Professional Development Opportunities for Educators and Librarians

October 2, 2008
An Evening with Todd Strasser on October 2 to Feature Reading and Workshop by Award-Winning Author

The M. Jerry Weiss Center at New Jersey City University will hold “An Evening with Todd Strasser,” a professional development workshop and reading by the guest author, on Thursday, October 2, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., in room 202 of Hepburn Hall, 2039 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City.

Mr. Strasser, whose young adult books include Boot Camp, How I Changed My Life, Mob Princess, Nighttime, The Tardy Boys, Kidnap Kids, Drift-X, Can’t Get There from Here, Give a Boy a Gun, Impact Zone, The Diving Bell and The Accident, CON-fidence, The Wave, and 16 books in the “Help! I'm Trapped…” series, has published more than 100 books. He has also written such movie novelizations as Home Alone, Free Willy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Jumanji.

Admission, which includes two (2) New Jersey Professional Development hours, is $25.00 or $20.00 for full-time undergraduate students with identification. Parking will be available in NJCU’s West Side Lot for a $6.00 fee.

To register for the program or for further information call Maureen McGuire, NJCU director of development, at (201)200-2196 or e-mail her at mmcguire1@njcu.edu

Fall 2008
There is a new Professional Development Institute for Educators at NJCU. The Institute is a collaborative initiative between the College of Education and the Office of Continuing Education. This year, they will be offering 42 workshops for four (4) professional development hours each. These courses will enable K-12 educators to fulfill NJDOE requirements for professional development hours. Tuition for each workshop is $150.00 ( with a 10% discount if three or more teachers from the same school district register together for the workshop)

Of the 42 workshops, 24 will be offered face-to-face on campus every Friday from 9:00am to 2:00pm. The face-to-face workshops will start on October 3rd and the online workshops will begin on October 13th.

The other 18 workshops will be offered online, each lasting one week with participants required to complete four hours worth of work.
Click here for a catalog and more information
http://web.njcu.edu/dept/continuinged/Content/pdie.asp

Celebrate Banned Books Week 9/27/08-10/4/08

psst… want a banned book???
The Guarini Library has them!
September 27 - October 4, 2008

most frequently challenged books in 2007:

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 420 challenges last year. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each reported, four or five remain unreported.

The “10 Most Challenged Books of 2007” reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell (Juv. .R523a)
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2) The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier (Juv. C811c)
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence

3) “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes (Juv. H513oL)
Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language

4) “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman (Juv. P982N)
Reasons: Religious Viewpoint

5) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain (Juv.C625ahbn)
Reasons: Racism

6) “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker(PS3573.A425 C6 1982)
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,

7) "TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle ( We will be getting it!)
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

8) "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou (PS3551.N464 Z466 1971B)
Reasons: Sexually Explicit
9) “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris ( Juv. 612.6.H316IT 1996)Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit

10) "The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky (Juv.C513p)
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Off the list this year, are two books by author Toni Morrison. "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved," both challenged for sexual content and offensive language.

most frequently challenged authors of 2007
1) Robert Cormier
2) Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
3) Mark Twain
4) Toni Morrison
5) Philip Pullman
6) Kevin Henkes
7) Lois Lowry
8) Chris Crutcher
9) Lauren Myracle
10) Joann Sfar

Check OSCAR on the Guraini Library Home Page to find books by these authors
http://sirsiprod.njcu.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/49

Check http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/

Check http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/challengesupport/challengesupport.cfm
if there are challenges to books in your library or school!

JCPL Book Fair in Jersey City 9/13/08

Here's another activity for September!

Bibliophiles, bookworms, book peddlers, and those who love writing and hearing the written word will have an opportunity to indulge themselves with a day of literary delights when Jersey City holds its first annual book festival on Saturday, Sept. 13."

A Tale of Our City" will be held in Van Vorst Park on Montgomery Street, right across the street from the Main Branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library. The library is organizing the event and hopes to make it annual.The festival will be part of a daylong nationwide celebration known as "the Big Read," an initiative of the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) that puts a spotlight on encouraging reading and literacy.

The festival is funded by a grant from the NEA.As part of the initiative, free copies of Ray Bradbury's classic sci-fi novel Fahrenheit 451 will be handed out to festival attendees who have a valid library card, or who apply for a card during the festival. Members of the Jersey City Theater Company will conduct a public reading of the book.

Sonia Araujo, the assistant library director for the Jersey City Public Library, said last week that so far 12 authors have committed to an appearance at the festival. They will sign and sell their books, as well as read excerpts.Among them are city native and noted historian Thomas Fleming, and Helene Stapinski, an author of several books including the memoir of life in Jersey City, Five Finger Discount.

Source: Hudson Reporter, Ricardo Kaulessar

Jersey City Readers, Writers Alert

Interested in Hispanic Heritage?
Have you written a book that is about Jersey City?
Are you interested in news about reading, literacy and community events?
Then check out
the JCFPL Daily Read
the new blog from Jersey City Public Library, NOW!

Get ready for September!

Visit the Library!
3rd floor-
Juvenile Books (K-12)
Professional Books (Check OSCAR)
4th floor-
Curriculum Collection for lesson ideas, texts and much more

Interested in creating a wiki?
See this offer from PB Wiki
http://www.backtoschoolchallenge.com/

English/ESL/Reading teachers
Try this interesting site Lessonwriter.com to prepare worksheets and comprehension activities. (registration is necessary)

Don't forget-
September 18, 11-3pm
Study Abroad Fair
Gilligan Student's Union
http://web.njcu.edu/dept/oissa/Content/study_abroad.asp
Office of International Student and Study Abroad
New Jersey City University

Register by September 6th

Study Abroad Fair Registration Form
Thursday, September 18th, 2008
11:00AM-3:00PM


Name_____________________________________

Company __________________________________

Address 1_________________________________

Address 2_________________________________

Phone______________________________________

Fax________________________________________

Email______________________________________

Web Site (optional)________________________



___YES, I will attend this year’s Study Abroad Fair.

___NO, I will not be able to attend but would like to hear about future events hosted by the Office of International Students and Study Abroad.

Registration forms may be faxed to us at 201-200-2326,
emailed to cwhite@njcu.edu,
or mailed to the following address
New Jersey City University
2039 Kennedy Boulevard,
Grossnickle Hall, Room 303
Jersey City New Jersey 07305-1597
Phone: 201-200-3022
Fax: 201-200-2326

International Day of Peace
September 21
Read a peace-ful book:
Ain't gonna study war no more : the story of America's peace seekers
Juv. 303.6 .M528a

The Big book for peace
Juv. 810.8 .B592

Can you say peace?
Juv.K198ca

or
Teach Peace with these books in the Curriculum Collection (4th floor)
I will be your friend : songs and activities for young peacemakers
CMC M1992 .I95 2003

Teaching young children in violent times : building a peaceable classroom
CMC LB3013.32 .L485 2003

War & peace : a guide to literature and new media : grades 4-8
CMC U21.2 .W3446 2007

Banned books Week
September 27 - October 4, 2008
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org

Jon Scieszka and more at Newark Public Library 10/22/08

Attention Teachers, Librarians, Parents!

Jon Scieszka, Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, will be the keynote speaker at
Showcasing Information Literacies: New Dimension 2008,
which will be held on Wednesday, October 22,2008,
from 9:30am to 3:30pm,
at the Newark Public Library

Fee: $55 (Parking, a continental breakfast and a hot and cold luncheon buffet will be provided as part of the registration fee.)

Door prizes include a laptop and a Kindle!

The NJ Center for the Book has planned a day of celebration with a focus on literacy, book arts, and poetry in partnership with the Newark Public Library.

The program includes sessons on teaching literacies, the art of storytelling for youth at risk, showcasing how to present Shakespeare in the classroom, instruction in genealogical searching for young people, and, finally, partnering with New Jersey's Public Broadcasting Station in teacher resource training.

For the full program click and registration see http://www.njcenterforthebook.org/news_events/Oct22Program.pdf
Online registration is available at http://www.njcenterforthebook.org/registration/register.php

Animated West African Folktale screens in Newark

Kirikou and the Sorceress screens at the 2008 Newark Black Film Festival.

Kirikou and the Sorceress is a wonderful animated West African folk tale recounts the story of Kirikou, who seeks to free his village of a terrible curse and to find out why Sorceress Karaba is so mean. (Note : This film is available in the Guarini Library Media Collection - V3061.)

July 28| 10:30 am NEWARK PUBLIC LIBRARY
July 30| 1 pm NEWARK SCREENS ON SPRINGFIELD AVE.
July 31| 1 pm NJ STATE MUSEUM
August 1| 2 pm ASBURY PARK HIGH SCHOOL
70 minutes

For more information visit http://newarkmuseum.org/museum_pages.aspx?id=240

Newark Public School students particpate in an opera

Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 8 pm,a free production of Emmett Till: The Opera will take place at Science Theatre, (Science Park High School), 260 Norfolk Street in Newark, NJ.

Trilogy: An Opera Company has commissioned celebrated composer Charles Lloyd, Jr. to create an opera about young Emmett Till whose brutal murder in 1955 in the Mississippi Delta came to symbolize the start of the Civil Rights movement in America.Trilogy: AOC will re-enact this tragic American story with the hope of stimulating new and helpful discussions about a still-divided America.


Students from Newark Public Schools will participate in the production as the Greek Chorus. These youngsters have been chosen to particpate as part of a youth mentoring program and have been exposed to various aspects of the creative process. Also performing is the Longar Ensemble Orchestra and the Songs of Solomon Choir.

The performance features tenor Robert Mack as Emmett; soprano Diana Solomon-Glover as Mamie; soprano Lori Maribol as Willie Mae; mezzo soprano Alteouise Devaughn as Alma; soprano Sheila Jackson as Mary; baritone Raemond Martin as Mose Wright; tenor Derrick Alton as Uncle Crosby; baritone Richard Hobson as the reporter; Anthony Chisholm as Mr. Mobley and Kevin Maynor as A. A. Raynor.

Harlem Book Fair 2008

The 10th HARLEM BOOK FAIR Anniversary Celebration & Gala
Harlem, New York
in association with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Events from July 18 - 20, 2008
West 135th Street from Malcolm X Blvd.
to Frederick Douglass Blvd.

The programs of the 10th Anniversary Gala and Celebration of the Harlem Book Fair will begin on Friday, July 18th and conclude on Sunday, July 20th at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The outdoor festival will be held on Saturday, July 19, from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on West 135th Street between Lenox Avenue and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

Authors from around the world, literature discussions and more!
http://www.harlembookfair.com/page12740.asp
http://www.qbr.com/page12742.asp
http://www.qbr.com/page12741.asp

Including:
YOUNG READERS PAVILION
TMA (THURGOOD MARSHALL ACADEMY)
SATURDAY, JULY 19

12:30 – 1:30pm ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN’S BOOK: ONE ON ONE WITH THE EXPERTS (PANEL DISCUSSION)
Moderator: Irene Smalls
Panelists: Linda Trice (Kenya's Word); Troy Johnson (Founder of aalbc.com); Bernette Ford, Publisher ColorBridge Books; Eric Velasquez (Illustrator); Janet Hubert (J.G. and the B.C. Kids)

3:15 – 4:15pm COMIC BOOKS: WHAT’S THE STORY WITHIN THE STORY
Room TBA (WORKSHOP)
Facilitator: Jerry Craft (Mamasboyz)
Learn how to draw comics. What’s the story behind Iron Man? What’s the story behind The Hulk? Comic books and graphic novels are often the first access to reading for our youth. This workshop creates access to creative self-expression and enhances self-esteem

3:00 – 4:00pm WRITING FOR THE YA MARKET: ONE ON ONE WITH THE EXPERTS
Room 303 (PANEL DISCUSSION)
Moderator: Clara Villarosa (Founder, Hue-Man Bookstore)

Panelists: Rita Garcia-Williams (No Laughter Here); Jaira Placide (Fresh Girl); Jennifer Burton (Topeka Heights)
http://www.harlembookfair.com/page12760.asp


See the events at
http://www.harlembookfair.com/page10688.asp

An Important Library program for Teens-7/9/08- Maplewood

Free and open to the public.
Wednesday,July 9,6:00 pm in Memorial Hall

Meet actor Michael B.Jordan from the HBO Series,The Wire

Michael B. Jordan, former cast member of the HBO Series The Wire will discuss the impact of the show on teenagers and adults in regard to drug trafficking, drug addiction, and drug prevention. Jordan will also discuss the difference between reality and the fictional depiction of selling drugs.

This program is co-sponsored by Maplewood Memorial Library and the Maplewood Municipal Alliance; Sponsor of Anti Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Programs for the Township of Maplewood.

Maplewood Memorial Library
51 Baker St. Maplewood
973-762-1622
http://www.maplewoodlibrary.org/

Top Ten Youth Biographies-2008

Top 10 Biographies for Youth: 2008.
First published June 1, 2008 (Booklist
http://www.booklistonline.com/
Cooper, Ilene (author).

Note: Some of these books are in the Guarini Library Collection or are available for review at the Weiss Center!)

This year’s top 10 biographies for youth spotlights saints and strong men, patriots and pianists, showing how diverse the world of children’s biography has become. These books were chosen from titles reviewed in Booklist during the past 12 months.

As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March toward Freedom. By Richard Michelson. Illus. by Raul Colón. Knopf, $16.99 (9780375633359). Gr. 1–4.

This powerful, well-crafted picture book about the partnership between two great civil rights leaders follows King and Polish rabbi Heschel from boyhoods fraught with prejudice to the 1965 march in Selma, Alabama.

Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote. By Tanya Lee Stone. Illus. by Rebecca Gibbon. Holt, $16.95 (9780805079036). Gr. 1–3.

This short, incisive picture-book biography introduces Stanton and what she accomplished, beginning with her shocking realization that the law treated women unfairly. The child-pleasing artwork makes this highly accessible.

Frida: Viva la vida! Long Live Life! By Carmen T. Bernier-Grand. Illus. by Frida Kahlo. Marshall Cavendish, $18.99 (9780761253369). Gr. 7–12.

Using lyrical free-verse poems, Bernier-Grand brings readers into the life of artist Kahlo. Each well-produced painting by Kahlo is paired with an original poem that expertly extends the imagery so evident in the art.

George Washington Carver. By Tonya Bolden. illus. Abrams, $18.95 (9780810993662). Gr. 3–6.

Bolden’s strong writing finds a worthy subject in the slave-born scientist Carver, but she never shies away from directly and indirectly addressing criticisms of Carver for his lack of political activism. Photos and reproductions of Carver’s paintings help make this a standout.

The Many Rides of Paul Revere. By James Cross Giblin. illus. Scholastic, $17.99 (9780439572903). Gr. 4–7.

Giblin’s attractive, large-format book looks at Revere’s life and his role in the American Revolution, in many cases setting the record straight. Salient facts and intriguing details combine effectively with period portraits, narrative paintings, engravings, and maps.

Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum. By Robert Andrew Parker. Illus. by the author. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $16.99 (9780375839658). Gr. 2–4.

Parker contributes both words and pictures in this heartfelt portrait of jazz great Art Tatum. The vibrant scenes contrast crowds of dancers and musicians in a swirl of animated motion with scenes of the nearly blind Tatum, set against moody, abstract, shifting colors.


The Real Benedict Arnold. By Jim Murphy. illus. Clarion, $20 (9780395776094). Gr. 7–10.

Murphy has a difficult task—getting past rumors and folktales to present Arnold in a fair and honest way—and he does it meticulously. While never going beyond his sources, he still manages to offer a fascinating look at a man whose name has become synonymous with traitor.

The Secret World of Hildegard. By Jonah Winter. Illus. by Jeanette Winter. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $16.99 (9780439507394). Gr. 1–4.

A medieval visionary might not seem the topic for an early-level biography, but with elegant simplicity, this mother-son team introduce Hildegard, squeezing out the essence of her life, and making her story accessible to young children. A small jewel.

Strong Man: The Story of Charles Atlas
In this winning picture book, McCarthy separates fact from fiction as he tells the story of Atlas, the original 98-pound weakling who transformed himself into a world-famous strong man.

The Wall: Growing Up behind the Iron Curtain . By Peter Sís. Illus. by the author. Farrar/Frances Foster, $18 (9780374347017). Gr. 7–10.

This autobiographical picture book is an artistic account of Sís’ coming-of-age in Prague during the cold war. The remarkable art expresses the interplay between Communist restrictions and Western influences (Booklist’s 2007 Top of the List winner for youth nonfiction).

A site for digitally connected teachers

PBS Teachers Connect
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/
PBS Teachers Connect is an online community of teachers exchanging ideas, resources and instructional strategies on the integration of digital media and technology. Educators can search more than 3,000 standards-based classroom activities, lesson plans, interactive resources and other materials on the PBS Teachers Web site, http://www.pbs.org/teachers/ then easily bookmark, annotate, share and manage their tagged content within the PBS Teachers Connect community. Many of the resources feature PBS'award-winning programming and content, including on-demand streaming video from select PBS programs.

PBS Teachers Connect started on July 1, 2008 and is an offshoot of the PBS Teachers
web portal to the wide-ranging multimedia instructional resources and professional development services PBS offers preK-12 educators.

Updates-Booklists,Teaching and Books and Dinosaurs!

Fantasy/SciFi alert

The encountering enchantment website on fantasy, science fiction and speculative fiction has been updated with new titles
http://www.encounteringenchantment.com/New___Forthcoming_Titles.html

Language Arts/Literacy/Librarian Educators Alert:
BOOK SMARTS is a new open access ("free-to-read") journal that offers brief, informative discussion of books on critical issues in education.
The Spring 2008 Issue of BOOK SMARTS is available at
http://www.book-smarts.net

Included in this issue:
* Harrison, L. E. (2006). The Central Liberal Truth: How Politics Can
Change a Culture and Save It from Itself. NY: Oxford
University Press.
Reviewed by Edward M. Olivos, University of Oregon

* Glass, Gene V. (2008) Fertilizers, Pills, and Magnetic Strips: The
Fate of Public Education in America. Charlotte, NC: Information
Age Publishing, Inc.

* Ohanian, Susan. (2008). When Childhood Collides with NCLB.
Brandon, VT: Vermont Society for the Study of Education, Inc.

* Meiners, E. R. (2007). Right to Be Hostile: Schools, Prisons, and
the Making of Public Enemies. London & NY: Routledge.

* Norton, Bonny & Toohey, Kelleen (Eds.) (2004) Critical Pedagogies
and Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Danny and the Dinosaur fans
It's the 50th anniversary of the pub.llication of Danny and the Dinosaur
See http://www.sydhoff.org/

A few thoughts for teachers- Did You Know 2.0

Although it is a year old, This is a most illuminating presentation:


The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U&eurl=http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/06/did-you-know-20.html

It was originally posted on http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html
and was part of a faculty presentation at a school staff meeting.
Enjoy.

Great Websites for Kids!

The Association for Library Service to Children has just updated its Great Websites for Kids. Websites can be searched or browsed by subject.

See it at http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/default.cfm

Help School Libraries in NJ!

Take Action Now to Advance School Libraries!

A draft of new School Reform Program regulations includes the following requirement:

N.J.A.C. 6A:XX-1.1 Standards-based instruction

(g) All school districts shall provide library-media services in each school building, including a certified school library media specialist and access to computers, district-approved instructional software, appropriate books including novels, anthologies and other reference materials, and supplemental materials that motivate students to read in and out of school and to conduct research.

NJASL needs your help to ensure that this requirement for school libraries is retained in the School Funding Reform Regulations.

Write to Commissioner Lucille E. Davy in support of this proposed requirement
http://njasladvocacy.pbwiki.com/f/SLMS%20Commissioner%20Letter%20Template.doc

Urge your colleagues to send letters to Commissioner Davy in support of retaining this requirement
http://njasladvocacy.pbwiki.com/f/Teacher%20Commissioner%20Letter%20Template.doc

Help all members of your school community (students, parents, staff, administrators) to write in support of this requirement


Letters should be sent to:
Lucille E. Davy, Commissioner
Department of Education
100 River View Plaza
P.O. Box 500
Trenton, NJ 08625

Teacher Job Fairs

NEW JERSEY TEACHERS' JOB FAIRS

Here are upcoming teacher's job fairs!! MARK YOUR CALENDARS and spread the word to friends, colleagues, college graduates, and all and sundry!!!


1. KEAN UNIVERSITY TEACHER JOB FAIR
http://www.kean.edu/~career/teacher_jobfair.html
WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2008
1:00--5:30 PM--CAS Building
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, New Jersey

2. PATERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHER JOB FAIR (For directions and details, go
to--http://www.paterson.k12.nj.us)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2008
3:30--5:30 PM
The New Roberto Clemente School
582-506 Market Street
Paterson, New Jersey
(Entrance and parking on Pennington Street) Positions available-- BILINGUAL/ESL MATH & SCIENCE SPECIAL ED/CHILD STUDY TEAM

3. FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS (Somerset County) TEACHER RECRUITMENT FAIR--For high school and middle school candidates in all academic content areas starting September 1, 2008.
http://www.franklinboe.org

Interested applicants must email resumes for pre-screening to:
mginsburg@franklinboe.org

Directions to Franklin High School--
http://www.franklinboe.org/fhs/directions.html
SATURDAY, May 31, 2008
9:00 AM--1:00 PM
Franklin High School
500 Elizabeth Avenue
Somerset, New Jersey 08873

Teen Reading Events in NYC- May-August

May 7 -- Teen Author Reading Night (6-7:30, Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL, 425 6th Ave, at 10th St.)

Tara Altebrando, What Happens Here
Libba Bray, Up All Night
Erin Haft, Meet Me at the Boardwalk
Cheryl Klam, The Pretty One
Nico Medina, Fat Hoochie Prom Queen
David Levithan, David Ozanich, and Chris Van Etten (aka David Van Etten), Likely Story
Lizabeth Zindel, The Secret Rites of Social Butterflies



May 8 – UP ALL NIGHT reading/party with Libba Bray, Peter Abrahams, Sarah Weeks, Patricia McCormick, and David Levithan (Books of Wonder,18 W. 18th st.
New York, NY 11373(212) 989-3270; 5-7 PM)


May 16 – LIKELY STORY reading with David Levithan, Chris Van Etten, and David Ozanich (aka David Van Etten) (7:30pm, B&N Greenwich Village, 138 W. 10th St. New York, NY (betw. Greenwich Ave. & Waverly Place) )

May 19 – Prom reading with Brian Sloan, Nico Medina, Jeanny Le Ny, and David Levithan (6:30pm, Borders at Time Warner Center, on Columbus Circle)

June 1 – HOW TO BE BAD reading with E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle (Books of Wonder,Books of Wonder,18 W. 18th St. New York, NY 11373(212) 989-3270 1-3PM)

June 25 -- Teen Author Reading Night (6-7:30, Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL, 425
6th Ave, at 10th St.)

Susanne Colasanti, Take Me There
John Coy, Box Out
Sarah Beth Durst, Out of the Wild
Daphne Grab, Alive and Well in Prague, New York
E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and a stand-in for Lauren Myracle, How to Be Bad
Randi Reisfeld, Rehab
Rachel Vail, Lucky


Aug 13 -- Teen Author Reading Night (6-7:30, Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL, 425 6th Ave, at 10th St.)

Nora Baskin, All We Know of Love
Matt de la Pena, Mexican Whiteboy
Donna Freitas, Possibilities of Sainthood
Lauren McLaughlin, Cycler
Lauren Mechling, Dream Girl
Margo Rabb, Cure for Heartbreak
Martin Wilson, What They Always Tell Us

LAPTOP RAFFLE at the Family Technology Fair for Grades 3-8

5th Annual "Families in Technology Day"
Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA)
New Jersey Chapter and New Jersey Institute of Technology's Educational Opportunity Program

Along With the Corporate Sponsorship Of:

Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)
Prudential
Microsoft
Merck
UBS

Presents....

Our 5th Annual "Families in Technology Day"

TECHNOLOGY AWARENESS = COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT "Honored Guest - To Be Announced"

Saturday May 31st 2008 at 9:00 am - 3:00 pm New Jersey Institute of Technology Kupfrian Hall University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102

Technology Workshops for All Ages
Informative Lectures & Cultural Entertainment & Other Giveaways ...and Continental Breakfast & Lunch!

For Students (Grades 3-12) Accompanied By Their Parents

FREE LAPTOPS will be raffled to students submitting a paragraph on how they can benefit from the use of a laptop. Paragraph must consist of a minimum of 4-5 sentences. Originality, sincerity and good grammar is important. Paragraphs may be emailed or mailed to:

BDPA - New Jersey Chapter
P.O. Box 25192
Newark, New Jersey 07101 or

Email: bdpainfo@bdpanewjersey.org

All entries MUST be received by May 23, 2008.

For Event Registration, Call: 1(888)203-5073.

Free Comic Book Day- Saturday 5/3/08

Saturday May 3rd, 2008

What is Free Comic Book Day?
Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free* to anyone who comes into their stores.

See http://freecomicbookday.com/ for more information

Free Comic Book Day Store Locator:
http://freecomicbookday.com/fcbd_locator.asp

Each retailer will decide the guidelines for receiving comics

For those near Elizabeth New Jersey:
Free Comic Book Day at Elizabeth Public Library
Mangafest
Saturday, May 3, from 12:30 – 4:30 pm in the Main Library Auditorium

A high quality program with free comics…
Ample parking, directions and information at: www.elizpl.org.
A day full of hands-on learning for long-time manga fans and anyone newly interested. A program well worth the trip.
Mangafest will feature experts in manga and Japanese culture

Mangafest will offer a rich experience of the craft of manga (the Japanese word for comics). Mangafest will feature a hands-on, manga workshop for teens and panel discussions that cover Japanese culture and careers in comics. Customary comic book giveaways, Japanese snacks and autographed books will accompany the day’s events. Guest speakers include Misako Takashima (aka Misako Rocks!) author of Biker Girl and Rock and Roll Love, Ali Kokmen, Del Rey Manga Marketing Director and Janna Morishma, Director or Diamond Kids Group, Diamond Comic Book Distributors. During the drawing workshop for teens, there will be a special Q&A session for adults. The program is free and open to all parents, teachers and students. Please call Kimberly Paone, Supervising Librarian, Teen Services Department for more information at 908-354-6060, x-7235.

Rev. Wright, Critical Thinking, Summarizing, and Media Representations

Rev. Jeremiah Wright made a speech to the National Press Club today in which he considered "critical thinking", sound bites (summarizing), media representations, liberation theology and Dr James Cone (a recent visitor who addressed our NJCU community)and made references to the Langston Hughes poem, I am the darker brother, and Carter G. Woodson's book, Mis-Education of the Negro among others.


The complete video of Wright's address is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2H1dMbkYa4&feature=share&list=PL22FD99C3C661B688
and here
http://youtu.be/q2H1dMbkYa4
http://youtu.be/-gXnZKUG_ic
http://youtu.be/6aM8VU47pKU
http://youtu.be/SM6-K1MicZU
http://youtu.be/-6BQMQAx0-Y
http://youtu.be/pekVHn2jWYQ

An interesting lesson could be created for middle or high school students in which:

A. Students view the video (it is in six segments)over a period of six days,
B. Students summarize or outline the main points of each segment,
C. Students view the print and video reports created by newspapers and television media.
D. Students compare and contrast their summaries to those of the established media.
E. Students could then examine the accounts for multiple perspectives, bias and subjective language
F. An open-ended discussion of their findings could be the culminating activity.

Some books in the CMC collection that may be of interest are :

Media today : interpreting newspapers, magazines, radios, TV, movies and the Internet (Text 384 .M489)

U.S.-Japan relations : the view from both sides of the Pacific. Part II, The media in U.S.- Japan relations : a look at stereotypes (CMC E183.8.J3 M84 1994)

Students could also take a look at the many theorists, historical events and personages, and literary works that Wright mentioned.

Curricular Units at the Yale National Initiative

The Yale National Initiative to Strengthen Teaching in Public Schools has an online database of currilum units created by its annual teacher institute participants. It includes units from everything on global warming to Latino culturs.
Take a look at http://www.teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/index.php?skin=h

Calling Young Writers and Artists!

I am pleased to announce that the second online issue (Fairy Tales & Fantasy) of Launch Pad has now been published. The issue is accessible on the magazine web site. In this issue, you will meet a genie who loves to work out at the gym, some uninvited guests, fairies that light up the stars, an evil magician, and two brave fairies on a quest to save their village from the dragon. The stories and artwork are superb, and I know you will enjoy reading these outstanding creative works.

Stories and Art about the Ocean, Summer Fun and Mysteries are needed!
Launch Pad still needs contributors. We are looking for works for our upcoming issues about the Ocean, Summer Fun (hiking, camping, summer sports, vacations, etc.) and Mysteries. If you are a teacher, librarian, or parent, please encourage young people to submit their work! We still have space in all of our upcoming 2008 issues, and Launch Pad especially needs young artists. I would welcome any comments that you might like to share about the second issue. Please feel free to forward or post this announcement on listservs, blogs, Facebook, or other resources. Enjoy the magazine!

All the Best,

Paul Kelsey
Editor and Publisher
Launch Pad: Where Young Authors and Illustrators Take Off!
editor@launchpadmag.com
www.launchpadmag.com

National Library Week, April 13-19

National Library Week (NLW) begins on April 13th!
NLW also celebrates its 50th anniversary
Books about libraries and reading will be on display at the Guarini Library!

Julie Andrews, Julie Andrews,Honorary Chair of National Library Week 2008 (April 13-19),delivers a message just for you about NLW!

Jersey Boy Wins Pulitzer!

Junot Diaz, Dominican -born, short story writere and novelist from New Jersey won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (PS3554 .I259 B75 2007).

For information on the Pulitzers and other book awards see, The Library Blog http://njculibrary.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/the-pulitzer-prize-and-other-book-awards/

The third of five children, Junot Diaz was born in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, and spent his early childhood living with his family in a neighborhood of that city called Barrio XXI. In 1975, when he was seven years old, he immigrated to London Terrace, New Jersey (a suburb of Perth Amboy), which sheltered a large population of recent Hispanic immigrants from the Caribbean. His father abandoned the family soon afterward, leaving Junot and his older brother Rafa in the care of their mother, who spoke little English. Known to family and friends as "Yunior" (the name of a character often found in his short stories), Diaz exhibited early on a talent for writing and storytelling. Somini Sengupta wrote in the New York Times (September 15, 1996) that "Mr. Diaz began writing when he was broken hearted"; his first sustained effort at writing occurred when, as a sophomore in high school, he wrote long letters to Rafa, who was hospitalized at the time for leukemia.

After high school, Diaz entered Kean College, in Union, New Jersey, then transferred to Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he earned a bachelor's degree in literature and history. He continued his studies in the graduate program in creative writing at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. To support himself while in college, he worked at a variety of odd jobs, including dishwashing, steelworking, and delivering pool tables; after college, he clerked for a pharmaceutical firm in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Diaz told Alexandra Lange for New York (September 16, 1996) that Toni Morrison was a major influence on him during his college years, largely because of "her ability to evoke a community and not to do it with a circus atmosphere like 'See us--we are brown' or 'See us--we are interesting.'"

Diaz's first big break came in 1995 when he sent a story called "Mr. Delightful" to Story magazine, which is deluged with an average of 300 submissions a week. Story's editor, Lois Rosenthal, was so impressed that she called Diaz at once to purchase the manuscript. She published several of his short stories and recommended him to a literary agent, Nicole Aragi, who was similarly captivated. After Rosenthal arranged for Diaz to read to an overflow crowd at KGB, a trendy bar in the East Village section of New York City, book editors began to seek exclusive rights to his works. At a subsequent auction for rights to publish his work, The New Yorker bought two stories, and Riverhead Books, an imprint of G. P. Putnam, agreed to publish a collection of his stories; that collection was issued in 1996 under the title Drown (PS3554.I259 D76 1996 ).
~Biography Reference Bank

The History of Comics and Graphic Novels-4/30/08

UMASL
Union Middlesex Association of School Librarians
invites you to our spring meeting

The History of Comics and Graphic Novels

Join us for an interactive presentation by Jack C. Harris,
a former writer and editor for DC Comics, and current
faculty member at the School of Visual Arts

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
4:30 pm Meeting
Followed by dinner and presentation

Dunellen Hotel
120 No. Washington Ave
Dunellen, NJ

Cost $20 includes program and buffet dinner

RSVP: Kim Alongi, msalongi@yahoo. com OR 908.754.4620 x604
RSVP DEADLINE: April 18th

Eric Velasquez, Graphic Novels and MORE

New Jersey Reading Association
Spring Brunch,
April 12, 2008
Mount Prospect School
111 Hansom Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Program
8:30-9:00: Registration
9:00-9:10: General Assembly Welcome: Dr. Deborah Woo, President, NJRA
9:10-9:50: Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jill Lewis, Promoting Adolescent Literacy
10:00-10:40: Books to Brunch on: Dr. Allan De Fina and Dr. Lace Cassidy
10:45-10:55: Exemplary Reading Program Award
11:10-12:00: Breakout Session One (Grade Level)
12:05-1:05: LUNCH (Enthusiastic Readers; Discussion with Dr. M. Jerry Weiss)
1:10-1:20: M. Jerry Weiss Book Award
1:20-1:50: Eric Velasquez, Author/Illustrator
1:55-2:35: Dr. Barbara Tierney: The Role of Advocacy
2:45-3:25: Breakout Session Two (Topic)

Breakout Session One:
Grade Level (Choose One – Registration On-Site)
Presenter Title
Dr. Beth Asbury Real Reading! Real Writing! Informational Text, 3-6
Denise Callaway Supporting Struggling Readers in the Intermediate Grades
Dr. Heather Casey Considering Content: Literacy Learning Across the Curriculum, 7-12
Tom Chiola and Angela Borgia Student Generated Rubrics in Primary Grades
Susan Esposito Vocabulary Instruction, Grades K-3
Carmen Gordillo Boys and Books
Gail Robinson Vocabulary Instruction, Grades 5-8
Jeff Willamson Creating a Community of Kindergarten Readers and Writers

Breakout Session Two:
Topical (Choose One – Registration On-Site)
Presenter Title
Dr. Janet Ankiel Uncovering Young Authors’ Voices
Dr. Jessica Anspach Writers’ Workshop in Elementary Grades
Brian Kelley Graphic Novels and Other Visual Texts in the Classroom
Iris Klein Poetry: Ideas to Inspire and Equip Young Poets
Laura Porcaro Teaching Authors’ Craft
Dr. Shannon Riley-Ayers Practical Strategies for Vocabulary and Comprehension, K-3
Kris Tucker and Jan Jaffe Strategies for Non-Fiction in the Classroom
Jeanette Widensky Unlocking the Keys to Comprehension

Attendees will receive a certificate for Six (6) Hours of Professional Development.
-------------------------------------------------------------(cut here􀂉
Student $30 􀂉 NJRA Member $60 􀂉 Non-Member $75
Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Street: _____________________________________________________
City: ____________________________
Phone Number: ____________________________
E-mail Address: ___________________________________
Faculty Signature (For Students Only)______________________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to NJRA and mail with registration form to:
New Jersey Reading Association
186 Mantoloking Road - Ste 2A
Brick, NJ 08723

See http://www.njreading.org/ for more details and directions

The Subject is RACE at Library Science Center

The exhibit, " RACE: Are We So Different?" continues at the Liberty Science Center until April 27, 2008.

This is an accessible interesting interactive exhibit for all ages.

There is a whole section on Race and Schools and some very interesting interviews.

The exhibit is broken into stations in which you can do everything from testing your blood pressure, to seeing how DNA can cross geographical barriers and thinking about school mascots. Visitors are encouraged to contribute their own experiences and reactions. Arrangements can be made for class visits.

See http://www.lsc.org/race for more information.

Jacqueline Woodson comes to Jersey City 4/10/08

New Jersey City University proudly presents
The 2nd Annual
M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Benefit

Featuring
Ms. Jacqueline Woodson, Author
Recipient of the Newbery Honor Award and the Coretta Scott King Honor Book

Thursday, April 10, 2008
Puccini’s Restaurant
1064 West Side Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey
Cocktails 6:30 p.m.
Dinner 7:30 p.m.
Please RSVP by April 4, 2008
201.200.3196 or alumni@njcu.edu

r.s.v.p.

2nd Annual M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Benefit
__ Yes! I will attend. __No, I will not be able to attend.

Name(s): ________________________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________ City: ___________________ State: _________ Zip: ________
Telephone: ______________________________ Email: ___________________________________
Cost $125 per person I would like ________ tickets for the dinner.
if you have not already done so, we invite you to make a gift at this time to the M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. I am making a gift of $_________ .My method of payment is q Personal Check in the amount of $__________________(Checks should be made payable to NJCU Foundation. Write M. Jerry Weiss Center in the memo portion of the check)
Credit Card: __MasterCard   __ Visa
Credit card #: _____________________________________
Exp. Date (MM/YY): ______________
________________________________________________________________
Authorized Signature

Please mail your response to:
New Jersey City University Office of Development H112D
2039 Kennedy Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ 07305

Pedrito's World wins Honor!

Pedrito’s World by Arturo O. Martinez, a local Hoboken author,was selected by the Texas Institute of Letters as the best children’s book for 2007.

Founded in 1936, the Texas Institute of Letters is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to stimulate interest in Texas letters and to recognize distinctive literary achievement. Members of the Texas Institute of Letters include Pulitzer Prize authors Cormac McCarthy and Lawrence Wright.

The Texas Institute of Letters awards annual prizes for individual literary works in several categories. Eligibility for awards is generally that the work is done by a resident of Texas or the work is relevant to the state. Pedrito's World was awarded the Friends of the Austin Public Library Award for Best Children's Book.

Recently, the author, Arturo O. Martinez gave a reading at New Jersey City University. The Guarini Library has a copy of the book in its Juvenile Collection (Juv.M3851p). The book has also garnered excellent reviews in The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Book and Booklist.

MJWC has author event in NYC

The M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature at New Jersey City University extends an Invitation for Librarians, Teachers and Other Supporters of Literacy and Literature to Attend

An Evening with Two CBC- Children’s Choice Authors and How to Become Involved in Children’s Choice Program and Children’s Book Week

Who:
Mark Teague
Author and Illustrator of the LARUE series and illustrator of HOW DO DINOSAURS.... Series

and
Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Author and Illustrator of FIRST THE EGG and DOG AND BEAR

and
Rebecca Miller of the Children’s Book Council

When: 6:45- 9:00 PM. March 12, 2008
Where: The Scholastic Center
557 Broadway, NY 10012-3962
Cross Streets: Near the intersection of Broadway and Prince St
Subway: D, F to Broadway-Lafayette St; N, R to Prince St.
Parking: http://newyork.zami.com/Soho/Parking_Garages

COST: FREE
[NJ Professional Development Hours are available- for information see below]

Program:
6:45- 7:00pm Check-In (No walk-ins, Pre-Registrants only)
(Please note all attendees MUST pre-register and bring State Picture ID to enter the event)
7:00- 8:15 Welcome, Author Presentations (Mark Teague, Laura Vaccaro Seeger)
8:15-8:30 Rebecca Miller (Children's Book Council Programs Associate)
“Get Involved! What the Children's Choice program and Children's Book Week can offer you!”
8:30-9:00 Book Signing (Copies of author’s books will be on sale at the Scholastic Bookstore – 20% Educator Discount)

PRE- REGISTRATION

FREE registration:
Phone: Call 201-200-2220 (M. Jerry Weiss Center
Email: weisscenter@njcu.edu (Subject: March 12th event) with name and contact information
Web: Fill in form http://web.njcu.edu/programs/mjwc/Content/contact_us.asp (Subject: March 12th event) with name and contact information

PDH- New Jersey Professional Development Hours Pre-Registration:
Attendees may pre-register for NJCU New Jersey Professional Development Hours
(1 ½ hours) $30
Call 201-200-3196 to register and pay $30.00 fee (MasterCard/Visa accepted)
Or mail the attached form with a check.
Make check payable to NJCU Foundation with designation in memo for M. J. Weiss Center.

Mailing Address: New Jersey City University
2039 Kennedy Boulevard
Hepburn Hall, Rm 112D
Jersey City, NJ 07305-1597




Professional Development Form
An Evening with Two CBC- Children’s Choice Authors and How to Become Involved in Children’s Choice Program and Children’s Book Week


Program Registration Information Required (PLEASE PRINT)


Date of Program: ________________________________________________

Name of Program: ________________________________________________

Name: ____________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
¬¬¬¬¬____________________________________________________

E-mail: ____________________________________________________

Telephone: ____________________________________________________


Payment Options
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 03/07/2008

Credit Card:  Visa  MasterCard

Card Number: __________________________________Expiration Date:_______________

Program Fee: $30.00 $_________
Donation to the M. Jerry Weiss Center: $_________
Payment Total $_________

Credit card Payments – Call 201-200-3196 during business hours.
Check payment : Make check payable to NJCU Foundation with designation in memo for M. J. Weiss Center.

Mailing Address: New Jersey City University
2039 Kennedy Boulevard
Hepburn Hall, Rm 112D
Jersey City, NJ 07305-1597

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 03/07/2008

If you have any questions please contact us at weisscenter@njcu.edu ; 201-200-2220

COLLEGE FAIR TOMORROW AT Newark Public Library

THE HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAM INVITES ALL--and we do mean ALL!--NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND JUNIORS TO:

THE BIG COLLEGE NIGHT!

WHERE: THE NEWARK PUBLIC LIBRARY
Springfield Avenue branch
50 Hayes Street (14th Avenue)
Newark, New Jersey
973-733-7736

WEHN: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2008
4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Confirmed Colleges:

Rutgers-Newark, Bloomfield, University of New Haven, Montclair State University, Seton Hall University, NJIT, Fairleigh-Dickinson University, Felician College, Delaware State University, New Jersey City University, William Paterson University, Ramapo College, Syracuse University, Drexel University, Duke University, St. Peter's College, and lots of others!!!

And check this out:

*Scholarship Applications Available
*Community Service Opportunities
*Registration for FREE SAT Preparation classes *Registration for SAT/ACT tests

There will be on-site college recruitment and application fee waiver opportunities for high school seniors. Please bring two(2) letters of recommendation, personal statement, high school transcripts, SAT scores and parents' 2007 income tax return.

For more information, contact:

Lyndon Brown at 862-368-4261 or
call the Library at 973-733-7736!

High School English and World LiteratureTeachers Opportunity- Deadline 3/31/08

Teaching East Asian Literature in the High School

Every summer the East Asian Studies Center at Indiana University holds a weeklong professional development workshop called Teaching East Asian Literature in the High School for high school English and world literature teachers. Because it is generously funded by the Freeman Foundation, this workshop is offered to participants free of charge, except for a $60 registration fee. The workshop will take place July 13-19, 2008 in Bloomington, Indiana.

Please visit the website at
http://www.indiana.edu/~easc/lit_workshop/index.htm
for information about the workshop, schedules, reading lists, and lesson plans from previous years’ workshops, and to download a PDF application.

This weeklong workshop provides a broad overview of East Asian literature to high school English and world literature teachers. Participants are only responsible for a $60 registration fee (if accepted), two meals a day during the workshop, and travel to and from Bloomington. All other costs will be covered.

Two days each will be devoted to Chinese and Japanese literature and a day and a half to Korean literature. Faculty literature specialists will lead lectures and discussions on the texts that the participants will have read beforehand, and history experts will present on the historical and cultural contexts of the texts. A curriculum consultant—a high school teacher with many years of experience teaching East Asian literature who will discuss practical ways to bring these texts to the classroom will also be available.

At the end of the workshop, participants will complete lesson plans based on one of the works studied. With the completion and acceptance of their lesson plans, their school will receive a $300 book-buying grant. Participants may also take the workshop for three graduate credit hours through Indiana University, offered at the in-state tuition rate.

The application deadline is March 31, 2008 or until the workshop is filled, and admission is rolling. If you should have any questions, please contact Katie Venit at kvenit@indiana.edu
 

K-12 Public School Teacher Fellowships

Secretary Spellings has announced the creation of Teaching Ambassador Fellowship positions for currently practicing, K-12 public school teachers at the U.S. Department of Education for the 2008-2009 school year. These positions will offer highly motivated, innovative teachers the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience to the national dialogue on public education.

The Fellowship includes two kinds of opportunities for teachers across the U.S. Up to 20 Classroom Fellows will remain at their schools under their regular teaching contracts and will be paid to participate in additional Department discussions and projects throughout the school year on a part-time basis. Up to five Washington Fellows will be chosen to become full-time, paid federal employees in Washington, D.C. for the school year, working on education programs and participating in policy discussions.

Teaching Ambassador Fellows will be selected based upon their record of leadership, impact on student achievement, and potential for contribution to the field. Highly qualified K-12 public school teachers who have spent at least three years in the classroom are eligible to apply. Teachers must be currently practicing in and employed by a public school district to be eligible. To ensure collaboration at the school and district levels, teacher applicants must have the full support of their school principals.

Applications are due by April 7, 2008. Teaching Ambassador Fellows will be named by early summer for the 2008-2009 school year.

Please read the detailed information found at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship to learn more. Be sure to click on all of the links to review the following:
Program Overview (http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/programoverview.html)
Eligibility (http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/eligibility.html)
Applicant Info (http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/applicant.html)
Application Instructions (http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/applicationinstructions.html)
FAQs (http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship/faq.html)

African American Lives 2 is on TONIGHT!

Building on the widespread acclaim of African American Lives (2006)[This video is in the library V2615] and Oprah's Roots (2007), AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 2 again journeys deep into ancestry of an all-new group of remarkable individuals, offering an in-depth look at the African-American experience and race relations throughout U.S. history. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns as series host, guiding genealogical investigations down through the 20th century, Reconstruction, slavery and early U.S. history, and presenting cutting-edge genetic analysis that locates participants' ancestors in Africa, Europe and America. Joining Professor Gates in the new broadcast are poet Maya Angelou, author Bliss Broyard, actor Don Cheadle, actor Morgan Freeman, theologian Peter Gomes, publisher Linda Johnson Rice, athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, radio personality Tom Joyner, comedian Chris Rock, music legend Tina Turner, and college administrator Kathleen Henderson, who was selected from more than 2,000 applicants to have her family history researched and DNA tested alongside the series' well-known guests.


Broadcast Times for the Henry Louis Gates Special:

Channel 50 (WNGN)
African American Lives: The Road Home; A Way Out of No Way
Thursday, February 14, 9:00pm
The second-season premiere features Tom Joyner.

African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Saturday, February 16, 3:00pm
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors.

African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Thursday, February 21, 9:00pm
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors.

WNGN Digital Channel
(Check Listings for Channel)

African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Thursday, February 21, 9:00pm
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors.



Channel 13 (WNET)

African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Saturday, February 16, 3:00pm
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors

WNET Digital Channel
(Check Listings for Channel)
African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Friday, February 15, 11:00am
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors.

African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Sunday, February 17, 9:00am
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors.

African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Monday, February 18, 12:00pm
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors.


Channel 21 (WLIW)

African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Sunday, February 17, 9:00am
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors.

African American Lives: We Come from People; The Past is Another Country
Monday, February 18, 12:00pm
Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother; Peter Gomes's ancestors.

2008 Garden State Book Awards

The Children’s Services Section of the New Jersey Library Association announces the following recipients of the 2008 Garden State Children’s Book Award:

(The Garden State Children’s Book Awards were established in 1977 in order to give recognition to books for elementary grade readers.)

EASY-TO-READ BOOK
ONE NOSY PUP by Carol Wallace, illustrated by Steve Björkman


EASY-TO-READ SERIES BOOK

HENRY AND MUDGE AND THE GREAT GRANDPAS by Cynthia Rylant,
illustrated by Suçie Stevenson
Juv.R994hg

FICTION, GRADES 2 - 5

LUNCH MONEY
by Andrew Clements, illustrations by Brian Selznick

NON-FICTION, GRADES 2 - 5

RUNNY BABBIT: A BILLY SOOK by Shel Silverstein
Juv.811.54 .S5878r



The nominees are selected by a committee of the Children’s Services Section of the New Jersey Library Association on the basis of literary merit; the winners are chosen by popularity with readers.

A three-year lapse from the original publication date is allowed in order to determine popularity. The awards are given in three categories, with the option of one additional series category: a work specifically designated as “Easy-To-Read” by the publisher; a work of fiction for grades 2 – 5; a work of non-fiction for grades
2 – 5.

Awards, presented annually at the NJLA spring conference, are given to both the author and the illustrator. This year’s conference will be held at the Ocean Place Conference Center in Long Branch, from April 29-May 1 with the awards presentation luncheon on May 1.


For further information, visit the NJLA website at www.njla.org.

A Black History Gem from the Past!- The Brownies' Book

A Children's Magazine for the "Children of the Sun"
During the two years from 1920-1921, a children's magazine edited by W.E. B. Du Bois, Jessie Fauset and Augustus Dill was published. The magazine, an offshoot of Crisis, was dedicated to a positive representation of children of color. It not only contained short stories, poetry and graduation notices of Black youth (Langston Hughes among others), but it also contained columns about global affairs and world folklore. The Jury (letters to the editor column) gives an amazing snapshot of the problems experienced by black youth and their parents at that time.

A digitized version of the magazine is avalable at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.rbc/ser.01351

Lesson plans for the journal are available at
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2370/

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/TLRESOURCES/units/Byrnes-famous/hughes.html

The Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library has several books with information and critical evaluations of The Brownies' Book:

PS153 .N5 B526 2007b 2007
Free within ourselves : the development of African American children's literature

PS153.N5 J64 1990 1990
Telling tales : the pedagogy and promise of African American literature for youth

PS153 .N5 S62 2004
Children's literature of the Harlem Renaissance

Pedrito's World Book Reading- 2/12/08-3PM

Author Arturo O. Martinez to Read Excerpts from Pedrito’s World on February 12 at 3pm.

Author Arturo O. Martinez will read excerpts from his middle school novel, Pedrito’s World, at New Jersey City University on Tuesday, February 12 at 3:00 p.m., in room 202 of Hepburn Hall, 2039 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City. Mr. Martinez will also autograph copies of the book, which will be sold at the free program. The community is welcome.

Meet six-year-old Pedrito, who lives on a South Texas farm with his mother, father, and younger sister. The year is 1941, and except for a trip to the big city of San Antonio, five hours away, Pedrito's life is the farm and the school he attends in a village a few miles away. Pedrito's father has the papers he needs to work legally in the United States, but that doesn't stop the Border Patrol from harassing him and his son. Pedrito speaks only Spanish and is frightened on his first day of school when he learns that he must speak English. Luckily his teacher, Miss Garcia, is patient with her students, and soon Pedrito is sharing his new English words with his family. Pedrito also relates his opinion of outhouses versus indoor plumbing and tells of a happy Easter decorating cascarones. Pedrito's World is a window on the lives and culture of a Mexican family living and working in South Texas.

Sponsored by NJCU’s Federacion de Estudiantes Latino-Americanos, Council on Hispanic Affairs, Latino Cultural Center, and the Department of Modern Languages, the program will also feature an introduction by Dr. Grisel Lopez-Diaz, an NJCU associate professor of modern languages.

Visit the Weiss Center- Grossnickle 103!

Do you want to see the newest children's and young adult books?
A review center is just a few steps away in Grossnickle 103!
Visit the M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature
Hours are
Monday 12pm-5pm
Tuesday 12pm-5pm
Wednesday 12pm-4pm
Thursday 12pm-5pm

(The Center will be CLOSED Fridays)

For class visits:
Fill out this form
http://web.njcu.edu/checkbox_www/Survey.aspx?s=0bc9c63e323c49fd82be56c77d594df3

Do you need to book a library class visit to see the circulating portion of the Weiss Center or for instruction about databases for children's literature research, then click here
http://www.njcu.edu/Guarini/Forms/BIform.htm

New Documentary about Black Girls' Self Esteem

There is a new documenetary about Black girls and their declining self-esteem in the face of media representations (or the lack thereof) of themselves. The documenetary was based on the master's thesis of the director, Daphne Valerius.

This would be an excellent documentary to screen for teacher training, gender studies, and ethnic studies classes. It would also be suitable for upper-level high school students( grades 11-12). It does have some graphic language and graphic images (hip-hop videos), so parental permission might be necessary.

This is a crucial issue that should be brought to the forefront.

Please see:http://www.soulsofblackgirls.com/
for more information.

Spanish Language Materials-Book Fair-3/7/08

Please spread the word and save the date…
Spanish Language Materials Book Fair
Here is an excellent opportunity for librarians and educators to purchase Spanish language materials for adults, teens, and children!

FREE ADMISSION!
Date: March 7, 2008
Time: 10:00AM to 4:00 PM
Where: The Newark Public Library
5 Washington St.,
Newark, NJ 07101-0630
For Directions go to:
http://www.npl.org/Pages/AboutLibrary/directions.html

For parking information go to:
http://www.npl.org/Pages/AboutLibrary/directions.html#parking

Please send an email to lromerobpl@yahoo.com to confirm your attendance.

EVENT SCHEDULE & LOCATION:

10:00 AM Librarian’s orientation—Auditorium (4th Floor)
10:00 AM-4:00PM Book Fair—Centennial Hall (2nd floor)

For more information please contact:
Libbhy Romero
E-mail: lromerobpl@yahoo.com
Phone: 718-230-2435

Support our children! Support school libraries!

The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will be considering reauthorization of NCLB in the next month. In order for the SKILLs Act to be included in NCLB – that is, to place a state-certified school library media specialist in every school – each member of the Senate must co-sponsor the SKILLS Act.

What can you do?
Send Your Senators a "Save School Libraries" Valentine!

Click here

1. Click on the Take Action box
2. Fill in your zip code
3. Click Go
4. Fill in the form

Copy and paste the Talking Points

and send emails to your senators.

ALA Awards- Official List

American Library Association announces literary award winners


PHILADELPHIA - The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults - including the Caldecott, King, Newbery, Schneider Family and Printz awards - at its Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.

The following is a list of all ALA Youth Media Awards for 2008:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature. “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” written by Laura Amy Schlitz, is the 2008 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Candlewick.

Three Newbery Honor Books were named: “Elijah of Buxton,” by Christopher Paul Curtis, published by Scholastic; “The Wednesday Wars,” by Gary D. Schmidt, published by Clarion and “Feathers,” by Jacqueline Woodson, published by Putnam.
(Local Note: Jacqueline Woodson will speak on April 10, 2008 at the M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature's Annual Fundraiser Event to be held at Puccini's Restaurant in Jersey City.)

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children. “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” illustrated by Brian Selznick, is the 2008 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Scholastic.

Four Caldecott Honor Books were named: “Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine, and published by Scholastic; “First the Egg,” illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” illustrated and written by Peter Sís, and published by Farrar/Frances Foster; and “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity,” illustrated and written by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults. “The White Darkness,” by Geraldine McCaughrean, is the 2008 Printz Award winner. The book is published by HarperTempest, an imprint of HarperCollins. Four Printz Honor Books were named: “Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet,” by Elizabeth Knox, published by Frances Foster Books, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux; “One Whole and Perfect Day,” by Judith Clarke, published by Front Street, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc.; “Repossessed,” by A. M. Jenkins, published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins; and “Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath,” by Stephanie Hemphill, published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.

Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. “Elijah of Buxton,” written by Christopher Paul Curtis, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Scholastic. Two King Author Honor Books were selected: “November Blues,” by Sharon M. Draper, published by Atheneum Books for Young Adults and “Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali,” written by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, published by Candlewick Press.

“Let it Shine,” illustrated and written by Ashley Bryan, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Two King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “The Secret Olivia Told Me,” by N. Joy, illustrated by Nancy Devard, published by Just Us Books, and “Jazz On A Saturday Night,” by Leo and Diane Dillon, published by Scholastic Blue Sky Press.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award; “Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It,” written by Sundee T. Frazier is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. “Kami and the Yaks,” written by Andrea Stenn Stryer, illustrated by Bert Dodson and published by Bay Otter Press of Palo Alto, Calif. wins the award for young children (age 0 to 10).

“Reaching for Sun,” by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, New York is the winner in the middle grades category (age 11-13).

“Hurt Go Happy,” written by Ginny Rorby, a Starscape Book, published by Tom Doherty Associates, is the winner in the teen category (age 13-18).

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers. “There Is a Bird on Your Head!,” written and illustrated by Mo Willems is the 2008 Geisel Award winner. The book is published by Hyperion.

Four Geisel Honor Books were named: “First the Egg,” written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; “Hello, Bumblebee Bat,” written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne and published by Charlesbridge; “Jazz Baby,” written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie and published by Harcourt; and “Vulture View,” written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins and published by Holt.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. Orson Scott Card is the recipient of the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens for his novels “Ender's Game” and “Ender's Shadow.”

The Pura Belpré Award honoring Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children's books. Yuyi Morales, illustrator of “Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes and published by Holt is the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award. Margarita Engle, author of “The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano,” illustrated by Sean Qualls and published by Holt, is the 2008 Pura Belpré Author Award recipient.

Two Honor Books for illustration: “My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo gabito: La vida de Gabriel García Márquez,” illustrated by Raúl Colón, written by Monica Brown and published by Luna Rising and “My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo,” written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez and published by Children's Book Press.

Three Author Honor Books were named: “Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life!” by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and published by Marshall Cavendish; “Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale,” retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin and published by Peachtree; and “Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales and published by Holt.

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children. “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” written and illustrated by Peter Sís, is the 2008 Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Farrar/Frances Foster.

Two Sibert Honor Books were named: “Lightship,” written and illustrated by Brian Floca, published by Simon & Schuster/ Richard Jackson and “Nic Bishop Spiders,” written and illustrated by Nic Bishop, published by Scholastic/Scholastic Nonfiction.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video. Producer Kevin Lafferty along with executive producer John Davis, and co-producers, Amy Palmer Robertson and Danielle Sterling, are the 2008 recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video - for the production of “Jump In! Freestyle Edition.”

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for the most outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States.

VIZ Media is the winner of the 2008 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for “Brave Story.” Originally published in Japanese in 2003 as “Bureibu Sutori,” the book was written by Miyuki Miyabe and translated by Alexander O. Smith.

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “The Cat: Or, How I Lost Eternity,” published by Milkweed Editions, originally published in German as “Die Katze,” and “Nicholas and the Gang,” published by Phaidon Press, originally published in French as “Le petit Nicolas et les copains.”

The first-ever Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production is Live Oak Media for “Jazz.”

Five honor titles were named: “Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary 'Jacky' Faber, Ship's Boy,” produced by Listen & Live Audio; “Dooby Dooby Moo,” produced by Scholastic/Weston Woods; “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” produced by Listening Library; “Skulduggery Pleasant,” produced by HarperChildren's Audio; and “Treasure Island,” produced by Listening Library.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences “American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China,” by Matthew Polly, published by Penguin/Gotham Books; “Bad Monkeys,” by Matt Ruff, published by HarperCollins; “Essex County Volume 1: Tales from the Farm,” by Jeff Lemire, published by Top Shelf Publications; “Genghis: Birth of an Empire,” by Conn Iggulden, published by Delacorte; “The God of Animals,” by Aryn Kyle, published by Scribner; “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier,” by Ishmael Beah, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Sarah Crichton Books; “Mister Pip,” by Lloyd Jones, published by Random/Dial Press; “The Name of the Wind,” by Patrick Rothfuss, published by DAW; “The Night Birds,” by Thomas Maltman, published by Soho; and “The Spellman Files,” by Lisa Lutz, published by Simon & Schuster.

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture recognizing an individual of distinction in the field of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site. Walter Dean Myers, widely acclaimed author of picture books, novels, poetry and non-fiction for children and young adults, will deliver the 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture.
(Local Note: Walter Dean Myers is a Jersey City resident and a member of the Advisory Board of the M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature)

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children's literature experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALA Web site at www.ala.org.

Local Author wins the Arbuthnot Award

Walter Dean Myers of Jersey City NJ, wins the Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award for 2009 from the American Library Association.
See http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/arbuthnothonor/arbuthnothonor.htm
Other Award Winners are:

From Teri Lesesne, YALSA Blog http://blogs.ala.org/yalsa.php?cat=21
and the winners are...
I am sitting here in the Ballroom of the Philly Convention Center waiting for the awards ceremony to begin. Pardon typos along the way. I will clean this up later when I have some time to do more than type. We are set to begin shortly.

ALEX Awards

AMERICAN SHAOLIN
BAD MONKEYS
ESSEX COUNTY VOLUME 1
GENGHISTHE
GOD OF ANIMALS
A LONG WAY GONE
MISTER PIP
THE NAME OF THE WIND
THE NIGHT BIRDS
THE SPELLMAN FILES

SCHNEIDER FAMILY AWARD

KAMI AND THE YAKS young children
REACHING FOR SUN middle grade book
HURT GO HAPPY teen book

CORETTA SCOTT KING

CORETTA SCOTT KING STEPTOE: SUNDEE T FRAZIER for Brendan Buckey's Universe and Everything in It

Two author honor:

NOVEMBER BLUES BY SHARON DRAPER
TWELVE ROUNDS TO GLORY BY CHARLES SMITH

AUTHOR WINNER: ELIJAH OF BUXTON BY CHRISTOPHER PAUL CURTIS
ILLUSTRATOR HONOR

THE SECRET OLIVIA TOLD ME
JAZZ ON A SATURDAY NIGHT

ILLUSTRATOR: ASHLEY BRYAN FOR LET IT SHINE

EDWARDS: ORSON SCOTT CARD

PRINTZ HONOR:

DREAMQUAKE
ONE WHOLE AND PERFECT DAY
REPOSSESSED
YOUR OWN SYLVIA

PRINTZ WINNER: THE WHITE DARKNESS

BATCHELDER HONOR: THE CAT, NICHOLAS AND THE GANG

BATCHELDER AWARD: BRAVE STORY

SIBERT HONOR: NIC BISHOP SPIDERS, LIGHTSHIP

SIBERT WINNER: THE WALL

PURA BELPRE

ILLUSTRATOR HONOR: MY NAME IS GABITO, MY COLORS MY WORLD

ILLUSTRATOR WINNER: LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN

AUTHOR HONOR: FRIDA: VIVA LA VIDA, MARTINA THE BEAUTIFUL COCKROACH, LOS GATOS BLACK ON HALLOWEEN

AUTHOR WINNER: THE POET SLAVE OF CUBA

ODYSSEY AWARD:

HONORS: BLOODY JACK (LISTEN AND LIVE), TREASURE ISLAND (LISTENING LIBRARY), HARRY POTTER 7 (LISTENING LIBRARY), DOOBY DOOBY MOO (SCHOLASTIC), SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT (HARPERCOLLINS)

WINNER: JAZZ (LIVE OAK)

ARBUTHNOT: WALTER DEAN MYERS

CARNEGIE MEDAL (VIDEO): JUMP IN FREESTYLE EDITION

GEISEL AWARD HONORS: FIRST THE EGG, HELLO BUMBLEE BAT, JAZZ BABY, VULTURE VIEW

GEISEL AWARD: THERE IS A BIRD ON YOUR HEAD

CALDECOTT HONOR ILLUSTRATOR: HENRY'S FREEDOM BOX, FIRST THE EGG, THE WALL,, KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO

CALDECOTT: INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET

NEWBERY HONOR: ELIJAH OF BUXTON, THE WEDNESDAY WARS, FEATHERS

NEWBERY: GOOD MASTERS, SWEET LADIES

Where's the Curriculum Collection?

Looking for the Curriculum Collection on the third floor of the library?

It's now on the 4th floor
just to the right of the elevators by the windows.

Now users of the collection will have tables to at work atwhich to work in groups and will be near the computers to produce word documents for assignments.

AND that's not all!

The FICTION Juvenile picture books are now in the space formerly occupied by the CMC.

The Juvenile collection on the tall shelves will now have only:
beginning reader chapter books
middle school books
young adult literature

We hope to finish the transition by 1/20/08.

Please tell us what you think by posting a comment

Best Books for Young Adults 2008

Bonnie Kunzel, Kimberly Paone, and Sharon Rawlings presented their picks for the Best Young Adult Books for 2008 at the recent NJASL (New Jersey Association of School Librarians)conference.
Click this link to see their choices:
http://www.bonniekunzel.com/uploads/BEST_BOOKS_FOR_YOUNG_ADULTS_NOMINATIONS_2008_for_NJASL_-_final.doc

Call TODAY and save library databases!

You have a chance to make a difference! There is a meeting scheduled with the State Treasurer about NJKI this week. Your call TODAY could impact that meeting.


CALL TODAY!

NJKI is an award-winning program that provides information resources to every library in New Jersey that supports the needs of the business community, entrepreneurs and students/ faculty. More details at http://www.njki.org/


CALL Governor Corzine’s office, the number is 609-292-6000.

SAY:

I’m calling in support the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative.

I request that $1 million be restored to this program immediately.

Weiss Center re-opens January 14th!

Instructors!-
Don't forget to book a visit for your literature and education classes to see the newest books available for grades K-8 ( and graphic novels too!)

Click http://web.njcu.edu/checkbox_www/Survey.aspx?s=0bc9c63e323c49fd82be56c77d594df3 for information.

Golden Compass defended by ALA

ALA President Loriene Roy responds to attempts to remove
"The Golden Compass" from library shelves

CHICAGO - The following is a statement issued by American Library Association President Loriene Roy regarding efforts to remove "The Golden Compass" from libraries and schools.

"This week, the movie, ‘The Golden Compass,’ based on the first book in Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy entitled ‘His Dark Materials,’ will debut in theatres across the United States. The movie has triggered a boycott campaign sponsored by conservative religious organizations that believe the movie and the books are an attack on Christianity and the Catholic Church. The groups are urging parents not to see the movie or purchase the books.

"The call to boycott the filmed version of ‘The Golden Compass’ has inspired a parallel effort to remove the novel and its companion volumes from libraries and schools. Much like efforts to ban the Harry Potter books, fear and misinformation are driving the effort to deprive students and library users access to Pullman's critically praised books, which are recommended by both religious and secular critics.

"It is one thing to disagree with the content of a book or the viewpoint of an author; it is quite another thing to block access to that material because of that disagreement. Removing a book from a school or library because the author is an atheist, or because a religious group disagrees with the book's viewpoint, is censorship that runs counter to our most cherished freedoms and our history as a nation that celebrates and protects religious diversity.

"We encourage librarians, teachers and parents to resist the call to censorship. Censorship results in the opposite of true education and learning. Young people will only develop the skills they need to analyze information and make choices among a wide variety of competing sources if they are permitted to read books and explore ideas under the guidance of caring adults.

"We realize, of course, that not every book is for everyone. Parents know their children best and should guide their children’s reading. If parents think a particular book is not suitable for their child, they should guide their child to other books. But they should not impose their beliefs on other people’s children.

"By resisting the call to censor and boycott ‘The Golden Compass,’ we send the message to young people that in this country they have the right to choose what they will read and that they will be expected to develop the ability to think critically about what they read, rather than allowing others to do their thinking for them."

Note: Always check that your school or public library has a Materials Selectiion Policy when faced with censorship issues. Follow the procedures outlined in the policy. See this link for more information http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/challengesupport/dealing/dealingconcerns.htm

Essay Contest for 11-14 year olds

The Contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr.Essay Contest 2007/8 GuidelinesAwards
First Prize -$300.00 bookstore gift certificate
Second Prize -$200.00 bookstore gift certificate
Third Prize -$100.00 bookstore gift certificate

Eligibility
Entrant must be 11-14 years old and have permission of parent or legal guardian.

Essay Topic
The essay must answer the question, " What Would Martin Luther King, Jr. Say is the Main Problem Facing Young People Today and How Would He Deal with It?"

Judging Criteria
The essays will be read and ranked by a minimum of 3 judges using the following criteria:
1) thoughtfulness, 2) vocabulary and style, 3) grammar, punctuation, and spelling,
4) clarity, and 5) neatness

Essay Format
The essay must be between 250 and 500 words.
Typewritten and double spaced.
Entrant’s name should not appear on essay.

Submission of Materials
Please submit three copies of the essay, and a cover sheet that includes the entrant’s full name, complete address, phone number, and the parent’s or guardian’s name and signature granting the child permission to enter the contest. If the essay is submitted as part of a school assignment, the name of the school and the name of the teacher who assigned the essay and should be included.
All entries become the property of LaMar Educational Enterprises, LLC.

Contest Postmark Deadline
Entries must be postmarked on or before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 16th, 2008.

Restrictions
Essays of entrants who do not meet or adhere to the contest guidelines will not be considered.

Mail Essay and Cover Sheet To:
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ESSAY CONTEST
C/o LaMar Educational Enterprises, LLC.
41 Watchung Plaza, #192
Montclair, NJ 07042

Notification Date
Winners will be notified by February 12th, 2008

For More Information
Contact Dr. Ansley W. LaMar at 973 485 6591 (out of town call toll free 1 877-254-1287).

NEWARK Schools Job Fair-12/13/07

NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATION JOB FAIR!

Check this out:

WHAT: NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATION JOB FAIR

WHEN: Thursday, December 13, 3007
3:00 PM-- 6:00 PM

WHERE: CAMDEN MIDDLE SCHOOL
321 Bergen Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102

Seeking candidates in the following disciplines:

Bilingual Education--Elementary/Secondary
Educational Media Specialist--Elementary/Secondary
ESL--Elementary/Secondary
Learning Disabilities Teacher/Consultant
Mathematics--Secondary
Physical Education--Elementary/Secondary
School Psychologist
Science--Elementary/Secondary
Special Education--Elementary/Secopndary
Speech Language Specialist

More information available on the website:

http://www.nps.k12.nj.us