Literacy Now

by Judith Hayn

Woodson, J.  (2012).  Beneath a meth moon: An elegy.  New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

Laurel Daneau at 15 has survived a hurricane by fleeing Pass Christian, Mississippi, with her Daddy and baby brother, Jesse, Jr.  However, her beloved mother and grandmother who stayed behind did not. The grieving trio winds up in Galilee, Iowa, where Laurel finds a best friend, a spot on the cheerleading squad, and a boyfriend who is the basketball team captain. T-Boom introduces her to meth, and Laurel begins to drown in the drug just like her mother and M’Lady did in the storm. Meth is the moon, and it takes the user higher and higher before plunging her into the abyss. Laurel runs away from home and lives in an unheated room in an abandoned hardware store where she begs on the street for the moon is her only goal. She meets Moses Sampson, a young street artist, who commemorates dead meth users in murals commissioned by the survivors. His mother was a methhead, so he knows the drill. This is must read for teens but also for those of us who work with and care about them. Woodson’s lyricism and use of interlocking flashbacks in this first person narrative does not sugarcoat the addiction, its effects, or the aftermath.

Dr. Judith A. Hayn is an Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 

This article is part of a series from the Special Interest Group Network on Adolescent Literature (SIGNAL). 

by Mary Beth Scumaci

Happy New Year! If you haven’t done so already, why not add a resolution that promises to increase your use of technology skills in the classroom? The New York Science Teacher website is a great example of teachers helping teachers with technologies, online resources, and content area curriculum ideas that enhance teaching and student learning in the classroom. This fantastic website is compiled by Webmaster and Earth Science Teacher, Mr. Christopher Sheehan. The goal for the website is simple, a place for science teachers to share information and resources.  This website is an excellent example of how professional educators can integrate curriculum materials to enhance the common core standards and encourage inexpensive professional development.

The New York State Teacher website has a well organized home page linking you to core curricula, reference tables, regents prep work, bilingual glossaries, teacher websites, and much more. The “Teacher Web Pages” link takes you to a well organized page that breaks the science curriculum down into manageable topic areas and encourages sharing from teachers around the globe. Click on a link and you travel to websites created by teachers who wish to share their knowledge and resources with educators who seek to creatively engage students. You will find links to resources ranging from the elementary grades through higher education, showcasing educational websites, content area resources, games, parent and teacher resources, curriculum units, lesson plans, and more.

An example of one of the many teacher webpage links within the website is the blog “Earth Science Resource of the Week” by Earth Science Guy, Mr. Rod Benson. His blog is loaded with weekly posts of exciting resources and activities for teachers to incorporate into their teaching repertoire.

A big thank you and congratulations are extended to Mr. Sheehan and all of the teachers who share their time, talent, and dedication to the field of education by making contributions to the New York Science Teacher website.

Mary Beth Scumaci is a Clinical Assistant Professor with the School of Education at Medaille College in Buffalo, New York.

Regional Winners of IRA Award for Technology and Reading Use Technologies to Transform Teaching and Learning

Teaching with YouTube

by Marilyn Moore

Two regional winners of the 2010 IRA Award for Technology and Reading made literacy lessons meaningful and significant for today’s students using technology integration.

At Central Intermediate School in Wagoner, Oklahoma, Amy Cantrell’s project, Creation Station, developed writing abilities in fourth graders using various web 2.0 tools. The goal was to connect reading and writing in authentic ways. The sites that were used were Glogster, Animoto, Voki, Prezi, Voice Thread, Bitstrip, and Wordle. After reading a novel, the students used Animoto to create an original story patterned after the novel they read.  Last, they published their creation and shared it with the class and their families. The writing process was learned and followed: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Students were happy to write a novel and ecstatic to share their work.

Marlyn Guillen from Lanett, Alabama, teaches sixth grade at W.F. Burns Middle School. She was a regional winner through her project, Building a community of Young Readers and Writers Through Technology Integration. To accomplish the overall project objective of building fluency in reading, writing, and technology skills, students were engaged in three learning activities using Microsoft Word. After reading a novel of their choice, students were asked to type a letter to the author and create a slide show of the novel which was shared with other students in the school library.  In another learning experience, students created an electronic brochure of the lives of Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Obama using Microsoft Word. The brochure included pictures and text containing three important facts about Mrs. Roosevelt and Mrs. Obama. A third task included reading the poem, To Young Readers by Gwendolyn Brooks. Then students created their versions of the poem and typed them using Microsoft Word. Students were highly engaged in these projects and some of their poems were published in the local newspaper.

Dr. Marilyn Moore is from National University, La Jolla, California. This article is part of a series from the Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG). 

Teaching With YouTube by Marjie Podzielinski

Opportunities for Multimedia Reading by W. Ian O'Byrne

Safe Social Networking in Schools by Janice Friesn

Bruel, N. (2011). A Bad Kitty Christmas. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city, not a creature was stirring…except for Bad Kitty” (unpaginated). Using his trademark ABC style and rhyming text, Nick Bruel shows the inimitable Bad Kitty at her worst--ambushing the angel, bumping the books, crushing the Christmas cards and dumping the drums. After ruining Christmas and making a mess, Bad Kitty learns that the presents she destroyed actually were for her. She then goes through a completely new alphabet, listing all of the gifts she would like replaced: “A toad, an urchin, a vole, and a whale. A xerus and yak fried with zebra tail!” (unpaginated).  When Bad Kitty’s long-suffering family expresses their disappointment over her selfishness and greed, she decides to run away. But life in the snowy outdoors is challenging for a house cat—especially when even the mice chase her. Luckily, an old woman rescues Bad Kitty and takes her home where she reminds the misbehaving feline that Christmas is not about presents or food, but instead about family. Using the alphabet as a guide, she shares black and white photographs of her own family members. Through this reminiscing, Bad Kitty begins to miss her own family and decides to return home. She makes it back just in time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. This humorous book could spark a discussion about what the true meaning of Christmas is for your family. Children could also create their own ABC books modeled after Bad Kitty.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver

Cole, B. (2011). The money we’ll save. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Set in a tiny apartment flat in New York City during the nineteenth century, this story follows a family hoping to save money for Christmas. After a trip to the market, Pa brings home a young turkey poult to fatten up for Christmas dinner. He assures Ma that raising a turkey is no trouble because the turkey can live in a box by the stove and be fed table scraps, thus saving them money. The family soon learns that taking care of a turkey is no easy task. The tom turkey, named Alfred, is dissatisfied with table scraps and begins to steal the children’s food. He also learns to fly and begins to leave messes around the apartment. Pa makes a wooden pen and Alfred is moved to the fire escape. Pa keeps reminding everyone, “Remember the money we’re saving!” Next, the neighbors complain that they can’t sleep and are tired of the great bird doing his business on the sidewalk. Pa solves the problem by transferring the turkey to a bedroom and moving the beds to the kitchen or parlor. Young readers will howl when they read about the noises and smells Alfred makes. Once Christmas Eve arrives, Pa catches Alfred to take him to the butcher. But the children exclaim, “We can’t eat Alfred! It would be like eating a friend!” (unpaginated). The family comes up with a solution, remembering all of the money they have saved.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver

Cushman, D. (2011). Christmas Eve good night. New York: Henry Holt.
In this simple picture book a little girl gazes into a circular snow globe portraying Santa’s workshop. She proceeds to ask each critter and toy at the North Pole how they say good night to their momma and papa on Christmas Eve. The snowman with a long carrot nose and coal eyes says, “Brr! Brr!” (unpaginated). Amid the glaciers and snow, curled up snuggly on the ice, the bear says, “Grrr! Grrr!” (unpaginated). The rhythmic story continues with a mouse, toy soldier, gingerbread man, elf, dove, reindeer and robot, all sharing how they say goodnight in one or two words. The speech bubble responses invite young children to read along. In the final watercolor and ink illustration children will discover that the little girl is really an elf and that the assorted animals and toys are located in her bedroom. This discovery will prompt a rereading of the story to point out the different animals and toys.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver

Hoffman, Mary. (2011). Grace at Christmas. Illus. by Cornelius Van Wright & Yin-Hwa Hu. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first Grace book, author Mary Hoffman has written a Christmas story about sharing and selflessness. When Grace finds out that her Ma and Nana have invited strangers to their home for the Christmas holiday and Grace will have to give up her bed, she is NOT happy. She now dreads the holiday she used to enjoy so much. When Nana’s friends arrive and one is a young girl Grace’s age, they eventually discover something they have in common and become friends. The story ends with an exciting visit from a dancing character in one of the earlier Grace books. For a quick look at the history and development of the Grace books, visit Mary Hoffman’s website at http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/grace.htm
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Spinelli, E. (2011). The perfect Christmas. Illus. by J. Adinolfi. New York: Henry Holt.
In this silly picture book two families follow two different Christmas celebration styles. One family has an artificial tree, “completely out of shape with several branches missing and one held on with tape” (unpaginated). In comparison, Abigail Archer’s family “is perfect as can be. They drive into the countryside to chop down their Christmas tree” (unpaginated). Throughout the book, these two families compare their decorating styles, Christmas treats, Christmas Eve traditions and gift giving. The funniest page is when the families assess their Christmas activities. Compare family one--“Abigail plays the cello to entertain their guests—some classic Christmas pieces. She even takes requests” (unpaginated) with family two--“My father juggles grapefruit while I play the kazoo. Then Aunt Clarissa sings off-key. That’s entertainment too!” (unpaginated). When, all of a sudden, it begins to snow, the two families meet outside, and what they have in common is clear: “Our families are all together, laughing and dancing through the snow” (unpaginated). Even though these families have different Christmas traditions, it’s the spirit of the holiday and being together that counts. After reading aloud this picture book children could discuss or write about their own unique family holiday traditions.
- Deanna Day, Washington State University Vancouver

Harris, John. (2011). Jingle Bells: How the holiday classic came to be. Illus. by Adam Gustavson. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.
The music director at the Unitarian Church in Savannah, Georgia, in the 1850’s, John Lord Pierpont was not used to the South’s humidity and high temperatures. Originally from wintery Boston, MA, John is expected to write a new holiday song for the Thanksgiving concert while the area is experiencing a heat wave. During this pre-Civil War era, the Unitarian church is known for its support of the abolitionist movement, and when a brick is thrown threw a church window, glass has been sprinkled everywhere. When Mrs. FitzHugh arrives with the former slave girl she has taken in, the idea for a song is born Looking for a lively and positive way to bring the congregation together with feelings of unity, the children’s choir performs the new song, “One Horse Open Sleigh,” complete with jingling bells and feathers thrown to look like snow. The author notes at the end describe his visit to Savannah where he learned the historical facts on which he based his story.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Wood, Douglas. (2011). Franklin and Winston: A Christmas that changed the world. Illus. by Barry Moser.  Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
The Christmas of 1941 is an important one, not only for Great Britain and the United States but also for the world. The United States has just entered WWII after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Great Britain has been under constant air attack by the Nazi regime. Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrives in Washington, D.C. in order to cement the relationship between the two countries. This picture book biography describes a crucial meeting of the two world leaders, Churchill and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, during that particular December. The author provides nuggets about the childhoods of both men as well as describing their personalities and life challenges. Young readers will enjoy reading about the playful nature, shared bonds, and determination of the two men. So comfortable did the two become that Roosevelt even barged in on Churchill while he was taking a bath. The author focuses on the human side to these very different individuals rather than describing their policy meetings. An afterword describes some of the policies that resulted from those formal and informal meetings and dinners at the White House with FDR’s wife Eleanor in attendance. An author’s note relates the impact Churchill and Roosevelt had on his own family, many of whom fought in WWII. This title is especially appealing since it describes vividly the personalities of two politicians who found common ground among their differences. The sumptuous watercolor illustrations complement the sparkling text beautifully.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Rosen, Michael J. (2011). Chanukah lights. Pop-up illus. by Robert Sabuda. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
A talented author and illustrator join their unique skills to take readers of all ages on a visual journey to celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Best read with adult and child together, this elegantly beautiful pop-up book travels through each night of Hanukkah from continent to continent. As the history literally unfolds on each page, various architectural structures around the world are depicted as the history of this holiday is explained. Young readers will enjoy searching for the candles in each picture, ending with a contemporary setting of a city skyline with gold triangles representing the final days of Hanukkah. This is a holiday treat that will encourage families to examine it time and time again with each visit bringing something new to the viewer’s eye. Interested readers may want to visit Michael Rosen’s website at http://www.fidosopher.com/ for a video to watch each page of pop-ups come alive. Robert Sabuda’s website at http://robertsabuda.com offers templates and directions for students and teachers to create pop-ups of their own.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

Warren, Andrea. (2011). Charles Dickens and the street children of London. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
There are many who might argue that author Charles Dickens singlehandedly revived Christmas celebrations, which had gone out of fashion by the time he wrote A Christmas Carol (1843), his classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a man whose heart has hardened so much that he has nary a kind word or thought for anyone. Why waste time or money celebrating Christmas? Over the course of a busy night, Scrooge is visited by spirits who show him his past and his possible future. Today, even this particular character’s name is associated with someone who is miserly, while his change of heart is testimony that each one of us has the ability to change, if we choose to do so. The largesse often associated with holidays should remind us that not everyone is fortunate enough to have abundance, and this biography provides ready evidence on that fact. In sixteen chapters filled with lively text and more than 50 photographs and illustrations readers will explore the life and times of this popular author who used his books to bring about social reforms and change attitudes toward the poor in Victorian England. In addition to A Christmas Carol, the author describes Dickens’s other books as well as his affinity for the poor children who worked in the factories and in London’s streets, vivid reminders of his own days as a factory worker as the result of his father’s careless spending. Readers may enjoy learning even more about the author whose books are so often still read in schools today by checking out these websites: Charles Dickens Gad’s Hill Place at http://www.perryweb.com/Dickens/ and David Perdue’s Charles Dickens Page at http://charlesdickenspage.com/christmas.html.
- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Word Play! Children's Book Reviews

Book Reviews: The Rest of the Story

Animals! Book Review Series

International Reading Association (IRA) Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG)

The Literacy Empowerment Foundation (LEF), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, invites schools and other literacy projects to apply for free books for Read Across America Day.

LEF Reading Resource Project books are available in a limited quantity on a first come, first served basis. Orders must be received by February 11, 2012.

Reading Resource Project books come in sets of 100 books per set. There will be at least 10 different titles in each set. Reading levels are available for Pre-K through Second Grade. Book selection and quantity is dependent upon availability, so there is no guarantee of specific titles. Books are sorted and shipped as close to a project's needs as possible, with regard to reading level and topic. Recipients merely pay shipping, handling, and administrative costs, which is only $0.68 per softcover book ($68 per set of 100 books). Most sets are shipped within 2 weeks.

The Reading Resource Project is an ongoing program that runs throughout the year. The program distributes softcover books FREE of charge for Read Across America Day, National Drop Everything and Read Day, Children's Book Week, International Children's Book Day, and other literacy programs. During the past year, LEF has distributed over 3,000,000 books to schools all across the country for Read Across America Day and other literacy projects. Visit the LEF website for more information.

IRA Books

ReadWriteThink Lesson Plans