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.

Book Review: Martina & Chrissie

MARTINA & CHRISSIE: THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS by Phil Bildner tells the story of two women striving for excellence in tennis.

In addition to tracing the history of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s friendship and rivalry, this compelling picture book biography also weaves in historical information that provides a global context.

Brett Helquist’s engaging and realistic illustrations bring the competition to life for readers. The book concludes with a timelines and addition sources.

Librarians know that sports biographies are popular. With the current popularity of tennis, young women will be particularly drawn to this fierce rivalry.

To learn more about the author, go to https://philbildner.com/.
To learn more about the illustrator, go to http://www.bretthelquist.com.

Published by Candlewick Press on March 14, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Histories of the National Mall

HISTORIES OF THE NATIONAL MALL is a website exploring historical maps, stories, people, and events related to Washington DC’s famous mall.

In addition to a search tool that provides access to the digital collection, users can explore the resources through maps, explorations, people, and past events. The maps section provides an interactive map that allows users to explore areas of the Mall. The explorations area features scavenger hunts, along with fascinating questions and answers pages featuring items from the digital collection. The people section features key men and women who impacted the Mall. Finally, the past events area provides a timeline of key events and primary sources related to these happenings.

Librarians will find this website connects with many areas of history and social studies. Use the explorations section to jumpstart information inquiry projects.

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