Website Review: Wonder

WONDER is a website exploring resources associated with the award-winning children’s book.

The website contains sections exploring the books, the movie, the characters, and the author. A teacher section links to educational resources including curriculum materials, and teacher-created materials. Information about the “Choose Kind” campaign are also available. Users can also download the free app containing daily affirmations.

Librarians will find this website to be a useful resource in extending the book and movie experience.

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

Website Review: Curious Critters Club

CURIOUS CRITTERS CLUB is a set of technology resources focusing on the quest for fictional creatures.

This technology-rich project includes a website, apps, and interactive books. Users participate in a mission to help scientists find new creatures. Participants become members of the Curious Critters Club and explore a world filled with 25 fictional characters. The website is available in both English and French. An app involves users in an augmented reality adventure. Two interactive story apps are also available including CALL OF THE GIANT EAGLE and THE MYSTERY OF THE CADDY.

Librarians will find the website an engaging way to introduce fictional creatures to children. Involve youth in writing about the characters and creating their own. Use the resources to tie storytelling with mythology and cultures from around the world.

To learn more, go to http://curiouscrittersclub.com/en/experience.

Book Review: Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker

BEATRICE ZINKER, UPSIDE DOWN THINKER by Shelley Johannes is the first book in a new chapter book series exploring friendship and social issues.

Beatrice is a fun-loving child who loves to do everything upside down. However, she’s disappointed when her best friend shows up to school with a new look and a new friend. She must find a way to fix her friendship without losing herself.

Librarians will find this easy-to-read chapter book perfect for readers who enjoy stories of friendship, school, and home. Many children will empathize with a girl who likes to be “upside down” and the book’s frequent, quirky illustrations will keep children reading.

Published by Disney/Hyperion on September 19, 2017. ARC courtesy fo the publisher.

Website Review: A Digital Volcano

A DIGITAL VOLCANO is an interactive website exploring an active volcano in Nicaragua.

Sponsored by General Electric, this immersive online volcanic expedition tells the story of how GE scientists learn about extreme environments and apply the data to real-world projects. Users scroll through a series of interactive screens containing amazing images and video footage. Along the way, users learn about how scientists are using big machines and data to identify issues related to power and our planet. The project explores the first steps in designing predictive systems for the natural world.

Librarians will find this interactive website to be useful in helping students bridge the science curriculum with real-world science projects.

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

Website Review: Landmarks

LANDMARKS is an interactive exhibition focusing on Canada’s National Parks and Historic Sites.

As part of their 150th anniversary celebration, this website celebrates Canada’s rich land and its history through stories and contemporary artwork. The interactive experience allows users to select a destination based on a night sky visualization. Users are then immersed into a particular location in Canada. As participants wander through the exhibition, they view images and listen to sounds, music, and stories created by Canadians. Many of the areas incorporate historical documents and other resources.

Librarians will find this website to be an interesting way to explore Canada’s natural and historical areas. Ask youth to select an American location and create their own interactive exhibition, story, sound, or piece of music. Build an interdisciplinary project that combines art, music, writing, and social studies.

To visit the website, go to https://landmarks2017.ca/experience/.

Website Review: Engineer for the Week

ENGINEER FOR THE WEEK is a computer science program for high school students to explore the world of engineering.

This week-long extracurricular program provides teens with practice applying computer science skills to engineering projects. The website is divided into the showcase, projects, and support. Materials are provided for both students and educators.

Students work in small groups with tools and resources to create products inspired by real-world problems faced by Facebook engineers. Participants use a systematic approach that involves design, development, testing, and iteration.

Librarians will find this website to be an excellent addition to their STEAM program resources. Consider incorporating the program into an after school club focusing on students interested in computer science and engineering.

To visit the website, go to https://engineerfortheweek.fb.com.

Book Review: The Exact Location of Home

THE EXACT LOCATION OF HOME by Kate Messner is a work of realistic fiction exploring contemporary issues including friendship, family, and homelessness.

Kirby, also known as Zig, is an electronics wiz who begins geocaching with his friends when he gets a GPS. While trying to hide his homelessness from friends and search for his missing father, he must also deal with the daily life of a middle grade life.

Librarians will find that this realistic story explores a plethora of timely social issues including homelessness, single parent families, environmental themes, and school friendships. Use the book as part of a reading group exploring issues of empathy and compassion. The electronics and environmental focus may increase interest among readers who enjoy STEM topics.

Published by Bloomsbury on September 12, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Digital Spotlight: Ph.H. Gosse Collection

The P. H. GOSSE Digital Collection contains color drawings of insects.

Contents: The digital collection contains 49 color drawings of butterflies, caterpillars, moths, beetles, dragonflies, and other insects.

Classroom Connections: Involve students in selecting a drawing to use in a science project. Ask them to label the image and research the insect.

To visit the collection, go to http://diglib.auburn.edu/collections/phgosse/.

Digital Spotlight: The Big Top Show

THE BIG TOP SHOW GOES ON is an oral history project focusing on the culture associated with the circus.

Contents: This oral history project was developed to preserve the voices associated with the tradition of the American “Big Top” circus. The collection contains interviews, video segments, classroom activities and additional resources.

Classroom Connections: Classroom activities aimed at grades four through six are available in the PDF format. Students will enjoy watching the videos associated with the project. The additional resources section contain an excellent set of links to extend the experience.

Featured Digital Objects:
Activities https://library.okstate.edu/…/circus/big-top-classroom-act…/
Popcorn the Circus Comic http://dc.library.okstate.edu/…/collect…/circus/id/212/rec/5
Videos https://library.okstate.edu/oralhis…/…/circus/big-top-videos

To visit the collection, go tohttps://library.okstate.edu/oralhistory/digital/circus/.

Digital Spotlight: National Film Registry

NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY SELECTIONS is a YouTube collection from the Library of Congress.

Contents: The collection contains thirty five films that have been identified by the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

Classroom Connections: Ask students to watch part of a film and discussion how it reflects the time period when it was produced.

Featured Digital Objects:
Popeye the Sailor https://www.loc.gov/item/mbrs00068306/
St. Louis Blues https://www.loc.gov/item/mbrs00063365/
Memphis Belle https://www.loc.gov/item/mbrs00009301/

To visit the collection, go to https://goo.gl/P8bKkL.

Website Review: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

The MET’S HEILBRUNN TIMELINE OF ART HISTORY tells the story of art and global culture using artwork from around the world.

This interactive website pairs essays and works of art with chronologies exploring global culture through art. The essays and works of art sections provide access to dozens of essays by time period, geographical region, or theme. The chronology area allows users to select a time period or geographical region to explore. For each piece of artwork, users can explore information and related topics and resources.

Librarians will find this website to be an interesting way to discuss timelines and other visual representations of information as part of an information literacy lesson. Art teachers will find the website useful in tracing the history of art, while history and social studies teachers can connect art to culture.

To visit the website, go to https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/.

Website Review: A Bear's Eye View of Yellowstone

A BEAR’S EYE VIEW OF YELLOWSTONE is an interactive exploration of the world of bears.

Created by National Geographic, this interactive project uses text, images, audio, video, maps, and infographics to provide insights into the life of bears living in Yellowstone National Park. After exploring one bear’s journey, users can follow other bears including both black bears and grizzly bears.

Librarians will find this website to be an excellent resource for reluctant learners. The mixture of audio, video, and images along with small text segments will draw interest. Use this interactive journey as a springboard to an inquiry-based learning experience focusing on animals.

To visit the website, go to https://www.nationalgeographic.com/…/yellowstone-national-…/.

Website Review: Stargaze

STARGAZE is an online project from the Weather Channel exploring dark skies and light pollution around the world.

Users are invited to explore the night sky in dozens of locations around the world. The website also provides information about how to figure out the best time for stargazing using the new moon calendar. Finally, students can learn about the causes and impact of light pollution.

Librarians will find this website to be an excellent introduction to importance of dark skies and the need to prevent light pollution. Collaborate with the science teacher on a unit that focuses on light pollution causes and prevention.

To visit the website, go to http://features.weather.com/stargaze/.

Book Review: Ultimate Space Atlas

ULTIMATE SPACE ATLAS from National Geographic Kids is an activity book filled with infographics, maps, games, and more.

After a table of contents outlining the six major space themes covered by the book, readers are provided with a page detailing how to use the atlas. The visually attractive, brightly illustrated book begins with an introduction to observing the sky. Next, readers explore the inner and outer solar system. Finally, young scientists explore the galaxy and beyond along with information about how space is mapped. The book concludes with additional games, a glossary, and index.

Librarians will find this title popular among children who enjoy space science and activity books. Of particular note are the many maps, star charts, diagrams, and other visual elements. Fans of trivia will enjoy endless hours of entertainment.

Published by National Geographic on June 6, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Cassini: The Grand Finale

CASSINI: THE GRAND FINALE explores the two decade mission of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft.

This comprehensive website provides data and information about the journey of the Cassini mission to Saturn. Sections of the website include the journey, science, mission, galleries, news, and resources. The journey section is divided into a timelines, the spacecraft, behind the scenes, and the grand finale. The science area explores the discoveries found during the mission. Audio, video, images, and more can be found in the gallery. Use the resources section for teaching materials.

Librarians will find that science teachers and their students will find this website useful in tracing a NASA mission from beginning to end. Involve students in comparing this mission with other NASA endeavors.

To visit the website, go to https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/.

Website Review: Presidential Speeches

PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHES: WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE SPEECH? from the Library of Congress is a teacher resource exploring the people and events that shaped famous speeches from United States history.

This resource includes teaching ideas, photographs of presidents delivering speeches, audio and video of speeches, text of speeches, and other primary sources.

Librarians will find these resources to be useful in both the English and History curriculum. The easy-to-use, entry page would be particularly useful to teachers and students who are sometimes overwhelmed by large digital collections.

To visit the website, go to http://www.loc.gov/…/p…/presentations/presidential-speeches/.

Book Review: Tool of War

TOOL OF WAR by Paolo Bacigalupi is the third book in the popular Ship Breaker series.

Set in a post-apocalyptic era, this novel focuses on a genetically engineered soldier called Tool. Told through the eyes of various new and old characters trying to survive in a worn-torn world, the story explores compelling issues related to humanity, slavery, and moral ambiguity.

Librarians will find this riveting series to be popular with fans of dystopian literature. Teens will be particularly drawn to the timely issues including climate change and bioengineering.

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Hachette Book Group on October 10, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Radio Garden

RADIO GARDEN is a website resource that helps users locate and explore radio stations around the world.

Upon entering the website, users are shown the live streaming radio stations their area. Clicking the green dots on the map shares information about the streaming stations. The History section provides historical information about radio stations and transmissions. The Jingles area shares radio jingles. The Stories section explores stories about experiences with radio. Users can submit their own stations and experiences.

Librarians will find curriculum connections related to communications and social studies. Involve students in listening to radio stations around the globe. Also, connect the website to foreign language classes.

To visit the website, go to http://radio.garden.

Website Review: Airview

AIRVIEW is a tool the provides information about air quality in a specific location.

Users begin by entering a street address or city. A Google Street View will appear in the background with a layer of information presented above the street view. Users can click on a particular type of pollution such as pollen, dust particles, or road wear to learn more about the air pollution type and the rating. Clicking in the upper right corner of the screen presents an overall air quality score.

Librarians will find this to be an interesting tool for teaching about data literacy. Ask students to compare their location with a global city such as Tokyo or Beijing. Or, involve students in learning more about the science of a particular type of air pollution.

Keep in mind that this website is sponsored by the Blueair air filter and purifier company.

To visit the website, go to https://airview.blueair.com/.

Website Review: Women's Footprint in History

WOMEN’S FOOTPRINT IN HISTORY is an interactive timeline from United Nations Women featuring well and lesser known trailblazers.

The attractive, interactive timeline features a women from history along with connections or implications for today. Students can stroll down through history or click on specific dates on the timeline.

Librarians will find this easy-to-use website useful for information literacy activities related to timelines and history. Involve students in creating their own “then” and “now” screens based on a person not found on the website timeline.

To visit the website, go to http://interactive.unwomen.org/…/womensfootpr…/en/index.html.

Website Review: The Garden of Earthly Delights

THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS is an online interactive adventure allowing users to explore the stories behind the artwork of Jheronimus Bosch.

This audio and video experience provides two options. First, users can freely explore the stories hidden behind the painting by clicking on areas of the image. Second, students can take an audiovisual tour of the painting. Keep in mind that this website contains artistic nudity.

Librarians will find this interactive project to be a fun way to learn about how stories connect to artwork. Ask students to explore the website, then use a tool like PowerPoint to create their own clickable stories about a painting of their choice.

To visit the website, go to https://tuinderlusten-jheronimusbosch.ntr.nl/en.

Book Review: Select

SELECT by Marit Weisenberg is a fast-paced, young adult fantasy.

When Julia is sent to a public high school, she tries to blend in. However she soon finds herself in a forbidden relationship that will impact her family and beyond.

Librarians will find fans of paranormal romance attracted to the love story, while fantasy lovers will enjoy the idea of the select community. The final twist will make readers wonder when the sequel will be released.

Published by Charlesbridge Teen on October 3, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Deforestation in the Amazon

DEFORESTATION IN THE AMAZON is an interactive project exploring the history and current status of the world’s largest rainforest.

Developed by the nonpartisan organization Council on Foreign Relations, this engaging experience takes users through seven topics including an introduction, climate, people, biodiversity, history, deforestation, and reversal. The interactive resource including text, photographs, audio, video, maps, and more. In some sections, users can click for more in-depth information. Teacher resources include discussion questions, learning exercises, and links to additional materials.

Librarians will find this website provides an outstanding introduction to the key issues associated with deforestation and recovery. Feature the website along with books on related environmental issues.

To visit the website, go to https://www.cfr.org/interactives/amazon-deforestation/#/en.

Website Review: Jewish Warsaw

JEWISH WARSAW is a museum website exploring the history of Polish Jews in Warsaw.

The website is divided into three section. First, the project follows the life of Janusz Korczak the founder of the first newspaper published by children and youth. Second, users examine the stories of nine people who influenced the social and cultural life of Warsaw. The stories are told using a graphic novel-type format. Finally, the website features a chronology of life before, during, and after the Holocaust.

Librarians will find students enjoy the easy-to-use, visual format of the website. Use the comic biographies to connect English and history classes particularly with reluctant readers.

To visit the website, go to http://warsze.polin.pl/en/.

Book Review: Invictus

INVICTUS by Ryan Graudin is a science fiction adventure for young adults.

When Farway Gaius McCarthy fails his academy exam, he joins a black market time traveling ship that steals historical artifacts. Along the way, he crosses paths with an array of interesting characters including a red panda. This fantasy adventure contains elements of humor and romance that keep the novel engaged from beginning to end.

Librarians will find this time travel adventure a hit with science fiction fans. Teens will particularly enjoy the time travel twists and mystery elements.

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers an imprint of Hachette Book Group on September 26, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Digital Spotlight: National American Woman Suffrage Association

THE NATIONAL AMERICAN WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION COLLECTION from the Library of Congress contains materials related to the suffrage movement of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Contents: Containing over 100 digitized documents, the collection includes many primary sources related to Carrie Chapman Catt along with other members of the movement. Documents include books, pamphlets, photographs, poetry, speeches, and proceedings of conventions.

Classroom Connections: Teachers will find this collection filled with insights into the day-to-day activities of the association and people that led the suffrage movement. Ask students to select a document that reflects a particular aspect of the movement such as arguments for the amendment or speeches in support of women’s rights.

Featured Digital Objects:
Are Women People?
https://www.loc.gov/item/15013348/
An Appeal to the Women of the United States
https://www.loc.gov/item/tmp80018697/
Solitude of Self
https://www.loc.gov/item/93838358/

To visit the collection, go to https://www.loc.gov/…/national-americ…/about-this-collection

Digital Spotlight: National Museum of African American History and Culture

The NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE features a digital collection of 37,000 items.

Contents: This large digital collection contains historical artifacts, documents, photographs, and media related to African American history and culture. Users can access the collection by topic, date or era, name, object type, or place. Students may wish to begin with an exploration of topics such as American South, American West, Civil Rights, Clothing and Dress, Communities, Education, Family, Literature, Military, Music, Photography, Politics, Religious Groups, Segregation, and Slavery.

Classroom Connections: Work with history teachers to weave this collection into particular eras of American history or historical themes such as Civil Rights.

Featured Digital Objects:
Civil Rights https://goo.gl/cvUicu
Post Cards https://goo.gl/ToC86Z
1850s https://goo.gl/2WCUSz

To visit the collection, go to https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/collection.

Website Review: YourShot

YOURSHOT from National Geographic is a social media project that encourages people to share photos.

The web project provides access to photos submitted by the online community including recent photos, trending images, and editor’s favorites. Users are encouraged to participate by contributing photos and stories based on specific assignments. The editor selects photos to share in the archives.

Librarians will find this website to be a fun way to introduce youth to photography. After exploring the website, participate in a Your Shot assignment or build your own. Discuss the website as an example of social media.

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

Book Review: Chasing Augustus

CHASING AUGUSTUS by Kimberly Newton Fusco follows a child on a quest to find her dog.

Rosie lives with her grandfather in a dusty small town. She’s angry that her absent mom gave away her dog and becomes obsessed with finding it. Along the way, she interacts with a variety of quirky characters.

Librarians will find this book appealing to middle grade readers who enjoy realistic stories of friends, family, and dogs. The book is broken into four parts with short chapters making it nice for small group reading assignments. Pair the book with other family and dog stories such as Because of Winn Dixie.

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House on September 19, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: The Climate Explorer

THE CLIMATE EXPLORER provides a toolkit for exploring historical and projected climate trends.

A collaborative project of US government agencies, this online tool allows students to easily explore climate data from every county in the contiguous United States. The projections let students see how climate change will impact local areas. Data is access by searching locations, viewing variables such as temperature and precipitation, or by exploring topics including coastal, tribal nations, transportation, ecosystems, and water.

Librarians will find the tools easy for upper elementary through high school students to use in data literacy projects. Connect with math, science, and social studies teachers for projects that connect data literacy across the curriculum.

To visit the website, go to https://toolkit.climate.gov/climate-explorer2/.