Monday, December 31, 2012

Today's podcast 12/31/2012

  • Edwards, Michelle. ROOM FOR THE BABY New York : Random House, 2012 IL K-3, RL K-3 ISBN 0375870903 It won't be long before the new baby comes. But the boy is really nervous. There just doesn't seem to be any room for the baby. Mom is really good at recycling and reusing donated items from the neighbors. And they are all kept in the room that they plan to use for the new baby. The room is full of boxes of odds and ends, worn out clothes and leftover yarn. Is there anyway that the room will be ready for the baby in time?

    tags: podcasts elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Today's podcast 12/30/2012

  • Aguirre, Ann. ENCLAVE New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2011 IL YA ISBN 0312650086 Duece has been chosen to be a Huntress and help keep the Enclave safe. The Enclave is a small community that survives underground. It has been years since a plague wiped out everyone Topside. And now the only world Duece knows is Enclave and other small communities they trade with. There are monsters known as Freaks who live in the underground that attack the communities and the hunters protect the citizens of Enclave. But then the unthinkable happens. Duece and fellow hunter Fade are banished from Enclave. Fade says he used to live Topside and that is where they should go. But what is left there? Duece only knows what she has been told all her life. And she is not so sure that this is a good idea.

    tags: podcasts ya blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Today's podcast 12/27/2012

  • Wright, Bil. PUTTING MAKEUP ON THE FAT BOY New York : Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2011 IL YA, RL 5.5 ISBN 1416939962 Carlos is 16 and he has all the confidence in the world. He is a wanna be make up artist who is working towards his goal. He lands a part time job at Macy’s and is sure that he is on his way to becoming famous. When a real star comes in and loves what Carlos can do he may just be on that road. But things are not going to be that easy for Carlos. He has a lot to deal with. His sister’s boyfriend is abusive, his boss’s jealousy of Carlos’ talent and his own crush on another boy at school.

    tags: podcasts blueduke ya

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Today's podcast 12/26/2012

  • Welsh, M. L. HEART OF STONE New York : David Fickling, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 5.9 ISBN 0385752431 After defeating the Mistress in the first book of the series, Verity Gallant and her friend have been enjoying the summer sailing and relaxing. They thought the danger was over. But that is simply not the case. The Earth Witch is determined to come back and crush Verity and all the happy stories. Is Verity up to the challenge this time? She is determined to find a way. With lots of library research and some luck, she may just be able to defeat the Earth Witch.

    tags: podcasts elementary blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Today's podcast 12/24/2012

  • Watson, Renee . HARLEM’S LITTLE BLACKBIRD New York : Random House, 2012 IL K-3, RL 3.5 ISBN 0375869735 Way back about 100 years ago, a little girl name Florence Mills was learning to sing. Her mother used to sing around the house and Florence loved to join in. It is said that she had an amazing voice. So amazing, that she was asked to sing professionally when she was only a teenager. But things were different back then. You see, Florence was black and only whites were allowed in the theater. That didn’t change Florence’s mind about wanting to be a famous singer. She traveled around Europe and did all she could to make her career. And Florence was successful. But she was much more than just a singer. Read about this incredible woman in Harlem’s Little Blackbird.

    tags: podcasts elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Today's podcast 12/23/2012

  • Stone, Jeff. PHOENIX New York : Random House, 2012 IL 5-8, RL 5.7 ISBN 0375870180 This is the first book in a follow up series to Stone’s Five Ancestors series. In this book, we meet Phoenix, an orphaned teenager from Indiana. He loves trail bike racing and is pretty good at it. When he learns that his grandfather is actually almost 400 years old, things get interesting for him. He is soon off to China to get back the dragon bone that has been keeping his grandfather alive. More adventures await as he tries to get the dragon bone back from some super bad guys.

    tags: podcasts blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Today's podcast 12/22/2012

  • St. John, Warren. OUTCASTS UNITED : THE STORY OF A REFUGEE SOCCER TEAM THAT CHANGED A TOWN New York : Delacorte, 2012 IL YA ISBN 0385741944 This is the true story of a remarkable woman and the children she touched. When Luma emigrated from Jordan, she wasn’t sure what life in the United States would hold for her. Cut off from her family’s wealth, she needed to make it on her own. One thing she was sure of was her love of soccer and of coaching. Fate brought her to a small town in Georgia and to the parking lot of a run down apartment complex. Here she met the boys that would change her life. They were refugees from many nations bonded together by their love of soccer. Luma threw herself into their lives as a soccer coach, friend and advocate. Learn how this small refugee soccer team changed lives and a whole town.

    tags: podcasts blueduke ya

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Today's podcast 12/21/2012

  • Stephens, John. THE FIRE CHRONICLE New York : Knopf, 2012 IL 5-8, RL 5.1 ISBN 0375868712 After saving the town of Cambridge Falls during their adventure in The Emerald Atlas (2011), Kate, Michael, and Emma are caught up between warring factions. Kate is stuck in 1899 in Manhattan. Michael and Emma are sent to Antarctica to find the next book. The children will face some magical places, and much adventure on their way to the next book.

    tags: podcasts blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Today's podcast 12/20/2012

  • Spinner, Stephanie. ALEX THE PARROT : NO ORDINARY BIRD New York : Knopf, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 5.9 ISBN 0375868461 “The bigger the brain, the smarter the creature.” At least that’s what scientists thought before they met an African Grey parrot who would change their thinking. Alex, short for Avian Learning Experiment, was raised by Irene Pepperberg. She bought Alex when he was just a year old. She believed that she could teach the bird to talk and perform mathematics. No one paid too much attention to this since most scientists believed that birds were not very smart. But Alex sure proved them wrong. Read about the incredible story of Alex and Irene.

    tags: podcasts blueduke elementary

  • Spinelli, Eileen. COLD SNAP New York : Knopf, 2012 IL K-3, RL 5.0 ISBN 0375857001 What do you think about when you think of winter? Do you think of beautiful snow? Playing in the snow? Having a good time? Or do you think of bitter cold? In this story, the town is going through a cold wave. For a week, it gets colder and colder. We see the icicle on the statue of the town founder getting longer and longer as the cold goes on. And the townspeople go from playing in the snow, to trying to stay warm. But the mayor’s wife has a great idea. Can you guess what it may be?

    tags: podcasts elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Today's podcast 12/18/2012

  • Smiley, Jane. PIE IN THE SKY New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2012 IL 5-8, RL 4.0 ISBN 0375869689 Abby has been training her horse for competition. But True Blue isn’t responding to her training. Instead of going over the jumps, he just goes right through them and no one is impressed at his performance. But one of the judges reaches out to Abby to train one of his horses when a classmate stops riding. Pie in the Sky is a beautiful horse – and expensive. He has a mind of his own and will take some training in order to be a show horse. Is Abby up to the challenge?

    tags: podcasts blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Today's podcast 12/17/2012

  • Shank, Marilyn Sue. CHILD OF THE MOUNTAINS New York : Delacorte, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 3.7 ISBN 0385740794 Growing up poor in West Virginia in the 1950s was hard for Lidia. She lives with her mother, brother and grandmother in the Appalachian Mountains. After Gran dies, it gets worse for them. Then Lidia’s brother dies from cystic fibrosis. Can things possibly get worse? They can’t believe that Lidia’s mother has been charged with killing BJ. There is no way that this can be happening. Send to live with an uncle , Lidia finds herself in a strange place with people she doesn’t know. The kids at school tease her about her homemade clothes and her hillbilly way of talking. Lidia knows that the only way to get back home is to prove her mother is innocent.

    tags: podcasts elementary blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Today's podcast 12/16/2012

  • Saunders, Kate. BESWITCHED New York : Delacorte Press, 2011 IL 5-8, RL 5.0 ISBN 0385740751 Flora is not exactly happy that her parents have decided to ship her off to boarding school. But there is nothing she can do about it. On the train to school something weird happens. Flora is magically transported to 1935! No cell phones or ipods. Not even a television. How can she possibly get by? But Flora is determined to understand her new life and try to figure out why she is there.

    tags: podcasts blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Today's podcast 12/15/2012

  • Salm, Arthur. ANYWAY : A STORY ABOUT ME WITH 138 FOOTNOTES, 27 EXAGGERATIONS, AND 1 PLATE OF SPAGHETTI New York : Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 4.5 ISBN 1442429305 Twelve year old Max cannot believe his parents dragged him to this boring family camp. And plan to stay the whole summer! Max just has to do something to make this all tolerable. So he reinvents himself into Mad Max. He is not the bad boy of the camp. He is fearless and daring and cool. But can he keep this up?

    tags: podcasts elementary blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Today's podcast 12/14/2012

  • Rose, Caroline Starr. MAY B : A NOVEL New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 3.7 ISBN 158246393X Life on the frontier is certainly never easy but young May is going to find that things can get worse. Her parent ship her off to a remote farm where she is to work for the family. Her father promises her that he will come to get her before Christmas. But that is probably not going to happen. When the couple she is working for leaves, May is left alone in the remote house with little food and little fuel. The blizzards rage outside and the wolves howl in the night. May is alone and needs to find a way to survive. May’s story is told in verse.

    tags: podcasts blueduke elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Today's podcast 12/13/2012

  • Rivers, Phoebe. MISCHIEF NIGHT New York : Simon Spotlight, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 3.8 ISBN 144245380X Sara is still trying to cope with all the paranormal activity in her New Jersey town. She would rather just be normal but can’t deny her psychic abilities. Especially with all these ghosts around. And now it is Halloween and there are more ghostly encounters than ever. When Sara unwittingly releases the ghost of a young boy, she might be in for more than she can handle.

    tags: podcasts elementary blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Today's podcast 12/12/2012

  • Rivers, Phoebe. HAUNTED MEMORIES New York : Simon Spotlight, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 4.1 ISBN 1442453818 Being a psychic may seem like a cool thing. But to Sara, it is most definitely not. She and her dad have moved to a town that seems to have more than enough ghosts in it. But Sara is determined to be normal. She has a vision of a really cute boy and she is sure that the two of them belong together. But when she meets him, she finds that he has a ghost attached to him. A ghost that doesn’t seem to want Sara in his life.

    tags: podcasts blueduke elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Today's podcast 12/11/2012

  • Rivers, Phoebe. GHOST TOWN New York : Simon Spotlight, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 4.0 ISBN 1442440384 In the first book of the series, Saranormal, we meet 12-year-old Sara Collins. Sara is a pretty normal kid except for one thing. She is a psychic. She has been able to see ghosts for as long as she can remember. She doesn’t tell anyone about it because she just wants to be normal. But now she and her dad are moving to the coast of New Jersey. And this is a town with more than its share of ghosts.

    tags: podcasts blueduke elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Today's podcast 12/10/2012

  • Potter, Ellen. THE HUMMING ROOM New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2012 IL 5-8, RL 4.5 ISBN 0312644388 Roo is a 12-year old trying to keep it together. Her drug dealing father has been killed and now Roo is alone. Sent to live with an uncle she never knew, she is in for adventures big time. The uncle lives on an isolated island. Roo begins to explore the island and keeps hearing a humming sound. When she finally finds the source of the noise, she is shocked to find cousin Phillip. He is not what Roo expected to find. This book is inspired by the Secret Garden but stands on its own with a story of mystery and friendship.

    tags: podcasts blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Today's podcast 12/09/2012

  • Oxley, Jennifer. THE CHICKEN PROBLEM New York : Random House, 2012 IL K-3, RL 2.6 ISBN 0375969896 When Peg and her cat have a bit of a picnic, they decide to share a piece of pie with one of the chickens. But they accidentally let out all the chickens. All 100 of them! Now they have to get them back into the chicken coop. All 100 of them! How will they know when they have all the chickens back? Do you think you could help?

    tags: podcasts elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Today's podcast 12/08/2012

  • Osborne, Mary Pope. A PERFECT TIME FOR PANDAS New York : Random House, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 3.8 ISBN 0375968261 Jack and Annie are off on another adventure. This time they end up in China at a panda reserve. How cool is that? This should be a fun adventure. But it just isn't meant to be that easy. What are the odds that they land in China the exact day that a major earthquake is about to hit. Is this the adventure where everything goes wrong?

    tags: podcasts blueduke ya

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Friday, December 07, 2012

Today's podcast 12/07/2012

  • Nielsen, Jennifer A. ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR New York : Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2010 IL 3-6, RL 4.7 ISBN 1402240198"Only seven children who have read this book lived to tell about it." Are you brave enough to see if you will be a lucky reader? Elliot is out on Halloween and finds a girl in a goblin costume. She is being chased by goblins. It turns out that she is actually a brownie and this is a war between the brownies and the goblins. And Elliot finds himself right in the middle of it.

    tags: podcasts elementary blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

Today's podcast 12/06/2012

  • Ness, Patrick. THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO Cambridge : Candlewick Press, 2008 IL YA ISBN 0763639311 Has anyone ever told you they could read your mind? What if it was true. What if everyone could read minds? In this story, that is what happens. A virus has infected the population of a space colony and now all the thoughts are public. And you can't avoid them. It is a very noisy place. There are no women left and Todd is the only child in the colony. He is one month away from becoming a man and things are getting even stranger. He is told to run and leave the town. When he does, he finds something extraordinary -- a girl. And she has no noise. Now they are being pursued by the crazy preacher, they are on the run and Todd soon discovers the secrets of Prentisstown.

    tags: podcasts blueduke ya

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Today's podcast 12/05/2012

  • Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. EMILY AND JACKSON HIDING OUT New York : Delacorte, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 3.9 ISBN 0375989781 Emily and Jackson are happy living with Aunt Hilda. In the last book, Emily inherited $10 million and a bad guy try to steal it from her. But that is behind them now. The two orphans are happy living on the farm and the money is safely tucked away in the bank. But now someone else is trying to find a way to get Emily’s money. And she and Jackson are hiding out.

    tags: podcasts blueduke elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Today's podcast 12/04/2012

  • Moser, Lisa. RAILROAD HANK New York : Random House, 2012 IL K-3, RL  ISBN 0375868496 Railroad Hank is a “fine little train”.  With a good heart.  When he learns that Granny Brett  is feeling blue, he rushes off to help her feel better.  Along the way he gets advice from those he meets on how to cheer Granny Brett up.  Follow along as he gets some unusual suggestions. 

    tags: podcasts elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Monday, December 03, 2012

Today's podcast 12/03/2012

  • Moore, Carley. THE STALKER CHRONICLES New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012 IL YA ISBN 0374371806Cammie Bliss is trying to overcome her reputation as a stalker. She’s not like a crazy, dangerous stalker. She just has a tendency to go a bit overboard with her attention. Like slipping notes into lockers. Calling a lot and pretending to need homework help. Taking a few – ok lots – of photos of the boy. But that is all behind her. She is a sophomore now and oh so much more mature. But then she meets Toby. He’s the new boy in school and he seems to like Cammie. Will she end up going overboard again and ruin another relationship.

    tags: podcasts blueduke ya

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Today's podcast 12/02/2012

  • Mone, Gregory. DANGEROUS WATERS : AN ADVENTURE ON THE TITANIC New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 5.2 ISBN 1596436735 Patrick is a 12 year old boy living in Belfast in the early 1900s. His brother has gotten a job on a luxury ship that is sailing to America. Patrick sneaks aboard the ship with stolen papers to try to work his way to America as well. But shoveling coal is just not the thing for Patrick. After he passes out, he is sent to work with the waitstaff. His job is to empty the big spittoons aboard the ship. In spite of this awful job, fortune finds Patrick in the form of a wealthy book collector who takes him under his wing. More adventure awaits him as he sails to America on the maiden voyage of the Titanic.

    tags: podcasts blueduke elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Today's podcast 12/01/2012

  • Lowry, Lois. SON New York : Houghton Mifflin, 2012 IL YA ISBN 0547887205 Even if it has been a few years since you finished The Giver, you will be able to pick right up in this new book. During the Ceremony of Twelve, we meet Claire who has been chosen to be a Birthmother. When she gives birth to her first product, she has some difficulties and is deemed not fit to continue. She is reassigned but before she leaves her former assignment, she learns that she has given birth to a baby boy and she learns his number. She knows it is against all the rules to ever have contact with her son. He will be assigned parents at next year’s ceremony. Through a series of events, Claire meets her son and gets to spend time with him. She can’t tell anyone that this is her son or she will be in trouble and probably never see him again. He is a very active baby and screams most of the time. He is deemed not ready for parents at his first ceremony. After another year, he is still not ready so the elders make a decision that will change Claire’s life forever.

    tags: podcasts blueduke ya

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.