New Teaching Aids

Algebra Tiles Classroom Kit
Kit contains 30 Algebra Tile Students Sets, each of which includes a 35-piece, two-color set of Algebra Tiles; a 70-piece overhead set of Algebra Tiles; and an instructional booklet. Grade 8 and up.

Blink: The World's Fastest Game!
A fast-paced card game in which players race to be the first to play all of their cards as they try to match the shape, count, or color on their cards. For 2 players. Grade 2 and up.

Calculators
Set of 25 DG560 calculators. Each 56-function calculator has a 10-digit display; statistic and memory capability; safeguarded memory; decimal, hexadecimal, binar and octal calculation; and auomatic shut-off. Instruction manual included. Comes with a protective cover.

Order of Operations Flash Cards: Pre-Algebra
Use to practice order of operations - an important pre-algebra skill. Includes 100 flash cards. Excellent for classroom review and individual practice. Grade 5 and up.


Stopwatch Set
Set of 6 Ultrak 310 timers, one each of blue, purple, red, green, orange, and yellow, with landyards.  Features start, stop and reset.

New DVDs

Chinese New Year

Shows the sights and sounds of a traditional Chinese New Year celebration.


Christmas Around the World
Shows the customs, foods, songs, and stories with which people around the world celebrate Christmas.

George Washington
"From military scout, to colonial farmer, to General, to President of the United States, George Washington set the standard for what it means to be an American. In George Washington, kids will examine the life of the man whose leadership helped transform 13 colonies into a brilliant new country. From leading the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War to helping to shape the young nation, kids will get an up-close look at the man whom many refer to as the 'Father of Our Country'"--Container

Hanukkah/Passover
Two Jewish celebrations--Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, and Passover, a holiday celebrating freedom and renewal--are presented to children through illustrated stories, puppets, and songs. At a Hanukkah celebration, youngsters learn about the miracle of the Menorah as they light candles, play games, and sing songs to commemorate the holiday. As part of an introduction to Passover and the traditional Seder meal, a group of children visit a matzo bakery where they mix, squish, roll and flatten dough to create their own matzo.

Heroes of Freedom: The Stores of Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks
A look at the life and times of two remarkable women, and how their childhood experiences helped shape their strong feelings to fight inequality and discrimination. Go back to 1830 and the cotton fields of a southern plantation. Experience what life was like for an enslaved person. Then go to 1955 and a bus stop in Montgomery, Alabama where the unfairness of segregation led to the beginning of reform.

The Hunger Games
Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television. Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.


March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World...and more stories about African American HistoryChildren will learn and celebrate African-American history through this animated collection of stories based on popular children's books. In the lead story written by Martin Luther King Jr.'s sister, Christine King Farris, she recalls the day she heard him deliver his "I have a dream" speech. Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport introduces the ideas and accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr. using some of his own words. Rosa, by Nikki Giovanni, recalls Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Henry's Freedom Box: a True Story From the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine tells of a slave who mailed himself to freedom.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Kids will take an in-depth look at the life of this civil rights leader and learn about his commitment to nonviolence in the pursuit of social change. From his days as a minister in Alabama to his role in the battle for equal rights, discover how Americans responded to the actions and words of the most influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement." --Container

The Night Before Christmas...and More Classic Holiday Tales
A compilation of seven stories that celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa: The Night before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore, - In the month of Kislev by Nina Jaffe, -- Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney, -- Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto, -- Max's Christmas by Rosemary Wells -- Morris's Disappearing Bag by Rosemary Wells -- The Little Drummer Boy by Katherine Davis, Henry Oronati and Harry Simeone.

The Polar Express
When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.


Presidents Day
Students find out how Presidents Day is celebrated today and learn about the history of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Through stories, songs and crafts, students learn more about how the president is elected, his or her responsibilities, and the nation's most famous home, the White House.
   
The Story of Ruby Bridges
Harvard professor Robert Coles recounts the story of six-year-old Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to desegregate the all-white William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans in the 1960s.

Tale of Despereaux
Once upon a time in the far away kingdom of Dor lived a brave and virtuous mouse with comically oversized ears who dreamt of becoming a knight. Banished from his home for having such lofty ambitions, Despereaux sets off on an amazing adventure with his good-hearted rat friend Roscuro. The two go on a very noble quest to rescue an endangered princess and save an entire kingdom from darkness.


The Wright Brothers
Animated biography of the Wright brothers, two men who ignored all those who said it couldn't be done and became the first to manage powered flight.

New Picture Books

Santa from Cincinnati - Judi Barrett
A baby in Cincinnati whose first words are "ho ho ho" grows up to become Santa Claus.

Nightsong - Ari Berk
Chiro, a young bat, is nervous about flying into the world for the first time without his mother, especially on a very dark night, but he soon learns to rely on his "song" to find his way and stay safe.

Who Built the Stable? - Ashley Bryan
A shepherd boy apprenticed to his carpenter father builds a stable and then welcomes two weary travelers from Nazareth.


Seed by Seed - Esme Raji Codell
Recounts the life of John Chapman, the legendary Johnny Appleseed.


All the Awake Animals are Almost Asleep - Crescent Dragonwagon
Illustrations and rhyming text portray an alphabet of animals as they prepare to go to sleep.


The Ant and the Grasshopper - Rebecca Emberley
In this version of the classic fable, a weary ant is energized by the swinging sounds of a grasshopper and his "buggy" band.


Noah Webster and His Words - Jeri Chase Ferris
A portrait of the man who wrote the first U.S. dictionary traces his youth as a bookish Connecticut farm boy and his twenty-year effort to write the all-American dictionary that was published in 1828 when he was seventy years old.


Boot & Shoe - Marla Frazee
Boot and Shoe are dogs that live in the same house, eat from the same bowl, and sleep in the same bed but spend their days on separate porches until a squirrel mixes things up.


What's the Time, Mr. Wolf? - Debi Gliori
Mr. Wolf has a busy day. Starting his daily routine at seven o'clock, his schedule is packed from breakfast to bedtime. At nine o'clock the mail arrives, and he goes shopping at noon. Four o'clock is naptime, and surprise!...At six o'clock there is a big party in Mr. Wolf 's honor. Special guests include Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs, the Cat and the Fiddle and many more characters readers are sure to recognize. Huffing and puffing new life into favorite nursery rhymes, this charming story introduces telling time while showing readers that the Mr. Wolf isn't so big or bad after all. --From the publisher


I Have a Dream - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
An illustrated edition of Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech. Includes a CD with official recording of the speech.

Cold Snap - Eileen Spinelli
A cold snap has everyone in the town of Toby Mills feeling down, until the mayor's wife thinks of a way to warm things up again.

Mousterpiece: A Mouse-Sized Guide to Modern Art - Jane Breskin Zalben
Janson the mouse, who lives in a museum, becomes an acclaimed artist by copying the styles of paintings she sees there. Includes notes about the artists and works featured.

New Middle Grade & YA Titles

Middle Grade Fiction

Chickadee - Louise Erdrich
In 1866, Omakayas's son Chickadee is kidnapped by two ne'er-do-well brothers from his own tribe and must make a daring escape, forge unlikely friendships, and set out on an exciting and dangerous journey to get back home.

Liar & Spy - Rebecca Stead
Seventh-grader Georges adjusts to moving from a house to an apartment, his father's efforts to start a new business, his mother's extra shifts as a nurse, being picked on at school, and Safer, a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their building.

YA Nonfiction

Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team That Changed a Town - Warren St. John
American-educated Jordanian Luma Mufleh founds a youth soccer team comprised of children from Liberia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkan states, and elsewhere in the refugee settlement town of Clarkston, Georgia, bringing the children together to discover their common bonds as they adjust to life in a new homeland.

The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - Catherine Reef
The Brontë sisters are among the most beloved writers of all time, best known for their classic nineteenth-century novels Jane Eyre (Charlotte), Wuthering Heights (Emily), and Agnes Grey (Anne). In this sometimes heartbreaking young adult biography, Catherine Reef explores the turbulent lives of these literary siblings and the oppressive times in which they lived. Brontë fans will also revel in the insights into their favorite novels, the plethora of poetry, and the outstanding collection of more than sixty black-and-white archival images. --From the publisher

 

New Poetry & Nonfiction

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs that Squeak, Soar, and Roar! - edited by J. Patrick Lewis - Combines photography with lyrical text celebrating the animal world, in a compilation that includes works by such poets as Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and Rudyard Kipling.

The Giant and How He Humbugged America - Jim Murphy

A description of the Cardiff Giant mystery in which a man in upstate New York buried a ten-foot-tall, petrified model of a man, which was discovered by well diggers a year later, and set into motion a money-making spectacle.

Where Do President's Come From?: And Other Presidential Stuff of Super Great Importance - Michael Townsend
Shares wacky and engaging facts about many of our nation's leaders. Traces the history and powers of the presidency, and offers insight into the job's daily routines, benefits, and challenges.

New Fiction

Elementary and Middle Grade Fiction

 

Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution - Avi - In 1776, after witnessing the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, newly occupied by the British army, young Sophia Calderwood resolves to do all she can to help the American cause, including becoming a spy.

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls - Claire Legrand - Practically-perfect twelve-year-old Victoria Wright must lie, sneak, and break the rules when her investigation of the disappearance of her best--and only--friend, Lawrence, reveals dark secrets about her town and the orphanage run by the reclusive Mrs. Cavendish.

"Who Could That Be at This Hour?" - Lemony Snicket - Thirteen-year-old Lemony Snicket begins his apprenticeship with S. Theodora Markson of the secretive V.F.D. in the tiny dot of a town called Stain'd By The Sea, where he helps investigate the theft of a statue.

The Fire Chronicle - John Stephens - "In the second book in the Books of Beginning Trilogy, Michael and Emma must track down the Chronicle of Life, while Kate must find a way back to present day from the year 1899."-- Provided by publisher

YA Fiction

 

Tiger Lily - Jodi Lynn Anderson - Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily receives special protections from the spiritual forces of Neverland, but then she meets her tribe's most dangerous enemy--Peter Pan--and falls in love with him

FitzOsbornes at War - Michelle Cooper

"In this third installment to the Montmaray Journals, Sophie and her family come together to support the war effort during World War II, meanwhile fighting to protect their beloved Montmaray"-- Provided by publisher

Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen - Richard Paul Evans

Fifteen-year-old Michael Vey, born with Tourette's syndrome and special electromagnetic powers, joins his techno-genius best friend and an alliance of other "electric" teenagers to battle powerful foes in the jungles of Peru, where Michael learns the Order of Elgen's plan to "restructure" the world.

Son - Lois Lowry - A companion book to The Giver, Gathering Blue and Messenger. Unlike the other Birthmothers in her utopian community, teenaged Claire forms an attachment to her baby, feeling a great loss when he is taken to the Nurturing Center to be adopted by a family unit.
 
Dodger - Terry Pratchett - "In an alternative version of Victorian London, a seventeen-year-old Dodger, a cunning and cheeky street urchin, unexpectedly rises in life when he saves a mysterious girl, meets Charles Dickens, and unintentionally puts a stop to the murders of Sweeny Todd."-- Provided by publisher

New Picture Books

Christmas Wombat - Jackie French

"Christmas from a wombat's point of view, including competition for the carrots children have left out for Santa's reindeer, and guess who gets stuck in the chimney?"-- Provided by publisher

Archie - Domenica More Gordon
Archie, a fashion-loving dog with a faithful pet of his own, leads a quiet life until he gets a sewing machine and begins creating canine couture that captures attention all over town, even from a queen and her two royal corgis.


 Cat Tale - Michael Hall - These inquisitive cats set out to spend the afternoon snacking and reading, but wind up chasing words, including homophones and homonyms, on a silly tongue twister of an adventure!


This is Not My Hat - Jon Klassen
A tiny minnow wearing a pale blue bowler hat has a thing or two up his fins in this underwater light-on-dark chase scene.


Penguin's Hidden Talent - Alex Latimer
Penguin helps organize the annual talent show because he cannot identify his own gift, but when the show is over and the performers throw a party to show how much they appreciate Penguin's work, his aptitude becomes clear.



Sleep Like a Tiger - Mary Logue
At bedtime a young girl asks, "Does everything in the world go to sleep?"


Too Tall Houses - Gianna Marino
Owl and Rabbit are good friends and neighbors atop a hill, but when Rabbit's garden blocks Owl's view of the forest Owl builds a higher house, which prevents sunlight from reaching Rabbit's plants.


Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! - Wynton Marsalis  - "Takes readers (and listeners) on a rollicking, clanging, clapping tour through the many sounds that fill a neighborhood"-- Provided by publisher

Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller - Doreen Rappaport - An introduction to the life and legacy of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan.



Because Amelia Smiled - David Ezra Stein
A little girl's smile as she skips down the street in New York inspires a neighbor to send cookies to her grandson in Mexico, and the goodwill soon spreads around the world.

The Quiet Place - Sarah Stewart - A little girl moves to the United States from Mexico with her family and writes letters to her aunt in Mexico about her new life.


Let's Go for a Drive! - Mo Willems
Elephant Gerald and Piggie want to go for a drive, but as Gerald thinks of one thing after another that they will have to take along, they come to realize that they lack the most important thing of all.

Each Kindness - Jacqueline Woodson
When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya's shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.