School Library Journal articles from March 2011

School Library Journal archives from March 2011

Better data, better libraries: statistics are more important than ever.(Editorial)
March 1, 2011... For the past 20 something years, our March editorial has delivered readers the average book prices, with predictions for the upcoming year. While book budgets now compete with many other demands on resources, they're still the most important...

Stories from the cloud: books get a 2.0 spin on library assistant Natalia Malesa's innovative new blog.(Tech Knowledge)
March 1, 2011... Visit Natalia Malesa's blog Stories from the Cloud (www.storiesfromthecloud.blogspot.com) and you may never look at book reports the same way again. From a Google map inspired by Scott Westerfeld's novel Leviathan (Simon Pulse, 2009) to a...

Lend me a handheld: assistive tech is as close as your mobile device.(The NEXT BIG Thing)
March 1, 2011... OUR LIBRARIES ARE PACKED WITH assistive technology. The trick is finding creative ways to use the tools at hand to better serve students with special needs. Begin by taking a quick mental tour of your library's technology. You probably have...

Textbooks out, iPads in?(The NEXT BIG Thing)(Apple iPad)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... Georgia is considering replacing its textbooks with iPads. With an annual outlay of $40 million going to textbooks, the state is investigating whether it should divert those funds to purchase the Apple tablet computers, says senate president...

OMG! Texting in class? SMS messaging's cool for school with these polling apps.(Cool Tools)(short messaging service; "oh my God!")(Viewpoint essay)
March 1, 2011... I'm a rule breaker. Two years ago when my school had a strict no-cellphones policy, I encouraged my students to use their mobile devices in class. Why'd I do it? To get students and their parents more involved in the lesson. The first time I...

Overheard on Twitter.(Tech Knowledge)(saving libraries)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... "Had my parents bought every single book I read as a child, it would have crippled them. This is why we need to #savelibraries." --@DML74

YouTube made safe for school.(The Buzz: Tools, trends, and gizmos)(M86 Security)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ah, the YouTube conundrum. A rich trove for educators, the video-sharing site also contains inappropriate material, forcing schools to block it altogether. A new product from M86 Security, VuSafe enables schools to...

Tweeting it old school.(The Buzz: Tools, trends, and gizmos)(Knock Knock)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... We essentially fall into two camps: those who use Twitter and those who don't. Luckily, the stationer Knock Knock has just the thing to bridge both worlds. The Paper Tweet notepad lets you communicate with those who, inexplicably, have not been...

Just plane food.(The Buzz: Tools, trends, and gizmos)(Airport Dining)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... Airport food, what can you say? Cheap, filling, and, as sometimes happens, it's what's for dinner. Enter Airport Dining, a new site that reviews the chow served up in terminals worldwide. From fast food stands to local eatery outposts, the...

Back in the game.(The Buzz: Tools, trends, and gizmos)(Oregon Trail and Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... A couple of classic games are finding new life via the social network. That edu-classic The Oregon Trail and Where in the World Is Cal men Sandiego? have launched on Facebook. In Carmen Sandiego, Facebook users play ACME Detective Agents and...

Safari launches iPad and iPhone apps.(The Buzz: Tools, trends, and gizmos)(Apple iPhone and Apple iPad; Safari Montage)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Safari Montage has released free iOS apps to complement its K-12 digital media system. The apps for iPhone or iPad allow teachers and students to use their devices to access Safari Montage digital resources, control...

HP's new TouchPad tablet.(The Buzz: Tools, trends, and gizmos)(Hewlett Packard)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The tablet field recently expanded by one awaited contender. HP's 9.7-inch TouchPad not only introduces the slick new webOS platform in tablet form, it's also the first device to boast Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon...

Just say no: it's essential for librarians to resist censorship.(Scales on Censorship)(Viewpoint essay)
March 1, 2011... One of our parents returned from a religious retreat with a 10-page list of books that elementary school children shouldn't read. When she asked me to remove them from the library, I said, "No." Now I'm afraid she'll rally other parents behind...

Have you heard the word? National Poetry Month is a great time to share the joy of poetry with children.(First Steps)
March 1, 2011... Our evening walks around Portland are even more t delightful these days as more and more neighbors have added poetry posts to their yards. Poetry posts, you ask? They are simple wooden poles, kind of like a "For Sale" signpost, but with a...

Super sad love story: Ruta Sepetys's 'Between Shades of Gray' is a heartbreaking tale of courage.(Under Cover)(Interview)
March 1, 2011... Few people know that Stalin deported more than 300,000 Lithuanians, Including many women and children who were shipped to Siberia in cattle cars and left to die. That was Stalin's plan. There's this quote which is just chilling, where Stalin...

"Board" with the curriculum: games can help cultivate important skills in an information-rich setting.(The Gaming Life)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2011... Deduction and problem-solving, while born of the sciences, have at their heart an approach to life and learning that extends its tendrils to most every facet of our lives. These skills are a vital part of the body of learning. These skills...

What's right with this picture? Chicago's YOUmedia reinvents the public library.
March 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ARMANI HARRIS, A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR in Chicago, used to just hang out or go home after school. "I didn't do much," he says. But then the 17-year-old stumbled onto YOUmedia--an innovative learning space that's housed in...

SLJ's spending survey: as the economy limps along and federal dollars dwindle, school librarians are turning into resourceful survivors.
March 1, 2011... THANK GOODNESS WE'RE A RESOURCEFUL BUNCH. How else could media specialists have survived this protracted recession, where our colleagues continue to get pink slips, budgets keep getting slashed, and we constantly have to defend what we do? ...

ALSC notable children's books.(ALSC & YALSA 2011 BOOK PICKS)(Recommended readings)
March 1, 2011... Younger Readers BAKER, Keith. LMNO Peas. illus, by author. S & S/Beach Lane Bks. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9141-0. DICAMILLO, Kate & Alison McGhee. Bink & Gollie. illus, by Tony Fucile. Candlewick. Tr $15.99. ISBN...

YALSA 2011 best fiction for young adults.(ALSC & YALSA 2011 BOOK PICKS)(Recommended readings)
March 1, 2011... (Boxed items represent the top ten picks in the category) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALONZO, Sandra. Riding Invisible.illus. by Nathan Huang. Disney/Hyperion. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-1898-5. ANDERSON, Laurie Halse. Forge. S &...

Great graphic novels for teens.(ALSC & YALSA 2011 BOOK PICKS)(Recommended readings)
March 1, 2011... (Top ten selections in shaded boxes) Nonfiction CANADA, Geoffrey. Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence. illus, by Jamar Nicholas. Beacon. pap. $14. ISBN 978-080704449-0. DEMBICKI, Matt, ed. Trickster: Native American...

The kindles are coming: ereaders and tablets are springing up in schools--and librarians are leading the way.
March 1, 2011... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BUFFY HAMILTON ONLY HAS TO LOOK AT THE WAITING LIST OF STUDENTS clamoring to get their hands on one of five Kindles she purchased for Creekview High School to know the ereaders are bundling the three P's of...

Beyond the battlefield.(focus on: The Civil War)(historical children's books)(Recommended readings)
March 1, 2011... According to historian Gary W. Gallagher, "Books about the Civil War have accumulated at the rate of more than a title a day since fighting erupted at Fort Sumter in April 1861." [1] Now, 150 years later, children's authors and illustrators...

Media picks.('Causes of the Civil War', 'The Civil War', 'The Civil War: American against American', 'The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns' and 'Lincoln: A Photobiography')(Audiobook review)(Book review)
March 1, 2011... Causes of the Civil War (United States History Origins to 2000). DVD. 30 min. with tchr's, guide. Library Video Co. 2003. $39.95. Gr 5 Up--This program explains how the industrial North and the agricultural South clashed over issues such as...

On the web.(American history online resources)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2011... For Students: American Civil War. www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war. History.com, A&E Television Networks. (Accessed 1/23/11). Gr 5 Up--Students will find a strong collection of video segments, audio clips, and photos gathered...

Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs Under the Sea.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs Under the Sea. DVD. 2 hrs. Prod. by Jim Henson Co. Dist. by PBS Distribution. 2010. ISBN 978-1-60883-259-0. $14.99. PreS-K--This animated production, divided into eight 15-minute episodes, takes children on an...

Alternative High: The Troy Shawn Welcome Story.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Alternative High: The Troy Shawn Welcome Story. DVD. 15 min. Prod. by Reel Works and Youth Communication. Dist. by Youth Communication. 2010. $35. Gr 9 Up--This film combines a dramatization of a true story about Troy Shawn Welcome, a...

Developing Personal Values.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Developing Personal Values. DVD. 16 rain. with tchr's, guide online. VEA. 2010. school library: $99.95, public library: $39.95. Gr 7 Up--Who am I? What am I doing here? What do I stand for? These are questions common to adolescents...

Generation Cyberbullying: Bullying without Borders.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Generation Cyberbullying: Bullying without Borders (Social Sensibilities Series). DVD. student video: 28 min, educator video: 17 min. with tchr's, guide online. Learning Seed. 2011. ISBN 1-55740-583-2. $149. Gr 7 Up--A video for students and...

Standing Tall: Stories of Resilience.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Standing Tall: Stories of Resilience. DVD. 29 rain. VEA. 2010. school library: $99.95, public library: $39.95. Gr 7 Up--This powerful film focuses on two teens who are facing very difficult periods in their lives. Keisha and her family have...

Your Job Search: Navigating the Roads to Employment.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... * Your Job Search: Navigating the Roads to Employment (Career Compass Series). DVD. 22 min. with tchr's. guide online. Learning Seed. 2011. ISBN 1-55740-590-5. $109. Gr 10 Up--A career is more than a paycheck. It can decide where you live,...

Essential Physical Fitness: What Every Teen Needs to Know.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Essential Physical Fitness: What Every Teen Needs to Know. DVD. 18 min. with tchr's guide. Human Relations Media. 2010. ISBN 978-1-55548-864-2. $139.95. Gr 7 Up--The action starts with two teen cartoon characters. One is out of breath...

Chicken Little.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... * Chicken Little. DVD. 8 min. with tchr's, guide. Weston Woods. 2010. ISBN 978-0-545-29594-9: $59.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-29651-9: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-54529673-1: $29.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PreS-Gr 2--Ed Emberley...

The Curious Garden.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... * The Curious Garden. DVD. 10 min. with tchr's, guide. Weston Woods. 2010. ISBN 978-0-545-29604-5. $59.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-296595: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-29675-5: $29.95. PreS-Gr 3--A curious boy's discovery of a...

Tricia's Michigan.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... * Tricia's Michigan. DVD. 45 min. Prod. by Polivision Prods. Dist. by triciasmichigan.com. 2010. $25; streaming: $18. Gr 2 Up--Acclaimed children's author Patricia Polacco takes viewers on a field trip to the idyllic small town of Union City,...

The Jesus Movie.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... The Jesus Movie. DVD. 80 min. Tommy Nelson. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4003-1470-6. $19.99. Gr 1-5--Jesus's life from birth to resurrection is presented in bright, colorful computer animation, with the appealing artwork in the style of the Read and...

The Body in Motion.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... The Body in Motion (Series). 3 DVDs. approx. 25 min. ca. VEA. 2010. $99.95 ca. Includes: An Introduction; Influences on Movement; Fitness, Skill, and Training. Gr 9 Up--Replete with footage of various athletes, including gymnasts, basketball...

Break It Down: Experiments--Biology & Ecosystems.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Break It Down: Experiments--Biology & Ecosystems. DVD. 23 min. Prod. by Exploration Prods. Dist. by Cerebellum. 2006, 2010 release. $39.95. Gr 9 Up--Each person on our planet generates an average of four pounds of garbage daily, and much...

Quirky Animals.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Quirky Animals (Kids@Discovery Nature Series). DVD. 23 min. Prod. by Exploration Prod. Dist. by Cerebellum. 1998, 2010 release. $29.95. Gr 1-5--Viewers are taken on an interesting visit to the Metro Toronto Zoo in Canada to learn about animal...

Beyond Our Borders: Austria.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Beyond Our Borders: Austria. DVD. 30 min. with tchr's, guide. New Dimension Media. 2011. ISBN 978-1-60721-068-9. $49.95. Gr 6-10--The culture and history of Austria and its inhabitants are clearly presented. Beginning with a view of Austria's...

Families of Kenya.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Families of Kenya (Families of the World Series). DVD. approx. 30 min. with tchr's. guide. Prod. by Arden Media Resources. Dist. by Master Communications. 2010. ISBN 978-1-60480-048-7. $29.95. Gr 2-6--This live-action production shows life in...

Hubert Humphrey: The Art of the Possible.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... * Hubert Humphrey: The Art of the Possible. DVD. approx. 2 hrs. Prod. by South Hill films. Dist. by PBS Distribution. 2010. ISBN 978-1-60883325-2. $24.99. Gr 9 Up--Tire decades from the 1940s through the 1970s were challenging times to our...

Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... * Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth. DVD. 1:28 hrs. Graham Street Prods. 2009, 2010 release. $40. Gr 7 Up--Several of the teenagers profiled in this film, including high school AP scholars and valedictorians, did not know they were...

Taken From My Home: Indian Boarding Schools in Perspective, Told by Teenagers Who Lived Through the Unthinkable.(Young adult review)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... * Taken From My Home: Indian Boarding Schools in Perspective, Told by Teenagers Who Lived Through the Unthinkable. DVD. 43 rain. with tchr's. resources, web links. Fascinating Learning Factory. 2009, 2010 release. ISBN 978-1-4507-3930-6. $29.95....

Talking Maps: World War I.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... Talking Maps: World War I. DVD. 10 min. with tchr's guide. New Dimension Media. 2011. ISBN 978-1-60721-069-6. $49. Gr 7 Up--The intent of the films in this series is to place important conflicts in geographical perspective. This brief program...

Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2011... * Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII. DVD 56:40 min. PBS Distribution. 2010. $24.99. Gr 9 Up--In 1942, a computer wasn't a machine--it was a person. In this stellar documentary, we meet several women computers--"Secret...

Blood on My Hands.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Blood on My Hands (unabr.). 7 CDs. 7:42 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-14118-7187-9. $59.97. Gr 8-11--Seventeen-year-old Callie Carson is having a very bad day. She is enjoying herself at a keg party until word spreads that her...

Crunch.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Crunch (unabr.). 5 cassettes or 5 CDs. 5:45 hrs. Recorded Books. 2010. cassette, ISBN 978-1-4498-3909-3: $51.75; CD, ISBN 978-1-4498-3910-0: $66.75. Gr 5-8--Fifteen-year-old Dewey, his older sister Lil, and their three younger siblings have...

Crusade.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Crusade (unabr.). 11 CDs. 12:43 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-14418-8861-7. $54.97. Gr 9 Up--Jenn Leitner has left her family's home in Berkeley, California, to train to become a vampire hunter at the Sacred Heart Academy in...

The Curse of the Wendigo: The Monstrumologist, Book 2.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... * The Curse of the Wendigo: The Monstrumologist, Book 2. (unabr.). 10 cassettes or 10 CDs. 12:15 hrs. Recorded Books. 2010. cassette, ISBN 978-1-4407-3641-4: $78.75; CD, ISBN 978-1-4407-3645-2: $108.75. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gr 9 Up--From...

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life (unabr.). 3 CDs. approx. 3 hrs. Simon & Schuster Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4423-3896-8. $14.99. Gr 5-8--Nikki Maxwell, self-professed dork and aspiring artist, has plenty of problems starting...

Extraordinary.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Extraordinary (unabr.). 8 CDs. 9:24 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4418-8229-5. $72.97. Gr 8 Up--When popular but resolutely unremarkable seventh-grader Phoebe Rothschild befriends the strange and secretive new girl, Mallory...

Favourite Poems for Children.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Favourite Poems for Children. CD. 75 rain. Naxos Audiobooks. 2010. ISBN978-184-379-423-3. $14.98. PreS-Gr 6--This collection includes 39 poems, and all but one are by British authors. Some will be familiar to American audiences, like "The Owl...

The Fences Between Us: Dear America, the Diary of Piper Davis.(Brief article)(Audiobook review)(Children's review)
March 1, 2011... The Fences Between Us: Dear America, the Diary of Piper Davis (unabr.). 5 CDs. 6:12 hrs. Scholastic Audiobooks. 2010. ISBN 978-0-545-24957-7. $29.99. Gr 5-8--Piper Davis, the 13-year-old daughter of a pastor for a Japanese Baptist church,...

Flash Burnout.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Flash Burnout (unabr.). 7 CDs, 8:05 hrs. Brilliance Aodio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4418-8245-5. $59.97. Gr 9 Up--L. K. Madigan's first novel (Houghton Mifflin, 2009), the winner of the 2010 William C. Morris Young Adult Debut Award, tells the story...

Forge.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Forge (unabr.). 7 CDs. 7:51 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4233-6737-6. $74.97. Gr 6-10--Following Isabel and Curzon's escape at file conclusion of Chains (2008), Laurie Halse Anderson's sequel (2010, both Atheneum), set during the...

The Ghostwriter Secret: Brixton Brothers, Book 2.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... The Ghostwriter Secret: Brixton Brothers, Book 2 (unabr.). 3 CDs. 3:20 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2010. ISBN 978-0-3077-1046-8. $25. Gr 4-6--Steve Brixton, private detective, is back in fire...

Guitar Boy.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Guitar Boy (unabr.). 6 CDs. 7 hrs. Full Cast Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-936223-38-1. $45. Gr 6-9--Fourteen-year-old Travis has fallen on hard times in this gentle novel (Holt, 2010) by M.]. Auch. Travis has lived a poor but idyllic life in his...

The Haunting of Charles Dickens.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... The Haunting of Charles Dickens (unabr.). 8 CDs. 9:47 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4233-6950-9. $79.97 Gr 6-8--Meg Pickel's beloved older brother Orion is missing. In a sleepless nighttime foray, Meg happens upon family friend,...

Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... * Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices (unabr.). 2 CDs. 1:30 hrs. Live Oak Media. 2010. ISBN 978-1-43010-930-3. $22.95; with paperback book, ISBN 978-1-43010-840-5: $28.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gr 6 Up--Inspired by Edgar Lee Master's...

Invisible Order, Book 1: Rise of the Darklings.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Invisible Order, Book 1: Rise of the Darklings (unabr.) 6 CDs. 7:16 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4418-8866-2. $54.97 Gr 5-8--Twelve-year-old Emily and her younger brother William are orphans. Emily supports William by selling...

The Lost Hero: The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... * The Lost Hero: The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1 (unabr.). 14 CDs. 16:36 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2010. ISBN 978-0-3077-1179-3. $50. Gr 4-7--Rick Riordan does it again with the first title...

Nightshade.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Nightshade (unabr.). 10 CDs. 11:59 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2010. ISBN 978-0-3077-4595-8. $48. Gr 7-11--Calla, an alpha werewolf, breaks the rules of the Keepers and saves a human hiker from a...

Ninth Ward.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Ninth Ward (unbar.). 4 cassettes or 4 CDs. 4:23 hrs. Recorded Books. 2010. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4498-0731-3, CD: ISBN 978-1-4498-0735-1. $30.75. Gr 5-8--Hurricane Katrina is whirling toward New Orleans in this touching novel (Little, Brown,...

Octavia Boone's Big Questions about Life, the Universe, and Everything.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Octavia Boone's Big Questions About Life, the Universe, and Everything (unabr.). 3 GDs. 3:24 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4418-8941-6. $44.97. Gr 5-8--For Octavia Boone, seventh grade starts out well enough, but when her mother, a...

Radiance.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Radiance (unabr.). 3 CDs. 4 hrs. Prod. by Macmillan Andio. Dist. by AndioGo. 2010. ISBN 978-0-7927-7396-2. $39.95. Gr 5-8--In the first book (Square Fish, 2010) in a new series by Alyson Noel, the author of "The Immortals" series, 12-year-old...

The Ring of Solomon: A Bartimaeus Novel.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... * The Ring of Solomon: A Bartimaeus Novel (unabr.). 10 CDs. 12:39 hrs. Prod by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2010. ISBN 978-0-3077-3863-9. $48. Gr 6 Up--Rejoice! Bartimaeus, the incorrigible djinni introduced in...

The Search for WondLa.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... * The Search for WondLa (unabr.). 9 CDs. approx. 10 hrs. Simon & Schuster Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4423-3428-1. $34.99. Gr 5-8--Twelve-year-old Eva Nine has spent her entire life raised by Muthr, a robot, in an underground compound on...

Ship Breaker.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... * Ship Breaker (unabr.) 8 CDs. 9:11 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4418-8347-6. $49.97. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gr 7 Up--Along a devastated U.S. Gulf Coast in a sol-fi future that includes half dog/half man creatures, teen boy...

Spine Chillers: Mysteries.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Spine Chillers: Mysteries (unabr.). 7 CDs. Oasis Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-5985-9801-8. $25.99. Gr 4-6--Three faith-based scary tales (Thomas Nelson, 1996, 1997) by Fred E. Katz are read by Kirby Heyborne. In "Dr. Shivers' Carnival," Kyle and...

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (unabr.). 2 cassettes or 2 CDs. 2:15 hrs. Recorded Books. 2011. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4498-4503-2, CD: ISBN 978-1-4498-4504-9. $30.75. Gr 3-6--Sixth grader Tommy and his friends face gym class jitters,...

Tia Lola, Stories: How Tia Lola Came to Stay and How Tia Lola Learned to Teach.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Tia Lola, Stories: How Tia Lola Came to Stay and How Tia Lola Learned to Teach (unabr.). 6 CDs. 6:20 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2010. ISBN 978-0-3077-0724-6. $39. Gr 3-6--Miguel and Juanita have...

Trash.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Trash (unabr.). 5 CDs. 5:20 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2010. ISBN 978-0-3077-4679-5. $30. Gr 8 Up--Raphael, Gardo, and Rat are "dumpsite boys" who sift through mountains of rubbish in an unnamed...

Zigzag Kids: Books 1 & 2.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Zigzag Kids: Books 1 & 2 (unabr). 2 CDs. 1:30 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2010. ISBN 978-0-3077-3867-7. $20. Gr 2-4--The Zelda A. Zigzag School may have an unusual name, but it has the...

Zorgamazoo.(Brief article)(Audiobook review)(Children's review)
March 1, 2011... Zorgamazoo (unabr.). 3 CDs. 3 hrs. Penguin Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-0-14242-818-4. $19.95. Gr 4-6--Katrina Katrell has a feisty demeanor and vivid imagination. She is under the care of boring and mean Mrs. Krabone who wants to stifle her...

The Candy Machine.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Children's review)
March 1, 2011... The Candy Machine. CD. 40 min. Prod. by Humerus Records. Dist. by zakmorgan. com. 2010. $14.99. PreS-Gr 3--Zak Morgan and David "Dela" LaBruyere have written 15 songs that lead listeners on a search for sugar with siblings Suzy and Joe. Many...

Ella Jenkins: A Life of Song.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Children's review)
March 1, 2011... * Ella Jenkins: A Life of Song. CD. 36 min. with 28-pg. booklet. Smithsonian Folkways. 2011. $11.98. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gr all levels-Ella Jenkins, "the first lady of children's music," is in her 80s and shows no signs of slowing down...

Hat Parade.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Children's review)
March 1, 2011... Hat Parade. CD. 32 min. Megs Melodies. 2010. $12. PreS-Gr 3--Singer/songwriter Meg Russell covers a wide variety of topics in these 12 songs. "Muscles" covers the importance of eating the right foods and exercising, "Coloring," a number about...

Rockin' Reading Songs.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Children's review)
March 1, 2011... Rockin' Reading Songs. CD. approx. 74 min. Prod. by Hop 2 It Music. Dist. by AV Cafe. 2010. $15. K-Gr 3--Jack Hartmann's 27 original songs combine body movements, listening skills exercises, and early literacy concepts. Opening with the...

Sing Me to Sleep: Indie Lullabies.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Children's review)
March 1, 2011... Sing Me to Sleep: Indie Lullabies. CD. approx. 49 min. American Laundromat Records. 2010. $13.95. PreS--Fourteen indie rock acts contribute a track apiece for this collection of lullabies for kids. American Laundromat Records (best known for...

Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Children's review)
March 1, 2011... Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs (unabr.). CD. 38 min. Brillance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4418-5924-2. $19.97. K-Gr 3--The 14 songs from Alan Katz's book, Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs (Margaret...

Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... * Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation. CD. approx. 17 min. with hardcover book. Spoken Arts Media. 2010. ISBN 0-8045-4222-8. $29.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gr 1-4-Benjamin C. Holmes was born a slave and learned his letters from his...

If I Had a Hammer: Stories of Building Homes and Hope with Habitat for Humanity.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... If I Had a Hammer: Stories of Building Homes and Hope with Habitat for Humanity (unabr.). 3 CDs. 3 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-4418-8917-1. $44.97. Gr 6 Up--Habitat for Humanity has a worldwide reputation for helping those in need...

Nate Donovan: Revolutionary Spy: Crimson Cross Series, Book 1.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)
March 1, 2011... Nate Donovan: Revolutionary Spy: Crimson Cross Series, Book 1. 6 CDs. 7:30 hrs. Oasis Audio. 2010. ISBN 978-1-59859-779-0. $25.99. Gr 3-6--Nate Donovan lives with his Irish Quaker family in British-occupied Philadelphia during the War for...