Technology Review: The Moonlit Road

THE MOONLIT ROAD is a website sharing ghost stories, folktales, myths and legends and tales of the American South.

Designed for older children and adults, this engaging resource contains hundreds of strange, dark stories from the American South. This free site includes original stories, adaptations, and old folktales passed down through oral tradition.

The resources are organized into categories such as Civil War era, creature stories, and kids stories. Users can read or listen to the story. Many of the stories have an accompanying image that connects with the tale.

The schoolhouse section contains lessons created by and for teachers using stories from the website.

Librarians will find this website a great way to bring traditional storytelling alive for students. Share the website with English teachers and students who enjoy traditional tales and spooky stories. Involve students in writing and sharing their own stories.

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

Book Review: Stella by Starlight

STELLA BY STARLIGHT by Sharon M. Draper provides a realistic portrayal of life in the segregated South during the Great Depression.

The author skillfully conveys the reality of life in a world where people are treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. From a random beating to a house burning, the scenes that demonstrate the terror instilled by members of the KKK are chilling. Through her use of age-appropriate examples, Draper is able to create convincing scenarios that convey both the injustice as well as the courage needed to survive in this period of intolerance and fear.

Many readers will empathized with Stella’s desire to be a writer as well as her difficulty in translating her thoughts into words on paper. Her use of the donated typewriter to write news article may inspire some budding authors.

Aimed at the middle grades, this outstanding work of historical fiction should be added to your school library’s growing collection of quality works dealing with African American life in the 20th century.

Like the works of Christopher Paul Curtis and Jacqueline Woodson, Draper is able to draw on both African American culture as well as universal human themes. This combination makes it a great book for literature circles, social studies, and language arts activities.

The year is just beginning, but put STELLA BY STARLIGHT on your Coretta Scott King Book Award short-list for 2015.

Edelweiss ARC used for review