Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Crafty Sites

Not being a crafty person, I found that these sites have a lot to offer. I was searching for the perfect dryer lint play dough. I found it, made it, and it was the most disgusting thing I have ever made! Luckily I tried it out at home before making at the library. It was cold, slimy and had pet hair in it. I couldn't in good conscience allow the the library kids to make it! My daughter said it looked like, "cat yaak." So we made colorful, smelly, sparkly, Kool-Aid dough! This site has it all. Including dryer lint dough ... if you are feeling daring!http://www.justkidsrecipes.com/inxkcl.html
Have fun!
Laureen

http://www.primarygames.com/
This site was created by Susan Shuey who originally designed the educational games in this site for her own students. However, she saw their growing popularity among children around the world. She decided to expand this site and create games for students everywhere. An eye appealing, easy to navigate and varied site. Contains seasonal games and activities.

http://www.familyeducation.com/home/
At FamilyEducation.com, you can play games with your kids in the Family Entertainment Center, find arts and crafts projects and after-school activities, and explore ideas, decorations, and homemade gifts for the holidays. Don't miss the game and toy recommendations, and movies database!

http://www.first-school.ws/
First-School features free fun preschool lesson plans, educational early childhood activities, printable crafts, worksheets, calendar of events and other resources for children of preschool age. The preschool crafts, lesson plans and activities are appropriate and adaptable for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarten level (ages 2 to 6).
First-School's content is ideal for home schooling, preschool and kindergarten teachers, daycare, child care providers, after-school and babysitters.

http://alphabet-soup.net/index.html
Alphabet Soup--for the young and the "young at heart"! Alphabet Soup contains thematic units, holiday units, games and activities for kids; teacher and parent resources; and crafts, humor and recipes for all! Be sure to check out the Kindergarten Kafe, recipes dictated by 5-year-olds! Includes plenty of free printables!

http://familyfun.com/
This website includes all the great things FamilyFun, the country's number one family magazine, publishes ... only more. This site is about all the great things families can do together; travel, food, crafts, parties, holidays, games, activities, and products--all the essentials that enrich the important time parents and children share.

Carolyn W. Field Award Criteria

The Carolyn W. Field Award 2010 committee has chosen the nominees listed below for this year's award. The award will be presented at the Pennsylvania Library Association Annual Conference in Lancaster, October 24-27. The books have met the following eligibility requirements: the author or illustrator was a Pennsylvania resident at the time of publication, the book carries a 2009 copyright date, and the book has as its potential audience children from preschool through sixteen years of age.

Bagram Ibatoulline, PA Illustrator. Crow Call, Scholastic Press.
Beth Fantaskey, PA Author. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Harcourt
Matt Phelan, PA Illustrator. The Storm in the Barn, Candlewick Press
Melissa Wyatt, PA Author. Funny How Things Change, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, PA Authors. My Name is Sangoel, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers


In order to cast your ballot, please read the nominated books with the following criteria in mind:

The value of the book as literature
The uniqueness of the text and/or illustrations
The clarity and style of the text
The purpose and aesthetic value of the illustrations
The contribution of the design and format
The value to the intended audience
The potential acceptance by the intended audience


Please use the link below to cast your vote for the Carolyn W. Field Award book for 2010. The nominated books are included in the ballot.
Here is a link to the ballot:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2bIdQBY2033kaAKnokgx0Aw_3d_3d

Please respond by Friday, June 4, after which the ballot will be closed.

This link is uniquely tied to this ballot and your email address, please do not forward this message. Once your vote is cast, you will not be able to return to the ballot. Your vote is anonymous and emails will not be tied to responses.


Thanks for your participation!

Bianca Roberts
Carolyn W. Field Award Chair

YALSA programs at ALA Conference in DC

Hi Everyone!
Here is some information I have been asked to share with you from YALSA. If you can't make the conference, check out their website for some great ideas on teen programming. www.ala.org/yalsa.
Laureen
YALSA is coming to DC! In addition to our special events at ALA's Annual Conference (see them all at http://www.tinyurl.com/yalsaac10), we have two pre-Annual workshops on Friday, June 25 that you can attend without registering for Annual.

It's Perfectly Normal: Dealing with "Sensitive" Topics in Teen Services (Ticketed Event-- YALSA Member: $195; ALA Member: $235; Non-Member: $285; Student/Retired Member: $195.) Friday, 9-5. Have you ever found yourself worrying about how best to address critical but sensitive adolescent topics through your teen services and collection? Topics like sexuality, abuse, privacy and others can be difficult for librarians to address with teens &/or their parents and caregivers. Hear from experts in the field of adolescent development, along with authors and librarians, about how they have managed to successfully maneuver this difficult landscape. Explore strategies for collection development, services and programming relating to these sensitive issues. Authors participating: Ben Saenz, Laurie Halse Anderson, Nina LaCour, David Levithan, and Ellen Hopkins.

Promoting Teen Reading with Web 2.0 Tools (Ticketed Event-$99) Friday, 12:30-4:30. The participatory web has transformed adolescent literacy, as young people create and consume a new range of online content. Are you ready for it? Learn how libraries can use free web 2.0 tools to connect teens with reading and writing opportunities within and beyond your library collection. Librarians, reporters, and academics will explore teens' daily use of technology and the interaction of digital and print reading channels, including fan fiction and gaming. YA authors will discuss leveraging readership through social networking channels. Authors participating: Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Malinda Lo, John Green, David Levithan.

If you are planning to attend ALA Annual Conference, you can add either event to your registration at www.ala.org/annual.

If you have already registered and would like to add this special event to your registration, you have two options: (1) By phone: Call ALA Registration at 1-800-974-3084 and ask to add a workshop to your existing registration; (2) Online: Add an event to your existing registration by clicking on - http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=Events&Template=/CFApps/Experient/Redirect.cfm&Meeting=A10. Use your log in and password to access your existing Annual registration and add events in the “Your Events” section (screen 6). Then simply check out and pay for the events you have added.

To register only for either of the pre-Annual workshops, please fill out the form at http://yalsa.ala.org/annual/event.pdf (skip Section I) and either mail or fax it to 800-521-6017 or mail it to: ALA Registration and Housing Headquarters
568 Atrium Dr.
Vernon Hills, IL 60061

Questions? Contact us at yalsa@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4390. Hope to see you in DC!

-Stevie

Stephanie (Stevie) Kuenn
Communications Specialist
Young Adult Library Services Association
skuenn@ala.org
v: 312.280.2128
f: 312.280-5276

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Carolyn Field Nominees Selected


Hi Everyone,
Now that the snows of winter have ended, the roads are clear and the smell of spring is in the air , we are ready for new challenges ... Fun ones like reading the Carolyn Field nominees. "There were many excellent books this year and the committee members engaged in a long deliberation to compile this list. We are sure that you will find at least one book that "calls" to you - your difficulty may arise, as ours did, when trying to choose just one favorite! Enjoy!" I quote the indefatigable Anita Ditz !
The committee worked long and hard to choose these books. Please read them and then vote when the ballot comes out. I would like to see a record number of librarians voting! Please feel free to add your comments about the books to this post. It may encourage others to read them.


The Nominees Are:
Bagram Ibatoulline, PA Illustrator. Crow Call, Scholastic Press.
Beth Fantaskey, PA Author. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Harcourt
Matt Phelan, PA Illustrator. The Storm in the Barn, Candlewick Press
Melissa Wyatt, PA Author. Funny How Things Change, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, PA Authors. My Name is Sangoel, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
YSD members, check your e-mails for the link to vote.

Thank you ladies for doing such a great job!
Laureen