The List Goes On....Recommended Web Tools

I'll be presenting at a state conference (TCEA: Five (not 500) Sites You Can Use NOW!) and these two mindmaps will be a part of the presentation. The ones highlighted in yellow are the ones I've found independently or collaboratively and found them worthwhile. Interestingly, while going through my Google Doc list, I had to delete four websites that are now defunct. It's always a wise thing to update lists :) You can go directly to the map on the web with this link: http://www.mindomo.com/view.htm?m=0939fb71ead94e879ce28f920a1047f4 Hope you find this helpful!
Make your own mind maps with Mindomo.

Recommended Apps for iPad

Through the past year I've had my iPad, I've gone through so many apps it's crazy! Okay, some of them are for fun, but I tried to keep my head in the educational field, so here's a Mindomo of the apps you can find on my device. If you know of any I'm missing, please comment with your favorite(s)! Click this link to go there directly: http://www.mindomo.com/view.htm?m=2843baedff104a268db77e45ca9a74c5
Make your own mind maps with Mindomo.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Little Brown, 2012

Evie wants more...more excitement, more fun, more adventure, and she definitely doesn't find it in Ohio.  One accident, though, will change her life....

After accusing a high society man of a situation he denies, Evie's parents decide the best way to calm down in the social faux pas is send her to New York City to live with her Uncle Will, owner of the Musem of Creepy Crawlies (according to the locals).

So onto NYC Evie goes....land of the speakeasies, Ziegfield Follies, flapper girl fashion paradise, and NO parents.  What could get better than living in the biggest city in the U.S. during the 1920's prohibition?  The sky's the limit, for everyone, including Naughty John, supposedly a local legend based on fact, but he isn't just a story...

With Evie's arrival, a mass murderer has taken over the city, and when the police ask Uncle Will to help, Evie and her gift (or curse) become more important than ever.  She's not the only one with a gift though.  There are others, and the ones that are more sensitive can feel the battle coming on between good and evil.  Those hiding their gifts, afraid of being called out or hunted down, aren't sure what they're supposed to do or even why.  Until Naughty John gets bigger, stronger, and starts hunting for the one who can make that final transformation for him....

"Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. 

Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells 'em off for a coupla stones."

Initial reaction to the book:  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!  Not only does Libba Bray encompass the era of Prohibition so well, but she ties in the supernatural and mystery, creating a "tri-genre," if you will, that is sure to blur the edges for those teens who like to stay in one genre.  

Bray's novel also shows the hard work and research put into this book, which she writes in an afterword that is quite interesting.  The late 1800's and early 1900's were rife with supernaturalists and the belief in the otherworld, especially in small communities in New York state.  Bray not only incorporates this eerie part of history into her novel, but more as well.  She includes different parts of the NYC that were birthplaces of amazing talent, popular pastimes for the young and idle, and the slang of the era that give this novel such an authentic feel.  One of the best I've read this school year.  Cannot WAIT for this sequel!  Highly recommended

 

Common Core Pair:  Devil in the White City:  Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson, Crown Publishers, 2003

REVISED: A typical Friday in the life of a librarian....or my day today

I guess this post is not only about what I'm doing on this fine Friday before finals (dead week is also dead library week....no one comes in because they're all reviewing.  I also prefer zombie week as an alternative title) but also with the fact that there are too many people who stereotype the librarian (need I say more?  We all know how we  are stereotyped!  grrrrrr!!!!)
So here we go in time stamp, to the best of my abilities:

7:00-8:30 am: Get to work and start warming up all of the peripherals, including the teacher workroom located here.  Greet my wonderful library assistant (aka WLA), and catch up about each other's night as well as what's going on here.  Start making ID's, printing jobs for students, checking in and out books, showing students how to upload papers, answering questions about other school related activities, talk about what the Destiny Quest app can do, promote them to students.... I also got to read the Texas Monthly Bum Steer Awards feature between all the circ work.  Love this annual feature!

8:30-10:00 am:  Go through the stacks and pull books that need to be put into specific genres.  Our campus instructional technologist comes in and we confer about techno-expo projects from students, what we've done this past semester, what our goals are together and apart for our campus, how to integrate new Macbook Pros into student and teacher projects.

10:00-10:30 am:  Label the books I pulled from the genres, ask my WLA to re-label them, go to my office to start original cataloging anime books (ACK!  MY WORST GENRE TO ORIGINAL CATALOG!!!) and decide to blog my day on blogger.  Time to go back to those stinkin' anime...wish me luck.  I'll blog more after lunch....to be continued...

10:30-11:15 catalog.  Nuff  said.

11:15-12:00  lunch!  During lunch I quickly scanned through emails and read only the ones I thought were important from campus.  You gotta love smart phones!

12:00-12:30  I only had about 4 left, so I finished cataloging.  19 manga in all :) 

12:30-1:15  Did a first revision for Texas Library Association's Strong Libraries Strong Scores conference for administrators.  The revisions were for letters to be sent out to admin and librarians who nominated them.  I'm sure this is the first of many...

1:15-2:00  Time to go through all the email I missed out on for the day.  Replied to some, read others, and deleted, foldered (is that a word?), and starred.  When you're subscribed to three listservs as well as campus/district email, it can be a whole lotta enchilada!!  But there is nothing like virtual collaboration and learning because of these valuable vehicles!

2:00-2:15 phone conference with my lead librarian.  Looking forward and what is on the list for this semester for our district and my campus

2:15-3:00  Time to finish up this blog post and READ!!!!!  I promised a student I'd finish Infects by Sean Beaudoin so he can have it.  Also over halfway done with Andrew Jenks: My Adventures as a Young Filmmaker and can't wait to dive into Lisa's Schroeder's Falling for You.

Yes, and this would be the time someone comes through the library and says, "I wish I had your job and just get to read all day!" uh-huh....riiiiight....

Happy weekend!!!!

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Hyperion, 2012.

Maddie and Julie's lives would never have intersected if there was never a war.  But wars bring people together, and together this is their story....

Maddie has longed to become something grander that a girl selling and repairing motorbikes in England in the 1940s and her dream begins to become reality when she meets her first woman pilot.  And it's this small relational ripple effect that changes her job as a woman wireless operator to a full-fledged civilian pilot in the RAF, fighting for England.  She skill and mechanical know how before the war makes her a prime candidate, but as a woman, she can't quite fill the requirements as an RAF pilot.  Her potential is seen and spotted, thanks her her doggedness, and Maddie's dreams are realized.

Julie is blond, beautiful and regal.  People call her Queenie for a reason, and it's because of the confidence she exudes and the way she holds herself.  Working in the same place as Maddie, her skills are called upon when she helps the RAF take in a Luftwaffe pilot, using her proficiency in German.  While she speaks, Maddie gives the coordinates - and the two girls become fast and life-long friends.  Maddie never thought a friendship would blossom, until they started spending more time together, telling each other their top ten fears, going on adventures, and realizing that cultural differences only make them more interesting. 

But one night will change that....one airplane crash into Nazi-riddled France.  One girl caught as a supposed spy, the other one trapped until she can find her way back to England.  And it's this friendship that continues unflappable in the face of death and destruction that makes all the difference.  It doesn't matter that Maddie and Julie are separated...their loyalty and deep loving friendship keeps their hope alive. 

This is a book of a story within a story....two tales told and seen from two different perspectives of the same situation. And it's this style of writing that makes this novel a standout in young adult literature.  Sectioned into two parts (one for each main character), that author reveals their deep abiding friendship together and apart through flashbacks in diary/transcription style.  But even more interesting, is that this book is told by the same person in both first and third person, but is done purposefully to support the narrative. 

It's not only the style that is unique, but the characters that play secondary roles to each girl.  Not until the middle of the book does the reader realize why one of them is writing such a long story.  Like it or not, I had to sympathize with the enemy just a little in order to understand his relationship with one of the girls. And this book is all about relationships; good, bad and ugly, but mostly about the beautiful friendship between two amazing young women. 

If there is a caveat to this book, it's that it took off slowly and didn't build up until I was truly invested in it, which was about a third of the way in.  At first, it was more of an inquisitive nature (what's going to happen?) It wasn't until the second part that everything fit together and the story was fully understood did I fly through the novel.  This is not for every reader, but more for one that enjoys style and literary devices and can see the beauty of the written word, not just the story in and of itself.  I wouldn't necessarily say this is just another YA books...I can definitely see this as an adult novel also.  So with that, I'd recommend it for high school...and for English teachers :)

Common Core Pair:  In the Garden of Beasts:  Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

A Plethora of YA books to try out over break

I have been reading...honestly, I have.  It's just trying to keep up with the blogging that's been bogging me down a bit.  So here are a few titles you may want to pick up while on vacation.  So, we have some classic retellings, a supernatural and a survival story.  Interestingly enough, all of them are set on islands.  This wasn't done on purpose...I just now saw the connection!  Hmmmmm...island fun in winter can be a good thing!  Well. these islands are definitely not daquiris and beach volleyball.  Read on for the reviews: 

Going back to the classics:
Two books came across my desk that I thought were fascinating.  I admit, I picked them up because the covers were fantastically done, but then I realized I picked up two that were re-mixes of great classics! 

Ten by Gretchen McNeil (Balzer & Bray, 2012) is today's YA version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.  Ten teens are invited to a remote island outside of Seattle by the most popular girl in school.  All are instructed not to tell anyone about this party, and that's exactly what Meg and Minnie do when they set down on the island.  They see people they know (including TJ whom both friends like) and some they don't.  Then the worst happens... a storm blows in right after they watch a strange and creepy DVD (think the video in the movie, The Ring) and one teen shows up dead the next morning.  Then another....then another....
This book, although not quite up to Christie's literary standards, has the potential to steal the reader's attention and try to figure out if there is such a thing as true coincidences.  In true mystery style, the twist isn't revealed until the very end, so don't cheat! book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fzOuyfcijw

The Turning by Francine Prose (HarperCollins, 2012) is the retelling of Henry James' Turn of the Screw.  Jack has an unusual job over the summer....after talking to the uncle to two children whom he's guardian to, Jack accepts a job taking care of them over the summer.  In order to do that, Jack has to move to a private island, inhabited only by the two kids and Linda, their housekeeper.  It's when Jack gets there and meets the kids that he notices something creepy going on.  Miles and Flore aren't your typical happy summer kids...more like a throwback from the 1800's.  The house is dark...painted black with the curtains drawn.  The only sunny place is the kitchen and Linda.  With no phone, wi-fi, or television, Jack's only communication with the outside world is through letters, and it's those that the reader glimpses Jack's mental descent into his own dark world...
Even though the prose may not quite match that of a teenage guy, the letters are a great vehicle to tell the story.  The sign of a good re-telling?  Now I want to read the original!




And then there's the great supernatural read:

Zom-B by Darren Shan (Little Brown, 2012) Tired of zombies yet?  You shouldn't be only because the best of the dead is still to come!  B's parents think it's a joke.  Yeah right...a zombie outbreak in Ireland.  Even though there is video showing the destruction, B's father (part racist, part wife-beater, all around bad person) thinks i'st all a hoax by the government.  So B continues to lead her tough-girl life of beating up the weaker ones, taking money, and causing trouble.  She's never been shaken up before, but one day her father has a visitor...a very strange visitor, who predicts B be able to make it alive.  And the zombie apocalypse begins....
Leave it to Darren Shan to write a action-packed, bloody zombie novel complete with pictures.  Move over Demonata series...Shan is beginning another great one!  booktrailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtNEo9dH9R4



Let's wrap up these quick reviews with a little survival fiction, why don't we?

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen (Fiewel and Friends, 2012).  Robie is the unfortunate daughter of two environmental scientists, whose latest job keeps them on a remote island not far from the mainland of Hawaii but far enough.  In order to ensure her life as a teenager, Robie often goes there via a supply plane to visit her aunt.  But her last visit is cut short, when her aunt needs to go out of town.  Robie begs to stay alone, and for once, she's granted this extravagance and her aunt won't even let her parents know.  It's only for a week...no harm no foul.  Robie loves her independence until it's shatterred by a violent incident, which leads Robie back to the supply plane and home.  But she never makes it...the supply plane has crashed in the ocean and only she and the co-pilot survive.  The hardest part is yet to come.  No one knows where Robie is, and time is running out...
Bodeen creates a psychological survival novel that fans will enjoy.  Quite like her previous book, the Compound, the psychology of the event is more in the forefront that the plot itself.  It was a quick read, with some predictability, but one that readers won't put down until they find out what happens to the main character. 

Young Adult Common Core Pairs

You know, I've been working on book pairs for a long time (probably since 2007) and now that it's coming to the forefront with Common Core, I thought I'd publish the ones I've paired.  Going over my book pairs, I noticed I not only paired non-fiction with fiction, but also classic with modern fiction.  I won't mention the latter, but here's the non-fiction/fiction list:
 

They Called Themselves the KKK by Susan Bartoletti Campbell

The Guardian by Julius Lester

 

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes –Courter

Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe

 

Blizzard by Jim Murphy

Trapped by Michael Northrop

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer by Seth Graham-Smith

 

Close to Shore:  The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo

Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

 

Guinea Pig Scientists: Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine by Leslie Dandy and Mel Boring

The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen

 

Hitler Youth:  Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Bartoletti Campbell

Daniel Half Human and the Good Nazi by David Chotjewitz

 

No Choirboy by Susan Kuklin

Rikers High by Paul Volponi

 

Portrait of a Killer:  Jack the Ripper, Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

 

Secret Subway by Martin Sandler

Ripper by Stefan Petrucha

 

Trapped:  How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2000 feet Below the Chilean Desert by Marc Aronson

What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles

 

Yummy:  The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by Greg Neri

The Brothers Torres by Coert Vorhees

 

Witch Hunt by Marc Aronson

The Minister’s Daughter by Julie Hearn

 

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

The Boy From the Basement by Susan Shaw; or

 When Kambia Elaine Flew in From Neptune by Lori Aurelia Williams

 

Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larsen

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi

 

Hidden Evidence:  40 True Crimes and How Forensic Science Helped Solve Them by David Owen

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

 

He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt

Breaking up is hard to do : stories about falling out of love by four incredible authors

written by Niki Burnham ... [et al.].

 

Trial by Ice:  A Photobiography of Sir Ernest Shackleton

Surviving Antarctica:  Reality Television 2083 -  Andrea White

 

Katie.com by Katherine Tarbox

Exposed by Susan Vaught

 

I Will Plant You a Lilac Tree by Laura Hillman

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

 

Visit Sunny Cherynobyl by Ed Blackwell

They Came from Below by Blake Nelson

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Candlewick, 2008

I should've read this when it first came out, and I don't know why it slipped through my radar.  I'm just glad I did!  And what a great time to start this!!  The sequel, Froi of the Exiles came out this year, and the third book, Quintana of Charyn, comes out April 2013.  Excellent timing on my part :)
I looked through youtube and found a few trailers on Finnikin, but decided I couldn't let this one sleep....it was screaming at me to make a trailer.  So here it is!

If you don't get Youtube, it's also on Schooltube:  http://www.schooltube.com/video/caccbb2128b1456f98b1/

It can also be downloaded from the NHS library website (look for the Digital Booktalk section):  http://www.nisdtx.org/Page/3587

Eve and Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate

published by Feiwel and Friends, 2012

Eve has lived a life of privilege and loss. She has no boyfriend, hardly any friends, and her focus is on school.  Her father died in a tragic accident, leaving her only with her mother.  Her only friend, Aislin, couldn't be more opposite of her and needs Eve to rescue her.  The two are ying and yang, but in a very good way.  The only thing that has ever come between them is the cold and untouchable Terra Spiker....Eve's mother. 

Terra is a brilliant scientist and the brains and power behind Spiker Biopharmaceuticals, a cutting edge medical industry melded with technology.  And it's there that Eve is sent after she is in a fatal accident that crushes her leg and leaves her comatose. 

When Eve finally wakes up bandaged but functioning, she is told by her mother that she is to stay at the Spiker complex for a few weeks to recover.  Eve is cut off from her best friend and has no one to interact with...until she meets Solo...

Solo lives at Spiker Pharmaceuticals and has only known the complex.  He knows the reasons he's here - more a charity case than a legal guardianship to Terra Spiker.  He's never really known the outside world, and when Eve comes to the complex, his life takes on a decidedly different turn.  He's curious about her....in fact, she's the only person his age he's ever really come into physical contact with.  Solo has secrets, but more than that, he knows secrets....

In order to ease the boredom of recovery, Eve's mother introduces her to an advanced genetics video game that is under consideration for marketing.  The game allows the user to create their own human from the ground up, selecting DNA and genetics to create perfection.  Eve sets to work, and Solo silently watches the progress.  Little do they know what's truly being put into Eve's hands or the mastermind behind what Spiker Pharmaceuticals is hiding.

Set in today's time in San Francisco, this book is a science thriller from start to finish.  The two dominant voices written by two distict authors creates a layer of intrigue for the reader because that is the only one who knows the thoughts and actions of Eve and Solo.  This type of book is rare to come by...not quite dystopia but with the elements for the possibility of that kind of society...a pre-cursor, if you will.  The other characters in the book create a rich backdrop for the action and relationships that soon start to form and each character begins to unpeel the layers surrounding Eve and Solo as well as their involvement in the entire plot.  Although I'm not a huge reader of science-based fiction, I devoured this one.  Loved it!  If you like books such as Werlin's Double Helix. Bodeen's The Gardener or Brooks's Being, this is one to pick.  Recommended for high school. 

Before You Go by James Preller

Feiwel and Friends, 2012

Jude is starting summer off like any typical teen...finding a job.  And lucky him, he lives close to the beach and employment opportunities at the food stands are abundant.  What Jude really wants is what most guys want before their senior year - to hang out, find a girl, go to good parties. 

He's coming out of a long downward spiral, starting with the death of his little sister Lily, who died when Jude was nine.  His mother still hasn't let go, and his father runs, literally and figuratively, from home.  The only light in his life is his best friend Corey, and the "brodowns" they have when they hang out.  Jude is starting to come back to life.  His new job is part of living again in the real world.

It doesn't take long for Jude to understand the role he has in the business of schlepping burgers, pretzels and sodas to the teeming throngs of beachgoers.  His job is made better by Roberto, a guy he meets on the job and shares an instant brotherhood with.  And then there's Becka....beautiful Becka.....

Then, tragedy strikes Jude's life again, and when it does, it hits him hard, strong and fast.  He's managed to survive and get through one he'll never forget, but is this one too much for him?

Preller begins this book with a powerful scene and ends it with one as well.  What makes this book a recommended read is not necessarily the characters or the style of writing but the book itself.  With short chapters, it's easy to digest and an excellent pick for a reluctant reader.  Jude's character is one that guy readers will relate to, from the video games to music to his conversations and interactions with his friends.   This, too, makes it the perfect book for a guy.  I could relate well with the characters and the plot without becoming overwhelmed with intentional theme.  This is a book that could be read in a day or two...quick, fast and pretty tasty.
Recommended for reluctant readers upper JH to HS.

Going down technology memory lane can be painful....

Yesterday, I was searching for a website I used last year to create an online button/logo and couldn't for the life of me remember what it was.  So I used the good ole standby website Delicious.  And I was virtually slapped in the face....

There used to be a time when I was excited about the newest and best out there, using the programs and huge creativity of people's minds to share web 2.0 content and how it could be utilized.  But then the inevitable happened - I began to focus on what could be used in the classroom and library and the edges got blurry.  No longer did I need to know more, I needed to use more of what I already knew!

And the pool of web content and tools for the classroom began to grow stagnant.  It was a slow and gradual process until I looked down one day and saw the green and realized I needed some chlorine....fast!  My Delicious pool is getting green!!

So, what are those websites I focused on to create that stagnancy?  You know them....Prezi, Animoto, Voicethread, Glogster, Wix, Weebly.  The bookends of excellent educational technology, as well they should be.  They've earned the right to be there.  But what do I have between those bookends that I can pull from and train, teach and expand student engagement and teacher knowledge? 

So I went  to get the best of the best for web tools, and here are some sites I'll be using that showcase those sites on the cusp of grandeur:

AASL Top Twenty Five Best Websites:
http://www.ala.org/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25

Larry Ferlazzo's Best Web Apps in 2012:
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/07/10/the-best-web-2-0-applications-for-education-in-2012-%E2%80%94-so-far/

Digital Goonies: Creative, outside of the box thinkers on web tools:
http://digitalgoonies.com/

I need to fill in the bookends with new ideas and technologies to pull, learn and teach the campus I work with so I don't have to sit and watch the millionth Animoto or the two millionth Prezi....know what I mean?

And thank you Kristin Fontinchiaro for reminding me:  It's about focus and balance, not about creativity and a project done.  Educational technology should showcase the learning, not the product.

Sites I'm really enjoying right now?  Tripline, Symbaloo, Jux, Haiku Deck....:)
And yeah, I'm reading some good YA novels too!! 

Off the beaten YA track - Adult book reviews (for YA of course)

I love YA lit....but there are times when I need a break from the same reading diet I consume on a normal basis, and that's where adult books come in.  You can only think of the analogies I have running through my head :)
With that said, I will tell you I didn't read anything deep and literal, more like the popular thriller on the New York Times Best Seller's List for Fiction (it spent four weeks on the top 10).  The other one was in a box, where the title jumped out loud and clear.  So here's a brief review of both with my professional opinion and yes, they can definitely be put in a high school library.

Visit Sunny Chernobyl by Andrew Blackwell, Rodale Books 2012
Just when you think man has conquered all imaginable places to be explored, there is more...and these new landscapes keep on a'comin.  Instead of calling it exploration, it is now referred to  as pollution tourism and the author of the book does just that, becoming a tourist to some of the filthiest and toxic places in the world.
In this particular non-fiction book, Blackwell discovers the beauty of nature at Chernobyl, one of the deadliest radioactive areas in the world.  Oh yes, the Geiger meter still goes off, but the awesomeness of standing so close to that famous nuclear reactor trumps all danger of getting your organs cooked.
Then there are the other places... perhaps you've heard of them, perhaps not.  Come and breathe the toxic air of beautiful South Port Arthur, Texas, where petroluem plants are king.  Visit the amazing vistas of the Alberta Oil Sands and witness the vastness of the machinery looking like Tonka trucks compared to the earth they're digging, not to mention the dead ducks in the process.  Want something with a little more tang to it?  Go to China and visit the town known for taking old computers and technology and refurbishing, melting, and scrapping them in order to make a living in a town that reminds me of Jacob Riis photographs of NYC at the turn of the century. 
Let's not forget about going on a refreshing dip in the Yamuna River in India, where you can dive for treasures but need to watch out for the turds...literally.  And then there's the enigmatic Garbage Patch, a floating flosam of the world's waste comingling somewhere out there in the Great Pacific....
This is a book that had me scrambling to the internet everytime I finished a chapter to look for pictures, more information, and the facts about these places Blackwell visited.  Now that's a sign of an excellent non-fiction book.  And what makes it even better?  Blackwell is a master of humor in the midst of a serious topic.  You'll laugh and be aghast at the same time.  HIGHLY recommended.

Zoo by James Patterson, Little Brown 2012
Jackson Oz knows something's wrong.  He knew it before anyone else, but the scientific community shunned his theories as ludicrous.  So his life of recluse in New York City is filled with monitors and video documentation, a blog, and his companion Atilla, who is a rescue chimp from a facility.  The only bright spot is his relationship with his girlfriend but things gets out of control when he travels to Botswana to help a friend out.
The animal anomalies are unprecedented...lions killing in packs, dogs from all over running amok, all types and species of animals killing humans from the remote locations to the urban cities.  Jackson knew this would happen, but doesn't know the reason why....
Flash forward three years, and the United States is in total chaos.  People are hiding, afraid of what could happen.  The government is now taking the threat more seriously, and Jackson stands on the brink of an incredible discovery.  Too little too late?
 Patterson is known mostly for his murder mysteries, but of late he's been writing novels with a definite dystopian flavor to them (I also read Toys, which has that same flair). And it's a book like this that will divide readers into really enjoying it or not.  Despite past reputation, Patterson writes a novel that is page turning, making the reader hope for the best, but knowing it may not happen.  This may be the first time a YA reader will pick up Patterson (I know mine was well over fifteen years ago) and be hooked by his new approach.  Regardless, I enjoyed the read and his departure from the killing sprees of the past.

Book Trailer: Miracle by Elizabeth Scott

Somtimes, I feel like my booktalk on a particular book wouldn't justify how good it is.  Such is the case with Elizabeth Scott's newest book.  So, what to do instead?  Tell it by book trailer :) 
Here's the newest one I've created:

You can also view it on Schooltube:
http://www.schooltube.com/video/86e342502b3b4f408916/Miracle%20by%20Elizabeth%20Scott

And download it from the NHS Library homepage book trailer list (under the Mighty Red N!)
http://www.nisdtx.org/Page/3587

Enjoy!

Need a YA themed Halloween costume?

With a little creativity, it can happen!  My library aide is Tris from Divergent and this is how you make the t-shirt:

1. Must be a black t-shirt

2. Using a cutout, she made the letters and fire using cardstock

3. Place these on the shirt and spritz with a spray bottle of 1/2 bleach, 1/2 water

4. To make the ring around the fire, put a lid from a cup around the fire and dip a Q-tip with bleach water and trace around it.

And there you go!  Accessorize with some dystopian boots, belt, and jacket with accoutrements, and you're ready to rock and roll!

Book Club has begun!

So, I kicked off the first meet and greet with the kids who wanted to do a book club, and I was quite surprised that I had 24 interested in doing this!
I told them that this wasn't going to be the "traditional" book club where we read one book and talk.  It was going to be so much more.  So I gave them all a glance at what we'll be doing, and thought I'd share them with you:

So now I'm thinking about December and what we'll be doing as crafty.  I went to a friends house for a party and saw this amazing wreath and thought, "Yup...that's what I'll be doing!"  So here's the link on how to create it.  I'll put these on display in the library before they take them home for the holidays :)

http://makelyhome.com/librarians-please-avert-your-eyes/

Now to think of a catchy name

Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price

Razorbill, 2012

Zoe doesn't remember much about the trip to Twin Birch.  All she knows is that she doesn't want to be there...but more than that, she doesn't want to be separated from Elise, her best friend.  But for the next thirty-six days, that's what's going to happen, whether she likes it or not.

When she finally makes it in, she sees the five other girls already there, and believes she doesn't belong.  Zoe doesn't have spindly arms, jutting bones, or sunken cheeks.  She sees herself as perfectly fine.  All Zoe wants is to go home, see her best friend again....but she has to first get through this "treatment."

Life at Twin Birch consists of therapy, downtime and the most dreaded part of all - the meals.  The girls not only have to make them, but they have to cook and garden as well.  It doesn't make it easier for Zoe, and the calories going in one meal is something she'd eat during three days.  She can feel the fat gelling on her body.  She also sees the circles forming between the girls.  Zoe is roomates with Caroline, but they haven't gotten along as well.  In fact, there is nothing by animosity between them. No matter where or who Zoe is with, it just doesn't seem like she belongs...

Alexandra is the therapist for Zoe, and together they begin the path toward healing.  But something is missing.  Alexandra suggests writing letters to Elise telling her about the importance of their relationship, and letting her know about her stay at Twin Birch.  Still, there is a lot Zoe needs to uncover about herself and the true reason she's here.

I've read my share of books on this disorder, but Nora Price's work strikes a different chord altogether.  The setting of the book is far different from others, as is the treatment the girls go through to get healthy.  One of the most interesting differences is that within the storyline about eating disorders, menus and recipes are scattered in the pages.  The book is written in first person, where Zoe is writing in a journal or writing letters, which gives play to the reader stepping into her shoes.  Although the storyline is somewhat predictable, the writing overcomes this and the characters and psychological look into them and the eating disorder is spot on.  Recommended. 

Booktalking 101- Make it Relevant!

Fresh off my booktalking week, I was exhausted by happy.  Most of the books I talked about are checked out and a waiting list is growing.  Always a good sign! 
One thing I usually do before each booktalk is get audience participation by asking about something relevant going on in news or culture that can connect teens to the books.  So here's a list of the books and the tie-in I found for each one.

172 Hours on The Moon by Johan Harstad:  Neil Armstrong death, Moon landing controversy, aliens
Leading question: If given the opportunity, would you want to travel to the moon and live on a space station for a month?

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons: Presidential election, due process of the law
Leading question: Name a society dictated by soldiers and a police state.  Would you want to live there?

Ashfall by Mike Mullin: name some world famous volcanic eruptions
Leading question: Did you feel the tremors caused by an earthquake two weeks ago in the DFW area?

Audition Stasia Kehoe: different types of dance from ballet to Gangnum style
Leading question:  What does it take to be a famous athlete or dancer?

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson: effects of meth on a person
Leading question:  What are some physical traits of a person on meth?

Blood Red Road by Moira Young: preciousness of water in Texas, the twin bond
Leading question: Have you ever been around twins that were super close? **trailer

Dead to You by Lisa McMann: Jaycee Dugard story
Leading question: How would your life change if you were abducted but brought back?

Dearly Departed by Lia Habel: Victorian England
Leading question:  Do opposites attract?  Why? **trailer

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: cancer in a family
Leading question:  Name some of the saddest movies you've ever seen

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral: Romeo and Juliet
Leading question: Have your parents ever made decisions for you that you didn't agree with?  How about who you date?

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman: human experimentation debate, deprivation chambers
Leading question: Think about one of the worst fears in your life.... ** trailer

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts: epidemics, West Nile virus in our area
Leading question: Movie Contagion, pandemic and pandemonium ** trailer

Trafficked by Kim Purcell:  story of domestic near Mexico found tied to a tree
Leading question:  Why people get trafficked into the land of the free, home of the brave

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting: the most common languages on Earth. story of the Tower of Babel
Leading Question: Which language would be most beneficial to use?  Why?

The List by Siobhan Vivian: school traditions, October national anti-bullying awareness
Leading question:  What makes a girl pretty or ugly?

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga:  America has most serial killers than any other country
Leading question:  Can you name any famous serial killers in our country's history? ** trailer

In Too Deep by Amanda Grace: the facial signs a person may be lying
Leading question:  Have you ever lied?  Have you ever tried to cover it up but the hole kept getting deeper? ** trailer

Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay: stats of divorce in America; long distance relationships
Leading question:  How would you feel if you were forced to move across the country your junior year?  How would you keep in touch with your friends?

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler: History of the Internet
Leading question:  If you could see yours and your friends' Facebook 15 years from now, would you want to know? (Non-fiction pair: Friend Me! 600 Yearsof Social Networking in America by Francesca David DiPiazza)

Quarantine by Lex Thomas:  ebola virus; biological weapons and the government
Leading question:  Have you ever read Lord of the Flies?  How would you feel locked in high school is no adults around? ** trailer

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne: world disasters (tsunami, Japan nuclear meltdown)
Leading question:  If a major disaster happened and you had to stay somewhere for six months or more, where would you want to be?

No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz: Malls around the area, which ones are best
Leading question:  If, all of a sudden you were in lockdown at the mall and saw Hazmat suits come in, what would your reaction be?

Ripper by Stefan Petrucha: Most famous mystery in history.  What happened to him?
Leading question: Would you want your parents to be famous?  What happens if they were infamous? (Non-fiction pair:  Secret Subway by Martin Sandler) ** trailer

Fall 2012 Booktalk - Fall into the Pages

This years fall booktalk line-up! I'm excited about this list!!

One + One = Fabulous Sequels!!

I got the chance to go to Barnes and Noble to do some shopping, and came across some sequels I had no idea were out!!!  So, with that in mind, I thought I'd share with you some of the latest sequels to fab YA books already out and about!  I knew a few, but with the help of some fabulous librarians from yalsa, I got a more extensive list :)

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson (sequel to The Adoration of Jenna Fox)

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman (sequel to Unwind) 

Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts (sequel to Dark Inside) 

Outpost by Ann Aguirre (sequel to Enclave) 

Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel (sequel to This Dark Endeavor) 

Shadows by Ilsa J Bick (sequel to Ashes) 

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin (sequel to Ashfall) 

Seconds Away by Harlan Coben (sequel to Shelter) 

Feedback by Robison Wells (sequel to Variant) 

Following Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci (sequel to The Body of Christopher Creed) 

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh (sequel to Nevermore) 

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel (sequel to Dearly, Departed) 

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns) 

Prized and Promised (two books) by Caragh O’Brien (sequel to Birthmarked) 

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh (sequel to Nevermore) 

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel (sequel to Dearly, Departed) 

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns) 

Passenger by Andrew Smith (sequel to the Marbury Lens)

White Glove War by Katie Crouch (sequel to The Magnolia League)

Scorch by Gina Damico (sequel to Croak)

Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride (long awaited sequel to Hold Me Closer Necromancer)

Island of Silence by Lisa McMann (sequel to The Unwanteds)

Life Happens Next by Terry Trueman (sequel to Stuck in Neutral)

Thumped, sequel to Bumped by Megan McCafferty

The Torn Wing by Kiki Hamilton (2^nd book in a planned quartet, The Faerie Ring)

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (Heroes of Olympus) 

Scorch by Gina Damico (sequel to Croak)

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Fiewel and Friends, 2012

Dean didn’t say goodbye to his mom that morning.  He watched is brother Alex, in eighth grade, get on his bus and he got on the one to high school in Monument, Colorado.  It was an ordinary day for Alex – avoid the popular kids in back and try to be invisible. 

But then the hail began….

It wasn’t ordinary hail, but huge crushing hail with stones and debris caught within the ice.  It tore up cars and cracked windshields.  Dean’s ride to school is now demolished outside the Greenway superstore.  Kids are dead, and the hail is causing more injuries. Their savior is the bus driver of Alex’s bus, getting the survivors and crashing into the Greenway.

But now, the safety gates are closed, shut down and impenetrable to the outside.  Inside are six high school students, two eighth graders and over a handful of elementary school kids.  The Network is down and there is no communication to the outside world.  First hail, then an earthquake…then the terrible news of a supertsunami…then the worst news of all…

On an old television, news has reached the Dean ,Alex and the others that NORAD’s chemical storage has leaked.  And it’s turning people into monsters, building on their rage to kill.  Other are affected different ways, and all the survivors in Greenway must do everything they can to contain the catastrophe happening on the outside. 

Most of all, they wonder if their parents are still alive…and just how many survivors are left in the world that has come undone. 

This is future survival fiction at its finest!  At first, I was thinking how easy it would be to survive in a superstore, but then everyone knows about cabin fever.  Emmy Laybourne does an excellent job of making sure the reader knows each and every one of the kids in this book and their experiences throughout this disastrous time, but it’s the situation that comes alive.  The reader gets to experience how teens and children work to hold it together with the absence of all adults in a world full of danger and crazy people trying to get in.  This book just works and works well.  Look for a sequel to this incredibly fast read that will take you to the edge of your seat!

Other great fiction read pairings: Susan Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It trilogy; Michael Northrop Trapped;  Lex Thomas Quarantine

 

Common Core pairing:  Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson

Based on the diaries of Isaac Monroe Cline and on contemporary accounts. Tells the story of Isaac Cline, a weather scientist in Galveston, Texas in 1900, discussing his belief and assertion that nothing in the way of weather could destroy the coastal city; and looks at how Cline dealt with the aftermath of the hurricane that hit Galveston on September 8, claiming the lives of thousands of people.