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100 Scope Notes
Inside 100 Scope Notes

Books on Film: Abraham Lincoln Lives!

Lincoln Nerdbery

Lesson learned: It’s hard to keep a straight face when you’re wearing a chinstrap beard made out of construction paper. School librarian John Schumacher and teacher Colby Sharp are reading every Newbery Medal-winning book and making videos along the way. This week they discuss 1988 winner Lincoln: A Photobiography. In an unexpected twist, our 16th [...]

Poetry Friday: Bang! Boom! Roar!

Bang Boom Roar

National Poetry Month is nigh, and I’m posting a book spine poem every Friday until April. Want to try it? Maybe give it a shot with kids? Click here for some tips on creating your own. If you do give it a go, take a picture and post it to your blog, or send it [...]

Review: Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger

Gone Fishing

Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse By Tamera Will Wissinger Illustrated by Matthew Cordell Houghton Mifflin ISBN: 9780547820118 $15.99 Grades 1-4 In Stores *Best New Book* Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library There are plenty of verse novels out there. Poetry books based around a theme are also common. Tamera Will Wissinger’s debut [...]

Morning Notes: Cam Jansen is My Memory Hero Edition

Airan_Kang

10 POUNDS ON ‘I WANT MY HAT BACK’ Book award news. Over in the UK, the shortlists for The Carnegie (for writing) and Kate Greenway (for illustration) medals have been announced. It’s down to eight titles in each category, folks – place your bets. Click here for Carnegie. Click here for Greenway. EXTREME READING More [...]

Books on Film: An Astounding Assortment of Newbery Winners

Newbery Panel

It’s an exclusive club, authors who have won Newbery medals and honors. So when Random House managed to get Christopher Paul Curtis, Jenni Holm, Kirby Larson, Louis Sachar, Jerry Spinelli, Rebecca Stead, and Clare Vanderpool in the same room in Seattle during ALA Midwinter, it was a rare treat. The conversation (moderated by librarian action [...]

Poetry Friday: Shadow on the Stairs

Shadow

Check out the Poetry Friday round-up at My Juicy Little Universe. To get things warmed up for National Poetry Month, I’m posting a book spine poem every Friday until April. Want to get in on the act? Maybe give it a shot with kids? Click here for some tips on creating your own. If you do give [...]

Wanted: Any and All Book Spine Poems

Sure Signs of Crazy

It’s about to get poetic in here!!! April is National Poetry Month. And around this neck of the woods the poetry form of choice is the book spine cento. What’s a cento? Check out the 2012 Book Spine Poem Gallery to find out. Or take a look at the work of Nina Katchadourian. Students, teachers, [...]

Morning Notes: Delicious Liar & Spy Frosting Edition

Morning Notes Banner

NEWBERY IN 90 The 90 Second Newbery, once just a glimmer in author James Kennedy’s eye, has just completed its second year. If you missed the recap of this year’s screening in New York, click here – it looked like a wild night. Spread the word: for those who want to participate in next year’s [...]

Review: Windblown by Édouard Manceau

windblown

Windblown By Édouard Manceau Owlkids Books ISBN: 9781926973777 $16.95 Grades PreK-1 In Stores April 9, 2013 Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library Simple shapes. Lots of white space. Created by a Frenchman. Sound familiar? If your first thought was Hurve Tullet’s Press Here, you’re not alone. But although Édouard Manceau’s Windblown shares some [...]

2013 Preview Interview: First Second Books

first-second-logo

When graphic novel publisher First Second contacted me to see if I was up for chatting about their 2013 wares, it struck me as a good idea. After all, I’ve already reviewed (and loved) their upcoming Odd Duck. I’m not sure if the Preview Interview will become a regular feature (I mean, A Fuse #8 [...]

Books on Film: Chelsea Clinton Interviews Judy Blume

Blume Interview

Judy Blume is one of the very few household name authors. For over 40 years it’s been impossible to grow up without running into her books, which continue to resonated among young people. I met her in 2009 at a publisher dinner during the ALA Annual conference (shout out to Lynn and Cindy for making [...]

Notes on February 2013

Rowling and Hunt

In February… …we learned that J.K. Rowling kinda looks like Helen Hunt. With your help, the cast of Children’s Literature: The Movie was solidified. The talk around Hollywood is there’s a sequel in the works (cue dramatic ellipses) … …we looked ahead to spring. There’s some promising books coming up in March, April, and May [...]

Mick Jagger, Rock Star Librarian

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2013 is young, but in library circles, “rock star librarian” is quickly becoming the loaded term of the year. It all started with a post at Hi Miss Julie that sparked debate about gender and librarianship. Since then Stacked, The Magpie Librarian, and other blogs have continued the discussion. Heck, a friend even sent me the description [...]

#holdshelf Thataway

Feb 2013 Hold Shelf

The (mostly) monthly roundup of the books kids are lining up to read is over at Watch. Connect. Read. today. Head over there and take a look. Here’s a preview:

The Newbery Medal Infographic

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A couple months back I realized that although there are tons of infographics in the world, there aren’t many with a children’s literature focus. Let’s right that wrong. Last time out we had the world’s first Caldecott Medal infographic, and today we take on Newbery. Click to enlarge.