School Library Journal articles from November 2003

School Library Journal archives from November 2003

An advocate worth celebrating: principal Edward Gonzalez knows the value of a good media specialist.(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... When we selected Edward Gonzalez as our first Administrator of the Year, we chose an unyielding library advocate who is committed to integrating library resources and the instructional skills of the media specialist into his school's curricular...

All librarians left behind? No child left behind reflects the uncertain status of media specialists.(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I READ WALTER MINKEL'S RECENT article "Dollars for Development" in the September 2003 issue (pp. 54-55) with interest. Of course, some school library, media specialists may be asked to evaluate canned teacher training programs. But too many...

Saving kids.(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE wonderful article on teaching students to overcome adversity ("Saving Kids from Despair," August 2003, pp. 46-49). I work in an office of library media teachers and usually receive SLJ late. I was thrilled to...

Call for Audio Awards.(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (ALA) recently established a task force to explore the possibility of adding one or more new awards to those announced at ALA's Midwinter Meeting. Among those being considered by the Association for Library...

A+Students' Strategies.(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... LYNN EVARTS'S EVALUATION OF THE book, Survey of 300 A+ Students (Creme de la Creme Pr, 2003; Aug. p. 174) is awkward and misrepresents the book in many ways. The cover art is, in fact, eye-catching because it has five loud colors and images of...

Our reviewer replies.(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... AS I EXAMINED THE POINTS THE publisher makes in regard to my review, I found nothing to change my opinion that this book is not suitable for SLJ's audience, which is for K-12 students. First and foremost, the cover art is simplistic in style...

Correction.(Letters)(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2003... The author credit for the September Learning Quarterly editorial "Dispelling the Myths" (pp. 3-4) was incomplete. Sharon Coatney and Barbara Stripling cowrote the piece.

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... November 2003 November 14-16. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference, Chicago, IL The nation's largest conference devoted to social studies education offers a full schedule of programs to promote new ideas and...

Technology raises privacy concerns: will microchips in library materials unleash a big brother scare?(news)
November 1, 2003... If your library has plans to install tiny computer chips in its materials, critics are saying think again. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties watchdog, warns that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has the potential to...

Sis, Johnson win 2003 'Genius Awards': children's book creators win prestigious MacArthur Award and $500,000 'no-strings' grant.(news)(Peter Sis)(Angela Johnson)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Peter Sis thought the phone call was from a pesky telemarketer. "He said he had something important to tell me that was going to change my life, and I said I didn't have the time," says Sis, who was then fielding calls from his Manhattan studio...

Illustrator William Steig dies at 95.(news)(Obituary)
November 1, 2003... William Steig, creator of the Caldecott Medal-winning Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Windmill, 1969) and Shrek! (Farrar, 1990), the inspiration for the hit film of the same name, died of natural causes at his home in Boston on October 3. He...

Diddy runs the city.(short takes)(Sean "P. Diddy" Combs to run for charity)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Hip-hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is setting aside his bling-bling on November 2 to raise $1 million for New York City's school kids. Combs, who's been training for the grueling 26.2-mile New York marathon, will divide the money among the...

The 'unfortunate' movie.(short takes)(A Series of Unfortunate Events)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The tragic and woeful lives of the three Baudelaire orphans will be coming to the big screen in late 2004. Actors Meryl Streep, Jude Law, and Jim Carrey will star in the film version of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events...

Budgets rise at Florida libraries: Jacksonville, Miami-Dade to build new branches, hire librarians.(news)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Here's some good news from the Sunshine State: the Jacksonville and Miami-Dade public library systems will see a significant increase in their FY 2003-2004 budgets, despite widespread cuts and layoffs nationwide. The windfall in Jacksonville...

Race for ALA presidency begins: Stripling, Gorman vie for head of nation's library association.(news)(Barbara Stripling, Michael Gorman)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Barbara Stripling, a former school librarian and director of library' programs for the nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools, is running for president of the American Library Association (ALA.). Stripling, former president of the American...

NY library gives teens a second chance: Queens library, DA's office support program for first-time juvenile offenders.(news)(District Attorney)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Teenagers in Queens, NY, who've been busted !or shoplifting or vandalism aren't sent to juvenile houses, they're sent to the library. As part of a renewed partnership between the Queens District Attorney's Office and the Queens Borough Public...

Vandergrift to leave Rutgers: library professor retires in June.(news)(Kay Vandergrift)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Kay Vandergrift, professor at the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies at Rutgers University and founder of the renowned "Vandergriffs Children's Literature Page," and other Web sites, will retire from her academic position...

Congress at odds over LSTA.(news)(Library Services and Technology Act)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Now that President Bush has reauthorized the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $232 million for FY 2004, media specialists should urge their legislators to approve funding at its highest levels. Both houses of Congress are still at...

Laura Bush promotes reading in Russia: First Lady brings authors R. L. Stine and Marc Brown to Moscow for a book festival.(news)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Attending a First Ladies summit of sorts, Laura Bush traveled to Moscow in October to kick off the first book festival hosted by Russian First Lady Lyudmila Putin. The event, modeled after Bush's annual National Book Festival in Washington, DC,...

Austin, TX: Texas public schools banned 36 books during the 2002-2003 school year, the same number as the previous year, according to an annual report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.(Censorship Roundup)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... /Austin, TX: Texas public schools banned 36 books during the 2002-2003 school year, the same number as the previous year, according to an annual report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. The report also reveals a statewide total of...

Fowlerville, MI: the Fowlerville school board committee voted October 1 to restore the previously banned Whale Talk (Greenwillow, 2001) by Chris Crutcher to the high school English curriculum.(Censorship Roundup)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Fowlerville, MI: The Fowlerville school board committee voted October 1 to restore the previously banned Whale Talk (Greenwillow, 2001) by Chris Crutcher to the high school English curriculum. The novel, which deals with racism at a high...

Knox County, TN: the library services chief of Knox County Schools has ordered the district's 19 middle and high schools to review their subscriptions to Seventeen magazine after a parent objected to a suggestive fragrance ad from French Connection United Kingdom showing a scantily clad couple with the caption "scent to bed.".(Censorship Roundup)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Knox County, TN: The library services chief of Knox County Schools has ordered the district's 19 middle and high schools to review their subscriptions to Seventeen magazine after a parent objected to a suggestive fragrance ad from French...

William Morris succumbs to cancer.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
November 1, 2003... William Morris, who managed library promotion for Harper-Collins Children's Books and its predecessor Harper & Row, died September 29 at his home in New York City, less than a week before his 75th birthday. He had been ill with cancer for...

Editor Meredith Charpentier dies.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
November 1, 2003... Meredith Charpentier, the editor of the Newbery Honor-winning children's books Sugaring Time (Macmillan, 1983) by Kathryn Lasky and Surviving the Applewhites (HarperCollins, 2002) by Stephanie Tolan, recently died at her home in New York City...

University Laboratory High School Library.(Site of the Month)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... www.uni.uiuc.edu/library Frances Jacobson Harris (francey@uiuc.edu), who directs the media center at the University Laboratory High School in Urbana, IL, is one of our nation's most progressive school librarians. Her desire to encourage...

Google gets bookish: new resource makes reference books attractive to kids.(Tech Knowledge)(e.encyclopedia)
November 1, 2003... Since Google receives approximately 200 million hits a day from information-seeking visitors, it's not surprising that the world's largest online search tool has gotten into the reference book business. Google has joined forces with children's...

A shopping cart for research.(Tech Knowledge)(My EBSCOhost)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... If you're the type who rarely completes a I research project in a single sitting, a new program from EBSCO Publishing may be just what you're looking for. "My EBSCOhost" enables users to create personalized folders to store their research...

eBeam System 3: whiteboard presentation system.(Test Drive)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Luidia, Inc. 125 Shoreway Road, Building D, San Carlos, CA 94070 www.e-beam.com. (877) 463-2326. $749. Windows 98SE, ME, 2K, XP or Macintosh OS 9.1 or later. Imagine plugging a whiteboard into your computer: class notes, diagrams, and even...

New Gale e-newsletters.(Tech Knowledge)(It's Galementary!)(CurricuLinks)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... McCaffrey, Meg Nina Levine, a library media specialist at Blue Mountain Middle School in Cortlandt Manor, NY, always welcomes a helping hand when it comes to the challenging business of keeping current. That's wiry she was delighted to...

Multimedia tools that kids will love.(New Products)(eZediaMX)(eZediaQTI)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... EZedia operates on the notion that learning is more fun when kids and teachers have a chance to get creative, The Winnipeg, Canada software company has created eZediaMX and eZediaQTI--two products for Mac and Windows systems that give educators...

Graphic organizers: a great way to help students visualize concepts and organize ideas.(The Librarian's Internet)
November 1, 2003... Graphic Organizers Index www.graphic.org/goindex.html If you're new to graphic organizers, this is the place to start. The site offers various organizers--from webbing to flow charts--with brief tips on how they should be used,...

More of the Wright stuff.(Tech Knowledge)(Wright brothers' papers online)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Now that the centennial of Wilbur and Orville's historic flight is upon us, students and educators can see important documents about the Wright brothers without having to visit a museum. The Library of Congress has posted its premium collection...

Rage against the machine: a journalist says 'whoa!' to school technology.(Chat Room)(Todd Oppenheimer)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... TODD OPPENHEIMER SAYS IT'S IRONIC THAT TECHNOLOGY--particularly the hyperlinked Web--is often touted as a way to help students make connections between various pieces of information. During the seven years he spent researching and writing his...

The ABC's of marketing: promoting your library media center program is a necessity.(Educator's Resource Kit)
November 1, 2003... How do you keep teachers coming back to your library, update students about the latest resources available, and draw parents to after-school training sessions? The answers lie in effectively promoting your library media center program. ...

Sound advice: can students edit pop CDs as part of a multimedia class?(Carrie on Copyright)(Column)
November 1, 2003... An article in an education magazine stated that "students may download and use copyrighted Images for a classroom project as long as the projects are not distributed outside the classroom." Is this correct? Wouldn't there be Issues of...

Dazzling kids with Dewey: learning about the century-old classification system can be fun.(What Works)(Dewey decimal system)
November 1, 2003... ARE YOUR STUDENTS MORE LIKELY TO DOZE OFF THAN BE DAZZLED BY Dewey decimal skills? Don't despair, there are indeed engaging ways to teach kids how to use this century-old classification system to accurately and efficiently find library...

"I" still isn't for Indian: a look at recent publishing about Native Americans.(Up for Discussion)(Column)
November 1, 2003... IN NOVEMBER 1999 IN THIS COLUMN, DEBBIE REESE DISCUSSED expectations for the depiction of Native Americans in children's literature in "Authenticity & Sensitivity" (pp. 36-37). "Native children should have books that do not demean or embarrass...

Ultimate advocate: principal Edward Gonzalez transforms a failing school by investing in its media specialist.(Administrator Of The Year 2003)
November 1, 2003... Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School was heading toward failure when it opened in 1995: it had a new principal in each of its first four years, its math and reading scores were among California's lowest, and about 50 percent of its population...

A smarter system: automation software is better than ever--and it even encourages sharing.
November 1, 2003... School library automation systems aren't what they used to be--and that's encouraging news. The earlier generation of systems--those created in the 1980s and 1990s--did an admirable job of compiling a school's collection into a database. But...

A tough act to follow: although the TEACH act aims to clarify the use of digital technology, the new copyright law is difficult to decipher. Here's what you need to know.(Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act)
November 1, 2003... When I was in grade school, I especially liked lessons with an audiovisual component--that gigantic opaque projector with its loud hum, flashing images on a bare wall or screen. Suddenly I knew learning would be more fun. Times have changed....

Barbara Helen Berger. bhberger.com.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Personal site. (Accessed 9/08/03). Gr 3-8--Berger's luminescent illustrations for Books such as Grandfather Twilight, Donkey's Dream and All the Way to Tibet have delighted children. This Web site is not as fancy as some of the others, but...

Tony DiTerlizzi. www.diterlizzi.com.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Personal site. (Accessed 9/08/03). Gr 3-7--As the creative genius behind the 2003 Caldecott Honor book The Spider and the Fly, Tony DiTerlizzi has proven himself the master of zany, quality illustrations. His Web site reflects the joie de...

Mem Fox. www.memfox.net.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Personal site. (Accessed 9/08/03). Gr. 4-7--In a Web site that is just as colorful as she is, the dynamic Mem Fox presents her world in six "Chapters." "All About Mem" has the usual author bio and profile, family information, and favored...

Neil Gaiman. www.neilgaiman.com.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Personal site. (Accessed 9/08/03). Gr 7-12--The graphic novel has gained new sophistication and popularity due to the talents of Neil Gaiman. In addition, he has penned the eerie novel, Coraline, and the intriguing new picture book, The...

Jean Craighead George. www.jeancraig headgeorge.com.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Personal site. (Accessed 9/0/103). Gr 4-9--For students who adore the nature-rich books by Jean Craighead George, this Web site is a must-see. The home page gives a brief biography of the Newbery Medalist. "Books" leads to a long list of...

Nikki Grimes. www.nikkigrimes.com.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Personal site. (Accessed 9/08/03). Gr 5-9--"Oh No. You have wandered into the Poetry. Zone," warns the homepage of Nikki Grimes, winner of the 2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award for Bronx Masquerade. Her poetry is magical--and she uses...

Jane Goodall. www.janegoodall.org/jane/day.html.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Jane Goodall Institute. (Accessed 9/8/03). Gr 6 Up--Jane Goodall's "A Day in the Life" is her first-person account of a typical day spent observing the chimpanzees at the Gombe National Park in what is now Tanzania. In 1960, Goodall was...

Steve Irwin. www.crocodilehunter.com.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Crocodile Hunter. (Accessed 9/15/03). Gr 6-8--Beyond the wild antics of television's The Crocodile Hunter is Steve Irwin, Director of Australia Zoo. This site is written by Steve and his wife Terri, and is both autobiographical and...

Anna Kournikova. www.kournikova.com/journal.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Anna Kournikova. (Accessed 9/8/03). Gr6 Up--Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova, like many popular sports stars, has her own Web site complete with her journal. A biography is included as one of the links, but fans will enjoy reading the...

Mary L. Landrieu. www.senate.gov/~landrieu/newsite/faq.cfm.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Mary L. Landrieu. (Accessed 9/8/03). Gr 6-8--Landrieu is the Democratic Senator from Louisiana. What makes her Web site of interest is her welcoming letter on the homepage, written in the first person, and her kids' link, which leads to...

Ellen Ochoa. teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic/ochoatscript.htm.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Hispanic Heritage--Meet Ellen Ochoa. (Accessed 9/8/03). Gr 6-8--The first Hispanic American woman to fly in space is the subject of this Scholastic interview transcript. Ochoa answered questions asked by students in the fifth grade. The...

Christopher Reeve. ww.fortunecity.com/lavender/greatsleep/1023/stillme.html.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... "A Shoulder to Lean On." (Accessed 9/8/03). Gr 6 Up--Christopher Reeve's personal essay on the aftereffects of his accident that led to his becoming disabled is a stepping stone to numerous interview links. Reeve's personal Web site is a...

Chihuly in Action.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 27 min. Portland Press. 1999, 2003 release. $20. Gr 9-12--Hip-hop music and an urban introduction draw teens into this video about artist Dale Chihuly's work with students. The initial segment focuses on highschoolers...

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Leonardo Da Vinci.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 24 min. Kiki & Assocs. 2003 $24.95. K-Gr 6--Based on Venezia's book of the same title. Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Leonardo Da Vinci transports viewers back in time to Renaissance Italy. The narrator...

Hands-On Crafts for Kids Series 6: Back in Time: Ancient Egypt 3000 B.C.-300 B.C.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 30 min. Chip Taylor Communications. 2003. $99.99. Gr 1-6--Need some craft projects to beef up your Ancient Egypt unit? This might be the video for you. Viewers are shown how to create six items with an Ancient Egypt...

Bob the Builder: a Christmas to Remember.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette or DVD. color. approx. 50 min. HIT Entertainment. 2003. ISBN 1-57132-616-2. videocassette: $14.99, DVD: $16.99. PreS-Gr 1--Music legend Elton John is the guest star in this production based on the popular Nickelodeon...

Calm Baby.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 30 min. with CD. Prod. by Calm Baby. Dist. by Big Kids Prods. 2001, 2003 release. ISBN 0-971568-0-8. $14.95 (+ $3.95 s/h). PreS--This video was created by two mothers looking for ways to pacify their babies and...

Galloping Minds, Vol. 2: Shapes and Colors.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. approx. 40 min. Galloping Minds. 2003. $14.95. PreS-K--Animation and everyday objects acquaint young children, ages six months through kindergarten, with colors and shapes. The video is introduced by a dog called...

How to Host a Princess Party.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette or DVD. color. 1 hr. Good Fairy Prods. 2003. $14.95. PreS-Gr 2--The video offers everything young girls and their parents need to know about hosting the perfect princess party. Gwendolyn the Fairy Princess, whose costume...

The Bronze Screen.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... DVD. color. 1:28 hrs. Questar Video. 2003. ISBN 1-56855-899-6. $19.99. Gr 7 Up--Compelling, enlightening, and entertaining, The Bronze Screen relates the contributions made by Latinos to movies over the last 100 years as well as examples...

Being Gay: Coming Out in the 21st Century.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette or DVD. color. 25 min. with tchr's. guide. Cambridge Educational. 2003. ISBN 0-7365-5792-X. videocassette: $89.95, DVD: $114.95. Gr 9-12--This production will help all teens understand what it means to be gay, lesbian,...

A Golden Rule School.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 1:11 hrs. Prod. by Harvey Rabbit Prods. Dist. by Big Kids Prods. 2000, 2003 release. #M276. $17.95 (+ $3.95 s/h). PreS-Gr 3--Mr. Tim and Ms. Laura, with assistance from their puppets, disguises, magic, and audience...

Heart of the Sea.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color & b&w. 57 min. Women Make Movies. 2002. #W03818. $275 (Rental: $90). Gr9 Up--Some people accomplish so much in their short lives that they inspire those who knew them as well as those who learn about them. Rell Sunn,...

Show Some Character.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 1:02 hr. Prod. by Harvey Rabbit Prods. Dist. by Big Kids Prods. 1999, 2003 release. $17.95 (+ $3.95 s/h). PreS-Gr 3--Puppets, magic, music, dancing, costumes and skits all help to get the points across dramatically in...

Unlocking the Heart of Adoption.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 56 min. Pandora's Box Prods. 2003. $160 (high schools), $99 (public libraries), $39.95 (home use) (+ $15 s/h). Gr9 Up--Adoption creates new families as it severs biological bonds. For some adoptees and biological...

Supporting Actors.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 34 min. Cinema Guild. 2002, 2003 release. ISBN 0-7815-0947-5. secondary schools: $117 (Rental: $50), Gr 7 Up--This program focuses on tips for aspiring actors trying to break into television, theater, and film....

ABCs of Vitamins.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette or DVD. color. 24 min. with tchr's. guide. Cambridge Educational. 2003. ISBN 0-7365-5597-8. videocassette: $89.95, DVD: $114.95. Gr 9-12--With a growing percent of the population overweight, it is important to teach students...

Angelina Ballerina: the Show Must Go On--Christmas in Mouseland.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette or DVD. color. 40 min. Prod. by Grand Slamm Children's Films. Dist. by HIT Entertainment. 2003. ISBN 1-57132-6787-8. videocassette: $14.99, DVD: $16.99. PreS-Gr 3--In her first feature-length animated special, based on the...

Shape Masters.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... (Northpoint Series). videocassette or DVD. color. approx. 27 min. Fort Fun. 2003. ISBN 0-9740768-0-5. videocassette: $12.95, DVD: $16.95. K-Gr 3--Featuring five multicultural computer-animated characters, this first installment of the...

From Fact to Fiction: Moby Dick.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. approx. 26 min. (closed captioned), with tchr's, guide. Discovery Channel School. 2003. ISBN 1-58738-423-X. $59.95. Gr 7-12--This video reenacts the true events that inspired Herman Melville's classic novel. A crew...

Ogden & Dorothy, Phyllis & Yip.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... (The Master Poets Collection). Videocassette. color. approx. 30 min. Monterey Media. 1978, 1993 release. ISBN 1-56994-199-8. $24.95. Gr 7 Up--The title of this video refers to poets Ogden Nash, Dorothy Parker, Phyllis McGinley, and Edgar...

The Ballad of Bering Strait.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... DVD. color. 90 min. Prod. by Koch Lorber Films. Dist. by Koch Entertainment. 2003. $24.98. Gr 7 Up--The Ballad of Bering Strait presents the unusual journey of a bluegrass/country band from Russia to Nashville, and details how they...

Rhymes and Reasons.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette or DVD. color. 1:48 hrs. AV Cafe. 2002. videocassette: $65 (pub. perf), $45 (home use); DVD: $67 (pub. perf.), DVD: $47 (home use). PreS-Gr 5--Alexis Pappas, an accomplished pianist and vocalist, enthusiastically moderates...

KidSmartz: Abduction Prevention.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... DVD. color. 27 min. Prod. by KidSmartz. Dist. by Baker & Taylor. 2003. ISBN 1-932228-57-8. $14.98. Gr 11 Up--Actor and real-life dad Bryan Cranston, best known as the father on the television series Malcolm in the Middle, created this...

The Reluctant Saint: Francis of Assisi.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 1 hr. Prod. by Faith & Values Media. Dist. by Vision Video. 2003. ISBN 1-56364-650-1. $19.99 Gr 10 Up--Filmed on location in Italy, The Reluctant Saint is based on the biography of Francis of Assisi by Donald Spoto....

Saints & Strangers.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 59 min. Prod. by Family Net. Dist. by Vision Video. 2003. ISBN 156-364-6951. $19.99. Gr 9 Up--The role of faith and religion in the founding of America is examined in this documentary. Viewers are treated to a...

Kick to Get Fit: Children's Safety & Self-Defense.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 24 min. Prod. by Grogans Fitness. Dist. by Tapeworm. 2003. $14.95. K-Gr 6--Part of Rich Grogan's Kick to Get Fit series, this video is designed to teach children of all ages basic self-defense and escape maneuvers. It...

Ancient Chinese Inventions.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... (Series). 4 videocassettes, color. 26 min. ea. with tchr's, guides. Landmark Media. 2002, 2003 release. $350 set. Includes: Weaponry, Agriculture & Games; Magnetism, Seismometry, Shipbuilding; Astronomy & Chronography; Printmaking, Armaments &...

Biomes Series.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... 4 videocassettes or 4 DVDs. color. 20 min. ea. (closed captioned). with tchr's, guide. Visual Learning Co. 2002. ISBN 1-59234-042-3. videocassette: $299 ser., $89.95 ea.; DVD: $299 ser. Includes: Grasslands; Deserts and the Tundra; Forests;...

Bread Comes to Life: A Garden of Wheat and a Loaf to Eat.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. 22 min. with tchr's, guide. Informed Democracy. 2003. ISBN 1-879368-03-X. $99 (+7.95 s/h). K-Gr 6--The way in which wheat becomes bread is explored in this charming production. Animation, time-lapse photography, and...

Ecology Series.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... 4 videocassettes or 4 DVDs. color. 20 min. ea. (closed captioned), with tchr's, guides. Visual Learning Co. 2003. ISBN 1-59234-066-0. videocassette: $299 ser., $89.95 ea.; DVD: $299 ser. Includes: The Biosphere; Ecosystem Dynamics; Natural...

Forensics: Who Killed the Iceman?(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. approx. 52 min. (closed captioned), with tchr's, guide. Discovery Channel School. 2003. ISBN 1-58738-446-9. $59.95. Gr 9-12--This is an interesting two-part presentation about the discovery, recovery, and...

The Living Earth.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... videocassette. color. approx. 26 min. (closed captioned). with tchr's. guide. Discovery' Channel School. 2003. ISBN 1-58738-441-8. $59.95. Gr 3-5--The first segment of this two-part production, "Our Changing Earth," presents the current...

Secret of Photo 51.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... (Nova Series). videocassette. color. 1 hr. WGBH Boston. 2003. ISBN 1-57807-988-8. $19.95. Gr 7-Up--Engaging and lively, this expose of the true role of Rosalind Franklin's research in the Watson and Crick DNA model is a worthwhile...