Youth Media Awards 2015

Each year the American Library Association honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards, including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media.

The announcement of the 2015 Youth Media Awards will take place at 8:00 a.m. Central time on Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, during the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibition in Chicago.

Join us for a live webcast of the press conference or follow I Love Libraries onTwitter and Facebook to be among the first to know the 2015 winners. The official hashtag for the 2015 Youth Media Awards is  #ALAyma.  

We will be waiting to see who wins! 

Cathy 

Rosemary Wells Books

Rosemary Wells celebrates her birthday January 29th. Here are some of our favorites:



Max & Ruby at the Warthogs' Wedding 



Stella's Starliner 




Ivy Takes Care




Miracle Melts Down




On the Blue Comet





Bunny Money




McDuff's New Friend 



Cathy 

Libraries are Education

Everyone thinks of school libraries and academic libraries as education – information literacy instruction as well as instilling a love of reading, and important research and analytical skills.  But public libraries are also education.  Whether focusing on early literacy classes  (sometimes called “Story Hour”), Teen Maker Spaces, Computer Classes, or Resume Writing, public libraries ARE education.

While education funding increases, library funding generally decreases.  The message that "Libraries Are Education" emphasizes that ALL libraries are education and should be funded as such.    

Library Advocacy Day in Albany is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25, 2015.  Let's spread the message that libraries are education!  

If you have a story of how Libraries are Education, please email me (chenders@libraryweb.org) and we will send those stories onto Albany, the Governor and our state representatives. 

Cathy 

Some of my favorite books from 2014 - Non Fiction

Invisible to the Eye: Animals in Disguise by Muntz.  



If: a mind-bending new way of looking at big ideas and numbers by Smith. 



Ocean: a photicular book by Kainen.  



Tiny Creatures- the world of microbes by Davies. 



Hope for Winter: the True Story of a Remarkable Dolphin Friendship by Yates. 



As an Oak Tree Grows by Karas. 




The Lego Neighborhood Book by Lyles. 




The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery by Markle 



A Kid's Guide to Awesome Duct Tape Projects 




Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and their noses) save the world by Castaldo.



Amazing Minecraft Secrets You Never Knew About by Minecraft Books




Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard by Carson.  

Bugged: How insects changed History by Albee. 



Tooth & Claw: The Wild World of Big Predators by Arnosky



Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractuals in Nature by Campbell.



Firefly July by Janeczko 

Paper Artist: Creations Kids can fold, tear, wear or share by Green. 



Teddy Bear Addition by McGrath. 

Cathy 

Happy Birthday Tedd Arnold

Tedd Arnold is one of our favorite author/illustrators here at the library. He even came to visit us in 2012.

Fix this Mess!  Robug tries to obey when Jake instructs it to "Fix this mess" but somehow manages to make things worse.

Fly Guy's Amazing Tricks- the 14th book in this popular series. 

Dirty Gert - Gert loves dirt. She rolls in it, digs in it, even tastes it. Then one day while making mud pies in the rain, Gert becomes reorganized: she grows branches, leaves and roots.

No Jumping on the Bed-  Walter has been told not to jump on the bed, but he just can't resist. Higher and higher he bounces until the floor cracks and down he tumbles, bed and all, into the apartment below. And so begins the most exciting nighttime adventure of Walter's life.

Green Wilma, Frog in Space- Green Wilma is so determined to catch a tasty fly that she doesn't notice a family of galactic visitors to her pond. In a case of mistaken identity, the alien parents beam Wilma on board their spaceship.

 

The Twin Princes- Why did Old King Chanticleer worry about his two sons? Because they were twins, and he could not decide which prince should inherit his throne. And so he planned a horse race—one that would determine the next king. But this race was an unusual one. 

     and    

Parts and More Parts- classics.  

Cathy 

 

Happy Birthday Author Kate McMullan

I'm Brave. Another addition to the hilarious read aloud books in this series.  

I'm Dirty. 

Pearl and Wagner: Four Eyes.  The delightful fourth book in the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor-winning series shows how a best friend and a new perspective can change everything.

Dinosaur Hunters.  An easy reader on how fossils are found & studied, with coverage on new theories about dinosaurs. 

As Far as I can See: Meg's Prairie Diary part of the My America Series. 

Cathy 

PBS Kids Writing Contest

Entry Form and Rules are found here.  

Teacher and Parent Resources are found here.

Winning Local Entries from past years are here.   

Here are some books to help with the writing process:

It's all about you: writing your own journal  by Loewen 

Collect Your Thoughts - Organizing Information by Fandel

Creative Writing by Budzik

Playful Writing:150 open-ended explorations in emergent literacy by Olien

Make me Giggle: Writing your own silly story by Loewen

Rip the Page! Adventures in Creative Writing by Benke

You can Write a Story! a story-writing recipe for kids by Bullard

Cathy