Monday, December 14, 2009

New Children's Books

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle - Brian Dennis
The story of a wild dog who befriended Marine Major Brian Dennis in Iraq, and, when they were separated, trekked seventy miles through the desert winter to rejoin his friend.

What Really Happened to Humpty? - Joe Dumpty as told to Jeanie Franz Ransom
Detective Joe Dumpty rushes to investigate the mysterious circumstances under which his older brother, Humpty, fell from a wall on his first day as captain of the new Neighborhood Watch program.

The Mitten - Jim Aylesworth
A retelling of the traditional tale of how a boy's lost mitten becomes a refuge from the cold for an increasing number of animals.

New YA Books

Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures from the Archives of the Anne Frank House
Photos of the famous diary, school pictures, and the rooms in which she lived with her family while hiding from the Nazis for two years are compiled in this moving biography about the short life and enduring spirit of this young girl and talented writer.

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have - Allen Zadoff
Fifteen-year-old Andrew Zansky, the second fattest student at his high school, joins the varsity football team to get the attention of a new girl on whom he has a crush. 

War Games - Audrey Couloumbis
What were once just boys' games become matters of life and death as Petros and his older brother Zola each wonder if, like their resistance-fighter cousin, they too can make a difference in a Nazi-occupied Greece.

Crossing Stones - Helen Frost
In their own voices, four young people, Muriel, Frank, Emma, and Ollie, tell of their experiences during the first World War, as the boys enlist and are sent overseas, Emma finishes school, and Muriel fights for peace and women's suffrage.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat - Michael Pollan
In a smart, compelling format with updated facts, plenty of photos, graphs, and visuals, this book encourages kids to consider the personal and global health implications of their food choices.
 

New DVDs



Knuffle Bunny Too - Mo Willems
Trixie can't wait to bring Knuffle Bunny to school and show him off. But an awful surprise awaits her--someone else has the exact same bunny. Interview with Mo Willems included.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! - Mo Willems
When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place-- a pigeon. But you never met one like this before.

Henry's Freedom Box - Ellen Levine
A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.

New Audiobook

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

New YA Books

The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity - Mac Barnett
When twelve-year-old Steve Brixton, a fan of Bailey Brothers detective novels, is mistaken for a real detective, he must elude librarians, police, and the mysterious Mr. E as he seeks a missing quilt containing coded information.

Joe Rat - Mark Barratt
In the dark, dank sewers of Victorian London, a boy known as Joe Rat scrounges for valuables which he gives to "Mother," a criminal mastermind who considers him a favorite, but a chance meeting with a runaway girl and "the Madman" transforms all their lives.

New Children's Books

The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights - Carole Boston Weatherford
Carole Weatherford's free-verse poem traces the African American journey form slavery to civil rights.

Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation - Pat Sherman
Ben, a young slave, uses every chance he gets to teach himself to read. But after the Civil War breaks out. . .Ben finds himself in a slave prison. One night, the prisoners bribe a guard to get their hands on a newspaper. . .Ben reads aloud the momentous news of Mr. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Monday, December 7, 2009

New Audiobooks

Fancy Nancy at the Museum - Jane O'Connor
Nancy's class is going on a trip to the museum. Even after a bumpy bus ride, Nancy finds the way to make the day extra-fancy!--P.4 of book cover.

Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.


Bud, Not Buddy - Christiopher Paul Curtis
Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

Friday, December 4, 2009

New Nonfiction Books

Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting - Jim Murphy
Describes the Christmas truce that occurred along Western Front trenches in 1914 and features quotations from young men on both sides, a timeline, and additional source material.

John Brown: His Fight for Freedom - John Hendrix
In the late 1850s, at a time when many men and women spoke out against slavery, few had the same impact as John Brown, the infamous white abolitionist who backed his beliefs with unstoppable action.

January's Sparrow - Patricia Polacco
After a fellow slave is beaten to death, Sadie and her family flee the plantation for freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi - Rachel Rodriguez
Inspired by the natural beauty of his homeland of Catalonia, Antoni Gaudi became a celebrated and innovative architect through the unique structures he designed in Barcelona, having a significant impact on architecture as it was known.

Marsupials - Nic Bishop
Such animals as quolls and pademelons live on the continent of Australia, along with kangaroos, koalas, and many other marsupials. With breathtaking full-page images, including a double-gatefold spread, Bishop introduces the beauty and diversity of these amazing animals.

Django: World's Greatest Jazz Guitarist - Bonnie Christenson
Born into a travelling gypsy family, young Django Reinhardt taught himself guitar at an early age. He was soon acclaimed as the "Gypsy Genius" and "Prodigy Boy," but one day his world changed completely when a fire claimed the use of his fretting hand. Folks said Django would never play again, but with passion and perserverance he was soon setting the world's concert stages ablaze.

Tornadoes! - Gail Gibbons
Describes what tornadoes are, how they form, the scale used for classifying them, and what to do in case one approaches.

14 Cows for America - Carmen Agra Deedy
Maasai tribal members, after hearing the story of the September 11th attacks from a young Massai, who was in New York on that day, decide to present the American people with fourteen sacred cows as a healing gift.

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal - Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
This biography profiles the life of Bass Reeves, a former slave who was recruited as a deputy United States Marshal in the area that was to become Oklahoma.

New YA Books

The Fatal Child - John Dickinson
The fugitive prince Ambrose finally takes his rightful place as king in the hope of finding a way to bring happiness to the Princess Atti, whom he loves, and freeing his land and subjects from the curse of the goddess Beyah.

Signal - Cynthia DeFelice
After moving with his emotionally distant father to the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, twelve-year-old Owen faces a lonely summer until he meets an abused girl who may be a space alien.

Flash Burnout - L.K. Madigan
Telephoto lens. Zoom. In a shutter release millisecond, Blake's world turns upside down. The nameless woman with the snake tattoo is not just another assignment. 'That's my mom!' gasps Marissa. Saturated self-portrait: Blake, nice guy, class clown, always trying to gget a laugh, not sure where to focus. Contrast. Shannon, Blake's GF. Total. Babe. Marissa, just a friend and fellow photographer. Shannon loves him; Marissa needs him. How is he supposed to frame them both in one shot?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

New YA Books

Diego: Bigger Than Life - Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
The life and work of the artist Diego Rivera is told through chronological poems that capture salient points in his life.

Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy - Leonard S. Marcus
Judy Blume -- Beverly Cleary -- Sharon Creech -- Christopher Paul Curtis -- Anne Fine -- Daniel Handler -- Carl Hiaasen -- Norton Juster -- Dick King-Smith -- Hilary McKay -- Daniel Pinkwater -- Louis Sachar -- Jon Scieszka

Bettina Valentino and the Picasso Club - Niki Daly
A controversial new teacher at Bayside Preparatory School introduces the exciting world of art to aspiring artist Bettina Valentino and her fifth-grade classmates, encouraging them to see everyday life in a different way.

Operation Yes - Sara Lewis Holmes
In her first ever teaching job, Miss Loupe uses improvisational acting exercises with her sixth-grade students at an Air Force base school, and when she experiences a family tragedy, her previously skeptical class members use what they have learned to help her, her brother, and other wounded soldiers.

New Social Studies Curriculum

From Answers in Genesis:

Ancient Civilizations and the Bible, Vol. 1 - student edition and teacher edition only

Ancient Civilizations and the Bible, vol. 2 - student edition and teacher edition only

New Picture Books

Let's Do Nothing! - Tony Fucile
Frankie and Sal have run out of things to do: "We've played every sport ever invented" and "baked enough cookies to feed a small country--" Then Sal hits upon a solution: "Let's do nothing!" How hard could that be?


Stick Man - Julia Donaldson
Stick Man ends up far away from his family tree when he is fetched by a dog, thrown by a child, used as a snowman's arm, and even put on a fire, but finally Santa Claus steps in to make sure that Stick Man and his family have a joyous Christmas.

Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types - Sharon Werner
Animals of all types show what they're made of - from A to Z.

The Gingerbread Pirates - Kristin Kladstrup
When Jim's gingerbread pirate, Captain Cookie, comes alive, the tasty treat prepares to battle Santa Claus, who likes to eat cookies on Christmas Eve.

Looking Like Me - Walter Dean Myers
Jeremy sets out to discover all of the different "people" that make him who he is, including brother, son, writer, and runner.

Dog Biscuit - Helen Cooper
A little girl eats a dog biscuit by mistake and worries about the consequences. Includes recipe for "human-being treats."

File Folder Games

Problem-Solving Math File Folder Games - correlated to state and national standards

Kindergarten
Includes six full-color file folder games for kindergarten: Addition with Missing Numbers, Number Patterns, Patterns (3 games), and Sorting and Classifying.

Grade 1
Includes six full-color file folder games for grade 1: Fact Families, Missing Operations, Number Patterns, Sorting, Shape Patterns, Missing Numbers.

Grade 2
Includes six full-color file folder games for grade 2: Balancing Equations, Number Patterns (2 games), Patterns, Picture Problems, and Using a T-Chart. 

Grade 3
Includes six full-color file folder games for grade 3: Arrays, Comparing Numbers, Missing Numbers, Number Patterns, Using a T-Chart, Using Operations.

New Games and Teaching Aids

10 Days in the USA
Players have ten "days" to tour the United States by airplane, car, and on foot, planning their courses using destination and transportation tiles. The first player to make connections for a ten-day journey wins the game. For 2-4 players, ages 10 and up. Average playing time is 20-30 minutes.

The Scrambled States 2
Includes 50 state cards, 1 die, and rules of play. For 2-5 players, ages 6 and up.

Magnetic Apple Fractions
Teaches fractions by means of a 10-piece set that makes four apples representing 1 whole, 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4. For ages 5 and up.

Word & Number Swatters
Set of four swatters of various sizes that can be used to highlight words or numbers on boards, pocket charts, or word walls.

Write-On/Wipe-Off Answer Boards
Contains 10 answer boards with removable handles. These can be used with dry- or wet-erase markers.

Step Right Up!: An Estimation Game
Board game featuring word problems that focus on estimating weight, measurement, probability, and money. For 2-4 players, ages 7 and up.

Arthur Saves the Planet
Based on Marc Brown's Arthur books, this game helps students discover ways to protect the environment. For 2-5 players, ages 6 and up. Playing time is approximately 40 minutes.

Letter Roll
Players race to list words containing the three letters shown on the dice. For 2-8 players, ages 8 and up. Average length of play is 20-30 minutes.

Monday, November 30, 2009

New Children's Books

Peep: A Little Book about Taking a Leap - Maria van Lieshout
Peep is afraid of jumping off the curb, but with a little encouragement from his mother and sisters, he finally gives it a try.

Snow White: A Three-Dimensional Fairy-Tale Theater - Jane Ray
Retells, in six dioramas with accompanying text, the tale of the beautiful princess whose lips were red as blood, skin was white as snow, and hair was black as ebony.

Princess Hyacinth: the Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated - Florence Parry Heide
Princess Hyacinth is bored and unhappy sitting in her palace every day because, unless she is weighed down by specially-made clothes, she will float away, but her days are made brighter when kite-flying Boy stops to say hello.