OK, just one more post.
I decided I should count up how many of each type of book I read, so here is the tally:
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| Book trucks ready for fall! |
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
The Last Hurrah! (But never the last book)
This is it--the last official day of summer. Of course I've spent most of the last few days at work, trying to re-organize the library for huge class sizes this year. Now don't think I'm taking any sort of break from reading! I've got four things going right now: Howard Zinn's A Young People's History of America, a book of letters by famous children's book editor Ursula Nordstrom Dear Genius, the latest Science and Children Magazine, and School Library Monthly. Plus I read three other new Mo Willems books I didn't list. So there. On to the reviews...
Chase lives with his mom, stepfather, and two sisters in the White Mountains of Arizona. Since his parents run a store and tourist cabins, he has a lot of unpaid work to do every day, but although he sometimes feels put-upon his life is really pretty great. He can leap on his bike whenever his chores are done and ride out into the mountains to go exploring. Exploring is even more fun with his new GPS, because he can use it to find geocaches--hidden treasure boxes that other people have hidden. The game is to find the box using only GPS coordinates. Chase finds his first geocache, which is exciting enough, but what does the mysterious message in the cache's logbook mean? It sounds like someone needs help...This is one of those stories where, as a mom, it's a little hard to read because I just want to yell at the kid "Don't you see you're in over your head? Go tell an adult what's going on already!!" But they never do! Chase wants to do the right thing, and he makes choices that are realistic for someone his age. His emotions when things aren't going so well are realistic too. If you like adventure stories, you'll like this book.
The Goffstown News (a local newspaper. OK, so I ran out of quick books that day.)
The Horn Book, Sept/Oct
Have I said this is my absolute favorite source for reviews? So many good books--It kills me that I don't have a budget (at all!!!) to buy any.
Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems (ISBN: 978-142314343-7)
Oh Mo, you are so brilliant. This is another classic Elephant and Piggie book. Gerald the elephant's expressions are so readable, sooooooo funny. I don't know if kids get the subtlety when they read them independently, but it's easy to punch it up with voices when you're reading aloud. Even though I don't have little kids at home anymore, I buy every new one of the easy readers that comes out because I love them so much--and then donate them to the library, of course!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
OK, so I've been busy!
I've got a long list of books to write about today. Since I was behind on the blogging already, it didn't help that I was internet-free all last week on a College Adventure camping trip. Just to clarify the "rules" I've set for myself this summer, I am reading a "book" a day--but that might include a picture book, a magazine, a graphic novel, etc. Also I often read a few shorter things on one day while I'm reading something longer at the same time. So here goes again...
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Of course I had to read one of the Little House books after reading The Wilder Life. It was lovely, as always. I wonder what my students would make of it. I think that what drew me the most in these books was Laura's sense of cozy satisfaction, having just enough and not needing anymore. I used to play "running away" on the landing of our stairs in the big house in Lee where I grew up, and it was all about choosing just the few things that would be "enough," and wrapping them up in a bundle I could carry. I have to admit that I'd like to take my students by the collar and say "Look! You can be happy without having all this modern stuff! You can make your own fun!" Judgmental, I know. For one thing, you need to have enough to eat first.All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn (ISBN: 978-0-329-74655-1)
I read this one so that I could booktalk Hahn's books more effectively. I have a large collection of these ghost stories in the library, and they are very popular. For people my age, I guess you could compare them with Richard Peck's Blossom Culp books, such as Ghosts I Have Been, which I loved as a kid. In other words, it's creepy enough to raise goosebumps, straightforward enough to understand without too much work, the ghosts are real, and at least one kid has an extra sensitivity to the ghosts that helps (usually her) perceive them. That last bit was important to me, I remember. When you're around 9-11 years old, your brain starts telling you that there's more to life than the things you touch with your hands. But although you can feel this invisible world, you aren't ready to understand it. It feels like an extra sense. Maybe it is. Maybe all kids that age are steeped in magic.Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman, pictures by Beth Krommes (ISBN: 978-0-547-31583-6)
A beautiful literary non-fiction book that illustrates the swirl shape in nature. The text is rhythmic, with the refrain "a spiral is a _____ shape" repeating throughout. The scratchboard illustrations, by the winner of the Caldecott for House in the Night are bold enough to "read" in a large group, but detailed enough to reward a closer examination by a single child. I'll combine this book with a drawing lesson, and/or maybe a math lesson for older kids.Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld (ISBN 978-0-8050-8776-5)
Everything has a voice here--clouds, trees, animals, skyscrapers--they all talk to Cloudette as she journeys around being adorable but too small. This is a pretty standard "be true to yourself and keep trying" book. The little guy (cloud) wins in the end, of course. Cute, but undistinguished. Maybe the kids will show me why this book was chosen.My Big Backyard Magazine
Ranger Rick Magazine
These two National Wildlife Federation magazines have gotten a lot flimsier since the days when I read them. I'm trying to decide what magazines would be worth getting in the library this year. Even being thin, these are still notable for their beautiful animal photographs and lack of advertisements. I'll probably get them.Kiki Magazine
This is kind of a cool magazine, but I'm not sure what audience it's really for. It's all about fashion and the fashion industry with a girl-power twist. I don't think it matches up with my kids that well, but I'll leave in on a table and see what they say.Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede (ISBN: 9780545033435)
My own kids and I loved Wrede's dragon books, starting with Dealing With Dragons, and early example of the twisted-fairytale genre that's been so popular in the past few years. This book is a steampunk-y twist on the exploration of the American frontier. This world is a mix of magical technology and 1860's technology. The main character is a strong girl, one of those "I seem to be less magical than everyone else, but really it's because I have some kind of extra-special other magic" kind of characters. I only realized after reading for a while that this is a second book in a series, which doesn't say much for the need for three books about this character instead of one. It was enjoyable enough, and a good match for a car camping trip, since it involves a journey.The New York Times/The Christian Science Monitor
Rose quibbles, but I say that there are far more words in the New York Times than there are in a picture book. I put in two-for-one to make her happy.Zoe Rising by Pam Conrad (ISBN 9780060272173)
I was heartbroken to find out, after reading the magical picture books about The Tub People to another group of second graders, that Pam Conrad had died young. There would never be any more Tub People books, nor any others. But I did go to my favorite out-of-print book source, Alibris, to find out if she had written anything else. I was surprised to learn that she had done several chapter books. One of them, Stonewords, was a terrific ghost story--a lot creepier than Mary Downing Hahn's books actually--and this book is a sequel to that. It's not so much ghost story as a supernatural story. I would have loved it as a teenager.
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve (ISBN: 9780545222150)
The ISBN above is for the paperback, but we listened to the audiobook in the car. First, Philip Reeve is a fantastic voice author, very unusual for a writer reading his own books. He does a bunch of different voices for his characters with different (English) accents and pitches. We were riveted. The story is great too. It's another steampunk-y book, this time in a future post-apocalyptic world. One of the brilliant ways that Reeve makes this world convincing, is the random bits of ancient language that the inhabitants cobble together to make new words. If I had the print book in front of me, I could find a good example, but the only one I can remember is that they use "blogger" to refer to someone that is a bit stupid. Ouch. The world is violent, dirty, superstitious. Fever Crumb is a strong girl character who doesn't fit well in this world because she has been trained as an "engineer," a scientist of the "old tech" who tries to figure out how these devices worked and re-invent them. This is the first in a three or four book series which is a prequel to another series by Reeve. Highly recommended. |
| Elizabeth Cady Stanton |
These next 3 books were purchased at the gift shop for the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York. This was the site of the first Convention to discuss the rights of women in 1848.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Graphic Library) by Connie Cowell Miller (ISBN 978-0-7368-6194-6)
This is not one of the best of these graphic history books that I have read. The conflict between Elizabeth Cady and her father is played up for dramatic effect. The tour guide at the park actually suggested that Mr. Cady encouraged his daughter's independence by giving her (illegally) title to a house and land. Still, I hope kids who like the other titles in the series will read this one.Marching With Aunt Susan by Claire Rudolf Murphy (ISBN 978-1-56145-593-5)
This book uses the perspective of a young girl to illustrate the fight for women's suffrage, and introduces us to Susan B. Anthony. It is based on the letters and papers of the real Bessie Keith Pond, who lived in California in the late 1800's. It's a good introduction to the times, and should promote discussion.Elizabeth Leads the Way by Tanya Lee Stone (ISBN 978-0-8050-7903-6)
This is another book about Elizabeth Cady Stanton, beginning with her girlhood, and ending with the Women's Rights Convention. It doesn't give the "end" of the story or talk about why it took another 75 years for women to get the right to vote, but again, it's a good introduction to the topic.Thursday, August 9, 2012
A Marathon Post--I'm Just Behind on Blogging!
The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure (ISBN-13: 978-1594485688)
As promised, here is one of those “I did this crazy thing for a year and it brought me profound insights into my own life” books. Wendy McClure, (like me) was obsessed with The Little House on the Prairie series when she was little. (Or the “Laura and Mary books,” as I called them.) But let me just say right here that Ms. McClure was a total lightweight. She hadn’t even tried making butter until she embarked on her Laura-channelling adventure. Heck, I made butter, candles, helped can peaches, sewed samplers, built campfires in the snow, ate sugar-on-snow...you get the point. Maybe I had a little advantage in that I grew up with a big field of long golden grass beside the house that could effortlessly be transformed into a prairie, and a big sister who could sew prairie skirts. Still, when it comes right down to actually doing any living-history activities, Wendy McClure gets bored, or even a bit snide, like when she refers to a modern-day back-to-the-lander woman as “crazy” for having a loom and a roomful of yarn. Puh-leeeze.It’s interesting to realize though, that it’s not unlikely that some of the my most basic values about what it means to be a competent human being might have some roots in the Laura and Mary books. For instance, you should learn to do as much for yourself as possible. Practice baking bread, growing a garden, sewing and crocheting, woodworking, doing art, fixing plumbing. Also, acquire tools and learn how to use them. Be physically strong or at least not too squeamish. Be adaptable and try to look on the bright side. Take pleasure in small things if you can’t get the big things. These are all qualities I’ve tried to pass on to my kids, without being too conscious of it, and I think that worked out pretty well. What I’m realizing more and more in these scary times is that I think they might just be better-suited to facing the probable challenges in their lives because of it.
The story of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life was not nearly as simple as the books she wrote made it out to be. Thom and I had a discussion about whether or not she would be criticized now for pretending that every word was true, when it’s clear from historical records and her own letters and journals that she took a great deal of liberty with events. But Laura was a storyteller, not just a documentarian. She had a strong sense of the narrative she wanted to create, along with a feeling that she wanted to document a way of life that she felt people should not forget. So what if she didn’t actually see Pa make that door latch in Little House on the Prairie. She probably remembered something similar from another house, but it fit better into the story there. I suppose the issue is simply with how she represented the books. Anyway, it doesn’t bother me that every detail wasn’t experienced in exactly the way it is described. We are all storytellers of our own lives. Most of us just do it only for ourselves.
So even though I wished that Wendy McClure had been willing to get her hands a little dirtier (after all, that’s really how you travel to “Laura World,) I guess she did make me think over those books again. I’ll probably read one again too.
Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Ioin Colfer (ISBN-13: 978-1423161615)
I got in trouble with a parent over the Artemis Fowl graphic novel last spring. Darn Scholastic switched up a few things to make it more teen-friendly without warning us poor defenseless librarians. My fault, of course, for not checking, but a "free" graphic novel is a hard thing to resist and I usually only have a couple of hours to tally up the book fair and decide what I can afford to keep and what gets stuck back into those shiny silver cases. Anyway, it was good to get a reality check on the novel series by reading the very last one. As remembered, Artemis is a great character. Uber-wealthy and off-the-charts brilliant, Artemis thinks he is invincible and is basically out to take over the world. As the series goes on, he realizes his own faults and tries to become a better person. Of course we know he is worthy, because of the love he inspires in the human and fairy characters around him. And all of this character-development comes with a boy-friendly mix of mild potty-humor, shoot-outs with mostly non-lethal weapons, and daring rescues involving fairy technology. It's sad when a book challenge focuses on one word or image, without understanding the whole context of a series. Sigh.The best part of The Last Guardian was an intriguing little bit of the Fowl family backstory alongside some Fairy history. We humans don't come off very well, by the way. But when the world is pushed to the brink of destruction, it turns out, surprisingly, that the humans pull it together and start doing what they should have been doing all along (i.e. alternative energy, local solutions, pulling together to get through a crisis.) The book lacked some of the humor of the early books, (and you would definitely not want to start with this one) but there is still plenty of action, dwarf gas, and undeniable proof that Artemis can't claim to be a criminal mastermind anymore. And there is even the opening for the series to go on, if Colfer really wanted to return to it.
Turning High-Poverty School into High-Performing Schools by William H. Parrett, and Kathleen M. Budge (ISBN-13: 978-1416613138)
This is the last of the poverty-related books I will read this summer. I have a lot buzzing around in my head right now that I'm not exactly sure what to do with, but I think it will be valuable. This book both lays out some of the research regarding the effects of poverty on students, and suggests ways that schools can reform their practice to better serve these students.( I'm not sure if it, by itself, has enough background information, so I would recommend reading it with A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne) This book can function as a workbook for a school, or even a team, to evaluate their current practice and identify action steps to move forward. There are numerous rating scales and checklists to assist in this practice.One thing that all the books emphasized is that it is absolutely crucial to have high expectations for students living in poverty. It got me wondering if part of our problem in Manchester is the low expectations that surround us as teachers. After all, the "public" (as voiced by the Union Leader) is constantly judging us as failing. Calls for abandoning the system proliferate. Teachers are not only failing, they are failing while being expensive--which is the ultimate sin. How would things be different if we were surrounded by people who believed in us? Who celebrate how hard we work? Who, when we are mired and burdened by the day-to-day effort of teaching, could have a clear vision of where we were headed, and could cheer us along when we lose our way?
Now for the more lightweight books--I can't read such weighty tomes all the time! I'm going to have to go and get a handful of picture books.
Micro Monsters by Christopher Maynard (ISBN: 978-0-7894-4756-2)
I'm usually not squeamish, but YUCK! This book gives all the details on the tiny living things that may share our bodies with or without our knowledge--like lice, mites, and bed bugs. Actually, it's pretty fascinating. The electron microscope images are amazing. No space alien could look weirder than a head louse or a flea magnified a gazillion times. I think that the gimmick of having the bugs speak in first "person" is an unnecessary distraction. The material by itself is engaging, and the mix of a narrative style with the scientific content is confusing.
Cloth Paper Scissors magazine
This is what in our family we call a "dumb dumb magazine." In other words, it's just for fun. I like to look at the pictures and imagine all the projects I'd like to do if I had more time and space.
In a Circle, Long Ago (ISBN: 0-679-85807-5) by Nancy Van Laan
Native American poems and legends, written for a young audience. My favorite is the one about Crow bringing the water, which reminds me of Raven by Gerald McDermott. I think I like it because it has the most familiar beginning-middle-ending format. I'm not sure what it is about Native American stories, but the often seem to end too abruptly.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Graphic Novels are Real Reading
My husband used to hate graphic novels, until I brought home the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi. I've been trying to get him to read the brilliant Bone by Jeff Smith forever, so I don't know what it was about Amulet that he liked better. Anyway, he's read a few now, including some non-fiction titles. Reading a graphic novel requires practice, the building up of a different kind of reading/viewing muscle. In other words, if you've only tried one, don't give up quite yet. I have somewhat mixed feelings about adaptations of classic literature. Should I put them in the same doubtful boat as Reader's Digest versions? Or are they something else entirely? I tend to fall on the latter side of the argument--and, as always, on the side of access--in this case for students that may have heard of classic stories, but aren't ready to read them yet. Did you know that Greek myths are all over video games? And look at the many permutations of the Sherlock Holmes stories in movies and on TV. Most of my kids could never read the originals, but why not get them hooked on the characters in another format? Anyway, the next reviews are of graphics--only one classic.
Moby Dick (The Campfire Graphic Novel) by Herman Melville, adapted by Lance Stahlberg, illustrated by Lalit Kumar Singh (ISBN:978-81-907515-6)
I found it funny that the graphic novel adaptation of this book was slim, even for a graphic novel. The famous children's book editor once wrote, in an encouraging letter to Maurice Sendak, "Yes, Moby Dick is great, but honestly don't you see great gobs of it that could come out?" (I got this from one of my favorite blogs, Letters of Note.) I think the adapter of this book did a pretty good job choosing the great gobs. The art is pretty good too, although in the beginning it was a little hard to tell the different characters apart by their looks--something that might confuse kids. A few kids have heard of this story, so it's not a bad idea to have an adaptation around, especially one that I got "free" at the book fair.Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke (ISBN: 978-1-59643-446-2)
I really liked this one! Charming monsters. Very "readable" art (see comments above--this would be a good trainer.) Strong girl character. Zita and her friend Joseph accidentally get sucked onto another planet by a mysterious alien artifact. Unfortunately, the planet they land on is going to be blown to bits in three days by an asteroid, and a group of aliens kidnap Joseph because they've had a vision that he's going to save them. Zita to the rescue! along with a reluctant adult helper and some cute robots. I can't wait for the next installment.
Kingdom Hearts: by Shiro Amano (ISBN 978-1-4278-1504-0)
Sorry Gabriel, I tried this one but couldn't make head-nor-tail of it. I only realized after I started that it's book 2 in the series. And I only realized after I plucked it from the book fair that it is "based on the hit video game." I'd hoped that this would be OK manga to have in an elementary school (that's always a bit dicey, but the kids are fascinated by the novelty of right-to-left, back-to-front reading.) Sadly, this book's confusing story, so-so art, and tie in with a product disqualify it for Wilson Library.
Bad Island by Doug TenNapel (ISBN: 978-0-545-31480-0)
Funny how you can try books a couple of times and then finally just "get" them. This graphic novel has great art (I'm going to have to start defining for myself what that means. For now, it basically means "I wish I could draw like that") It also has a lot of funny dialog that shows the realistic back and forth in a family that's not always happy with each other. It has a tight story that wraps up nicely at the end, (family gets trapped on a seriously bad island) an appropriate amount of scariness for elementary school kids, and lots of good monsters. Fun!
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch (ISBN-13: 978-1439189719)
One day I was drifting around Barnes and Noble and several books on the memoir shelf just jumped out at me. Memoir and what they call these days "creative non-fiction" are probably my favorite non-fiction genres along with how-to books. (OK, I admit it, I'm kind of addicted to those "I did this totally insane thing for a year and here are all the profound insights into the human condition I got" kind of books. Don't worry--one of those will be coming up soon!) Anyway, it probably helped that this book has a jaunty yellow cover, but the word "Asperger" caught my attention. Let's just say my family has a special interest in the Autism spectrum. It's a sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking chronicle of "one man's quest to become a better husband," after a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome gives him some insight into why his marriage may be falling apart. You cheer for the depth of love that he shows as he does something so hard, so alien to him. You also groan, or squirm, as he beats the project to death in a typically "Aspergian" way, the final straw being a requirement that his wife give him "performance reviews." The Journal of Best Practices has good insights for both neurotypicals and, (though I can't speak for anyone of course) people with Asperger Syndrome who are married to us.Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich (ISBN-13: 978-0312626686)
This is the book that was Banned in Bedford. (Or almost. They certainly made sure that kids didn't have to read anything their parents were not comfortable with. I think the protest was because Barbara Ehrenreich uses the words "Jesus" and "socialist" in the same sentence. ) Ehrenreich wanted to know what it would be like to try and live on the wages that people typically make without a college degree, or much work experience. In 2001, this was $6-$7 per hour. In the course of her reporting, she worked as a house cleaner, waitress, Walmart team member and maybe something else I can't remember. She also finds apartments she can "afford," only uses her wages to buy food, medicine and clothing, and limits her outside-of-work activities to things that she would realistically be doing as a low-wage worker (including limiting books and reading-gasp!) Her goal was to be able to pay her bills with the given job for one month before moving on to the the next job. Basically, she found out that it's near to impossible, even going into it with a working car. This book was part of my summer reading on poverty. I will never look at people in Walmart in quite the same way again I definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like to have his/her eyes opened to what it is like to be one of the working poor.
Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester Laminack (ISBN: 978-1-56145-564-5)
"We do all the work around here," complain the hens in this NH Ladybug Nominee. To the peacock's credit, instead of just standing around being admired, he decides that he would like to be more useful. The final message is that everyone has their own way of helping. I'm not sure I like that Peacock's physical beauty is his most important asset, though. Nice, bold illustrations will work in a group.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Our Eleanor by Candace Fleming (ISBN 978-0689865442)
A biography of Eleanor Roosevelt was a logical follow-up to Dead End in Norvelt. I think I have a new hero. Although decidedly not perfect, Eleanor Roosevelt was astonishingly brave, compassionate, and tireless--in a time when women were often not taken seriously. I've read that Hilary Clinton has seen her as a role model, and I understand why--the parallels are striking. For instance, both women were criticized for having too much influence on the president's policies. Both women felt that government had an important role to play in American society. Both women had well-liked husbands that were philanderers, although you can bet that FDR was never publicly censured for his behavior. This bio is a little hard to follow in that it doesn't follow a strictly chronological, but rather thematic, order. I kept it propped open on the dining table, and read a few pages whenever I was sitting down to eat. There are photographs on every page, copies of newspaper articles, quotes from others about Eleanor, as well as quotes from her own autobiographies. Highly recommended for older readers. I'd like to find a shorter book for Wilson students. It is balm to my soul to read about a person who wasn't afraid to get in and help people.Teaching With Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen (ISBN-13: 978-1416608844 )
This book was much more of a slog (read that as more clinical and academic) than A Framework for Understanding Poverty . It definitely begins with that "deficit model" that Payne speaks of, describing how living in poverty can make changes in the brain that hampers students' success in school. This can be pretty depressing, but the second half of the book describes the most powerful research-based interventions that schools can make. Written for administrators, the emphasis on improving teachers and recruiting "better" teachers is a little off-putting. However, there is much to validate things we are already striving for at Wilson. The emphasis on brain research may be valuable in moving people from blame to understanding, so that we can respond to kids' behavior in more ways than punitive consequences--as we are doing with our new homework policy.
Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood (ISBN-13: 978-0545331807)
I have to admit that I rolled my eyes when I saw the promo for this book on the Scholastic Book Fair commercial DVD. "Oh puh-leeze," I thought, "not another southern girl coming-of-age novel!" Glory is even, like Opal in Because of Winn-Dixie the motherless child of a preacher. But the commercial sold this book short, probably because Scholastic has a tendency to sell their audience short, always. Glory Be is actually another civil-rights story, from the perspective of a white girl who's been sheltered enough to never think about how the black people who are part of her everyday life are treated differently than herself. At the beginning, she's less worried about injustice than the fact that it's Mississippi-summer HOT, the pool has been closed until further notice, people are being mean to her new friend from up North, and no one seems to be thinking about her birthday for gosh sakes. But Glory is fearless once she feels that people she knows are suffering (albeit partly because she just doesn't understand the possible consequences of challenging the status quo.) What makes this book special is that this is so realistic--exactly the level that an eleven-year-old would think about things. Also, there is a hero librarian! This book would make a great companion to Christopher Paul Curtis' The Watsons Go to Birmingham--kids could get both sides of the story without teacher-analysis getting in the way.
Me, Jane by Patrick McDonnell (ISBN-13: 978-0316045469)
Another NH Ladybug nominee. Introduction to the life of Jane Goodall. Not a biography, exactly, though there is a biographical note in the back. I liked the retro-looking woodcuts mixed in with McDonnell's watercolors and views of Jane's own early sketches. Nice creamy-thick paper. Might not "read" well for a large audience.
Citizen Scientists by Loree Griffin Burns (ISBN-13: 978-0805090628)
Non-fiction describing several real participatory science projects (the Audabon bird count is one example,) that kids can get involved in. The book includes lists of equipment needed to successfully participate in the work, addresses to contact the organizations running the studies, and more science resources. I love the introduction, which makes that case that kids are ideally suited to do science. I'll be trying to get this at Wilson.
The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley (ISBN-13: 978-0689844614-print book; audiobook by Listening Library, available through Audible.)
I listened to this one for a project back in library school, and I've been thinking about it ever since. The voice-actor who narrates the audiobook has a beautiful, lilting, and extremely understandable Irish accent. It's fantasy, my favorite genre, and the selchie (seal-folk) legend is at the heart of the story. I've been obsessed with this folk tale since I read Shulamith Oppenheim's The Selchie's Seed when I was in middle school. I listened to this while working on an art project and it was perfect.
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