Illustrations that Amaze

Picture books are worth your time, even as middle school students! These books can help you build background knowledge in a fun and enjoyable way. Many times picture books get overlooked in our library, so I would like to highlight a few that you really shouldn't miss.

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh

Picture an all black background with incredible pictures of space filling the pages. These photographs along with actual photos of Mission Control tell the story of man's first step on the moon. You may know a bit about the astronauts' experience, but this book tells the story of the people behind the scenes who made the mission possible. For instance, the astronauts depended on the space suits made by a team of seamstresses who had to stitch, glue and cement material together to create the suit. I was surprised to learn that cement was used! This book won the 2007 Robert F. Siebert Award.

Triumph on Everest: A Photobiography of Sir Edmund Hillary by Broughton Coburn

Have you ever thought about how tough a climb it would be to get to the summit of Mount Everest? If you have a difficult time picturing this, check out this book. Broughton Coburn shows us what an incredible feat this was in 1953, as well as describes Sir Edmund Hillary's humanitarian acts. Sir Edmund Hillary came to love the Sherpa people who helped him achieve his goal of scaling Mount Everest. He used his fame to raise money for schools for the Sherpas.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures by Brian Selznick

Don't be put off by the size of this book - over 150 pages are pictures. This award winning novel is dependent on the pictures and you will marvel at the intricacies of the black and white pencil drawings. If you enjoy mysteries, this 2008 Caldecott winner should be a definite pick for you.

Keeping It Clean

Do you have a computer or laptop that does not seem to be running quite right? There are many free tools available on the Internet that will clean up your hard drive, minimize registry clutter, remove junk files, eliminate spyware and adware, and streamline the start-up process. Some of my favorites include Spybot Search & Destroy, Ad-aware Free, and CCleaner. I run these programs on a regular basis to keep my computers optimized. It’s also a good idea to have a security suite on your computer to keep the virus and spyware invasions from taking over in the first place. My Internet provider offers the McAfee security suite as a free download to customers, so be sure to check if your ISP offers this benefit.

Also, check out Luke Allen’s Keep It Clean! website. Mr. Allen is a retired computer teacher and he presents a workshop every year at the Illinois Computing Educators conference. His website is a great resource to some of the best free tools available on the Internet.

Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food

I had a chance to explore a new book to our library titled Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know about Fast Food by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson. Not only did this book provide interesting facts for me to use with eighth grade English students, it GROSSED me out! If you are looking for a nonfiction book to read and you have a strong stomach, this book would be the perfect choice.

Chew on This highlights little known facts about the growth of fast-food chains, particulary McDonald's, and the effect this growth has had on American children. Although this may sound a bit dull, it is anything but that. How can your interest not be captured when you learn "Dactylopius coccus costa... bugs are collected, dried, and ground into a coloring additive. It takes about 70,000 of the insects to make a pound of carmine, which is used to make processed foods look pink, red, or purple" (Schlosser and Wilson 121-22)? This fact will make me think twice about ordering a strawberry milkshake!

Don't miss the chance to be entertained while learning some fascinating facts about foods common to the American diet.

Digital Storytelling

Microsoft has come out with one of the coolest new technologies for creating slideshows using your digital photos called “Photostory”. It’s one of Microsoft’s best-kept secrets and it’s free! Using Photostory, you can simply touch-up, crop and rotate pictures or add special effects. You can also add a soundtrack or your own voice narration and then personalize with titles and captions. To download Photostory or see it in action, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx.

Speaking of digital storytelling, there is a great website in which to obtain instrumental music that can be used in conjunction with a program like Photostory. The website is http://www.freeplaymusic.com/. This website offers instrumental music clips in many different genres. Many of the music clips are also offered in various lengths, which makes them perfect to use in slideshows.

So, get out those captured memories and start experimenting with digital story-telling and these free tools!

Baseball Season Has Arrived!

Neither Chicago baseball team had a favorable beginning yesterday, but we can always hope that this was a slow start and a World Series trip is in one of the team's future. As annoyed as I was with the rain delay during the Cub game, it got me thinking that this would be a perfect opportunity to make a list of some books that celebrate baseball fever for all of you baseball fans.

The following titles can be found in our library. The short summary is taken from our online catalog.


The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter
The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato.
You may also want to check out another John H. Ritter book called Over the Wall.


Heat by Mike Lupica
Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.






Summerland by Michael Chabon
Ethan Feld, the worst baseball player in the history of the game, finds himself recruited by a 100-year-old scout to help a band of fairies triumph over an ancient enemy.






My 13th Season by Kristi Roberts
Already downhearted due to the loss of her mother and her father's overwhelming grief, thirteen-year-old Fran decides to give up her dream of becoming the first female in professional baseball after a coach attacks her just for being a girl.






Any of Dan Gutman's books about baseball are also many students' favorites. Check out some of the following:
*Abner & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Babe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Honus & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Jackie & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Mickie & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Satch & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Shoeless Joe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure

We also own many nonfiction titles focused on baseball that may catch your interest.


Play Ball Like the Hall of Famers: The Inside Scoop from 19 Baseball Greats by Steven Krasner
Presents advice on how to play baseball like the pros from twenty big league stars such as Bobby Doerr, Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver, Whitey Ford, and others, and includes stories from their childhood and career, tips on making difficult plays, and player superstitions.





Baseball: Startling Stories Behind the Records by Jim Benagh
Relates the stories behind a number of record-setting feats in the history of baseball, in such categories as "Long-ball Sluggers," "Age Gaps, " and "Hitting Feats."

Belles of the Ballpark by Diana Star Helmer
Describes the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which gave women the opportunity to play professional baseball while America was involved in World War II.


Roberto Clemente: Baseball Player by Jerry Roberts
Presents a biography of Roberto Clemente, Latin American baseball player, providing information on his childhood, his education, and his achievements in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates.