Thursday, February 26, 2009

New VeggieTales DVD

Abe and the Amazing Promise
While on the set filming, Bob the Tomato decides to respond to a fan's letter about 'waiting.' Meanwhile, everyone's patience is tested by spitting camels, a confused nurse, and a distracted film crew. Children learn that God always keeps his promises, even if they have to wait a while.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Search for the Red Dragon - James A. Owen
Nine years after they came together to defeat the Winter King, John, Jack, and Charles return to the Archipelago of Dreams and face a new challenge involving the Lost Boys and giants.

Traveling the Freedom Road - Linda Barrett Osborne
The story of children, teenagers, and their families who lived through the injustices of slavery, the Civil War, and the turbulence of the Reconstruction.

Deeper - Roderick Gordon
As Will Burrows continues to search for his lost archaeologist father in the strange underground world he has discovered, he stumbles across a sinister plot with terrible implications for the world above.

Heroes of the Valley - Jonathan Stroud
When young Halli Sveinsson plays a trick on Ragnor of the House of Hakonsson, he sets in motion a chain of events that will forever alter his destiny, forcing him to leave home and go on a hero's quest where he encounters highway robbers, terrifying monsters, and a girl who may finally be his match.

The Demigod Files - Rick Riordan
How do you handle an encounter with Medusa on the New Jersey interstate? What's the best way to take down a minotaur? Become an expert on everything in Percy's world with this must-have guide to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Complete with interviews, puzzles, games, and original short stories by Rick Riordan.

New Children's Books

Coretta Scott - Ntozake Shange
This extraordinary union of poetry and monumental artwork captures the movement for civil rights in the United States, and honors it most elegant inspiration, Coretta Scott.

Thank You, God, for Everything - August Gold
As Daisy watches her parents thanking God everyday, she begins to look at everything around her and realizes she is also thankful for many things.

Eleanor, Quiet No More
- Doreen Rappaport
A biographical tribute to the upbringing and career of Eleanor Roosevelt, who taught children in poor neighborhoods in New York City and worked as an ambassador, activist, and champion of civil rights.

Recycle! - Gail Gibbons
Explains the process of recycling from start to finish and discusses what happens to paper, glass, aluminum cans, and plastic when they are recycled into new products.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

New Award Books

Jerk California - Jonathan Friesen
Plagued by Tourette's syndrome and a stepfather who despises him, Sam meets an old man in his small Minnesota town who sends him on a road trip designed to help him discover the truth about his life. Schneider Family Book Award

Moribito, Guardian of the Spirit - Nahoko Uehashi
The wandering warrior Balsa is hired to protect Prince Chagum from both a mysterious monster and the prince's father, the Mikado. Mildred L. Batchelder Award

What Can You Do with a Rebozo? - Carmen Tafolla
A spunky young girl explains the many uses of her mother's red rebozo, a traditional Mexican woven shawl. Pura Belpre Illustrator Award Honor

Friday, February 13, 2009

New Music Education Resources

Bowmar Orchestral Library, Series 2
Includes 12 CDs and program notes with "charted musical themes".

New Christian Fiction

Renegade (Book 3 of The Lost Books) - Ted Dekker
As Johnis, Silvie, Billos, and Darsal continue their quest for the four still missing Books of History, Billos makes a decision that has devastating consequences for himself and his companions, especially the devoted Darsal.

Chaos (Book 4 of The Lost Books) - Ted Dekker
The four heroic young Forest Guard recruits embark on their last mission to recover the lost Books of History before the Dark One enleashes their power to enslave humanity.

New Mathematics Textbooks

From Key Curriculum Press (student and teacher editions of each):

Discovering Algebra: An Investigative Approach

Discovering Advanced Algebra: An Investigative Approach

Discovering Geometry: An Investigative Approach

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

New Award Books

Pura Belpre Award Books

Reaching Out - Francisco Jimenez
Leaving his home in a migrant community, Francisco sets off for college, carrying memories of years of poverty and prejudice. Author award honor book

Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book - Yuri Morales
As Señor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle's birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents, but with the help of Zelmiro the Ghost, he finds the best gift of all. Illustrator Award, Author Award Honor book

Papa and Me - Arthur Dorros
A bilingual boy and his father, who only speaks Spanish, spend a day together. Illustrator Honor book

The Storyteller's Candle - Lucía González
During the early days of the Great Depression, New York City's first Puerto Rican librarian, Pura Belpré, introduces the public library to immigrants living in El Barrio and hosts the neighborhood's first Three Kings' Day fiesta. Illustrator Honor book, Author Honor book

New Children's CDs

Can a Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet? - Hap Palmer

Can a Cherry Pie Wave Goodbye? - Hap Palmer

Fingerplays and Footplays - Rosemary Hallum

Adventures in Rhythm - Ella Jenkins

Dancing Numerals: Teaching Math Concepts
- Rosemary Hallum

Creative Movement and Rhythmic Expression - Hap Palmer

Classic Nursery Rhymes - Hap Palmer

Children's All-Time Mother Goose Favorites - Rosemary Hallum

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

New Award Book

Winner of the 2009 Michael L. Printz Award:

Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta
Abandoned by her drug-addicted mother at the age of eleven, high school student Taylor Markham struggles with her identity and family history at a boarding school in Australia.

Monday, February 9, 2009

New YA Books

Mothstorm - Philip Reeve
Reports of a strange phenomenon at the fringe of the galaxy and its connection to one of Father's old friends send the entire Mumby family, accompanied by Jack and other friends, to a far-off planet where they must find a way to prevent a new invasion of the solar system by giant moths.

Tom Trueheart and the Land of Dark Stories - Ian Beck
Twelve-year-old Tom Trueheart, accompanied by his friend Jollity the crow, must journey to the dangerous Land of Dark Stories to rescue his brothers and their princess brides, and to try to defeat the villainous Ormestone once again.

Side by Side: New Poems Inspired by Art from Around the World - Jan Greenberg
Features children's poems from all over the world that were inspired by works of art.

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception - Maggie Stiefvater
On the day of an important music competition, talented but painfully introverted and nervous Deirdre Monaghan is helped to perform by the compelling and enigmatic Luke Dillon and finds herself inexorably drawn into the mysteries and dangers of the faerie world.

Ender in Exile - Orson Scott Card
At the close of "Ender's Game," Andrew Wiggin--called Ender--is told that he can no longer live on Earth. The 12-year-old chooses to leave his home world and begins the long relativistic journey out to the colonies.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw - Jeff Kinney
Middle-schooler Greg Heffley nimbly sidesteps his father's attempts to change Greg's wimpy ways until his father threatens to send him to military school.

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had - Kristin Levine
In Moundville, Alabama, in 1917, twelve-year-old Dit hopes the new postmaster will have a son his age, but instead he meets Emma, who is black, and their friendship challenges accepted ways of thinking and leads them to save the life of a condemned man.

America in World War I - Richard Worth
Examines major conflicts in American history, describing how each has shaped and altered the nation and how the United States' role in international conflicts has affected world history. Primary sources and archival images help bring each era to life, while maps, sidebars, and biographies of military and political leaders reinforce the text.

New Award Books

Stinky - Eleanor Davis
Stinky, a monster who lives in a swamp, gets upset when a boy named Nick starts hanging around his swamp, and so he tries to scare Nick away. Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book

Are You Ready to Play Outside? - Mo Willems
Friends Elephant and Piggie are playing outside when it starts to rain, and then they must decide what to do. Theodor Seuss Geisel Award book

Becoming Billie Holiday - Carole Boston Weatherford
Jazz vocalist Billie Holiday looks back on her early years in this fictional memoir written in verse. Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor book

The Blacker the Berry - Joyce Carol Thomas
A collection of poems, including "Golden Goodness," "Cranberry Red," and "Biscuit Brown," celebrating individuality and Afro-American identity. Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor book

Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane - Carole Boston Weatherford
This lyrical picture-book biography of John Coltrane focuses on his childhood and how he interpreted sounds before he made his music. Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor book

Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator - Sarah C. Campbell
Stunning photographs and a fact-filled story deliver a closeup look at a day in the life of a tiny, and unexpected, predator-the seriously slimy wolfsnail. Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book

Friday, February 6, 2009

New Children's Books

All Stations! Distress!: April 15, 1912, The Day the Titanic Sank - Don Brown
Provides the captivating story of this amazing vessel, the people who built it, and its tragic demise during its maiden voyage across the Atlantic as told through first-hand accounts and detailed illustrations of the events as they happened.

Lincoln Shot: A President's Life Remembered - Barry Denenberg
Conceived as a one-year anniversary newspaper edition of Lincoln's assassination, this biographical portrait of Abraham Lincoln mimics 19th-century newsprint, combining pen and ink drawings with archival photography, and period typography with articles surveying Lincoln's life. (Shelved with Big Books)

Tsunami! - Kimiko Kajikawa
A wealthy man in a Japanese village, who everyone calls Ojiisan, which means grandfather, sets fire to his rice fields to warn the innocent people of an approaching tsunami.

How Tall, How Short, How Far Away
- David A. Adler
Introduces several measuring systems such as the Egyptian system, the inch-pound system, and the metric system.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers - Langston Hughes
The famous poem, taken from The collected poems of Langston Hughes (c1994), illustrated with watercolors.

Endangered Frogs - Molly Aloian
Frogs have been living on Earth for millions of Years. These amazing amphibians live both in water and on land and require not one, but two, safe and healthy habitats in which to live and find food. Endangered Frogs informs children about how sensitive frogs are to changes in their environments and why people need to protect them. Children will learn: How frogs change from tadpoles to adults; Where frogs live and what they eat; The dangers of habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change; How people are helping frogs.

A Penguin Story - Antoinette Portis
Edna the penguin tries to find something in her surroundings that is not black, white, or blue.

The Cardboard Piano - Lynne Rae Perkins
When Debbie tries to interest Tina in playing the piano by creating a cardboard keyboard, they find not only does it not have the same appeal but also that they do not need to share everything to be best friends.

The Hinky-Pink - Megan McDonald
Summoned to the Great Castle of Firenze to create a special dress for Princess Isabella Caramella Gorgonzola, Anabel, a talented seamstress, is at first delighted but then increasingly despairing as time passes and her efforts are continually subverted by an unseen sprite.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

New Children's Books

A Bad Case of Stripes - David Shannon
In order to ensure her popularity, Camilla Cream always does what is expected, until the day arrives when she no longer recognizes herself.

Swimming Sal
- Carol Molski
As the only dog at Hilltop Farm who has never won an award, Sal, encouraged by her mother's reminder of her Portuguese water dog heritage, decides to perfect her swimming skills by joining the swim team at the YMCA.

The Sunlit Morning - Peg Augustine
The story of a worship experience at a community sunrise service. Right before the sun rises, an African American choir begins singing "He Rose" while another group acts out the drama. The brilliant sunrise illuminates the empty cross to remind all that Jesus lives.

1, 2, Buckle My Shoe
- Anna Grossnickle Hines
A child learns to count with the help of a classic nursery rhyme.

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka - Jon Scieszka
How did Jon Scieszka get so funny? He grew up as one of six brothers with Catholic school, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to kill, babysitting misadventures, TV shows, and jokes told at family dinner.

Last Night
- Hyewon Yum
Sent to her room for refusing to eat her dinner, a little girl soon falls asleep and together with her bear friend begins a fantastic voyage deep into the forest where they dance and play all night.

Persephone - Sally Pomme Clayton
Persephone is snatched from her home by Hades, god of the Underworld. She is forced to live underground and become his bride. Her mother, Demeter, goddess of earth, is so brokenhearted about losing her daughter that she curses the land so nothing can grow - a permanent winter.

Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures - Julie Larios
Poems and vivid illustrations present fourteen mythical creatures, including a dragon, a centaur, a gargoyle, and a sphinx.

Gonzalo Grabs the Good Life - Janice Levy
When Gonzalo the rooster wins the lottery, he leaves his job at the farm in search of the good life.