Technology Review: Images of Change

IMAGES OF CHANGE is an visually-rich science website and app from NASA.

Both the website and app contain similar features.

From natural disasters to growing cities, users take a close-up look at pairs of images that show before and after scenes. Students can see glaciers that have melted, the devastation from floods and wildfires, and the impact of humans in different settings.

Each photo pair contains background information and a map showing its location. Photo pairs are shown side-by-side. With the app version, images can also be viewed individually or overlaid with a curtain slider to make comparisons easier.

Users can browse through the images or select categories including cites, extreme events, ice, human impact, water, land cover, top picks, and most recent. Images can also be viewed on a map.

Librarians will find uses for the images across the curriculum including both science and social science topics and issues. Use the image pairs to jumpstart discussions or as the basis for an exploration of topics related to climate change.

Because the project is from NASA which is a government agency, students can use their images in their projects. The website contains an option to download the image and also shows how to credit the source.

To explore the website, go to http://climate.nasa.gov/state_of_flux.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/app/images-of-change/id710564941….

Book Review: The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents... series

THE STRATFORD ZOO MIDNIGHT REVUE PRESENTS graphic novel series by Ian Lendler and Zack Giallongo is an engaging way to introduce youth to the works of Shakespeare.

Designed for the middle grades, Macbeth is the first book in this graphic novel series. A group of animals puts on plays for an animal audience at their zoo. Their first production is MacBeth. This child-friendly retelling includes the basic structure of the play along with hilarious comments from the audience during the performance. Although the most famous lines are evident, the play is shortened to focus on just the key elements.

Romeo and Juliet is the second book in this growing graphic novel series. In this fantasy adaptation of the famous play, animals are both the actors and the audience members. The brightly colored illustrations will draw young readers into the story and provide an engaging introduction Shakespeare for middle grade youth.

Librarians will find this series to be a wonderful way to introduce Shakespeare’s greatest works. Consider building literature circles that focus on each of Shakespeare’s key works.

To learn more about Ian Lendler, go to http://ianlendler.com/.
To learn more about Zack Giallongo, go to http://zackgiallongo.com/.

Published by FirstSecond, an imprint of Macmillan.

Technology Review: Global Shark Tracker

GLOBAL SHARK TRACKER by Ocearch is a science app and website that allows users to track the movement patterns of sharks using a satellite tracking system.

Both the app and website contain the same features.

In the Shark Tracker section, users can track sharks by recent activity, gender, stage of life, or location tags. Shark locations can be explored on a world map. Clicking a shark presents a photo, date, gender, tag date, and location. Clicking the “view more” option provides additional information including the shark’s name, species, stage in life, physical characteristics, and miles traveled. A description provides details such as the shark’s life experiences. It’s also possible to see the path where the shark has traveled.

The Science section provides detailed information about the science behind the project including the approach, methodology, research projects, expeditions, scientists involved, and papers published.

The Education area provides STEM lessons for Grades 3-5 and 6-8.

Users can also use the website and app to connect with the Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Blogger social media resources.

Librarians will find this science app to be an engaging way to learn about the navigation patterns of sharks. Pair the app with nonfiction books about sharks and shark conservation.

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

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/global-shark-tracker/id570772231….

Book Review: Watch Out for Flying Kids

WATCH OUT FOR FLYING KIDS by Cynthia Levinson tells the true story of teen circus performers from varied backgrounds who come together to confront issues related to racism, tribalism, and other social obstacles.

Following nine circus performers in two different circuses, this fascinating work of nonfiction describes a unique arts education movement that brings together teens with varied backgrounds. The story is told chronologically over a ten year period ending in 2014.

The many photographs and other illustrations will draw student interest. Sidebars provide background information and insights into the book’s many interesting youth. Engaging section headings within the chapters reflect the thoughts of youth. The book includes a pronunciation guide, prologue, afterword, author’s note, and index in addition to the body of text.

Librarians will find the youth circus theme provides an fascinating context for exploration of social issues. Consider using this book as a focus point for a discussion of diversity. Combine this book along with others focusing on social issues as part of a nonfiction literature circle. Use maps along with other nonfiction books to help students understand issues related to racism and tribalism.

Published by Peachtree Publishers on September 1, 2015. Review copy courtesy of the publisher.

App Review: LeafSnap

LEAFSNAP is a comprehensive field guide app focusing on tree species and their leaves.

Developed by researchers at Columbia University, University of Maryland, and Smithsonian Institution, the free app includes high-resolution images of leaves, flowers, fruits, petioles, seeds, and bark to help with tree identification. An onscreen ruler, color guide, and leaf pattern legend is useful in leaf identification.

The Browse section allows users to search for a particular tree and organize trees by common or scientific name. Users can also switch among the leaf mode and other views.

Using location software and mapping tools, the app will identify trees in your area. However this feature is only effective in some areas.

Users can take photos of leaves and create their own database of leaf photos for quick reference. In addition, the app uses visual recognition software to help identify trees based on photographs of their leaves.

Librarians will find this app to be a great addition to their science app collection. Both iPhone and iPad versions are available.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/leafsnap/id430649829?mt=8.

Book Review: Symphony for the City of the Dead

SYMPHONY FOR THE CITY OF THE DEAD by M.T. Anderson tells the compelling true story of composer Dmitri Shostakovich known for the symphony he created during the Siege of Leningrad.

This outstanding biography chronicles the life of Dmitri Shostakovich and his passion for music and the city he loves. After an engaging prologue that sets the stage, the book details the composer’s childhood through early adulthood. The middle section of the work focuses on the Siege of Leningrad, Shostakovich’s work on what become known as the Leningrad Symphony, and the impact of the symphony around the world. The book concludes with the legacy of the symphony, the end of World War II, and the rest of Shostakovich’s life.

Librarians will find that both performing arts and history students will find the book appealing. Much more than a biography, this story of bravery and patriotism explores not only the life of a person but also the history of a country, a city, and a symphony. Youth who enjoy biography will be drawn to the conversational narrative and inspiring storyline.

There are many excellent biographies for middle school youth and adults, but few quality works written for serious young adult readers. This biography contains the in-depth research expected of an adult work without the length and detail that can bog down high school scholars. The author’s note, source notes, bibliography, and index will be useful for student researchers ready to learn more.

Look for this magnificent biography to appear at the top of many awards lists for 2015.

Listen to Symphony No. 7 Op. 60 at https://youtu.be/HON-9Z1Greo.
Explore the score for Symphony Number Seven at http://goo.gl/pxkSkl.

Published by Candlewick on September 22, 2015.

App Review: Shakespeare

SHAKESPEARE by PlayShakespeare is a free app containing the complete works of Shakespeare.

With 41 plays, 154 sonnets, and 6 poems, students can search by exact or relaxed words or phrases. The free version contains options for changing color combinations along with fonts and text sizes. In addition to the text itself, students can also read detailed scene breakdowns.

The pro-version contains line numbers, a glossary, and other useful additional features.

Librarians will find this to be a practical resource for students seeking the works of Shakespeare for their English classes.

To learn more about the app, go to http://bit.ly/shakesfaqs.

Book Review: By the Numbers

BY THE NUMBERS: 110.01 COOL INFOGRAPHICS from National Geographic Kids is packed with amazing statistics, facts, and figures.

The book begins with an introduction to infographics and a table of contents providing quick access to specific types of visuals such as word clouds, heat maps, and timelines. Each two-page spread contains an attractive infographic containing facts, graphs, charts, word clouds, maps, photographs, timelines, diagrams, or other types of engaging images. Featuring measurements, trends, statistics, and other kinds of data, this book will bring numbers alive to middle grade readers.

Covering a wide range of subjects, each reader will find topics of interest to explore. Woven throughout the book are interviews with people who work with numbers ever day as part of their jobs.

Librarians will find this book to be a great way to connect infographics with math and information literacy. Create a display containing this book along with others featuring infographics. Provide youth with tools for creating their own infographic projects.

Published by National Geographic Kids on October 13, 2015.

Website Review: American Museum of Natural History YouTube Channel

The AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY YouTube channel contains hundreds of fascinating videos on a wide range of topics.

Dozens of playlists feature video collections of interest to students such as Kid Science, Nature’s Fury, Bison, Dinosaurs, Space, and more.

The videos range from very short clips to longer viewing experiences. Some of the videos provide an inside looking into how museum exhibits are created and the science behind the exhibits.

Use the search tool to seek out topics of interest within the AMNH YouTube channel.

Librarians will want to mine the channel for videos that can be directly connected to the science curriculum. Also, seek out STEAM related videos such as those related to science, math and origami.

To learn more, go to https://www.youtube.com/user/AMNHorg.

Book Review: Sally Ride: A Photobiography of America's Pioneering Woman in Space

SALLY RIDE: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF AMERICA’S PIONEERING WOMAN IN SPACE by Tam O’Shaughnessy tells the inspiring story of a scientist and astronaut who advocated for space exploration and science education.

Written by Sally’s long-time partner Tam O’Shaughnessy’s, this visually-rich photobiography is filled with personal photographs and artifacts including school papers, ticket stubs, letters, and receipts that provide intimate insights into the life of this very private person. What makes this work particularly appealing and unique is the way the author weaves in her own thoughts and memories of Sally throughout the narrative.

Although Sally Ride was best known as a space shuttle astronaut, this middle-grade biography explores the entire life of this famous woman. Unlike most works of nonfiction, this book doesn’t start with a Table of Contents. Instead, it begins with a prologue sharing the story of how Sally and Tam met. The book is divided into sections focusing on Sally’s early childhood, her tween and teen years, her college years, her time as an astronaut, and her life as an advocate for science education. The book concludes with a cast of characters, timeline, and index.

Librarians will find this to be a popular biography. It’s easy-to-read and highly illustrated making it particularly useful for reluctant readers. Unlike many biographies that examine a famous person at a distance, this book provides a very personal look at this private person. The author does a stellar job addressing Sally’s love-life using an age-appropriate approach. Although Sally will likely be known for her ground-breaking firsts as both a female and lesbian astronaut, the book focuses on her life rather than these labels.

It can be difficult to find engaging biographies for the middle grades. Look for this work of nonfiction on the best of 2015 lists!

Published by Roaring Brook Press an imprint of Macmillan on October 6, 2015.

Website Review: DoSomething.org

DOSOMETHING.ORG is a website that encourages young people to participate in social change.

User answer three simple questions:
What are you passionate about?
How long do you have?
What would you like to do?

The system then provides suggestions for causes that might be of interest. Or, users can browse current campaigns.

Campaigns include a wide range of topics from science projects to building activity books for children in the hospital.

The What is DoSomething section shares successes and reasons for participating.

Librarians will find lots of ideas for connecting youth with socially relevant service projects.

Visit the website at https://www.dosomething.org/.

App Review: How to Make Origami

HOW TO MAKE ORIGAMI by Sergey Burlakov is an easy-to-use app demonstrating how to create dozens of origami projects.

The app features patterns in categories including birds, boats, boxes and containers, clothes, flowers, Valentines, and other models. Each project contains a series of easy-to-follow steps. Users are presented with step-by-step instructions presented as text and also visuals. Simple animations show the folding procedure for each step. These animations can be repeated if necessary. The animation speed can also be adjusted.

Perfect for makerspaces, librarians could create a whole station around this app by just providing paper to get students started. Provide students with books for more ideas.

This app is free, but contains ads across the bottom and occasional pop-up ads.

The app developer has other craft apps available including how to quill, make balloon models, how to bead, and how to model clay.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/app/how-to-make-ori…/id472936700….

Book Review: Believarexic

BELIEVAREXIC by J.J. Johnson is a powerful autobiographical YA novel tracing a teen’s experience being hospitalized for treatment of eating disorders.

JJ appears to be a normal teenager. She does well in school and she takes dance lessons. She parties with her friends, but she doesn’t appear to be “out of control”. However, JJ knows she has a problem and decides that it’s time to face her inner-demons. Set in 1988, the story follows JJ as she enters a treatment facility for a combination of bulimia and anorexia.

What makes this real-world story particularly compelling is that the story comes directly out of the author’s journals. In addition, the author weaves informational pages into the story for those interested in the specific of her treatment and recovery. It concludes with notes directed at reader who might be suffering from eating disorders.

The thick volume combines a journal style with a free-verse and first person narrative approach making it interesting and quick and appealing to read.

Librarians will find this to be an excellent choice for youth wishing to learn more about the experiences of a teen with eating disorders. Combine it with nonfiction works for a display featuring adolescent risks and preventions.

The novel’s website is an excellent resource for those wishing to learn more about eating disorders and the origins of the novel. It includes links to online resources, the author’s journals, and other bonus materials.

To explore the author’s website, go to http://www.believarexic.com/.

Published by Peachtree Publishers on October 1, 2015.

Book Review: Stay!

STAY! by Alex Latimer is a captivating picture book about a boy and his dog.

After last year’s vacation disaster, Ben’s dog Buster will be staying with grampa this year. Ben’s dad suggests that Ben create a list of things Buster likes so Buster and grampa will have a good time. During vacation, Ben continues to think of ideas, so he sends postcards to his grandfather. In the end, grampa has some ideas of his own to share with Ben.

The adorable storyline combined with engaging illustrations make this book perfect for the target audience. Children will enjoy creating their own lists related to their pets.

Librarians will find a huge audience for this alluring picture book. Create a display with other books about naughty pets.

Learn more about the author at http://www.alexlatimer.co.za/.

Published by Peachtree Publishers on September 1, 2015. Review copy courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: The Cancer Atlas

THE CANCER ATLAS is a website providing fascinating information about the global cancer landscape.

Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, World Health Organization, and the Union for International Cancer Control, the attractive and content-rich website contains sections focusing on different aspects of the problem.

The Data section provides access to an interactive map. Users view data based on metrics such as smoking prevalence, air pollution, or most commonly diagnosed cancer. This data can be presented on a world map or by specific country. Users can also display information on a list. A button is available to learn more about a particular metric. A comparison option is provided so users can compare data by country.

The Risk Factors section provides an overview to known risk factors along with specific factors such as tobacco, infections, diet and body composition, and UV radiation.

The Burden area discusses the global issues related to cancer noting issues in specific regions of the world.

The Taking Action area explores opportunities for cancer control.

Other areas include the History of Cancer and Glossary.

Librarians will find this highly-visual approach to cancer engaging for students. Use the website to promote your library’s many resources related to healthcare and cancer.

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

Book Review: Secret Coders

SECRET CODERS by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes combines an appealing action adventure with concepts related to computer programming.

When Hopper arrives at Stately Academy, she has a tough time fitting in until she meets a boy who shares her passion for solving the school’s mysteries. Together, they use binary numbers and beginning computer programming to unlock secrets kept by the school’s custodian.

Written for middle grades students, the graphic novel seamlessly weaves mathematics and computer science concepts into a witty school story. The attractive illustrations contribute both to the engrossing tale, as well as understanding of the math concepts.

Librarians will find that this book appeals to children who enjoy smart school stories. It also provides librarians with the chance to promote nonfiction books related to codes, computer programming, and robotics. Connect the book with makerspace activities related to STEAM. Mystery lovers will also enjoy the story’s unusual cast of characters.

Teachers will find this new series to be a wonderful way to help young computer scientists learn programming concepts. The memorable stories provide a meaningful context for remembering key ideas.

To learn more about this amazing new series, go to http://www.secret-coders.com/.

Published by FirstSecond, an imprint of Macmillan on September 29, 2015.

Book Review: I Don't Know How the Story Ends

I DON’T KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS by J.B. Cheaney is an engaging work middle grade historical fiction.

After her father enlists in World War I, Isobel along with her mother and younger sister go to stay with Izzy’s aunt in Hollywood. Hoping to impress a famous film-maker, Izzy’s cousin Ranger talks Izzy and her sister into helping him make a movie using a “borrowed” camera. However when a letter arrives from Izzy’s father, they reconsider the ending of their film and must face the real-world of war.

The movie-making theme may attract some readers who might otherwise avoid historical fiction. Librarians will find that youth are attracted to the movie-making theme. Show early Hollywood movies available at Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/moviesandfilms. Create a bulletin board showing early film makers and images from their movies. Then, set up your own video production maker station. Be sure to use editing features that turn the film black and white.

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

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky on October 6, 2015. ARC from the publisher.

Website Review: Admongo

The ADMONGO.GOV website helps tweens learn about advertising so they can become more discerning consumers.

Sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission, the multimedia campaign teaches advertising literacy concepts through engaging interactive games.

After creating a login, students begin the experience by learning to navigate the gaming environment. They then work their way through a series of challenges. For students who prefer to skip the gaming aspect, an interactive text-version of the learning experience is also available.

The learning environment presents participants with a series of experiences where they learn to identify advertising and marketing messages. Then, tweens are asked to apply critical thinking skills to make informed consumer decisions.

Parent and teacher sections provide lesson places and teacher videos. Educational materials including lessons, worksheets, and family handouts are aligned with national standards. The materials can be downloaded or hard copies can be ordered for free. In addition, a help area and glossary are also available.

Librarians will find this website to be an engaging way to teacher consumer literacy skills.

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

Book Review: Stanley's Diner

STANLEY’S DINER by William Bee is an adorable picture book about everyday activities at a restaurant.

The story follows Stanley’s day working at a diner. Questions are woven throughout the text to keep readers actively engaged in the story. The large, easy-to-read text and bright, computer-generated illustrations are attractive and easy to understand.

Librarians will find that young readers enjoy acting out restaurant activities and talking about what happens in the diners they’ve visited. Consider creating a display of books from the Stanley series including Stanley the Builder, Stanley the Farmer, and Stanley’s Garage.

Published by Peachtree Publishers on September 1, 2015. Review copy courtesy of publisher.

Website Review: Zooniverse

ZOONIVERSE is a website that provides users the chance to participate in real discoveries through citizen science projects.

This collaborative volunteer project lets users contribute to real-world, cutting edge research across content areas including the sciences and humanities.

Participants can jump into dozens of current projects including transcribing historical documents, recording the life of chimpanzees, and characterizing bat calls.

Daily Zooniverse provides engaging, quick resources and activities that would make great lesson starters.

The Talk area provides a place where users can ask questions. The Blog shares the latest project news.

The companion website, ZOOTEACH contains high-quality lessons and resources that connect with the citizen science projects in the areas of sciences, mathematics, humanities, and arts. Resources are available for K-12 and higher education.

Librarians will find the many authentic projects a great catalyst for inquiry and learning. Use one of the projects to jumpstart an investigation in your library.

Visit the website at https://www.zooniverse.org/.

Visit the lessons at http://www.zooteach.org/.

Book Review: Zeroes

ZEROES by Scott Westerfeld is a superhero action drama featuring a group of teens with unusual powers.

Ethan has a voice inside him who’ll say what people want to hear and Kelsie can control crowds. Along with other special teens, they face dangerous criminals.

While lacking the heart-pounding thrill-ride promised in the blurb, the book does provide a nice introduction to a series likely to be popular with teens.

Librarians will find that fans of shows like The Alphas, X-Men, and Heroes will be drawn to the superhero action and adventure storyline. However, those expecting Westerfeld’s steampunk or dystopian themes may be disappointed.

Published by Simon Pulse on September 29, 2015. ARC from Edelweiss.

Website Review: CDC Health E-Cards

Happy Halloween! Send a Halloween e-Card from HEALTH E-CARDS!

HEALTH E-CARDS from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is a website providing dozens of eCards that can be sent for special occasions or just to share important information about living a healthy life.

From sending an e-card about healthy pets to sharing information about hand washing, a wide range of cards are available.

Librarians will find endless applications for these fun and educational eCards. Print out the eCards for appealing, thematic bulletin boards. Or, get students involved with sharing what they’ve learned about healthy living by writing a summary and sending it on an eCard to their teacher.

To see a master list of e-cards, go to http://t.cdc.gov/ecards/browse.aspx?show=all.

Book Review: That's Deadly

Part of National Geographic Kids THAT’S series, THAT’S DEADLY by Crispin Boyer features “fatal facts that will test your fearless factor”.

A grim reaper named “Tim” introduces the deadly topic pointing out features of the book, defining key vocabulary, and introducing a creepy rating system that goes from risky business to sudden death.

While some chapters focus on deadly critters likes sharks, crocodiles, and snakes, others explore natural disasters, dangerous places, and extreme environments. A variety of visual presentation styles will keep youth interested. Pages include infographics, fact lists, diagrams, and photographs.

Designed for the middle grades, this engaging work of nonfiction is more lengthy that many of the other National Geographic Kids titles making it a great option for middle school youth. However the small type and dense text may be off-putting for some readers.

Published by National Geographic Kids on September 8, 2015.

Website Review: Warsaw Rising

WARSAW RISING is a website that tells the story of a the fall and rebirth of the city of Warsaw Poland.

The website is divided into sections that take users from 1918 through the present. The sections include Warsaw: The Capitol of Poland, Invasion of Poland, German Policy of Terror, De Polnische Untergrundstaat, Battle for Freedom, Insurgent Republic, In Stalin’s Grip, Destruction of the City, In the Shadow of Yalta, and Phoenix from the Ashes.

Each section includes short narratives, photographs, primary source documents, videos, and other materials to enhance the experience.

Users can move linear through the screens or stop to explore through the use of maps and other interactive elements.

Students will find this website to be an engaging way to learn about the impact of war on a city. Involve youth in thinking about how war has impacted other cities around the world. Ask them to build their own timeline incorporating primary source materials.

To explore the website, go to http://warsawrising.eu/.

Book Review: Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play

CLOTHESLINE CLUES TO SPORTS PEOPLE PLAY by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook is a rhyming picture book that engages young readers in a sports guessing game.

Each two-page spread shows clothes and equipment along with text information. Readers are asked about the sport the items represents. The next page reveals the answer. The sports players represent a mixture of genders and races. Although a variety of body shapes are represented, no noticeably disabled players are included.

A companion to Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do, librarians will find that this series of informational books provides endless possibilities for classroom activities. Consider connecting this story with nonfiction books exploring each sport represented.

While some children may never have seen a clothesline, they’ll quickly understand the premise and enjoy the learning experience. The clothesline approach could be turned into an engaging hands-on, flannelboard activity.

Published by Charlesbridge on August 4, 2015. Review copy courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Website Review: Analytics.usa.gov

ANALYTICS.USA.GOV is a fascinating statistical website from the U.S. federal government.

The website shows how many people are currently at government websites and tracks activities over time. Users can view the traffic over the past 90 days and see what devices, browsers, and operating systems are used by visitors. For instance, more than 40% of users are now using Google’s Chrome.

Users can also track what government domains have the most traffic. For instance during a 30 day period in Fall 2015, the most visited locations included National Institutes of Health, NOAA’s Weather, the Center for Disease Control, the Internal Revenue Service, and NASA. The data comes from Google Analytics.

Librarians will find this to be a captivating website to use with youth. Whether discussing website use with technology students or integrating real-world statistics into a math class, there are many uses for this website across the curriculum. Also, consider an activity that involves students evaluating the most used websites.

To learn more, go to https://analytics.usa.gov/.

Book Review: What We Saw

WHAT WE SAW by Aaron Hartzler is a work of young adult contemporary fiction that provides chilling insights into the rape culture found across America.

After a small town high school party, a teenaged girl accuses members of the basketball team of rape. Kate attended the party, but she and her basketball playing boyfriend left the party before the alleged rape. Soon, members of the basketball team are arrested and the media gets involved. Kate listens to all the different perspectives and tries to piece together what really happened.

Librarian will find a broad readership for this work of realistic fiction. The novel avoids strong language and graphic descriptions of rape. Instead, it focuses on the perspectives and actions of those connected with the incident.

While librarians are likely to immediately see connections to the 2012 Steubenville, Ohio gang rape incident, youth may not aware of the many examples of high school party-related rapes. This book provides an excellent opportunity to explore nonfiction works related to sex crimes their impact on the lives of teens.

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

Published by HarperTeen on September 22, 2015. ARC e-book.

Technology Review: Sesame Street

The SESAME STREET website, apps, and ebooks contain endless learning resources for preschool and primary children.

The website contains sections focusing on games, videos, art, and muppets. The games section provides age-appropriate games for young children including life skills such as a getting dresses and academic games such as letters and numbers. The videos section features short 2-3 minute videos on a variety of topics. Again, the interface is easy enough for small children to use. The Art Maker section provides easy-to-use interactive tools for creating everything from a cookie or pizza to a Jack-O-Lantern. The Muppets section allows users to explore resources related to their favorite character including games, videos, and art projects. Playlists are available based on specific topics and ages.

The bookstore area contains access to eBooks, audio eBooks, animated eBooks, and interactive eBooks. A subscription is required to access most of these books.

Dozens of apps are available including game apps, story apps, and ebooks. Educational bundles are available for sets of apps. Many of the apps contain the same resources found online.

Librarians will find a wealth of resources for preschool and primary children. Keep in mind that while the general website is free, access to the ebook website and many of the apps requires a license.

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

To visit the ebook area, go to http://ebooks.sesamestreet.org/.

To download apps, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/develo…/sesame-street/id339077104.

Book Review: Treasury of Norse Mythology

TREASURY OF NORSE MYTHOLOGY by Donna Jo Napoli is that latest book in the Treasury series featuring classic stories of intrigue, trickery, love, and revenge.

Napoli begins the book by discussing the origins of Norse mythology and introducing readers to the Norse gods. She provides resources for those interested in learning more about the Norse names.

Featuring well-known as well as lesser-known stories, each of the 18 stories is displayed in a large, easy-to-read font and illustrated with amazing paintings. Descriptions accompany each of the large illustrations. Of particular note are the intricate borders found on each page. In addition, many pages contain sidebars featuring historical information of interest to readers. Primary source documents are also woven into the text including an image from a 17th century illuminated manuscript.

The book concludes with a map and timeline, cast of characters, bibliography, and index.

While some of the names of gods, people, and places may be difficult for youth to pronounce, the storylines themselves will be easy to follow for middle grade readers.

With the popularity of Norse characters in movies, television shows, and computer games, librarians will find a large audience for this story collection. In addition to this book, librarians will also be interested in the titles focusing on Greek mythology and Egyptian mythology. The short stories are quick reads. Involve youth in reading a story and exploring more about the key characters.

Published by National Geographic on September 22, 2015.

Website Review: Smithsonian Encyclopedia

The SMITHSONIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA provides access to a multitude of online resources through an easy-to-use interface.

The online encyclopedia is organized into themes including Art and Design, History and Culture, Science and Technology, Mysteries of the Universe, A Biodiverse Planet, World Cultures, and The American Experience. Each section provides links to activities and games, fact sheets, online exhibitions, online features, reading lists, and research resources. While the resources are designed for the general public, they’re very useful for middle and high student projects.

Users can also explore by topic from aeronautics to women’s history or by resource type such as activities, games, online features, and teacher resources.

The Kids Favorites section is specifically designed for children. It provides access to dozens of activities and games found throughout the Smithsonian website. It also provides access to Fact Sheets that would be great for informational reading activities. Online Exhibitions of particular interest to youth are also provided including topics such as Abraham Lincoln, Butterflies, and Dinosaurs. Online Features include Invention Stories, Lewis and Clark resources, and the Dynamic Earth.

Librarians will want to spend some time mining this wonderful online resource matching the information sources with specific curriculum area needs.

To explore the website, go to http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia.

Book Review: Dumplin'

DUMPLIN’ by Julie Murphy is a contemporary, coming-of-age novel for young adults focusing on friendship, body image, and self-assurance.

Murphy tells the humorous, yet poignant story of a self-proclaimed fat girl who decides to enter a beauty pageant. Along the way, Willowdean and her friends experience the heartbreak and happiness that comes with best friends and teen romance.

Librarians will find a market for this book among youth who enjoy realistic fiction. Rather than dwelling on topics related to weigh loss, the relatable story focuses on issues of self-esteem, self-assurance, and gaining confidence.

Learn more about the author at http://juliemurphywrites.com/.

Published by Balzer & Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins on September 15, 2015. ARC e-book.

Book Review: Fright Club

FRIGHT CLUB by Ethan Long is an adorable picture book perfect for the Halloween season.

When Vladimir vampire calls a meeting of the Fright Club, he didn’t expect a cute little bunny to show up. When the club rejects the rabbit, the bunny enlists the help of his friends and a lawyer to convince Fright Club members that they can be scary and have a lot to contribute to their club. Themes related to stereotypes and inclusion make this more than the standard Halloween story.

The spooky illustrations contain just the right balance of humor and horror for young readers. The black text on the dark background can be a little difficult to read. Otherwise librarians will find this picture book popular as a Halloween read-aloud.

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

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books on August 11, 2015. Review copy courtesy of the publisher.