Website Review: Author Jan Brett

JAN BRETT’s author website has been providing quality activities related to her books for nearly 20 years.

The Books section contains a complete booklist with high quality cover art. It also links to activities associated with each book.

The Activities area contains dozens of fun projects including bulletin board materials, bookmarks, certificates, alphabet resources, recipes, flashcards, and links to interactive games.

The Games pages including both computer games that can be played online and board games that can be created on paper.

The Coloring Pages provide thematic links to coloring pages that can be printed online or downloaded as PDF files.

The Murals section provides ideas and images that can be used to create murals for the library or classroom.

The videos page contains videos of Jan Brett drawing as well as her appearances and visits.

Users can use the email and printable cards pages to create communications. Or, listen to Jan Brett’s Hedge-a-Gram to hear directly from the author.

Keep up-to-date on what’s happening with Jan Brett on her blog. Participate in contests to win books and author visits. The Media and About pages provide information about the author.

This website contains endless ideas for library and classroom author and picture book activities.

Go to the website at http://www.janbrett.com/.

Book Review: The Book of Dares for Lost Friends

THE BOOK OF DARES FOR LOST FRIENDS by Jane Kelley is the heartwarming story of what it means to be a friend.

When Lanora starts middle school, she decides to drop her longtime best friend Val and seek new friendships. However when Lanora’s reinvention turns out badly, Val comes to the rescue with the help of a cat, a strange boy, and some new friends.

Although set in Manhattan near Central Park, Kelley’s story transcends time and place. Her deep understanding of friendship and families make the situations and dialogue feel authentic. Readers will enjoy Kelley’s well-developed characters and interesting plot twists. Subplots involving issues such as homelessness, shoplifting, and divorce are all on target for the middle-grade audience.

Librarians will find this quiet, hopeful story to be popular among middle-grade youth who enjoy realistic fiction with a hint of magic. Perfect for the coming-of-age crowd transitioning from elementary to middle school, the universal themes will appeal to many children.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.janekelleybooks.com.

Published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan on July 14, 2015. ARC from Edelweiss.

Website Review: Science Bob

SCIENCE BOB is an newly revised website providing excellent science information, videos, and activities.

The Experiments section contains nearly 40 science experiments with simple instructions. Each page contains a list of materials, directions, and a description of the science behind the experiment. Additional images and videos are provided depending on the experiment. Users can also download and print a PDF version.

The Science Q&A area contains answers to over a dozen common science questions and the opportunity to send in a question. Links are also provided to help with answering science questions. These FAQs would be great on the science bulletin board in the library.

The Science Fair Ideas page discusses the difference between a demonstration and an experiment. It then provides science fair project ideas, a discussion of the scientific method, science fair resources, and some useful advice.

The Research Help area contains links to science websites in the areas of space/planets, earth science/weather, animals/nature, physical science, human body, and other links.

The Video section accesses Bob’s YouTube channel with dozens of fascinating videos.

The Experiment blog keeps users up-to-date on the latest website additions including videos, experiments, and other information.

Use the Science Bob website as the kickoff for a library science club or science fair promotion. Science Bob (Bob Pflugfelder) is also the author of the Nick and Tesla science mystery book series. Connect these books to a science display.

To extend the experience, users can follow Science Book on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

For lots of science resources, go to the Science Bob Store.

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

Book Review: Trollhunters

TROLLHUNTERS by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus is a quirky, young adult fantasy thriller with enough macabre humor to keep teens entertained.

Jim’s uncle disappeared 45 years ago leaving his brother to become an overprotective parent. When teenager Jim is suddenly thrust into an underworld of trolls and other creatures, he must join a group of reluctant heroes to save his town.

Best known for his work on films such as Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth, del Toro brings his unique blend of fantasy and humor to the young adult audience. Teaming with science fiction author/director Daniel Kraus, they’ve created an action-adventure that will be particularly popular with male teens who enjoy quirky science fiction thrillers. The book’s beautiful illustrations bring the underworld to life for readers.

Librarians will find this book to be popular among teens who enjoy titles with connections to horror and the underworld. For middle school youth who devoured series like Gregor the Overland or Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Troll Hunters can serve as a bridge to young adult literature. While not outstanding, this dark fantasy is likely to attract enough followers to become a series.

Published by Disney-Hyperion on July 7, 2015. ARC from NetGalley.

Website Review: Canadian Geographic Kids

CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC KIDS is a website designed to help users explore the geography, history, and wildlife of Canada.

Part of Canadian Geographic, the kid’s section focuses on resources of interest to youth.

The Animal Facts area provides information about dozens of animals that can be accessed by species or the province where they are found. A web page is provided for each animal and the entire collection can be downloaded as a PDF file.

The Games section includes activities related to the environment, maps, animals, and nature. Screensavers and wallpaper can also be downloaded.

The Fun Facts page contains statistics, information, flags, and maps associated with Canada.

The Maps section provides access to the Canadian Atlas Online, award-winning maps, interactive world maps, historical maps, and other fascinating geography resources.

For older children, make use of the entire Canadian Geographic website including the magazine, atlas, mapping tools, travel information, photo section, and blog.

To extend the experience use their links to other geography websites. Also, connect to their social media presence such as Twitter.

Librarians will find this website to be an excellent starting point for discovering information about Canada. It’s also useful for a wide range of projects related to animals, science, nature, geography, and history.

To learn more, go to http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/kids/.

Book Review: Serafina and the Black Cloak

SERAFINA AND THE BLACK CLOAK by Robert Beatty is a spooky fantasy sure to capture the imagination of middle grade readers.

Set in 1899, Serafina and her adoptive father live in the basement of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. When children staying at the estate begin to disappear, Serafina attempts to solve the mystery of their disappearance and ultimately discovers a connection to her own unusual origin.

From the first few pages, readers will be curious about Serafina’s past and speculate about her peculiar appearance and talents. Beatty’s masterful balance of suspenseful situations involving the man with the black cloak and sweet encounters between Serafina and Braeden make this fantasy appealing to a wide range of readers.

Librarians will find an audience for this book with children who enjoy fast-paced suspense, historical mystery, and spooky fantasy. However lovers of historical fiction, magical creature characters, and friendship stories will also find the book appealing.

To learn more about the author, go to http://robert-beatty.com/.

Published by Disney-Hyperion on July 14, 2015.

Website Review: Build with Chrome

The BUILD WITH CHROME website provides users skills and tools for building exciting digital LEGO projects.

The LEGO Master Builder Academy section takes users through a series of challenges to help develop LEGO construction skills. Users are provided with tools and directions for creating basic projects. Completion of projects leads to new levels.

The WORLD OF BUILD area provides a map showing LEGO projects that have been created around the world. Users can pick a spot and add their own work.

The LEGO Build section displays a plate and bricks. Users can build their own projects. Users can share their work with others by copying the URLs provided.

Librarians can use this website as part of a display featuring LEGO books, bricks, and other materials related to the LEGO theme.

To visit the website, go to https://www.buildwithchrome.com/.

Book Review: The Six

THE SIX by Mark Alpert is a heart-pounding near-future thriller exploring artificial intelligence, digital preservation, and what it means to be human.

Adam’s body is withering away from the effects of muscular dystrophy. Along with five other terminally ill teens, Adam undergoes an operation that allows his brain to be merged with a computer to produce the first human-machine hybrids. Since the army controls the technology, The Six pioneers are obligated to work with the military on a top secret mission to destroy a rouge artificial intelligence known as Sigma who is about the exterminate human life on earth. The conclusion sets up the premise for a new series that’s likely to be popular with YA science fiction fans.

Alpert’s fast-paced plot, engaging writing style, and attention to scientific detail will be a draw for many young science and science fiction fans. Librarians will find this adventure-suspense equally popular among both male and female teens. Use this book to inspire youth to go back and read the works of Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and others. Also tie this work of science fiction with nonfiction books related to artificial intelligence, robotics, genetics, and physics. The many thought-provoking issues addressed in the text make it a good choice for book club discussions.

Librarians need to be prepared for questions about when the next book in this series will be available. It’s sure to be a YA hit.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.markalpert.com/.

Published by Sourcebooks Fire on July 7, 2015.

App Review: Art Games 2.0

ART GAMES 2.0 from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery is a collection of six, engaging, interactive video games based on different artworks.

Each of the challenging art games is inspired by a different artist including Jason Middlebrook, Robert Delaunay, Clyfford Still, Jorge Pardo, Piet Mondrain, Vassily Kandinsky, Do-Ho Suh, and Vincent van Gogh. Each portal contains an ABOUT section that provides information about the artist that inspired the game including examples of their work and how they fit into art history. The HOW TO section provides game instructions, and the PLAY button begins the game. Users can use the SETTINGS option to control the sound effects, music, or other features depending on the game.

Designed for ages 4-12, each game contains a spark of learning along with the fun. For instance, the Equilibrian game inspired by Piet Mondrain requires users to think about mathematics and balance. Brushtones inspired by Vassily Kandinsky combines art, music, and patterns. All six games are very different allowing for differences in abilities and interests.

Users begin by choosing a username and password, so each participant can customize their home planet and share their progress through social media. A user’s world evolves as he or she moves through the levels of each game.

Librarians will find this app a welcome addition to their STEAM app collection that connects science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with art.

The new app version can be downloaded for free, but the online version is still available for those who prefer to use a web browser.

To download the app or play online, go to http://kids.albrightknox.org/.

Book Review: Duncan, the Story Dragon

DUNCAN THE STORY DRAGON by Amanda Driscoll is an adorable picture book exploring the love of books and an unusual friendship.

Written for ages 4-6, Duncan the dragon has a passion for books and a great imagination. Unfortunately, he gets so excited when he reads that he catches the books on fire! Duncan decides he needs to find a buddy who can read to him so he can finally reach “the end” of a book. Children will enjoy his quest and his unusual friend.

Driscoll uses colorful, attractive images to draw attention and spark the imagination of young readers. The short sentences and large, easy-to-read type will encourage pre-readers to follow along with the words.

Librarians will enjoy building story time events around this amazing picture book. In addition to the books and reading theme, the topics of imagination, animals, and friendship provide many additional connections.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.amandadriscoll.com.

Published by Knopf, an imprint of Random House on June 9, 2015.

Tech Review: Digital Bodleian

The DIGITAL BODLEIAN collections make print items, archives, manuscripts, maps, images, and other materials from the Boolean Libraries at the University of Oxford available online.

According to their website, the digital library’s mission is to “make portions of the Bodleian’s extraordinary library collections open to a wide variety of users from around the world for learning, teaching, and research.”

The website provides four ways to make use of the digital library. First, users can search the digital archives using a powerful search engine. Second, a user-friendly interface is provided for browsing the collections. Third, users can create their own custom collections adding tags and notes. Finally, resources can be shared using social media.

The collections can be filtered by early printed books, ephemera, history and politics, maps, oriental, prints and portraits, science and natural history, western manuscripts, or through the many other collection areas available.

Of particular interest to librarians is the Treasures of the Bodleian section focusing on well-known and often used documents. This area provides access to materials of interest to teachers and students such as a letter from an Egyptian boy to his father, Marco Polo’s Travels, and The Gutenberg Bible.

To explore the treasures section, go to http://treasures.bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

To learn more, go to the website at http://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Book Review: The Night We Said Yes

THE NIGHT WE SAID YES by Lauren Gibaldi is a young adult romance that alternatives between “this summer” and “last summer”.

When Ella’s ex-boyfriend moves back to town, she must decide whether her broken heart can be mended so they can start anew. Told through short, alternating chapters, readers learn how Ella and Matt got together and discover whether their friendship can be rekindled.

From teen bands and Karaoke songs to summer parties and truth-or-dare, this coming-of-age romance is perfect for light, effortless reading. Teens who enjoy “chick lit” will flock to this summer romance. Those that prefer complex characters and deep meanings should seek out other works of contemporary, realistic fiction.

To learn about this new author, go to http://laurengibaldi.com/.

Published by HarperTeen, June 2015.

Website Review: Mocomi

Mocomi is an educational website providing short, informational interactives and reading experiences.

The term “mocomi” stands for MOtion COMIcs. Originally designed for children in India, the website’s goal is to help educate young people around the world through animation and storytelling. Designed for children 12 and under, the website contains over 1500 modules across content areas. The colorful graphics and animation will appeal to elementary grade learners.

The website is divided into “fun” and “learn” sections.

The “fun” section provides interactives in the areas of arts & crafts, drawing, printables, games, stories, poems & rhymes and kid’s wallpaper.

The “learn” section includes resources related to science, math, geography, history, english, civics, culture, environment, the arts, and general knowledge. Keep in mind that these interactives weren’t designed for US schools, so not interactives apply to American education. The interactives vary in their quality and format. While some are mostly linear, informational reading experiences, others contain interactive aspects. Many take the form of infographics.

Although the website contains lots of advertising, it shouldn’t be too distracting for students.

The MocomiKids YouTube channel contains dozens of high-quality educational videos. Go to https://www.youtube.com/user/mocomikids.

Librarians will enjoy working their way through the interactives matching them to the curriculum.

To go to the website, go to http://mocomi.com/.

Book Review: Tommy: The Gun that Changed America

TOMMY: THE GUN THAT CHANGED AMERICA by Karen Blumenthal explores the life of John Thompson and his deadly Tommy gun.

Although originally designed for military use, the Thompson submachine gun because the choice of bank robbers, bootleggers, and gangsters during the first half of the 20th century.

In this carefully researched work of nonfiction for youth, Blumenthal discusses the history of the weapon and the well-known outlaws and law enforcement officers who used it. The author does an excellent job connecting early gun control laws to today’s debate about the role of guns in society.

The book features primary source documents including historical photographs, maps, and diagrams. It also includes an extensive bibliography and notes.

Librarians will find this work to be popular with youth who enjoy books about the military, law enforcement, and crime. The fast-paced, fascinating narrative will appeal to reluctant readers. Look for it on the short list for the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal and other awards for nonfiction writing for youth for 2015.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.karenblumenthal.com/.

Published by Roaring Brook, an imprint of Macmillan USA.

Website Review: COSI Online Activities

The COSI (Center for Science and Industry) ONLINE ACTIVITIES contains fun and educational online activities connected with a variety of science topics.

Plan It Green activity involves youth in building a city and making decisions about renewable energy sources. Users can connect with friends online for a collaborative experience.

Bet the Farm is an investment game. Simple Machines is an interactive tutorial that introduces basic concepts and provides examples. In the Zoom, Drag, Push, Stop, and Go interactives, users learn about science while exploring outer space, skydiving, water skiing, driving, and other fun environments.

The project also links to the popular EdHeads activities including over a dozen other activities.

This website is a great way for librarians to start a conversation with science teachers about the value of adding learning interactives into their lessons.

To explore the website, go to http://www.cosi.org/online-activities.

Book Review: Shadowshaper

SHADOWSHAPER by Daniel José Older is an engaging urban fantasy following a Latina teen who discovers a world of magic, spirituality, and ancient secrets in her Brooklyn neighborhood.

Walking corpses, spooky spirits, and a crying mural introduce Sierra to a world of magic and shadowshapers. Friends and family members are reluctant to talk about this supernatural world, so Sierra must use her head, heart, and passion for art to survive and unlock the mysteries surrounding this strange spirit world.

Older’s conversational approach immerses readers in the urban setting and invites readers to visualize the artwork, the city, and the supernatural aspects of the story.

Librarians will find a broad, young adult audience for this book. While the story isn’t categorized as a romance, readers will be drawn to the relationship between Sierra and her friend Robbie. Those who enjoy contemporary realistic fiction are likely to enjoy the book even with its fantasy elements. Young anthropologists will like the aspects of the story that connect community, ancestry, and family. Finally, the magical and supernatural aspects are sure to be popular with fans of fantasy.

For librarians seeking books with diversity, this would be an excellent choice.

To learn about the author, go to http://ghoststar.net/.

Published by Levine, an imprint of Scholastic on June 30, 2015.

Tech Review: All About Birds

The ALL ABOUT BIRDS website (and app) from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides high-quality information about 599 species of birds.

The Bird Guide section contains a database of birds that can be browsed by name and shape or taxonomy. A table also shows the most popular birds. For each bird, lots of information is provided including identification, life history, sound, images, and video.

The Bird Cams section provides access to fascinating bird cams for barn owls, barred owls, hawks, herons, ospreys, albatross and Cornell feeders.

The Birding Basics section contains frequently asked questions, ideas for becoming a bird watcher, suggestions for attracting birds, help for taking photographs, a list of birding festivals, favorite places, and more.

The Living Bird section contains articles from Living Bird Magazine in the areas of science, conservation, art, people, travel, history, and photography.

The Get Involved section provides information about citizen science and choosing projects. Many Citizen Science projects are available such as the Yard Map, BirdSleuth, CamClickr, Urban Birds, and Great Backyard Bird Count.

To access specific information, use the search tool to explore the website and/or bird guide.

To keep up-to-date on new information, check out the social media elements including the blog, Facebook page, Pinterest site, Google+, and Twitter.

A YouTube channel provides access to dozens of videos. Go to https://www.youtube.com/user/LabofOrnithology.

The Merlin Bird ID App provides free, instant identification help for 400 North American birds. To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/merlin-bird-id-by-c…/id773457673….

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

Book Review: The Last Leaves Falling

THE LAST LEAVES FALLING by Sarah Benwell tells the story of an lonely teenager dealing with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Set in Japan, Sora becomes increasingly isolated as his ALS progresses. He seeks solace in friendships he forms online with people who see him as more than his disease. These friends are supportive as he contemplates his end of life choices.

Benwell does an excellent job moving between online conversations and short narrative segments. Her portrayal of a teenager with ALS is authentic, painful, and heart wrenching, yet this beautifully written book isn’t depressing.

Librarians will find readers among those who enjoy realistic stories about Internet friendships, acceptance, and disabilities. Keep in mind that the topic of assisted suicide is central to the story.

To learn more about ALS, go to http://www.alsa.org/

Published by Simon & Schuster, June 2015.

Website Review: Americans with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 2015.

To learn about the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), go to the government website at http://www.ada.gov/.

The ADA Anniversary Tool Kit website at http://www.adaanniversary.org/provides lots of resources to support this important anniversary. The ADA25 Pledge page focuses on ways to celebrate and recommit to the ADA. The ADA Anniversary Publications page provides definitions, history, statistics, and the official proclamation. The ADA Resources page provides information about history, technology, laws, and the impact of ADA on business, employment, and government. The ADA Videos page provides informational and educational videos about ADA and disabilities.

Also, check out the ADA Legacy Project at http://adalegacy.org/ This website is intended to preserve, celebrate, and educate people about the disability rights movement.

Librarians may wish to set up a display featuring both fiction and nonfiction works related to people with disabilities. Use the ADA Anniversary media kit for lots of ideas.

To download the media kit, go to http://www.adaanniversary.org/media-kit.

To learn more about how the American Library Association is celebrating this anniversary, go to http://www.ala.org/…/ascla-celebrates-25th-anniversary-amer….

Book Review: The Secrets of Blueberries, Brothers, Moose & Me

THE SECRETS OF BLUEBERRIES, BROTHERS, MOOSE & ME by Sara Nickerson tells the heart-warming story of twelve-year-old Missy who takes a job picking blueberries over the summer.

In this coming-of-age story, Missy learns that the world isn’t black and white, good or evil, or even right versus wrong. Instead, connections like divorce and remarriage, friendships, sibling relationships, and a family farm feud contain multiple perspectives that evolve over time.

Nickerson’s conversational writing style is perfect for middle grade youth negotiating a constantly changing world. Many youth will relate to Missy’s wide range of emotions regarding work and family.

Librarians will find a large audience for this realistic, coming-of-age novel that bridges the middle grades and young adult genres. While any of today’s novels contain over-the-top drama, this quiet story is a good choice for readers seeking relatable characters and authentic situations with a twist of secrets and the feeling of magic.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.saranickerson.com/.

Published by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin on July 21, 2015.

App Review: The Castle of Nightmares

THE CASTLE OF NIGHTMARES by Denis Jugo is a creepy interactive ebook about a boy’s experience with scary dreams.

Ten-year-old John becomes immersed in a dream where he tries to save a group of children from the queen of nightmares. Aimed at the lower middle grades, the story is spooky without being scary.

Readers work their way through the linear reading experience by clicking the forward or backward arrows. Interactive elements are found on each page from animating creepy spiders to exploring a castle map. Spooky music and sound effects are woven throughout the story.

The visuals are attractive and the animations contribute to the creepy atmosphere. While the font is generally easy-to-read, there are places where the text color could use more contrast. Some paragraphs are centered rather than left aligned making them a little more difficult to read.

While the writing won’t win any literary awards, it’s fine for budding fans of Alfred Hitchcock or other creepy classics. This ebook is perfect for reading under the bedcovers during a thunderstorm.

Librarians will find this ebook fantasy to be a hit with those who enjoy interactive stories.

To purchase/download the book, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id633303329?mt=8.

Published by Pixy Interactive.

Book Review: Big Top Burning

BIG TOP BURNING: THE STORY OF AN ARSONIST, A MISSING GIRL, AND THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH by Laura A. Woollett tells the true story of a circus fire tragedy and its aftermath.

Set in 1944, this well-written work of nonfiction for middle-grade readers describes the terrible fire that killed 167 people including 59 children. The book explores the many mysteries surrounding the disaster including the cause of the fire, criminal investigations, and identification of bodies. While some questions remain unanswered, youth will be intrigued by the scope of the story.

Filled with amazing photographs, survivor interviews, and other primary source materials, the book also contains an author’s note, notes, bibliography, and index. Wollett brings the incident alive by combining the historical accounts with the mystery surrounding the disaster. The author does a stellar job describing the gripping story in an age-appropriate way. For example, she focuses on the mystery of an unidentified little girl. Youth will enjoy evaluating the evidence and drawing their own conclusions.

This short book would be a good choice for reluctant readers looking for an interesting history project topic. Display it with other books about tragic fire disasters such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.laurawoollett.com/.

Published by Chicago Press on June 1, 2015.

Website Review: National Ice Cream Month

NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH is celebrated each July with National Ice Cream Day celebrated on the third Sunday in July.

The International Dairy Foods Association website provides a media kit with information about this special month as well as individual pages focusing on different aspects of ice cream. These pages would be useful for informational reading activities. Go to https://www.idfa.org/news-views/media-kits/ice-cream.

Go to Ben & Jerry’s How We Make Ice Cream page for a series of videos showing how ice cream moves from the farm and factory to the store. Go to http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/how-we-make-ice-cream.

To learn more about how ice cream is made, go to the How Ice Cream Works page from How Stuff Works at http://science.howstuffworks.com/…/edible-inn…/ice-cream.htm.

Explore the Ice Cream page at the Library of Congress for lots of photos and historical resources related to ice cream. Weave these into a history of ice cream project. Go to http://www.loc.gov/…/scitech/selected-internet/icecream.html.

Book Review: Deadly Design

DEADLY DESIGN by Debra Dockter is a fast-paced thriller involving mad scientists, genetic modification, and the sudden death of teens.

Kyle and Connor are genetically engineered identical twins born two years apart. When Connor dies of a heart attack without warning, Kyle soon discovers other patients created by Dr. Mueller aren’t living past their eighteenth birthdays. Can Kyle solve the mystery and save himself before his time runs out?

The genetics and medical aspects seem plausible enough to keep the suspense high and readers guessing. The writing flows smoothing making it a quick-red.

Designed for young adults, this science fiction, mystery-suspense will appeal to teens who enjoy friendship stories with a touch of romance as well as those seeking an action thriller. Librarians will find that the chilling, near-future science will attract those that enjoy plausible, medical thrillers.

To learn more about the author, go to http://debradockter.com/.

Published by Putnam/Penguin on June 2, 2015.

Tech Review: MakeBeliefsComix

The MAKEBELIEFSCOMIX website (and app) provides an easy-to-use tool for creating comic strips.

Two, three, or four panel comics can be created. Users begin by naming their comic and providing their name. Next, youth add characters, words, objects, backgrounds, and talk/thought balloons to the panels. Users can change the background color too. Sidebar tools allow creators to scale, bring to font, and flip elements. Comics can be printed or emailed.

In addition to the tool itself, other resources are provided including materials for teachers, special needs, and ESOL/literacy. Writing prompts and tools are also available. Free e-books provide lots of classroom ideas.

Librarians will find endless uses for this easy-to-use comic strip generator.

The comic creator is now available as an App through iTunes.

To create a comic, go to http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/…/make-beliefs-comix/id795026580….

Book Review: The Mothman's Curse

THE MOTHMAN’S CURSE by Christine Hayes is a spooky thriller for middle grade readers.

Living in America’s most haunted town, Josie is accustomed to strange happenings in her family’s auction house. However, the appearance of a Polaroid camera that captures images of a ghost draws Josie and her brother into a century old mystery. A ghost, a monster, and a cursed pin are just a few of the creepy things these witty siblings encounter as they try to prevent a disaster in their small Ohio town.

This fast-paced suspense will keep readers on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next. Hayes’ conversational writing style is easy to read and her characters are well-developed.

What will make the story even more compelling for young readers is the connection to with local legends about a real Mothman. Create a display featuring this book along with others about legendary monsters like Bigfoot and Sasquatch.

To learn more about the author, go to http://christinehayesbooks.com/.

Published by Roaring Brook on June 16, 2015.

Website Review: Funbrain

FUNBRAIN is a classic educational website for children containing games along with online books and comics.

For nearly two decades, librarians, teachers, and their students have enjoyed free educational games and online comics from Funbrain. Designed for youth in preschool through grade 8, the website contains over 100 interactive games focusing on math, reading, and literature topics.

Users can create a username and password to keep track of their gaming experiences. However, this isn’t required to use the website.

The Math Arcade provides a wide range of learning games associated with math concepts such as Space Slingshot, Cut It, Blast Off, and Space Fractions. These games aren’t intended for initial instruction, instead they’re a fun way to practice math skills. Beyond the arcade, youth will enjoy math baseball, tic-fac-toe squares, and connect the dots games.

The Reading Arcade provides access to books and comics for youth. Most are displayed in short episodes or chapters. Galactic Hot Dogs is the latest addition to this online collection. Tess’s Tree is a classic favorite. Books designed for younger children feature characters like Brainy Blueberry, Daisy Nuzzlehead, and Captain Buckleswash. Beyond the arcade, youth will enjoy the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, along with Lost Side of Subarea, and Skullduggery Island. Literacy games include Stay Afloat, The Plural Girls, and Grammar Gorillas.

In addition to learning games, the Playground section includes early learning activities designed for adults and children to experience together. Finally, the All Games area provides a master list of the materials including a list of the most popular games and resources organized by grade level.

Librarians will find this to be a popular website for youth seeking “free time” experiences with both educational and entertainment value. Many youth enjoy an affiliated world building website called Poptropica outside the school setting.

To learn more, go to http://www.funbrain.com.

Book Review: The Octopus Scientists: Exploring the Mind of a Mollusk

THE OCTOPUS SCIENTISTS: EXPLORING THE MIND OF A MOLLUSK by Sy Montgomery provides a fascinating look at the world of scientists studying octopus.

Part of the Scientists in the Field collection, the author provides stunning photographs to go with the interesting and informative scientific narrative. The story follows a group of scientists at the CRIBE’S field station as they collect information about the elusive octopus.

In addition to the engaging story of scientific investigation, the book also includes pages focusing on the scientists and fact sheets providing in-depth information on topics such as creature camouflage.

Feature this book in a library display focusing on creatures of the coral reef. Be sure teachers are aware of this growing collection of high-quality science books. The entire Scientists in the Field collection is a great way to address STEM standards and encourage careers in the sciences.

To learn more about the Scientists in the Field books, go to http://www.sciencemeetsadventure.com.

To learn more about the author, go to http://symontgomery.com.

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on May 26, 2015.