New YA Books

The Black Book of Secrets - F.E. Higgins
When Ludlow Fitch runs away from his thieving parents in the City, he meets up with the mysterious Joe Zabbidou, who calls himself a secret pawnbroker, and who takes Ludlow as an apprentice to record the confessions of the townspeople of Pagus Parvus, where resentments are many and trust is scarce.

Iron Thunder: The Battle Between the Monitor and the Merrimac - Avi
Tom's job as an assistant to Captain John Ericsson, the inventor of the Monitor, makes him a target of Confederate spies.

Igraine the Brave - Cornelia Funke
The daughter of two magicians, twelve-year-old Igraine wants nothing more than to be a knight, and when their castle is attacked by a treacherous neighbor bent on stealing their singing magic books, Igraine has an opportunity to demonstrate her bravery.

Cassandra's Sister: Growing Up Jane Austen - Veronica Bennett
A fictionalized biography of Jane Austen focusing on her early life growing up with her sister Cassandra in a large country parsonage family in southern England, and the experiences and people which may have inspired the plots and characters of her famous novels.

Who Was First? Discovering the Americas - Russell Freedman
Examines the evidence that indicates others may have traveled to the Americas before Columbus in 1492 including Viking ruins, Mayan stonework, and other mysterious objects found in New England that date before Columbus.

New Children's Bibles

The Jesus Storybook Bible - Sally Lloyd-Jones

Student Discovery Bible: A Journey Through God's Word

New DVDs

Bridge to Terabithia
Jesse Aarons is in the 5th grade and has trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. He becomes upset when new classmate Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and some other striking differences, the two become fast friends. Together, they create Terabithia where they rule as king and queen and is a land filled with monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants. This friendship helps Jesse cope with a tragedy that makes him realize what Leslie taught him. Based on the book by Katherine Paterson.

Roving Mars
Join the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, for an awe-inspiring journey to the surface of the mysterious red planet and discover what no human has ever seen or known before.

New Nonfiction Books

Library of Natural Disasters - World Book

Forces of Nature
Wildfires
Pandemics
Landslides, Mudslides, & Avalanches
Droughts
Blizzards
Tornadoes
Thunderstorms
Ice Storms
Heat Waves
Hurricanes, Typhoons, & Other Tropical Cyclones
Floods
Tsunamis & Seiches
Volcanoes
Earthquakes

New Reference Book

Across Cultures: A Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children - Kathy East and Rebecca L. Thomas
Identity, self-image, and learning -- Families, friends, and neighborhoods -- Traditions--food, art, poetry, music, and celebrations -- Traditions--folktales -- Exploring the past in diverse communities -- Knowing today's world -- Parent-child book discussion groups -- Literature circles

December 2007 CMC Newsletter

CMC 40th Anniversary

The second monthly drawing was held on November 12. The winner of November's prize of a $25 gift certificate to United Art and Education was Liz Hanna. Congratulations to Liz! There is still time to enter December's drawing for two picture books by Adam Rex.


Speaking of Adam Rex, this well-known children's author and illustrator will be speaking in the CMC on Tuesday, December 4, at 2:15. Anyone who is interested in attending is more than welcome to do so. There will be a reception immediately following. Adam describes himself on his website as "eight and a half feet of word-wranglin', picture-paintin' man. A mighty oak is his paintbrush". Come and hear what promises to be a lively presentation!

New Library Catalog Enhancement

The Centennial Library catalog has a new feature. By teaming with an outside vendor, the catalog now displays images of book covers. In addition to the book covers, patrons can read reviews of many of the books.

Websites of the Month

The Verizon Foundation has launched an online portal with links to over 50,000 educational resources, including standards-based, grade-specific, K-12 lesson plans, and other interactive activities. The website states that "Thinkfinity, the Verizon Foundation's signature digital learning platform (is) designed to improve educational and literacy achievement".

Adlit.org is a new website dedicated to adolescent literacy. Their website states "For years educators and policymakers have focused on how to teach young children to read and write well, but now the spotlight is turning to older students who struggle. AdLit.org offers research-based information and extensive resources to parents and educators — anyone interested in helping students in grades 4–12 become better readers and writers."

Subscribe to the Blog by Email

You can now receive the blog postings via email, rather than having to check the blog or subscribe through the RSS reeds. You will receive one email on any day that new content is added to the blog. Just enter your email address in the form to the right.

New Resources

During November, the CMC added a large number of new K-12 textbooks, in addition to many trade books and a number of new teaching aids. Click here to see the list of new materials for November.

Newsletter Archives for the 2007-2008 Academic Year

New Children's Christmas Books

Russell's Christmas Magic - Rob Scotton
Russell the sheep tries to help Santa fix his broken sleigh.

Great Joy - Kate DiCamillo
Just before Christmas, when Frances sees a sad-eyed organ grinder and his monkey performing near her apartment, she cannot stop thinking about them, wondering where they go at night, and wishing she could do something to help.

Olivia Helps with Christmas - Ian Falconer
As she impatiently waits for Santa's arrival, Olivia the pig tries to help with family preparations on the day before Christmas.

Toot & Puddle: Let It Snow - Holly Hobbie
Toot and Puddle celebrate Christmas and learn that the best kind of present for the best kind of friend is one that shows just how much you care.




Christmas Around the World: A Pop-Up Book - Chuck Fischer
A Christmas market in a snowy German village, an intimate French street lined with holiday lights, the crèche in St. Peter's Square in Rome, a phto tour of Christmas across America - all of this and more comes to life in fourteen pages of pop-ups, pullouts and booklets about celebrations around the world.


The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree - Jan & Mike Berenstain
Christmas is just around the corner, and everyone in the Bear family wants to help decorate the tree. Brother and Sister hang the wreath, Papa carries the tree, and even Honey Bear puts the start at the top.

New High/Low Books

From Cornerstone Classics:

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Captains Courageous - Rudyard Kipling
Rio, Here We Come! - Penn Mullin
Magic in the Andes - Penn Mullin
Amazon Adventure - Penn Mullin
Argentina Roundup - Penn Mullin
Storm Over Venezuela - Penn Mullin

New Children's Book

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity - Mo Willems
Her daddy in tow, Trixie hurries to school to show off her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny. But an awful surprise awaits her: someone else has the exact same bunny!

New Christian Education Resources

The Rhyme-Time Book of Christian Virtues - Michael Waite
Stories on sharing, fairness, lying, thankfulness, helpfulness, and other traits teach children Christian values in a fun, memorable way.

New Christian Education Resources

Through the Bible in a Year: 52 Lessons for Ages 8 to 12 - Bev Gunderson
This is a one-year Bible survey for children. Fifty-two reproducible lessons and activities teach the major events and themes of the Bible.

Growing Up in Christ: 52 New Testament Lessons for Ages 8-12




The Big Book of Kid Sermons and Object Talks

New DVDs

The Anansi Collection - books by Eric Kimmel
This is a collection of four popular African folktales about the master trickster, Anansi the spider: Anansi and the magic stick -- Anansi and the talking melon -- Anansi goes fishing -- Anansi and the moss-covered rock

The Holiday Collection
Three favorite holidays--Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving--are explored and celebrated in this joyous collection: Easter egg farm / by Mary Jane Auch -- Halloween / by Gail Gibbons -- Thanksgiving day / by Gail Gibbons

The Favorite Fables Collection
Three favorite fables are told using original art graphics: The gingerbread man / retold by Eric A. Kimmel ; ill. by Megan Lloyd -- Ouch! / retold by Natalie Babbitt ; ill. by Fred Marcellino -- Snow / Uri Shulevitz

Science Videos

Bill Nye the Science Guy videos:

Bones and Muscles
Cells
Genes
Life Cycles
Magnetism
Simple Machines
Water Cycle
Atoms
Animal Locomotion
Atmosphere

New Audiobook

Caps for Sale - Esphyr Slobodkina
A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.

New Audiobooks

Whistle for Willie - Ezra Jack Keats
A little boy wishes so much that he could whistle.


A Pocket for Corduroy - Don Freeman
A toy bear who wants a pocket for himself searches for one in a laundermat.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters - John Steptoe
Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife.

New Teaching Aids

Noah's Ark
Flannelgraph figures representing the story of Noah's Ark. For ages 3 and up.

How a Butterfly Grows puzzle
This 20-piece puzzle showing the life cycle of a butterfly consists of four layers demonstrating how a caterpillar grows into a butterfly. For ages 4 and up.

How a Frog Grows puzzle
This 20-piece puzzle showing the life cycle of a frog consists of four layers demonstrating how a tadpole grows into a frog. For ages 4 and up.

Africa and the Middle East puzzle
65 piece puzzle of Africa and the Middle East, with puzzle pieces shaped like the countries. For ages 4 and up.

Latin America puzzle
50 piece puzzle of Latin America, with puzzle pieces shaped like the countries. For ages 4 and up.

Rainbow Fraction Dominoes
Teaches fraction values of 1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/8, with multiple levels of play. For ages 6 and up.

New Puppets

From Folkmanis:

Mini Eagle Puppets
Set of four eagle finger puppets

November 2007 CMC Newsletter

CMC 40th Anniversary

The first monthly drawing was held on October 15. The winner of October's prize of a $25 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble was Nicole Normandeau. Congratulations to Nicole! There is still time to enter November's drawing for a $25 gift certificate to United Art and Education.

Well-known children's author and illustrator Jan Brett's latest book is The Three Snow Bears. She asked area bookstore Book & Co. to select five libraries to receive an autographed copy of the book. In recognition of the long relationship between Books & Co. and Cedarville University and in honor of the 40th anniversary of the CMC, Books & Co. selected the Centennial Library to receive one of the books. The Three Snow Bears is a re-telling of the story of Goldilocks and takes place in an Inuit village.

Website of the Month

If you are interested in the history and production of pop-up books, take a look at the website Pop-Up and Movable Books: A Tour Through Their History. The books highlighted on the website are part of the Weaver Collection at the University of North Texas, and cover the development of pop-up books from the 19th century to the present day. Click here for a list of the CMCs collection of pop-up, toy, and movable books.

Books into Movies

A lot of controversy has surrounded the upcoming release (December 7) of the movie The Golden Compass. The movie is based on the first book in a young adult trilogy by Philip Pullman called His Dark Materials. Pullman makes no secret of his atheism and the anti-religion themes of his books, and has been severely critical of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. At the end of the series, Pullman's main characters, two children, defeat and kill a senile God. Thanks to Ruth Hess for the link to this website that discusses the background of the controversy.

New Resources

During October, the CMC added a large number of new K-12 textbooks, in addition to many trade books and a number of new teaching aids. See the complete list of the 159 new items during October.

Newsletter Archives for the 2007-2008 Academic Year

New Teaching Aid

Food Pyramid Pocket Chart and Card Set
This hanging chart shows current USDA nutritional guidelines, with brightly colored sections representing each of the 6 food groups. Clear card pockets sewn into rugged, coated nylon disply the 95 Nutrition Pocket Chart Cards (included). An additional clear pocket stores cards. Includes suggested activities. For ages 3-10

New Graphic Format Book

The Arrival - Shaun Tan
In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.