New Children's Books

Dinotrux - Chris Gall
Millions of years ago, the prehistoric ancestors of today's trucks, such as garbageadon, dozeratops, and craneosaurus, roamed the Earth until they rusted out and became extinct.

The Lion's Share - Matthew McElligott
Ant is honored to receive an invitation to lion's annual dinner party, but is shocked when the other guests behave rudely and then accuse her of thinking only of herself.

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk - Deborah Ruddell
An illustrated collection of whimsical poems about life in the forest through the seasons.

You Are the First Kid on Mars - Patrick O'Brien
As we look back to the beginnings of the space race, 2009 is also the year for looking forward to humankind's next step toward the stars. In the spirit of books that once imagined colonies on the moon, Patrick O'Brien has created a unique look at your first trip to Mars.

Boo to You! - Lois Ehlert
When the neighborhood cat tries to crash the mice's harvest party, the mice have a plan to scare the intruder away.

Going, Going, Gone! and Other Silly Dilly Sports Songs - Alan Katz
Provides new, sports-themed lyrics to well-known songs, including "On Top of the Bleachers" and "When Jimmy Gets in the Batter's Box."

Sneaky Weasel - Hannah Shaw
Although he's had a lot of fun doing sneaky and devilish things to all his friends for his own amusement, Sneaky Weasel learns a hard lesson about friendship and respect when he throws a party for himself and no one shows up.

Raining Cats and Dogs - Will Moses
For anyone who's ever wondered how a groom can get cold feet when he's wearing shoes and socks, or how a person can be in a pickle when pickles are so small, or how butterflies could possibly get into your stomach, Will Moses has the answers. Using his trademark folkart style along with plenty of mischief and humor, Will Moses sheds some light on these often puzzling phrases, educating young readers while entertaining them in high style.

Pastry School in Paris: An Adventure in Capacity - Cindy Neuschwander
Twins Bibi and Matt learn about different liquid measurements when they go to Les Jumelles Coccinelle International Pastry Academy while on a trip to Paris with their parents and dog.




Pippo the Fool - Tracey E. Fern
In fifteenth-century Florence, Italy, a contest is held to design a magnificent dome for the town's cathedral, but when Pippo the Fool claims he will win the contest, everyone laughs at him. Based on a true story.

Ducks Don't Wear Socks - John Nedwidek
Emily, a serious girl, meets a duck who helps her see the more humorous side of life.

Red Sings from Treetops - Joyce Sidman
The names of colors are woven into unrhymed poems that celebrate the seasons.

New Children's Nonfiction Books

The series Community Connections: How Did That Get to My House?

Music
Explains what music is, describes the process by which a song is written and recorded, and looks at some of the ways in which music can be heard at home.

Television
What makes television work? -- How do TV signals get into my house? -- How does cable TV get into my house? -- How does satellite TV get into my house? -- Digital TV -- Internet TV

Electricity
What is electricity? -- Making electricity -- Moving the electricity

Natural Gas
What is natural gas? -- Finding and cleaning natural gas -- Moving natural gas

Telephone
What is a telephone? -- Landline telephones -- Cell phones

Water
What is water? -- Capturing and storing water -- Cleaning and moving water

Mail
It's pick-up time! -- Sorting all that mail -- You have mail! -- Glossary -- Find out more

Internet
The Internet -- How does the Internet get into my house? -- The Internet is a network -- Dial-up access -- The broadband revolution -- Digital subscriber line (DSL) -- Wireless access -- Keep safe -- Glossary

New Children's Books

By Robert Munsch:

The Dark
When Jule Ann unwittingly releases The Dark from a cookie jar, she must do some quick thinking to prevent it from gobbling up every shadow in sight and growing bigger.

Something Good
Tyya's dad won't buy anything good at the store - no ice cream, no candy, no cookies. But when the saleslady puts a price sticker on Tyya's nose, Daddy is finally forced to buy something good.

Thomas' Snowsuit
His mother, teacher, and principal have a hard time trying to convince Thomas to wear his snowsuit.

Mud Puddle
If Jule Ann sits under a tree or in a sandbox, or even wears a raincoat on a sunny day, the mud puddle will follow her and make her dirty, until one day she battles the persistent puddle with two bars of soap, chasing it away forever.

Down the Drain
Adam gets dirty but doesn't want to take a bath. His dad throws him in the tub and turns on the water. Then he's interrrupted by phone calls. When he finally returns to the bathroom it is full of water.

50 Below Zero
Jason's dad tends to walk in his sleep and ends up in the most unlikely places. On one especially cold night it falls to Jason to find his father and keep him safe.






Berenstain Bear books:

The Berenstain Bears and the Sitter
Brother and Sister Bear are not happy with the idea of Mrs. Grizzle for a baby-sitter, but they find her drawstring bag very intriguing.

The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Influence
Sister Bear and her new friend, Miranda, make a lot of bad decisions--riding down Dead Bear's Hill, eating Ben's apples, running through Mizz McGrizz's tulips. When Mama Bear finds out about these things, she wants Sister to stop playing with their new neighbor. But is it really all Miranda's fault?

Bears in the Night
Seven bears sneak out of bed, through the window, and across the dark countryside to investigate the source of a noise.







Jon Scieszka books:

The Frog Prince Continued
After the frog turns into a prince, he and the Princess do not live happily ever after and the Prince decides to look for a witch to help him remedy the situation. The Frog Prince, now a nice young man, and his nagging wife go their separate ways. He encounters witches from other fairy tales, and tires of his adventures, returning home for yet another happy ending with his Princess. To appreciate this send-up, children should have at least a passing acquaintance with the original. It will make them feel like insiders in the land of fractured stories.

Baloney (Henry P.)
A transmission received from outer space in a combination of different Earth languages tells of an alien schoolboy's fantastic excuse for being late to school again.

Melvin Might?
Melvin, a cautious cement mixer, worries that he cannot keep up with the other trucks, but when Rita needs help, he overcomes his fear in order to help her.

New Graphic Novels

The Eternal Smile - Gene Luen Yang
Meet Duncan. Charming and brave, he's the Princess's favorite-- and he's on his way to winning the throne. But lately, the walls of reality in Duncan's kingdom are wearing a little thin-- -- Meet Gran'pa Greenbax. Nothing seems to satisfy this greedy old frog's longing for a pool full of gold-- until, one day, a mysterious smile appears in the sky. Has his chance at happiness come at last? -- Meet Janet. Her nine-to-five life takes a turn for the romantic when she learns in an email from a mysterious Nigerian prince that she has been chosen to liberate his family's vast fortune. All he needs is her banking information. In three very different stories, master storytellers Gene Yang and Derek Kirk Kim pit fantasy against reality, for good or for ill.

Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood - Tony Lee
In the depths of the forest, Robin raises an army to challenge the evil Sheriff. Wearing a dark hood for disguise and with his unparalleled gift for the bow, Robin quickly becomes an outlaw, fighting the forces of evil for the good of the poor.

New YA Books

Al Capone Shines My Shoes - Gennifer Choldenko
Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when he discovers that noted gangster Al Capone, a prisoner there, wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose.

A Season of Gifts - Richard Peck
Relates the surprising gifts bestowed on twelve-year-old Bob Barnhart and his family, who have recently moved to a small Illinois town in 1958, by their larger-than-life neighbor, Mrs. Dowdel.

Sent - Margaret Peterson Haddix
Jonah, Katherine, Chip, and Alex suddenly find themselves in 1483 at the Tower of London, where they discover that Chip and Alex are Prince Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, imprisoned by their uncle, King Richard III, but trying to repair history without knowing what is supposed to happen proves challenging. Author's note includes historical facts about the princes and king.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lin
Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.

The Magician's Elephant - Kate DiCamillo
When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace one day and she tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her.

The Eyeball Collector - F.E. Higgins
Although Hector Fitzbaudly has always lived a plush life on the posh side of the River Foedus, he's yearned to slip away from his comfortable home and see the seedy side of Urbs Umida. Unfortunately, he gets his chance when a blackmail artist confronts his father with a terrible secret from his past, and Hector finds himself penniless and on the streets. He is determined to get his revenge against the man responsible, who has been a pauper, a gentleman, and an Eyeball Collector--stealing jewels from the wealthy to make false eyes to replace his missing one. He is a master of disguise, and a swindler who moves from place to place. Hector trails the Eyeball Collector to the small village of Pagus Parvus and the foreboding Withypitts Hall, run by the eccentric Lady Mandible who has a strange taste for the macabre. He takes a job incubating butterflies for Lady Mandible, and places himself in the perfect position to take revenge. Hector is so close to the Eyeball Collector, but will he be able to go through with his plan?

The Orange Houses - Paul Griffin
Tamika, a fifteen-year-old hearing-impaired girl, Jimmi, an eighteen-year-old veteran who stopped taking his antipsychotic medication, and sixteen-year-old Fatima, an illegal immigrant from Africa, meet and connect in their Bronx, New York, neighborhood, with devastating results.

A Map of the Known World - Lisa Ann Sandell
Devastated, along with her parents, by the death of her older brother and apprehensive about being a freshman in the same high school he attended, fourteen-year-old Cora finds unexpected solace in art.

Cold Skin - Steven Herrick
In a rural Australian coal mining town shortly after World War II, teenaged Eddie makes a startling discovery when he investigates the murder of a local high school girl.

New Children's Books

Lights Out, Night's Out - William Boniface
A whole other world begins to wake as you prepare for bed. Spiders spin their silky webs; bats do ballets in the sky. The nighttime landscape comes alive through AniMotion technology.






Little Mouse Gets Ready - Jeff Smith
Little Mouse gets dressed to go to the barn with his mother, brothers, and sisters.




Sleepy Time Blessings - Sally Anne Conan
Rhyming text assures that God and the angels are watching over and blessing baby throughout the night.

New Award Books

Bubble Trouble - Margaret Mahy
Mabel blows a bubble that captures Baby and wafts him away, resulting in a wild chase that involves the whole neighborhood.

Harris Finds His Feet - Catherine Rayner
Harris, a very small hare with very big feet, has an elderly Grandad who teaches him the many uses of big, strong feet and other important life lessons.

New Professional Resource

The Power of Picture Books: Using Content Area Literature in Middle School - Mary Jo Fresch
Provides synopses of 50 picture books along with discipline-specific and cross-curricular activities that illustrate how picture books can be used to supplement traditional textbooks. Offers title suggestions that create a text set of supporting resources.

Christian Education Activity and Idea Book

Games, Games, More Games: 101 Great Ideas for Youth Clubs - Tirzah L. Jones
Covers wide range of activities, including five-minute fillers, indoor and outdoor activities, thinking games, etc., divided into activities for ages 4-7 years, 8-11 year olds, and 12+ year olds.

New Reference Books

Educators Guide to Free Videos: Elementary/Middle School Edition
Presents 1,029 free-to-keep and free-loan videotapes and DVDs specially selected for viewing by preK-8 students.









Educators Guide to Free Multicultural Materials
Includes 931 free films, videotapes, web sites, and printed materials.










Middle School Teachers Guide to Free Curriculum Materials
Free materials selected for their suitability for use especially in the middle grades. Features 976 free printed materials maps, teacher's guides, books and booklets, leaflets, charts, articles, etc.

New Nonfiction Books

Power Up!: Coal - Robert Green
Offers students an introduction to coal, focusing on how it is used for energy, what can be done to conserve it, how it is mined, and other related topics.

Power Up!: Waste to Energy - Robert Green
Explores how old newspapers, food containers, and trash can be used to create electrical energy; describes nonrenewable forms of energy, how electrical power plants work, and tips on recycling.

New Children's Books

Panda & Polar Bear - Matthew J. Baek
Curious to know what lies beyond his wintry world, a polar bear goes exploring, falls into a mud puddle, and is mistaken for a panda by a new playmate.

Cat Burglar Black - Richard Sala
K.'s aunt, who works at the Bellsong Academy for Girls, has invited K. to attend the school. But as soon as she arrives, K. notices some strange goings-on: her aunt has suddenly taken ill; there are only three other students and no regular classes; and a statue speaks to K. when no one else is around.

September 2009 Newsletter

New Christian Education Resources Database

On April 9, a new database went online that helps users locate Christian education resources housed in the Centennial Library’s Curriculum Materials Center. There are over 700 items in the Christian Education Resources Database, which focuses on such resources as children's and youth Bibles, activity and idea books, Christian children's books, children's devotional books, and much more. Users may limit their searches to eleven specific publishers if desired. All new Christian education resources will be added to the database as they arrive in the CMC. Thanks go to Eric Svendsen and Kyle Linden of Computer Services for their work on this project.

Visiting Author

At 3:00 PM on Tuesday, September 22, children's and young adult author Elizabeth Cody Kimmel will visit Cedarville University. She will be speaking in the CMC, and there will be a reception following her presentation. Everyone is welcome to attend this event. Click here for a list of her books owned by the CMC.








New Materials

Many new materials were added to the CMC collection over the summer. Here's a list of the 65 books, teaching aids, and videos added just in the month of August.

Websites of the Month

Copyright law and how it affects classroom teachers can be very confusing! The Center for Social Media at the American University has developed "The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education" which contains much useful, easy-to-understand information on this important topic. Thanks go to Dr. Gruber for sharing this valuable resource.

The Glencoe Literature Library offers a collection of study guides in PDF format for a number of (mostly classic) young adult novels, including such titles as Bridge to Terabithia, Across Five Aprils, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Hatchet, and many, many more. Thanks go to Linda Divan, Centennial Library Systems Coordinator, for finding this resource.

New Children's Books

My Penguin Osbert in Love - Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
When Osbert the penguin shows up on his doorstep with several friends along with an invitation to Aurora Australis' party at the South Pole, the boy decides to transport them there in the helicopter he received this year for Christmas.

The McElderry Book of Aesop's Fables - Michael Morpurgo
Retellings of twenty-one classic Aesop fables, including "The Hare and the Tortoise" and "Belling the Cat," in updated language.

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales - Lucy Cousins
A retelling of the author's eight favorite fairy tales: Little Red Riding Hood -- The three billy goats gruff -- The normous turnip -- Henny Penny -- Goldilocks and the three bears -- The little red hen -- The three little pigs -- The musicians of Bremen