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SAVAGE SAFARINew York : Kingfisher, 2010IL 3-6, RL 8.0ISBN 075346456XHave you ever met an African lion up close? Have you seen the amazing teeth? The cover of this book shows you what it would look like to meet one of these creatures. Throughout the book, you will be introduced to sixteen ferocious African animals that you may want to learn about from the safety of the book.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Today's Podcast 12/14/2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/29/2010
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Savage, Stephen. OCEANS AND SEAS
Savage, Stephen.OCEANS AND SEASNew York : Kingfisher, 2010IL K-3, RL 4.2ISBN 0753464012Take a journey and explore the oceans and seas. This book allows readers to explore on their own by following the color coding. If you want to find out about the animals that live in the sea, you can follow the red icons that lead you to the information. From the coral seas to the Arctic waters, this book has it all.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/28/2010
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Sandler, Michael. PRO FOOTBALL'S MOST SPECTACULAR QUARTERBACKS
Wow. Today I am uploading podcast number 1.200. When I started the daily podcasts several years ago, I never imagined I would still be doing them over 3 years later. That is a very large number of books to talk about! And to share!Sandler, Michael.PRO FOOTBALL'S MOST SPECTACULAR QUARTERBACKSNew York : Bearport Publishing, 2011IL 3-6, RL 5.8ISBN 1936088231Who do you think is the best quarterback in the NFL? Maybe you are a Peyton Manning fan. He has been named the NFL's MVP for four of his five years in the pros. What about Tom Brady? He stepped in as the backup quarterback to fill in for the injured starter and has never looked back. Tom was the youngest quarterback in history to win a Super Bowl! Check out the other men included in this book and decide for yourself who is the best!
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/27/2010
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Robbins, Jacqui. TWO OF A KIND
Robbins, Jacqui.TWO OF A KINDNew York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2009IL K-3, RL 2.2ISBN 141692437XMelanie and Kayla do everything together. Their teachers say they are two of a kind. They are also part of the in-crowd at school. They stay to themselves feeling that they are so much better than all the other kids. Anna and Julia are best friends too. But they are hardly in the same crowd as Melanie and Kayla. They are smart and wear glasses and are the perfect target for Melanie and Kayla. When Anna is paired with Melanie for a project, things change. Anna finds herself hanging with Melanie and Kayla and leaving Julia behind. How will this turn out?
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Primavera, Elise.THUMB LOVENew York : Robin Corey Books, 2010IL K-3, RL 3.6ISBN 0375844813Thumb suckers of the world unite! Lulu tells us her story of her life as a thumb sucker. She suffered the laughter and the name calling of the other children. She was told that her teeth were going to stick straight out if she didn't stop. But she couldn't stop. Could she? Lulu develops a 12 step program to help her stop thumb sucking. Does it work? Would it work for you?
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/25/2010
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MICRO MONSTERSNew York : Kingfisher, 2010IL 3-6, RL 7.8ISBN 0753464551Take a look at the cover of this book. Do you have any idea what you are looking at? If you don't, you'll might want to take a look through this book to find out. It is full of up close and personal looks at some of the smallest insects around. It also shows us some of the viruses that can invade our bodies. It's creepy but if you are interested, take a look.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/24/2010
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Marven, Nigel.DINOSAURSNew York : Kingfisher, 2010IL 5-8, RL 7.4ISBN 0753464063Who isn't facinated by dinosaurs. Even though no one has ever seen one, there are enough fossils left behind to give us a pretty good idea of what they were like. Marven shows us how scientists dig up dinosaur bones and can figure out what they were like. Filled with colored illustration, this book is sure to keep dinosaur lovers enthralled for hours. When you are finished with the book, be sure to check out some of the websites mentioned to give you more to explore.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/23/2010
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Marchesani, Laura. DICK AND JANE AND VAMPIRES
Marchesani, Laura.DICK AND JANE AND VAMPIRESNew York : Grosset & Dunlap, 2010IL K-3, RL 1.4ISBN 0448455684"Look, Jane, Look. There is Father. Hello, Father. Oh, oh, oh. That is not our father. Run, Jane! Run, Dick!" OK, this is not the Dick and Jane of the past. At first they are fearful of the new guy in town. The vampire shows up in a variety of places. But Dick and Jane carry on.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/22/2010
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Lunis, Natalie. BLACK SPINY-TAILED IGUANA : LIZARD LIGHTNING!
Lunis, Natalie.BLACK SPINY-TAILED IGUANA : LIZARD LIGHTNING!New York : Bearport Publishing, 2011IL K-3, RL 3.7ISBN 193608791XHave you ever seen a black spiny-tailed iguana? I bet you can figure out how it got it's name by looking at the pictures. But did you know that it is also very fast? It can run up to 21.7 miles per hour! That is faster than people can run. They like to live in warm places since they draw their heat from their surroundings. We generate our own body heat but the iguana can't. Learn more about this fascinating creature.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/21/2010
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Kent, Peter. PETER KENT'S CITY ACROSS TIME
Kent, Peter.PETER KENT'S CITY ACROSS TIME New York : Kingfisher, 2010IL 3-6, RL 6.7ISBN 0753464004From the Stone Age to the present, cities have been changing. And yet they are remarkably similar. Cities are places to live, work, shop and be entertained. Kent takes us on a journey to look at how cities have changed over the years. He even gives us a glimpse into the future!
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/20/2010
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Isaacs, Anne.DUST DEVILNew York : Schwartz & Wade Books, 2010IL K-3, RL 3.6ISBN 0375867228Angelica Longrider, the “wildest wildcat in Tennessee” is back in a new adventure. Our barefoot, outsized heroine has a new opponent to overcome. This time it is a giant dust devil. That's right -- a dust storm has struck her farm and is causing all sorts of problems. Can Angelica wrestle this wind storm and save the day?
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/19/2010
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Horowitz, Anthony. BEASTS AND LEGENDS
Horowitz, Anthony.BEASTS AND LEGENDSNew York : Kingfisher, 2010IL 5-8, RL 6.2ISBN 075341936XAnthony Horowitz has given us a retelling of some of the legends of the past. In this volume, he has included the Greek legend of the Gorgon's Head as well as the English legend of The Dragon and Saint George. Sit back and get ready to read about some of the amazing beasts and legends.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/18/2010
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Horowitz, Anthony. BATTLES AND QUESTS
Horowitz, Anthony.BATTLES AND QUESTSNew York : Kingfisher, 2010IL 5-8, RL 6.2ISBN 0753419378Fans of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider books may be surprised to find he has also written several books of myths and legends. In this book, he shares the retelling of the story of the Minotaur as well as Romulus and Remus and other tales from around the world.
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Gilpin, Daniel. PLANET EARTH : WHAT PLANET ARE YOU ON?
Gilpin, Daniel.PLANET EARTH : WHAT PLANET ARE YOU ON?New York : Kingfisher, 2010IL 5-8, RL 6.9ISBN 0753464128This is a book about our planet that you may want to read even if you aren't doing a report. Imagine the Earth's features as goofy looking creatures who tell us about themselves in ways we haven't heard before. The volcano tells us that he is a big zit that sometimes pops and spues a nasty liquid. Or a peninsula as all fingers and thumbs who can't help but stick out. Pick up this little book to find out more.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/15/2010
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Fisher, Catherine.SAPPHIQUENew York : Dial Books, 2010IL YAISBN 0803733976It has been two months since Finn escaped Incarceron. He is now trying to assume his role as Prince Giles but his guilt over leaving his friends behind has turned him into a dark, tormented sole. And now the queen has brought in an imposter to try to take Finn's place. Meanwhile things are getting worse in Incarceron. The prison wants to escape from itself. In order to do that, it must create a body. Kiero and Attia team up to find a way out of the prison. They need to find the Glove of Sapphique before the prison can create a way to escape. As Finn searches for a way back to Incarceron to help his friends, things in the Realm go from bad to worse.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/14/2010
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Ericsson, Jennifer A. WHOO GOES THERE?
Ericsson, Jennifer A. WHOO GOES THERE?New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2009IL K-3, RL 1.3ISBN 159643371XOwl sits in his tree watching and waiting. It's night time now. Time for Owl to find some food. What is that noise? Is it a fat little mouse just right for Owl's dinner? Or is it something else?
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/13/2010
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Downard, Barry. THE RACE OF THE CENTURY
Downard, Barry. THE RACE OF THE CENTURYNew York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008IL K-3, RL 2.8ISBN 1416925090OK, you may have heard the tale of the tortoise and the hare. Well, I bet you have never seen the story told like this. Will Flash Harry Hare have a bad hare day this time?
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/12/2010
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Doodler, Todd H. THE ZOO I DREW
Doodler, Todd H. THE ZOO I DREWNew York : Random, 2009IL K-3, RL 3.6ISBN 0375852018Do you like animals? Do you like alphabet books? You might want to check this one out. It has all your favorite animals from the zoo. All the way from alligator to zebra and lots of others in between.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/11/2010
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Davis, Jill. ORANGUTANS ARE TICKLISH : FUN FACTS FROM AN ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHER
Davis, Jill.ORANGUTANS ARE TICKLISH : FUN FACTS FROM AN ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHERNew York : Schwartz & Wade, 2010IL K-3, RL 3.2ISBN 0375858865Look at some of these photographs in this book. Have you ever wondered how great pictures happen. Do the photographers just wait around until the animal does something they like? Or do they just keep shooting and hope they come up with a great photograph? Or is it something else?
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/10/2010
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Collins, Suzanne.MOCKINGJAYNew York : Scholastic, 2010IL YAISBN 0545310601The final part of the Hunger Games trilogy doesn't fail to excite. Katniss has survived the games two times and is now living in Distict 13. Gale is also living in District 13 but Peeta has been captured and is being held prisoner in the Capital. He has been programmed to speak against Katniss who is working with the rebels to mount a revolution against President Snow. But Katniss finds herself being used as propaganda by the rebels. She has assumed the role of the Mockingjay but the rebels keep her away from any real fighting for fear she will be killed. Katniss is determined to be more than a poster child for the revolution. She is determined to be the one who executes President Snow.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/09/2010
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Caper, William. TYPHOID FEVER : DIRTY FOOD, DIRTY WATER!
Caper, William.TYPHOID FEVER : DIRTY FOOD, DIRTY WATER!New York : Bearport Publilshing, 2011IL 3-6, RL 4.6ISBN 1936088045In the summer of 1906, Charles Warren and his family rented a house on Long Island for a vacation. Lots of sun and fun. But his daughter came down with a fever and within a week, five more people got sick. They were diagnosed with typhoid fever. This was one of the worst diseases around and had no cure. Fortunately, no one in the family died but Warren wanted to know how they got the disease. He hired an expert to come in and test the water and the food and all the servants. They found no reason for the outbreak. When the expert tested a former cook at the house, he found that she carried the virus. She was not sick but she could infect anyone she came in contact with. Mary the cook soon became knows as Typhoid Mary -- an expression we still use today to indicate someone who carries a disease. But Mary never accepted her diagnosis.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/08/2010
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Benton, M. J. THE KINGFISHER DINOSAUR ENCYCLOPEDIA
Benton, M. J.THE KINGFISHER DINOSAUR ENCYCLOPEDIANew York : Kingfisher, 2010IL 3-6, RL 6.9ISBN 0753464403Who doesn't like looking at books on dinosaurs? Instead of listing the dinosaurs alphabetically, this encyclopedia is arranged by time period. There is lots to see in this book. There are color illustrations along with lots of information. If you are fascinated by dinosaurs, pick up this book and check it out. See how scientists learn about these creatures that lived so long ago.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/07/2010
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Klein, Lisa. TWO GIRLS OF GETTYSBURG
Klein, Lisa. TWO GIRLS OF GETTYSBURGNew York : Bloomsbury, p2008, c2008IL YAISBN 1599901056Typical Civil War family stories pit brother versus brother, and while not discounting the horror that that must have been, in Lisa Klein’s newest book, two cousins- close as sisters- make decisions that pit them against each other in Two Girls of Gettysburg. Rosanna is from a rich family in Virginia, and Lizzie is from a shopkeeper’s family in Gettysburg. To get away from struggle and family issues, Rosanna moves to Gettysburg to live with Lizzie. Hardworking Lizzie and impetuous Rosanna could not be more different, but become fast friends and learn from each other throughout the book. When her father and brother go off to war, Lizzie takesover day-to-day workings of the shop, while Rosanna flees south to become a nurse in the Confederate Army. The book chronicles their time together, their time on their own, and the time they shared through letters. The book is an inspired look through a different perspective in this terrible time in our country’s history. While a work of historical fiction, the book has many points that are based on true stories and leaves readers with a “blood is thicker than water” feeling.Prepared by: Jen Seay for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/06/2010
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Myers, Walter Dean. SUNRISE OVER FALLUJAH
Myers, Walter Dean. SUNRISE OVER FALLUJAHScholastic Press, 2008“I felt like crap after 9-11 and I wanted to do something, to stand up for this country.” Against his parents’ wishes, Robin “Birdy” Johnson enlists in the Army after the terrorist attacks in New York City. By 2003, Birdy has finished Basic Training and is deployed to Iraq. He gets assigned to a Civil Affairs detachment. This group is working towards building a successful democracy in Iraq, and most of their job consists of interacting with Iraqi civilians. As Birdy travels through the war zone with his squad, he develops close friendships with them and learns their life stories. Birdy experiences the horrors of war first-hand as his squad is ambushed and attacked by Iraqi soldiers. However, they also see innocent Iraqi citizens killed, and Birdy begins to question his participation in war. He is scared that he will not survive, and his squad members are the only people that Birdy can rely on. Read Sunrise Over Fallujah to learn what true heroes are, and to find out if Birdy and his squad live through their year-long deployment!Prepared by: Joy Brady for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/04/2010
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Gratz, Alan. SOMETHING WICKEDNew York : Dial Books, 2008IL YAISBN 0142414964Horatio Wilkes is an amateur sleuth, and when he discovers Duncan MacRae, the founder of the Scottish Highland Games, dead in his tent, he begins to investigate. At first, evidence points to Duncan’s son, Malcolm, as the murderer, but Horatio soon discovers that his friend Mac and Mac’s girlfriend Beth may be the true culprits. What drove them to this madness? And can Horatio prove they’re to blame before he or anyone else is hurt? If you’ve read Macbeth, you may already know the answers to these questions, but you may still be surprised at how things play out in this modern retelling. For those of you who haven’t read Macbeth, Something Wicked may be just the hook you need to really get into Shakespeare’s Scottish play.Prepared by: Kelly Knight, Media Specialist, Woodmont High School for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/03/2010
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George, Jessica Day. PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALL
George, Jessica Day. PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALLBloomsbury, 2009The kingdom is in an uproar. Every night the princesses go to their chambers and every morning their slippers are worn out. No one knows that Princess Rose and her twelve younger sisters are condemned to dance for the wicked King Under Stone in his underground palace every night to fulfill the bargain their mother made with the evil king… and only death will free them. Rumors of witchcraft spread throughout the kingdom and the girls know the end is near. Yet armed with an invisibility cloak, enchanted knitting needles, and most importantly true, Galen, the palace gardener sets out to free the girls, even if it costs him his life. Will he find a way to save them, or will he be the next victim of King Under Stone's evil plan? Time is running out…Prepared by: Kathy Carroll for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Today's Podcast 11/02/2010
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Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. PRINCESS BEN
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. PRINCESS BENNew York : Graphia/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008IL YAISBN 0618959718Princess Ben’s life is tragically changed during a series of unfortunate incidences; her uncle and her mother are killed, and her father disappears. Ben, now the kingdom’s heir, is relegated to the castle where resides her aunt Sophia, whose goal in life, outside of teaching Ben the ins and outs of being heir to the throne, is making her life miserable. Just when Ben has had all that she can take, she discovers a hidden wizard’s room in the top spire of the castle where she is being kept and begins teaching herself, using the enchanted spell books she finds there. Upon hearing of a possible engagement, the threat of war, and still dealing with a missing father, Ben decides to use her magic to put her world back together. Flying on broomsticks and fighting dragons is nothing to this spunky, courageous young woman whose story grows more and more enchanting with each page.Prepared by: Jen Seay for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
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Kluger, Steve. MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR
Kluger, Steve. MY MOST EXCELLENT YEARDial Books, 2008“Even though I didn’t notice it while it was happening, I got reminded in ninth grade of a few things I guess I should have know all along: 1. A first kiss after five months means more than a first kiss after five minutes. 2. Always remember what it was like to be six. 3. Never, ever stop believing in magic, no matter how old you get. Because if you keep looking long enough and don’t give up, sooner or later you’re going to find Mary Poppins.”T.C. Keller is a native Bostonian who loves the Red Sox. His whole family is named after members of former Red Sox greats. Baseball is his life. T.C.’s mother died when he was young. He and his father are two of a kind who believe doing school projects to the fullest, even if it means making a 70 square inch model of the Washington Mall. T. C.’s best friend is Augie, an “ABC,” American Born Chinese. His father owns a bookstore while his mom reviews plays. Augie and T.C. have been friends, “brothers,” since they were six years old. Augie loves musicals and Liza Minelli. Everyone has figured out that Augie is gay but Augie. Alejandra, Ale, is the daughter of the former ambassador of Mexico. Her family has recently come to Boston because her father accepted a teaching position at Harvard. She tends to speak her mind, which gets her in trouble with her father. She secretly wants to sing and perform on stage. Freshman year is a time of change for the three of them. During a writing assignment, they remember letters, memos, chats, and texts that helped them find themselves. New friendships, loves, and causes make them realize what is important.Prepared by: Julie Vaught for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/31/2010
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Stork, Francisco X. MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD
Stork, Francisco X. MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLDNew York : Levine Books, 2009IL YAISBN 0545054745Meet Marcelo, a 17 year old boy with autism-like behavior. Follow Marcelo as he struggles to answer the questions, “What is truth?” “How do you tell right from wrong?” “What if a good person does a bad thing; does that make him bad?” Marcelo has the answers to these questions and more when he spends the summer in the “real world” of his father’s law firm. Here he meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. Here he learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire, and romance and injustice. These experiences truly connect Marcelo to the “real world.”Prepared by: Sarah Trani, Media Specialist, Fairfield Central High School for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/30/2010
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Forman, Gayle. IF I STAYDutton Books, 2009Seventeen-year-old Mia has a lot going for her – her musician boyfriend Adam, a possible scholarship to Juilliard, and her quirky but close knit family. Her biggest worry is leaving friends and family behind after graduation to pursue her passion for the cello. On an unexpected snow day in February, Mia’s family decides to take a short day trip to visit relatives in a nearby town. Once in the car, they have their usual battle over choice of radio stations, ultimately deciding to take turns. Mom’s choice, NPR news, is first. After the news, it’s Mia’s turn, and she chooses the classical station. As she hears Beethoven’s Cello Sonata no.3, a piece she is currently working on, Mia closes her eyes and imagines herself playing along on her cello. Suddenly, the horrifying impact of a four ton speeding pickup truck shatters the calming melody. The noises are deafening, and the car explodes like it was hit by a bomb. Suddenly, everything is quiet except for one sound: Beethoven’s Cello Sonata no. 3 continues to play on the radio. Mia can hear it, so she must still be alive. Looking around for her younger brother, she spies a hand sticking out of a nearby ditch. Reaching the outstretched arm, she realizes she is looking at her own bleeding, badly damaged body. As Mia’s life hangs in the balance, her life prior to the accident is told through a series of flashbacks. Mia knows her life is changed forever, and doesn’t know if she is strong enough to face a life of painful losses. Should she stay… or should she go? Read If I Stay by Gayle Forman to see what Mia decides.Prepared by: Karen Tisdale for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/29/2010
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Collins, Suzanne. THE HUNGER GAMES
Collins, Suzanne. THE HUNGER GAMESScholastic Press, 2008Maintaining control is never easy, but the government of Panem has discovered a way of subduing dissidents. Each year, two people from each of the twelve districts are chosen to participate in The Hunger Games – a fight to the death for all but one contestant. This year, Katniss steps up to take her younger sister’s place. Once the selection is made, Katniss and Peeta (the male participant from District 12) are caught in a whirlwind of preparation. There are lessons in defense, survival, and television appeal. The game requires each participant to outlast, outwit and out-maneuver the other contestants – while the entire country watches on their television screens each day. Brutal tasks, unbearable situations, and manipulated settings test each contestant to his or her breaking point. The only way out? Personal death or the murder of the rest of the group. What possible plan can Katniss and Peeta develop that guarantees their survival and their safe return home? Read The Hunger Games to see what happens to this pair of warriors.Prepared by: Beth Pace, Spartanburg School District One for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/28/2010
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Reinhardt, Dana. HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE
Reinhardt, Dana. HOW TO BUILD A HOUSENew York : Wendy Lamb Books, 2008IL YAISBN 0375844538Volunteering, community service, and mission trips are important in many teenager’s lives. Some high schools or high school organizations require some form of community service. This information may also tip the scale toward acceptance on college applications. Harper Evans of Los Angeles, California joins a volunteer program to build a house over the summer. She and a number of other high school students from all over the country will spend twelve weeks with “Homes from the Heart” building a home for the Wright family in Bailey, Tennessee, to replace the one destroyed in a tornado. The family consists of Mom, a nurse; Dad, the high school football coach and English teacher; Teddy, a recent high school graduate; and 9 year old twin sisters. With this organization, a family member is required to work on the building as well - that would be Teddy, since his parents are working in the community. Harper is completely unfamiliar with the steps required to build a house. She and the others learn to work as teams, doing a variety of jobs from digging the footers for the foundation to putting on the roof. She even becomes concerned when she learns about some of the shortcuts that were taken to cut costs. For instance, instead of digging a basement, the organization purchased a prefabricated tornado room to keep the family safe in case of another tornado. By summer’s end, Harper and her new friends have learned a lot about building, not just houses, but friendships, dreams and plans for the future.Prepared by: Eleene Levander, School Librarian, Retired for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/27/2010
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Lockhart, E. THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS
Lockhart, E. THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKSHyperion, 2008Frankie Landau-Banks is a sophomore at the elite Alabaster school. She has a popular senior boyfriend, people seem to like her, she gets good grades, etc. She should be happy with her life, right? Well, not so much. Frankie is tired of accepting the roles society has chosen for her. When her boyfriend says she’s adorable, she wonders why he doesn’t say that she’s brilliant. Anyway, Frankie knows that her boyfriend and several other of the school’s most popular guys are members of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, a secret all-male society in which her father was a member during his days at Alabaster. Frankie is tired of being left out of the club’s dealings, so she decides to infiltrate it and pose as their leader. It works, and these guys have no idea that she’s the one pulling their strings. Of course, as is the way of things, chaos inevitably ensues, and Frankie and the Bassets must face up to what has been going on. Will Frankie be exposed in her quest for power? Will she go back to being a docile little girl content with her place in the world? What will happen to the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds? Read The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks to discover the damage an ambitious, brilliant, angry high school sophomore can wreak on the unsuspecting world around her.Prepared by: Kelly L. Knight, Media Specialist, Woodmont High School for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/26/2010
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Holt, Simon. THE DEVOURINGBoston: Little, Brown, 2009IL YAISBN 0316035734Reggie was just an average 15 year old girl, until her mother left her and her timid 8 year old brother with a workaholic dad. Now, she has to do all the cooking and cleaning while taking care of her brother. Reggie enjoys scary things whether it’s movies, books, or pranks. But one day, at the bookstore where she works part time, her whole world changes. She finds a book called “The Vours.” To Reggie it’s just another scary book, but as she reads it to her brother one night, she realizes that the story could be true. The next day, she notices her once scared nice brother is now a mean, scary, little jerk. And when Reggie and her best friend, Aaron, try to save her brother from the Vour inside of him, they learn dark secrets about the Vours. They will have to face their greatest fears to save the soul of her brother that was stolen by the Vour. His body is there, but not his soul; will Reggie ever get her brother back?Prepared by: Taylor Schultz for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/25/2010
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McKernan, Victoria. THE DEVIL'S PAINTBOX
McKernan, Victoria. THE DEVIL'S PAINTBOXNew York : Knopf, p2009, c2009IL YAISBN 0375937501If you enjoyed playing the computer game Oregon Trail, The Devil’s Paintbox by Victoria McKernan is for you. It takes the grainy greenish picture of the old game and paints a vivid picture of what life on the Oregon Trail might have been like. The book chronicles a young man’s journey into adulthood in the Wild West, starting at age 15, poor and destitute, eating a grasshopper a day if lucky to stay alive- into turning into a man working off a debt to himself and others. Aiden relentlessly tries to protect and at the same time allow for his sister to grow up. Aiden, during the journey, befriends some unlikely candidates and in the end is forced to go against his white society in aid of his Native American friends in the struggle against smallpox -- the devil’s paint. Aiden and his younger sister Maddy endure hardships unknown to readers of today, all the while maintaining an ever-present desire to move onward and upward. The book is not so much uplifting as is it insightful, and even inspiring. The Devil’s Paintbox is a gripping historical fiction that does not gloss over events of old, rather tells of life as an everyday struggle to survive, and survive knowing that you did what you had to do.Prepared by: Jen Seay for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/24/2010
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Love, D. Anne. DEFYING THE DIVA
Love, D. Anne. DEFYING THE DIVANew York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008IL YAISBN 1416934812Haley Patterson’s freshman year was off to a great start. She has two best friends and her dream job of working on the school newspaper. But when an article she writes for the newspaper’s gossip column offends school diva and resident mean girl, Camilla Quinn, her year goes from good to bad. Camilla launches a campaign of hurtful gossip and rumors against Haley. Embarrassing and frightening anonymous notes are being placed in her locker and on her desk. She is even sent email encouraging her to commit suicide and put an end to her misery. Friends abandon her, fearful of becoming gossip victims themselves, leaving Haley alone and miserable. Keeping a low profile, Haley chooses not to tell anyone including her parents about the humiliation she is enduring at school. For Haley, when summer arrives, it cannot come soon enough. She is sent out of town, while her parents are traveling in Europe, to stay with an aunt in a small resort community for the summer. Haley gets a job at the local country club but has trouble making new friendships. She finds that she is still dealing with a lack of self-esteem and needs to gain the confidence and courage to trust others despite her worries about returning to school in the fall. Will Haley be able to stand up to the Diva? Will her classmates continue to treat her as an outcast? When another becomes the target of the diva, will Haley let history repeat itself?Prepared by: Dee Robinson, Librarian, Richland County Public Library for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/23/2010
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Pfeffer, Susan Beth. THE DEAD AND THE GONE
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. THE DEAD AND THE GONEHarcourt, 2008Alex Morales is a good kid. He’s seventeen, living in New York City, and works at a pizza parlor when he’s not attending school at St. Vincent de Paul Academy. He also looks out for his two younger sisters and studies hard so he can go to college. One especially overcast day, Alex and his sisters arrive to an empty apartment to find the power is out, along with the cable TV and radio. With his mother working at the hospital, his father in Puerto Rico attending a funeral, and older brother Carlos serving with the U. S. Army, it is up to Alex to assess the situation and reassure his sisters. Little does Alex know that his world is about to change forever. As in the author’s previous book, Life As We Knew It, an asteroid has hit the moon and knocked it off its orbit, wreaking havoc on the world. But in New York City, only those with money or connections will be able to escape the chaos. And Alex has neither money nor connections. He soon realizes that he will be the sole provider and caretaker for his siblings. As days roll by, and essentials for living are harder to come by, Alex will be forced to “bodyshop” – stealing warm clothing and other items he can trade for food from those unfortunate beings left lying in the streets. Throughout the nightmare, the Morales’ strong faith, and the faith and help of other survivors keep them going. But for how long? The Dead and the Gone is a terrifying tale, especially in the setting of New York City, the scene of other horrible tragedies. It is so realistic that you may find yourself re-thinking your own emergency survival plans.Prepared by: Karen Tisdale for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/22/2010
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Gehrman, Jody. CONFESSIOINS OF A TRIPLE SHOT BETTY
Gehrman, Jody. CONFESSIOINS OF A TRIPLE SHOT BETTYNew York : The Penguin Group, 2008IL YAISBN 0142412686“Great. So much for my summer. I should have known. School’s not even out yet, and Operation Girlfriend is already in tatters. Amber, Hero, and I were going to be glorious; armed with big sunglasses and supersized ice mochas, we were supposed to take the crazy, tourist-trap, sun-and-wine-soaked town by storm. … But what are we doing instead? Enduring awkward pauses and thinly veiled snarkiness. Fabu, Just what I had in mind.”Geena is a skater Betty, working with her best friend Amber at the tiny coffee shack known as Triple Shot Betty’s. Hero, Geena’s extremely sheltered boarding school cousin, is coming home to spend the summer in wine country Sonoma with her dad. Geena is psyched about the three of them being best friends and painting each others toenails, but it doesn’t really work out that way. From the minute Hero steps into Triple Shot Betty’s life, Amber hates her, and Geena doesn’t really know why. And, of course, that’s not all. Amber is infatuated with John Jamison, the super popular and cocky class president and half brother of PJ, the Prince, Jamison. John, however, doesn’t care about Amber. He wants Hero, the new girl in town. But Hero has eyes only for Claudio, the hunky Italian boy visiting to work in the vineyards whom only she can communicate with. And then there’s Ben, PJ’s best friend. Ben and Geena have been arguing nemeses sense the fifth grade, always trying to one up each other. And, alas, even more goes wrong. John is up to no good, Amber does something she’ll regret, Hero’s reputation gets destroyed, and Geena gets pulled into everything. The girls, along with some other broken hearts, plot to take down the evil, and sadly horribly attractive, John. So, how’s it all going to end for the Bettys? Prepared by: Harriet Boatwright for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/21/2010
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Venkatraman, Padma. CLIMBING THE STAIRS
Venkatraman, Padma. CLIMBING THE STAIRSNew York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008IL YAISBN 0399247467The year is 1941, the place, India. Vidya is 15 years old, and unlike other girls her age who are consumed with the idea of impending nuptials, she dreams only of attending college. Being the outspoken, willful, and adventurous girl she is, she unknowingly pulls her father into a protest march that turns violent where he is brutally attacked and rendered brain damaged. Now Vidya and her close-knit family are forced to move into her paternal uncle's traditional household where the women are expected to be subservient to men and are married off as soon as possible. This shatters Vidya's dreams of attending college. Vidya’s heart is heavy with her sense of responsibility for her father's disability, her changing role as a young woman in a traditional family, and the pressures she now feels to accept an arranged marriage. While taking care of her aunt’s baby as one of her chores, Vidya breaks the rules and sneaks up the stairs into the library that is off limits to women. Not only does she find refuge there, she meets a young man named Raman. She is surprised to discover she is attracted to this young man who treats her as an equal and encourages her to pursue her intellectual interest. Read Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman, and go with Vidya into an unknown and uncertain future.Prepared by: Carol Ross for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/20/2010
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Doyle, Marissa. BEWITCHING SEASON
Doyle, Marissa. BEWITCHING SEASONNew York : Henry Holt , 2008IL YAISBN 0805082514Mr. Carrighar sat back in his chair. “I met them today” he said abruptly, dropping his gaze.“Met whom?” Miss Allardyce took another sip of wine, trying to drag her attention away from memories of Michael’s – er – Mr. Carrighar’s infectious laugh.“Your pupils. Persephone and Penelope.”“What!” Miss Allardyce nearly dropped her wineglass. “Where? Are they all right?”“They’re quite well, and very charming girls. My master was quite taken with them.”Mr. Carrighar was still staring at the table.“What were you…?” A horrible suspicion began to creep over her. “No. You can’t drag them into this, I won’t let your use them --------“Mr. Carrighar held up one hand. “No one said anything about using them, Miss Allardyce. They need not have anything at all to do with this -------““----- if I accede to your blackmail and give what you want,” she finished. The delicate wine she was sipping with such pleasure – the wine Mr. Carrighar had brought for her – seemed to sour in her stomach. She made a gesture and the glass disappeared.“That is a crude way to put it” Mr. Carrighar’s voice was steady, but his hands betrayed him by curling into fists.“Nonetheless, it’s true” Miss Allardyce rose and took a few jerky, hesitating steps, them whirled back to face Mr. Carrighar. “How could you?” she shot at him. “They’re innocent children.”He rose too, “They’re trained witches like you.”Prepared by: Cheryl Roycroft for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/19/2010
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Supplee, Suzanne. ARTICHOKE'S HEART
Supplee, Suzanne. ARTICHOKE'S HEARTNew York : Dutton Books, 2008IL YAISBN 0525479023To say that it was not the best time of Rosemary Goode’s life would be an understatement. At home, her mother and her aunt nagged her about losing weight. At school, she was the brunt of the thin, beautiful girls’ jokes. Even her Christmas presents, motivational books from her aunt and a treadmill from her mother, were disappointing. But Rosemary was resourceful, and she had a plan. The treadmill proved to be a great place to air dry clothes that she had washed in an effort to stretch them out. And each time she ate because she was hurt or angry or wanted to prove she was in control, she vowed that she would not eat all the waffles or attack her stash of chocolate again.Life, though, does not always go according to plan. Rosemary had hoped to return to school after Christmas vacation a few pounds lighter, but when she stepped on the scales on the fateful January morning, she saw something she had never seen before. She had actually managed to gain ten pounds, and now she weighed in at 200 pounds! To make matters worse, she’s fighting with her aunt more than ever, and her mother has cancer. There are new worries at school, too. Why is Kay-Kay Reese, one of the prettiest, most popular girls in school, suddenly being nice to her? And could that handsome athlete that Rosemary has secretly been watching in study hall actually want to date her?Join Rosemary as she embarks on a journey of life changing discoveries and nurturing relationships, both old and new. No one has a perfect life, and everyone has problems, but with the support of family and friends, anything is possible, even when the journey takes us to places we don’t expect to go. Share Rosemary’s trials and triumphs. Read Artichoke’s Heart by Suzanne Supplee.Prepared by: Melissa Mixon, Media Specialist, Chesterfield High School for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/18/2010
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Mitchard, Jacquelyn. ALL WE KNOW OF HEAVEN
Mitchard, Jacquelyn. ALL WE KNOW OF HEAVENNew York : Harper Collins, 2008IL YAISBN 0061345784Best friends Maureen and Bridget, often referred to as twins or look-alikes, drive to cheerleading practice when Maureen accidentally slides on the icy roads, crosses the dividing line and hits an 18-wheeler. Rushed to the hospital, Maureen dies while disfigured Bridget lies in a coma. One family grieves and prepares a funeral for Maureen while the other readies mentally, physically and financially for the months of therapy that lie ahead. While the families make their preparations, a dental surgeon checks various records and discovers that a terrible mistake has been made--the teens have been misidentified.Prepared by: Karen Olson for South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/17/2010
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Westerfeld, Scott. LEVIATHANNew York : Simon Pulse, 2009IL YAISBN 1416971734The world is on the brink of its first world war, but it’s not exactly how you've learned about it. Sure, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife have been assassinated, and a global conflict is brewing. But this one is between two very different factions: The Clankers, who build war machines; and The Darwinists, who rely on the development of new species. Young Prince Aleksander, the would-be heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, is pulled from his bed in the middle of the night following his parents’ murder. As a Clanker, he pilots a war machine – the Cyklop Stormwalker – to escape his own followers who have turned on him. Facing enemies at every turn, uncovering loyalties or foes becomes even more difficult when he meets Deryn, who has recently joined the air service and is serving aboard the Leviathan, the Darwinists’ flying whale ship. Like Aleksander, Deryn is also in constant danger. She has disguised herself as a boy in order to join the service, and is in constant fear of being discovered. Although from different factions, is it possible for these two teenagers to be more than enemies? The answer is found in a fantastical voyage in a very different world history. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/13/2010
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Small, David. STITCHES : A MEMOIR
Small, David. STITCHES : A MEMOIRNew York : W. W. Norton, 2009IL ADISBN 0393068579David Small was born in Detroit in 1945. He was born anxious, angry, and sickly. His sinuses and digestive system didn’t work right. But his dad was a doctor, and he knew what to do. He prescribed medicines, shots, osteopathic manipulations (also known as neck-crackings), and Xrays … many, many X-rays. Then, when David was eleven, his parents noticed a growth on his neck. A doctor diagnosed him with a harmless cyst, and a few more years went by before the growth was surgically removed. This operation revealed that the growth was, in fact, a very serious form of cancer. David woke up from his surgery to find out that the surgeons had removed his thyroid gland and one of his vocal cords, leaving him literally voiceless. A horrifying black track of stitches on his neck was a constant reminder of what happened to him. How did he find his voice again? This shocking, memorable, and moving memoir is told in a graphic novel format, with pictures complementing David’s account of his life from age six to sixteen. If you like reading graphic novels or memoirs such as The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, you won’t be able to put this one down! (Amy Pickett) (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/12/2010
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Kamara, Mariatu. THE BITE OF THE MANGO
Kamara, Mariatu. THE BITE OF THE MANGONew York : Annick Press, 2008IL YAISBN 1554511593This is a powerful true story of a young girl, Mariatu Kamara, who suffered atrocities at the hands of rebel soldiers in her homeland of Sierra Leone during the 1990s. She had a typical happy childhood in her rural village, but then when she is 11 years old, militant soldiers invade and she is forced to watch them torture and murder people she knows. Mariatu is finally allowed to go free—but only after boy soldiers chop off both her hands with a machete: “We want you to go to the president and show him what we did to you. You won’t be able to vote for him now” they tell her. Mariatu survives a long, arduous walk to get medical care and while in the hospital she finds out that at 12-years-old, she is pregnant. Mariatu is reduced to begging on the streets, but then foreign journalists come to Sierra Leone and help her begin to rebuild her life. This raw narrative will touch readers’ hearts. (Patty McClune) (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/08/2010
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Efaw, Amy. AFTERNew York : Viking, 2009IL YAISBN 0670011835Who would leave their own newborn baby in a trash can? Surely not someone like fifteen-yearold Devon, who studies hard in school, keeps her nose clean, and devotes her time and energy into being the best soccer player she can be. Basically, she focuses on being everything her mother isn’t. Her mom flirts with everything that walks, thinks of no one but herself, and has a low-paying, meaningless job. But one mistake Devon makes as she is falling in love with a boy changes all of that. She broke her own rules, and now she finds herself being charged with attempted murder, and she can't even remember how it all came to be. Is she really the girl in the papers that everyone is talking about? (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Today's Podcast 10/02/2010
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Abrahams, Peter. REALITY CHECK
Abrahams, Peter. REALITY CHECKNew York : Laura Geringer Books/HarperTeen, 2009IL YAISBN 0061227676“Except for football Fridays, Cody Laredo’s favorite day of the school year was always the last.” That’s because aside from football, there isn’t much about school that Cody really likes. Make that football and his girlfriend, Clea, the smartest, prettiest, sweetest, and richest girl at school. They even make it through a summer apart when Clea’s father decides to send her overseas to Hong Kong. But then Clea drops a bombshell: she is headed to boarding school in Vermont. As if school wasn’t bad enough without Clea, a torn ACL stops Cody’s football career cold. As the weeks drag on, Cody stops bothering to show up at school at all. Then he sees this newspaper headline: “Local Girl Missing.” It seems Clea went out for a horseback ride at her new school and never came back; she vanished without a trace. With just a recent letter from Clea to provide clues, Cody sets out on a cross-country road trip to Vermont to join the search party. His quest to win back the girl of his dreams turns into a frantic race to save both of their lives. This is a pageturner with plenty of suspense, red herrings, shady characters, and even some great football scenes in the mix. (Amy Pickett) (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Today's Podcast 09/30/2010
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Stead, Rebecca. WHEN YOU REACH ME
Stead, Rebecca. WHEN YOU REACH MENew York : Wendy Lamb Books, 2009IL 5-8, RL 4.6ISBN 0385906641Sixth grade is a year Miranda will never forget. It is the year she witnesses her best friend Sal get punched in the stomach on their way home from school and their friendship begins to unravel. Someone steals the key to her apartment and Miranda begins to receive a series of strange notes… starting with the first one: I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. Miranda puzzles about the identity of the note writer as she makes new friends and works during her lunch in a local deli nearby. Gradually all the pieces come together just as Miranda is beginning to wonder if she is too late to save the mysterious note writer. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Today's Podcast 09/29/2010
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Carman, Patrick. SKELETON CREEK
Carman, Patrick. SKELETON CREEKNew York : Scholastic, 2009IL 5-8, RL 5.2ISBN 0545075661Another story told in two points of view, but not just another story. Ryan McCray, recovering from a nearly fatal accident, writes in his journal. Sarah Fincher boldly uses video and e-mail. Skeleton Creek, a small town in Oregon, has a mysterious past –something to do with the derelict, dilapidated dredge outside of town that was used by the New York Gold and Silver Company. Is it haunted? Ryan tells about Joe who died or was he murdered? Sarah in her video shows us his ghost. Something is not right even today. What is being covered up by the mysterious Crossbones Society? Ryan’s dad has secrets. Reading and watching this tale unfoldgives one chills. . (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Today's Podcast 09/28/2010
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Myers, Edward. STORYTELLERNew York : Clarion Books, 2008IL 5-8, RL 5.3ISBN 0618695419Everyone loves a good story! So begins the story of Jack, the storyteller whose life was one great adventure after another. Each chapter in his story is filled with unusual characters and surprising twists and turns; a greedy king, an angry prince, a sad princess and a talking bird. “The book's messages are clear: stories are powerful for good or evil, and we must each live our own to the fullest.”(Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Today's Podcast 09/26/2010
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Mebus, Scott. THE GODS OF MANHATTAN
Mebus, Scott. THE GODS OF MANHATTANNew York : Dutton Children's Books, 2008IL 5-8, RL 5.0ISBN 0525479554When you walk down the streets of New York, what do you see? Skyscrapers, sidewalks, pigeons? Are you sure? Rory has lived in Manhattan his whole life, but when a magician does a trick that is impossible, Rory’s eyes are opened to a new world – Manhattan: a spirit city that exists alongside Rory’s Manhattan. This is a city built by history and legend, ruled by those immortal gods of Manhattan – including Babe Ruth, Alexander Hamilton, and Peter Stuyvesant. If something or someone was important enough, loved enough, feared enough, or remembered enough, they are reborn in Manhattan. Only Rory has the power to see Manhattan and reveal it to others. But that power may destroy him as he fights to right a terrible wrong. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Today's Podcast 09/05/2010
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Frazier, Sundee T. BRENDAN BUCKLEY'S UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT
Frazier, Sundee T. BRENDAN BUCKLEY'S UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN ITNew York : Delacorte, 2007IL 3-6, RL 4.0ISBN 0385734395Brendan Buckley is 10 years old and loves science. He even has a “confidential” notebook to keep track of his top secret scientific discoveries. Some of his other interests are Tae Kwan Do and rock collecting. His interest in rocks and minerals leads him to discover that he has a grandfather he never heard about. Brendan starts to meet secretly with him, but his mom finds out and gets angry. She refuses to answer any of Brendan’s questions about Grandpa DeBose. Why hasn't his grandpa been around? Why won’t his mom talk about him or even see him? Will Brendan’s investigative skills help him find answers to his questions? (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Today's Podcast 09/04/2010
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Broach, Elise. MASTERPIECENew York : Holt/Christy Ottaviano Books, 2008IL 4-8. RL 5.3ISBN 0805082700A boy (James) – a beetle (Marvin) and an art theft. These ingredients combine to produce a masterpiece of mystery. James and Marvin become friends and when Marvin uses James’ ink set to create a miniature masterpiece in the style of Dürer for James birthday, the two friends become embroiled in an art mystery. James, wanting to impress his father, claims he created Marvin’s art work. Excited, James’ Dad then wants James to create a forgery to trap an art thief. Will the beetle help the boy? Will the thief be trapped? Will James win his father’s approval? Read the Masterpiece to discover the answers to these questions! (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Today's Podcast 08/29/2010
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Sidman, Joyce. RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS : A YEAR IN COLORS
Sidman, Joyce. RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS : A YEAR IN COLORSNew York : Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2009IL K-3, RL 2.4ISBN 0547014945Can you hear red? Can you taste yellow? In this color-drenched poetry book, you can! The four seasons come alive through the colors that dominate them. The words are imaginative and the illustrations rich and lively. Experience the joys of each season in a new way! (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Today's Podcast 08/28/2010
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Oppel, Kenneth. THE KING'S TASTER
Oppel, Kenneth. THE KING'S TASTERNew York : HarperCollins, 2009IL K-3, RL 2.5ISBN 0060753722The kingdom gets a new king who is a picky eater. The cook and his dog go to France to find French Fries for the king. They go to Venice to get pizza. The last trip is to Mexico for tacos. Max tastes each meal and thinks that they are all delicious, but the king will not eat them. Just when the cook is about to lose his head, Max saves the day with his surprising discovery. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Today's Podcast 08/27/2010
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Nolan, Lucy. BAD TO THE BONENew York : Marshall Cavendish, 2008IL K-3, RL 2.2ISBN 076145439XDown Girl is a rambunctious dog who has a dog friend named Sit, a human master named Rruff, and an archenemy named Here Kitty Kitty. This cast of characters romps through a “whose-on first” type adventure. Join the hilarity and confusion as these pets try to train their masters. Can Down Girl’s master really be called Rruff? (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Today's Podcast 08/26/2010
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Lies, Brian. BATS AT THE LIBRARY
Last night I had a squirrel try to come into the library through the courtyard door. Instead, he buried his nuts outside. Good plan as we don't leave the door open in the winter. But I have never had a bat in the library.Lies, Brian. BATS AT THE LIBRARYNew York : Houghton Mifflin, 2008IL K-3, RL 3.1ISBN 061899923XBats are nocturnal – not seen during the day nor able to enjoy playing on a sunny beach nor able to check out books at the local library. What do you think happens when some bored bats discover an open window in the local public library? They swoop in, of course! Read Bats At the Library to see what mischief and fun a group of book-loving bats can find one night. Goodnight Sun, or Little Red Riding Bat anyone? (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Today's Podcast 08/25/2010
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Kajikawa, Kimiko. TSUNAMINew York : Philomel Books, 2009IL K-3, RL 2.9ISBN 0399250069A wealthy elder in a Japanese seaside village decides not to join the rest of the village during a rice harvest celebration. His decision leaves him in his home on the hilltop where he sees the signs of an approaching tsunami. His quick thinking action to set his own rice fields on fire seemed strange to his grandson, but the motives become quite clear when the whole village rushed to the hill to put out the fires and are saved from the tsunami. Let Ed Young’s illustration sweep you away! (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Today's Podcast 08/24/2010
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Hicks, Betty. GOOF-OFF GOALIENew York : Roaring Brook Press, 2008IL K-3, RL 2.5ISBN 1596432446Ten-year old Goose makes a wish on his birthday candles that his soccer team’s goalie would disappear so Goose can take his place. Half the wish comes true! The goalie moves away, but Coach thinks Goose lacks focus – and Goose’s try-out seems to prove that! That’s when Goose’s friends step in and develop a plan to help Goose make his wish come true. Will it work? Or will Goose still be the team goof-off? This is the second in the Gym Shorts series. If you like soccer, this action book is for you! (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Today's Podcast 08/23/2010
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Gerstein, Mordicai. A BOOKNew York : Roaring Brook Press, 2009IL K-3, RL 2.8ISBN 1596432519What if you woke up one day and were a character in a book? What kind of book would it be? A fairy tale? A mystery? An adventure? Perhaps historical fiction or science fiction is more to your taste. Join the heroine as she dashes through nursery rhymes, mysteries and other adventure on her quest to find her perfect story.(Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2011)
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
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