Timely Take-aways for Life Long Learners: Literature and Language

Whether exploring favorite authors, lesser-known works, or book history topics, several new titles provide breadth and depth to the study of literature, literary collections, speeches, and history. 

Index, A History of the
Dennis Duncan, 2022, W.W. Norton & Company Themes: Book History, Social History, Books

Book history fans will be enthralled by this fascinating history of the index. Duncan traces the little-known highlights of its design, use, and changes over time.

Take-aways: Students will related to how the index has evolved from print media into digital searches.

Everyday Emerson: A Year of Wisdom
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 2022, St. Martin’s Essentials, Macmillan Themes: Literary Collections

These daily quotes are intended to connect with everyday life and share the universal appeal of his writings.

Take-aways: English teachers will find these quotes to be excellent discussion starters. Ask students to consider whether they agree with the quote and how it applies to life in today’s world.

Walt Whitman’s New Orleans: Sidewalk Sketches and Newspaper Rambles
Stefan Scholberlein (Editor), 2022, LSU Press Themes: Literary Collections

After an introduction and excerpts from A Traveller’s Note Book, readers explore 50 short prose “sketches” and insightful information and resources about Whitman and his works.

Take-aways: Use this fascinating book to help students better understand Whitman and his use of sketches to share his insights into daily life. Ask students to create their own sketches based on their observations.

Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches that Would have Rewritten History
Jeff Nussbaum, 2023, Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan Themes: Literary Collections, Speeches

Sharing notable speeches that were never delivered, Nussbaum explores the historical contexts along with the content of dozens of speeches by well-known individuals. From change and crisis to apology and loss, each of the five parts examples a different theme that impacted the speech’s outcome.

Take-aways: Students are familiar with the famous speeches, but will find these less-known, never-heard speeches to be engaging and thought-provoking.

All the Knowledge in the World: The Extraordinary History of the Encyclopedia
Simon Garfield, 2023, William Morrow, HarperCollins Themes: Book History, Language Arts

Garfield’s conversational style turns what could be a dry history of the encyclopedia into an engaging exploration of this fascinating reference source. Through short, interesting chapters, readers learn about the authors and publishers along with the content and formats of the beloved encyclopedia.

Take-aways: Share examples from Garfield’s book, then ask students to adopt their favorite reference book category. From field guides to atlases, involve students in writing their own reference history.

Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain
Amy Jeffs, 2023, Andrew McMeel Publishing Themes: History, Social Science, Literature, Mythology

While tracing the history and interconnected mythology, Jeffs retells both well-known and lesser known tales. Along the way, readers explore key landscapes and legends. The linocuts are of particular note.

Take-aways: Written for a modern audience, young adults will enjoy the retellings. Involve teams of students in examining the early, prehistory, antiquity, or the Middle Ages and mythological themes.

The Wonderful World of James Herriot: A Charming Collection of Classic Stories
James Herriot, 2023, St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan Themes: Essays & Narratives

This illustrated version of Herriot’s popular narratives bring these classic stories alive for a new audience.

Take-aways: Inspire teen writers to use observation and humor in their own nonfiction narratives.

The Hobbit Encyclopedia
Damien Bondi & Vivien Stocker, 2023, Frances Lincoln, Quarto Group Themes: Literary Criticism

This illustrated guide to Tolkien’s universe features hundreds of entries related to characters, places, and plot elements.

Take-aways: Suggest this reference companion for fans of The Hobbit. Ask students to create their own “encyclopedia”.

Whether helping educators keep up-to-date in their subject-areas, promoting student reading in the content-areas, or simply encouraging nonfiction leisure reading, teacher librarians need to be aware of the best new titles across the curriculum and how to activate life-long learning. - Annette Lamb

Book Review: The Poetry of US

THE POETRY OF US from National Geographic contains over 200 poems celebrating the United States.

Celebrating the diverse people, places, and passions of the United States, this beautifully illustrated poetry book is organized by regions of the United States. After presenting several poems exploring American in general, the book features poems connected to eight regions including the US territories. While the book contains many well-known favorites, it also contains some lesser-known poems and poets.

Librarians will find this book of poetry useful for social studies and literature activities. The colorful photographs and large format may appeal to children who might overlook other books of poetry. Feature the book in curriculum activities exploring regions of the United States. Use the poems as an innovative way to jumpstart inquiries of states and regions.

Published by National Geographic on September 25, 2018. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website: Authorial London

AUTHORIAL LONDON is a literary geography web project of the Center for Interdisciplinary Digital Research at Stanford University.

The project compiles and maps references to London places found in the works and biographies of writers who lived there. Users can research the literary works of writers who lived in London. It allows students to explore and analyze curated passages from literary, geographical, and biographical perspectives. User can find out where famous and lesser known writers lived and figure out which writers lived near each other. Users click on a particular point on the map to bring up a list of authors associated with the same neighborhood.

Librarians can browse more than fifty authors and explore the places they lived and their literary works within dimensions of genre, form, period, social standing and neighborhood. Connect this website with social studies and history teachers.

To learn more, go to https://cidr-authorial-prod.stanford.edu/

Website: Read.Gov

READ.GOV is website from the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress.

The web resource links to key Library of Congress resources connected with reading. In addition to materials related to books and authors, users will also find many ways to participate with Library of Congress activities such as contests, events, and awards.

Students will particularly enjoy learning about the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and watching author webcasts.

Librarians will find this website to be a great way to weave literature, author, and reading activities into the classroom.

To learn more, go to http://www.read.gov/.

Website Review: HarperCollins 200

HARPERCOLLINS is celebrating it’s 200th anniversary in book publishing.

This web project explores the history of HarperCollins as a publisher along with providing insights into the history of great books. Users can explore a timeline, stories, collection of titles, information about reading and writing, and a look inside the archives.

Librarians will find that this website provides a fascinating exploration of book history.

To visit the website, go to https://200.hc.com/.

Technology Review: Yiddish Book Center

The YIDDISH BOOK CENTER is a comprehensive website providing information about language, literature, and culture.

The website contains access to collections, information sources, educational programs, and more.

The Digital Library and Collections area provides over 11,000 titles including oral histories, lectures, audiobooks, and other materials in Yiddish. Of particular interest are 800 children’s literature titles.

The Language, Literature, and Culture section provides articles, podcast interviews, and short films.

Librarians will find this to be a useful resource for students interested in exploring Yiddish and modern Jewish literature and culture.

To visit the website, go to https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/.

Digital Spotlight: Shakespeare Documented

SHAKESPEARE DOCUMENTED is a comprehensive online exhibition documenting items published during his lifetime.

Contents: A collaboration among the Bodleian Libraries, British Library, Shakespeare Trust, UK National Archives, and others, this collection includes nearly 500 primary source materials, this online project shares manuscripts that refer to Shakespeare during his lifetime, books printed during his lifetime, Stationers’ Register entries, printed editions of works, and documents connected to family members.

Classroom Connections: What makes this collection unique is the focus on his socio-economic status and profession during his lifetime. Use this collection to help students better understand Shakespeare’s daily life.

Featured Digital Objects:
Lawsuits https://goo.gl/uQCeR9
Personal Property https://goo.gl/n2EF4F
Contemporary Accounts https://goo.gl/3B5DDb

To visit the collection, go to http://shakespearedocumented.org/.

Digital Spotlight: Discovering Literature: Romantics and Victorians

DISCOVERING LITERATURE: ROMANTICS AND VICTORIANS from the British Library is a digital collection containing literary treasures and related resources.

Contents: This focused digital collection provides users with access to 1,200 Romantic and Victorian literary works, insights by 60 experts, 25 documentary files, and 20 teachers’ notes. A search tool can be used to locate specific historical materials such as diaries, letters, and photographs. Users can explore by author, work, theme, article, or video. A teacher resource section provides teaching ideas and educational materials.

Classroom Connections: English and history teachers will find this website to be a useful teaching resource.

Featured Digital Objects:
Goblin Market http://www.bl.uk/…/articles/an-introduction-to-goblin-market
Anthropomorphism in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland http://www.bl.uk/…/anthropomorphism-in-alices-adventures-in…
Child Labour http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victor…/articles/child-labour

To visit the collection, go to http://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians

Technology Review: Kids Learn Out Loud

KIDS LEARN OUT LOUD is a resource for audio and video learning on the web.

This audio and video learning portal contains thousands of educational audio books, podcasts, and videos designed for K-12 students. Content is organized by subject area.

While the website links to free content, the portal also contains fee-based resources. Use the Kids Free Stuff section for free podcasts and audio/video resources.

Librarians will find this website a valuable tool in locating audio resources for free and purchase. Of particular note is their audio sections on children’s literature and foreign language.

To visit the website, go to http://kids.learnoutloud.com/.

Digital Spotlight: Librivox

LIBRIVOX

Contents: Librivox is a website containing public domain books for free in an audio format. Volunteers donate their time to record the books. The connection contains books from around the word. Users can browse the catalog by author, title, genre, subject, or language. A blog features news items and recent additions to the collection. Users can download the audiobooks on their computer or mobile device.

Classroom Connections: Students and teachers seeking audiobooks will find this free collection to be useful across the curriculum. While it’s best known for its many classic works of literature, it also contains children’s books and nonfiction works. The collection is particularly useful for special needs students and those that learn best through listening.

Featured Digital Objects:
Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin https://goo.gl/ssAqRI
Aesop for Children https://goo.gl/jVnZFZ
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame https://goo.gl/NJaVji

In addition to the website, the content is also available through both Apple and Google Play.

To visit the website, go to https://librivox.org/.

Website Review: Disability History Museum

THE DISABILITY HISTORY MUSEUM website hosts a digital collection, educational materials, and museum exhibits exploring the historical experience of people with disabilities and their communities.

The Library Collections section contains a broad range of digital objects including letters, memoirs, chapbooks, postcards, photos, cartoons, and more that shaped the experiences of people with disabilities. Users can browse by category or search the collection.

The Education section provides ideas for teaching with primary sources. The materials explore ways to weave disability history topics into history, civics, and literature classes. After exploring an overview, users can examine lesson plans and other teaching tools of interest.

The Exhibits section is currently under development.

With over 3,000 primary source documents and images to explore, librarians will find this website to be an excellent tool for weaving the historical experiences of people with disabilities into the curriculum through the use of primary sources.

To visit the website, go to http://www.disabilitymuseum.org/.

Website Review: Capstone Kids

CAPSTONE KIDS is an engaging children’s website featuring characters from Capstone books.

The Characters section takes children to information about dozens of book characters. These pages contain short videos, information about the characters, book lists, interesting background information, author/illustrator information, and sometimes downloadable such as activities that can be printed.

The Make Stuff section features recipes, magic tricks, drawing, fold it, crafts, and projects. Written with children in mind, each page provides simple instructions, materials, additional project ideas, and downloadable handouts.

The Contests section is updated as new opportunities arise such as the Create the Scrappers Contest.

The Explore section features facts about a wide range of topics. Each page contains a topic, jokes, activities, information, quizzes, and games.

The Games and Quizzes sections feature dozens of games related to science, folk tales, health care, and other topics.

Librarians will find this website to be a fun way to connect reluctant readers to the world of books. Create a display that features book series and characters along with a tablet or laptop where children can explore the website. Periodically rotate the featured series. The short articles in the characters and explore sections would be useful for informational reading activities.

To visit the website, go to http://capstonekids.com/.

Website Review: Shakespeare for Kids

SHAKESPEARE FOR KIDS from the Folger Shakespeare Library contains eight, web-based learning resources for students.

Using primary source documents, the eight pages immerse children in the history surrounding Shakespeare and his works. While some resources focus on facts, others incorporate challenges and other activities.

Librarians will find this website to be an interesting way to explore facts related to Shakespeare and his works. However, much of the content relies on students having some background knowledge of the time period and Shakespeare’s works. Consider using the content to create your own bulletin board or display featuring the works of Shakespeare.

For older students, the main website contains a wealth of information about Shakespeare.

To visit the website, go to http://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-kids.

Website Review: RPO (Representative Poetry Online)

RPO (REPRESENTATIVE POETRY ONLINE) is a web anthology containing 4800 poems in English and French spanning 1400 years.

Containing the works of over 700 poets, the website sponsored by the University of Toronto Libraries is divided into poets, poems, and poetry.

Within the poet section, users can search by name, date, period, movement, nationality, and honors.

Within the poems section, users can search by title, date, form, rhyme, and collection.

Within the poetry section, users can locate works on a map, timeline, and calendar. Criticism, a glossary, and a bibliography are also available.

Librarians will find this to be a useful resource for both students and teachers. The map, timeline, and calendar features provide a unique opportunity to access and think about poetry.

To visit the website, go to http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/

Website Review: World of Greek Arts

WORLD OF GREEK ARTS from ArtsEdge is a fascinating, interactive, multimedia exploration of the origin and influence of the performing arts of Greece.

The resource is divided into two sections focusing on music and theater.

The Music of Greece area provides an audio series exploring both ancient and contemporary music of Greece. Users download three audio programs. these programs can also be accessed through iTunes.

The City Dionysia area explores the development of theater in Ancient Greece. The interactive takes students through key concepts using images, animation, and text to help students learn. Then, students follow the process of writing their own play based on the rules and structure of Greek tragedy. An engaging interactive allows students to select the players, masks, and props to stage their play.

A Glossary can be downloaded as a PDF to review key terms.

Librarians will find this resource to be popular among literature, art, theater, and history teachers.

To learn more, go to http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/interactives/greece.

Website Review: Annenberg Learner

The ANNENBERG LEARNER website contains hundreds of high-quality interactives for teachers and students of all ages.

Educators looking for interactives can narrow their search by grade level, discipline, audience, or software. Disciplines include arts, education, foreign language, language arts, literature, mathematics, science, and social studies/history.

Librarians can align the interactives with specific curriculum needs. The interactives can be integrated into the classroom or used in learning centers in the library.

To explore the interactives, go to https://www.learner.org/interactives/.

Website Review: KidLit TV

KIDLIT TV is a website exploring the world of children’s literature.

Designed for parents and educators, the online resource contains audio, video, and links to resources related to reading and children’s books.

The Storymakers series uses a talk show format to feature authors and illustrators.
The Field Trip section explores topics in children’s literature such as pop up books.
The Inside Scoop area features upcoming titles and kid lit news.
The Read Out Loud section contains videos of author’s reading their books aloud.

In addition, the website contains a community area featuring members of the children’s literature community from teachers and librarians to authors.

In addition to the website, the videos are available at YouTube. The YouTube Channel also links to book trailers and children’s videos from publishers and other sources.

KidLit TV is a fun way to keep up with what’s happening in children’s literature. Librarians will find the resource useful for locating new books and project ideas.

To visit the website, go to http://kidlit.tv/.

To visit the YouTube channel, go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRmmQ9RQUy0ha9EZkIfwa5g.

Website Review: The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF SHERLOCK HOLMES is both a physical and virtual exhibition focusing on the famous fictional crime investigator.

Although it would be fun to experience the traveling exhibition in personal, the website presents lots of information about author Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous detective.

The Path to Baker Street section explores those people who inspired the creation of Sherlock Holmes and the characters in the stories. Historical photographs bring the time period to life.

The Popular Fellow section features the movie and television adaptations. It also provides links to Sherlockian Societies, fan sites, and trivia.

The Footsteps of Holmes connects the fictional aspects of the stories to the real forensic science. Short videos and images highlight Sherlock’s methods.

The Sherlock in the Classroom area includes information, activities, and resources that can be used independently or in combination with a physical tour.

Create a librarian display featuring the works of Sherlock Holmes as well as a laptop with the website. Incorporate the suggested activities to make the display interactive!

To learn more, go to http://sherlockholmesexhibition.com.