Google Database Lesson Plan

Thanks for coming to the presentation :)  Here's the link to my presentation:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-wHb5Nsjhy0amlxdlVYQkNJNEU/edit?usp=sharing

Content Curation -TCEA 2014 Presentation

The permalink is: https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1217729-content-curation#/pikto-block-4

Book Trailer: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender

This is currently on Youtube and shared via Google Drive...I haven't been able to upload it to Schooltube (trying to figure that out!)  Here's the link if Youtube is blocked:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-wHb5Nsjhy0U3lEYlZDNEVXVFU/edit?usp=sharing

I haven't made one in awhile...it was nice getting back into the groove :)
Enjoy!

Juvenile in Justice by Richard Ross

2012, Published by Richard Ross.

Richard Ross spent a lot of time sitting, writing, getting permission, and listening to the stories of teens (as well as children aged 12 years old) of what life is like inside the bars of juvenile detention centers throughout the nation.  It isn't pretty...

The first thing the reader will see are statistics:  Juvenile courts process about 4,600 delinquency cases per day; juvenile incarceration is unique among the world's developed nations; the cost (from 66k-88k) it takes to pay for a young person in the system for 9-12 months.  These aren't the only facts scattered throughout this book.  There are many more...

Stories about told and re-told.  You see the plight of a twelve-year old who was thrown in juvenile detention for fighting in school, just waiting until his mom can pick him up after work.  You also see the 16 year old who has multiple counts of rape, murder and assault on his record.  It shows incarcerated teens visiting their babies as well as the creativity these teens possess in a new environment that is much more restricted that life outside.  Pages are filled with different stories, some saying their innocent, some saying they've changed, some saying they're guilty....

Ross also spends time in his book to get a holistic view of what the Youth Offender System looks like from solitary confinement to regular cells, from the cafeteria to the guard's observation room.  Nothing is left out, and readers get face-time through stunning photos of what life looks like on the inside.  Ross also takes the reader into facilities that aren't all bars and concrete.  They look more like rehabilitation centers than prison cells.  But it's always the same kids in every facility there is.

This book will definitely get different reactions from different readers.  But what's most important is the story that's told throughout the book.  It's a quick read because of the pictorial nature of this non-fiction, but it's powerful.  The saying, "A picture tells a thousand words" is true in this instance.  It has taken a lot of perseverance and a keen eye to capture the beauty in a world where not much beauty can be found.  This is one non-fiction novel that should be in all YA libraries. Recommended.


Fiction book pair:  Monster by Walter Dean Myers
                             Rikers High by Paul Volponi


**I am adding the companion website to this book, but am not advocating or have any personal affiliation for any political information found therein.  http://www.juvenile-in-justice.com/

Ahhhhh.....Love! Amour! Liebe! 爱

It's coming.  A pink tinge hangs in the air ready to burst into full bloom red.  Chocolates are molded, wrapped, and dipped, that irritating commercial from Pajamagram slips into the regularly scheduled commercials, and the cards full of love, hope and poetry are purchased in bulk. (as an aside, my husband has given me the same Valentine's Day card for the last 20 years, and every year it means something different) But fear not!  There is hope in the form of YA novels!  And not a moment too soon!  Here is a short compiled list of recent romance novels written with teens in mind.  And what's more, they're all novel in verse.  Get lost in the translation...

Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe. Viking, 2011. Sara's first love is ballet, and now her hard work and determination have paid off.  She's accepted into an apprenticeship with professional dance company and moves to New York to fulfill her dreams.  Her excitement quickly turns into loneliness, until she meets Remington, a choreographer who works with this troupe of ballerinas.  Sara's loneliness quickly turns to giddiness, then into the ultimate emotion and decision she never thought she'd make.  What, exactly, does she truly want, in terms of a relationship and career?  Life is the ultimate learning experience for her.  Genre: real life read

To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones.  Simon &Schuster, 2013.
It's hard being the daughter of the most famous actress in Hollywood.  Just ask Collette.  She's lived in the shadows most of her life and has found the best way to escape them is to lie. Just little white lies.. those never hurt anyone.  So when she and her little brother go on "vacation" with their mother to film a new movie (starring, who else?), Collette brings out her secret stash of lies.  And when she meets Connor, she feels it'll be the only thing to protect her from the shadow of her famous mom.  He's gorgeous, older, sweet and sexy, and Collette falls in love. But the more lies you tell, the harder it is to keep them up.  Add a relationship to this mix, and Collette is just waiting for disaster to strike...or can she get away with it?  Genre: romance

Hideous Love by Stephanie Hemphill.  Balzer + Bray, 2013.  Mary was young when she first met Percy.  Living in Victorian England, becoming betrothed was a difficult task for her, especially as a girl with an academic background.  But sometimes emotions outweigh the logic. Mary and Percy begin a love affair that quickly turns illicit.  She makes the decision to elope with Percy, who would always be her heart's desire.  What she wasn't expecting was his adamant request to also bring along her step-sister.  Mary overlooks his philandering ways, but jealousy still lingers every time she sees them together.  Writing is an outlet Mary turns to in order to let free her emotions, experiences, and academic desires.  Little did she know it would be the most celebrated gothic romance of its time...Frankenstein.  Based on true biographies.  Genre: historical fiction

Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay.  Katherine Tegan, 2011.  Marcie has been pulled in two, emotionally and literally.  Her parents divorce has completely screwed up Marcie's life, and to help her mom pull through the depression, they move from Idaho to New Hampshire to start a new life over.  That means Marcie must leave her boyfriend  and group of the best friends she's ever had, behind.  But it doesn't mean the end of their relationship.  She constantly emails them all (aka the Leftovers), never losing touch them and hanging onto her relationship with her boyfriend.  But communication starts to drift when the cute guy in school takes a liking to Marcie. One secret withheld from her boyfriend but told to her best friend becomes her undoing.  Genre: real life read; romance

Falling For You by Lisa Schroeder.  Simon Pulse, 2013.  Love is a battlefield, and Rae is fighting through it right now.  She's in the hospital, unconscious, not sure if she'll pull through or not.   Rae can't stand to be around her step-father, so she spends most of her time at school and work, waiting for the day she can leave this town behind.  The only person she'd miss would be her best friend Leo, who makes her feel happy and carefree.  But then she meets the heartstopper, Nathan, and their relationship blossoms.  But the bloom becomes obsession and jealousy.  Rae knows what started out good is now toxic.  Leo is the only person Rae can talk to, and Nathan cannot stand that.  Will she have to lose both in order to start life over again?  One day, one gun, one life...  Told through flashback. Genre: real life read (this is more of a novel that contains Schroeder-esque poetry glittering throughout)

Waiting  by Carol Lynch Williams.  Simon & Schuster, 2012.  Growing up as children of missionaries, London and Zach's life have always had higher expectations (kind of like kids of preachers and teachers).  But when Zach lives life his way instead of his parents, the pressure becomes to great and he takes his life.  The entire family is stunned, and London can't shake the feeling that she's to blame.  Her mother won't talk to her, her father is distant, and Zach is gone...she thinks about her boyfriend Taylor, but feels the need to cut him out of her life because he was Zach's best friend; he knows too much family history.  But a new family moves into town, and London feels a pull to Jesse.  He's new, irresistible, and knows nothing about her past life, social and private.  A perfect getaway.  But even that really doesn't help her situation, and now London is pulled is more directions that she thought possible.  Genre:real life read

Addendum:  here are also some other excellent YA novels (not in verse):

Bunheads by Sophie Flack.  Poppy, 2011  Genre: real life reads


Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral.  Razorbill, 2012.  Genre: picture book

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate.  Feiwel and Friends, 2012.  Genre: science fiction

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler.  Razorbill, 2011.  Genre: historical fiction

Pizza, Love & Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams.  Henry Holt and Co., 2012 Genre: girl reads

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson.  Simon & Schuster, 2012.  Genre: real life reads

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman.  Little Brown and Co, 2011. Genre: real life reads


And last but not least, an extensive list of YA novels from my previous blog post about YA romance:
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7260786418133593157#editor/target=post;postID=4408141181443459942

Mums in Texas....Holy Mum!

This is a picture of my daughter and her boyfriend. Her mum cost over 300.00 and went right to the floor. She weighs about 110 pounds, the mum weighed between 10-15 pounds....Complete with lights on a powerbox with switch.  This is a 3 flower mum.  At our school, seniors have silver mums, juniors high gold mums, and underclassmen have mum in school colors.  

Do You Tweet? A Survey of Teacher Librarians and Twitter

direct link https://magic.piktochart.com/output/1075877-tls-tweet

The Outcasts by Kathleen Kent

Little, Brown and Co, 2013

This is the first Western novel I've read in quite awhile because it doesn't seem like there are many novels in this genre, and Kathleen Kent delivers! Set in the state of Texas from Ft. Worth to Houston and continuing to the turn-of-the-century New Orleans, Louisiana, Kent weaves three tales in one.

Lucinda wants to leave the cathouse and create a new start with the love of her life. She knows the many pitfalls of her profession and Madame Landry is cunning, keeping a tight fist over her girls, making sure they have little opportunity to leave.  Lucinda takes the only chance she has by planning her getaway and stealing from Landry.  Her beau is willing marry her, but she needs to find a respectable job. The opportunity as a teacher comes up in the small community of Middle Bayou, near Houston and while Lucinda may not be a teacher, her life has led her to create a close relationship with numbers, especially geometry.  She uses this as a tactic to escape reality and help curb her ailment that has plagued her since childhood and one she is hellbent on hiding. It won't take long for every niche in Lucinda's life to come out....

Nate is a new lawman from Oklahoma who is working for the first time with two famed Rangers, Deerling and Dr. Tom, learning what justice and law truly is in the Old West while still trying to preserve his integrity. His passion is horses, and he landed the job because of his reputation training them. Nate leaves behind a wife and daughter, whom he loves dearly and fights against the perils of his position.  His conscience and his position fight and rebel against each other as he sees firsthand how the Rangers work, not quite defying the law, but not quite working within it. Is there room for patience and tolerance in the Texas Ranger brotherhood?  He fights against their handling of outlaws and Indians, and this battle between mindsets has caused friction between Nate and the Rangers. But one thing will draw them together.  For the Rangers, it's an end to personal injury; for Nate, it's a promise he keeps...

McGill is a psychopathic outlaw who won't let anyone, including women and children, get in the way of his sole pursuit - finding the easy life at whatever price. McGill knows his trail is hot in Texas, but when he finds out about the prospect of a fortune ready for the taking, he takes a chance and goes to find it with two of his henchmen in tow. McGill is not only a psychopath, but a master manipulator, able to charm strangers into overlooking who he truly is to create a chameleon-like personality.  His luck and prowess have kept him alive this long thus far....

One gold piece, one tall tale of Jean LaFitte, and the singular and personal drive of all of these characters to do what they set out for will put them on a collision course with fate. The Old West is unforgiving, and it's this emotional landscape that molds the people who lived it. Kathleen Kent writes a fast-paced novel rich with history and description of not only the setting, but the characters and themes as well. Separated into chapters, she knows when to switch voices, leaving the reader wanting to know more about the previous story while slowly beginning to see the threads that knit everything together. More than that, Kent creates drama and surprise not only for the characters but also the reader. She bookends this novel with a beautifully crafted foreword and afterword. This novel can definitely be added to both adult and young adult shelves.
Highly recommended for secondary collections

Non-fiction pair:

 Bad Girls by Jane Yolen
 Lone Star Lawmen: the second century of the Texas Rangers by Robert M. Utley

 Photo by Brady by Jennifer Armstrong

If you like this, then you'll like:
Stephen King's Dark Tower series
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

Presentation: Copyright in the Digital Age

Copyright, Fair Use and Creative Commons in the Digital Classroom from naomibates

Well...Kinda Zombies Part One: YA books not quite, but nearly about zombies

Contaminated by Em Garner, Egmont 2013

Velvet Ellis lives in a different world as a teen than she did as a child.  There is no time for play, and very little time for school.  Velvet wishes she could have her old life back at home with her parents making all of the decisions, but that life is over.  It's more about survival now...,.

It all started with the newest drink, ThinPro, that helps you lost the weight you want to.  Most everyone in the country drank it, but little did they know they were drinking more than water.  And when the Contamination hit, the people who drank ThinPro changed.

The contaminated are now called Connies, raging mind-numbing people who barely resemble their former selves.  They're raging creatures, stumbling slowly toward the next victim regardless of who it could hurt them.  They look like zombies, but they aren't.  And Velvet's parents both became Connies.

Velvet has never given up trying to find her mother.  Every week she goes to the kennel to try and find her among the fetid, contaminated cages of people waiting to be found.  And one day, Velvet literally stumbles upon her mother.  It's time to take her home.

Connies don't change much.  They are still prone to being raging creatures, so to help protect the general population, they must wear collars that will stun them into submission.  There are certain protocols to keeping a contaminated person, and Velvet quickly realizes that trying to take of her sister, keeping a roof over their heads, going to school and working a job, and now taking care of her mother is too much.  Something's got to give...

And then it does...

Em Garner writes a brilliant dystopian novel whose premise of the downfall of the United States is unique and terrifying because it is based on something that could potentially happen.  The contamination knows no boundaries and affects anyone and everyone.  Garner brings in so many variants of society vs. man, including vanity, morality, prejudice and discrimination and survival of the fittest.  She creates a future world where history from the past is repeating itself.  The first chapter will rivet the reader to continue through the book and they will stay entranced with the unfolding story to the very end.  There has to be a sequel...and I can't wait to continue this story!  Recommended for JH/HS

Non-fiction pair:
 Invincible Microbe: tuberculosis and the never-ending search for a cure by Jim Murphy and Alison Blank

If you like this then you'll like...
Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
Z by Michael Thomas Ford

Well...Kinda Zombies Part Two: YA books not quite, but nearly about zombies

Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hart HarperTeen, 2013

Jake is a slacker who'd rather sit in his basement and play video games.  He doesn't get out much, but one fateful night, he does and meets a hot, sexy barfly.  It's by no way going to form a lasting relationship, more like a one-night stand.  But it's definitely a girl and night that will change his world....forever.

Amanda sparkles down the halls of high school.  She's one of those beautiful girls people want to stare at but know it's rude to.  Her self-confidence is obvious, but people question why she would date a meathead like Chazz, who's more into skipping school and working out.  She's getting tired of the whole relationship.

Cass is a loner.  She had a few friends in high school, but had the opportunity to work for a secret division of the FBI, known as the NCD (Necrotic Control Division).  She has some unusual gifts they are tapping into, and the NCD relies on Cass to track down zombies.

Their worlds will collide when Jake and Amanda manage to eat most of the senior class and then run.  They are fugitives looking for their next meal (anyone say pervert alert?)  And it's during this time they come to terms with how this zombie thing works.  Throw what you think you know about zombies out the window.  Cass has been tapped to find these crazed killers while the FBI creates a cover story, but little do they know that when Cass steps into the mind of Jake it's more about stepping into a romantic fantasy than tracking a killer.  She's falling in love...with a zombie?

Jeff Hart writes a hilarious and gut-wrenching (yeah, I did it....pun intended) book about teens, zombies, men in suits and a possible cure to this whole mess.  When reading it, I couldn't help thinking about the crazy guy in the Greenpeace Santa commercial (you have to check that out!), the Walking Dead, crazy Indians in war paint and scalp necklaces, and creepy fed agents wearing bowties.  I triple dare you not to laugh through this immensely well-written and much needed hilarious horror genre!   Hart definitely changes the definition of zombie that you'll have never read before into something extremely interesting and unexpected, which makes this book such a great read. The only thing that worries me is this was never published in hardcover.  PLEASE write the sequel!  I need know what happens in Iowa!  Highly recommended

If you like then, then you'll like:
The Infect by Sean Beaudoin
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gill
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Pizza, Love and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams

Henry Holt and Co, 2012

 Sophie Nicolaides has grown up around food. As the daughter of an Greek father and Italian mother, she knows all the flavors, even the ones in between. Every night she goes to her dad’s restaurant to help out with folding napkins and silverware, but her best days are when she’s helping in the kitchen.

 Sophie is resigned to a life of her family’s restaurant, only dreaming of what opportunities are available after she graduates. Until then, she’s content to hang out with her best friend Alex, even though he’s more family than friend. Well, maybe not family either…when he comes to the house or restaurant, Sophie feels butterflies in her stomach. She can’t stand the girls that flirt with Alex. She, well, she likes him more than a friend even if she won’t tell him. It’s another one of her dreams she can dream about.

 But one day, Alex comes in to the restaurant and rocks Sophie’s world. A popular food network is accepting applications for a new reality television series called Teen Test Kitchen, where teen contestants around the country will vie for a top spot, which includes a scholarship and an opportunity to attend the most prestigious culinary school. Sophie doesn’t think she’ll even try out, but with the excitement Alex creates makes her go for it. With her cooking her best lamb dish, Sophie makes it to the challenge and is off to California to compete. It’s her first time away from home, and she’s not quite sure what to expect.

 Being in a reality show and away from home is more than what Sophie bargains for. The competition is cut-throat, a good looking French student is attracting her attention, making her question her relationships, and a long-lost aunt that will reconnect Sophie to her mother, who died when Sophie was younger.

 Kathryn Williams writes a light romance for teens that creates balance between Sophie’s story and the side stories of the other contestants and characters in the book that are part of Sophie’s world. From her Italian father to the handsome and suave French student, Williams puts in more than enough flair to make this book come alive. It looks at the bright and dark side of reality television as well as all types of teens from around the country, including everyone from a California blonde to the Madison Avenue trust fund guy.
     Williams intersperses her narrative with authentic recipes readers can try out and this also makes this book stand out from other romance novels. Give this to readers who can’t get enough romance in their lives.

Paired non-fiction reading: any cookbook (of course) but also Andrew Zimmern’s Field Guide to Exceptionally Weird, Wild and Wonderful Foods or Carl Warner’s Food Landscapes.

If you like this, then you’ll like… anything written by author Siobhan Vivian and Maureen Johnson’s Girl at Sea or Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.

Publisher book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWbhsYaM1ks

Twinkle Tech! Four webtools that can transform the paperless classroom!

I was introduced to many of these sites via PLNs and colleagues and was intrigued with the possibilities and potential they had. These are one to definitely keep in mind as solid educational webtools! Includes a description and suggested curriculum tie-ins.

Curated Booklist/Booktrailer Using Thinglink

Here's my first project created through a culmination of the most recent books I've read and enjoyed.  The icons have cool book trailers or publisher/author sites.  I really like this tool!

Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams

Simon and Schuster, 2013

London lives in a broken home with broken people.  Her father isn't at home much and their longest conversations are usually one sentence long.  It's still better than her mother.  She hasn't talked, or even acknowledged London, since the accident.  She hides in her room and if they are in the same room together, the avoidance hangs in the air like a heavy curtain.  London can no longer count on her best friend, her brother Zach, to help out.  He's gone too....

Since the accident, London's life has turned upside down.  The whispers in the school halls are filled with conversation and gossip that London was to blame for Zach's death.  Her best friend Heather can't be around her anymore and their friendship disappeared.  Rachel, Zach's girlfriend, left town and won't even take a call from her.  London had to leave Taylor, her boyfriend and Zach's best friend, because he constantly brought back memories she couldn't deal with.  Now, she's created a warm cocoon, keeping her safe and distant from everyone.  The only thing that keeps her company these days is her one-sided conversations with her brother and the depression that follows.

Then Jesse and Lili move from Utah to Florida, bringing with them the hope of a new start for London...

Lili doesn't know what's happened.  She finds London and begins to start a friendship with her, not really knowing that London is just playing the role.  But Lili doesn't give up and slowly but surely, a layer of the cocoon is torn away.

Jesse is the mysterious, new guy in school that makes London's heart skip a beat.  He's safe....for now.  And alternately, he notices London as well, even though her ex-best friend linked up with him.  London needs someone strong that can listen without passing judgement...someone other than Taylor. And another layer peels away...

But one penultimate day, the cocoon is stripped away, laying bare London's feelings not only for her parents, but for those she knew in her past and present life.  More than that, it forces London to realize and look at the truth of what happened to Zach and ultimately, her role in his death.

A beautiful and haunting novel in verse, Williams deftly creates a world around a tragic event that slowly crumbles into an avalanche, and the reader gets first row invitations to watch it happen.  Williams also uses an infected family nucleus, and more importantly, a simple teenager taken to the brink, to stop the avalanche, which gives this book an authentic foundation.  What made the family fall apart is the lure Williams uses, not allowing the reader the full story until the end, although enough hints are written throughout the novel to give them a curious sense of knowing what it could be.  Hand this book to those teens who enjoy reading a powerful novel in verse about family, loss and love.
Recommended for upper JH/HS.

Twitter 2013: My Year in Review

I love Twitter for one HUGE reason - I learn everyday from it.  There are some amazing people I follow that have shared so much!  It's hard to keep up with everything on my Twitterfeed, but that's why there's the handy dandy favorites!  When I see a link that I need to investigate further, a quote that means a lot to me, or a picture that sparks interest, I put it in my favorites.  So here are some of my most favorites on Twitter:

1 Dec

RT: @AuntyTech: 8 Types Of Infographics & Which One To Use When [Infographic] http://bit.ly/18Szkqx 

26 Nov

Want to share this graphic #KYLChat http://www.teachingquality.org/content/technology-tool-not-learning-outcome

16 Oct

Thank you @KDLNews for keeping up w/book series in an easy search format! http://ww2.kdl.org/libcat/whatsnext.asp … you guys ROCK! 

7 Oct

A comprehensive list of YA posters by theme: https://sites.google.com/site/lunansheeslunacyresourcepage/book-posters 

16 Sep

Great job! RT @StallionLibrary: For open house tonight pic.twitter.com/4wvGiYmI6S

12 Aug

5 Good Places for Students to Find Public Domain Images http://flip.it/GG4Ro 

29 Jul

MT On my to-do list!Via@sue_fitz: RT@librarianmarn:15 Cool Ways Libraries Can Use Vine to Create Social Videos from http://ow.ly/nqf7F

7 Jul

Curious about YA historical fiction? Kim's genre guide and extensive reading list http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/07/get-genrefied-historical-fiction.html …

6 Jul

Two Awesome Presentations on Digital Literacy for Teachers http://zite.to/15277bP  

 4 Jul

via @langwitches No! You Can't Just Take It! http://langwitches.org/blog/2013/06/25/no-you-cant-just-take-it/ 

20 Jun

A2 I have students that read all day and are no better for it. I can read a French novel, that doesn't make me fluent in French. 

14 Jun

Educators take note @TCEA The ultimate list of free stock photo sites for elearning http://ly.tcea.org/oqutt 

12 Jun

“5 Tools For Creating Your Own Infographics” http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2013/06/10/5-tools-for-creating-your-own-infographics/#.UbiGXzzDAE0.twitter …

lmpreston ‏@LM_Preston 5 Jun

A great first sentence is a hot recipe for book love :-D 

3 Jun

I don't know if you are aware, but a couple great chats...#txlchat 7-8 pm Tues., and #yalitchat 8-9 pm Wed. GREAT stuff!

19 May

@yabooksandmore We need to go to you as librarians first. Shame on us for forgetting. You are part of the viable curriculum! 

22 Mar

@yabooksandmore: The power of online collaboration....Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque' http://youtu.be/D7o7BrlbaDs 

22 Mar

#nisdvision lecture in the 14th century. Look at the engagement of the last row... pic.twitter.com/ws79rnah97

 18 Mar

I feel_______. You feel in the blank. pic.twitter.com/v68tdOJL25

25 Feb

What Should an Admin expect a school library media specialist to be: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhoorayforbooks.pbworks.com%2Ff%2Flms%2Bevaluation%2Bideas.pdf&ei=Fo4rUeDJM4y70QHU9oDoBw&usg=AFQjCNFr2VPZWwcPcUbJSrIbN54TJ1ZphA&sig2=He2u3lojCzCoEXIltcqu6w&bvm=bv.42768644,d.dmQ 

1 Feb

50 Terrific Twitter Feeds for School Librarians - Best Colleges Online http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2011/11/29/50-terrific-twitter-feeds-for-school-librarians/ … via @BCOtweets

 

Inhuman by Kat Falls (Fetch #1)

2013, Scholastic

The United States is divided...not by politics or beliefs, but by those infected and those that test clean...

Lane lives on the western side of the Wall, where she and her friends wonder about the other side, known as the Feral Zone.  There is all kinds of speculation about it and more rumors than truth.  It's also not only hers, but everyone's, greatest fear to become infected. 

The Ferae Naturae virus starts slowly, with fever and the body going hot.  The second phase is the slow evolution of into a feral, a creature that is both human and animal.  This phase could last quite awhile but the third phase, and the most deadliest, can happen at any time.  It's when the animal side overtakes the human side and the infected  becomes a monster where there is no cure, only banishment into the Feral Zone...

Lane knows that to become infected, the body has to be exposed to blood or saliva for the virus to start attacking, but rarely does this happen inside the Wall.  She feels safe...until the the biohaz agents come knocking on the door and she is taken to the lab...

And it's there that Lane realizes that politics do play into both worlds. Director Spurling tells Lane the truth about her father and forces Lane to get what she wants outside of the Wall or her father faces death.  The only option Lane has is to venture into the dangerous Feral Zone and become a fetch...bringing back precious artifacts left behind by people during the mass exodus to the West. 

Lane realizes her father has been preparing her for this, but in the Feral Zone, nothing is off limits and humans become prey.  Can she trust the military and their politics or the scraps of humanity left in the Zone and their lack of trust in anyone that comes from behind the Wall?  Most importantly, will Lane survive, knowing there is a killer out there, preying on humans?

Kat Falls introduces YA readers into a different world in dystopian literature; one that revolves around man vs. nature, not just survival of the fittest.  There are no tests to take, just fighting the danger that is lurking in the undergrowth.  Fall's characters come alive, especially those minor characters that are in Phase Two of the virus, through her physical description coupled by the human personality that still exists.  Lane may start out weak, but she becomes a strong character through experiences, which are balanced instead of forced.  Falls also weaves two male characters into the novel that are polar opposites but ones that again reinforce the main character's (Lane's) strengths and imperfections when it comes to survival.  Chicago seems to have become the main setting of many dystopian novels, but this one has teeth of the vibrant and brutish world it has become through the descriptive writing Falls uses throughout her book.  Readers will watch and wait for the second book to be published.  Recommended for JH/HS. 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Little, Brown and Co, 2013

Tana woke up after a night of partying in the bathtub.  Little did she know the tub is what saved her....

Sundown parties are popular now these days.  The danger and the thrill is what keeps teens up all night partying until dawn.  It could be considered a trend, now that Cold Towns have sprung up throughout the nation and world.  There are pre-requisites to a successful party: garlic, rosewater or holy water; stakes and crosses (although these really don't have an effect at all).  But at the party Tana went to, somehow the vampires made their way in, killing and gorging on everyone, creating a massacre.

There are vampires and then there are those well-known ones that go down in history.  The first vampire to begin infecting people was Caspar Morales.  His harmless forays into the human world to feed but not kill started the contagion and the quarantined cities, Cold Towns, the infected and the turned were placed in.  There were other vampires with reputations as well, including the Thorn of Istra, a much sought-after vampire that was supposedly caged for hundreds of years and went mad...thus becoming very very dangerous...

What happens when a person gets bitten?  Contrary to popular belief, they don't turn into vampires; instead, they go cold.  Dead but alive...in a limbo state between humanity and a soulless eternity.  It takes 40 days of complete isolation, away from any temptation to drink the blood of a human to shake off the cold.  Only a few make it...most succumb to the temptation and become new vampires, the most unstable kind because their thirst knows no bounds.

And now, Tana is heading to the first Cold Town ever created along with both a vampire named Gavriel and the guy at the party (Aidan) that Gavriel turned cold.  She's flirting with danger and knows the only thing she can do to save Aidan and get Gavriel out of her life is to go to Cold Town and try to survive.

But once inside, who can she trust?  Going into a Cold Town is like living in a parallel universe.  People are walking around with shunts in their veins, hoping to party with the undead.  The vampires revel in the crowd along with humans knowing there is a balance of power between the living and the dead.  But someone in the crowd is out to destroy this delicate balance to create chaos and get revenge.  And Tana finds herself in the middle of it all....

I'll admit, this is the first time in a long time that I've picked up a horror/supernatural book, especially about vampires, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Forget about the dark and sensual romance, this book has a slightly savage side, filled with deep and dark emotions that run rampant in all of the characters in the book. Black not only creates symbiotic relationships, but carries this theme into other aspects of her book, including society, the infection and struggle to overcome it, and the civilized/uncivilized worlds the characters find themselves in.  It's this power struggle that pushes the reader into the darker passages of the plot all the way through the book, hoping for a satisfying finale and gasping at the end, wanting more more MORE!  This book aligns itself more toward the adult novels of Anne Rice, so if you have readers who want more vampire and a little less romance, hand them this book. Is this a stand-alone or a series?  Hmmmm.....well done, Ms. Black!
Highly recommended for high school collections.

The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost

Random House, 2013

Will is a normal guy, going to a normal high school, doing normal high school things. He keeps to himself, enjoys the sports of cross country and track, and goes through his days happy.  The only thing he'd really like is for his parents to stay in one place for more than two years, but he knows that's not going to happen.

One morning Will wakes up not knowing it is that pivotal day that will change his life.  First, he sees a black car idling nearby, following him into town as he warms up for a run.  He knows something is up, and he goes back to The Rules his father taught him:




#23: WHEN THERE'S TROUBLE, THINK FAST AND ACT DECISIVELY

OR

#3: DON'T DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF

After deterring the black car (with the assistance of a HUGE Australian in a wicked car!) Will goes to school only to be called to the principal's office.  A woman from The Center for Integrated Learning has come to talk to Will about his national state test...a perfect score.  While this is unimaginable (Will took the test in twenty minutes), Dr. Robbins sees his potential and asks if he'd like an opportunity to attend this prestigious academy. 

#9: WATCH, LOOK AND LISTEN, OR YOU WON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING

His mother also showed up at school shortly after the interview, and Will is bothered by his mother's appearance and habits.  He see his mother but...something weird is going on.  And the black car shows up again.  The last straw is a video his father sends him, telling Will to GET OUT NOW! 

All of this in one day. 

Now, on the run, the only place Will knows he can go is the Academy with Dr. Robbins, but getting there will prove to be difficult.  Once there, Will will come against more treachery and evil...more than he ever imagined...

#55: IF YOU FAIL TO PREPARE, YOU PREPARE TO FAIL

Frost writes a page-turner that fantasy readers of all types (from modern-day to low to high) will go through quickly, demanding the sequel coming out January 2014.  Frost, originally an adult author, has transitioned himself into a new and fresh YA author, as evidenced in his first book.  The characters are unforgettable, and the more they connect with each other, the more memorable their separate identities become.  There are enough circumstances in the novel shrouding the mystery of the Paladin Prophecy that will help push the reader to find out who or what is behind the entire scheme that will destroy humanity.  Pair that with the unique abilities the main characters reveal to both themselves and the reader, and there is no turning back.  As an aside, Frost also co-wrote screenplays for the two Fantastic Four Movies.  This has parlayed into what makes his YA book such an attention grabber for readers (kudos on the cover too!)  Recommended JH/HS with an enthusiastic thumbs up!

Paired fiction:
Warrior Heir series by Cinda Chima Williams
The Alchemyst series by Michael Scott
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta

Bulletin Board Display Ideas

 Every teacher is required to have a bulletin board display (Standard Based Bulletin Boards) for their classroom, where the display is changed every six weeks.  Of course, there is more to it than just changing.  They have to put the TEKS covered, feedback on student work, highlight work that was above and beyond, etc etc etc...It takes a LOT of work and time.  And the library?  Nope...didn't get a bulletin board. So I resorted to using the windows of the library, but after awhile, it looked...trashy...just because I have a LOT of windows (think fishbowl).  The displays blocked the view and would curl if not taped correctly, and don't even get me started on Scotch tape and the remnants left behind.

Then, lo and behold!  A teacher had an extra bulletin board and asked if I would adopt it!  The clouds parted, the room filled with light and a choir of church boys sang a song of praise!  My mind started whirling about what kind of displays I would create, and best of all (one of those catch-22 things) I didn't have any guidelines but creativity on my side.  So off I went!  First place I looked was the listserv, where I found people who had collaboratively worked on booklists with similar themes (Thank you thank you thank you for sharing!!!).  Then it was onto Pinterest to see what else was out there (wow...AMAZED at the creativity!).  And have you ever heard of dumpster diving?  Well, I kind of did that too.  I'd see something I thought would be a great display and took it out of the trash and into the workroom.  Nothing like cardboard for 3-D effects!!

So then it was time to think about what kind of boards I'd like to do.  The ones starred are ones I took queues from through collaborative posts online.  Then I thought I better start thinking of my own themes (so use, borrow, share, post any of these ideas - it's what librarians do, right?)

*August-September:  Students Recommend:  hand out colorful shapes of post-its and ask students to write their favorite book of all time and their name.  Put these hodge-podge on the bulletin board (I had to use an outside window for this one and it looks better in person than in picture form)

*October:  Off With Their Heads!  Their Heads Are Off!:  a split bulletin board of books of bodies with no heads and those with heads and no bodies.  For Halloween, of course!

November:  Hardcopies to E-books:  another split bulletin board display of books in hardcopy format, and the other on e-book format using dumpster diving treasure! (got a poster from vendors and cut out the little book covers; pasted them on the front of the Mac cutout to look like apps). 

December:  Flurry of Series:  series books to get you through the Christmas break.  I'm even thinking of putting the books on snowflake cutouts

January: New Year, New Books: Display the newest titles in the library as well as a list of up and coming titles for the year



Do I even need to ask what I'm doing to February?  Again, dumpster diving for cardboard to glue streamer paper onto heart shapes

March: March Madness: It's all about basketball titles and...I'm struggling with this month.  You know why?  Here's what's commemorated for this month (from Wikipedia)
Irish-American Heritage Month
National Celery Month
National Colo-rectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Essential Tremor Awareness Month
National Nutrition Month
National Professional Social Work Month
National Women's History Month  ( I could definitely work with this topic!)
National kidney month

April: Eggstravaganza!  Only books about pregnancy and babies...JUST KIDDING!  Taking Time for Tayshas: Put up our state's recommended YA list, including annotations (Public School Library Month!)

May:  May I Recommend?:  This time I'll put up not only great YA reads I recommend, but also put out titles and covers of recommended reading for the summer.

So there they are in all of their glory, accentuated with "unique finds."  If you have any bulletin board ideas you'd like to share, please leave a comment :)