Ruined by Lynn Nottage

War rages in the rainforests of the Congo. Government soldiers torment the miners and farmers who get in their way. Village women are raped, abducted, and killed.

In Lynn Nottage’s play “Ruined” several young Congolese women find refuge in Mama Nadi’s brothel and bar, where their work as singers and prostitutes is a relief compared to the horrors they have already suffered.

The print version of the play was published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc. in 2009 and contains photographs by Tony Gerber of the real African women who became the inspiration for the characters Sophie, Josephine, and Salima.

Appropriate for young adult readers age sixteen and up, this play demonstrates the tightrope these women walk daily as they balance their attentions between government soldiers at night and rebels during the day. Their lives are full of varying degrees of pain, and their fight is only to survive and avoid the worst of it, which is certainly inevitable.

The following video from Voice of America explains how the play demonstrates the atrocities of the ongoing civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

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

See a review of the performed play here:

http://feministspectator.blogspot.com/2009/03/ruined-by-lynn-nottage.html

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

In Scott Westerfeld’s young adult sci-fi trilogy, Uglies, Pretties, and Specials, Tally Youngblood starts out as a rebel against the institution.

In Tally’s world, all teens have a special operation when they turn sixteen. They are made into Pretties with supermodel-gorgeous faces and bodies. Tally, though, chooses to join the rebels and keep the way she looks. This means, she is an Ugly.

By the third book of the trilogy, Specials, published by Simon Pulse in 2006, Tally ends up being turned into a Special – a fighting machine, “dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast” (Westerfeld). She is programmed to complete missions successfully, without question. But Tally still hears a small voice in her head and a small ache in her heart. Somehow, she hasn’t been completely transformed. Her struggle is to decide whether she will listen to that voice and begin to think for herself again, or whether she will fulfill her destiny as a Special.


Scott Westerfeld has two amazing websites that give information about the author and all of his books:

http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

http://www.scottwesterfeld.com/books/uglies.htm

Can't Get There from Here by Todd Strasser

Homeless teens on the street: stealing, begging, cutting... starving, freezing... crying... dying.

When you’re an angry kid, the streets might seem like a solution, but for Maybe and her shrinking group of so-called friends, the streets hurt. And there’s a certain amount of time to be out there, a time during which you still have the chance to go back home.

Home: a place where you have to face your fears, but a place where you can still live a life.

But after that time goes by, and you’re on the streets for too long, you never get home again.

In Todd Strasser’s novel Can’t Get There from Here, Maybe tries to help a new runaway called Tears to get back home before it’s too late.

Published by Simon Pulse in 2004, this book tells the gritty story, appropriate for readers 13 and up, of kids who struggle to survive in New York City, who are beaten by strangers in the street, who find their friends’ bodies dead and frozen to the concrete ground in stinking alleyways, and who share brief moments of tenderness in order to make it through to the next morning.

For book information, visit the link below:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cant-Get-There-From-Here/Todd-Strasser/e/9780689841699/

Read the following reviews, from Teenreads.com and Young Adult Book Reviews.com here:

http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/0689841698.asp

http://youngadultbookreviews.com/2008/02/14/cant-get-there-from-here-by-todd-strasser/

Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway... and More

Would you like to be a poet?

Would you like to perform on Broadway?

Have you ever seen Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam?

Did you know they won a Tony Award for their performance on Broadway?

This book, Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway... and More, edited by Danny Simmons and published by Atria in 2003, captures the photos, the biographies, and the words of nine spoken-word poets addressing issues from poverty, weight issues, race and gender issues, prison, relationships, hope, struggle, bravado, music, junk food, drugs, patriotism, religion, loyalty, and literature.

These works contain some strong language and are for high school age readers. The group of nine performers includes Black Ice, Tamika Harper, Lemon, Staceyann Chin, and Shihan. Their work reminds us of the strength and beauty of language and of the power of the human voice. Hear them, read them, and then shape your own message.

For biographies of the nine Def Poets who performed on Broadway, visit the following site entitled Def Poetry Jam on Tour:

http://www.defpoetryjamontour.com/

For some examples of the power of spoken-word poetry, see the following videos from Russell Simmons' HBO show Def Poetry Jam:

Compare this poem, entitled "Knock, Knock" by Daniel Beaty, to Theodore Roethke’s 1948 work “My Papa’s Waltz”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nktBsI0PYPs

http://gawow.com/roethke/poems/43.html

Compare this poem, called "Hell" by Talib Kweli, to Emily Dickinson’s “Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church,” first published in 1924:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-6QJTMBzLM

http://www.bartleby.com/113/2057.html

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Imagine five beautiful sisters living in the English countryside during the early 19th century.

When two handsome bachelors move into the estate next door, flirtation and rumors of marriage abound. However, love is not the only thing lurking in the moonlight...

England has become overrun with the most dangerous of plagues: zombies!

These undead, brain-eating monsters roam the hills and estates of the town of Meryton, dining on wealthy landowners and their unassuming servants. While many local citizens arm themselves with guns and daggers in an effort to survive sudden zombie attacks, the Bennet sisters have all that and more.

Trained by their father in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, these beautiful maidens bash skulls, tear off limbs, and rip apart the rotting carcasses of the undead fiends! But can they wipe out the plague of zombies and still find true love?

The only way to find out is to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, published by Quirk Books in 2009, written originally by Jane Austen, expanded by Seth Grahame-Smith, and gruesomely illustrated by Philip Smiley. This book is for readers age 14 and up.


To learn more, see the following trailer video by Amie Wright:

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


Here is another trailer created by an anonymous editor who imagines what the movie based on this book might be like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVr_Whqd-jo&feature=related


Below is an informational website about the book and its authors (s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_and_prejudice_and_zombies

Finally, here is a link an original video made by me. It’s not great, but it could be used as an example of what students might do as an alternate book report:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QTYBkH0OFc

Summer Reading

Want to join bestselling authors Christopher Paul Curtis, Gordon Korman, R.L. Stine and Lisa Yee on Friday, April 30th at 1:00 p.m. (ET) / 10:00 a.m. (PT) for the Ultimate Author Showdown, a LIVE book-trivia game show webcast where students ask the questions? Can you stump the authors?

Scholastic invites you and your students to participate and they are offering some great summer reading lists and handouts for parents and teachers about summer reading.

Your influence can continue into the summer months with reading lists, public library program announcements, and your library media center website.  Don't miss any opportunity to involve parents and families, caregivers and babysitters, summer camps, summer school and anyone who lives and breathes!

The topper?  This year's summer challenge unites students to read in an attempt to set a new world record for summer reading! The overall record set for 2009 among all schools was 35,846,094 minutes logged and the top school logged 683,057 minutes!

Free Webinar: Monday, April 5

I've mentioned the Teacher Librarian Cafe's Webinars before.  The last one I attended on developing a web presence for your school library media specialist was simply outstanding!  So many ideas in an hour!  Another is coming up:

What it means to be a Change Agent in Educational Technology
Monday April 5 – 8:00 pm. EST
Special Guests: Ben Hazzard and Rodd Lucier
Hostess: Gwyneth Jones

ENTER Webinar Room

To talk about:

Field Guide For Change Agents

The Entertainer and the Dybbuk By Sid Fleischman

What in the world is a dybukk???? A ghost in short pants? Why is there a boy in short pants in my closet? What do you mean you want to come into my body to settle a grudge from your past? What if I say no to you possessing my body, will you just leave me alone? I do feel sorry for your problem, it must have been very difficult being a young jew boy during the war, but that is not my problem. I know you think you can help my act, but there is no way I want you in my body! See how Freddie and Avrom work out the best plan for both of them to get what they want.

Want to listen to a portion of the book click here and then click on listen http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/dbsearch/showreview.cfm?Num=45318

See a book review at http://thereadingzone.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/the-entertainer-and-the-dybbuk/

Read about this author at http://www.sidfleischman.com/

Want to know even more about the author? http://www.sidfleischman.com/biography.html

Willowgreen Books Publishing 2007

More to Explore...

But Before You Do...

Check out these interactive tutorials from Acadia University's (Nova Scotia, Canada) library.  There are four of them:

• Research It Right
• Credible Sources Count
• Searching with Success
• You Quote It, You Note It

Nicely done, in my humble opinion.  Although geared to University students, I can see these being very useful in high school and even middle school.  You might also want to check out the library's home page, too.  Talking avatar, redesigned page, new search results...Looks like they are really trying to relate to  students.

Two related notes: 

1. If you're not familiar with FINDS, this is a good time to check it out.  It is a research process model for Florida students.  Some schools use The Big 6 or other models, but a few years ago, many schools didn't use ANY model...and FINDS was born.  If your school still hasn't adopted a school-wide model, make it happen!  Information literacy is at the heart of our jobs these days
2. Check out this new article in T.H.E. Journal:  Library 2.0 - Enter the Teacher Librarian Enthusiast.   It's part 1 of 2 and it couldn't have come at a better time.  Our school libraries are in crisis! 

Henry's Freedom Box

Kids, if you are between the ages of 4 and 8 or if you would like to read this book with someone, and you are interested in the Civil War era and the life struggles that occurred during this time, then this heart touching book is for you! This is a true story is about a slave named Henry and his life journey to freedom.

Henry's Freedom Box, by Ellen Levine & illustrated by Kadir Nelson begins with a very young Henry Brown sitting happily on his mother's lap only to be sold and separated from him family. This story, published by Scholastic Press, copyright 2007, continues joyfully, when Henry as a young man, falls in love with a slave woman, they get married and have 3 children. Once again his wife and children are sold and he is left alone feeling empty inside. Henry's desire to be free encourages him to devise a plan to escape with the help of the Underground Railroad. With the help of two friends, a now adult Henry stuffs himself in a box and mails himself to family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he can be free.

Check out this book to find out if Henry "Box" Brown arrives safely to his family in Pennsylvania.

Book Review

http://www.kadirnelson.com/reviews/henry.htm

http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/viewWorkDetail.do?workId=4492

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3318

Gabriel's Horses

Kids you will love this Sunshine State book by Alison Hart. This historical fiction book published by Peachtree Publishers, copyright 2007, is about a little boy named Gabriel. He works on a farm with his parents caring for Thoroughbred racehorses. If you are age 9 to 12, or someone will read with you, then this amazing story of courage and inspiration is for you!

It takes place during the Civil War, and although his father is a free man, Gabriel and his mother are slaves. Gabriel enjoys working with the horses until one day his father enlists in the colored army and a new horse trainer is hired. Gabriel becomes upset because the new trainer is not treating the horses with respect. Gabriel strives to protect the horses from the new trainer and from the dangers of the Confederate raiders who steal horses from farms to replace their old horses.

Run, don't walk, to your nearest library to find out if Gabriel's father returns from war and if Gabriel is able to work with the horses and is eventually set free.

Children's Literature Corner of Alison Hart

http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hart-alison.html

http://peachtree-online.com/product/2828.aspx

Barack

Hey kids, did you know that you have been a part of history? Barack Obama is the first African American to become President of The United States and you were around to witness history in the making, we call that painless history. Barack, by Jonah Winter & illustrated by AG Ford is about President Barack Obama's journey to become President of the United States of America.

This book explains to its 5-9 year old readers, the travel and inner struggle Barack had to overcome to be the great man he is today. This book, published by Harper Collins, copyright 2008, is an endlessly inspiring story of the 44th President.

Come on kids, I know you are curious to learn where he is from, who took care of him as young child, what his interests were growing up, and how he learned to discover for himself who he was and where his life journey would take him.

Head to your library and pick up the latest copy of Barack today!

A Sunday Book Review

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/books/review/Handy-t.html

http://jonahwinterbooks.com/

I Know an Old Teacher

This hysterical story, I Know an Old Teacher by Anne Bowen & illustrated by Stephen Gammell, is based on the classic I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. This hysterical book was published by Carolhoda Books, copyright 2008, and is for reading ages 5 to 9. I would like you to meet Miss Bindley, she is an ordinary teacher with an unusual appetite. Miss Bindley doesn’t eat the usual food like turkey with cheese or spaghetti when she’s hungry. Instead, when her stomach grumbles, it’s the class pet she has her eye on. The kids in Miss Bindley’s class live on the edge of their seats and watch with surprise from outside her home wondering, what could it be she's going to gobble up, a child? Oh No Look Out! You never know what or who might be next. It could be YOU!
Author Fun Facts

http://www.annebowenbooks.com/annebowenbio.html

http://www.annebowenbooks.com/annebowenbook.html

Pinkalicious

Have you ever heard the saying you are what you eat? Have you ever eaten so much of your favorite dessert that you thought you might turn into that dessert or the color of that dessert? Do you like cupcakes? Have you ever eaten a pink cupcake?

Well, Pinkalicious, by Victoria Kann and illustrated by Elizabeth Kann, can’t stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. When she is unable to control her pink pleasure she finds herself at the doctor’s office with a case of “Pinkititis”! How will Pinkalicious figure out a way to get out of this pink predicament?

This colorfully illustrated book, published by Harper Collins Publishers, copyright 2006, will leave you laughing and salivating for more! This sparkling picture book celebrates all things pink while showing that being yourself is the best of all. Kids, if you are between the ages of 5-8 or reading on a 2.7 reading level, grab a friend and get ready to enjoy a pink treat of a book.

A little "pinkforamtion" about the author and illustrator.

http://elizabethkann.com/?page_id=14

http://elizabethkann.com/?page_id=3

New Books! New Books! New Books!

One of my favorite school libraries (Creekview HS [The Unquiet Library] in GA) not only solicited requests for new titles, but they bought them and they created this dynamic slide show to let students know they had arrived.  Take a look at what they asked to read!

The slideshow is on the LMC blog.

Creekside has an incredible web presence thanks to their library media specialists! Take a look around!

Time to Revisit Diigo

Now that you've been using Diigo a while, I thought it might be time to take a closer look at this social bookmarking tool and what it has to offer:

I had the opportunity this week to share some resources on a few edtech topics for another class. Diigo to the rescue! I just typed in a couple of tags and I had a beginning list of resources. I've also been seeing more and more sites with public Diigo notes from other visitors to the site. I hope by the end of this semester, using social bookmarks with be a habit. If you don't like Diigo, there are plenty of others to choose from! See Social Bookmarking Tools in the WebTools4U2Use wiki.

I think I mentioned that I switched from Delicious to Diigo last fall.  Diigo made it easy to import by Delicious bookmarks, and now I use Delicious as a backup.  Everything I save to Diigo automatically is sent to Delicious.   It's one of the many options under "tools" in Diigo.

If you haven't been saving bookmarks to our Diigo group, get started!  It only takes a few weeks to form a good habit!

Rewind!

This video was prepared by the UK branch of Dorling Kindersley Books and produced by Khaki Films. Originally meant solely for a DK sales conference, the video was such a hit internally that it is now being shared externally. I'll bet you'll  enjoy it... (IF you make sure you watch it up to at least the halfway point.  Then there's a surprise!)  Very clever!

Hapy St. Patrick's Day!

Bringing Literature to the Digital Natives

Today two great examples of teachers using technology to bring literature alive!  The first is To Kill a Mockingbird Meets the 21st Century.  Here's what the teacher said in the article:

“So how to you take a classic book and make it relevant to kids today?  You include Facebook, Twitter, and IM into the project.  My 8th graders ate this project up!  If you want to see if your students truly have a grasp of character development, have them write tweets as that character.”

The second was a video on YouTube...a book trailer for The Scarlet Letter created by students in an AP English Class.

Do you think these students will ever forget these books? I don't! I only hope the media specialist was instrumental in these projects. If not....well...

I Want One!

So the iPad is almost ready (available April 3) and so am I! I'd love to have one. I'll probably wait for the second version.  Like most technology, it will probably be faster, cheaper and better.   Still, I'm excited! 

But here's something REALLY exciting. The "One Laptop Per Child" initiative is showing this prototype of a device it is promising by 2012. And the price? Less than $100. Sign me up! 

Created with flickr slideshow. 
Designed by Yves Behar's Fuseproject, the XO-3's new design features an all plastic tablet screen which is semi-flexible and extremely durable, and just like the original XO, the display can be optimized in both transmissive and reflective modes for indoor and outdoor lighting conditions. The XO-3 supports many use scenarios to fulfill kids’ learning needs: from horizontal book mode to portrait reading mode to multi-touch--so many hands can play and learn together on the same screen--to a full-touch keyboard and a back facing camera. Read more from the full press release.

Why We Need to Embrace Web 2.0

Wimp Yourself

You'll love this: Wimp Yourself from the website to promote the upcoming film.  You can find a game and a quiz, too.

Here's the movie trailer:

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

Henry's Heart

Students have the unique opportunity to work on a new children’s book with author/illustrator Charise Mericle Harper — from beginning to end. The award-winning author invited the elementary school students to become an integral part of “Henry’s Heart,” from the rough manuscript to the finished product.

Each week Harper goes to a local elementary school and works with the children as they discover how books are written. Harper wrote “Henry’s Heart” about a little boy and his heart, which comes to life as a character all its own. Her story personifies the heart and addresses love, as well as health and fitness.

Like Henry’s heart, the interactive project took a life of its own in the form of weekly sessions with the elementary school’s 300 students--kindergarteners, first and second graders. The author and media specialist Linda Costelloe are setting up workstations from January through April, where the students can experiment with various types of paper, select winners of “font fights” or discuss healthy eating habits. Harper generously shares her creative license with the kids and welcomes their input regarding the paints and brushes to use for her illustrations, what Henry should wear or the type of tree she should depict.

The book will be published by Henry Holt next year. You can read more and follow the students' and book's progress here in weekly updates.

Happy Teen Tech Week!

And you thought it was just spring break at UCF! 

Teen Tech Week 2010 is March 7–13.

The 2010 theme — Learn Create Share @ your library — encourages creativity and positions the library as a place to safely explore the many types of technology available at libraries, including DVDs, music, gaming, video production, online homework help, social networking, tech workshops, and more.

For more information on Teen Tech Week, visit www.ala.org/teentechweek.  You'll find lots of programming ideas and resources that you can use now or any time!

Yep, That's the Job!

This video by Dr. Joyce Valenza should be required viewing by teachers, administrators, parents and.....school library media specialists! Until we believe it AND we do it AND we correct the perception that we exist to check out books, no one else will care.


Find more videos like this on School Library InfoTech Programs: Tapestry of Effective Practice

Compare & Contrast

Here are two different pairs of videos for you to compare and contrast.  Talk among yourselves!  Or better yet, comment below!

Build your own custom video playlist at embedr.com

Read Across America Today!!

You're never too old, too wacky, too wild,

To pick up a book and read with a child.

You're never too busy, too cool, or too hot,

To pick up a book and share what you've got.

In schools and communities,

Let's gather around,

Let's pick up a book,

Let's pass it around.

There are kids all around you,

Kids who will need

Someone to hug,

Someone to read.

Come join us March 2nd

Your own special way

And make this America's

Read to Kids Day.

Put on your hats for the big day! Enjoy your guest readers. Eat birthday cake, drink punch, and don't forget to sing "Happy Birthday" to Dr. Seuss. Read, read, read, and have fun!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! A Prezi for You!

In her blog, Time to Renew, media specialist Amy describes creating her first Prezi presentation.  If you haven't experienced Prezi, hold on!  It's something completely different; it's not your grandfather's Powerpoint!

Here's her presentation about Dr. Seuss she's using for a biography lesson.  What a nice birthday present! (March 2, 1904)

Mouse over the space under Seuss' photo to see the arrow; then click on the arrow to see the Prezi.  Or click on MORE and select autoplay.

Dr. Seuss Biography on Prezi

Get Ready to Celebrate in April!

Happy Library Week  (April 11-17)

and School Library Month!

Make on Snapvine | Copy This

• April is School Library Month
• Monday, April 12 - "The State of America's Libraries" report will be released.
• Tuesday, April 13 - Celebrate ALA-APA's National Library Workers Day
• Wednesday, April 14 - Celebrate the first annual National Bookmobile Day
• Wednesday, April 14- ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom will release the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2009” list. Visit the Banned Books Week Web site.
• Thursday, April 15 - Celebrate YALSA's Support Teen Literature Day

School Library Month 2010

"Communities Thrive @ Your Library"

SLM 2010 Spokesperson
What is School Library Month (SLM)?
SLM Video Contest
Professional Development During SLM
Resources to Celebrate SLM

Copyright and Fair Use

Free Webinar from PBS Teachers

March 10, 2010: Copyright and Fair Use in the Art World and the Classroom  - 8pm ET

During this webinar, you will have the chance to hear from and interact with filmmaker Kembrew McLeod, whose film "Copyright Criminals" recently aired on PBS's Independent Lens, law professor Peter Jaszi, and media producers and educators Chris Runde and Joe Fatheree. The four will discuss the implications of copyright and Fair Use laws in the classroom and share best practices in student media production.


Sign up as a PBS Teacher and you will receive a webinar invite the week of the event.  PBS Teachers enjoy access to FREE services, including the PBS Teachers online community, where preK-12 educators can collaborate with their peers, discuss digital media use, and "save" online instructional resources. Members of PBS Teachers also receive a 10% discount at the PBS Educational Media website.

About the Film: Computers, software and even cell phones have radically altered our relationship to mass culture and technology, providing consumers with the tools to become producers, or "remixers," of their own media. But long before everyday people began posting their video mash-ups on the Web,
hiphop musicians perfected the art of audio montage through a sport they called "sampling."

"Copyright Criminals" examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the ongoing debates about artistic expression, copyright law and (of course) money.