The Big 50 Power Pack by Charles R. Smith Jr. Inspires Young Poets!

March 8th, 2013

With Poetry Month being right around the corner, now is the perfect time for Charles R. Smith Jr to announce his latest project, The Big 50 Power Pack.  Sold for $20.00 you can energize your poetry and creative writing instruction with The Big 50 Power Pack powerpoint CD. The 15 photo and 35 writing prompts can be used throughout the year to expand vocabulary, improve confidence and inject fun into the writing process.

What exactly is The Big 50 Power Pack?

The Big 50 is a Powerpoint CD that includes 50 writing exercises. Many of the Common CoreStandards are covered and all of the exercises can be adapted for grades 3-12.  The excerises were developed by Charles from his  twelve years of experience doing writing workshops across the country. All grade levels, teaching college students, and veteran teachers have all participated in the workshops and provided valuable feedback.

Does The Big 50 Covery any of the Common Core Standards? YES!

1. Reading Foundational Skills
   - Fluency
   - Phonic and word recognition
2. Writing Skills
   - Use precise language
   -Use sensory details
   - Use descriptive details
   - Timed exercises
3. Speaking and Listening
   - Comprehension and collaboration
4. Language
   -Demonstrate understaing of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
   - Interpret figurative language, including similies and metaphos, in context.
   - Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and styleAlso be on the lookout for….Charles’ new  youtube channel!!!  The channel includes videos of his performances and will soon include informational book talks on many of his publications.

Fairfield County LOOK…

March 8th, 2013

Take a quick glance at the latest children’s books stirring up rave reviews from all!  To view complete descriptions please see Kerri’s article in the Fairfield County LOOK!!

                                             
 Look! Another Book!                                Jangles a BIG Fish Story                       A Flower in the Snow

                                         
   The World is Waiting for You                     The Candy Smash                                 True Colors

                                                        
    Big Nate Flips Out                                              Seven                                                   The Tragedy Paper

New Year, New Books!

March 8th, 2013

Brick by Brick
By Charles R. Smith Jr., $17.99, HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0061920820, Release Date: Buy Now

The president of a new country needs a new home, so many hands work together as one. Black hands, white hands, free hands, slave hands.  In this powerful story of the building of the White House, Coretta Scott King Award winners Charles R. Smith Jr. and Floyd Cooper capture the emotion and toil that created this incredible structure, the home of our president. The White House was created by many hands, several of them slaves’, who will be remembered throughout history for their extraordinary feat. Many slaves were able to purchase their freedom after earning money from learning a trade through this work, which speaks to their unbelievable strength. The title reflects how this towering symbol of America was created by hand, human hands, working toward their freedom, brick by brick. (HarperCollins)

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Brave Girl: Clara & the Shirtwaist Makers Strike of 1909
Illustrations by Melissa Sweet, $17.99, HarperCollins, ISBN 9780061804427, Release Date: Buy Now

When Clara Lemlich arrived in America, she couldn’t speak English. She didn’t know that young women had to go to work, that they traded an education for long hours of labor, that she was expected to grow up fast.

But that did not stop Clara.

She went to night school, spent hours studying English, and helped support her family by sewing in a factory.

Clara never quit. And she never accepted that girls should be treated poorly and paid little.

So Clara fought back. Fed up with the mistreatment of her fellow laborers, Clara led the largest walkout of women workers in the country’s history.

Clara had learned a lot from her short time in America. She learned that everyone deserved a fair chance. That you had to stand together and fight for what you wanted. And, most importantly, that you could do anything you put your mind to. (HarperCollins)

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Dirty Gert
By Tedd Arnold, $16.95, Holiday House, ISBN 978-0823424047, Release Date: Buy Now

In a comically offbeat story about acceptance from Arnold (the Fly Guy books), a small girl hungers for one thing alone: “Little Gert loved eating dirt./ The worms all idolized her…. Way back when Gert was just a squirt,/ The earth would tantalize her.” As is the case with too much of anything, there are consequences to Gert’s soil-based diet. After getting soaked in a rainstorm, Gert takes root in her yard and sprouts leaves from her already unruly hair, creating a neighborhood ruckus and media frenzy. Arnold’s bug-eyed characters and squiggly textures are just right for a story about a girl who could give Charles Schulz’s Pig-Pen a run for his money.  (Holiday House)

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Hollywood, Dead Ahead
By Kate Klise, $15.95, Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 9780547852836, Release Date: 4/2/13

In this fifth volume from 43 Old Cemetery Road, the trio at Spence Mansion leaves Ghastly for Hollywood, California . . . and for a shot at stardom!

The film producer Moe Block Busters wants to make the 43 Old Cemetery Road story into a movie—and he promises it will be a sure-fire hit! Lured by the lights of Tinseltown, Ignatius B. Grumply, Olive C. Spence, and Seymour Hope pack their suitcases. But when they arrive in Hollywood, Olive has a sure-fire fit when she discovers how quickly fame changes Iggy and Seymour. Even worse, Olive has been written out of the script! “Little old lady ghosts are so yesterday,” says Moe. “What America wants is a terrifying ghost named Evilo.” Well, if it’s Evilo they want, it’s Evilo they’ll get. And Olive knows just the femme fatale to help her scare Hollywood’s most despicable director half to death. (Houghton)

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Fly Guy Presents: Sharks
By Tedd Arnold, $3.99, Scholastic, ISBN 978-0545507714, Release Date:  5/1/2013

Fly Guy is buzzzzing on over to the nonfiction genre! Award-winning author/illustrator Tedd Arnold brings nonfiction to life with the help of his very popular main character, Fly Guy! This engaging nonfiction reader combines the kid-friendly humor of Fly Guy with the high-interest topic of sharks! Fly Guy and Buzz introduce young readers to sharks with straightforward fun facts, humorous asides, and full-bleed photographs throughout. (Scholastic)

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Katy Duck, Flower Girl
By Alyssa Satin Capucilli, $3.99, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 9781442472785, Release Date: 5/7/13

Katy Duck dances her way down the aisle at her aunt’s wedding in this cheerful story for beginning readers.

When Katy Duck’s Aunt Ella decides to get married, she asks Katy to be the flower girl! Katy can hardly wait. She practices her “flower girl” moves: swaying like a daffodil in the wind, stretching like a tulip in the sun. But then Katy learns that instead of dancing as a flower, she will be tossing petals at the wedding. So she decides to turn her supporting act into more of a starring role! (Simon & Schuster)

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Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great
By Bob Shea, $15.99, HarperCollins, ISBN 9781423159520, Release Date: 5/28/13

Ever since Unicorn moved into the neighborhood, Goat has been feeling out of sorts. Goat thought his bike was cool—until he saw that Unicorn could fly to school! Goat made marshmallow squares that almost came out right, but Unicorn made it rain cupcakes! Unicorn is such a show-off, how can Goat compete? When Goat and Unicorn share a piece of pizza, Goat learns that being a unicorn might not be all it’s cracked up to be. And when Unicorn shows his admiration for Goat, it looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  (HarperCollins)

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Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton
By Meghan McCarthy , $16.99, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 9781442422629, Release Date: 6/4/13

In the 1930s most girls were happy playing with dolls. But one girl, Betty Skelton, liked playing with airplanes, watching them fly around outside, and even flying airplanes herself! She lived for an adventure—in the air, the water, and on land—and nothing could stop her, especially not being a girl.

When Betty Skelton was young there weren’t many women flying airplanes or racing cars, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. She was always ready to take on a challenge, and she loved to have fun. Beetty rode motorcycles, raced cars, jumped out of planes, and flew jets, helicoptors, gliders, and blimps. And by the time she was an adult, Betty was known in the press as the “First Lady of Firsts!” (Simon)

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Adventures of Arnie: Bowling Alley Bandit
By Laurie Keller, $12.99, Henry Holt, ISBNG 978-0805090765, Release Date: 6/4/13

As Mr. Bing’s new pet “doughnut dog,” Arnie couldn’t be happier. When Mr. Bing joins a bowling league, Arnie gets to go along to practices and competitions. But then Mr. Bing starts rolling gutter balls. Someone or something is behind the madness. Arnie, together with his team of goofball friends, must sort through the shenanigans and solve the mystery. Get ready for some sleuthing and even some magic. (Macmillan)

Hot Off the Press! Fall Books!

September 5th, 2012

Bill the Boy Wonder
By Marc Tyler Nobleman, $17.95, Charlesbridge, ISBN 978-1580892896

Every Batman story is marked with the words “Batman created by Bob Kane.” But that isn’t the whole truth. A struggling writer named Bill Finger was involved from the beginning. Bill helped invent Batman, from concept to costume to character. He dreamed up Batman’s haunting origins and his colorful nemeses. He named Gotham. Despite his brilliance, Bill worked in obscurity, his name never appearing on a Batman comic. It was only after his death that fans observed Bill, calling for DC to acknowledge him as co-creator of Batman. Their fight for justice continues on.

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True Colors
By Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, $15.99, Random House, ISBN 978-0375860997

 True Colors tells the story of one girl’s journey to find the mother she never had, set against the period backdrop of a small farming town in 1950s Vermont. For her entire life, 10-year-old Blue has never known her mother. On a cold, wintry day in December of 1941, she was found wrapped in a quilt, stuffed in a kettle near the home of Hannah Spooner, an older townswoman known for her generosity and caring. Life with Hannah so far has been simple—mornings spent milking cows, afternoons spent gardening and plowing the fields on their farm. But Blue finds it hard not to daydream about her mother, and over the course of one summer, she resolves to finally find out who she is. That means searching through the back issues of the local newspaper, questioning the local townspeople, and searching for clues wherever she can find them. Her search leads her down a road of self-discovery that will change her life forever.

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Puss in Boots
By Jerry Pinkney, $17.99, Penguin, ISBN 978-0803716421

Jerry Pinkney, one of the country’s most celebrated picture book creators, is a master at reimagining classic tales. Now he has turned his talents to Puss in Boots, and he is at his best with this lively, cinematic version.

For generations, children have delighted in the tale of the clever cat who tricks both a king and a sorcerer in order to win a castle and a princess for his penniless master. The humor, the magic, and a lush Renaissance setting are all on glorious display, and a well-placed gatefold adds to the drama. This elegant new edition of Perrault’s fairy tale will quickly join the list of essentials for every child’s library.
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Mayor Hubble is in Trouble!
By Dan Gutman, $3.99, HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0062042125

My Weirder School weirder than ever!

Election day is right around the corner, and guess who’s running for class president? A.J. and Andrea! Mayor Hubble is going to teach the kids all the ins and outs of politics, and every vote counts. Who’s going to win? Who’s going to lose? And who’s going to kiss a baby? Ew, gross!

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Katy Duck Meets the Babysitter
By Alyssa Satin Capucilli, $15.99, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-1442452428

Dancing diva Katy Duck is none too pleased when her parents inform her that she will be staying home with a babysitter while they attend a party. Boo! Katy knows that parties are much more fun than staying home! But when Mrs. Duncan arrives, she shows Katy that spending time with the babysitter may be much more entertaining than she expected…

With carefully worded, easy-to-read text and bright, friendly illustrations, this Level 1 Ready-to-Read is sure to keep beginning readers laughing!

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HOMESICK
By Kate Klise, $16.99, MacMillian, ISBN 978-1250008428

Benny’s parents are splitting up. His mom leaves home after a fight about a mysterious splinter that is rumored to be part of an important relic. Benny’s dad has always liked clutter, but now, he begins hoarding everything from pizza boxes to old motorcycle parts.

As his house grows more cluttered and his father grows more distant, Benny tries to sort out whether he can change anything at all. Meanwhile, a local teacher enters their quiet Missouri town in America’s Most Charming Small Town contest, and the pressure is on to clean up the area, especially Benny’s ramshackle of a house, before the out-of-town guests arrive.

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Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America
By Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney, $19.99, HarperCollins, ISBN 978-1423142577

HAND IN HAND presents the stories of ten men from different eras in American history, organized chronologically to provide a scope from slavery to the modern day. The stories are accessible, fully-drawn narratives offering the subjects’ childhood influences, the time and place in which they lived, their accomplishments and motivations, and the legacies they left for future generations as links in the “freedom chain.” This book will be the definitive family volume on the subject, punctuated with dynamic full color portraits and spot illustrations by two-time Caldecott Honor winner and multiple Coretta Scott King Book Award recipient Brian Pinkney. Backmatter includes a civil rights timeline, sources, and further reading.

****A feast for readers whose eyes are (or should be) on the prize, in a volume as well-turned-out as the dapper W.E.B. Dubois, who was “more handsome than a fresh-cut paycheck.”  — Kirkus Starred Review

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There’s a Fly Guy in My Soup
By Tedd Arnold, $6.99, Scholastic, ISBN 978-0545312844

At a fancy hotel dinner, Fly Guy gets into some trouble–and the restaurant’s soup!

When Buzz and his family have dinner in a fancy hotel’s restaurant, Fly Guy isn’t allowed in. After searching through the hotel’s trash, Fly Guy smells a wonderful aroma coming from the restaurant’s kitchen.

Fly Guy causes some messy mayhem in the restaurant, and in the end, everyone needs a bath!

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 Shiver Me Timbers!: Pirate Poems and Paintings
By Douglas Florian, $16.99, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-1442413214

Ahoy mateys—it’s time to hoist up the anchors and set sail with a pack of pesky pirates! In this hilarious collection of nineteen poems, readers will meet scoundrels, scalawags, and scurvy dogs (humanand canine). They’ll partake in battles, treasure hunts, and some pirate-style grub (flounder, anyone?). And all the while, picture book greats Douglas Florian and Robert Neubecker will keep pirate fans laughing from bow to stern with their signature sense of humor.

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 Monkey Play
By Alyssa Capucilli, $3.99, Random House, ISBN 978-0375869938

Monkey Plays is an energetic companion to Bear Hugs and Panda Kisses.One by one, monkeys add to the jungle fun—swinging from palm trees, hiding in an Indian market, and playing from sundown to sun-up! This playful Step 1 features a rhyming text with a bouncy rhythm and bright illustrations.

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 Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller
By Doreen Rappaport, $17.99, HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0786808908

This picturebook biography is an excellent and accessible introduction for young readers to learn about one of the world’s most influential luminaries. With her signature style of prose laced with stirring quotes, Doreen Rappaport brings to life Helen Keller’s poignant narrative. Acclaimed illustrator Matt Tavares beautifully captures the dynamism and verve of Helen Keller’s life and legacy, makingHelen’s Big World an unforgettable portrait of a woman whose vision for innovation and progress changed America—and the world—forever.

MANATEE SCIENTISTS (by Peter Lourie) Named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 2012 KIDS’ READING LIST picks

August 21st, 2012

Congratulations to  Peter Lourie!

To see more about this award-winning title and Peter Lourie, please visit http://peterlourie.com/books/manateescientists.htm

WHAT A LINE UP! Andrea Davis Pinkney and Ted Scheu to Join Weisner, Schmidt, Vanderpool, Krosoczka, Alleys and Litchenfeld at the Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival

August 18th, 2012

17th Annual Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary & Adult OfferingsSept. 20-22, 2012

Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012 – Children’s Day for Seward Schools Friday, Sept 21, 2012 – Children’s Day for commuting schools Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012 – Adult Conference Day and David Wiesner luncheon

Featured authors and illustrators for the 2012 festival

 

David Wiesner – author and illustrator
APPEARING AT SATURDAY’S ADULT CONFERENCE 

David Wiesner has illustrated more than twenty award-winning books for young readers. Two of the picture books he both wrote and illustrated became instant classics when they won the prestigious Caldecott Medal: Tuesday in 1992 and The Three Pigs in 2002. Two of his other titles, Sector 7 and Free Fall, are Caldecott Honor Books. An exhibit of Wiesner’s original artwork, “Seeing the Story,” toured the United States in 2000 and 2001. Among his many honors, Wiesner holds the Japan Picture Book Award for Tuesday, the Prix Sorcières (the French equivalent of the Caldecott Medal) for The Three Pigs, and a 2004 IBBY Honour Book nomination for illustration, also for The Three Pigs. Flotsam, was a New York Times bestseller and was recently named winner of the 2007 Caldecott Medal, making Wiesner only the second person in the award’s long history to have won three times.

Wiesner lives with his wife and their son and daughter in the Philadelphia area, where he continues to create dreamlike and inventive images for books.

Web: hmhbooks.com/wiesner

 

Gary Schmidt – author

Gary Schmidt is a professor of English at Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He is the author of twenty or so books for young readers, ranging from picture books to young adult novels.  His Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy won Newbery and Printz Honors, and his Okay for Now was a National Book Award finalist.  He lives on an 1830s farm in Alto, Michigan, where he types out in a shed on a 1953 Royal.  Those with typewriter ribbons to spare would be welcome visitors.

Web: hmhbooks.com/schmidt

 

Clare Vanderpool – author

Clare Vanderpool is the award-winning author of Moon Over Manifest, her debut novel which was awarded the prestigious 2011 John Newbery Award. Clare is remarkably the first debut author in thirty years to win the Newbery Medal.

Citing historical fiction as a favorite of hers, Clare set out in writing a historical novel set in the fictional town of Manifest, Kansas, and which is based on the real southeastern Kansas town of Frontenac, where her maternal grandparents lived. Drawing on stories she heard as a child, along with research in town newspapers, yearbooks, and graveyards, Clare found a rich and colorful history for her unforgettable novel.

Clare has just recently begun making appearances at schools, libraries, and conferences, and enjoys meeting children, educators, librarians, and parents who have embraced her and her novel. She resides in Wichita, Kansas with her husband and four children.

Web: clarevanderpool.com

 

Andrea Pinkney – author

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of many books for children and young adults, including picture books, novels, works of historical fiction and non-fiction.

Andrea’s novels include With the Might of Angels, a book in the Dear America series, and Bird in a Box, hailed by the New York Times as “a powerful middle grade novel” told with “tenderness and verve.”

Andrea’s picture books include Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down, a Parenting Publication Gold Medal winner, winner of the Jane Addams Book Award, the Carter G. Woodson Award for historical works for young people, the Anne Izard Storyteller’s Award, and the Flora G. Stieglitz Strauss Award for Nonfiction; Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride, a Jane Addams Honor Book and School Library Journal “Best Book of the Year,”; and Duke Ellington, a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor Book.

In addition to her work as an author, Andrea is Vice President, Executive Editor at Scholastic, where she publishes and edits a robust list of titles.

Andrea was recently named one of the “25 Most Influential Black Women in Business” by The Network Journal, a publication for Black professionals.

Andrea lives in New York City with her husband, award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney, and their two children.

View the teacher’s discussion guide (PDF) for With the Might of Angels.

Web: scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/andrea-davis-pinkney

 

R.W. and Zoë Alley - authors and illustrators

Bob has always enjoyed making pictures that illustrate a story rather than hang on a wall. For the last fifteen years Bob has illustrated new and old stories of Paddington Bear by Michael Bond. A new picture book, Paddington Goes for Gold, and a new novel, Paddington Races Ahead, will publish spring 2012 to coincide with the Summer Olympics in London.

Bob received the 2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award for Pearl and Wager One Funny Day by Kate McMullan.  

Having grown-up in a family of “literary grammarians”, Zoë has always been interested in words, recited and written. Zoë received her B.A. from the University of New Hampshire, and her Ed.M. from Boston University. She enjoys writing as a career that allows her to sit on the couch – her office! – in her pajamas and play with a pen and paper!

The Alleys live in Barrington, Rhode Island, and are the parents of Cassandra and Max. They have collaborated on two very large comic book style books: There’s a Wolf at the Door and There’s a Princess in the Palace.

Web: rwalley.com  /  zoeballey.com

 

 Jarrett Krosoczka – author and illustrator

Jarrett J. Krosoczka has been passionate about storytelling through words and pictures since he was a kid.  He began his professional career by illustrating educational readers for a national publisher while still an undergraduate at Rhode Island School of Design. Then, just six months after graduation, Jarrett received his first contract for a trade book that he authored. Random House Children’s Books published Good Night, Monkey Boy on June 12, 2001 and Jarrett hasn’t stopped or slowed down since. He currently has authored and illustrated sixteen published books—ten picture books and six graphic novels. He is the two-time winner of the Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year in the Children’s Choice Book Awards and has seen his work recommended by national publications like Newsweek, The New York Times and USA Today. His Punk Farm and Lunch Lady series are both in development to be feature films. Jarrett is happily living out his childhood dream in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he resides with his wife and daughter and their pug, Ralph Macchio.

Web: studiojjk.com

 

Ted Scheu – author and poet

Ted Scheu (rhymes with “poetry guy”) is part poet, part teacher, part entertainer, part kid. Ted’s poems are published in over 20 anthologies in the US and England, and in his own four collections, I Froze My Mother, I Tickled My Teachers, I Threw My Brother Out, and his latest, Now I Know My ZBCs. His voice is authentic and unique. His poems share real issues that real kids face—at school, at home, and out in the world—often with a surprising twist. Ted is a former elementary teacher in Vermont, where he happily lives. He visits over 60 schools each year helping kids find their own poetic voices in writing workshops. His greatest honor to date is being invited to this year’s Plum Creek Festival.

Web: poetryguy.com

 

Tom Lichtenheld – author and illustrator

Tom Lichtenheld is a children’s book author and illustrator. He doodled his way through school, then worked as a sign painter, set designer, printer and advertising art director. After a successful career in advertising he gradually made the switch to creating children’s books.  His first book, Everything I Know About Pirates, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2000 and was featured in Newsweek as one of the best books of the year. His 2011 book Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, written by Sherri Rinker, was a #1 New York Times Best Seller.

Tom’s books are consistently praised for their humor, expressive characters, and rich – sometimes hidden – detail. He’s known for creating books that appeal to children and adults alike, and his wide portfolio of books offers something for every age.

Web: tomlichtenheld.com

Festival REGISTRATION

 

Friday, Sept. 21

Children’s Day for Surrounding Area Schools

• Where: Concordia’s Seward campus
• Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Registration form for Friday
  

Saturday, Sept. 22

Adult Professional Conference

• Where: Concordia’s Seward campus
• Time: Registration and author autographing begins at 7:30. Sessions begin at 9:00.
• Registration: Register online or download the PDF form for the adult conference and luncheon with David Wiesner.

Contact Information

Plum Creek Literacy Festival
Vikki Gremel, coordinator
Concordia University
800 North Columbia
Seward, NE 68434

PlumCreek@cune.edu

402-643-7483

Making news

The Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival is a genuine Read Aloud Champion. This award from Read Aloud Nebraska acknowledges significant contributions toward a mission of “promoting healthy, successful children and families through reading aloud”.

On sale at the 2012 festival

Steven Kellogg, 2004 festival illustrator, designed this original work expressly for the 2012 Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival. First edition t-shirts will be for sale at the festival this year.

Book sales 2012

Download a list of the festival books available for sale.

Summer Must-Have Books!

June 21st, 2012

In the Bag
By Kate Klise, $14.99, Harper Collins, ISBN 978-0062108050

Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake
By Kate Klise, $16.99, MacMillian, ISBN 9978-0805093131

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Ms. Beard is Weird #5
By Dan Gutman, $3.99, HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0062042095

My Weirder School is weirder than ever! A hot  new reality show, The Real Teachers of Ella  Mentry, is filming at school. Everybody wants  to win the TV show’s grand prize! The weird  director, Ms. Beard, tells the teachers and  students to act normal. Yeah, like that’s gonna  happen! 

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Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust
By Doreen Rappaport, $22.99, Random House, ISBN 978-0763629762

Under the noses of the military, Georges Loinger smuggles thousands of children out of occupied France into Switzerland. In Belgium, three resisters ambush a train, allowing scores of Jews to flee from the cattle cars. In Poland, four brothers lead more than 1,200 ghetto refugees into the forest to build a guerilla force and self-sufficient village. And twelve-year-old Motele Shlayan entertains German officers with his violin moments before setting off a bomb. Through twenty-one meticulously researched accounts — some chronicled in book form for the first time — Doreen Rappaport illuminates the defiance of tens of thousands of Jews across eleven Nazi-occupied countries during World War II. In answer to the genocidal madness that was Hitler’s Holocaust, the only response they could abide was resistance, and their greatest weapons were courage, ingenuity, the will to survive, and the resolve to save others or to die trying. 

Balloons over Broadway Garners the Sibert Award!

February 1st, 2012

Balloons Over Broadway, the story behind Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and its iconic helium-filled wonders garners the Sibert Award!

The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois. ALSC administers the award.

The story of Tony Sarg, the artistic inventor who conceived the huge balloons that float through New York City each Thanksgiving. Beginning at a very young age, his never-ending zeal for play and discovery delighted millions, and likewise, Sweet’s festive words, mixed media illustrations and thorough research, bring their own contagious joy to this celebration of his life’s creative process.

“Sweet’s book rose above all others this year by brilliantly showing and telling the story of one person’s ideas with passion and panache, demonstrating the very best of what an informational book can be,” said Sibert Medal Committee Chair, Andrew Medlar.

Win a School Visit From Walter Dean Myers!

February 1st, 2012

Walter Dean Myers is named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Describe, in 500 words or less, the event you would develop if he were to visit, how you would spread the word about it, and to whom.

E-mail your entry no later than midnight EST on March 12 to cbc.info@cbcbooks.org (no more than one application). The winner will be notified by March 30.

Sneak Peek…New Books for Spring 2012

February 1st, 2012

Polar Bear Scientists
By Peter Lourie, $17.99 (hardcover), Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 978-0547283050

Never Say Never (book 2 of The Genius Files series)
By Dan Gutman, $16.99 (hardcover), HarperCollins, ISBN 0061827649

The precocious brother and sister uncover a secret government plot to use “YAGs,” or Young American Geniuses, to solve the complex problems of the nation, and find that they are on the list. Suddenly, their 3,000-mile road trip becomes a lot more exciting. The McDonalds’ trek across the U.S. includes stops at the Donner Party Memorial, a museum of PEZ memorabilia, and the world’s largest ball of twine, all while being pursued by dangerous “dudes with bowler hats.” Although the interjection of factual information from their college-professor father is a bit forced at times, Gutman’s novel offers a quirky look at Americana that will engage curious minds. Frequent sidebars direct readers to Google Maps to track the twins’ journey, and occasional photos of the attractions add appeal.

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Now I Know My ZBC’s
By Ted Scheu, $12.95 (hardcover), Young Poets Press, ISBN 978-0982549940

The precocious brother and sister uncover a secret government plot to use “YAGs,” or Young American Geniuses, to solve the complex problems of the nation, and find that they are on the list. Suddenly, their 3,000-mile road trip becomes a lot more exciting. The McDonalds’ trek across the U.S. includes stops at the Donner Party Memorial, a museum of PEZ memorabilia, and the world’s largest ball of twine, all while being pursued by dangerous “dudes with bowler hats.” Although the interjection of factual information from their college-professor father is a bit forced at times, Gutman’s novel offers a quirky look at Americana that will engage curious minds. Frequent sidebars direct readers to Google Maps to track the twins’ journey, and occasional photos of the attractions add appeal.

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Stars in the Shadows: The Negro All Star Game of 1934
By Charles R. Smith Jr., $14.95 (hardcover), Simon and Schuster, ISBN 978-0689866388

Meet Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and other baseball heroes in this unique radio broadcast reenactment of a legendary All-Star Game, marking a pivotal time in sports history.1934, Chicago. Come step back in time to witness the best of the best Negro League players take each other on in one of the most fascinating All-Star ballgames in American history.

Using a unique radio broadcast transcript, Coretta Scott King Award Winner Charles R. Smith, Jr. has recreated this momentous event with a lively play-by-play retelling of the second annual Negro League East-West Game. Meet legendary players like Satchel Paige, Turkey Stearness, and Cool Pappa Bell, hang in the stands with the fans, and experience this exhilarating untold, true story—with a lyrical twist.

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If I Ran the Dog Show
By Tish Rabe, $8.99 (hardcover), Random House, ISBN 978-0375866821 

In this latest installment of the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library,the Cat and Co. attend the Short-Shaggy-Tail-Waggy Super Dog Show, a strictly Seussian-style event where readers learn—among other things—that dogs are mammals who vary wildly in size and shape; the difference between purebreds and mutts (who are both featured throughout); how tails help dogs to balance; that they can see better in dim light than we can; the amazing things they’ve been trained to do; and much, much more.
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All About Gramdas

By Roni Schotter, $16.99 (hardcover), Penguin, ISBN978-0803737143

 

Today, there’s no such thing as a typical grandma. They do different jobs and have different hobbies. But one thing common to all grandmas is the love and wisdom they have to share, and nothing says that better than this rhyming celebration of the modern grandma. From the jellying, jamming, and pickling grannies to the surprising number of tickling grannies, this stylishly illustrated book covers them all.

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Ted and Me

By Dan Gutman, $15.99 (hardcover), HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0061234873

Stosh should have figured that the FBI would find him eventually.Now they’ve turned up on his doorstep—and they know all about his ability to travel through time using baseball cards. In fact, they want to send him back in time on a mission: to warn President Roosevelt about the attack on Pearl Harbor!

But when Stosh finds out that his “ticket” back to 1941 is a Ted Williams card, he starts planning a mission of his own. Williams is one of the greatest hitters of all time—even though he lost almost five years of his career to serve in the Marines. How many more home runs would the Splendid Splinter have hit if he had those years back? What if Stosh can prevent the attack on Pearl Harbor and convince Williams not to serve in the military?

Sometimes you can change history. Sometimes history can change you.

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Katy Duck Makes a Friend
By Alyssa Capucilli, $3.99, Simon and Schuster, ISBN 9781442419766

Dancing diva Katy Duck and her new neighbor Ralph must find a way to play together in this all-new Level 1 Ready-to-Read!When Katy Duck and her family get new neighbors, Katy can hardly wait to show off her dance moves. She is ready to curtsy, twirl and leap! Tra-la-la. Quack, quack! But when Katy’s new neighbor turns out to be a rough-and-tumble boy named Ralph, this dancing duck diva starts to wonder if she and Ralph will ever be able to have fun TOGETHER when their interests are so far apart.

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Ride, Fly Guy, Ride
By Tedd Arnold, $6.99, Scholastic, ISBN 9780545222761

The New York Times-bestselling Fly Guy series goes on an action-packed adventure by boat, train, plane, and beyond!

Dad takes Fly Guy and Buzz for a car ride, but in a funny and wacky turn of events, Fly Guy is blown out of the car window and into a passing truck, where he lands in the driver’s mouth! The driver spits him out, and Fly Guy tumbles onto a boat. Fly Guy then winds up on a circus train with an elephant and then an airplane … and he just misses taking off with a rocket ship!

This easy-to-read adventure concludes with Buzz, Dad, and Fly Guy returning home on a bike. Fly Guy loves RIDEZZZ!

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SHOWOFF
By Gordon Kormon, $16.99, Scholastic, ISBN 978-0545320597

The fourth SWINDLE book, centering around a dog show that goes horribly awry!

The heroes of SWINDLE, ZOOBREAK, and FRAMED are back – and this time, things have gone to the dogs! When Luthor goes berserk at a mall dog show, he’s accused of ruining the career of the three-time best-in-show beagle. Griffin always knew that Luthor’s viciousness was simmering just below the surface – so why does he feel bad enough to spring him from the pound?

Griffin and his team have a new plan. This one involves New York City, a sinister saboteur, a reclusive dog-trainer who’s quit the business, an international dog show, and a whole lot of red dye. But if they pull it off, no one will even notice their sting operation…right?

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UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings
By Douglas Florian, $16.99, Simon and Schuster, ISBN 978-1442426528

The buzz is big for Douglas Florian’s new poetry collection about the unBEElieveably unique lives of honeybees—and the vital role they play in our ecosystem.Come inside the honeycomb—a busy, buzzy, bee-filled home—and learn about the unexpected wonders of these tiny insects’ lifestyles, families, and communities. In fourteen funny, fact-filled honeybee poems and paintings, Douglas Florian explores the natural history of these often-unappreciated critters, revealing them to be a totally cool—and totally important—part of our ecosystem. Indeed, these buzzy bugs have been in the spotlight lately as wild bee populations are dwindling, honey prices are rising, and beekeeping has become a popular hobby.

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Poem Runs: Baseball Poems
By Douglas Florian, $16.99, Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 978-0547688381

From the first pitch to the last out and all nine innings between, Douglas Florian’s collection of baseball poems brings wordplay, wit, and laughter to America’s springtime tradition. Featuring a mean-armed pitcher, a daisy-picking right fielder,
and a lightning-swift base stealer, Poem Runs combines irresistible language and Florian’s signature child-friendly, bold illustration style in this celebration of the magic of baseball.

 

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Biscuit Plays Ball
By Alyssa Capucilli, $3.99, HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0061935022

The game is about to begin. Biscuit is excited to be at the ball game, but no dogs are allowed in the game itself. He doesn’t want to just watch, though—Biscuit wants to play ball, too! Can the determined puppy find a way to join in the fun?

Perfect for the youngest of readers—and for anyone who has ever wanted to play along with the big kids—Biscuit’s newest adventure will prove supremely satisfying.

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The Art of Miss Chew
By Patricia Polacco, $17.99, Penguin, ISBN 978-0399257032

After spending the summer with her artist grandmother, Trisha knows she wants to be an artist, too. She’s thrilled when her sketches get her into Miss Chew’s special art class at the high school. A substitute teacher tells her she’s wasting time on art when she should be studying – but fortunately, this is one battle that Miss Chew and Trisha are up for!

This true story shows just how important a teacher can be in a child’s life – and celebrates the power of art itself.
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All for Me and None for All
By Helen Lester, $16.99, Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 978-0547688343

A book about sharing for one and all! Gruntly is a hog—a ball hog, a snack hog, a treasure hog! He doesn’t share his toys with his pals and, in fact, helps himself to theirs! And when Gruntly finds out about Saturday’s treasure hunt, he can’t wait for the first clue so that he may be the one to find the treasure and keep it . . . all for himself.

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