Shake The Shivers

As summer eases into fall in the northern climes, colors shift from shades of green to hues of red, orange, yellow and brown.  A clear, sharpness invades the very air as temperatures cool and humidity drops. Pumpkins, gourds, corn shocks, bales of hay and brightly-colored mums appear in nurseries, farmers' markets, along city streets, in front of shops and around neighborhoods.  Months before the calendar page turns from September to October, stores will begin to display all manner of Halloween costumes and decorations.

In schools and homes an extra current of excitement pulses as guys and gals, family and friends get ready for the spookiest time of the year.  It only makes sense our panic-prone, super-sensitive, furry friend from the forest is not only ready but willing to share his helpful hints with all of us.  Scaredy Squirrel prepares for Halloween: A Safety Guide for Scaredies (Kids Can Press) written and illustrated by Melanie Watt, is packed with preparations.

WARNING!
Scaredy Squirrel insists that
everyone avoid reading this
Safety Guide during a full moon.

With this cautionary sentence in mind, after checking the date for the moon's phases, and reading Scaredy Squirrel's admonishments concerning the handling and transportation of this timely manual, readers are directed to a Contents.  Our fearful leader leaves no acorn ungathered with these section headings:

• Preface
• Halloween Is Coming
• Halloween Decorations
• Halloween Costumes
• Halloween Trick-Or-Treating
• Halloween Candy
• Halloween Notes
• Halloween Fun and
• If All Else Fails...

True to form Scaredy Squirrel needs us to understand him; devoting two pages each to his background and over-the-top behavior, the option of taking a multiple (two) choice quiz to test yourself on Halloween and the safety guide's planned purpose. 

First and foremost we need to protect our immediate living quarters from all forms of frightening figures which may or may not intrude, using six specific items, one of which happens to be a blender. (After laughing at this, it's unsettling how his reasoning makes sense.)  Precautions in place, werewolves, witches, vampires, ghosts, black cats and creepy crawlers will not dare to scare.  Succinct step-by-step instructions are given for the selection of pumpkins and the art of careful carving.  The most unlikely means of making sound effects to accompany your outdoor decor are given along with a visual example of a haunting, entrancing home.  Not to be overlooked, dos and don'ts for three possible schemes for inside adornment are given.

By theme, rating them on a meter, unscary, scary and terrifying, Scaredy Squirrel gives readers not five, not ten, not fifteen, not twenty but twenty-four possible costume ideas.  Plan on having vacuum hoses, ping-pong balls and safety cones handy if you find his DIY spider and sea urchin costumes appealing. (You might be close to hysteria now.)  Like every good escapade a map is a must; more twists and turns make it better.

Treats in all shapes and sizes are scrutinized. Alarming qualities of apples, monsters and haunted houses are analyzed.  Food and fun for the perfect party are itemized.  Scaredy Squirrel leaves readers with a frank, final piece of advice illustrating fakery at its finest.

Book by book, with every reading of each title, we readers continue to learn and laugh as the lovable traits of Scaredy Squirrel are revealed by his creator, Melanie Watt.  Puns and word play are the order of the day.  Her technique of employing short sentences, identifying labels, numbered instructions, astute asides and A Scaredy Squirrel Tip! reach out to the reader.   Even a novice to the series will be caught up in the comical details, the lengths taken, by this nut tree lover. A couple of examples are given below.

Notepad

(an unforgettable item)

Scaredy's To-Do List

√ Panic

√ Draw up a plan

√ Prepare for the worst

√ Make lists

√ Let imagination run wild

A GHOULISH INTERIOR

(But Not Too Ghoulish)

Decorate your living room without making it look too scary.

Going overboard could freak you out!

SOCK There's nothing worse than a lost sock to reek havoc!

CRYSTAL BALL A mystical addition that guests could not have predicted.

Beginning with the spine on the jacket and cover, the title framed in spider webs, to Scaredy Squirrel attired in his best vampire look, Melanie Watt, haunts us with hilarity.  Orange, black and purple colors dominate her illustrations rendered in charcoal, pencil and Photoshop.  Framing individual elements in her solid black lines, our eyes are asked to stop and look.

Circles, squares, rows of two or three, single and double pages spreads are treats not tricks for her creative pictorial presentations; designed to keep our attention.  Each of the headings showcase Scaredy Squirrel in a circle wearing appropriate attire, holding an item, or his facial features are expressing an emotion as his other fingers number the chapters.  On the opposite page he sits in his oak tree hinting at the contents.  Several of my favorite double-page spreads are The Trick-Or-Treating Map with the Urban Legend, the haunted mansion pages with a list of hints, A Scaredy Tip! and notes spread throughout the yard and house and his Halloween party in full swing.

From her Scaredy Squirrel In A Nutshell introduction, chapter by chapter, describing all things Halloween, Melanie Watt in Scaredy Squirrel prepares for Halloween: A Safety Guide For Scaredies, assists readers in celebrating this creepy holiday.  Every time I've read this I've discovered some new phrase, laughed aloud again at Scaredy Squirrel's looks or seen an extra tiny illustration previously missed.  Fans of this day, fans of Scaredy Squirrel, and fans of fun in general, will love this book.

Please follow the link embedded in Melanie Watt's name to access her blog.  There is a link in Scaredy Squirrel's name to direct readers to his home page.  Here is a link to four coloring pages for this title.

A Hare-Raising Episode

Reflecting on the power of creativity, the imagination, oral and written storytelling, the only two words more compelling than "once upon a time" are "what if".  For authors and illustrators who dare to extend their thinking, the results for readers and listeners have been phenomenal.  They have made us gasp in surprise, taken us to the edge in fear, broken our hearts, healed our hearts and made us laugh ourselves silly.  Most important of all, the best of these are favorites, not for the moment but for years.

Back in June, Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast interviewed Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett and Matthew Myers about a collaboration of theirs to be released in the fall of 2013.  Needless to say, this post revealed the process for and the creation of a book destined to be gleefully enjoyed by children (and adults) of any age.  One week ago an article was posted on the Publishers Weekly website, Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett, and Matthew Myers 'Battle' It Out in New Picture Book,  with all three individuals talking about their work on this title.  At this point (even though I had seen an ARC at a bookseller's shop), I could hardly wait to get the finished book in my hands.  Battle Bunny (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) is definitely not what Gran Gran intended as a gift.

Bunny woke up from a night of pleasant 
dreams.  Today is a very special day, he thought.
Today is my birthday.  Today, I am not just a bunny.
                  attle
I am the Birthday Bunny.

For his birthday, Alexander, Alex, has received, what I would consider the very best kind of present from his grandmother, a book.  Before the narrative even begins, it's obvious Alex's taste in literature does not run parallel to his grandmother's idea of a good story.  Oh, no sirree, Alex has decided this tale will not be filled with sweetness and light but of a raving rabbit on the rampage.  With writing implement in hand, he crosses out, adds words, and doodles all over the pages.  Ta-dah!  A new book is born.

Yes, Battle Bunny, will begin his birthday with a scrumptious breakfast of brain juice and a bowl of greasy guts.  Fortified he sets off into the forest to chop down as many trees as possible on his path to world domination.  First to confront him is Crow who is easily dispatched with a solid swing sending him beyond the clouds in the sky.

It's interesting at this point to note a new character has been added.  His name is none other than Alex; perhaps a superhero of sorts, wearing a capital A on his shirt.  He has just completed a person to person call to the President of the United States.

Badger goes down with a swift kick.  Squirrel's feisty bees are no match for the blistering buzz of Battle Bunny's chain saw.  Alex's second call to the president is rebuffed; after all he is only a boy.

Martial artists fail leaving the horrendous hare free to wreck havoc on mountains and national treasures.  Will the President of the United States change his mind?  Can this madness be stopped?  This is one birthday fated for the annuals of history.


One can only guess as to the boisterous brainstorming between Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett as they drafted and wrote both these stories, the gentle, sweet but predictable Birthday Bunny followed by the maniacal mayhem of Battle Bunny.  Every textual change is a reflection of minds given free rein, to enjoy childhood.  It's like Saturday morning cartoons on the printed page.  The word play is straight from the mind of a nefarious villain, a would-be hero and a world leader in need of saving.  Here are a couple of examples. (These represent the text as re-written.)

"That is so false!" said Battle Bunny. Because
today I am going to whomp on you, birdbrain,
and pluck you like a sick chicken!

Sgt. Squirrel smiled.  "Today is a special day because I
have robot killer bees in my tree and now I am
ready to sting your butt and save the forest!!


Illustrator Matthew Myers jumps into the comic chaos with both feet by altering the front and back cover (and spine) expertly; even the tiny bunnies along the top edge of the back look ready to fight.  Opening and closing endpapers, two-tone cream with darker carrots in rows, are identical except for the back, featuring a disgruntled hand-drawn Battle Bunny striding away.  The title pages and verso with kid-like doodles galore will garner a captive audience.  Little changes like Book design by Dan Potash, a hand drawn pot followed by pot of ash, being included or adding letters to balloons to read, See what happens to bunnies on doomsday.  

Full-color illustrations rendered in oils and pencil provide the superb contrast to the dark drawings.  Some of the pictures are full page, two are double page, edge to edge.  Most are circular in shape allowing for plenty of room to showcase the modified tale.  His characters and their actions are so lively you feel as if you might have to close the book to keep them from jumping off the page.  I have to say the first illustration where I laughed out loud was of Battle Bunny sitting at the breakfast table, looking ready to change the world (in his favor), skull and crossbones drawn on his sippy cup, sporting an eye patch, scarred ear, guts coming from his cereal bowl, an arrow shot into the Hole Sweet Hole sampler on the wall and the world MAY end soon on the calendar.


Get ready to buzz, boom, and trounce your way through the pages of  Battle Bunny written by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett and Alex with illustrations by Matthew Myers and Alex. Action-packed adventure is an understatement as this bunny is bent on destruction of the highest order.  Your imagination will be ready to run as wild as this rabbit's antics. Guaranteed.  I would plan on getting extra copies.  And cake might be a good idea too.

I invite you to check out the author and illustrator websites by following the links embedded in their names above. A special website for Battle Bunny has been created allowing users to download one or all of the pages of this title, so they make their own changes to the original story.  Submitted alterations are being posted at the site.  A curriculum guide is in place for educators.    

You'll Flip For Flipboard

At the beginning of this month educator, speaker, tech guru and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers, Richard Byrne hosted a post about a recent presentation he made in North Dakota.  This post, Best of the Web-Fall 2013 Edition, included a SlideShare highlighting more than 50 websites/applications he recommends.  One of the applications named is Flipboard.  

Flipboard gives users the ability to create their own magazines on any topic they choose.  Free to download on iOS or Android devices, users need to be 13 years or older.  If you are between the age of 13 and 18, parental/guardian permission must be obtained prior to use.

When first accessing the site moving left to right along the top tool bar, you can:

• download the app
• search for previously created magazines under the headings of This Week's Highlights, Arts & Culture, Big Ideas, Food & Dining, Living, News, Photos & Design, Sports, Style, Tech & Science, and Travel
• use the web tools; installing the bookmarklet on your Google Chrome toolbar or edit your magazines
• under Community view highlighted big ideas, get information about customizing your magazines, sharing with others, Flipboard basics and video tutorials
• a FAQ section under Support and
• basic information about the application, its blogs and more.

When you have the app downloaded to your device the following screen appears.  To begin drag the Flip tab on the right-hand side of your screen to the left as if opening a print magazine. You will see thumbnails of headings from which you may start to curate your content, News, Technology, Flipboard Picks, Design, Photography, Business, Sports, Style, Travel, Politics, Food, Music, Film, Gaming, Auto, Science, Home and Celebrity.  

Each time you tap one of these a checkmark will appear.  Tap the screen again to remove the checkmark.  One must be checked for you to begin.  Tap on the blue Build Your Flipboard button next.

A series of smaller windows overlay the next screen.  They give you a quick overview of how to generate your own magazine.  Simple elements such as searching for content, saving stories, and creating an account are covered.  When you select the Create an Account button, you can use your Facebook account or enter in a username, password, email address and your first and last name.

After your information is given a confirmation email is immediately sent.  You can view the contents of the magazines shown on screen by tapping one of the choices. (first image) Turn the pages by moving your finger from right to left.  At any time you can go back by choosing the return arrow in the upper left hand corner, search for topics, magazine, curators and hashtags or type in a keyword by tapping the small magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner, go to your dashboard by choosing the series-of-lines icon and "fetch for offline". (second image)

I decided to create a magazine around the topic Halloween.  I typed the word into the search box.  On the right-hand side beneath the search box a list appears.  The first items are magazines already curated in Flipboard followed by items found in and on Twitter, Google+, YouTube, SoundCloud, Instagram, Flickr, 500PX and Tumblr.  

When you find an item to add to your magazine, click on the plus sign.  A series of screens will direct you on how to create a new magazine. (images 1 and 2)   Once your magazine is created you can add the item to it or even generate another magazine from the next screen. (image 3)

What I wanted to do was create a magazine combining items from a Flipboard search with those taken from my web browser using the bookmarklet I placed in Google Chrome.  After selecting items from the search results on Flipboard, I began using my laptop to add more elements found on the web.  When you find a source on the Internet you want to add, click on the Flip it bookmarklet.  

A smaller window will pop up on the screen over the web page.  Feel free to add a caption.  Then simply click the small blue Add button in the corner.  When you go to your device, you can see that it has been added to your magazine.

At the Flipboard website there is an option for editing the magazines you have created.  Place editor.flipboard.com in your browser address bar to use this feature. There you can share, edit, reset the cover and delete your magazine by choosing the appropriate icon after you have clicked on your magazine at the first screen. (image 1 is the opening page) (image 2 is after clicking on the magazine)

For each of the individual items in your magazine you are able to change them to the cover story or delete them using the icons beneath the thumbnail.  (image 2) When you select an item by mousing over until the hyperlink appears, you can read the caption. By placing your mouse on the hyperlink at the top of the screen you are taken directly to the resource referenced in the item.(image 3)

On my device this is the front page of my magazine. (image 1)  Left to right in the upper right-hand corner you are able to invite contributors, (image 2) share a link via seven social networks (images 3/4), share to one of six other apps (image 5),  search, go to your Flipboard and edit magazine, delete magazine or fetch for offline (image 6).

When you open, flip, the first page of my magazine it currently looks like this.  If you click on the plus sign in the corner of any item,  you can add it to another magazine.  Clicking on an item takes you to a new screen.  In the lower right-hand corner, left to right, the icons offer the option to share the same as the entire magazine, like the item, flip the item into another magazine or save image to device, read later, view on web or report. (image 2)

The more I worked with Flipboard the more I was impressed with the results.  Immediately I could see the benefits personally and professionally.  Educators could curate information for students to use in the classroom involving any themes they so desire.  I am hoping that in the future there will be options for students to use this through some type of classroom account.

A Flipboard magazine can be viewed on the web without having the app.  Place the URL link in your web browser to access the magazine.  At the magazine you can view it, share it via email, Facebook or Twitter with the URL link. Here is the link to my magazine.  To turn the pages use your spacebar or the left and right arrow keys on your keypad.  Enjoy!

She Saw Trees

I lost two this year.  In northern Michigan our ash trees are dying.  The woodcutters with their chain saws, chippers and stump grinders can barely keep up with the demand.  Walking through the neighborhood, even before autumn, huge trunks soaring skyward, branches outstretched, were without leaves.  It's disheartening to think of losing another member of the tree family.

For some people solace is found walking along the shore of a lake or sea but for others it's hiking the paths through a forest of pines or a grove of maples, birch and popular.  When you've lived among trees your whole life, it's hard to picture a landscape without them.  In The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever (Beach Lane Books, September 17, 2013) written by debut picture book author H. Joseph Hopkins with illustrations by Jill McElmurry, the value of a single life to affect change, lasting generations, is beautifully conveyed.


Katherine Olivia Sessions grew up in the woods of Northern California. 

It was not typical in the 1860s for a girl to feel more comfortable among trees than any other place; her greatest pleasure fashioning necklaces and bracelets from leaves and needles.  At school, though excelling in all subjects, science was her favorite.  Clearly Katherine Olivia Sessions was ignoring what was expected,

When she was old enough, her fascination with trees lead her to study their intricate structure and place on our planet at college.  Kate was the first woman to graduate with a degree in science from the University of California in 1881.  Without a doubt Katherine Olivia Sessions was a woman who knew her own mind.

For two years she taught school in San Diego, California as well holding the position of vice principal.  The nearby City Park was nearly void of vegetation. It was more a place for cattle and garbage; not exactly a welcoming area for trees.  With determination Katherine Olivia Sessions decided to bring what she loved most to the people and land of San Diego.

In 1909 an announcement was made.  Something spectacular was coming to San Diego; to be held in Balboa Park, the former City Park.  What began with letters and travels continued with helping hands to succeed in creating an oasis of greenery.  Always believing she could, Katherine Olivia Sessions  transformed her corner of the world.


Much like Katherine Olivia Sessions, observation, curiosity and research lead H. Joseph Hopkins to write this book.  Focusing on those attributes which set her apart not only as a woman but as a person, Hopkins gives life to a name.  Paragraph by paragraph our admiration grows.  Choosing to end each page's text with a short affirmation about the mind set of Kate, unifies the narrative.  It gives a cadence of sorts to this title.  It is a sign of a good storyteller; the kind for whom we will give our undivided attention.  Here is an example.

After graduation, Kate took a job in Southern California.  When her boat docked in San Diego, she saw that her new home was a desert town.  
Kate never thought she would live in a place with very few trees.
But now she did.


I don't know about you but seeing the front jacket of this book, makes me want join the girl in the forest; the treetop view in shades of greens and browns is peaceful and enchanting.  Upon removing the jacket Jill McElmurry has chosen to show a portrait of Kate wearing her necklace of leaves and needles, a look of serenity, of confidence, on her face.  Warm and inviting, opening and closing endpapers are colored in a rich, solid chocolate brown.

An older Katherine Olivia Sessions is placed between the title, author and illustrator names, circled by one of her signature necklaces on the title page.  For most of this book lush, period paintings, rendered in gouache on cold-pressed watercolor paper, span two pages, edge-to-edge.  Opposite five single or single plus pages crossing the gutter, McElmurry has added  pertinent personal elements, muddy handprints, plant specimens labeled in Latin, a microscope with slide views, addressed, stamped envelopes sent to the far corners of the world and long-handled garden tools.  Two of my favorite illustrations, in addition to the two page replication of the jacket, is of everyone working to plant the thousands of trees in Balboa Park and the single page close-up of an elder Kate working among the trees, pruning shears in hand.

I certainly hope this is the first of many books written by H. Joseph Hopkins.  He and Jill McElmurry have presented readers with a masterful, picture book biography in The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever.  This is the kind of book that says to readers pursue your passion, your ideas are important and never discount the effect of a single person.

The final page contains an extended Author's Note.  In his special thanks H. Joseph Hopkins lists those people and resources used.  To learn more about Jill McElmurry follow the link embedded in her name above.  By going to the publisher's website here, you can see more pages from the book.

Of Vacuums, Squirrels And Lamps With Names

When you live surrounded by lakes in a land of sand and have a furry friend who gets an entire new coat twice a year, there is one essential device necessary for survival and sanity.  What is this device, you ask?  It's a vacuum cleaner, of course.  Not any old vacuum cleaner will do either.  I'm talking about a brand and model whose suction is off the charts.

Fortunately, I've found the ultimate machine for my wants and needs.  In fact, I have to be careful not to get it too close to the lighter objects in my home.  By now you are wondering why I've elected to talk about this particular household appliance.  Newbery Medal author Kate DiCamillo's new title, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (Candlewick Press) with illustrations by K. G. Campbell, begins with a birthday and a present.  Yes, a vacuum cleaner is given as a gift.

Flora Belle Buckman was in her room at her desk.  She was very busy.  She was doing two things at once.  She was ignoring her mother, and she was also reading a comic book entitled The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto!

Looking out her window she sees the aforementioned birthday gift, a Ulysses Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000X, dragging her neighbor, Mrs. Tickham, around the yard heading straight for a squirrel.  Before the squirrel can think of anything except how hungry he is, he's being sucked inside the vacuum, except for his tail.  Flora races to the rescue, surprised at herself (she is after all a natural-born cynic) but determined, as this is clearly one of the Terrible Things Can Happen To You! previously addressed in the back of an Amazing Incandesto comic.

Shaking the squirrel, who at this point is missing much of his fur, loose from the cleaner's grip, she quickly begins CPR.  CPR on a squirrel?  Oh, yes indeed.  Revived the furry miracle remembers his one single previous thought.  Lifting the vacuum cleaner over his head with one paw, he loosens food from the inside before lowering it to the ground.

Mrs. Tickham thinks she has a brain tumor.  Flora thinks she is in the presence of a superhero.  She names him Ulysses.

Let's pause here for a moment.  Of the eleven living characters in this book, we've met four, a husband, Mr. Tickham, with less than perfect taste in choosing birthday gifts, his wife currently in a state of shock, a resourceful girl named Flora and her new companion, a squirrel who understands human speech and is stronger, a lot stronger, than he should be.  Continuing throughout the ups and downs of this tale, we meet Flora's mother, Phyllis, a writer of romance novels, who appears to love plunking out stories on her typewriter and her recent purchase of a shepherdess lamp she named Mary Ann, more than her daughter, Flora's father, George, a mild-mannered accountant who enjoys reading Amazing Incandesto as much as Flora, William Spiver, an extremely intelligent boy, banished by his mother, staying with his Aunt Tootie (Mrs. Tickham), a knife-waving cook, a hysterical waitress, a disreputable cat name Mr. Klaus, and Dr. Meescham (philosophy not medical).  Of significance to this story is the fact of Flora's parents' divorce.

With all the excitement of the exploits and dialogue found in the comics she loves so well (and the advice they provide, proving to be helpful in the most unbelievable circumstances), Flora, Ulysses and company, fight the evil of the arch-nemesis, defy threats and attacks, revel in poetry written by someone with a huge capacity for compassion, and soar, like an eagle, when necessary to save life and limb.  Least you think this is a series of tension-filled episodes only, rest assured it is not.  Deftly woven into the adventures are revelations which hurt and heal the heart.  Founded in hope, love finds a way.


You can't help but feel the need to celebrate the characters, the plot and the use of language conceived by Kate DiCamillo in this title.  The layers of dialogue and thoughts of her people and animals is rich in its realism even when it steps into the world of fantasy.  She makes you believe the impossible is probable.

Humor, the kind making you laugh out loud every time you read a passage, is an integral element enhancing the appeal this story has for readers.  Vocabulary, which may have some heading for a dictionary (a good habit really), conveys the exact mood necessary for everything to mesh together.  Pauses and pacing are perfection in DiCamillo's hands.  Here are a few samples.

She said the words, and then she had a strange moment of seeing them, hanging there over her head.

"YOU'RE GOING TO VACUUM UP
THAT SQUIRREL!"

There is just no predicting what kind of sentences you might 
say, thought Flora.  For instance, who would ever think you would 
shout, "You're going to vacuum up that squirrel!"?

"Holy bagumba," said Flora.

"Talking to my baby doll? said Flora.  She felt a flush of 
outrage crawl up her cheeks.  For the love of Pete! She was ten
years old, almost eleven.  She knew how to administer CPR.
She knew how to outwit an arch-nemesis.  She was acquainted
with the profound importance of seal blubber.  She was the
sidekick to a superhero.
Plus she was a cynic.
What self-respecting cynic would carry around a doll in a
shoe box?


The first four pages of this book are done in the style of a comic book with panels.  Each time Ulysses is highlighted all text smoothly switches to the pencil drawings of K. G. Campbell.  We are also treated to full page illustrations and insets as well as one double page picture; each deftly presented, filled with the emotion of the moment.  They not only enhance the narrative, but become the narrative.


 Captivating, entertaining, causing uncontrollable bursts of laughter and warming our hearts as only the best kind of storytelling can, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures written by Kate DiCamillo with illustrations by K. G. Campbell is one of this year's finest pieces of literature.  It would be a wonderful read aloud with your children or your students.  I daresay, Holy bagumba, will find its way into your conversations.

For more information about the author and illustrator please follow the links embedded in their names.  Flora & Ulysses have their own website containing Flora & Ulysses Teacher's Guide, Read an Excerpt, Flora & Ulysses Discussion Guide and Q & A with Flora & Ulysses author Kate DiCamillo.  Follow this link to Holy Bagumba! An exclusive webcast with beloved children's book authors, Kate DiCamillo and Jon Scieszka.

Twitterville Talk #122

After being on Twitter for several years, I've come to the conclusion it never sleeps.  It keeps sending out information, anecdotes, bits and pieces of whatever happens to be of importance to those posting tweets.  What you take away from Twitter, is based solely upon who you follow and who follows you.  It is a pleasure to be a part of the children's literature and educational community.  Have a restful weekend and take time for reading.  Look for the giveaways.




October is designated as National Bullying Prevention Month.  To address this, view the available items listed here, SLJ's Bullying Prevention Roundup|Resources

Newsela: making news accessible for more learners is a tool reviewed and recommended by Joyce Valenza at NeverEnding Search.

Thanks to School Library Journal for these tweets.







I really like the tools recommended here, 6 Simple Ways To Record & Publish Video In The Classroom.

This is an older post but has many relevant ideas, 27 Ways To Publish Student Thinking


Thanks for these tweets goes to Jennifer LaGarde, teacher librarian, 2012 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, ALA/NYT I Love My Librarian winner, co-founder of #levelupbc and blogger at The Adventures of Library Girl.  






This breaks my heart for all the children whose lives it touches. The view from my circ desk vs. stories of heartbreaking inequity

The title of this alone is enough to ____________(supply your own statement).  The End Of The Library

Thanks to Joyce Valenza, teacher librarian and blogger at NeverEnding Search, for these tweets.





In an effort to close the gap, Sesame Workshop Launches Early Literacy Initiative.


Last month during the #SharpSchu Book Club a password was given to attendees for the viewing of a video about Aaron Becker's creation of Journey.  It is now available for all to view.




The date and titles have been chosen for the October #SharpScu Book Club.  Are you reading and ready?

Here are the book trailers for this week.  Sit back and enjoy.














Our book stacks get taller and our reading lists longer thanks to lists like this, Simon & Schuster Spring Kids 2014|Preview Peek

The people at Scholastic are helping you get ready for Halloween---Get Goosebumps With R. L. Stine Webcast and Discussion Guide and Halloween: Trick or Treat for Facts and Fun.

There are lots of new entries on Mr. Schu's Book Release Calendar.

Thanks to John Schumacher, teacher librarian, 2011 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, 2014 Newbery Medal Committee member, co-host of the monthly #SharpSchu Book Club, and blogger at Watch. Connect. Read. for these tweets.






In case you've been wondering---In digital age, librarians are needed more than ever [infographic]


Thanks to school librarian and blogger at Welcome to my Tweendom, Stacy Dillon, for this tweet.






Mark your calendars and read all about the National Day of Writing.

I hope you have the time to read this post about The Power of Books to Bond a Family.

Thanks for these tweets and post goes to Katherine Sokolowski, teacher and blogger at Read, Write, Reflect.






One of the high points of my attendance at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition this past June was meeting Cece Bell and her husband Tom Angleberger.  I am proud to own an autographed copy of their collaborative work, Crankee Doodle.  This interview of the character, Pony, will make your day.

This is huge news for fans of the Origami Yoda series.  And the new cover star is...

Thanks to author Tom Angleberger for this tweet.





Here is one way to measure your involvement in online professional communities, A Cool Visual Featuring The 7 Stages of Connectedness For Teachers.

This appears to be an extensive and thorough resource---Guide to Using Twitter in Your Teaching Practice.

Thanks to Oakland Schools in Michigan for these tweets.

Never underestimate the power of people who want and need libraries.  Finding Libraries in Unexpected Places

Thanks to Book Riot for this tweet and post.





To continue their campaign of Read Every Day. Lead A Better Life., Henry Cole is featured this week.


Thanks to Scholastic Teachers for this tweet and post.









I first read it here, Neil Gaiman: Let children read the books they love.  It has been tweeted over and over and over again.  It's that important.

The authors on the shortlist for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature were named this week.  They are:  Meg Rosoff, Tom McNeal, Kathi Appelt, Cynthia Kadohata, and Gene Luen Yang.

Halloween is getting closer.  Get ready for it by printing and posting, Sabrina Zbasnik's All Hallows Read Posters.
To the first person who can tell me the character on the top poster, I will send a copy of Peter McCarty's new title, Fall Ball. Please leave your answer in the comments below or send me a DM on Twitter.



Thanks to Children's Bookshelf of Publishers Weekly for this tweet.






I am thankful this was tweeted out, Meghan McCarthy: An Author to Study



Thanks to author Barbara O'Connor (How to Steal a Dog) for this tweet.




After watching this trailer, I'm sure there will be a demand for the book.



Thanks to educator, co-host of the monthly #titletalk, co-host of the monthly #SharpSchu Book Club, co-founder of the Nerdy Book Club and blogger at sharpread, Colby Sharp for this tweet.






This is an interesting look This Map Shows The Most Famous Books Set In Every State.  What books would you or your students choose?
To the first person who can tell me the title for the state of Michigan, I will send a copy of Xander's Panda Party by Linda Sue Park with illustrations by Matt Phelan.  Please send me a DM on Twitter or leave the answer in the comments below.

Mental Floss Exclusive: Our Interview with Bill Watterson!  


Thanks to Travis Jonker, teacher librarian, 2014 Caldecott Medal Committee member and blogger at 100 Scope Notes, for these tweets.









Enjoy the pins courtesy of Edutopia titled English Language Arts, It's Halloween and Build your PLN: Connect 

Thanks to Edutopia for this tweet.






If you are a fan of Google Earth, check out Seven Science Lessons that Utilize Google Earth.


Thanks to educator, speaker and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers, Richard Byrne for this tweet and post.












This past summer I wrote a post about the curation tool, Themeefy  This week they offer this to those using their tool, Themeefy Classrooms. It's a simple, useful tutorial.

Thanks for this tweet goes to the folks at Themeefy.




This is an outstanding idea for any educator, Review Club by Donalyn Miller.  


Thanks to the Nerdy Book Club for this tweet.






More exciting news for fans of the Wondla series, 'The Battle for Wondla' : cover art finally revealed--EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Thanks for this tweet goes to author illustrator of this series, Tony DiTerlizzi.  






Everyone might like some Halloween Science.

Thanks to Science NetLinks for this tweet.







She's posted another Marty McGuire Video Q and A: Week 2 to help us get ready for the Global Read Aloud. 

Thanks to author Kate Messner for this post and tweet.






This is a collection of my favorite tweets and quotes from the week. (Hmmm....I think the Warrior Princess, Xena, my furry friend might have been on the computer yet again.)

. @pennykittle and I are hosting a #NCTEChat on October 20th at 8pm EST to Celebrate the National Day on Writing. Join us!
— Katherine Sokolowski (@katsok) October 11, 2013

When you're six and you crack yourself up making CAPS FOR SALE puns, you might be a member of the @nerdybookclub.
— Anne Ursu (@anneursu) October 13, 2013

Floor in my daughter's room is like an I Spy of best books @camphalfblood @KirbyLarson @JoKnowles @lisa_mcmann #read pic.twitter.com/lr1bf4tsed
— Sherry Gick (@LibraryFanatic) October 13, 2013

Just met Alice Hoffman whose books I have read passionately for years. We are clearly sisters separated at birth. Loved her reading.
— jane Yolen (@JaneYolen) October 13, 2013

Friend's new tattoo. I'm kinda digging it. A lot. #TLChat #LibrariansRock pic.twitter.com/Ppu0RErs7o
— Sherry Gick (@LibraryFanatic) October 13, 2013

Don't count on your favorite author to be a great person or a personal friend. But sometimes they will surprise you and be both.
— jane Yolen (@JaneYolen) October 13, 2013

Just got recognized for 1st time by a random stranger on the street: "My grandson's a fan of your books." Felt a little odd, but pretty cool
— Christopher Healy (@ChristophrHealy) October 14, 2013

WOWZA! MT @sweeteatscakes: Our first smoking dragon cake. Based on the dragon from the book Dragons love Tacos. http://t.co/wXTxqVKqYa
— Adam Rubin (@Rubingo) October 14, 2013

Parents encourage their kids to go build forts to exercise creativity and then tell them to do something stable as adults, like accounting.
— Dan Santat (@dsantat) October 14, 2013

I love it when Sarah brings her book-loving friends to our house for the 1st time. "Can I borrow a book?" "Let me get a bag for you."
— Donalyn Miller (@donalynbooks) October 14, 2013

My dog http://t.co/w6Kk88unwU
— Dan Santat (@dsantat) October 15, 2013

My tribute to Ed Emberley is on my blog - take a look and learn to draw Kroc! http://t.co/p50KoTkcRw
— Greg Pizzoli (@gregpizzoli) October 15, 2013

13-year-old's observation from yesterday: I miss summer. Summer has no Mondays.
— Martha Brockenbrough (@mbrockenbrough) October 15, 2013

NINJA RED has a cover! https://t.co/vxlMJhdRWp http://t.co/cNt0dS06H4
— Corey Rosen Schwartz (@CoreyPBNinja) October 15, 2013

Jacket art for my next book, ABSOLUTELY ALMOST, which comes out next June. Yay!!! pic.twitter.com/YfQkL7q7iC
— Lisa Graff (@lisagraff) October 15, 2013

And then someone joined me at the table... pic.twitter.com/pWJ5ViBBEY
— maureenjohnson (@maureenjohnson) October 15, 2013

Student: Mrs.Heise, I finished SCARLET! Me: I guess that means you want CRESS. Her: Yep. Me: *Takes bookmark out of pg 100 & hands it over*
— Jillian Heise (@heisereads) October 15, 2013

The #PiBoIdMo guest blogging line-up! pic.twitter.com/vaPXO0CF13
— 匕คrค lคzค尺 ツ (@taralazar) October 16, 2013

Quotation of the day: "Will you use your magic touch to fix my computer?" -2nd grader
— John Schu (@MrSchuReads) October 16, 2013

Nothing beats reading a book to a class of kids. For a minute you spin a world together. The book is alive. Everyone believes.
— Julia Denos (@JuliaDraw) October 16, 2013

Report card week is cutting into my reading time. If I don't finish House of Hades soon, some students will disown their teacher.
— Katherine Sokolowski (@katsok) October 17, 2013

But I don't WANT to go to my official dog bed. I want to sleep on the sofa. http://t.co/YCiYg2vzEI
— Kate Morgan Jackson (@FramedCooks) October 17, 2013

Actually, here it is. I added some books. New button! http://t.co/CosOlKuivf
— Greg Pizzoli (@gregpizzoli) October 17, 2013

Join us Mon. 10/21 for #virtualbookclub! We will be chatting about Al Capone Does My Homework by @choldenko! A great book/series! @epan11
— Niki Ohs Barnes (@daydreamreader) October 18, 2013

There's nothing like reading on a wistful autumn day. pic.twitter.com/kpTFtsqGoQ
— Sandra Boynton (@SandyBoynton) October 18, 2013

There is no cuter sound than a 6th grader giggling while reading a book. I love it!
— Jenn Longee (@Jenlinlong) October 18, 2013

Today, I told my math students I would make them love reading. They asked me if I was a nerd. My answer received applause. #nerdybookclub
— Brian Wyzlic (@brianwyzlic) October 18, 2013