New YA Nonfiction Books

From the series Introducing Issues with Opposing Viewpoints:

The U.S Government
A collection of seventeen controversial essays that debate issues concerning the U.S. Government including religion in political decisions, government bureaucracy, judicial and executive powers, and the effectiveness of lobbyists.

Bullying
A collection of essays offering parents an overview of bullying, discussing what causes bullying, how they can stop bullying, and what measures schools and parents can take to prevent children from becoming a bully or falling victim to one.

Homosexuality
Contains eighteen articles that provide opposing viewpoints on issues related to homosexuality, discussing whether homosexuality is a moral issue, the rights of gay people, and gay marriage.

Painting the Wild Frontier: The Art and Adventures of George Catlin - Susanna Reich
Generously illustrated with archival prints and photos of Catlin's own paintings, this accessible biography of one of America's best-known painters weaves a well-researched history with stories of Catlin's travels and adventures.

What the World Eats - Faith D'Aluisio
A photographic collection exploring what the world eats featuring portraits of twenty-five families from twenty-one countries surrounded by a week's worth of food.

New Children's Nonfiction Books

Working with Fractions - David A. Adler
Shows how to calculate and use simple fractions, presenting examples involving everyday activities such as counting money, playing games, and splitting up a pizza.

How We Know What We Know about Climate Change - Lynne Cherry
This volume describes where scientists look to find evidence of climate change--from changes in bird migration patterns and fruit blossom dates, to obtaining tree rings and mud cores--and especially how students and other citizen-scientists are assisting to monitor climate change, as well as what can be done to mitigate global warming.

Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa - Jeanette Winter
This true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is a shining example of how one woman's passion, vision, and determination inspired great change.

We the People: The Story of Our Constitution - Lynne Cheney
In May 1787 delegates from across the country--including George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin--gathered in Philadelphia and, meeting over the course of a sweltering summer, created a new framework for governing: the Constitution of the United States.

First Spanish Words - David Melling
Contains illustrations of locations children might encounter in the course of a typical day at home, school, and play, with over four hundred words labeled in Spanish and includes English translations in the margins as well as supplemental reference materials.

The American Revolution for Kids: a History with 21 Activities - Janis Herbert
Discusses the events of the American Revolution, from the hated Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party to the British surrender at Yorktown and the writing of the Constitution. Activities include making a tricorn hat and discovering local history.

New Children's Books in French

Minutka: The Bilingual Dog - Anna Mycek-Wodecki
Have fun with Minutka, the adorable bilingual dog! Minutka show us how she likes being in a family, playing around the house and with friends, and being bilingual - she is fluent in French and in English. She even dreams in two languages!

Ten Frogs/Dix Grenouilles - Quentin Blake
Counting book with English and French text.

New Children's Books

Turtle's Penguin Day - Valeri Gorbachev
After hearing a bedtime story about penguins, Turtle dresses as a penguin for school and soon the entire class is having a penguin day.

Miracles of the Bible - Josh Hanft
Retelling of Bible stories including Moses, Jonah, Sarah, Daniel and others on fold-out pages.


Humpty-Dumpty Climbs Again - Dave Horowitz
Humpty Dumpty has not climbed a single wall since his great fall, despite the urging of friends and teasing of others, but when one of the king's horses is stuck he finds the courage--and the proper climbing equipment--to help out.

South - Patrick McDonnell
Mooch the cat helps a lonely bird find its flock, which has flown south for the winter.

Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia - Ted and Betsy Lewin
Ted and Betsy Lewin describe the landscapes, people, and activities they encounter during a trip to Mongolia for Naadam, the annual summer festival where child jockeys ride half-wild horses for miles across the Mongolian steppe.

How to Heal a Broken Wing - Bob Graham
When Will finds a bird with a broken wing, he takes it home and cares for it, hoping in time it will be able to return to the sky.

The Day Leo Said I Hate You - Robie H. Harris
Leo, upset that he has been hearing the word "no" all day, lets three words slip out that he wishes he could take back.

The Best Vacation Ever - Stuart J. Murphy
A young girl uses data-collecting and problem-solving skills to determine where her family should go for a vacation.

Ghosts in the House! - Kazuno Kohara
Tired of living in a haunted house, a young witch captures, washes, and turns her pesky ghosts into curtains and a tablecloth.

Runny Babbit - Shel Silverstein
Runny Babbit lent to wunch And heard the saitress way, "We have some lovely stabbit rew -- Our Special for today." From the legendary creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and The Giving Tree comes an unforgettable new character in children's literature. Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own. So if you say, "Let's bead a rook That's billy as can se," You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk, Just like mim and he.

The Grasshopper's Song: An Aesop's Fable Revisited - Nikki Giovanni
Angry that his singing is unappreciated by the Ants who relied on his music to make their summer work easier, Jimmy Grasshopper decides to sue them for lacking respect and not acknowledging his usefulness in their lives.

Hansel and Gretel - Michael Morpurgo
When they are left in the woods by their parents, Hansel and Gretel find their way home despite an encounter with a wicked witch.

Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails: Patterns and Shapes - Naturally! - Betsy Franco
Rhyming text and illustrations depict the science and geometrical patterns of various animals, such as starfish, peacocks, diamondback snakes, and spiders.

Pippi Longstocking - Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Lauren Child
Escapades of a lucky little girl who lives with a horse and a monkey--but without any parents--at the edge of a Swedish village.

New Books by Visiting Author, Will Hillenbrand

The Moon Might be Milk - Lisa Shulman, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
A young girl asks her animal friends what they think the moon is made of, and her grandmother proves that each theory is partly correct. Includes recipe.

Down by the Station - Will Hillenbrand
In this version of a familiar song, baby animals ride to the children's zoo on the zoo train. Printed music on last page.

Calendar - Myra Cohn Linvingston, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
And so begins a new year full of sights, sounds, and feelings. From January through December, the months of the year are celebrated in a book that is a treat for all seasons.

My Book Box - Will Hillenbrand
A determined elephant creates his own book box and discovers all the magic and fun of books and reading.

Whopper Cake - Karma Wilson, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Grandad bakes Grandma a whopper of a birthday cake. Includes recipe and directions for chocolate cake.

Smash! Mash! Crash! There Goes the Trash - Barbara Odanaka, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Presents a rhyming imitation of all the sights and sounds of the neighborhood on trash day.

New Professional Resources

Motivating Readers in the Middle Grades - Joan Collins
Inspire your middle school readers with these awesome reading motivation programs and proven book recommendations!

Dr. Seuss: Across the Curriculum with Favorite Authors - Joan Carrotello
Provided in this resource are sample lesson plans, the author's picture and biography, book summaries, activities related to the author's books, culminating activities, and an extensive bibliography.

Using Picture Books in Middle School - Kim Christie
Picture books can be used with middle school students to teach a variety of concepts across the curriculum. The graphic organizers and other resources in this book will help you use picture books to introduce new concepts in a non-threatening environment, teach difficult topics, and assess students' understanding of concepts.

New Science Activity Books

Standards-Based Science Investigations
Lessons cover life, earth, and physical sciences. Included are science inquiry worksheets, an inquiry assessment rubric, and alignment to standards.

For Grade 3, sample activities include hydroponic gardening, examining seashells, identifying constellations, making a cloud, observing evaporation, creating static electricity, making helicopters, and flying planes.

For Grade 4, sample activities include observing phototropism, investigating pill bugs, testing hardness of rocks, recording temperatures, working with switches and circuits, floating and sinking boats, and working with light and rainbows.

For Grade 5, sample activities include working with animal family trees, examining a goldfish, hearing heartbeats, comparing fingerprints, creating wind vanes, classifying clouds, testing acids and bases, examining X-rays, using prisms, making a periscope, and bouncing sound.

For Grade 6, sample activities include recognizing biomes, distinguishing nekton and benthos, observing transpiration, reading with Braille, building tectonic plates, making fossil prints, examining rocks, measuring solar system distances, charting the phases of the moon, and working with kinetic energy.

November 2008 Newsletter

Visiting Author

The CMC will be hosting a visit by author/illustrator Will Hillenbrand on Thursday, November 13, at 3:00 P.M. A reception will follow, and everyone is invited. To see a list of Will's books in the CMC, click here.


Teaching Aids

A major project is underway now to reclassify all the Teaching Aids in the CMC. Be sure to ask Mr. Martin or the CMC Student Assistant on duty for help if you are unable to find what you're looking for. Things may be a little confused until the project is complete, but the result will allow for much more efficient browsing of the collection. Also, the puppets are being separated from the rest of the Teaching Aids and will be displayed on special racks.

Website of the Month

The Ohio Resource Center for Mathematics, Science, and Reading is a project of the State University Education Deans, funded by the Ohio General Assembly and established by the Ohio Board of Regents. ORC provides links to peer-reviewed instructional resources that have been identified by a panel of Ohio educators as exemplifying best or promising practice. Available resources also include content and professional resources as well as assessment and general education resources that will support the work of preK–12 classroom teachers and higher education faculty members. The resources are correlated with Ohio's academic content standards and with applicable national content standards.

New Materials

Over 50 new items were added to the CMC collection oduring October, including books, videos, and teaching aids. Click here to see the complete list.

New Character DVDs

The Character Chronicles

The Responsibility Connection

The Trust Connection

The Respect Connection

The Fairness Connection

The Caring Connection

The Citizenship Connection

New Science Books

From the series Science Q & A:

Machines - Janice Parker
Easy-to-follow text, in a question and answer format, teaches children about machines and how they work. Includes a hands-on activity, fast facts, and a glossary.

Construction - Rennay Craats
Introduces children to the science of building construction, including a look at materials, blueprints, and design, and focuses on different types of structures that exist throughout the world.

Health - Celeste Peters
Easy-to-follow text, in a question and answer format, teaches children about health-related topics, such as diet, sleep, allergies, diseases, and medicine. Includes a hands-on activity, fast facts, and a glossary.

Light - Gina L. Hamilton
Why is light important? -- What is light? -- What are the primary colors of light? -- How does solar energy work? -- How fast does light travel? -- What other forms of light are in the electromagnetic spectrum? -- What is infrared light? -- Why do some objects cast shadows, while others do not? -- What is absorption, reflection, and transmission? -- What gives objects their colors? -- How do fibre optics work? -- What is refraction? -- What do lenses do? -- What are lasers? -- Is light a particle or wave? -- How do we see light? -- What part of the eye sees color? -- How do our eyes adjust to light? -- What are optical illusions? -- How can we fix eye problems? -- What are some bright careers? -- What are your answers? -- Fast facts

Weather - Janice Parker
Easy-to-follow text, colorful photographs, and hands-on activities teach children about weather, detailing how to analyze and predict weather, and describes the many ways that weather can effect peoples lives.

Ecosystems - Gillian Richardson

New Social Studies Teaching Aids

Native American in Canoe
9.5" model of Native American paddling a canoe.








The First Thanksgiving Bulletin Board Set
A 7-piece bulletin board set featuring the first Thanksgiving. Includes a Discovery Guide with information and activities.




Thanksgiving J-I-N-G-O
A BINGO style game that helps celebrate Thanksgiving while learning interesting facts about its symbols, customs, and traditions. Contains 30 player cards, clue cards, directions for play, and ideas for extension. For all ages.