School Library Journal articles from December 2004

School Library Journal archives from December 2004

2005's next big thing(s): a prescient look ahead or wishful thinking?(Editorial)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... An end-of-year editorial affords its author the opportunity to speculate on the Next Big Thing, or for the purposes of this forecast, the Next Five Big Things. A prescient look at 2005 or wishful thinking? We'll let you decide. The 21st...

Avoid gender stereotyping: will boys read girls' books if given the opportunity?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I AM A FAN OF MICHAEL SULLIVAN AND have used his book, Connecting Boys with Books: What Libraries Can Do (ALA Editions, 2003). I also strongly support and believe in the idea that American boys need an extra boost in reading and literacy...

Jubilee defined.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... IN HER REVIEW OF JUBILEE BY ELLEN Yeomans (July 2004, p. 90), Carolyn Janssen stated that the term "jubilee" means "heaven," and that the characters in the book are therefore deceased. I would like to respectfully correct Ms. Janssen. According...

Preview educational software.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... YOUR ARTICLE IN THE SEPTEMBER 2004 issue ("Kids' Picks: Click Here," p. 30) omits a very useful tool. The Educational Software Preview Guide, now in its 22nd year, is designed especially for educators and librarians seeking software for preview...

Correction.(Letters)(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2004... CORRECTION: Cindy Burkhart, a runner-up for the 2004 School Library Journal/Greenwood Publishing Group Administrator of the Year Award, was incorrectly referred to as the principal of Ephrata Senior High School, PA. She was the assistant...

Calendar.(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... December 2004 January 14-19, 2005. American Library Association (Midwinter Meeting), Boston, MA. This year's conference will take place at the Hynes Convention Center. For registration details, go to www.ala.org/ala...

Will Bush still be kind to libraries? Continued support expected from Bush administration, Republican Congress.(news)
December 1, 2004... Will a second Bush administration be kind to librarians? If history serves as any guide, the profession shouldn't fare too badly. Under his first term, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. Although the...

Voters support libraries at the ballot: many Americans nationwide cast their Election Day ballots in favor of school, public libraries.(news)
December 1, 2004... Apart from choosing a president on November 2, Americans nationwide voted on crucial local library funding initiatives--and the news was encouraging. Despite heavy tax burdens and an economy still in recovery, voters in communities large and...

ALA's presidential race underway.(news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Library supporters have another election to look forward to: the 2006-2007 American Library Association (ALA) presidency. In the running are two public librarians who support fostering children's love of reading--Leslie Burger, director of the...

'Holes' redux.(short takes)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Louis Sachar (above) is coming out with a sequel to his Newbery-winning bestseller Holes (Farrar, 1998). Beverly Horowitz of Random House will edit Small Steps, which she acquired from Ellen Levine, executive vice president at Trident Media...

Winn-Dixie hits big screen.(short takes)('Because of Winn-Dixie' directed by Wayne Wang)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Kate DiCamillo's 2001 Newbery Honor-winning Because of Winn-Dixie (Candlewick) will hit the big screen February 18. Directed by Wayne Wang, the film will have a star-studded cast with Jeff Daniels as the preacher, Dave Matthews as Otis, Eva...

CA library standards unveiled: report answers everything from collections to shelving space.(news)
December 1, 2004... The next time a media specialist in California has questions about collection development or information literacy, she can just thumb through the pages of "Standards and Guidelines for Strong School Libraries," a 92-page report recently...

Bloomberg opens libraries.(news)
December 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (above left) and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein recently rang in the opening of the new school library at Public School 17 in Brooklyn, NY. The event marked the...

A modern Nancy Drew.(short takes)(re-launch)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Nancy Drew may be turning 75 next year, but thanks to a complete makeover by Simon & Schuster, the girl sleuth is now an Internet-savvy, cellphone-toting, strawberry blonde teenager. Re-launched last spring, the classic Nancy Drew Girl...

Sydney Taylor centennial.(short takes)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... To celebrate the centennial birthday of Sydney Taylor, the Association of Jewish Libraries has compiled a new readers' guide for All-of-a-Kind Family, Taylor's classic children's series about five spirited sisters growing up on New York's Lower...

IMLS honors two libraries: libraries in Puerto Rico, Flint, MI, cited for their service to children.(news)
December 1, 2004... Although the Mayaguez Children's Library in Puerto Rico and the Flint Public Library in Michigan are thousands of miles apart, they have something special in common: they're recipients of the 2004 National Awards for Museum and Library Service,...

MA high school accreditation at risk: a high school gets more than it bargained for after eliminating its media specialist.(news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Holbrook Junior-Senior High School in Massachusetts could lose its accreditation after recently axing its media specialist. The New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), the nation's oldest regional accrediting agency, has...

Library champion dies at 69.(Obituary)(Obituary)
December 1, 2004... Sally Magnuson, who spent more than 30 years helping a small school in Illinois with no library turn into a reading haven with a 2,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art media center, died recently at the age of 69 after battling cancer for a year....

A Godfrey for Multnomah.(news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Multnomah County (OR) Library's "Early Words: Partnering with Parents" is the winner of the fourth annual Godfrey Award for Excellence in Public Library Services for Families and Children, a national honor bestowed by the University of Arizona...

IN students suffer from school library cuts: survey outlines the effect of state budget cuts on library collections, student achievement.(news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Despite all the evidence showing a link between strong library media programs and student achievement, Indiana has systematically cut school library, funding over the years to the detriment of its one million students, according to a study by...

Whooo's the wiser?(Graphic Novel Roundup)(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Owly: The Way Home & The Bittersweet Summer by Andy Runton presents two charming wordless stories about a young owl in search of companionship and adventure. Owly forms fast friendships with a worm and a pair of hummingbirds. But when it's time...

Epic proportions.(Graphic Novel Roundup)(Jeff Smith's cartoon books)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Cartoon Books, the publisher of Jeff Smith's award-winning fantasy series, Bone, has done it again. Bone was originally published as a series of separate black-and-white graphic novels, but Smith went back and smoothed out the small...

Instant dharma.(Graphic Novel Roundup)(Osamu Tezuka's illustrations )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... It's not unusual for Osamu Tezuka's illustrations to blow his many admirers away. Tezuka is the creator of Japanese manga, the art form that infuses so much energy into today's comics. Tezuka's works range from the playful (Astro Boy) to the...

Eclipse.(Site of the Month)(eclipse.rutgers.edu, Rutgers University Information Science Council )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... eclipse.rutgers.edu The familiar rhymes of Mother Goose have brought joy and comfort to young children for generations. Now a new Web site examines the many aspects of this staple of American childhood, tracing the variations of Mother...

Going paperless: a tech director and former librarian has media specialists leading the way in nationally recognized district.(Tech Knowledge)
December 1, 2004... Not so long ago, media specialists in the Liberty County school system in Hinesville, GA, "were rolling in paper," says Patti Crane, Liberty's media coordinator and instructional technology specialist. Today, the system's school librarians have...

AlphaSmart Neo: computer companion.(Test Drive)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2004... AlphaSmart, Inc., 973 University Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95032 (888) 274-0680 www.alphasmart.com $249. If Henry David Thoreau were alive today and planning a little pondside self-reflection, what writing tool might he choose to tuck into his...

Cyblio ... what?(Tech Knowledge)
December 1, 2004... Cybliography. That's a legitimate word, right? Well, it will be if librarian Laurie Murrell and her students at Fieldstone Middle School in Montvale, NJ, have anything to say about it. They are trying to get their made-up word into the...

NCLB reform site.(Tech Knowledge)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The dubious impact of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on schools nationwide is detailed on a new Web site dedicated to reforming the controversial law. NCLBGrassroots.org (www.nclbgrassroots.org) assembles a wide range of news articles on...

Science and math, oh my! Great sites on topics that may be perplexing to librarians.(The Librarian's Internet)
December 1, 2004... Search Math and Science Lessons & Activities www.enc.org/features/lessonplans/search This easy-to-use search tool helps you access high-quality lesson plans selected by math and science experts at the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for...

Great books in sign language.(Tech Knowledge)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... For more than 50 years, Weston Woods, a pioneer in the field of children's filmmaking, has produced audiovisual adaptations of the best in children's picture books. Now, many of those classics--including Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola and...

Our brother's keeper: are media specialists responsible for the actions of their colleagues?(Carrie on Copyright)
December 1, 2004... One of our high school teachers plans to make a series of transparencies of a 12-page pamphlet that is copyrighted. In fact, it contains the warning: "We enforce all copyright laws." I told him it might be fine to copy a portion of the...

A living memory: a memorial collection can comfort those who have lost family or friends.(What Works)
December 1, 2004... ONE OF MY MOST FULFILLING AND CHALLENGING TASKS AS AN ELEMENTARY school librarian is creating memorial collections for the family and friends of my school community, a "living memorial" for a deceased individual that provides comfort to the...

Children of the cloth: flannelboards are a great tool to help kids learn early literacy skills.(First Steps)
December 1, 2004... FLANNELBOARDS HAVE BEEN A STORYTIME STAPLE FOR YEARS IN BOTH school and public libraries. We think the flannelboard, or feltboard as it often is called, is a great tool to help children build early literacy skills. Reading research tells...

Breaking down the barriers: three reluctant heroes who helped change American history.(Nonfiction Booktalker)
December 1, 2004... FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT MARY CHURCH TERRELL. SHE MAY HAVE BEEN a slave when she was born in 1863, just like her father. However, her paternal grandfather, who was white and also her father's owner, may have freed him. As a result, Terrell had an...

Once upon a time: a librarian looks at recent young adult novels based on fairy tales.(Up for Discussion)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... DOZENS OF NOVELS BASED ON TRADITIONAL FAIRY TALES HAVE BEEN published in the past five years. The best of these titles offer an enticing blend of familiar and surprising elements. While they follow the general plots of the tales that inspired...

Best books 2004.(Bibliography)
December 1, 2004... SLJ'S BOOK REVIEW EDITORS HAVE SELECTED THE 58 BOOKS ANNOTATED BELOW AS the most outstanding of the year. You will find a wide range of topics, themes, and artistic styles represented here. Historical elements appear across genres, from a...

Adult books for high school students.(Best Books 2004)(Bibliography)
December 1, 2004... From mysteries and memoirs to books about Mars and Morocco, this list reflects the tastes of teens whose interests are, as always, varied, intense, and highly individualistic. It's all here: fiction that is speculative, realistic, and...

Does your tech program measure up? Three online tools to assess your school's performance.
December 1, 2004... WITH SO MUCH MONEY BEING SPENT ON TECHNOLOGY, it's important to know if your hardware and software purchases are making a difference in the way that teachers teach and students learn. And in this age of accountability, you can be sure that...

Great reads for grown-ups: these must-read titles will soothe the soul and whet the appetite.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOME ECLECTIC STOCKING STUFFERS OR A FEW GIFTS to scatter around the menorah, this year's list of nonfiction favorites offers something for every taste. Are the readers in your life consumed by eating, cheating, or envy?...

Music.(Focus on: tropical resources for curriculum needs)(Mole Music )(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Audiobook Review)
December 1, 2004... "All things shall perish from under the sky, Music alone shall live, never to die. Music alone shall live, music alone shall live, Music alone shall live, never to die."--Traditional This traditional round, familiar to...

Hurd Thacher. Mama Don't Allow.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... HURD, Thacher. Mama Don't Allow. illus by author. HarperCollins. 1984. K-Gr 3--Miles and his Swamp Band are thrilled when some music-appreciating alligators declare their love for the band's loud, New Orleans-style jazz, but when the...

M Is for Music (Book Review)
December 1, 2004... KRULL, Kathleen. M Is for Music. illus. by Stacy Innerst. Harcourt. 2003. K-Gr 3--This entertaining ABC approach to musical terms, instruments, and people is a harmonious blend of text and art. Amusing paintings illustrate one or two terms...

Kuskin, Karla. The Philharmonic Gets Dressed.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... KUSKIN, Karla. The Philharmonic Gets Dressed. illus. by Marc Simont. HarperCollins. 1982. K-Gr 2--This picture book concentrates on the 105 members of an orchestra as they prepare for the evening's performance. Whimsical illustrations and...

McPhail, David M. Mole Music.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... McPHAIL, David M. Mole Music. illus. by author. Holt. 1999. K-Gr 2--Mole longs to make beautiful music on his violin and practices diligently for years, wishing the people above his underground home could hear him. In a portion of the story...

Moss, Lloyd. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... MOSS, Lloyd. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin. illus. by Marjorie Priceman. S & S. 1995. K-Gr 4--Ten orchestral instruments are introduced one by one in lively rhymes that incorporate their names, their musical families, and the terms for musical...

Abiyoyo: Based on a South African Lullaby and Folk Story.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... SEEGER, Pete. Abiyoyo: Based on a South African Lullaby and Folk Story. illus. by Michael Hays. S & S. 1986. (2001 edition with audio CD) K-Gr 3--This story about a small, ukulele-playing boy who defeats a terrible giant through the power...

Sturges, Philemon. She'll Be Comin' 'round the Mountain.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... STURGES, Philemon. She'll Be Cumin' 'Round the Mountain. illus. by Ashley Wolff. Little, Brown. 2004. K-Gr 4--This rollicking version of a well-known American folksong features a banjo-playing lizard and a host of other animals who sing,...

Aliki. Ah, Music!(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... ALIKI. Ah, Music! illus. by author. HarperCollins. 2003. K-Gr 4--Simple and clear, and with detailed, cartoonlike illustrations, this introduction covers how music is written and performed, the instruments of the orchestra, the voice as an...

Anderson, M.T. Strange Mr. Satie.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... ANDERSON, M.T. Strange Mr. Satie. illus. by Petra Mathers. Viking. 2003. Gr 1-4--Erik Satie's unusual, experimental approach to both his life and craft is expressed in this picture-book biography. Surrealistic elements of the illustrations...

Bryan, Ashley. All Night, All Day: a Child's First Book of African-American Spirituals.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... BRYAN, Ashley. All Night, All Day: A Child's First Book of African-American Spirituals. illlus. by author. Atheneum. 1991. K-Gr 4--Twenty of the best-known African-American spirituals have been selected and arranged for piano and guitar....

Delacre, Lulu. Arroz Con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... DELACRE, Lulu. Arroz Con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America. illus. by author. Scholastic. 1989. K-Gr 2--This collection of 12 songs, games, and rhymes from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Argentina is illustrated with soft...

Guthrie, Woody. This Land Is Your Land.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... GUTHRIE, Woody. This Land Is Your Land. illus. by Kathy Jakobsen. Little, Brown. 1998. K-Gr 4--Highly detailed folk art paintings make this book far more than just a pictorial accompaniment to a well-known American anthem. Jakobsen's...

Hayes, Ann. Meet the Orchestra.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... HAYES, Ann. Meet the Orchestra. illus. by Karmen Thompson. Harcourt. 1991. K-Gr 3--As animal musicians arrive to play in a concert, each instrument is briefly explained and grouped with its family: strings, woodwinds, brass, and...

Katz, Alan. Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... KATZ, Alan. Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs. illus. by David Catrow. McElderry. 2001. K-Gr 4--The tunes of familiar favorites such as "Rockabye Baby" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" are given new life with silly lyrics...

Koscielniak, Bruce. The Story of the Incredible Orchestra.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... KOSCIELNIAK, Bruce. The Story of the Incredible Orchestra. illus. by author. Houghton. 2000. Gr 2-5--This introductory work is unique in its inclusion of early instruments such as the tabor, crumhorn, sackbut, and clavichord, and relates...

Krull, Kathleen, comp. Gonna Sing My Head Off!: American Folk Songs for Children.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... KRULL, Kathleen, comp. Gonna Sing My Head Off!: American Folk Songs for Children. illus. by Allen Gains. Knopf. 1992. Gr 2 Up--The 62 folk songs presented here, some truly traditional and others written by some of the leading lights of the...

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Ella Fitzgerald: the Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... PINKNEY, Andrea Davis. Ella Fitzgerald: the Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa. illus. by Brian Pinkney. Hyperion. 2002. Gr 1-4--Scat Cat Monroe, a zoot-suit clad cat, guides readers through his narration of four "tracks" of Ella Fitzgerald's life:...

Ryan, Pam Munoz. When Marian Sang.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... RYAN, Pam Munoz. When Marian Sang. illus. by Brian Selznick. Scholastic. 2002. Gr 1-5--Clear prose and sepia-toned acrylics work together beautifully in this large-scale picture book biography that showcases Anderson's remarkable musical...

Armstrong, Jennifer, ed. What a Song Can Do: 12 Riffs on the Power of Music.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... ARMSTRONG, Jennifer, ed. What a Song Can Do: 12 Riffs on the Power of Music. Knopf. 2004. Gr 7-9--A dozen short stories demonstrate the important role music can play in a young person's life. Joseph Bruchac, Sarah Ellis, Ron Koertge, David...

MacLachlan, Patricia. The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... MACLACHLAN, Patricia. The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt. HarperCollins. 1988. Gr 5-7--Filled with quirky characters and witty conversations, this book follows an 11-year-old cellist's quest for her own vibrato, her developing close...

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. The Mozart Season.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... WOLFF, Virginia Euwer. The Mozart Season. Holt. 1991. Gr 6-8--While she prepares to perform Mozart's fourth violin concerto for a competition, 12-year-old Allegra Shapiro grapples with far more than how to interpret the composer. How her...

Adoff, Jaime. The Song Shoots Out of My Mouth: a Celebration of Music.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... ADOFF, Jaime. The Song Shoots Out of My Mouth: A Celebration of Music. illus. by Martin French. Dutton. 2002. Gr 6-9--Twenty-four exuberant, highly rhythmic poems capture music-loving teens' enthusiasm for styles as diverse as jazz,...

Freedman, Russell. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... FREEDMAN, Russell. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. Clarion. 2004. Gr 5-8--Freedman shows how a person's life is molded by its historic and cultural context. Acknowledging Anderson's...

Ganeri, Anita & Nicola Barber. The Young Person's Guide to the Opera.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... GANERI, Anita & Nicola Barber. The Young Person's Guide to the Opera. with CD. Harcourt. 2001. Gr 4-8--This basic guide includes an oven Jew of opera history, synopses of the stories of several well-known operas, brief introductions to...

Ganeri, Anita. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... GANERI, Anita. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. with CD. Harcourt. 1996. Gr 4-8--Based on a 1946 musical composition by Benjamin Britten, this comprehensive introduction summarizes the history of the orchestra, describes each...

George-Warren, Holly. Shake, Rattle & Roll: the Founders of Rock & Roll.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... GEORGE-WARREN, Holly. Shake, Rattle & Roll: The Founders of Rock & Roll. illus. by Laura Levine. Houghton. 2001. Gr 4-8--Fourteen of the originators of Rock & Roll, including Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and Bo Diddley, are featured in this...

Krull, Kathleen. Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought).(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... KRULL, Kathleen. Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought). illus. by Kathryn Hewitt. Harcourt. 1993. Gr 4-8--Musicians of the past come alive in this collection of personalities that range from Vivaldi...

Lester, Julius. The Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... LESTER, Julius. The Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World. illus. by Lisa Cohen. Hyperion. 2001. Gr 4-8--Written as stories told to his granddaughter and sprinkled with personal anecdotes, Lester weaves the facts of 10 prominent blues...

Myers, Walter Dean. Blues Journey.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... MYERS, Walter Dean. Blues Journey. illus. by Christopher Myers. Holiday House. 2003. Gr 5-8--A celebration, through verse and painting, of the emotional depth of the blues genre. Myers covers a range of experiences including poverty,...

Orgill, Roxane. Shout, Sister, Shout!: Ten Girl Singers Who Shaped a Century.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... ORGILL, Roxane. Shout, Sister, Shout!: Ten Girl Singers Who Shaped a Century. McElderry. 2001. Gr 6-8--One female singer from each decade of the 20th century represents the "events and national mood of those decades" along with a variety...

Partridge, Elizabeth. This Land Was Made for You and Me: the Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... PARTRIDGE, Elizabeth. This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie. Viking. 2002. Gr 5-8--Against a backdrop of the Depression, the Dust Bowl migration, Californian farm workers' camps, World War II, and the Cold...

The Blues of Flats Brown.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... The Blues of Flats Brown (unabr.). 1 cassette. 21:17 min. Live Oak Media (liveoakmedia.com). 2002. with paperback book, ISBN 0-87499-940-5: $16.95; with hardcover book, ISBN 0-87499-941-3: $25.95. PreS-Gr 3--Walter Dean Myers' fun picture...

Duke Ellington.(Video Recording Review)
December 1, 2004... Duke Ellington. videocassette, color. 15 min. with tchr's, guide. Weston Woods (scholastic.com/westonwoods). 2000. ISBN 0-78820-748-2. $60. K-Gr 4--The enjoyment and understanding of Andrea and Brian Pinkney's Caldecott Honor Book about...

Morton Subotnick's Making Music.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Morton Subotnick's Making Music. 1 CD-ROM. Systems: Win 95 & later, Macintosh OS X/9/8. Viva Media (viva-me dia.com). 2003. ISBN 1-932174-33-8. $39.95. Gr 2-5--Children are encouraged to create and play with music concepts in a visual...

Pianomouse Goes to Preschool.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Pianomouse Goes to Preschool. 1 CD-ROM. Systems: Win 98 & later, Mac OS 9.1 & later. Prod. by Pianomouse Pords. Dist. by AV Cafe (theavcafe.com). 2003. $19.99. PreS-K--Twelve games featuring colorful graphics teach young children their...

What Charlie Heard (Music Makers Series).(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... What Charlie Heard (Music Makers Series). 1 cassette or 1 CD. 20:22 min. wth hardcover book. Live Oak Media (liveoakmedia.com). 2004. cassette, ISBN 1-59112-278-3: $25.95; CD, ISBN 1-59112-486-7: $28.95. Gr 2-6--Mordecai Gerstein's...

African Ceremonies.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... African Ceremonies. www.culturesonthee dge.com/gallery/archives/ceremonies/photos. Cultures on the Edge. (Accessed 9/30/04). Gr 9 Up--Photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher created this site featuring their amazing images of...

Earth Calendar.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Earth Calendar. www.earthcalendar.net. Earth Calendar. (Accessed 9/30/04). Gr 4 Up--Every day is a holiday according to this site. A simple interface, with tabs at the top of each page, allows easy navigation. Each country entry offers...

Facts for Features and Special Editions.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Facts for Features and Special Editions. www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/re leases/archives/facts_for_features_special_ed itions/index.html. United States Census Bureau. (Accessed 10/29/04). Gr 6 Up--The U. S. Census Bureau has created an...

Family Traditions.(Online database)
December 1, 2004... Family Traditions. www.humnet.ucla.edu/ famtrad. UCLA. (Accessed 9/30/04). Gr 4-12--What is a family? This site attempts a definition using a collection of documented personal experiences of cultural and holiday events around the world....

Holidays Around the World.(Online database)
December 1, 2004... Holidays Around the World www.world book.com/features/holidays/html/holidays. htm. World Book, Inc. (Accessed 9/30/04). Gr 4-12--Part of World Book's free resources for educators, Holidays Around the World offers articles on traditional...

Holidays on the Net.(Online database)
December 1, 2004... Holidays on the Net. www.holidays.net. Studio Melizo. (Accessed 9/30/04). Gr 4-12--Despite the overwhelming animation, this site covers the breadth of cultural festivals and includes everything from Los Dias del los Muertos (Days of the...

It's International.
December 1, 2004... It's International. www.topics-mag.com/in ternatl/center.htm. Topics Online Magazine. (Accessed 9/30/04). Gr 4-12--Get a first-hand account of celebrations around the world, described by a resident of the country you select. Topics Online...

A World of Festivals.(Online database)
December 1, 2004... A World of Festivals. www.festivals.com. Festivals.com. (Accessed 9/30/04). Gr 6 Up--Since 1995, this site has amassed information about community festivals, fairs, and special events worldwide. Over 40,000 listings help visitors find a...