been Saved". Finally, the link under "Programs" to the "Heritage Health Index" provides a full online report of the "first comprehensive survey to assess the condition and preservation needs of U.S. collections". (Copyright 2010 Internet Scout Project, http://scout.wisc.edu, 3/19/10)

AND FINALLY……..

Don’t forget to go to the Rochester Public Library tomorrow evening to their program with Kevin Henkes!

Make a Splash - Read Webliography

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:30:00 +0000

MAKE A SPLASH – READ and MAKE WAVES – READ
2010 WEBLIOGRAPHY
A compilation of websites from Rhonda Puntney’s CEO newsletter

Websites are loosely categorized by the following categories:
Aquatic Life and Science, Games and Sports, Food, Crafts, and Miscellaneous

AQUATIC LIFE AND SCIENCE

NOAA: Ocean, Great Lakes and Coastal Research
http://www.research.noaa.gov/oceans/

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) research website on the coasts and the nation's lakes is committed to the proposition that "knowledge of the oceans, their resources and their relationship to human activities is vital to our society." The menu on the left side of the page has nine research areas to explore, including "Habitat Protection and Restoration", "Aquatic Invasive Species", and "Coastal Resource Management". Each area of research includes numerous links to other NOAA websites, as well as a list of NOAA Research Programs of relevance. Clicking on the orange "Education" tab in the middle of the page takes visitors to a page with over a dozen education resources for teachers and students. Just scroll down to the heading Ocean and Great Lakes Information for some fantastic opportunities, such as the "Teacher at Sea Program", "Biscayne Bubbles", and "Interactive Climate Analysis and Data Plotting". (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 9/4/09)

Freshwater and Marine Image Bank
http://content.lib.washington.edu/fishweb/index.html

The University of Washington Libraries has digitized 21,000 images of freshwater and marine life taken from 1735-1924 that populated various publications about the topic. Some of the publications include 18th and 19th century books with hand-colored images, stereographs, and publications of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries and related agencies that contain a slew of illustrations. On the far right hand side of the homepage is a list of 24 sample subject areas that the images fall into, including "aquaculture", "mollusks", "polar subjects", and "water birds". Visitors wishing to see the complete list of subjects should click on "Browse Subjects", in the top right of the homepage. The "Other Sources" link at the bottom right hand side of the page has links to over a dozen other websites that contain digitized freshwater and marine images, such as "Sea Lamprey Images", "Shoreline Aerial Photos", and "Reef Snapshots", just to name a few. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 8/28/09)

Waterlife
http://waterlife.nfb.ca/

A beautiful and dramatic website, Waterlife, addresses the dire state of the Great Lakes. Created by the National Film Board of Canada the site has high quality images, a rousing soundtrack, and different narrators. Visitors can choose to discover what part of life water affects from a menu on the left hand side of the page, and in this case, there are many. "Water is..." sits at the top of the left hand side menu, and below it are the almost two dozen topics related to water which can be selected. Rolling the cursor over the slightly transparent list of topics increases their visibility. Some of the topics include "evaporating", "waste", "chemicals", "shipping", "invasive species" and "political". Choose any of the topics, and eerie music accompanies the educational and sobering text that floats and moves about the chosen topic. In some cases, a narrator explains a bit more about the topic and the visitor can still click through the other text presented on the screen. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 8/28/09)

Water on the Web
http://waterontheweb.org/

Water on the Web provides water science units to help students understand and solve real-world environmental problems. The curricula are divided into two sets; Basic Science and Water Science. The basic program helps students learn basic science through hands-on science activities and by working with state-of-the-art technologies that are accessible through the Web site. It includes a teacher and a student section. The teacher section includes lesson plans for both a directed study approach and an inquiry approach to teaching and learning. The student section gives students a lab problem and a problem using the data found at the site. The Water Science section is divided into six units and each unit is divided into modules containing lectures in the form of Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and labs. Students learn about aquatic ecology, water quality, and watershed as well as view and manipulate maps and data on lakes and rivers nationwide using the data visualization tools available on the site. (Education World Site Reviews, 8/4/ 09)

UW Center for Limnology
http://limnology.wisc.edu/

Limnology is the study of inland waters. And what better place to study that than at Lake Mendota at the University of Wisconsin in Madison! The Center for Limnology is a multi-disciplinary center within the College of Letters and Science at the UW. The CFL facilities are comprised of two research stations: the Hasler Laboratory of Limnology on campus (many of us walked by the Limnology building for years on our way to class or to the Lakeshores dorms without knowing exactly what limnology was) and the Trout Lake Research Station in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin.

Halibut.net
http://www.halibut.net/

At Halibut.net you'll find everything you've ever wanted to know about the largest flatfish in the ocean. You can also search for the best halibut fishing areas, from California to Alaska and everywhere between, including the best places to catch Pacific halibut in British Columbia.

The Water Cycle
http://epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html

Have you ever wondered where water comes from, where it goes, and what it does in between? This short fun animation supplies all the answers.

All About Oceans and Seas
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/

Learn all about oceans and seas on the earth, along with finding out answers to questions, such as what causes tides and why is the ocean salty? Information about the water cycle, underwater explorers, and coral reefs is also provided.

NOAA's Aquarius
http://www.uncw.edu/aquarius/
Off the shore of the Florida Keys sits the Aquarius, the world's only undersea research station. The station is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and their research and education programs are quite impressive. On their website, visitors should check out the "About Aquarius" area to learn about the daily operations of the laboratory and its operating costs. In the "Mission Info" area, visitors can look over profiles of the aquanauts on duty aboard the Aquarius, read their blog, and ask these intrepid souls questions about their work. Educators should look over the "Lesson Plans", which include activities based around teaching students about buoyancy and pressure. Finally, visitors should look over the "Missions & Project Info". Here they will find information about recently completed projects, including scientific work on coral restoration and the role of sponges in coral-reef ecosystems. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 11/25/09)

Polar TREC Bering Sea Ecosystem Field Study
http://www.polartrec.com/bering-ecosystem-change

In March 2008, my brother Craig participated in a Polar TREC (Teachers & Researchers Exploring & Collaborating) Bering Sea ecosystem study onboard the ice boring ship USCGC Healy. While on board the Healy they documented late winter ocean conditions, studied biological communities found in sea ice, examined early spring plankton bloom, and investigated light penetration through open water and ice cover. Craig kept an online journal of his journey, posted photos, and responded to questions submitted by his classroom back in Anchorage and others interested in his trip.

The River Wild: Running the Selway
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/selway/

"Join us for a wet and wild ride down the white water of Idaho's Selway River. Choose a boat, brush up on your paddling, listen to birdcalls, and learn the lingo of river rats."

NOVA Online – Shark Attack!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks

Lots of cool facts about sharks! Learn about the shark's six senses. Want to learn even more about sharks? Contains shark-related links. Based on a program originally aired on PBS' NOVA television series.

Jellyfish are Everywhere!
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/media/world/9608/jellyfish/index.html

Learn about the different kinds of jellyfish and how to avoid getting stung by one.

Shark Surfari
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/sharks/

"Get a kid's-eye view of these ancient fish. Fins surround you, but the only teeth on our cyber sharks are quiz questions that challenge your knowledge--and prejudices.
"Online book about sharks that has facts, pictures, print-outs, extreme sharks, and much more."

Pete and Barb’s Penguin Pages
http://www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

"Inside this site you will find everything you want to know about penguins."

Oceanworld
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/index.html

From Texas A&M University, Oceanworld is a fabulous resource for kids interested in anything related to the world’s oceans from fisheries, waves, ice, el Niño, forams, and much more.

Enchanted Learning’s All About Oceans and Seas
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/Waves.shtml

Treasures @ Sea
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow8/dec98/main.html

Explore the ocean through literature.

Disney Nature’s Oceans
http://disney.go.com/disneynature/oceans/

New film from Disney Nature opens April 22nd on Earth Day.

GAMES AND SPORTS

Staying Safe in the Water
http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/water.html\

This site has water safety information for swimming pools, lakes and ponds, beaches, and water parks.

Fun Attic Water Games
http://www.funattic.com/game_water.htm

Water Fun and Games for Kids
http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/summerfunwaterplay.htm

Ultimate Camp Resource Water Games
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/water-games.page-1.html

Water Games for the Pool, Sprinkler, and More
http://familyfun.go.com/games/indoor-outdoor-games/specialfeature/kids-water-games/

Wisconsin Dells Convention and Visitor Bureau
http://wisdells.com/

The self-proclaimed “Waterpark Capital of the World!” offers year-round opportunities to make a splash (and read)!

USA Swimming
http://www.usaswimming.org/usasweb/DesktopDefault.aspx

USA Swimming is the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States. USA Swimming is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Their membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: build the base, promote the sport, and achieve competitive success.

USA Water Ski
http://www.usawaterski.org/

Water Ski is the national governing body of organized water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is a member of the International Water Ski Federation (world governing body), the Pan American Sports Organization and the United States Olympic Committee. Affiliated with USA Water Ski as sport disciplines are the American Water Ski Association (AWSA), American Barefoot Club (ABC), American Kneeboard Association (AKA), National Collegiate Water Ski Association (NCWSA), National Show Ski Association (NSSA), National Water Ski Racing Association (NWSRA), United States Hydrofoil Association (USHA), USA Wakeboard (USA-WB) and Water Skiers with Disabilities Association (WSDA).

Snorkeling.info
http://www.snorkeling.info/

Snorkeling is a wonderful activity that can be enjoyed by almost anyone who has access to the ocean, a lake, river, pond or quarry. Snorkeling as an activity frequently lives in the shadows of scuba diving - another excellent pastime, but one that requires significantly more instruction, time and money. Most people who have snorkeled have done so only on group charters while on vacation, but snorkeling is an activity that can be done almost anytime, anywhere.

The Scuba Guide.com
http://www.thescubaguide.com/

Scuba (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is an apparatus utilizing a portable supply of compressed gas supplied at a regulated pressure and used for breathing while swimming underwater. The apparatus is often called "scuba gear", a "scuba system" or simply "scuba". Scuba is also the common name for the sport (also called "diving" or "scuba diving") which uses the apparatus for recreational diving. Get the scoop here on diving, equipment, certification and more.

CRAFTS

Aquatic Life Crafts for Kids
http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/artscraftsideasseaoceanlifefishaquatickids.html

From the Artists Helping Children page, you will literally find everything here you need for crafting a variety of projects related to the Make a Splash theme. I love the url: seaoceanlifefishaquatickids. Says it all. I bookmarked their theme index http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/craftsbytheme.html.

This is for all of you crafters out there, specifically CROCHETERS. (Sorry, knitters!) Here’s a list of free crochet patterns of small projects you or your teen crafters can make for next summer!

Large Seashell
http://surawhit.googlepages.com/largeseashell

Medium Seashell
http://surawhit.googlepages.com/mediumseashells

Manta Ray
http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/a-manta-ray.html

Angel Fish Amigurumi
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70581AD.html
(the Lion Brand patterns are free but require you to sign up)

Little Lobster and Baby Mermaid
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/BabyChild/WR1730+Crochet+Little+Lobster+and+Baby+Mermaid.htm

Big Headed Frog
http://craftychristina.blogspot.com/2008/09/big-headed-frog.html

Big Rainbow Fish
http://www.caron.com/projects/ss_paints/ssp_big_fish.html

Octopi
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=114316.0
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70588AD.html?r=1
http://www.knit1mag.com/patterns/2007/winter/k1w07_30.pdf

Chubby Fish
http://mygurumi.blogspot.com/2008/11/chubby-fish-pattern.html

Fabio Frog Prince
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90227AD.html

Fish Potholders
http://wwwlubbockarmadillo.blogspot.com/2007/07/free-fish-potholder-pattern_28.html

Frog
http://arminas-aminals.blogspot.com/2008/03/ami-frog.html

Freddie the Fish
http://apocalypseknits.blogspot.com/2009/02/fredde-fish-pattern.html

Frog Pincushion
http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/2008/04/frog-pincushi-1.html

Amigurumi Snails
http://www.fortheloveofyarn.com/Issues/Spring06/patterns/spring06_snail.shtml
http://amigurumibyknotty.blogspot.com/2009/04/free-snail-pattern.html

Squid Purse
http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2821

Goldfish Cat Toy
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80204AD.html

Goldfish
http://kendra.youarenotyourjob.com/2008/01/crochet-goldfish-pattern.htm

Tina Turtle
http://www.np-trade.de/anleit/pdf/e-tinaturtle.pdf

Toad
http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/toad.html

Tree Frog
http://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/2007/09/a-green-afterno.html

Jellyfish
http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/do-the-jellyfish-jam/

Here are some links to origami instructions for water-dwelling critters that will have you and your program attendees folding happily!

Fish
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-angelfish.html
http://www.origami-instructions.com/easy-origami-goldfish.html
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-koi.html

Crab
http://www.origami-instructions.com/easy-origami-crab.html

Frogs
http://www.origami-instructions.com/easy-origami-frog.html
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-frog.html

Shrimp
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-shrimp.html

Tortoise
http://www.origami-instructions.com/easy-origami-tortoise.html

Snail
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-snail.html

Whale
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-whale.html

FOOD

Snail Snack
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50266&cmp=NLC-NL_Recipe_080310_header

Lunch Ahoy!
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50387&cmp=NLC-NL_Recipe_081409_ahoy

Sailboat Sandwiches
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=15319&cmp=NLC-NL_Recipe_081409_boat

Sailboat Lunch
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=52217

Fish Cake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50135

Mermaid Cake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50165

Pool Party Cake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50183

Pail of Sand Cake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50172

Pirate Ship Cake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50180

MISCELLANEOUS

Handouts from Wisconsin Summer Library Program Preconference

Pre-conference program descriptions:
http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/yss/2009preconference.htm

Pre-conference handouts:
http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/yss/preconferencehandouts.htm

Pre-conference schedule-at-a-glance:
http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/yss/Documents/2009%20Preconference/Schedule%20at%20a%20Glance.pdf

And finally……

Additional sites from Education World Site Reviews of topical interest:

Ace on the Case: Secrets @ Sea
Amazon Interactive
AmphibiaWeb
EEK – Environmental Education for Kids
ExplorA-Pond
Frogs: A Chorus of Colors
Horizon Magic Porthole
National Ocean Service: Education
National Science Foundation: Sea Vent Viewer
National Sea Grant Library: Digital Libraries
Ocean.com - Everything Ocean
Ocean Explorer
Office of Naval Research Science and Technology Focus: Oceanography
Oceans Alive
Rainforest Vacations?
Sea Turtle.org
Tsunamis and Earthquakes
UN Atlas of the Oceans
Under the Sea
Water on the Web (WOW)
Water Science for Schools
WhaleNet
Wired Antarctica
Wyland Ocean Challenge: "Clean Water for the 21st Century"

CEO, 2/25/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:22:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 339; February 25, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Make a Splash – READ!
Teen Tech Week
Read Across America
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEWS

Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
http://tinyurl.com/yapqp6o

A cute story of self-acceptance and *enjoying* who you are. Spoon is young and lately has been feeling envious of the other cutlery: their lives look so much more exciting and adventurous. Spoon's mom agrees, but then points out all the unique things Spoon can do. The illustrations are cute and provide a few extras to the story. There isn't a lot of color, but what is used is well placed and meaningful. Adults will enjoy the subtle humor and kids will have fun imagining all the fun things their spoons can do.

Finn Throws a Fit by David Elliott
http://tinyurl.com/yagyakr

Finn is having a bad moment, and his parents feel the wrath of his storm of emotions. Thunder, a blizzard and earthquakes only begin to describe the effects wreaked by the toddler. And, just like that, his tantrum ends and all is well again. Though the use of weather and natural disasters is an interesting concept, the overall feel of this book is tired: the concept, the art style and the denouement have all been done before. It's well done, but a secondary purchase.

Sweet Dreams Lullaby by Betsy Snyder
http://tinyurl.com/yf4rgh5

A truly sweet book about all the possibilities you have in your dreams, and the author only wishes you the best. From cloud watching to frog songs to 'the dandelion breeze', the little rabbit enjoys his/her drift into sleep. The rhyme and cadence are lovely and create fun visual images. The illustrations are clean, colorful and soft. The animals remind me of Richard Scarry's art with a twist of Ed Emberley. If using in a bedtime storytime (or a dim room), be sure to read it ahead of time, as the text is small and a bit hard to read.

MAKE A SPLASH – READ!

Here are some links to origami instructions for water-dwelling critters that will have you and your program attendees folding happily!

Fish
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-angelfish.html
http://www.origami-instructions.com/easy-origami-goldfish.html
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-koi.html

Crab
http://www.origami-instructions.com/easy-origami-crab.html

Frogs
http://www.origami-instructions.com/easy-origami-frog.html
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-frog.html

Shrimp
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-shrimp.html

Tortoise
http://www.origami-instructions.com/easy-origami-tortoise.html

Snail
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-snail.html

Whale
http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-whale.html

TEEN TECH WEEK

Teen Tech Week 2010 is March 7-13! Teen Tech Week is a national initiative aimed at teens, librarians, educators, parents, and other concerned adults meant to encourage teens to take advantage of libraries' nonprint resources. The 2010 theme — Learn Create Share @ your library — fosters teen creativity and positions the library as a physical and virtual place for safe exploration of the many types of technology available at libraries, including DVDs, music, gaming, video production, online homework help, social networking, tech workshops, audiobooks and more. Check out program ideas relating to this year's theme or resources to help you plan. Or if you already know what you’ll be doing, use the publicity tools, which include PSAs featuring Tom Kenny to promote Teen Tech Week in your community. You’ll find this and more at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw10/home10.cfm.

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Teen Tech Week began in 2007 and has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library.

READ ACROSS AMERICA

NEA's Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss. NEA's Read Across America also provides NEA members, parents, caregivers, and children the resources and activities they need to keep reading on the calendar 365 days a year.

If you are celebrating, these websites have some great programming ideas:

http://www.nea.org/readacross/index.html

http://www.seussville.com//special/read.html

http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/readacross

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/dr-seuss-birthday/

http://classroom.jc-schools.net/read/read-amer/ideas.html

DATES TO REMEMBER

March 1 CSLP Executive Board
March 24-27 PLA Conference, Portland, Oregon
April 1 Peggy’s retirement open house, 1-4, LLS office
April 6-10 CSLP Annual Meeting, Tacoma, Washington
April 22-25 Sweet Adelines Region 22 Competition, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
April 28-30 WAPL Conference, Blue Harbor Resort, Sheboygan
June 17-22 ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota

WEBSITE FAVES

Jazz in America
http://www.jazzinamerica.org/

Students, teachers, or anyone interested in this style of music will enjoy the resources here. A complete resource library is available that includes a timeline, a glossary, photographs, audio clips, a list of important "firsts," information on selected artists, style sheets, and a history of jazz education. The program aims to help "students develop imaginative thinking, creativity, curiosity, a positive self-image, and a respect for their own and others' heritage." Lesson plans for grade 11 and 8 are currently available with plans for publishing grade five in the near future. Each of the sixteen lessons addresses standards for U.S. History and Arts Education and includes a teacher's guide, handouts, assessments, and links to the supporting media. The focus of the lessons is the music and the role it has played in American culture. Classroom teachers have permission to download, print, and photocopy as needed. (Education World Site Reviews, 2/16/10)

Arts Alive
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/index.asp

This Web site is a great resource for teachers and students who are studying about instruments and composers. From the music resources section, educators can find classroom activity ideas, read biographical information on a variety of composers, and download resource kits involving Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Schubert. This section also includes sound files and video clips of orchestra performances and musician interviews. In the section about instruments, students can learn about the different instrument families in the orchestra. They can also listen to and "virtually handle" all of the instruments. Another section of the site includes video interviews with the orchestra music director and the orchestra members. The site also has many great activities and games to help students learn more about music. (Education World Site Reviews, 2/16/10)

Creating Music
http://www.creatingmusic.com/

Creating Music is a great place for youngsters to explore musical composition. The site admirably accomplishes its goal of providing "an environment for children to experience creative play in the creation of music, with the same ease they have been able to enjoy with toys, drawing tools, building blocks, puppets, etc." As easy as they can finger-paint, children can "draw" musical compositions and listen to their creations, manipulate the tempo of classical music, solve musical puzzles by rearranging the melodies, and experiment with performing music by movement gesture. Whether you are a music teacher or a parent wanting to increase your child's musical awareness, this site is one you'll want to bookmark. (Education World Site Reviews, 2/16/10)

AND FINALLY……..

Bethany’s quartet “Trouble Clef” will be singing the national anthem tonight at Burlington High School before the varsity boy’s basketball game!

CEO Newsletter, 3/16/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:19:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 340; March 17, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Reviews
Make a Splash – READ!
Help Make Children Count Too
The Wimpy Kid Movie
2010 Best Books for Young Adults
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEWS

King of the Screwups by K.L. Going
http://tinyurl.com/ydu36yu

Liam's mother, Sarah, is a model and famous boutique owner. His father, Allan, is a famous successful financial guy. Liam... well, he's very good at being popular. This often causes family arguments, especially when Liam's father struggles with his son getting bad grades, getting drunk and getting in trouble. Allan finally reaches the breaking point and kicks Liam out of the house, right before Liam's senior year begins. Sarah arranges for Liam to live with his Aunt Pete (named because he's gay) for a while. Liam is determined not to screw up again, even decided that he'd work towards not being the most likable guy in school. Unfortunately, that backfires and he's Mister Popularity almost from the start, which worries Liam and his plan to make his father like him again.

This is a touching story of a boy who really does want to make his dad proud and struggles through many poor decisions in doing so. Liam is a likable character (as he should be--he's one of the popular crowd, after all), though there were times I was frustrated with his obsession with trying to get the girl next door to like him. I appreciated the fact that he enjoys fashion and had a flair for setting a scene (which shows up when he starts to work for his uncle's friend at the upscale clothing store in town) and finally embraces it as a talent. I also enjoyed watching the relationship between uncle and nephew grow, as well as seeing the back story of Liam's relationship with his mom. The audience for this book could be limited, though girls will enjoy it, and the discussion of self esteem and finding what you're good at, not conforming to someone else's ideal, is a timely message for all, including parents.

MAKE A SPLASH – READ!

Wisconsin Dells Convention and Visitor Bureau
http://wisdells.com/

The self-proclaimed “Waterpark Capital of the World!” offers year-round opportunities to make a splash (and read)!

USA Swimming
http://www.usaswimming.org/usasweb/DesktopDefault.aspx

USA Swimming is the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States. USA Swimming is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Their membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: build the base, promote the sport, and achieve competitive success.

USA Water Ski
http://www.usawaterski.org/

Water Ski is the national governing body of organized water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is a member of the International Water Ski Federation (world governing body), the Pan American Sports Organization and the United States Olympic Committee. Affiliated with USA Water Ski as sport disciplines are the American Water Ski Association (AWSA), American Barefoot Club (ABC), American Kneeboard Association (AKA), National Collegiate Water Ski Association (NCWSA), National Show Ski Association (NSSA), National Water Ski Racing Association (NWSRA), United States Hydrofoil Association (USHA), USA Wakeboard (USA-WB) and Water Skiers with Disabilities Association (WSDA).

Snorkeling.info
http://www.snorkeling.info/

Snorkeling is a wonderful activity that can be enjoyed by almost anyone who has access to the ocean, a lake, river, pond or quarry. Snorkeling as an activity frequently lives in the shadows of scuba diving - another excellent pastime, but one that requires significantly more instruction, time and money. Most people who have snorkeled have done so only on group charters while on vacation, but snorkeling is an activity that can be done almost anytime, anywhere.

The Scuba Guide.com
http://www.thescubaguide.com/

Scuba (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is an apparatus utilizing a portable supply of compressed gas supplied at a regulated pressure and used for breathing while swimming underwater. The apparatus is often called "scuba gear", a "scuba system" or simply "scuba". Scuba is also the common name for the sport (also called "diving" or "scuba diving") which uses the apparatus for recreational diving. Get the scoop here on diving, equipment, certification and more.

HELP MAKE CHILDREN COUNT TOO

Children have been undercounted in every census since the first one in 1790. Local communities rely on census information in planning for schools, child care, health, and other critical services. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is supporting the Census Bureau's efforts to ensure that parents and child care providers count their babies and young children on their 2010 Census forms so all children can benefit tomorrow from community services.

• Download the toolkit featuring Dora the Explorer, the popular children's cartoon character, to help spread the word among colleagues, members, and friends.
• Read the Casey report, Why Are Young Children Missed So Often in the Census?
Visit the KIDS COUNT data center to see how children are faring in your state or community. (Annie E. Casey Foundation March 2010 Electronic Newsletter)

THE WIMPY KID MOVIE

The stick-figure star of Jeff Kinney’s best-selling series of illustrated novels (Amulet/Abrams) is finally ready for his close-up. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (PG), a live-action family comedy from 20th Century Fox Pictures, premieres in theaters on March 19, 2010. Based on the first book in the sequence (2007), the film is directed by Thor Freudenthal (Hotel for Dogs) and stars Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, a wisecracking preteen who chronicles his experiences in middle school through a journal (“It’s not a diary!”) and hand-drawn cartoons. With his best friend Rowley (Robert Capron) at his side, Greg embarks on adventures that include interactions with oddball neighborhood kid Fregley (Grayson Russell), wrestling a tough girl named Patty Farrell (Laine MacNeil), dealing with Greg’s not-so-nice older brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick), and avoiding the dreaded “Cheese Touch” (originating from a piece of cheese left moldering on the playground since last spring, this social pariah is passed, like Cooties, from one student to another).

Fans of the books and newcomers to Greg’s world alike can meet the characters (and check out the actors chosen to portray them) at the movie’s Web site. The options (a photo gallery, video previews, downloads, etc.) are cleverly arrayed against a notebook-page backdrop that includes some of Kinney’s recognizable artwork. Viewers can also play the “Cheese Touch Game” (a challenge that requires participants to place film clips in the correct sequence), test their knowledge of Wimpy Kid trivia, and design their own cartoon characters. A link to WimpyKid.com provides access to book info, an interview with the author, and a downloadable party kit and teacher’s guide. (SLJ’s Extra Helping, 3/15/10)

2010 BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) announced its 2010 list of “Best Books for Young Adults.” The list of 90 books recommended for those ages 12–18 meets the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The list comprises a wide range of genres and styles, including contemporary realistic fiction that reflects the diversity of the teen experience, nonfiction that brings to teens an awareness of the world they live in and its history, and fantastical stories told in both narrative and graphic formats. The complete list, including annotations, can be found on the YALSA website at http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/bbya. (Channel Weekly, 3/5/10)

DATES TO REMEMBER

March 24-27 PLA Conference, Portland, Oregon
April 1 Peggy’s retirement open house, 1-4, LLS office
April 6-10 CSLP Annual Meeting, Tacoma, Washington
April 15 Kevin Henkes at Rochester Public Library, 6 PM
April 16 C2E2, Chicago
April 22-25 Sweet Adelines Region 22 Competition, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
April 28-30 WAPL Conference, Blue Harbor Resort, Sheboygan
June 17-22 ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota
November 2-5 WLA Conference, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells

WEBSITE FAVES

Looking Glass for the Mind: 350 Years of Books for Children
http://content.lib.washington.edu/childrensweb/exhibit.html

The University of Washington Digital Collection of children's books starts off with a wonderful piece that touches on the beloved memories children's books bring back for so many, but also on the reasons why a university library would collect children's books. Several of the reasons given regard what children's books can teach us: printing and book illustration history, the "study of the gradual changes in familiar tales to reflect changes in societal acceptance and sensibilities," social and ethnic history, the historical role of women, and shifting views on education. After the homepage is the index to the exhibit with an introduction, a brief history of the first children's book publishers. To the left is the "Index" of topics that the books cover. Visitors will find a multitude, including "Fables", "Grammar, Spelling, Elocution & Rhetoric", "Math & Money", "Activity Books", and "Prejudice & Bigotry". Under the topic "Fables", visitors should check out The Baby's Own Aesop, illustrated by Walter Crane, who began an illustrating apprenticeship at the age of fourteen. (The Scout Report, 2/26/10)

NYPL Digital Gallery: Turn of the Century Posters
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?topic=printing&col_id=212

Anna Palmer Draper collected hundreds of posters during her lifetime, and when she passed away in 1914, her will indicated that they would go to the New York Public Library. They did, and in the 1930s and 1940s Library staff members mounted the posters on card stock and bound them into large volumes, alphabetically by artist. Many of them are now available on this site, and they represent a broad pastiche of magazine, book, and newspaper posters from the 1890s into the early 20th century. Visitors can search through the collection headings, which include "Posters by Will Bradley", "American book posters", and "Newspaper posters". One good place to start here is the "Commercial Posters" area. Here visitors will find exquisite advertisements for Blue Seal birch beer, Sterling bicycles, and Arrow shirts for men. Students of illustration, design, and art history will find much to admire and enjoy here. (The Scout Report, 3/5/10)

Actorama.com
http://www.actorama.com/

Actorama.com just may make it easier for actors to break into the business. However, this website is not just a place to find acting parts as it also offers a database of monologues and scenes. Visitors can search for different types of monologues, by clicking on "Monologues and Scenes" on the menu at the top of the page. The monologues can be browsed by whether the role is for a man or woman, or whether it's comic, dramatic, or serio-comic. The search function gives a few more options by which to search, such as where it's from, "Film", "Play", "Television" or "Book"; or time period, such as "Ancient Greek", "17th Century" or "Contemporary". In order to "Upload" the "Scene" or "Monologue", visitors must sign in (it's free) and then they can upload summaries, comments, and videos for any scene or monologue they desire. The "Casting Calls" link at the top of the page allows visitors to view casting calls or to post one. The casting calls listed are in the "United States", the "U.K.", "Australia", and "Canada". Detailed contact pages are given for each casting call. (The Scout Report, 3/5/10)

AND FINALLY……..

I’ll be out of the office beginning tomorrow and will return on the 29th – better and back to my usual self!

CEO Newsletter, 2/9/10

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:14:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 338; February 9, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Make a Splash – READ!
2010 Zolotow Awards
Movie News
The Best Journey to Adult Life
LauraPalooza 2010
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally......

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes
http://tinyurl.com/ybjg62f

This is a story of plan A turning into a need for plan B, which then discovers it needs a plan C. Miss Loupe is the new sixth grade teacher at Young Oaks on the Air Force base in North Carolina and loves theater. As the year progresses, the class begins to look forward to the daily bouts of improv that take place on the Ugly, Ugly Couch that resides in their classroom. Bo is the son of the commander of the base and, for the first time in his life, is enjoying school, thanks to being in Miss Loupe's classroom. Gari is Bo's cousin and moves in with his family when her mom is deployed to Afghanistan as a nurse, and she is bitter about the move. Everything changes for the students of Miss Loupe's class when their teacher's brother is reported missing in action in Afghanistan and she loses heart. Suddenly, all her kids want to help her, the troops both on base, in rehab hospitals and in another country, and use the skills Miss Loupe taught them to raise support and awareness.

This is a well-written novel that employs well-rounded characters, fun plot devices and great ideas for expanding this book in a book group or classroom. It also is a book for all ages, as parents, teachers and librarians will appreciate the series of events that happen to Miss Loupe and her brother, the initiative of the students and the different learning styles within the sixth grade classroom (librarians especially will get a kick out of the librarian, who swears in book titles--the first one is 'Green Eggs and Ham!'). It also is a story of friendship, changing lives and dealing with those changes.

MAKE A SPLASH – READ!

With the recent merge of two of my favorite fail-safe resources, the Internet Public Library and the Librarian’s Index to the Internet, I found A LOT of water-related sites that kids with love – all on one page! Here are a few of them:

Staying Safe in the Water
http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/water.html\

This site has water safety information for swimming pools, lakes and ponds, beaches, and water parks.

The Water Cycle
http://epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html

Have you ever wondered where water comes from, where it goes, and what it does in between? This short fun animation supplies all the answers.

All About Oceans and Seas
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/

Learn all about oceans and seas on the earth, along with finding out answers to questions, such as what causes tides and why is the ocean salty? Information about the water cycle, underwater explorers, and coral reefs is also provided.

The River Wild: Running the Selway
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/selway/

"Join us for a wet and wild ride down the white water of Idaho's Selway River. Choose a boat, brush up on your paddling, listen to birdcalls, and learn the lingo of river rats."

NOVA Online – Shark Attack!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks

Lots of cool facts about sharks! Learn about the shark's six senses. Want to learn even more about sharks? Contains shark-related links. Based on a program originally aired on PBS' NOVA television series.

Jellyfish are Everywhere!
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/media/world/9608/jellyfish/index.html

Learn about the different kinds of jellyfish and how to avoid getting stung by one.

Shark Surfari
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/sharks/

"Get a kid's-eye view of these ancient fish. Fins surround you, but the only teeth on our cyber sharks are quiz questions that challenge your knowledge--and prejudices.
"Online book about sharks that has facts, pictures, print-outs, extreme sharks, and much more."

Pete and Barb’s Penguin Pages
http://www.adelie.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

"Inside this site you will find everything you want to know about penguins."

2010 ZOLOTOW AWARDS

“What Can You Do with a Paleta?” by Carmen Tafolla is the thirteenth annual winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. The award is given by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A delectable story of a young Mexican-American child’s delight with an ice pop on a hot summer day is at once culturally specific and universal. Author Carmen Tafolla playfully appeals to all of our senses with rich imagery and crisp language. She invites us to think of all the creative things that can be done with a paleta, from painting your tongue purple or giving yourself a blue mustache to making a new friend or learning to make tough decisions. A sprinkling of Spanish words and Magaly Morales’ sun-warmed acrylic illustrations add details of life in a vibrant barrio where the daily arrival of the paleta wagon is met with anticipation and celebration. “What Can You Do with a Paleta?” was edited by Abigail Samoun and published in the United States in 2009 by Tricycle Press.

The 2010 Zolotow Award committee named three Honor Books: “Birds,” written by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek, edited by Virginia Duncan, and published by GreenwillowBooks / HarperCollins; “Pouch!” written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, edited by Nancy Paulsen and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons / Penguin Group; and “Princess Hyacinth: (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated),” written by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith, edited Anne Schwartz, and published by Schwartz & Wade Books / Random House Children’s Books.

The 2010 Zolotow Award committee also cited four titles as Highly Commended: “Hello Baby!” written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Beach Lane / Simon & Schuster); “Ready for Anything!” written and illustrated by Keiko Kasza (G.P. Putnam’s Sons / Penguin Group); “Under the Snow,” written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Constance R. Bergum (Peachtree); and “Who Will I Be, Lord?” written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Sean Qualls (Random House Children’s Books).

Established in 1998, the Charlotte Zolotow Award honors the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children's book editor for 38 years with Harper Junior Books, and author of more than 70 picture books, including such classic works as “Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present” (Harper, 1962) and “William's Doll” (Harper, 1972). Ms. Zolotow attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison on a writing scholarship from 1933 to 1936, where she studied with Professor Helen C. White. The award is given annually for outstanding writing in a picture book for children in the birth through seven age range published in the United States in the preceding year.

Members of the 2010 Zolotow Award committee were: Kathleen T. Horning, chair (Director, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Madison, Wisconsin); Carling Febry (Librarian, Cooperative Children's Book Center, Madison, Wisconsin); Svetha Hetzler (Head of Youth Services, Middleton Public Library, Middleton, Wisconsin), Tracy Moore (Children’s Librarian, Madison Public Library, Madison, Wisconsin); and Jolen Neumann (School Librarian, Madison, Wisconsin). (CCBC press release, 1/11/10)

MOVIE NEWS

Mirimax is officially done:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=62746

Be sure to have several copies of Wimpy Kid on hand:
http://www.movies.com/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid/m60089

Got your tickets yet? Percy's almost here!
http://www.movies.com/percy-jackson-26-the-olympians:-the-lightning-thief/m60204

Just in case you hadn't seen the Alice trailer yet:
http://www.movies.com/alice-in-wonderland/m60005

Don't forget to mark this on your calendar:
http://www.movies.com/the-twilight-saga-eclipse/m60142

Several links near the bottom of this page for Harry:
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=20446

Comic book hero news--Captain America!
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=62802

My favorite of the Narnia series--Dawn Treader news:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=62799

Baby movies?
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=62741
(thanks to Ruhama for this latest compilation!)

THE BEST JOURNEY TO ADULT LIFE

“The Best Journey to Adult Life for Youth with Disabilities” is a model that represents the developmental process of a young person's life course, with the transition to adulthood depicted as an important “journey.” Best Practice Guidelines for the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities have been written using the words of youth, parents, community members, service providers, educators, and researchers in Ontario, Canada. The Guidelines are organized into six themes: Collaboration, Capacity-building, Navigation, Education, Information, and Research. Available in pdf at http://transitions.canchild.ca/en/OurResearch/resources/BestPractices.pdf (90 pages, 990 KB). (NCSET February e-Newsletter, 2/2/10)

LAURAPALOOZA 2010

Were you an avid reader of the Little House books? Did a part of you always want to be Laura Ingalls? For the first time ever, both researchers and fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House books are convening for a multi-day university-sponsored conference. Sponsored by Minnesota State University, Mankato, “LauraPalooza 2010: Legacies” will celebrate the beloved children’s author on July 15-17, 2010.

This scholarly summit is open to the public and will showcase original research, speakers, and panels related to Laura Ingalls Wilder, her family, her books, the museums dedicated to her, and her impact on American culture. The conference’s first evening will feature an authors’ reception, with writers of Wilder-themed books on hand to talk about their work. Throughout the conference, attendees will enjoy entertainment taken right from the pages of the books, from crafting demonstrations to a “tin pail” lunch to a spelling bee.

For more information, go to http://beyondlittlehouse.com/home/announcing-laurapalooza-2010/.

DATES TO REMEMBER

February 15 WLA Board Meeting, Madison
February 16 Library Legislative Day, Madison
March 1 CSLP Executive Board
March 24-27 PLA Conference, Portland, Oregon
April 6-10 CSLP Annual Meeting, Tacoma, Washington
April 22-25 Sweet Adelines Region 22 Competition, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
April 28-30 WAPL Conference, Blue Harbor Resort, Sheboygan
June 17-22 ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC
July 15-17 Laurapalooza, Mankato, Minnesota

WEBSITE FAVES

Drawing Out Meaning: 500 Years of Architectural History
http://www.architecture.com/LibraryDrawingsAndPhotographs/OnlineWorkshops/DrawingOutMeaning/DrawingOutMeaning.aspx

Created by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), this distinctive collection of 19 drawings was created as part of their online workshop initiative program. These drawings were culled from both the RIBA's tremendous holdings, along with those of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Taken together, these drawings show some of the most fascinating ideas conceived by architects over the past 500 years. The drawings include works by Andrea Palladio, Inigo Jones, John Ruskin, and Buckminster Fuller. Clicking on each individual drawing will bring up a high-resolution image, along with a brief explanation of how each work fits into the history of the relationship between drawing and architectural form and execution. Taken as a whole, this site will serve as an excellent primer for beginning architects, artists, and others with an interest in the subject. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 1/8/10)

Northwest Architectural Archives
http://special.lib.umn.edu/manuscripts/architect.html

Started in 1970, the Northwest Architectural Archives at the University of Minnesota brings together the records of architects, engineers, contractors, landscape architects, and interior designers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas. Many of these primary documents have been placed into digital collections, and visitors can use this page to navigate through these delightful and useful offerings. One good place to start is the American Terra Cotta Company Photographs collection. Here visitors can look through examples of the company's work everywhere from Atchison to Winona. Moving on, visitors can also make their way through finding aids for the work of Clarence "Cap" Wigington, who happened to be the first registered African-American architect in Minnesota. All told, there are four digital collections on the site, and well over a dozen finding aids. It's a site that will be very useful to architectural historians and others working in related fields. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 1/29/10)

Some of you may recall that my undergrad degree is in architectural history……. ☺

Read.gov
http://www.read.gov/

The Center for the Book, in the Library of Congress, was established in the late 1970s to promote reading, literacy and libraries. Their website offers a great many "Resources" on the menu on the left side of any page, including "Author Webcasts", "Booklists", and "Local/Community Resources". The "Author Webcasts" include videos of such authors as Tom Gjelten, Stephenie Meyer, Chinua Achebe, and Sara Paretsky. The "Books and Related Info For" menu on the left side of any page, has sections for "Kids", "Teens", "Adults", and "Educators and Parents". Within the "Kids" and "Teens" sections are classic books that have been digitized and put online to be read in all their original glory. Classics such as "A Apple Pie", "Baseball ABC", and "The Secret Garden" are beautifully captured. In the "Educators and Parents" section visitors can find wonderful lesson plans, exhibitions, and online activities. Visitors should not miss checking out "Contests: Letters About Literature" on the left hand menu to learn about several writing contests for young children and teens. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 1/8/10)

The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail
http://www.thecrookedroad.org/default.asp

The idea for Virginia's "Crooked Road" began to germinate in the minds of Virginians in January 2003. A number of public officials, musicians, and others were interested in an economic development strategy for the Appalachian region of southwestern Virginia, and they wanted to draw on the region's rich musical heritage. Over time, the project grew, and today it includes ten counties, three cities, ten towns, and four state agencies. This well-designed site allows visitors to learn about the trail, its music venues, the music itself, and the communities along the route. First-time visitors will want to start out in "The Trail" area. Here they can view an interactive map of the area, look over the calendar of events, and read about nearby attractions. The next stop should be "The Music". As one might imagine, there are clips of music from the Crooked Road, including favorites like "Old Time Fire on the Mountain". Finally, visitors shouldn't forget the "Communities" area, which contains profiles of the places where the songs come alive, such as Big Stone Gap and Damascus. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 1/29/10)

Wisconsin County Histories
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wch/

Whether you're interested in Reedsburg, Rhinelander, or Rubicon, the Wisconsin County Histories website will not fail those keen on the history of the Badger State. Created by the Wisconsin Historical Society, this archive provides access to more than 80 standard histories of Wisconsin counties, most of which were published between 1850 and 1920. The majority of the volumes are over several hundred pages long, and they include detailed passages on cities within their respective counties, along with sketches of prominent leaders. Visitors can use the drop-down menu available on the homepage to find specific volumes, or they can also perform a full text search across all of the histories. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 1/22/10)

AND FINALLY……..

If you are in Kenosha Friday night, my daughter’s barbershop quartet “Trouble Clef” will be singing the National Anthem at Shoreland Lutheran High School before the varsity boys’ basketball game.

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:47:00 +0000

Children's Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 337; January 6, 2010
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com/

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Make a Splash – READ!
Keeping Up with the Youth Media Awards on January 18
Katherine Paterson New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
Free Customizable PSA for NLW
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally……

Ruhama's Review

Escape the Mask by David Ward
http://tinyurl.com/86bq8d
Book One of The Grassland Trilogy

Corki and his cellmate Pippa have been held captive for years by the Spears. Corki remembers nothing of his past and relies on Pippa to tell him about things like trees. All he knows is that every day, as Diggers, they must collect shards, and if they don't meet their quota, they'll get sent belowcaves for a Cleansing. In fact, do anything wrong and you'll have to endure a rush of ocean water in a closed cell, which is where the story opens: Corki is in a barred cell deep in the mountain because he kept a work-cloth. This is where he meets Tia and Bran, who later help both he and Pippa understand the war that is approaching and plant the idea of escape.
This is a gripping tale that begs to be read in one or two sittings. Readers will want to know what happens to each of the characters as events unfold and will root for the Diggers to escape the Spears. Ward has set up a fascinating world with complicated relationships and an intriguing plotline that leaves you wishing the next book were published already. A lot of things are left unexplained (what exactly are the shards?) that could either be left to the imagination or will be explained in forthcoming books. My only gripe is the map at the start of the book is misleading; otherwise, this is a great adventure story that could be set in the past or the future.

MAKE A SPLASH - READ!

Our summer reading program workshop will be held on Friday, January 29th at the Country Springs Hotel and Waterpark in Waukesha. Marge Loch-Wouters will be our most excellent presenter and will share tips on how to Make a Splash with your summer programs. After lunch, Barb Huntington will share state updates, craft and display ideas. Then it’s YOUR turn to share, so bring along those fabulous craft ideas, bulletin board or display suggestions, and programming winners to share with your colleagues! We will have tables set up for displays and demonstrations. If you are participating, please let me know and send me your descriptions, samples, patterns, etc. by Friday the 22nd (which is also the last day to register!) so this information can be shared with all attendees.
Registration fee is $22. Refreshments and lunch are included. Registration forms went out late in December, if you need another form, please contact me.
The County Springs has reserved a block of rooms for anyone interested in arriving Thursday evening. Rates are $99.00 per room. Contact the hotel directly to reserve your room at 800-247-6640.

KEEPING UP WITH THE YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS ON JANUARY 18

The results of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Youth Media Awards, which present the best of the best in children’s and young adult literature and media, will be announced during the ALA’s Midwinter Meeting on Monday, Jan. 18 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. You can obtain those results in a number of ways besides attending the ceremony:

Webcast: A free live Webcast of the presentation will be hosted by streaming content provider Unikron. To view the live Webcast the morning of the announcement, visit: http://alawebcast.unikron.com/. The number of available connections for the Webcast will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Webcast will also be archived on Google Video.

Twitter: Results will be available as they are announced during the ceremony via twitter at http://twitter.com/ALAyma. Users of Twitter can read and follow posts — referred to as 'tweets'—instantly, either through ALA's Twitter page, RSS or SMS Text Messaging (if enabled). There are currently more than 1,600 followers to the Youth Media Awards twitter page.

Facebook: Featuring the RSS feed from the Youth Media Awards Twitter site, the ALA Youth Media Awards Facebook page also offers videos, photos and information about the awards. Currently, the ALA Youth Media Awards page has more than six-hundred Facebook friends and can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ALA-Youth-Media-Awards/43002248757#.

The ALA Island in Second Life will also broadcast an encore presentation of the Youth Media Awards Webcast. Visitors can take advantage of in-world viewing later in the day on the ALA Island at the Main Stage. The ALA Island/ALA Main Stage is located at 128, 107, 29. In Second Life, teleport there directly: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ALA%20Island/128/107/29/ A press release announcing the winners will also be posted to the ALA home page at www.ala.org, prior to 10:30 a.m. EST the day of the announcement.

KATHERINE PATERSON NEW NATIONAL AMBASSADOR FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE

Katherine Paterson, both a two-time Newbery medalist and National Book Award-winner, replaces Jon Scieszka as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, a two-year position created to raise national awareness of the importance of lifelong literacy and education.

Paterson, who has chosen ―Read for Your Life‖ as the theme for her platform, was selected by a committee that represents those in the book community based on her contributions to young people’s literature and her ability to relate to children.

Paterson’s fame around the globe comes from her hugely popular novels and her efforts to promote literacy in the United States and abroad. She won the Newbery Medal for Bridge to Terabithia (1977)--which was made into a feature film--and Jacob Have I Loved (1981, both Crowell). She also won the National Book Award for The Great Gilly Hopkins (1979) and The Master Puppeteer (1977). Other awards include the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, given by her home state of Vermont. Paterson was also named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2000.

Her most recent book, The Day of the Pelican (Clarion, 2009), tells the story of a refugee family’s flight from war-torn Kosovo to America. She and her husband, John, live in Barre, VT, and they have four children and seven grandchildren. The Library of Congress’s Center for the Book and the Children’s Book Council are the sponsors of the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Scieszka, who was appointed in 2008, was the first person to hold the title.

FREE CUSTOMIZABLE PSA FOR NLW

To promote National Library Week 2010, a free customizable public service announcement (PSA) featuring award-winning author Neil Gaiman is now available. Gaiman, the 2009 Newberry Medal winner for "The Graveyard Book," will appear in both a print and a radio public service announcement (PSA). Gaiman’s love of libraries and librarians is no secret, as his many fans and Twitter followers know.

The PSA can be downloaded for free at www.ala.org/nlw. The PSA reminds library users of all the resources the library offer and how libraries are of key importance in tough economic times. To have the PSA customized with their library’s logo, librarians are asked to send a print quality logo file, their library name and URL to: ala@atigraphics.com. The PSA will be sent to the library in 1-2 weeks.

Other materials are currently available in both English and Spanish, focusing on the 2010 National Library Week theme ―Communities thrive @ your library.‖ They include a proclamation, sample press release and letter-to-the-editor, as well as scripts for use in radio public service announcements (PSAs). Libraries can download materials at www.ala.org/nlw.
Libraries planning to participate in ―Communities thrive @ your library‖-themed programming are encouraged to share their stories with the Campaign for America’s Libraries, by sending an e-mail to: atyourlibrary@ala.org.

DATES TO REMEMBER

January 11 CSLP Board conference call
January 14-19 ALA Midwinter, Boston
January 29 SLP Retreat/Workshop, Country Springs Hotel Water Park, Waukesha
January 30 Riverport Chorus, DivaQuest, Kenosha
February 15 WLA Board meeting, Madison
February 16 Library Legislative Day, Madison

WEBSITE FAVES

Newseum’s Today’s Front Pages
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/default.asp

Each morning, a wide variety of international newspapers electronically submit their front pages to the Newseum to be part of Today's Front Pages. Each page is displayed in its original, unedited form, and links to the newspaper’s Web site and to a PDF file of the page are included. A magnifier tool allows users to zoom in on any part of the page. An archive chronicles events of historical significance such as the war in Iraq, the 2008 presidential election, President Obama’s first 100 days in office, and economic news. Additionally, teachers will find a lesson plan for grades 6-12. In this lesson plan, students can compare coverage of and attitudes/judgments toward national news, local news, weather, politics, and culture. They can also compare and contrast styles of layout, graphics, and photography. Students will find a fun, interactive trivia game on the site. (Education World Site Reviews, 1/5/10)

Gymnasium for the Brain
http://www.gymnasiumforbrain.com/

Give your brain a workout at the Gymnasium for the Brain. Children and adults can have fun solving these puzzles while exercising their brains. Visitors to the site can find more than one hundred and eighty logic puzzles that will keep them entertained for hours. Each puzzle includes hints and the solution. Teachers can use these logic puzzles as brain teasers to start the day or for rainy day activities. The site also provides math problems and alternative ways of solving them, and a section on designing using dots and patterns that students would find interesting. Additionally, try your hand at the upcoming puzzles for a little brain exercise with no hints or solutions available. (Education World Site Reviews, 1/5/10)

AND FINALLY.................

This week Lakeshores lost two very dear friends. Marleen Rogers was the retired director from the Barrett Memorial Library in Williams Bay, and Brenda Youra was the director at the Genoa City Public Library. We will miss you.

Children's Event Organizer, 12/21/09

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:22:00 +0000

Children’s Event Organizer
Lakeshores Library System and
Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System
Youth Services Update
Issue 336; December 21, 2009
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/mwflskids.htm
http://www.llsmwflschildrens.blogspot.com/

In this issue:
Ruhama’s Review
Make a Splash – READ!
YALSA’s 2010 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
Social Networking Sites Boost Kids’ Writing
Franklin Public Library’s Mock Discussion Results
Events This Week
Dates to Remember
Website Faves
And Finally……

RUHAMA’S REVIEW

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
http://tinyurl.com/yzrgrxv

Thomas doesn't remember anything except his name. He wakes up to find himself in what seems to be a giant courtyard, filled with boys of varying ages, none of whom will answer any of his questions. Instead, they promise to show him around the next day and find a place for him in the group. But Thomas wants answers now, especially when he learns there is a maze outside the walls, which close every evening. What's more, Thomas has a sudden desire to be one of the Runners, despite knowing nothing about the job or the Glade. Unfortunately, this means fighting Grievers: nasty, vicious creatures that roam the maze at night and are the reason for the rule that no one goes out in the maze at night. As days pass, Thomas keeps getting a nagging feeling that some of what he's experiencing is familiar, and when a girl is sent up in the Box, he can't help but think he knows her, too, but doesn't know how. She is the catalyst, though, and triggers the beginning of the end of the maze and life as they know it.

Think of this gripping thriller as Lord of the Flies, but with scientists controlling the experiment. A hierarchy is formed, words are developed and tasks are completed. Thomas is the main character, but the others are by no means static or two dimensional. Overall, everyone is pretty well developed, though there were times I got a little frustrated with Thomas, especially when he would do an about face in his thinking pattern. My biggest disappointment: though it stands well enough on its own, it does rely on the books coming after it (this is a planned trilogy), ending rather abruptly. It does grab you, though, and boys will enjoy the survivalist nature of this story, which is another plus in its favor.

MAKE A SPLASH – READ!

NOAA's Aquarius
http://www.uncw.edu/aquarius/
Off the shore of the Florida Keys sits the Aquarius, the world's only undersea research station. The station is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and their research and education programs are quite impressive. On their website, visitors should check out the "About Aquarius" area to learn about the daily operations of the laboratory and its operating costs. In the "Mission Info" area, visitors can look over profiles of the aquanauts on duty aboard the Aquarius, read their blog, and ask these intrepid souls questions about their work. Educators should look over the "Lesson Plans", which include activities based around teaching students about buoyancy and pressure. Finally, visitors should look over the "Missions & Project Info". Here they will find information about recently completed projects, including scientific work on coral restoration and the role of sponges in coral-reef ecosystems. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 11/25/09)

Polar TREC Bering Sea Ecosystem Field Study
http://www.polartrec.com/bering-ecosystem-change

In March 2008, my brother Craig participated in a Polar TREC (Teachers & Researchers Exploring & Collaborating) Bering Sea ecosystem study onboard the ice boring ship USCGC Healy. While on board the Healy they documented late winter ocean conditions, studied biological communities found in sea ice, examined early spring plankton bloom, and investigated light penetration through open water and ice cover. Craig kept an online journal of his journey, posted photos, and responded to questions submitted by his classroom back in Anchorage and others interested in his trip.

YALSA’S 2010 EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS

YALSA chose five books as finalists for its brand-new 2010 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, which honors the best nonfiction books written for young adults between Nov. 1, 2008 and Oct. 31, 2009. YALSA will name the 2010 winner at the Youth Media Awards on Jan. 18, during the Midwinter Meeting.

The 2010 finalists are:

"Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream" by Tanya Lee Stone, published by Candlewick

"Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman, published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

"Claudette Colvin: Twice toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose, published by Melanie Kroupa Books/ Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

“The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous and Stupendous Life of the Showman P. T. Barnum" by Candace Fleming, published by Schwartz & Wade Books/Random House

"Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland" by Sally M. Walker, published by Carolrhoda/Lerner

More information on the finalists and the award can be found at www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES BOOST KIDS’ WRITING

Still on the fence about the value of social networking sites and blogging in the classroom? A new report from the UK’s National Literacy Trust finds that although nearly half of all students there think writing is boring, when that activity is tied to technology, kids become more confident about their skills.

Although the exchanges on social networking sites and by texting and instant messaging are often vilified in the media as dumbing down literacy for today’s kids, the new study, “Young people’s writing: Attitudes, behaviour and the role of technology” shows that technology offers different writing opportunities for students.

“Young people who write on a blog were much more likely than young people who do not write on a blog to enjoy writing in general (57 percent vs. 40 percent) and to enjoy writing for family/friends in particular (79 percent vs. 55 percent),” the report says. “Young people with a blog (61 percent) as well as young people with a profile on a social networking site (56 percent) also displayed greater confidence, believing themselves to be good writers.”

Of those surveyed, 56 percent say they have a profile on a social networking site, such as Bebo or Facebook, and 24 percent say they have their own blog.

The research also shows some 12 percent of students said they don’t believe writing is an important skill, which is why it’s crucial that educators incorporate more multimedia activities into the curriculum, the report says.

When it comes to gender differences, boys lag behind girls in more than just writing proficiency. Boys don’t enjoy writing as much as girls (38 percent vs. 52 percent), regardless if it involves family and friends or for schoolwork. Boys are also more likely than girls to agree with statements that writing is boring (57 percent vs. 41 percent); however, boys are more likely than girls to believe that computers are beneficial to writing.
(Library Hotline, 12/14/09)

FRANKLIN PUBLIC LIBRARY’S MOCK DISCUSSION RESULTS

About a dozen of us met on Monday, December 7 at the Franklin library to discuss potential Caldecott and Newbery contenders. Thanks to Debbie Olguin at Franklin for hosting the event.

Here are the results of our vote:

Caldecott: 1) The Lion and the Mouse; 2) Coretta Scott; 3) All the World

Newbery: 1) When You Reach Me; 2) The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate; 3) Faith, Hope and Ivy June

The actual awards will be announced on Monday, January 18 at the ALA Midwinter conference in Boston. Stay tuned!

EVENTS THIS WEEK and a few more days….

Monday, December 21
Crossword Puzzle Day
Forefathers' Day
Humbug Day
National Haiku Poetry Day
Winter Begins

Tuesday, December 22
Capricorn begins

Wednesday, December 23
Festivus
Humanlight Celebration
Feast of the Radishes (Mexico)

Thursday, December 24
Christmas Eve

Friday, December 25
Christmas
A’phabet Day (No L)

Saturday, December 26
Kwanzaa Begins
National Thank You Note Day
National Whiner's Day
Saint Stephan's Day
Boxing Day
Day of the Wren

Sunday, December 27
Asarah B’Tevet
Ashura: Tenth Day
Saint John Feast Day

Monday, December 28
Childermas
Pledge of Allegiance Day

Tuesday, December 29
Tick Tock Day

Wednesday, December 30
Oh My! Day

Thursday, December 31
New Year’s Eve
Blue Moon
Lunar Eclipse
Make Up Your Mind Day
No Interruptions Day
Universal Hour of Peace

DATES TO REMEMBER

December 24-25 Lakeshores offices closed
December 31 Lakeshores offices closed
January 1 Lakeshores offices closed
January 11 CSLP Board conference call
January 14-19 ALA Midwinter, Boston
January 29 SLP Retreat, Country Springs Hotel Water Park, Waukesha
(more info to come, tomorrow most likely!)
January 30 Riverport Chorus, DivaQuest, Kenosha
February 15 WLA Board meeting, Madison
February 16 Library Legislative Day, Madison

WEBSITE FAVES

Storybook Corner
http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/storybook-corner

Storybook Corner contains free downloadable Web-based resources for educators and families. These materials show how storybooks that thematically emphasize family involvement can promote family involvement in real life. Many of the resources -- such as the original bilingual children's storybook "Tomasito's Mother Comes to School," illustrated by the award-winning children's book illustrator Joe Cepeda -- are especially useful for promoting involvement among culturally diverse families. Also included at the site are lesson plans and many other resources. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/24/09)

The Braille Bug
http://www.afb.org/braillebug/

On this site, students can learn about blindness and related topics and develop a better understanding of how disabled people adapt to meet their needs. The site also provides a good explanation of what Braille is and a brief biography of Louis Braille. A printable Braille alphabet key and a variety of games are available to help children learn how to recognize Braille letters and numbers. Another valuable section is the Helen Keller Kids Museum. It offers information -- in a timeline format complete with photos and videos -- on the life and achievements of this remarkable woman. Included in the section for teachers and parents is an instruction sheet on how to download the Braille files, classroom activities, and other resources. (Education World Site Reviews, 11/24/09)

Jazzed in Time
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/jazzintime/timeline.html

Developed for middle and high school audiences, Jazzed in Time follows the development of this great American art form. An interactive timeline, divided by decade, highlights events that helped shape jazz and illustrates the styles of each period (swing, bebop, fusion, etc.) through music and images. As they scroll through the decades, students learn about important moments and trends in U.S. history. By listening to music clips within this historical context, students can gain an in-depth understanding of a musical form that took root in American soil and made a global impact. (Big Deal Book Newsletter, 12/1/09)

AND FINALLY……….

Okay, so you all know I don’t cook and if it can be burned, I’ll burn it. Not intentionally, of course, it just works out that way! This is a recipe that makes an interesting side dish for your holiday get togethers, and one that even I can’t compromise. Happy Holidays!

Wild Rice Casserole
1 c. wild rice
1 small onion
6 slices of crisp bacon, crumbled
1 small can mushrooms
1 c. beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ c. celery (optional, I never put it in but my mom does)
1 can beer

Soak wild rice in beer overnight, drain. Fry bacon. Chop onion and celery, saute in bacon drippings and drain. Mix mushrooms, soup, and broth to onion and celery mixture. Add crumbled bacon. Add wild rice. Bake 350 degree oven in covered 2 1/2 qt. casserole dish for 1.5 to 2 hours. (I’ll often double the recipe and put it in a slow cooker for 4-5 hours.)

Winter/Spring Elkhorn Program Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Rhonda Puntney) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Programs for Children, Tweens and Teens
at the Matheson Memorial Library
Winter/Spring 2010

Welcome to the library! More information about upcoming programs, new materials, and news is available on the youth services blog, www.mmlcheckitout.blogspot.com, or call 262-723-2678

Storytimes January 11 through May 28

Toddler storytime with Miss Pattie. Half an hour of stories, rhymes, music, and discoveries for children 18 months to three years and their caregivers with Pattie Woods from the EASD. Older and younger siblings welcome!
Tuesdays or Fridays at 9:30.

Preschool storytime. Half an hour of stories, rhymes, music, and art for children three to five years and their caregivers. Older and younger siblings welcome!
Tuesdays or Fridays at 11:00.

Books ‘n’ Babies with Miss Pattie. Half an hour of stories, rhymes, music, and discoveries for children 0 to 18 months and their caregivers with Pattie Woods from the EASD. Older and younger siblings welcome!
Wednesdays at 9:30.

Family storytime. Half an hour of reading, music, and crafts for children of all ages and their caregivers.
Thursdays at 3:30

Tiny Tots with Miss Pattie. Half an hour of stories, rhymes, music, and discoveries for children 0 to 3 years and their caregivers with Pattie Woods from the EASD. Older and younger siblings welcome!
2nd & 4th Mondays at 6:30. (Jan. 11, Jan. 25, Feb. 8, Feb. 22, March 8, March 22, April 12, April 26, May 10, May 24)

Special Programs for Children and All Ages

Three-year-old birthday party. 3 year olds, their caregivers, and siblings join us for a fun Olivia-themed birthday party! We’ll have crafts, snacks, and community information.
March 20, Saturday at 10:30am in the Community Room

Spring Break Programs There will be no regular storytimes or programs during Spring Break. We will have four all ages programs:
• Family Storytime at 10:30am, March 29 and 30.
• Beading on March 29, at 3:30 in the Community Room
• T-Shirt Decorating on March 30, at 3:30 in the Community Room
Please register for the beading and t-shirt decorating; stop by the Circulation Desk or call 723-2678.

Four-year-old birthday party. 4 year olds, their caregivers, and siblings join us for a fun Thomas the Tank Engine-themed birthday party! We’ll have crafts, snacks, and community information.
April 17, Saturday at 10:30am in the Community Room.

Celebrate Children’s Book Week! Fancy Nancy meets the Monkey With a Toolbelt! All ages join us for fancy crafts and building fun!
May 15, Saturday, 10:30am in the Community Room

Tween and Teen Programs

Tween Favorites – Book Club
Ages 8-12 bring your favorite book, anything you’re reading, or just drop by to listen! We’ll be chatting about books, taking a sneak peek at new books, sharing snacks, and working on some fun projects!
2nd Monday, 3:30pm in the Storyroom (Jan. 11, Feb. 8, March 8, April 12, May 10)

Make it and Take it – Crafts
Ages 8-12 are invited for a series of craft programs, themes to be announced on the blog www.mmlcheckitout.blogspot.com
1st and 3rd Mondays, 3:30 in the Storyroom (Jan. 18, Feb. 1, Feb. 15, March 1, March 15, April 19, May 3, May 17)

Wednesday Gaming

Ages 8 and up are invited to any or all of our Wednesday Gaming programs, held from 3-5pm in the Storyroom!
Wii Mariokart
Up to four players at a time compete in this fast and fun Wii game.
1st Wednesday (Feb. 3, March 3, April 7, May 5)

Strategy Games
Test your wits with games of strategy from Risk to Monopoly!
2nd Wednesday (Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10, April 14, May 12)

Open Wii Gaming
Use the library’s games or bring your own to share!
3rd Wednesday (Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 17, April 21, May 19)

Cards Extravaganza
Join us for card games from classic to the new! Use the library’s games or bring your own favorites to share.
4th Wednesday (Jan. 27, Feb. 24, March 24, April 28, May 26)