Books Expo America- Cornelia Funke, Vlad Todd and MORE!

Well, Book Expo America 2010 was exhilarating and exhausting. Day One-School Library Journal Day of Dialogue. Imagine a roomful of librarians and authors and lots and lots of - well, BOOKS and you have a clear picture of the set up. What did we discuss? STEAMPUNK! On the panel, Scott Westerfeld, one of Wheatley students fave's, Cherie Priest, with her blue hair, Cory Doctorow, another Wheatley fave, and Karen Grenke, who billed herself as Library manager NYPL and fan girl ( you should have seen her hat!) We discussed what exactly Steam punk is- think Victorian age meets science fiction witha mantra of reuse, recycle, re purpose. Basically, what would the 19th century have been like with technology?Another way to look at it "home made machines" or "technology should be beautiful". Very cool. What are the benefits to students? Well, since there is an historical aspect to it- it makes history fun- and can lead to a reader doing research on what the era was like. There is a whole steampunk movement- parties, art, poetry, books and a way of dressing. Want to get a taste of it in literature? Try Westerfelds Leviathan,Uglies, or Boneshaker by Cherie Priest.
In the afternoon we got to preview a TON of new titles and we got Advanced Reader Copies to boot- so come on into the IMC and check them out.We learned the 12th and final installment in the Vlad Tod series will be published shortly- many Wheatley students will vie for the right to be the first to read it- but Daniel C. gets it first... and I WON an autographed Cornelia Funke copy of her newest soon to be published book, Reckless.. That is her at the podium. She read the beginning aloud and the audience was mesmerized. All in all a great two days.
Can't wait until BEA 2011!

My favorite search engine

Doing a research project is not easy. The easy availability of information on the internet has made it easy to access content, however, the quality of the content in not necessarily reliable. And quality of course, is what separates a good research project from a great one. If you have not yet tried Finding Dulcinea I highly reccommend it. They market themselves as the Librarians of the Internet- essentially, they have scoured the web for the highest quality content that you can rely on for your research. While I too, love Google, I know I have to be meticulous in investigating the creator of the information. With Finding Dulcinea, I can focus more on the content and not worry about who wrote it. Check it out- it can only help. Here is a blog posting about how Finding dulcinea works, vs. Bing and Google. I can also highl recommend their hints on how to best approach a research project.

School Library Journal: Battle of the Books

March is known for March Madness but for those that want a more cerebral challenge School Library Journal sponsors a Kids Battle of the Books. . Last year the winner was a Wheatley School fave, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This year, who knows. One of our Book club picks, Marcelo In the Real World is in the running, but also Fire, the prequel to another Wheatley fave, Graceling. You can participate in the process- there is a new feature -"The Undead", in which YOU can select one book, that IF axed by a celebrity judge , will be resurrected in the final round. Sort of an American Idol for the bookish set. Check it out and post your comments here!

Gotta Keep Reading

Love this video... enjoy!

Jodi Picoult Fans

Jodi Picoult, the author we all know and love is coming to Huntington HS. Here are the details:
Best-selling Author to Visit Huntington
Jodi Picoult is coming to the Huntington High School auditorium. The
best-selling author will speak about and sign copies of her new book,
"House Rules" on Friday, March 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets are required and a
crowd of more than 1,000 is expected to attend.

Ms. Picoult is from Long Island and has written many popular books on
social issues. "House Rules," which hits bookstores on March 2, is
about a teenager with Asperger's syndrome, who has an obsession for
forensic analysis and becomes suspected of a crime because people
misunderstand his behavior.

A member of her profession's elite circle, Ms. Picoult's work has
reached No. 1 on The New York Times' best-selling list. Her writing
has received rave reviews. Financial Times said "It's hard to
exaggerate how well Picoult writes." Stephen King, himself a
best-selling author said "Picoult writes with unassuming brilliance."
Entertainment Weekly said "Picoult is a rare writer who delivers book
after book, a winning combination of the literary and the commercial."

The visit to Huntington is being coordinated by Book Revue and
sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union in partnership with the
Organization of Music Parents of Huntington (OOMPAH) for the
district's arts-in-education committee.

Tickets to the event are available at Book Revue for $30.42, which
includes a copy of "House Rules." Those 18 years old and younger, or
those with special needs, can purchase tickets for $5 at Book Revue,
which is located at 313 New York Avenue in Huntington Village. The
$5 fee can be redeemed the night of the event for $5 off a copy of any
of Ms. Picoult's books, which will be available in the auditorium.
(Tickets may be ordered over the phone with a credit card.)

For more information call Book Revue at 271-1442 or the Huntington
High School Music Office: 631-673-2053.

ALA Award Winners and more

This weekend, the ALA ( American Library Association) held their mid-year conference in Boston. Here is a link to twitter updates of the teen session, discussing the best books for teens from the past year.Here is a link to the complete list of winners.
Some of my favorite books of the year won awards, including Going Bovine by Libba Bray, Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman, and The Rock and The River by Keekla Magoon. I am going to read The Rock and the River next- after I finish reading last years Printz award winner, Jellico Road by Melina Marchetta. Look for the list of award winners in the IMC and start reading!

Truly, Madly

Heather Weber's first book in the Lucy Valentine series is the best chick-lit book I've ever read. She's created the perfect mix of adventure, mystery, romance, comedy, and magic. Lucy Valentine comes from a long line of aura-readers, people who can see the color of the energy surrounding people. By matching people's aura colors, they've become very wealthy in the matchmaking business, but Lucy has denounced her family's trust fund for her and decided to make it on her own. She lost the aura-reading gift when she got electrocuted at 14 and can now only found lost objects and feels she doesn't deserve the money. The plot twists and turns and it's definitely a quick-read. In one word the book was adorable.