Move up day today

Each year we send our middle schoolers home early and host the city's approximately 450 5th graders on a move up day. The 5th graders get to have tours of the school and spend time learning their way around a bit. When you have 8 small schools combining to form one large one, this is a great way to help the kids transition. I met some interesting kids today. Most of them could name at least one author they like. Some gave me a list. I am looking forward to working with some readers this fall. Most of them seem to mention either a fantasy author or a mystery author but I did have one little girl tell me that her favorite is L.M. Montgomery. There's a girl I'll remember!

Today's podcast is for Lyon, George Ella. MY FRIEND, THE STARFINDER. The artwork is amazing in this book and I love the storytelling intergenerational tale.

Have you ever held a star? It doesn't seem possible, does it? But that's what he said he did. When he was young, he saw a star falling and he went looking for it. And he found it. What other wonders has he seen?

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/lyon_my.mp3

Happy Birthday, Alex

Today is my son's birthday. My youngest. My baby. He is turning 21. How can that be? He's also a college graduate. Now for those to events to happen, it would mean that I am getting old. Or maybe I am already old. After all, I have two grandsons. I guess when you get to my age, it doesn't matter any more. But being 21 is a big deal. So we are having a barbeque and then we'll see what happens. I don't know that he is really anxious to go get a drink but we may take him if he wants.

Alex has always loved soccer. Playing and watching. He still kicks the ball around the backyard when he is bored. So, today's podcast is a book about soccer. Not how to play, but lots of interesting information about the game.

Thomas, Keltie. HOW SOCCER WORKS
Toronto : Maple Tree, 2007.
IL 5-8, RL 5.9
ISBN 1897349017
Do you play soccer? Or do you just like to watch? I am definitely a spectator. This isn't a book about techniques to help you improve your game. But it is filled with information that you can share with your friends. It starts out with the history of soccer. For instance, did you know that the ancient Egyptians played soccer? That was way back around 2000 BC. Or that a soccer game in England in the 700s used the head of a Danish prince as the soccer ball? Or that in Thailand, elephants play soccer. Just about everything you want to know -- and then some -- you'll find in this nifty book.

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/thomas_soccer.mp3

Hypercard -- what might have been

Wow. Hypercard. Haven't thought about that in awhile. But this article in Wired made me think back to the days when it was the hot app. I loved Hypercard and so did the kids. It was easy to use and created such cool "stacks". Interesting to read how Apple held him back.

Our state book award results were announced at our conference. Rules by Cynthia Lord won in the Grades 4-6 category and Perfect by Natalie Friend won in the Grades 7-8 category. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer won the teen award. (Twilight won last year!) I'm going to be adding the booktalks and podcasting them during the next month. Always a fun time. This year I am also having my students video the booktalks and am adding them to my school blog -- Blue Duke Reads. I have a few of them ready and will put them up today. Although it is supposed to be a beautiful day so I guess I'll have to work in the backyard! I also have some mp3 files to finish up to put on the school page. What I really should be doing is studying for the GRE exam. I just can't remember all that math. I sat in on a math class at school the other day and the teacher had to ask one of the kids to sit with me to help. Too funny -- at least the kids thought it was funny. Later that day, the study hall kids kept asking if I needed help with my homework!

Today's podcast is for John Wilson's Four Steps to Death. It is on our state reading list and is an interesting perspective on WWII. It is an interesting look at events from both the German and Russian points of view. I have always liked Wilson's war books and this is no exception.



It’s December 25, 2004. Constable Sergei Illyich Andropov, 70 years-old, cold and tired has been called to a construction site because two bodies have been found in the cellar of an old building in Volgograd. They turn out to be something other than the gangland murders that he expected. Sergei is forced to relive a time 62 years in the past when the Germans had laid siege to Stalingrad. His hero was sniper Yelena Pavlova. Four Steps to Death tells the story of the Siege of Stalingrade from both the Russian and German point of view, as Sergei seeks to identify the bodies frozen in the basement. (New Hampshire Isinglass Award Nominee, 2008-2009)

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/wilson_four.mp3

google site

I've just been playing around with the new Google feature -- google site. I am still exploring friend connect and then they launch a new application at me. There is just so much potential, I don't know where to begin.






The possible uses of this in education are endless. I can't wait to show this to some of our teachers! Google does it again.

NH library conference

Today was the last day of the conference. It was a great conference with so much to choose from. It was hard to decide which sessions to attend. The keynote this morning was Nate Greenberg, Superintendent of Londonderry schools. He really gets libraries and librarians. What an inspiration.

I presented the Tech Savvy booktalker program in the morning to an enthusiastic crowd. Lots of great questions. It was fun. And the technology worked this time!!

Luncheon speaker was Stephen Abram. I sat in the corner so I could watch Stephen but also watch the reaction of the audience. It was so cool. As usual, he blew people away. He had their full attention!!

After lunch, I went to Stephen's break out session. There were a lot of people who wanted more after lunch. There is always so much to think about when you are listening to Stephen.

The NH Isinglass book award was announced at the end of the day. Perfect by Natalie Friend won this year! The committee then presented next year's nominees. I should have the booktalks up on my site soon. And then the podcasts will begin. I love this time of year.

But now the conference is over but not the enthusiasm. I always learn so much and want more.

NH Educational Media Conference

Day one has been jammed packed and lots of fun. Keynote given by Toni Buzzeo. She spoke about the importance of librarians in the NCLB era and stressed that we need to advocate for our positions. Too many library teachers are being replaced by reading specialists or literacy teachers.

Luncheon speaker was Cynthia Lord. What a wonderful speaker. She had us all a bit weepy at the end but it was a good feeling.

I went to Toni's afternoon workshop on collaboration and got some good ideas.

The NH Great Stone Face book award was announced. The award went to Rules by Cynthia Lord. And she was here to accept!! Too cool.

And Michael Sullivan and I did our He Said She Said booktalks. Always lots of fun for us. Neither of us knows what books that other has brought so it is interesting to see how we'll work it out.

Tonight was dinner with people I don't see often enough. End of a long day. And another great day set for tomorrow.

Away to the conference I go...

I'm spending today getting ready for the New Hampshire Educational Media Association Conference that starts on Tuesday. I love going to the state conference. I get to reconnect with people I only see once a year. And I get to meet new and interesting people. This year will be bittersweet because several of my long time buddies are retiring and this may be their last conference. The state of NH is eliminating their medical subsidy for retirees this year so it is now or never for those eligible. What a shame.

I am giving two workshops at the conference. On Tuesday, my buddy Mike Sullivan and I will be presenting our He Said, She Said program. Mike highlight the latest "boy" books while I concentrate on the new "chicklit". And we try to see who can outspeak the other! On Wednesday, I'll be doing my Tech Savvy Booktalker program. I've jazzed it up a bit and hope it will work!

Other speakers at the conference include Toni Buzzeo (who I ran into in the hotel lobby in Texas last month), Stephen Abram (I get to introduce him!), author Cynthia Lord, Reg Aubrey from Google, and of course Dr. Cathy Higgins (congrats on the new title!)

My packing is not up to Joyce Valenza's. If you haven't seen her shoe video, check it out here. What a hoot! I'm glad I don't have those dilemmas. I'll just throw on my pair of crocs and away I go. I might bring two pairs just to have some variety.

Today's podcast is for Carol Plum-Ucci's new book. It is a bit of a departure from her usual mysteries but it is grippinng. I guess I just like the terrorists are going to get us type of book. I presented at a workshop in NH last month and a couple of the evaluations commented on the number of dark books I used as examples. I can't help it. I love them!

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/plum_streams.mp3

Plum-Ucci, Carol. STREAMS OF BABEL
Trinity Falls, is just a small suburban town in southern New Jersey. It is not any place you would expect to find anything interesting. But now four teens have come down with a mysterious flu. A flu that has killed two people already. The doctors can't figure out what is causing the illness. Even the CDC isn't sure what is going on. But the kids seem to be getting worse. Can a teen from the other side of the world help figure out what is going on?

Time to go?

I got a very unexpected phone call the other day. It was the Assistant Superintendent calling at 8:00 in the morning. These new phones we got with the caller ID are great. I couldn't imagine what he would be calling me for but I answered it anyway! Well, he gave me some great news. I was number 10 on the list for 2010. Now, if you are not in our district, you would have no idea what that means. Each year our district gives an early retirement buyout to the 10 most senior people who have applied. I apply every year but since there are so many people with more years in the district, I never expected to get the buyout. I had been number 16 on the list for 2010. Apparently, because of the economy, 5 people pulled their names from the list and bumped me up to number 10!!! So, I am now set to retire in June 2010.

When you start seeing that light at the end, you look at what you have accomplished so far and what more you want to accomplish. I have so much more that I want to accomplish so I expect to be very busy for the next two years. But it is a great feeling to know that my life will go into the next phase in June 2010!

Another great character from Spinelli

I just love the quirky characters in Jerry Spinelli's books. He is the master of the odd but lovable kid. In his new book, Smiles To Go, we fall in love with the science geek and his friends.

Spinelli, Jerry. SMILES TO GO

Spinelli, Jerry. SMILES TO GO

Meet Will Tuppence. High school science geek. He and his best friends Mi-Su and BT, play Monopoly and eat pizza and have their own rituals. But now Will has realized that he has feelings for Mi-Su. "It came to me during biology lab today. She was at another table, leaning over her fetal pig, and I couldn't stop staring at her." But it seems as if BT does also. The only person Will can turn to for advice is five year old neighbor Korbet Finn who just happens to be in love with Will's little sister Tabby.

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/spinelli_smiles.mp3

A few weeks ago, my beloved niece Brandee passed away unexpectedly. This has sent everyone who knew her into a tailspin. She was so young and had her whole life ahead of her. And it was so sudden. It is hard to come to grips with the loss. Today's podcast is for Saving Grace about a family who is trying to cope with the sudden loss of a child. Their world is spinning out of control and each is dealing with the loss in his/her own way.

Spencer, Katherine. SAVING GRACE

How would you be able to handle the loss of someone you love? Grace's brother has been killed in an accident and now the world has changed forever. Her parents can't cope with the loss and retreat into their own worlds. Mom gets very involved with the church and has little time left for Grace. Dad spends most of his time in the basement. No one has time for Grace and she is left to deal with the immense grief on her own. But she can't. She find her escape in drinking and hanging out with an unsavory crowd of kids. But through it all, a strange girl named Philomena keeps popping up and helps Grace get back on track. Just who is this strange girl?

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/spencer_saving.mp3

Non-Fiction Five Challenge 2008

On the Thoughts of Joy blog, Joy has put up a challenge to read 5 non fiction books this summer.

A FEW POINTS OF INTEREST:

1. Read 5 non-fiction books during the months of May - September, 2008

2. Read at least one non-fiction book that is different from your other choices (i.e.: 4 memoirs and 1 self-help)

3. If interested, please sign up below with the link to your NFF Challenge post (all choices need not be posted and may change at any time)

I usually read fiction but I do like to read non fiction as well so this isn't much of a challenge for me. But I am officially accepting the challenge.

Today's podcast is for my first entry into the challenge. The Book of Time Outs by Deb Lucke. The illustrations in this book are marvelous and show the pouty faces of famous historical figures in their time outs!

Lucke, Deb.
THE BOOK OF TIME OUTS : A MOSTLY TRUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST
TROUBLEMAKERS

Have you ever had a time out? I'm sure most of us have. Even famous people have time outs. Napoleon Bonaparte, for example. "He saw Italy and said, `Mine.' He pointed to Holland, Spain, Austria, Russia, and England and said, "Mine, all mine,' " which earned him two timeouts on two separate islands. Even Christopher Columbus earned a time out for fibbing to Queen Isabella when he returned from his trip to America. Babe Ruth was given a time out for treating his manager badly. What other famous people in history were given time outs for their bad behavior?

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/lucke_book.mp3

Skye, Obert. LEVEN THUMPS AND THE GATEWAY TO FOO

I am really loving the longer days and warmer weather. Instead of waking up to a dark, cold day, I wake up to the sun shining and the sounds of birds chirping. It is a great way to start the day. And it is especially nice when I've been having a good dream. Sometimes it is hard to go from dream to reality. Some dreams are just so real. What if the space between dreams and reality is gone? That's what today's book is about.

Skye, Obert. LEVEN THUMPS AND THE GATEWAY TO FOO

Lev is just your ordinary boy living in Oklahoma. He's an orphan with a background that is hard for him to imagine. He is the sole descendant of the creator of the hidden gateway between Earth and the land of Foo. Foo is the land where our dreams are formed and the gateway is needed to keep our dreams and our reality separate. But the evil Sabine is determined to control both worlds. And to do this, he must destroy the only person who can defeat him -- Lev.

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/skye_leven.mp3

A day for singing

The beautiful weather continues. Yesterday it was sunny and in the 80s. It is not supposed to be as nice today but I'll take it. After a very long winter, the sunshine makes you want to sing.

Today's podcast is for a picture book biography. Antonia Vivaldi had always wanted to play music and compose. But his parents had other ideas and forced him to become a priest instead. But you just can't stop the music!

Shefelman, Janice Jordan. I, VIVALDI

Antonio Vivaldi lived a very long time ago. He was a priest in Italy but he was also a composer. Even as a young child, music was his passion but his parents had decided that he would become a priest. But he wasn't a very devoted priest and he was eventually put in charge of a group of orphans and taught them to play the violin. Here he was able to follow his dreams of composing and performing music.


http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/shefelman_i.mp3

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

When I was in college, one of the required texts was Achebe's Things Fall Apart. I wasn't sure if I would like it when I started the book but I did. I loved it. Even after all these years, I still love it. I've reread it a few times over the years especially when my own children were required to read it. While I was in college, Chinua Achebe came to lecture for a semester. I wasn't able to get into the class but I did have a chance to meet him. What a privilege!

Today's podcast is for A READER'S GUIDE TO CHINUA ACHEBE'S THINGS FALL APART by George Shea.

When Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart 50 years ago, he couldn't have possibly known the impact the novel would have on the world. It has been translated into 50 languages and has sold over 10 million copies and has become a standard in schools around the world. Considered one of the greatest African novels of all time, the novel tells the story of tribal life and shows how the coming of the white man led to the loss of the old ways of the Igbo tribe.


http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/shea_reader's.mp3

New toy

I got a new book from Raab Associates today. It is a cute book about butterflies. The book came with a new toy. As I opened the book, I heard someone talking to me! The book came with the iRead2you voice recorder. It is so cool. You can record up to 4 minutes on it and then put it in a book. Then, when the book it opened, the recorder begins to play! How cool is that! There are so many things you can do with this. You can send a message to a special child, read the book to a child, and more. Thanks to Raab Associates for this! If you want to check them out, take a look at http://www.iread2you.com/

Today's podcast is for Gary Schmidt's new book Trouble. I love his books. This one takes place in Massachusetts and Maine so it is familiar territory for me. The story is not though.

Schmidt, Gary D. TROUBLE

“If you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you.” Henry Smith's father has said this so often that everyone believes it. But is it true? The Smiths live in a mansion on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The family has owned this property for over 300 years and trouble has never visited. Until that night. The night that Henry's older brother is hit by a truck while out on a run. The truck driven by Chay Chouan, a Cambodian refugee who lives in a nearby town. The locals are incensed and tensions between the two towns raise. And things don't get any better when Chay is not sent to jail.

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/schmidt_trouble.mp3

Patriot's Day

It's Patriot's Day! Well, not really. It isn't celebrated here in NH but since I'm from Massachusetts, I'll celebrate anyway. The marathon is in progress and I'm watching the Red Sox morning game. The weather is gorgeous and I have the day off. Perfect.

I've been enjoying just relaxing and reading. But this can't go on much longer. I need to gear up for the last class in the course I'm teaching for URI. And there are labs to grade for the course I'm teaching at NHTI. And I should be studying for those GREs coming up.

Today's podcast is for a biography of Jack Gantos. I enjoyed reading about his life and how it influenced his writing. I'm sure the kids will enjoy it too!

Parker-Rock, Michelle. JACK GANTOS : AN AUTHOR KIDS LOVE

The subtitle of this book is "an author kids love". Well, I'll tell you, he is an author grown-ups love too! I know he is one of my favorite authors. I just love his Joey Pigza books. And his Rotten Ralph books. And all the others. This is the story of Jack Gantos' real life. What he was like growing up. And where he gets his great ideas.


http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/parker_jack.mp3

Exploring Dallas

I have most of the day free to explore Dallas before I'm back on an airplane. I walked around a bit yesterday. What an interesting city. I'm looking forward to doing more today.

Since I am in an exploring mood, it is only right that today's podcast is for a book about exploration. But it is about space exploration.

Murphy, Patricia J. EXPLORING SPACE WITH AN ASTRONAUT

When I was little, I dreamed of being an astronaut. Obviously, I didn't follow that dream. But others have had the same dream and did become astronauts. They fly high above the earth and see things that the rest of us never will. But what is it like to be an astronaut? What do they do when they are up in space?


http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/murphy_exploring.mp3

Texas Library Association Conference

I had a wee bit of problem getting into Dallas yesterday. There was some really nasty weather and our plane was diverted to Kansas City. We spent several hours in KC before we finally got to Dallas. I dropped into bed at 3:00 AM!! But I was up and at the conference by 8:00. I went to a couple of workshops but couldn't stay for the whole time as I really only had one workshop time slot to sample the offerings. I tried to stay out of the vendor area since I knew I'd end up picking up some new books that I would then have to carry home. But the layover in KC meant that I finished one book. I have one for the ride home but I always like to have a backup just in case of delays. So I did go to the vendors and picked up books! I picked up On Rough Seas by Nancy Hull, the sequel to The Mysterious Benedict Society, Hurricane by Terry Trueman (the book, not an ARC!) and Moose: a memoir of fat camp by Stephanie Klein. I think I am all set for any airline delays that may come tomorrow!

My session was very well attended. When I first looked at the room, I was shocked by the number of chairs. I figured they wouldn't all be filled but they were. And there were some people standing as well. I love Texas! I got to put some faces to names and met some wonderful librarians.

One of the books that our 6th graders all read is Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson. And they were thrilled when they found out that there is a sequel. I've lent my ARC to the teachers and they are taking turns doing it as a read aloud.

Mikaelson, Ben. THE GHOST OF SPIRIT BEAR

Cole is back from the island. He has learned so much during his time in Alaska about himself. But now he is back in high school and not feeling as in control as he was. He and Peter are bullied and it seems that everything is stacked against him. But if he gets into any more trouble, he'll be put into juvenile detention. Can Cole use what he has learned from the Spirit Bear to survive in the world?

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/mikaelson_ghost.mp3

Off to Texas

I'm on my way to Texas for the Texas Library Association Conference. I have never attended this one but I hear it is almost as big as ALA annual!! I wish I could have gone for the whole conference but I just couldn't get the time off. I'll enjoy what I can get to I'm sure. I will be speaking on Friday at 10:00. "The Tech Savvy Booktalker" is going south in search of nicer weather. The forecast calls for some nice warm days. I can't wait.

Beginning to feel like spring

The weather is getting nicer and there is a smell of spring in the air. The prediction is that we might even see temps in the 70s this weekend!! Whoo hooo!!!

Today's podcast is for Clem Martini's book Judgment. It is the final book in a trilogy and has the crows seeking freedom. Isn't that what we all want and need?

In the conclusion of the Feather and Bone trilogy, we find Kyp leading the flock of crows on a journey across America. They are only barely ahead of their rivals led by Kuper. He leads a flock of a hundred thousand deadly crows. Kyp's only hope is to find the legendary Urkana flock in Canada. This is their only hope to continue living free.

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/martini_judgment.mp3