Website Review: Quick, Draw!

QUICK, DRAW! is a crowdsource project intended to help a neural network learn to recognize doodles.

An artificial intelligence project from Google, this fun, crowdsource project allows the public to help with machine learning research. Users are asked to draw a picture while the computer tries to guess what’s being drawn.

Librarians will find this website to be an excellent way to introduce youth to principles related to artificial intelligence, machine learning research, and crowdsourcing.

To visit the website, go to https://quickdraw.withgoogle.com/.

Book Review: Press Start!

PRESS START! by Thomas Flintham is a new adventure series from Scholastic’s Branches chapter book collection.

Each story features a child playing a video game. Like the child in the story, readers are immersed in the game world.

GAME OVER, SUPER RABBIT BOY! kicks off this series featuring Super Rabbit Boy, the star of a video game. 

SUPER RABBIT BOY POWERS UP! features nasty King Viking who seeks special powers to defeat Super Rabbit Boy. Our hero must overcome a series of obstacles in the Secret Land to beat King Viking to claim the Super Power Up first.

SUPER RABBIT RACERS! Immerses readers in an exciting racing video game featuring Super Rabbit Boy, King Viking, and other characters trying to win the Super Cup Power Up challenge.

Librarians will find this series a hit among newly independent readers who enjoy video games. At least two additional books will be available in 2018.

Published by Scholastic in 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Digital Spotlight: Nuremberg Trial Project

The NUREMBERG TRIAL PROJECT features thousands of primary source documents from the trials of military and political leaders of Nazi Germany.

Contents: This open-access collection includes both images and full-text versions of thousands of objects including trial documents, evidence file documents, trial transcripts, and photographs. In addition to search tools for locating specific documents, resources related to the Nuremberg trials can also be accessed by trial issue, people, and evidence files.

Classroom Connections: The collection would be a valuable resource for teachers exploring the topics of history, ethics, genocide, and war crimes. Ask students to examine a particular defendant or witness to gain insights into a particular incident.

Featured Digital Objects:
Malaria Experiments http://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/search/…
Poison Gas Experiments http://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/search/…
Karl Brandt http://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/search/…

To visit the collection, go to http://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/.

Digital Spotlight: Colonial North American Project

COLONIAL NORTH AMERICAN PROJECT shares archival and manuscript materials related to the 17th and 18th century in North America.

Contents: With over five thousand items, this digital collection includes primary source documents related to social life, education, trade, finance, politics, revolution, war, women, Native American life, slavery, science, medicine and religion. The collection also provides essays related to specific people, documents, and themes such as politics, and female laborers.

Classroom Connections: Integrate this collection into the history curriculum. Connect specific documents with thematic student inquiries such as slavery, war, and education.

Featured Digital Objects:
Diaries of Benjamin Guild http://colonialnorthamerican.library.harvard.edu/…/show/9178
John Hancock Books http://colonialnorthamerican.library.harvard.edu/…/…/hancock
The Winthrops http://colonialnorthamerican.library.harvard.edu/…/winthrops

To visit the collection, go tohttp://colonialnorthamerican.library.harvard.edu/.

Website Review: Roadside America

JOHN MARGOLIES ROADSIDE AMERICA PHOTOGRAPH ARCHIVE from the Library of Congress includes thousands of photographs from across America.

Contents: This large digital collection explores life in post World War II America. From drive-in theaters to old gas pumps, the photographs span the second half of the twentieth century.

Classroom Connections: Because there are no rights restrictions, students can use the works in their online projects. Students are sure to find a variety of interesting photos featuring roadside oddities. Ask students to write a short story based on one of the fascinating photos from this collection.

Featured Digital Objects:
Long Island Goose
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/mrg.06708/
Gas Pumps
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/mrg.00054/
The Donut Hole
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/mrg.07412/

To visit the collection, go to http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/,

Book Review: In the Shadow of the Sun

IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN by Anne Sibley O’Brien tells the heart-pounding story of two siblings trying to escape North Korea.

When her father is arrested, Mia and her brother Simon must find their to the border without being captured by North Korean soldiers. Carrying a smart phone with forbidden photographs, the siblings must find food and avoid detection as they make their way across North Korea to the Chinese border. This story of survival will keep even reluctant readers interested.

Librarians will find this compelling adventure story to be timely. Share it with students who enjoy travel, adventure, and mystery stories. Consider using it in a literature circle focusing on current events.

To learn more, go to the website at http://www.intheshadowofthesunbook.com.

Published by Scholastic on June 27, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Kids Cook Monday

THE KIDS COOK MONDAY is a website that encourages families to cook and eat together as a family.

This website contains resources for both adults and children. The About section features ideas for cooking as a family. The Resources area includes school program ideas, toolkits, and downloads to start a program. The Recipes section provides simple family recipes along with the opportunity to submit ideas. Finally, the News area features ideas and resources.

Librarians can use this website as the basis for an engaging library program, learning center, or display. Download the starter materials for lots of ideas. Build a healthy meals display that incorporates website materials along with cookbooks.

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

Website Review: Global Gender Gap Report

The GLOBAL GENDER GAP REPORT BROWSER tells an interactive story based on an award-winning data visualization from the World Economic Forum and Two-N.

Users scroll through recent global data showing gender equality data by nation. The story of gender issues is told through a series of compelling, interactive charts and graphs. This easy-to-use tool allows students to explore particular areas of interest such as regions of the world and changes over time.

Librarians will find this engaging tool to be useful in teaching concepts related to data literacy. Involve youth in using this dynamic tool to address their “big questions” related to gender equity. Of particular interest is the ability to visualize data by country.

To visit the website, go to http://projects.two-n.com/world-gender/.

Website Review: XYZA News for Kids

XYZA: NEWS FOR KIDS is a news website and app designed for children.

This attractive current events site contains easy-to-read news articles organized into categories including world, government, arts, science, sports, technology, fun, and entertainment.

Librarians will find this website to be a useful resource for informational reading across the curriculum. The short articles, interesting topics, and colorful photographs are sure to attract student attention.

A subscription-based program is available that allows users to customize their news page and participate in the Junior Reporter Program that encourages youth to submit their own articles, interviews, reviews, and more.

The resource is also available on iTunes as an app.

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

Book Review: The Silence

THE SILENCE by Mark Alpert is the final book in The Six trilogy.

The trilogy revolves around Adam and the pioneer program that’s intended to protect society from digital threats. In this action-packed conclusion, Adam finds his new powers difficult to control. The Silence along with surprising revelations adds a new dimension to the trilogy’s storyline.

Librarians will find this trilogy popular with science fiction fans and those that enjoy robotics and technology.

Published by Sourcebooks Fire on July 4, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Digital Spotlight: Echoes of the Great War

ECHOES OF THE GREAT WAR: AMERICAN EXPERIENCES OF WORLD WAR I from the Library of Congress tells stories from the Veteran’s History Project.

Contents: A companion to a larger “Experiencing War” project, this website contains three sections: Arguing Over War and Over Here, Over There, and A World Overturned. Each part includes an introduction, then connects users to specific narratives from the large digital collection. Primary source materials include audio interviews, photos, diaries, letters, and other materials.

Classroom Connections: Teachers will find this project useful in connecting the experiences of individuals to the larger war effort. Ask students to explore a narrative and compare their story with others.

Featured Digital Objects:
Hillie John Franz
http://memory.loc.gov/…/vhp-st…/loc.natlib.afc2001001.12617/
Gustav Hermann Kissel
http://memory.loc.gov/…/vhp-st…/loc.natlib.afc2001001.37555/
Roland H. Neel, Sr.
http://memory.loc.gov/…/vhp-st…/loc.natlib.afc2001001.01875/

To visit the collection, go to http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/,

Book Review: Song of the Current

SONG OF THE CURRENT by Sarah Tolcser immerses readers in an epic fantasy world on the sea.

Caro grew up expecting the river god to accept her as a wherry pilot. She hopes that a risky mission with a mysterious cargo will save her father and convince the river god to accept her. When things don’t go as planned, Caro must decide what she really wants out of life.

Librarians will find middle grade and young adult readers drawn into this captivating fantasy world. The sea voyage will be particularly appealing to fantasy adventure fans.

Published by Bloomsbury, an imprint of Macmillan on June 6, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: The Treasure Box

THE TREASURE BOX by Margaret Wild tells the moving story of a boy and his father who save a book after their library is destroyed during war.

This poignant story traces the life of a boy who helps save a book from destruction and later places the book in a new library.

Librarians will find this hopeful story to be useful in discussing topics related to war, emmigration, and cultural heritage.

Published by Candlewick Press on April 25, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver

DEWEY FAIRCHILD, PARENT PROBLEM SOLVER by Lorri Horn tells the story of a boy who gives parenting advice to his friends.

In this humorous intermediate novel, Dewey spends his time solving the parent problems of his peers. However, he soon finds that it’s not as easy to solve his own parent problems.

Librarians will find this book popular with fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Spy School, and child detective stories.

Published by Amberjack Publishing on August 8, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Native Voices

NATIVE VOICES is an online exhibition from the National Library of Medicine exploring health and illness from the perspective of Native peoples.

This online exhibition is divided into four sections: exhibition, interviews, timelines, and resources. The exhibition explores ways that wellness, illness, and cultural life of Native peoples are interconnected exploring the perspectives of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians as well as providing an art gallery. The project contains interviews with health professionals, community leaders, traditional healers, and others working on health-related issues. Users can access these by theme, name, or region. The timelines highlights key events from antiquity to today. Finally, the resources section contains career planning and educational materials.

Librarians will find lesson plans, online activities, and other resources that can easily be woven across the K-12 curriculum.

To visit the website, go to https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/.

Book Review: The Hawk of the Castle

THE HAWK OF THE CASTLE by Danna Smith is an informational picture book story revolving around medieval falconry.

Set in medieval times, the story follows a day in the life of a girl and her falconer father as who live in a castle. Along with the engaging narrative, the author provides boxes of information about birds of prey and the activity of falconry. The book concludes with author’s notes, an index, and resources.

Librarians will find this book to be useful for children learning about medieval times or those interested in falconry. Teachers will enjoy the connects to the social studies curriculum.

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

Published by Candlewick on April 11, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Digital History

DIGITAL HISTORY is a website focusing on tools and technologies to enhance teaching.

This resource-rich website provides resources for use by students and teachers in history learning activities. The website is divided into sections including eras, topics, resources, and references. Uses can also use the interactive timelines to identify teaching materials, textbooks, documents, and media by date.

Librarians will find endless resources to weave into the social studies and history curriculum. This website also provides useful primary sources to teach information literacy concepts. Partner with teachers to share the educational resources.

To visit the website, go to http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/.

Book Review: Royal Bastards

ROYAL BASTARDS by Andrew Shvarts is the first book in an adventure fantasy for teens.

The castle is filled with illegitimate children of the nobles including Tillandra. Along with half-brother and stable-hand Jax, Tilla becomes part of an unexpected adventure when a visiting princess named Lyriana decides to befriend her. The teens must run for their lives when a brutal coup threatens to cause civil war. The group must work together to survive and stop the war.

Librarians will find this young adult fantasy adventure a hit with teens. Readers will immediately connect with this raucous group of outcasts with a mission.

Published by Disney-Hyperion on May 20, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publishers.

Book Review: Wildman

WILDMAN by J. C. Geiger tells the story of a life-changing road trip in the Pacific Northwest.

Lance’s life is under control until his car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. A series of weird choices set him on a five day adventure that blends reality with magical realism. From train hopping and late night parties to a quirky romance, Lance’s quiet life will never be the same.

Librarians will find this coming of age story appeals to fans of John Green. The author’s blend of hilarious situations with authentic emotional connections will appeal to fans of contemporary fiction.

Published on Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Hachette Book Group on June 6, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: The Dragon Hunters Trilogy

THE DRAGON BROTHERS by James Russell is the first book in a new adventure trilogy for dragon fans.

Flynn and Paddy live on a remote island, so they’re surprised when a dragon swoops down and kidnaps their dog, Coco. This action adventure picture book traces their journey to rescue their beloved dog.

Librarians will find that this trilogy has broad appeal. Students will also want to download the map app to explore the Dragon Brothers’ world.

Look for THE DRAGON TAMERS (June 2017) and THE DRAGON RIDERS (August 2017) to complete the trilogy.

To learn more about this trilogy, go to http://www.dragonbrothersbooks.com/.

Published by Sourcebook Jabberwocky on April 4, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Digital Spotlight: City Readers

CITY READERS from the New York Society Library is a project sharing the borrowing records of library users from 1789 to 1805.

Contents: Users can browse or search more than 100,000 records of books, readers, and borrowing history from the New York Society Library’s Special Collections. Users can also explore featured content including visualization tools, circulation records, female records, founding fathers, and library catalogs.

Classroom Connections: Use this amazing collection to teach students about the use of library records in history. These records provide unique insights into library users and their reading habits along with information about books and their readers.

Featured Digital Objects:
Visualizations http://cityreaders.nysoclib.org/About/visualizations
Female Readers http://cityreaders.nysoclib.org/Gallery/60
Founding Fathers http://cityreaders.nysoclib.org/Gallery/46

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

Book Review: The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

THE DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART by Stephanie Burgis pairs dragons with chocolate for a fun children’s fantasy adventure.

When a young dragon named Aventurine leaves home to explore the world, she discovers chocolate and is turned into a human girl. With the help of a diverse cast of characters, Aventurine becomes an apprentice chocolatier.

Librarians will find an audience for this book among elementary youth who enjoy humorous fantasies and chocolate. The strong female heroine will be popular with young girls.

Published by Bloomsbury on May 30, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Enchanting the Desert

ENCHANTING THE DESERT is a unique digital monograph exploring Arizona’s Grand Canyon.

Based on a historical document, this collaborative project includes the work of geographers, artists, enthusiasts, and digital humanists. The project is divided into sections focusing on toponymy, exploration, settlement, tourism, and infrastructure.

Librarians will find this fascinating project serves as a good example of interdisciplinary collaboration. Work with the art and social studies teachers to encourage creative projects that connect geography, art, and humanities.

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

Book Review: Karl, Get Out of the Garden!

KARL, GET OUT OF THE GARDEN! by Anita Sanchez tells the story of naturalist Carolus Linnaeus.

Young Karl was a curious boy who loved examining plants and animals. He decided it would be useful to organize species into categories so they could be more easily identified. This young naturalist ultimately gained fame and success for this scientific work. The book concludes with additional information and sources.

With more depth than most picture books, librarians will find this biography provides a useful balance of nonfiction narrative and informational reading resource. Use this title in the science curriculum to bring alive the often boring topic of classification and naming.

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

Published by Charlesbridge, an imprint of Random House on March 21, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Digital Spotlight: Women Working

WOMEN WORKING, 1800-1930 is digital collection including Harvard Library associated with women’s history.

Contents: This collection includes books, diaries, records, magazines, catalogs, manuscripts, photographs, and other items associated with life in the 19th and 20th century.

Classroom Connections: This collection includes resources associated with women’s workplace regulations and conditions, home life, commerce, recreation, health, and social issues. Users can explore materials with a keyword search or by format. The collection also features notable people.

Featured Digital Objects: A teacher resources section highlights resources that can easily be connected to the social studies and history curriculum.

To visit the collection, go to http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/.

Book Review: A Face Like Glass

A FACE LIKE GLASS by Frances Hardinge tells the story of an underground people where facial expressions are learned.

When Neverfell arrives in Caverna, her face stuns the people around her because they aren’t accustomed to natural facial expressions. She must wear a mask and figure out how to survive in this strange world where society is connected to social status and every expression has meaning.

Librarians will find fans of Hardinge happy with this imaginative new middle grade fantasy. Share this novel with middle grade students ready for a book with strong characters, witty exaggeration, and creative world building.

Published on May 9, 2017 by Harry N. Abrams. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Fresh-Picked Poetry

FRESH-PICKED POETRY: A DAY A THE FARMERS’ MARKET by Michelle Schaub features over a dozen short poems exploring local foods and markets.

A series of short poems trace locally grown foods from the farm to market and finally to home. Each catchy poem explores a different aspect of the experience.

Colorful illustrations by Amy Huntington will connect children with the experience of a farmer’s market. The book concludes with reasons for visiting a local market.

Librarians will find this appealing picture book to be a useful tool for read-aloud activities. Consider building a learning station focusing on locally grown foods. Involve children in writing their own poetry about foods grown locally.

LocalHarvest.Org helps people locate farmer’s markets across the United States. Use it to locate a market near your school. Go to http://www.localharvest.org/seattle-wa

Published by Charlesbridge, an imprint of Random House. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: American Panorama

AMERICAN PANORAMA: AN ATLAS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY is an interactive historical atlas.

This online atlas project currently contains five maps. The Mapping Inequality (1935-1940) project explores New Deal America, the Forced Migration (1810-1860) map examines enslaved people, the Overland Trails (1840-1860) project focuses on trails west, the Foreign-Born Population (1850-2010) map features immigrants from around the world, and the Canals (1820-1860) project focuses on canals of the Northeast US.

Librarians will find this atlas is helpful for students who learn best though the use of visual communication. Involve students in discussing other topics that would benefit from an interactive atlas approach. Because the topics cover a variety of topics, the project can be integrated into both history and social studies classes.

To visit the website, go to http://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/.

For another historical atlas, go to http://dsl.richmond.edu/historicalatlas/.

Book Review: Rooting for Rafael Rosales

ROOTING FOR RAFAEL ROSALES by Kurtis Scaletta tells the connected stories of a boy with a passion for baseball and a girl who becomes a fan.

Told as connected stories, readers learn about the dreams of two young people. One hopes to become a professional baseball player and the other struggles to save the world’s bee population.

Librarians will find the connected narratives and compelling characters make this an unusually emotional story. The mix of the baseball and bee themes contribute to the appeal.

Published by Albert Whitman & Company on April 25, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Pictures of Nursing

PICTURES OF NURSING is an online exhibition featuring postcards depicting the social and cultural impact of nurses and nursing.

Produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, this website includes an exhibition, education, and digital gallery sections. The exhibition presents a series of short narratives along with primary source materials in five areas: introduction, a women’s mission, nursing as a career, gender of nursing, nursing and respectability, and the art of nursing. The digital gallery provides access to primary source materials and the education section features lesson plans, higher education resources, online activities, and other materials.

Librarians will find this online exhibition useful across the curriculum. This highly visual approach will be appealing for students of all ages.

To visit the website, go tohttps://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibi…/picturesofnursing/index.html.

Book Review: The Hidden Life of a Toad

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF A TOAD by Doug Wechsler traces the life cycle of a toad in photographs.

Using detailed, close-up photos and easy-to-read text, this amazing informational picture book takes readers day by day through the life of a toad. The book concludes with a glossary, science information, ideas for photographers, and additional sources.

Librarians will find this book to be useful in the primary science curriculum. Ask students to compare the life cycle of the toad with other creatures. Encourage them to build their own science book using public domain, online photos. Or, take their own nature photographs.

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

Published on March 14, 2017 by Charlesbridge, an imprint of Random House. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Teaching History

TEACHING HISTORY is the National History Education Clearinghouse website.

Aimed at K-12 teachers, this website contains teaching materials, history content, and best practices. Users can go directly to sections for elementary, middle, or high school education. Introductory videos are available by grade level along with an introduction to historical thinking and digital classroom resources. The spotlight section focuses on resources related to specific events such as Constitution Day. Beyond the basics, users can also explore the blog, issues and research, digital classroom ideas, and projects.

Librarians will find this to be an excellent resource in connecting history content with inquiry-based learning experiences. Seek resources that focus on historical thinking and teaching with primary sources.

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

Book Review: Star Scouts

STAR SCOUTS by Mike Lawrence is a colorfully illustrated science fiction graphic novel for children.

When Avani is abducted by an alien, she discovers that she’d rather be part of an intergalactic scouting troop than back on Earth with her fellow humans.

Librarians will find that the combination of an action-packed story and diverse cast of characters will appeal to young people. The second book in this new series is due in Spring 2018.

Published by First Second Books on March 21, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: 100 Leaders in World History

100 LEADERS IN WORLD HISTORY explores a hundred key people from around the global through history.

This easy-to-use project provides a gallery of leaders, video, classroom resources, and the results of an interactive survey. The leader section provides an overview of each leader. A video asks the question, “What Makes a Leader”? The classroom resources area provides a video, classroom ideas, lesson plans, printable posters, and other information. The results section provides statistical data and results of interactive surveys, and student-produced materials.

Librarians will find this unique website stimulates conversations and information investigations about leaders, leadership, and world history. Use it to draw interest in world history as well as the biography section of the library.

To visit the website, go to http://100leaders.org.