Saturday, February 28, 2015

Author Spotlight: Megan McDonald

Megan McDonald

Some of my favorite books are by author Megan McDonald, in celebration of her birthday February 28th check these out. 

Book Jacket for: Judy Moody

Judy Moody- the first book. 

Book Jacket for: Stink the incredible shrinking kid / [electronic resource] :

Her brother, Stink

Book Jacket for: Amy Namey in ace reporter

Judy Moody and Friends 

Book Jacket for: Julie's journey/

She wrote the Julie books for American Girl. 

These picture books:

Book Jacket for: It's picture day today!

It's picture day today! 

Book Jacket for: When the library lights go out

When the library lights go out

This fairy tale:

Book Jacket for: The Hinky Pink : an old tale

The Hinky-Pink 

This Non-Fiction book:

Book Jacket for: Saving the Liberty Bell

Saving the Liberty Bell. 

Cathy 

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Homework Hotline

Homework Hotline

Homework Hotline is a live statewide call-in show where kids receive help with homework problems right on the air. Designed for children in grades four through 12, the program – which is now in its 24th season – provides the tools students need to succeed with homework, and supports academic achievement across a variety of learning standards. Teachers from Rochester Dial-A-Teacher take the calls and send them to WXXI studios in Rochester, where host teachers, who are experts in subjects across the curriculum, are standing by ready to help kids work through their homework.

In addition to providing homework help,  Homework Hotline presents daily thematic segments on health, animals, book reviews, history, environment issues, and people and places in New York State. Homework Hotline sends out daily updates and helpful hints for the “Teaser” question on its Facebook page.

Cathy 


Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Digies Contest

Image result for digies awards

The DIGIES is an annual digital media conference and festival run by the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership in Western New York State. Our mission is to strengthen the digital media continuum between K-12 schools, higher ed and professional institutions. The DIGIES recognizes student potential in an annual festival format. With a focus on the active creation of digital media, rather than the passive use of media, we are better able to meet educational standards and increase student learning. 

For a brochure about the event, click here.

Cathy 




Wednesday, February 11, 2015

        

2015 CLEL Bell Awards Winners


February 5, 2015

We are happy to announce the 2015 CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards for Early Literacy! 

The five winning books consist of one title in each of five categories selected from a shortlist of 25 titles. Each category represents an early literacy practice: Read, Write, Sing, Talk, and Play. The books, in their content, theme, or design, support caregivers’ interaction with their children through these five early literacy practices. Research has shown that engaging children in these practices builds language skills and prepares children to become successful readers.


Early Literacy Practice: Read

 

Books Always Everywhere by Blatt.  Follow along with a diverse set of babies and toddlers as they fill their days with playing, sharing, and reading. Books Always Everywhere encourages families to see that books and reading can be joyful parts of their daily activities.    

For Early Literacy Activities Sheet about this book, click here.


Early Literacy Practice: Write 


The Crayon: A Colorful Tale of Friendship by Rickerty.Two quirky creatures take turns scribbling with crayons, mixing and naming colors as they go, in this humorous story about friendship. For young children, the scribbles in the illustrations and the conversations in the text model age-appropriate written and oral language skills.

For Early Literacy Activities about this book, click here.

Early Literacy Practice: Talk


Froodle by Portis. A bird leaves the usual chirps behind in a quest to find just the right new thing to say. Full of unexpected but fun made-up words, Froodle is a celebration of language and self-expression. 
For Early Literacy Activities about this book, click here.   

Early Literacy Practice: Sing



I Got the Rhythm by Schofield-Morrison. From storefront to park, an exuberant girl rejoices in the sounds and music she hears during a busy city day. Her actions show children how to listen closely to the world around them. The story's rhythmic language and rhyming words help build phonological awareness skills. 

For Early Literacy Activities about this book, click here.  

Early Literacy Practice: Play




Tea with Grandpa by Saltzberg. A young girl and her grandfather spend a delightful time together singing, having a tea party, and chatting. Tea with Grandpa stands as a wonderful model of child-directed, open-ended play and presents a positive example of how technology can help children maintain critical family relationships. 

For Early Literacy Activities about this book, click here.  

Cathy 


















Monday, February 2, 2015

American Library's Best Youth Books Award Winners Announced

American Library Asociation Youth Media Awards


A list of all the 2015 award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:
“The Crossover,” written by Kwame Alexander, is the 2015 Newbery Medal winner. 

Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: 
“El Deafo” by Cece Bell
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson 

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
“The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” by Dan Santat, is the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner. 

Six Caldecott Honor Books also were named: 
“Nana in the City,” written by Lauren Castillo 
“The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art,” written by Barb Rosenstock.  
“Sam & Dave Dig a Hole,” written by Mac Barnett. 
“Viva Frida,” written by Yuyi Morales.
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant.
“This One Summer,” written by Mariko Tamaki.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: “Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson, is the King Author Book winner.  

Three King Author Honor Books were selected: 
Kwame Alexander for “The Crossover,” 
Marilyn Nelson for “How I Discovered Poetry,”
Kekla Magoon for “How It Went Down,” 

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
“Firebird,” illustrated by Christopher Myers, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Misty Copeland. 

Two King Illustrator Honor Book were selected:
Christian Robinson for “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” by Patricia Hruby Powell.
Frank Morrison for “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone,” by Katheryn Russell-Brown. 

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:
“When I Was the Greatest,” written by Jason Reynolds, is the Steptoe winner. 

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
“I’ll Give You the Sun,” written by Jandy Nelson, is the 2015 Printz Award winner. 

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: 
“And We Stay,” by Jenny Hubbard.
“The Carnival at Bray,” by Jessie Ann Foley.
“Grasshopper Jungle,” by Andrew Smith. 
“This One Summer,” by Mariko Tamaki.  

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
“A BOY AND A JAGUAR” written by Alan Rabinowitz, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10. 
“RAIN REIGN” written by Ann M. Martin, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13). 
The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Girls Like Us,” written by Gail Giles. 

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
“All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr. 
“Bellweather Rhapsody,” by Kate Racculia.
“Bingo’s Run,” by James A. Levine
“Confessions,” by Kanae Minato. 
“Everything I Never Told You,” by Celeste Ng.
“Lock In,” by John Scalzi.
“The Martian,” by Andy Weir. 
“The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice,” by Zak Ebrahim with Jeff Giles. 
“Those Who Wish Me Dead,” by Michael Koryta 
“Wolf in White Van,” by John Darnielle.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video:
“Me…Jane,” are the Carnegie Medal winners. This transcendent adaptation of Patrick McDonnell’s 2012 Caldecott Honor draws viewers into the childhood of a young Jane Goodall who, with beloved stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, is transformed by what she observes in her own backyard, a “magical world full of joy and wonder.” 

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. 
The 2015 winner is Donald Crews, whose award-winning works include “Freight Train,” which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1979, and “Truck,” a Caldecott Honor Book in 1981. He has been consistently excellent with a wide range of titles, such as “Harbor,” “Parade,” “Shortcut” and “Bigmama’s,” all published by Greenwillow Books.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:
The 2015 winner is Sharon M. Draper, author of more than 20 books, including: “Tears of a Tiger” (1994), “Forged by Fire” (1997), “Darkness Before Dawn” (2001), “Battle of Jericho” (2004), “Copper Sun” (2006), and “November Blues” (2007), all published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States.
 “Mikis and the Donkey” is the 2015 Batchelder Award winner. The book was written by Bibi Dumon. 

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: 
“Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust,” written by Loic Dauvillier.
“Nine Open Arms,” written by Benny Lindelauf.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:
“H. O. R. S. E. A Game of Basketball and Imagination,” produced by Live Oak Media, is the 2015 Odyssey Award winner. 

Three Odyssey Honor Recordings also were selected: 
“Five, Six, Seven, Nate!” produced by AUDIOWORKS (Children’s) an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc., written by Tim Federle, and narrated by Tim Federle;
“The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Julie Berry, and narrated by Jayne Entwistle;
“A Snicker of Magic,” produced by Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Natalie Lloyd, and narrated by Cassandra Morris.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
“Viva Frida,” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Yuyi Morales.

Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were named:
“Little Roja Riding Hood,” illustrated by Susan Guevara, written by Susan Middleton Elya.
“Green Is a Chile Pepper,” illustrated by John Parra, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong.
 “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh

Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring Latino authors whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience:
"I Lived on Butterfly Hill" is the 2015 Pura Belpré (Author) Award winner. The book is written by Marjorie Agosín. 

One Belpré Author Honor Book was named:
"Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes," written by Juan Felipe Herrera.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant, is the Sibert Award winner. 

Five Sibert Honor Books were named: 
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson.
“The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia,” written by Candace Fleming.
“Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” written by Patricia Hruby Powell. 
"Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands,” written and illustrated by Katherine Roy.
“Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh.

Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:
“This Day in June,” written by Gayle E. Pitman, Ph.D.,is the winner of the 2015 Stonewall Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award. 

Three Honor Books were selected: 
“Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out,” by Susan Kuklin.
“I’ll give you the sun,” written by Jandy Nelson.
“Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” written by Christine Baldacchio.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:
“You Are (Not) Small,” written by Anna Kang is the Seuss Award winner. 

Two Geisel Honor Books were named: 
“Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page,” written by Cynthia Rylant
“Waiting Is Not Easy!” written by Mo Willems.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:
“Gabi, a Girl in Pieces,” written by Isabel Quintero, is the 2015 Morris Award winner. 

Four other books were finalists for the award:
“The Carnival at Bray” written by Jessie Ann Foley.
“The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim” written by E.K. Johnston.
“The Scar Boys” written by Len Vlahos.
“The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender” written by Leslye Walton. 

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
“Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek,” written by Maya Van Wagenen, is the 2015 Excellence winner. 

Four other books were finalists for the award:
“Laughing at My Nightmare” written by Shane Burcaw.
“The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia” written by Candace Fleming.
“Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business—and Won!” written by Emily Arnold McCully.
“The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights” written by Steve Sheinkin. 

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma .

Cathy 

Minecraft Fun on Thursdays


Minecraft Thursdays 4-7 pm. Join us!






























Cathy