Thanks giving...

So, I'm loving that daily thanks giving that goes on during the month of November on Facebook. I like reading about the things my friends and family are grateful each day. And, it hit me this afternoon... I've made a lot of fantastic finds over the years that either made my job as a librarian easier or more fun or gave me incredible insight on how to really make a library program rock. Librarians in the 21st century have a TON to be thankful for! So this month, I am going to strive to blog once a day and focus my posts on things in my library world.

This week I'm going to center my posts on places to find great book trailers. Book trailers are the most fabulous little creations. If you don't know what they are - think like a movie trailer or commercial, but for a book. There are tons of professionally made book trailers out there, and plenty of student or amateur trailers as well. Kids love them! And once they've seen a few.... it's not that hard to get them to take on the challenge of making one themselves. :)

So great place #1 to find book trailers is TeachingBooks.net. My county is blessed enough to have a license to this database so we get to enjoy all the fancy features - it is a goldmine! They do offer a 14 day free trial, though I warn you... once you get started using this resource you won't want to give it up.

The Brain Lair: Summer Throwdown Year 2 - Summer READATHON!

Will we reach our goal???   Not sure.  Thankfully there are still a few hours left in the day though to read!!!
The Brain Lair: Summer Throwdown Year 2 - Summer READATHON!: Designed by Jarret J. Krosoczka Welcome to the return of SUMMER THROWDOWN July 1 - July 31, 2013 Last year we launched Summer T...

Level Up Book Club: Powerful Words.

Level Up Book Club: Powerful Words.: We've been together a week now and most of us are already off and reading by way of iPod, eReader, Playaway, or good ol' paperpack. Some are...

Heise Reads & Recommends: Are you joining us for #summerthrowdown?

Heise Reads & Recommends: Are you joining us for #summerthrowdown?: We're launching Summer Throwdown: Librarians vs. Teachers! Perhaps you've seen/heard the buzz on twitter (where, I've found, most aweso...

For Starters let me say this...

Holy freakin' cow!!!! I've had so many kids read The Hunger Games trilogy, and come in asking what to read next. There are tons of great dystopian fiction books out there, unfortunately, most of them are geared more toward the high school crowd. Collins created a unique beast in this series that appealed to such a wide range of readers, so "what to read next" usually becomes a game of breaking down what it was they really liked most about the books and then finding a middle school appropriate compliment.   Do they want another dystopian futuristic setting? Is a book jammed packed with action and violence what they crave? Do dark and manipulative characters float their boat? Are moral dilemmas the piece they tuned in to? Or, perhaps was it the romance that captured their hearts? Depending on the answer they give, I might direct them towards any number of books- The Giver, The Compound, Uglies, Twilight, or even The White Mountains. My readers generally walk away happy, but I know that they are secretly craving something that will recreate that perfect cocktail of deliciousness that is The Hunger Games. Well folks...I think I might have just read it. Starters by Lissa Price offers a nice combination of so many of those elements that kids loved in The Hunger Games. The dystopian society is there. Adults with shady motives coated in a layer of distrust. Danger and romance. Friendship and family. Tough choices and a twisted plot. And of course, a female heroine you will route for with every turn of the page. Oh, and did I mention that the ending sets itself up very nicely for a series? Next time someone asks what to read next, I'll tell them to start with Starters. http://www.amazon.com/Starters-Lissa-Price/dp/0385742371/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332038373&sr=8-1

Review of The Night She Dissappeared by April Henry

I recently read a galley copy of The Night She Dissappeared by April Henry. The book will be released tomorrow. It is definitely a high school read (references to recreational drug use, under-age drinking, and heavy make-out scene), that will be a perfect fit for fans of crime fiction. 

So the story starts out with a typical night of teens working at a local pizza parlor. Drew, a high school boy, answers the phone when someone calls in to place an order for delivery. He doesn't think much of it, when the voice on the phone asks if the girl who drives the mini cooper is working that night. She's not... lucky for her. Kayla, who has traded nights with Gabie, is the one running the deliveries that night. Fast forward a few hours.... Kayla still hasn't come back from making the delivery. She's been kidnapped.

What follows are many emotionally charged and intense days, as the community searches for Kayla. I loved all the different perspectives that were presented. You get to see things from a lot of different angles- Kayla's, Gabie's, Drew's, and even the kidnapper's.  Discovered evidence, transcripts of the 911 call, etc.. all add to the mystery. The developing relationship between Gabie and Drew will also keep teen readers hooked.

Emotional, intense, fast paced, and fun!

Full-time School Librarians Linked to Higher Student Reading Scores

Full-time School Librarians Linked to Higher Student Reading Scores