Where Are the New Books? When Are They Ready?

If you haven't already found the section of the IMC for new books, here are the directions. On the book shelves along the wall which holds the non-fiction books, there is one section that contains a sign that says "Check Us Out - New Books." The top 3 shelves in this section are the newest books in the IMC collection. There you will find fiction books, paperbacks, non-fiction and biography books.

My usual plan for the week has me taking the final steps on new books on Friday so the New Book section is restocked by Monday morning for those edgar students who want the newest books. Books that have been in the New Book section for a while are removed and reshelved in their proper place. This week will be different. Due to the Book Fair, I didn't get to spend much time on new books today. I will start working on them Monday so you may expect new books on the shelf by Tuesday or Wednesday.

In the mean time take a look at the bulletin board by the Exit Only door in the back of the IMC. We are highlighting some samples from the IMC audiobook collection. These books come with audiocasettes or audio CDs of the entire book so you can listen and follow along in the book. To see the whole list of audiobooks, go to the Lakeview I.P.A.C. and do a subject search for audiobooks. If you find a title you like, check it out!

Shortcut Leads to Danger

Mitty Blake is a teenager living in New York City in Caroline Cooney's book Code Orange. Mitty would rather do anything other than his advanced biology project. The weekend before the project is due, Mitty's parents drag him to their country home with no public library and no Internet. Desperate, Mitty finds three old medical books in the house's library room. One of these books about infectious diseases contains an envelope with what looks like smallpox scabs. Thinking his has found a gold mine, Mitty posts his find on the Internet when his family gets back into the city hoping for a buyer. But now Mitty is in real danger. If the scabs are from a smallpox victim, could Mitty contract the disease? And who would be interested in buying smallpox scabs -- a medical facility as Mitty hopes or terrorists? The suspense is heart-pounding as Mitty gradually realizes that his shortcut on a bio project could be a shortcut to his death.

It's Almost Caudill Time at Lakeview!

I have one more nominee for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award program to read. Of the nineteen that I have read, they are all terrific! This will be one of the most difficult voting years ever. I will be book talking all 20 nominated titles to the sixth grade on Monday, November 24th. Until then I don't want to give away any of my personal favorites. So instead of a review this week, let me share with you the link to the Rebecca Caudill Book Award website where you can find an annotated list of the 2009 nominates. Then, after November 24th, I will begin sharing my personal favorites.

Link to Caudill website: http://www.rebeccacaudill.org/nominees/2009.htm

New Election Materials

Now that the presidential election is over and the social studies department is finished with them, I can share with you the new books the IMC has on elections. These books have just been taken off reserve and are available for check-out.

324.6 LEV The Electoral College, by Suzanne Levert (2004)

324.6 STE Vote, by Philip Steele (Eyewitness Books, 2008)

324.273 KLO Third Parties; Influential Political Alternatives, by Lisa Klobuchar (2008)

324.2734 AND The Republican Party; the Story of the Grand Old Party, by Dale Anderson (2007)

324.2736 AND The Democractic Party, America's Oldest Party, by Dale Anderson (2007)

324.973 MOR Presidential Races; the Battle for Power in the United States, by Arlene Morris- Lipsman (2008)

92 MCC John McCain; Profile of a Leading Republican, by Kira Wizner (2008)

92 OBA Barack Obama; "We Are One People", by Michael A. Schuman (2008)

These books are currenting on the New Book Shelves in the tall shelves along the wall of the IMC. If you would like more information about any of them, search in the Lakeview I.P.A.C.. When you look at the detail record, you will find and summary, a list of book parts, and the table of contents (except fot the biographies). If you would like to see the whole list at one time, do a subject search in the I.P.A.C. for Election Materials, and all the books will appear in the Results List.

Happy Halloween One and All

This week I am taking a break from new books to tell you about my favorite Halooween stories. I am a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories - both his mysteries and his horror stories. Many years ago I had heard a recording of "The Telltale Heart" that really scared me. As the tension grows in this story about servant who kills his master, dismembers the body, and hides the pieces under the floor, a steady heartbeat grows louder and louder in the background of the storyteller. It is the same heartbeat that the killer hears leading to his confession. For many years I remembered that recording, but couldn't find it. There were many wonderful recordings of the story, but none had the beating heart sound. Finally I stumbled across another recording of Poe short stories -- and there was "The Telltale Heart" with the beating heart. Every Halloween I play the recording just to get in the mood.

My other favorite Poe horror story is "A Cask of Amontillado." The whole idea of being walled up - buried alive - sends chills down my spine. One of the best questions asked about that story is does the criminal get away with his crime. The answer lies in the three Latin words at the end of the story. The Lakeview IMC has several collections that include these great classic horror stories. Read them aloud on a dark and stormy night to get the full flavor of Poe's genius. Have a great Halloween.!

Calling All Time Travel Fans!

Join Sam Faulkner in his efforts to find his father who disappeared ten days ago. While searching for clues in his father's dusty antique bookstore, Sam finds a hidden room containing an old coin, a strangely carved stone, and a book about Vlad Tepes (basis of the Dracula legend). Within minutes Sam uses the coin and the stone to open a gateway through time and ends up in medieval Scotland just before a Viking invasion. In subsequent time trips Sam visits France in World War I, ancient Egypt, and Renaissance Bruges. Putting together the clues he has gathered, Sam finds a plea for help from his father who may be trapped in the castle of Vlad Tepes. Here ends book 1 of a proposed trilogy. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Book 2 has just been published and is on order for the IMC.

Join me in enjoying this mystery adventure with book 1: The Book of Time by Guillaune Prevost.

Great Sports Teams

Let's take a break this week at look at the new sports team books that recently arrived in the IMC. These books are about professional teams from baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Each book gives a brief history of the team and then highlights the biographies of several team players and coaches/managers. While not every team is covered in this series, there should be enough of interest so that every sports fan can find at least one book to enjoy. There are 4 basketball titles, 3 football titles, 4 baseball titles, and 3 hockey titles. While there is a book on the Chicago White Sox team, there is not a book on the Chicago Cubs. However, I did find an excellent chapter in the Arizona Diamondback book on Mark Grace which covers his Cub career too.

You can find these books on the New Book Shelves or get the whole list by searching the I.P.A.C. for the series - Great Sports Teams.

Bread and Roses, Too

This is the title of a new historical fiction book by Katherine Paterson. She tells us the story of two children caught up in the infamous Lawrence, Massachusetts mill laborers strike of 1912. First we meet Jake, an American boy who works in the mill with Irish immigrants as he is looking for a warm place to spend the night rather than go home to his drunken father. Then we meet Rosa, daughter of Italian immigrants who loves school and learning but worries about her family becasue the mill wages are so low. The two children cross paths throughout the book as we see how short wages started the strike and various ethnic groups met with outside union organizers to continue the strike for better wages and living conditions. This slice of history even has Rosa and Jake traveling by train to Barre, Vermont, in a plan to give at least some of the strikers children a safe haven and a chance at better food, clothing, and housing. This relatively little-known piece of American history is brought to life along with all the horrors and problems that the Lawrence strikers faced.

A Real Thiller

One of the IMC's new books may be the start of an exciting new series. Icercore, a Carl Hobbs Thriller, by Matt Whyman, has everything a good thriller needs - a young suspect whose prank got out of hand, a remote prison where real criminals are kept far away from regular people, a young girl caught in the same mess, some guards who enjoy keeping the prisoners under control with torture, an criminal mastermind who takes over the prison in an attempt to escape, and lots and lots of suspense. The way the book ends leads me to believe that more Carl Hobbs books are coming. I will keep my eyes open and see if I can keep the series going in the IMC.

Orphan Trains

There are many books about the orphan trains that transported young orphans out of the big cities of the East to the frontier areas of the West. But Rodzina, by Karen Cushman, is the first one that features a Polish American. My family is of Polish descent so I couldn't wait to read Rodzina. Rodzina is gathered in a group of orphans for an orphan train trip but since she is twelve, her main job is to watch and take care of the youngest ones on the train. When the train makes its first stop, Rodzina anxiously waits for a family to claim her. One farmer does chose her but she soon learns that all he wants is someone to replace his dying wife and be a mother for his many children. Rodzina returns to the orphan train and continues on her journey. Will she ever find a home and a family of her own? Join Rodzina on her trip west and get an inside look at what orphan trains were like.

CSI for Teens

High school senior Cameryn Mahoney, a forensic pathologist in the making, assists her father, the county coroner for Silverton, Colorado, on his cases in a new series of murder mysteries by Alane Ferguson. I haven't had a chance to read the first book in the series, The Christopher Killer, but I have read the second book, The Angel of Death. In this book Cameryn not only has to deal with the mysterious death of her English teacher, but also with the possibility of meeting with her long-missing mother and her attraction to Kyle, the most popular boy in school. Just like the CSI television programs, we follow Cameryn through all the forensic steps -- autopsy, interviewing witnesses, and the struggle to make sense of the evidence. This series is written for the upper junior high and high school and does include some grisly details. It doesn't seem to matter what order you read the books since each book is a separate case. I was able to understand what the characters were doing without having read the first book. The IMC will soon be adding the first book and a brand-new third book. Watch for all of them in the New Books section of the wall shelves.

Redwall Series

A number of years ago Miss Smith who was then assistant principal here at Lakeview asked me if I knew anything about a book whose title was red something and was about mice. I wasn't familiar with the book, but I promised I would find out about it. The book she was referring to was Redwall, the incredible book by Brian Jacques that told the story of how a group of peaceful mice defended Redwall Abbey against the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes of rats and weasels. When I read this book I was fascinated by the perspective - everything took place at a level that was mouse-high. This high action, dazzling adventure book soon sprouted into a series of books that now number at least 19 with several spin-offs. All the books involve Redwall Abbey or animals that have lived there or defended it.

Thanks to a generous donation from last year's P.T.O., the IMC was able to increase our Redwall collection to 17 titles with all be 2 of them include in the Accelerated Reader program. If you like animal stories where the various creatures sword-fight, sneak into buildings, and perform dangerous rescues, this is the series for you. Check these books out from the Fiction section under JAC or in the New Book section for the most recent additions. For a complete list of titles use the I.P.A.C. online catalog that's linked to the Lakeview IMC webpage.

New Biographies

To continue in a trend I started at the end of last school year, I'd like to introduce you to some brand-new biographies. One of my favorite publishers of young adult books has started a series entitled Authors Teens Love. Besides presenting the life story of each author, these books include a chronology of the author's life, a glossary, a list of selected works, and a bibliography of books and Internet sites. We have added three new books over the summer for the authors Ray Bradbury, Philip Pullman, and Robert Cormier. This brings the total number of this series at Lakeview to 8. You can search our IPAC (online catalog) to learn what others we have in the collection. The new titles are currently displayed in the New Book Section.

Welcome Back

I hope you all had a fantastic summer reading all kinds of exciting books. I know I did. Now those books will be processed and ready for check-out soon. While we focus on getting these books ready, take a look at the summer reading blogs that Mrs. Warkentien and I created - our Reading Bug Blogs. We had lots of fun talking about books and picking new ones, old ones, award winners, and some 2009 Rebeca Caudil webpage even after the Summer Reading Materials are take down.

NOTE: This post accidentally ended up on the What's Happening blog last week, so I moved it to its correct spot this week.

Have a Great Summer!

Summertime! What a great time to catch up on my reading! And I am. There will be lots and lots of new books ready for the fall and I am madly trying to read as many as I can. If you are looking for reading suggestions for this summer, please check out the Reading Bug blogs on the Summer Reading chart on the Lakeview IMC webpage. Mrs. Warkentien and I are picking our favorites - authors, genres, books - to tell you about in these summer blogs. I will return in the fall with my weekly new book reviews. While you are waiting, CATCH THE READING BUG AND KEEP READING!

Catch the Reading Bug

All current 5th, 6th, and 7th grade classes have been introduced to the Lakeview Summer Reading Program, Catch the Reading Bug. The official start is June 9th. That is the first day we will accept book reports. The Program ends on September 2, 2008, the day after Labor Day. Information about the this program and its various projects is available on the Lakeview IMC webpage. There is a link on the district main page - http://www.ccsd66.org/ directly to our webpage. Scroll past the I.P.A.C. links and there is the Summer Reading chart. All boxes on the chart will be activated by June 9th. Right now the basic information is linked and available.

We encourage all Lakeview students for 2008-2009 to join us for a fun summer of reading!

It's Hard to Believe...

but the school year is almost over. It seems out of place to talk about new books when all library books are due next Tuesday, May 27th. But I would like to talk about our first ever Summer Reading Program.

Yes, a summer reading program like the public libraries have, with prizes! We challenge you students to read and report on 1-5 books from a grade specific list. Details are linked to the Lakeview IMC webpage. (Reading lists will be available in June).

While you can get books from any source - public library, bookstore, friend, family - I'd like to recommend our Summer Paperback Checkout. Next week current 5th, 6th, & 7th grade students will have the opportunity to check out up to 10 paperback books for the entire summer. Books are not due until September 2, 2008, the day after Labor Day! For details check the Lakeview IMC webpage.

Catch the Reading Bug and keep reading all summer! I can't wait!

Can You Believe It!

Lily's dad works in an old, abandoned warehouse! Lily's dad works for a company that makes stilts for whales! Lily's dad's boss, Mr. Ray, wears a burlap bag over his head! Mr. Ray throws buckets of sea water over himself! Where Lily finds these facts bizarre, her father sees no problem. So it is up to Lily and her friends, Katie and Jasper, to get to the bottom of everything.

Would you believe a plot to take over the world by a hybrid human/whale? Would you believe an army of whales on stilts (so they can walk on land) mentally controlled attacking and crushing humans in their towns?

These fantastic situations all take place in M. T. Anderson's incredible story Whales on Stilts! Read about Lily, Katie, and Jasper's adventures to save the world for humans in this unbelievably book. I read a lot of science fiction, but this book is the silliest thing I have ever read. When you are ready for a gigantic laugh, you're ready for Whales on Stilts!

How Well Do You Know Chicago?

A new book in the IMC may help you find out. Chicago History for Kids by Owen Hurd is a fascinating look back at the history of Chicago. Starting with the land area prehistory and the Native Americans who settle here through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century, this book brings to life many of the great events in Chicago history as well as some little known details. Also included is an activity project for many of the chapters, like building a model of the original Ferris wheel and making a Chicago-style hot dog. The appendix contains a list of places to visit and the bibliography has a section on helpful web sites. With something for everyone this is a book to share with your whole family.

New Science Books

The IMC is slowly adding to its collection new science experiment books. Not only will you find experiments and projects in these books but lots of scientific explanations too. The books are published by Enslow Publishers and are part of several series to cover all the science classes here at Lakeview. The series titles are: Biology! Best Science Projects, Chemistry! Best Science Projects, Earth Science! Best Science Projects, and Physics! Best Science Projects. An additional series, Forensic Science Projects, will be added next year. Take a look at these exciting books because, who knows, there may be a Science Fair in Lakeview's future!

New Non-Fiction

For the dinosaur curious, we have a several titles from a new series called The Dinosaur Library. These books examine the newest theories about the dinosaurs - what the looked like, how they lived and died. There is a glossary in each book and the bibliographical references include Internet addresses of recommended websites. There are also many drawings, charts, and photographs of fossil remains. A lot of information packed into a 112 page book! Check out the series on the Lakeview I.P.A.C.

From dinosaurs to Americans at war, our next new series covers a number of wars in which Americans participated from the American Revolution through the Persian Gulf War. Each war is its own series with several books looking at different aspects of that war. Most of the series include a book entitled Life of an American Soldier which looks at the daily routine and living conditions for soldiers in that war. Some of the series include a book that looks at life on the home front. Other titles in the individual war series depend upon the nature of that particular war. You can find out what books we have in what wars by using the Lakeview I.P.A.C. for a series search of American War Library.

New on the Non-Fiction Shelves

There are some exciting new series appearing on the non-fiction book shelves. I like to take a couple of weeks to introduce them to you.

Let's start with a new holiday series entitled "Celebrate." Full of bright colorful pictures these books look at holidays celebrated by Americans even if they originated in another country. For example, one of the books is Celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It tells the reason for the holiday, the history of the holiday, who celebrated it, its symbols and cultrual significance, and how it is celebrated today here and abroad. There are also directions for making a pinata. Book features include a glossary, chapter notes, a bibliography including Internet websites, and an index. So far the IMC has 4 books of the series: Cinco de Mayo, Columbus Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Ramandan, but more are coming. Use the Series Search on the IMC I.P.A.C. to check for other titles added in the future.

One series with a world outlook is "Middle East Nations in the News." This series is part of the MyReportLinks.com Books publishing company. That means there is a password in the first section of the book that leads to a website with links to wonderful sites for research in the book's topic. The idea of this company is to provide research in one place that has been checked and evaluated by experts and is safe for use by children. The book itself provides a lot of information, too. There is a map, a facts page, and a timeline before the text begins. The text summaries why this country is in the news, then goes and looks at the culture and history that has lead to today's situation. Color pictures often show websites provide by the book's links. That's a lot to pack into a 128 page. Series Search on the Lakeview IMC I.P.A.C. to find what titles are on the IMC shelves.

Bird Falls in Love with Native American Maiden

If that seems like a strange headline, welcome to the world of Wabi, a white great horned owl in Joseph Bruchac's book Wabi; a Hero's Tale. The story begins with the bird Wabi spending a lot of time with his great-grandmother Owl. We learn that both these owls share a special bond -- they can communicate in the language of humans. When Wabi falls in love with the human girl Dojihla, he longs for a way to become human so he can be with her. Then he learns that his great-grandfather knew the way to change. With the help of Owl, Wabi becomes human but must face several challenges before he is accepted by Dojihla, all the while learning how to adapt to being human.

After reading Bruchac's book Code Talker about the Navajos in World War II, this book comes as a bit of a shock with its strong fantasy elements. However it is beautifully written and blends in many elements from Native American folklore. I found myself wanting to encourage Wabi to go on through his trials always hoping the Dojihla would change her mind and accept him. Based on these two fascinating books, I will be looking for other books by Bruchac to add to the IMC collection.

Have You Heard?

There's a Book Fair coming to the IMC next Tuesday and Wednesday, March 18 & 19. For this Book Fair, P.T.O. is partnering with the Sports Banquet for Wednesday night. There are sure to be plenty of choices. Maybe even some of the books you have read about in this blog. Those of you who would like to get a head start on the 2009 Rebecca Caudill nominees, I include the list here. Some of nominees may even show up at the Book Fair. See if you can find something to enjoy over spring Break. See you at the Fair!

2009 Nominees for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M.M. Blume
Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone
shug by Jenny Han
Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm
Alabama Moon by Watt Key
The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
Heat by Mike Lupica
Oh, Rats!: The Story of Rats and People by Albert Marrin
Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park
Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama by Laura Amy Schlitz
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Letters From Wolfie by Patti Sherlock
Black Storm Comin' by Diane Lee Wilson

Sorry for the Inconvenience

Have you been trying to look up a book on the IMC IPAC this week and found it's not available. Well, you are not alone.

If you are trying to use the IMC IPAC outside of school, you may find access blocked. Our automation system is experiencing growing pains with the recent upgrade. If someone enables the Search Suggestions option in the IPAC, it causes a system crash. Until a member of the IMC staff comes in and resets the IMC server, the IPAC will not work. Please excuse our dust during this remodeling period.

The same condition exists at Ide and Prairieview Schools, so their IPACs may also not be available. The IMC staff will restore the system as soon as possible to allow for outside use. We hope the wait for the next upgrade which will fix this problem is not long.

Island Trilogy by Gordon Korman

Six difficult teenagers are sent by their parents to a help program called Charting a New Course. The teens will crew a boat on a one month journey across the Pacific Ocean under adult supervision. The four boys and two girls are angry or indifferent to this program until the storm hits, the boat capsizes, and all the adults are gone. Now the teens have to work together to survive. And that's only Book One: Shipwreck! Book Two is called Survival and Book Three is called Escape. Korman has written an amazing tale of survival and growing up. The IMC has this series in 3 paperbacks on the Paperback Rack if you can find them. They're almost always out! And we have just added a hardcover book which has all three books in one.

A Blast from the Past

How did people in the 1950s view space travel? In Eleanor Cameron's book, The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet, it was child's play! David's father finds a want ad in the newspaper asking for a small space ship built by a boy or two. David and his friend Chuck build such a ship and meet the mysterious Mr. Bass as their adventure begins.

Today we know that space travel is not so easy, but when I was growing up anything was possible. Take a look back and enjoy the idea that there is a small planet between the Earth and the Moon that is very hard to detect. And believe that it is possible to travel to this tiny planet and save the inhabitants' civilization with something as ordinary as a chicken. Suspend belief and enjoy the adventure!

On the Lighter Side

The IMC has just added 2 books from the Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka. You may remember the author from his off-beat style in books like The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man. The Time Warp Trio books are aimed at older readers and take a light hearted look at various time periods in history.

In It's All Greek to Me, the trio is about to go on stage in a school play on Greek myths when they are warped through time to -- ancient Greece, Mount Olympus to be precise. And they are in the middle of a feud between the gods and the goddesses and the monsters.

In See You Later, Gladiator, the trio is just wrestling when they are transported to ancient Rome and land in a gladiatorial school preparing warriors to fight in the Colosseum. Will the guys survive to return to present day?

These books, which tie in with the 6th grade social studies curriculum, can be found on the New Books Shelves along the wall of the non-fiction section. Come and enjoy.

Like Father, Like Son

In Sharon Creech's Replay, we meet Leo, known as Sardine by his family. Leo has dreams of performing on Broadway, even though he only has a small part in this year's school play. Though most of this story is about the play (including a copy of the script at the end of the book), Leo adds another layer to the story when he finds a journal his dad wrote when the dad was Leo's age. In the journal Leo sees a different person from the father he knows now. Life seems to replay itself!

Some Times You Just Have to Get Away

In Sharon Creech's Chasing Redbird, Zinny discovers one summer an overgrown trail on her family's farm. Since her home life is too full of brothers and sisters, she decides to clear the trail by herself and find out where it leads. This seemingly innocent projects takes all summer and allows Zinny to deal with her aunt's death and several family secrets that untangle along the trail.

Notes from a Midnight Driver, by Jordan Sonnenblick

What a year! Just because I got a little drunk, had one measly car crash, and ran over a garden gnome, I'm stuck performing community service at a nursing home for Solomon Lewis, the meanest, crankiest resident. This summarizes Alex's position at the beginning of the novel. Over the next nine months, Alex and Solomon learn that each has talents to share with the other. Written in a somewhat diary style, we follow Alex's journey to understanding Solomon. Also making an appearance are Steven and Annette from the author's book, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie.

Girl of the Moment, by Lizabeth Zindel

This breezy story about a summer internship is written by the daughter of Paul Zendel, well-known young adult author. When Lily's summer internship at the Museum of Modern Art falls through, she is desperate for anything that will look good on her college admission application. Then an opportunity to intern for a sixteen-year-old Hollywood starlet comes Lily's way. What she sees as a summer full of glamorous parties, red-carpet events, and designer clothes turns out to be more difficult than she thought. Still this is an once-in-a-lifetime chance and who could pass that up?