Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Florida Teens Read! and They Choose a Winner!

Florida Teens Read 2009-1010 winner was announced today.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was voted the favorite book by Florida Teens.

Here'a book trailer:

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Florida Kids' Faves!

This year's Sunshine State Young Readers' Award winners have been announced.

The winner in Grades 3-5 is Margaret Petersen Haddix’s Found.



The winner in Grades 6-8 is Wendy Van Draanen’s Runaway.

Over 74,000 students from around the state of Florida voted for their favorite books.

Happy Earth Day!



What's in YOUR collection to help students understand and save the planet?

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Florida Teens Read!

Voting is open until the end of the month for this year's Florida Teens Read!  book award sponsored by the Florida Association for Media in Education.  Teens in Florida read and Florida media specialists know it! Florida Teens Read is a list of 15 titles that have been chosen by a committee of thirteen media specialists specifically to engage high school students (grades 9 through 12) and reflect their interests as well as represent a variety of genres, formats, reading levels, viewpoints, and ethnic and cultural perspectives.

Students need to have read at least 3 of the books on the current list in order to vote. They need to identify their student number and county, and they can only vote once.

The 2010-2011 Florida Teens Read! list has been finalized:

After by Amy Efaw
Devon Davenport is a straight-A student and prominent player on her school's soccer team, but when she is linked to an abandoned baby found in the trash she is accused of attempted murder.

Brutal by Michael B. Harmon
Forced to leave Los Angeles for life in a quiet California wine town with a father she has never known, rebellious sixteen-year-old Poe Holly rails against a high school system that allows elite students special privileges and tolerates bullying of those who are different.

Candor by Pam Bachorz
For a fee, "model teen" Oscar Banks has been secretly--and selectively--sabotaging the subliminal messages that program the behavior of the residents of Candor, Florida, until his attraction to a rebellious new girl threatens to expose his subterfuge.

Compound by S. A. Bodeen
Fifteen-year-old Eli, locked inside a radiation-proof compound built by his father to keep them safe following a nuclear attack, begins to question his future, as well as his father's grip on anity as the family's situation steadily disintegrates over the course of six years.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace of killing and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, seventeen-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weighs whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.

King of Screwups by K.L. Going
Liam Geller is one of the most popular boys in school but can't seem to do anything right in the eyes of his father; so he goes to live with his homosexual, rocker uncle who helps him to understand that there is much more to him than his father will ever see.

Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan
High school student Charlie West awakens injured in a concrete bunker, discovers that he has lost a year of his life and has no memory of escaping from prison after being convicted of murdering his former best friend, and learns that he is being pursued by both the law and a group of terrorists trying to destroy the U.S. government.

No Choirboy by Susan Kuklin
A collection of essays in which inmates at American prisons who were sentenced to death while still in their teens share their thoughts and feelings about how they ended up in prison and how they feel about capital punishment.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Terra, a sensitive, artistic high school senior born with a facial port-wine stain, struggles with issues of inner and outer beauty with the help of her Goth classmate Jacob.

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
While recuperating in a Baghdad hospital from a traumatic brain injury sustained during the Iraq War, eighteen-year-old soldier Matt Duffy struggles to recall what happened to him and how it relates to his ten-year-old friend, Ali.

Reality Check
by Peter Abrahams
After a knee injury destroys sixteen-year-old Cody's college hopes, he drops out of high school and gets a job in his small Montana town; but when his ex-girlfriend disappears from her Vermont boarding school, Cody travels cross-country to join the search.

Secret Story of Sonia Rodgriguez
  by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Tenth-grader Sonia Rodriguez reveals secrets about her life and her Hispanic family while she studies hard so that she can be the first member of her family to successfully finish high school.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
In all the years she has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house, Grace has been particularly drawn to an unusual yellow-eyed wolf who, in his turn, has been watching her with increasing intensity.

Willow by Julia Hoban
Sixteen-year-old Willow, who was driving the car that killed both of her parents, copes with the pain and guilt by cutting herself, until she meets a smart and sensitive boy who is determined to help her stop.

FAME also sponsors the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award Program for students in grades 3-8. The program, cosponsored by the School Library Media Services Office of the Department of Education to encourage students to read independently for personal satisfaction, based on interest rather than reading level.

Free Webinars from Booklist

Let’s Get Graphic: Kids’ Comics in Classrooms and Libraries

Free Webinar
Thursday, April 29, 2010, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST


Graphic novels continue to be red hot! In this webinar, children’s librarian and comics expert Eva Volin and Booklist Books for Youth Associate Editor Ian Chipman join Françoise Mouly of TOON Books, Roger Rosen of Rosen Publishing, David Saylor of Scholastic, and Mark Siegel of First Second to talk about the latest trends. Whether you are new to comics or a seasoned graphic novel veteran, you will come away from this session with many ideas for developing your collection, tips on using comics in your curriculum, and sneak peeks of the newest titles.


Trends in Teen Lit:  The Independent View 

Free Webinar
Tuesday, May 18, 2010, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST



Young adult literature continues to be one of the most exciting and evolving areas in the publishing world. In this hourlong webinar, moderated by Gillian Engberg, Booklist’s Young Adult Books Editor, you’ll hear about new trends in teen books from author and Booklist columnist Michael Cart and three independent publishers: Melissa Wood of Sourcebooks, Andrew Woolridge of Orca Book Publishers, and Rick Wilks and Susan Shipton of Annick Press. Join us for an informative hour that will surely give you fresh perspectives on new books for eager and reluctant teen readers alike.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Ordinary Boy by William Boniface


It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superboy! That’s right boys and girls, Ordinary Boy is a young boy growing up in the fantasy town of Superopolis. In the new book Ordinary Boy, published in 2008 by Harper Collins, everyone in the fantasy town of Superopolis is born with their own superhero super power, everyone that is, except Ordinary Boy. O’Boy as his buddies affectionately call him has a friend with super human strength, another that can make his body glow, and a third who can change into other states of matter. O’Boys best friend, aptly named Stench is best known for his superhuman ability to pass gas! O’Boy and his friends must join forces to defeat the evil villain, Professor Brain-Drain. Pick up Superboy by William Boniface next time you’re at the library and you’re sure to be rolling on the floor laughing nonstop! Stephen Gilpin’s illustrations are eye catching and engaging, in the true manner of comic book illustrations. This book is along the lines of The Captain Underpants series, but in my opinion even better! If you’re between 8 and 12 years old, this book is a must read! Be sure to check out Ordinary Boy at the library today!

Check out the author, William Boniface’s website. Be sure to read the “About William Boniface” section for a sure grin. 

Friday, April 16, 2010

Miles and Miles of Reptiles by Tish Rabe


Aligators, turtles, and snakes, oh my! That’s right everybody, Miles and Miles of Reptiles: All About Reptiles is the latest book in the Cat in the Hat Learning Library. Published by Random House Books for Young Readers in 2009, and written by Tish Rabe, this non-fiction book is done with the traditional Dr. Seuss’s rhyming verses. All sorts of reptiles are included in this book! If they creep or crawl, if they’re big or if they’re small! I like it because it’s written on a level that pre-k students through second grade will enjoy and understand. You’ll learn non-fiction facts and information while having fun at the same time. The bright colorful illustrations by Aristides bring even more entertainment to the reader in the traditional Dr. Seuss style. If you like creepy, crawly, slimy, reptiles of any kind you’ll love reading and learning with this book!

Learn more about the author Tish Rabe, at her website.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

It's a Crisis. What Can You Do?


Event Description:
Monday April 19 - 8:00 pm. EST
Special Guests: Chris Harris and Buffy Hamilton
Hostess: Gwyneth Jones and Carolyn Foote
Location: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/launch/dropin.jnlp?sid=lcevents&password=Webinar_Guest

It's the most exciting time to be a teacher librarian. The opportunities for learning have never been more rich. The studies prove the value of the role of strong school libraries in student achievement. Yet, the pink slips are flying. Where do we go from here? Led by Buffy Hamilton and Chris Harris and moderated by Gwyneth Jones and Carolyn Foote, this webinar is a crisis planning session for moving forward with purpose! Please join us!

TL Cafe events, the first Monday night of each month.
Visit the Elluminate room: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/launch/dropin.jnlp?sid=lcevents&password=Webinar_Guest
(allow around 10 minutes to login!)

See who's attending and get more information here.

My Mom is a Firefighter



Would you ever imagine having a Mom who is a firefighter and having two families because of her job? Billy’s mom is a firefighter and his second family is the other firefighters at the firehouse. When his mom is working at the firehouse, his dad takes care of him at home. This book by Lois G. Grambling shows all the jobs Billy’s mom does as a firefighter and as a mom. Besides fighting fires,she teaches kids about fire safety and she takes turns cooking at the firehouse. One of the most exciting things Billy’s mom does is drives the great, big ladder fire truck. The illustrator, Jane Manning, has drawn brightly colored pictures in My Mom is a Firefighter (Harper Collins, 2008) that show all the jobs Billy’s mom performs as a firefighter. There are not a lot of women firefighters, but this book shows how Mom's can do anything Dad's can do!

Meet the Author

http://biography.jrank.org/pages/68/Grambling-Lois-G-1927-Sidelights.html

To learn more about the book's illustrator, check Jane Manning's website:

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/manning.html

More Books by Lois G. Grambling


You Are Cordially Invited...

The university community is invited to attend the inaugural UCF Book Festival in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center on Saturday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the UCF Arena and the Psychology Building.

More than 60 noted authors and poets will be on hand to discuss their works, meet readers, and autograph copies of their books. Book sales, exhibitors, children's activities, and complimentary book appraisals are among many highlights of the event. Admission to the UCF Book Festival is free. A full schedule of events and activities is available online at bookfestival.ucf.edu.

Please call 407-823-2835 for additional information.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Boy Who Grew Flowers by Jennifer Wojtowicz


Here is a story for anyone who has ever felt different. I simply fell in love with this story from the first read! Published by Barefoot Books in 2005, The Boy Who Grew Flowers introduces Rink Bowagon, a misfit young man who just doesn’t seem to fit in. The kids at school make fun of him because of his family of misfits, but they don’t know his secret talent of growing flowers from his head during every full moon. Life at school is difficult for Rink, that is until Angelina arrives. The two instantly click and suddenly Rink finds the one true friend he’s been looking for. Rink discovers that Angelina is different in a special way too. Or maybe she’s more like him that they both know? You’ll have to read The Boy Who Grew Flowers by Jennifer Wojtowicz to find out just how happily Rink and Angelina’s story might end. You’ll gush over the beautiful and creatively painted illustrations by Steve Adams. The Boy Who Grew Flowers is a quirky book, and timeless story that reminds us all that despite our differences and “oddities” we are all special inside and have something to share with others. We are all worthy to love and be loved, even if others don’t realize it. The Boy Who Grew Flowers is one of the must reads for all elementary age children in 2010!

This story was based upon the author’s real life brother! Explore Jennifer Wojtowicz’s website and find out more about the inspiration behind The Boy Who Grew Flowers.

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper



What would you do if you were kidnapped from your village in Africa, sent to the American South and sold into slavery? Amari has to take this terrifying journey to South Carolina, where she meets an indentured slave girl, Polly. After months working on the same plantation, the girls run away when the master kills the man his wife was sleeping with and the baby they conceived. Author, Sharon Draper, writes a suspenseful tale of the girls’ path to Fort Mose in Spanish, Florida where they can be free. This book details life during the colonial period and would be a great read for Middle School and High School students studying this time in history. Recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, this book (Simon Pulse, 2006), shows how slaves were treated and what they were willing to go through to be free.

Want to see what other books Sharon Draper has written? Check out this link!

http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=20

Review of Copper Sun

http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/0689821816.asp

Book Trailer for Copper Sun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRhh6B91YJU


Copper Sun Book Trailer. (December, 2009). From You Tube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRhh6B91YJU