Thursday, January 27, 2011

Snow Days

I haven't updated in 12 days! To my credit, it has been a crazy 12 days - classes started back, which meant my job started back; we have had tons of snow, and therefore tons of snow days. Snow days are great, but this is starting to cut into cancelling Spring Break, which will mess up my son's theater school class.


In the mean time I have had a blast with my kiddos (though one just got over being sick), read some great books and am learning a ton already this semester. The most interesting thing, by far, that I've been learning about is adolescence itself, and whether the turmoil that tweens and teens go through is truly biological in nature, or if it is a societal construct. Fascinating, and lots to think about!

EduCon begins today and I wish I could be there! However, today is my day off, so I will happily follow the tweets while curled up on my couch.

Here's hoping for more frequent (and better) blogging!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Sharing: FLIRT CLUB

FLIRT CLUB is a middle grades level book, dealing with a snapshot of time in the lives of two best friends, Annie Myers (Bean) and Izzy Mercer-Crow (Cisco). The book is written in an epistolary style; all of the story comes from notes stuffed into lockers, meeting minutes, and diary entries.

Izzy and Annie are shy, average middle school students who create the Flirt Club after deciding that they should try and come out of their shells a bit. In doing so, their social circle expands, they find hidden talents, and experience a bit of romance (and drama!) along the way.

This book is perfectly suited to the age group for which it is intended. The school climate and social groups are stereotypical, but will ring true for readers. The friendship between the girls is touching and sincere, and will likely be something that is envied. The characters are really entertaining, and I found myself laughing aloud a couple of times.

I would absolutely recommend this book to a student who wanted a light, fun read!

(image via randombuzzers.com)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

So It Begins...

Okay, so it's not beginning right this minute, but my second semester of graduate school begins next Tuesday. I'm earning my certification in Middle Grades Language Arts and Social Studies. This will qualify me to teach LA and SS in 5th - 9th grade classrooms.

I am thankful to be certain of what I want to do with my life. I'm thankful for the people that I get to share my life with. And I'm thankful that my biggest complaint tonight is that I am a lazy, Netflix-addicted dork who doesn't want to give up her winter break just yet.

Monday, January 10, 2011

ALA Youth Media Awards 2011

Oh, how I wish I could have been there!!


I was lucky enough to snag a space at the webcast, though, and it was thrilling even via the interwebs. There were so many amazing titles that I have heard of here and there and some that I had on my 'To Read' list, but there were tons that I hadn't even heard of and I can't wait to check them out! I was particularly excited about George Ella Lyons' win. I included her in a presentation that I did in my undergrad work on Appalachian Women Writers, and I have a soft spot for her. Go Kentucky literary types!!
Courtesy of the PRNewswire, below is a list of winners and some info on each award:

Winners and Honorees of the ALA Youth Media Awards 2011 
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature
"Moon over Manifest," written by Clare Vanderpool, is the 2011 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: "Turtle in Paradise," by Jennifer L. Holm and published by Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; "Heart of a Samurai," written by Margi Preus and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS; "Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night," written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; and "One Crazy Summer," by Rita Williams-Garcia and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children
"A Sick Day for Amos McGee," illustrated by Erin E. Stead, is the 2011 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Philip C. Stead, and is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.
Two Caldecott Honor Books also were named: "Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave," illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and "Interrupting Chicken," written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein and published by Candlewick Press.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults
"Ship Breaker," written by Paolo Bacigalupi, is the 2011 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Four Printz Honor Books also were named: "Stolen," by Lucy Christopher and published by Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; "Please Ignore Vera Dietz," by A.S. King and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; "Revolver," by Marcus Sedgwick and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of the Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; and "Nothing," by Janne Teller and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults
"One Crazy Summer," written by Rita Williams-Garcia is the 2011 King Author Book winner. The book is published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Three King Author Honor Books were selected: "Lockdown," by Walter Dean Myers and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; "Ninth Ward," by Jewell Parker Rhodes and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and "Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty," written by G. Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults
"Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave," illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the 2011 King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected: "Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix," illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, written by Gary Golio and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Author) Award
"Zora and Me," written by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon, is the 2011 Steptoe author winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Illustrator) Award
"Seeds of Change," illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, is the 2011 Steptoe illustrator winner. The book is written by Jen Cullerton Johnson and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.
Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement
Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith is the winner of the 2011 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children's author Virginia Hamilton's contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth.
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience
"The Pirate of Kindergarten," written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.
"After Ever After," written by Jordan Sonnenblick and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13).
The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is "Five Flavors of Dumb," written by Antony John and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences
"The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel," by Alden Bell, published by Holt Paperbacks, a division of Henry Holt and Company, LLC
"The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: A Novel," by Aimee Bender, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
"The House of Tomorrow," by Peter Bognanni, published by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint of G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of the Penguin Group
"Room: A Novel," by Emma Donoghue, published by Little, Brown and Company a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
"The Vanishing of Katharina Linden: A Novel," by Helen Grant, published by Delacorte, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.
"The Radleys," by Matt Haig, published by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
"The Lock Artist," by Steve Hamilton, published by Thomas Dunne Books for Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press
"Girl in Translation," by Jean Kwok, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of the Penguin Group
"Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard," by Liz Murray, published by Hyperion
"The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To," by DC Pierson, published by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video
Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods, producers of "The Curious Garden," are the Carnegie Medal winners. The video is based on the book of the same name, written and illustrated by Peter Brown, and is narrated by Katherine Kellgren, with music by David Mansfield.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The 2011 winner is Tomie dePaola, author and illustrator of over 200 books, including: "26 Fairmont Avenue" (Putnam, 1999), "The Legend of the Poinsettia" (Putnam, 1994), "Oliver Button Is a Sissy" (Harcourt, 1979) and "Strega Nona" (Prentice-Hall, 1975).
Margaret A. Edwards Award honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.
Sir Terry Pratchett is the 2011 Edwards Award winner. His books include: "The amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents," "The Wee Free Men," and "A Hat Full of Sky" published by HarperCollins Children's Books; and "The Color of Magic," "Guards! Guards!," "Equal Rites," "Going Postal," "Small Gods," and "Mort" all published by HarperCollins Publishers.
May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site
Peter Sis will deliver the 2012 lecture. Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1949, Sis attended the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. He has lived in the United States since 1982. Sis was awarded the 2008 Robert F. Sibert Medal and has illustrated three Caldecott Honor books.  Sis' work is admired throughout the world, and in 2003 he was named MacArthur Fellow, an honor bestowed by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book translated from a language other than English and subsequently published in the United States
"A Time of Miracles" is the 2011 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in French in 2009 as "Le Temps des Miracles," the book was written by Anne-Laure Bondoux, translated by Y. Maudet, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: "Departure Time," published by Namelos, written by Truus Matti and translated by Nancy Forest-Flier; and "Nothing," published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, written by Janne Teller and translated by Martin Aitken.
Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States
"The True Meaning of Smekday," produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, is the 2011 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Adam Rex and narrated by Bahni Turpin.
Four Odyssey Honor Recordings also were selected: "Alchemy and Meggy Swann," produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Karen Cushman and narrated by Katherine Kellgren; "The Knife of Never Letting Go," produced by Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, an imprint of Brilliance Audio, written by Patrick Ness and narrated by Nick Podehl; "Revolution," produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Jennifer Donnelly and narrated by Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering; and "will grayson, will grayson," produced by Brilliance Audio, written by John Green and David Levithan, and narrated by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl.
Pura Belpre (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience
"The Dreamer," written by Pam Munoz Ryan, is the 2011 Belpre Author Award winner. The book is illustrated by Peter Sís and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Three Belpre Author Honor Books were named: "Ole! Flamenco," written and illustrated by George Ancona and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.; "The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba," written by Margarita Engle and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC;  and "90 Miles to Havana," written by Enrique Flores-Galbis and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.
Pura Belpre (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience
"Grandma's Gift," illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez, is the 2011 Belpre Illustrator Award winner.  The book is published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
Three Belpre Illustrator Honor Books for illustration were selected: "Fiesta Babies," illustrated by Amy Cordova, written by Carmen Tafolla and published by Tricycle Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.; "Me, Frida," illustrated by David Diaz, written by Amy Novesky and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; "Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin," illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.
Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children
"Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot," written by Sy Montgomery, is the 2011 Sibert Award winner. The book features photographs by Nic Bishop and is published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Two Sibert Honor Book were named: "Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring," written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca, a Neal Porter Book, published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing; "Lafayette and the American Revolution," written by Russell Freedman and published by Holiday House.
Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award
"Almost Perfect," written by Brian Katcher, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc. is the winner of the 2011 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award. The award is given annually to English-language children's and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.
Four honor books were selected: "will grayson, will grayson," written by John Green and David Levithan and published by Dutton Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; "Love Drugged," written by James Klise and published by Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.; "Freaks and Revelations," written by Davida Willis Hurwin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and "The Boy in the Dress," written by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake and published by Penguin Young Readers Group.
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book
"Bink and Gollie," written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and illustrated by Tony Fucile is the 2011 Seuss Award winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.
Two Geisel Honor Books were named: "Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and "We Are in a Book!" written and illustrated by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group.
William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens
"The Freak Observer," written by Blythe Woolston is the 2011 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group.
Four other books were finalists for the award: "Hush," by Eishes Chayil and published by Walker Publishing Company, a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.; "Guardian of the Dead," by Karen Healey and published by Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group; "Hold Me Closer, Necromancer," by Lish McBride and published by Henry Holt; and "Crossing the Tracks," by Barbara Stuber and published by Margaret McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults during a November 1October 31 publishing year.
"Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing," written by Ann Angel, is the 2011 Excellence winner. The book is published by Amulet/Abrams.
Four other books were finalists for the award: "They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group," by Susan Campbell Bartoletti and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; "Spies of Mississippi:  The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement," by Rick Bowers and published by National Geographic Society; "The Dark Game: True Spy Stories," by Paul Janeczko and published by Candlewick Press; and "Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates," by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw and published by Charlesbridge.


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

SOURCE American Library Association

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

What I Learned During My Observations Last Semester

This post may seem like nothing more than common sense to most (I hope so, anyway). However, it seems that some educators have completely forgotten that these are human beings that they are working with every day - not annoyances or interruptions.
I have learned that the students need to be respected as people. They should not be talked down to or ignored simply because they are “beneath” instructors and administrators in the hierarchy of school authority. They are young, but they are people and deserve the same consideration and thoughtfulness that we would be expected to extend to colleagues and peers. In one observation, I witnessed a student get walked away from – mid sentence - because another adult came into the room and need to speak with the instructor. It was obviously not an emergency, or even anything remotely pressing, but the instructor, without a word, turned her back on her student as he was speaking to acknowledge the visitor and carry on a subsequent conversation with her. The ensuing look on his face taught me more than anything else I have learned this semester – he turned bright red and immediately began glancing around to see who had seen him get repudiated. When he met my gaze, I smiled in what I hope was a way acknowledging that he had, indeed, been treated unfairly. He slunk back to his seat with his eyes on his shoes.
  I have learned to be myself with my students. I want to be honest, open and supportive. And most importantly, as stated above, I want to be respectful. I never want to make a student feel unnecessarily embarrassed or belittled, whether it is by ignoring them or being too critical or not offering them the praise and validation that they deserve. All I can hope for is that I will, in fact, get what I give.