Cedarville University Curriculum Materials Center

New Holiday Books

2009-05-20T08:28:00.007-04:00

From the series Holiday Histories by Mir Tamim Ansary:

Arbor Day
Explores the history of Arbor Day, a day that is celebrated by planting trees, and discusses how and why Arbor Day was started.

Columbus Day
Introduces Columbus Day, explaining the historical events behind it, how it became a holiday, and how it is observed.

Presidents' Day
Introduces Presidents' Day, explaining the historical events behind it, how it became a holiday, and how it is observed.

Veterans Day
Introduces Veterans Day, explaining the historical events behind it, how it became a holiday, and how it is observed.

New YA Books

2009-05-13T08:46:00.005-04:00

Poppy and Ereth - Avi
After a long, hard winter in Dimwood forest, Poppy the deer mouse finds new adventure thrust upon her while rescuing Ereth the porcupine from the mud.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg - Rodman Philbrick
Twelve-year-old Homer, a poor but clever orphan, has extraordinary adventures after running away from his evil uncle to rescue his brother, who has been sold into service in the Civil War.

The Twilight Prisoner - Katherine Marsh
In an effort to impress a female classmate, high school sophomore Jack Perdu endangers both of their lives by taking her to New York City's Underworld, where those who died in New York reside until they are ready to move on.

Palace of Mirrors - Margaret Peterson Haddix
Fourteen-year-old Cecilia has always known she is the true princess of Suala, but when she and her best friend, Harper, decide to speed up her ascendancy to the throne, they find danger and many imposters who challenge her claim.

New Children's Nonfiction Books

2009-05-13T08:19:00.004-04:00

Larousse Children's French Dictionary
Presents a French dictionary for children ages eight through eleven and contains twenty-two illustrated scenes, fifty dialogues, cultural information about the country, word games, vocabulary building, and more.

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea - Steve Jenkins
Provides a top-to-bottom look at the ocean, from birds and waves to thermal vents and ooze.

First Thousand Words in Arabic - Heather Amery
Presents 1,000 common Arabic words accompanied by drawings.

May 2009 Newsletter

2009-05-08T11:35:00.013-04:00

New Christian Education Resources Database

On April 9, a new database went online that helps users locate Christian education resources housed in the Centennial Library’s Curriculum Materials Center. There are over 700 items in the Christian Education Resources Database, which focuses on such resources as children's and youth Bibles, activity and idea books, Christian children's books, children's devotional books, and much more. Users may limit their searches to eleven specific publishers if desired. All new Christian education resources will be added to the database as they arrive in the CMC. Thanks go to Eric Svendsen and Kyle Linden of Computer Services for their work on this project.

Website of the Month

According to a recent issue of MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, "the nonprofit Curriki.org is a 3-year-old organization that offers a large collection of free and open source content and collaboration tools" for educators. Teachers can find a large number of customizable individual lesson plans, units of instruction, and even more than 300 full courses. The content is carefully screened by paid and volunteer experts. As textbooks become more and more expensive, and textbook budgets continue to decline, some schools are considering this type of open source collaboration as the answer to a growing problem.

New Materials

During April, nearly 90 new items were added to the CMC collection, including trade books, phonics resources for middle grades, and curriculum sets. Click here to see the full list.

Have a wonderful summer! This newsletter will resume in the fall.

New Children's Books

2009-04-24T13:26:00.013-04:00

Elephants of Africa - Gail Gibbons
Details the habitats, physical characteristics, diet, offspring development, and behavior of the African elephant.

Moon: Science, History, and Mystery - Stewart Ross
The moon has always been a magical and mystical icon throughout human history. It is the only natural satellite of the earth and the second-brightest object in the sky after the sun. July 20, 2009, is the fortieth anniversary of the day that man first walked on the moon.

Slithe r a nd Crawl: Eye to Eye with Reptiles - Jim Arnosky
Explains how to identify venomous snakes and their harmless cousins, where to find a 200-pound lizard, how to avoid becoming an alligator's lunch and features snake fangs, alligator claws, and turtle shells--all life-size!

Watch Me Throw the Ball! - Mo Willems
Gerald the elephant tries to tell Piggie that ball-throwing is serious business, but Piggie just wants to have fun.

Emmaline and the Bunny - Katherine Hannigan
Everyone and everything in the town of Neatasapin is tidy, except Emmaline who likes to dig dirt and jump in puddles, and wants to adopt an untidy bunny.

The Swamps of Sleethe - Jack Prelutsky
A collection of poems with a planetary theme.

All in a Day - Cynthia Rylant
Illustrations and rhyming text pay homage to a new day, with promises for the future in its "perfect piece of time."

Panorama: A Foldout Book - Fani Marceau
Illustrations and simple text invite the reader to visit different places around the world, then to view the same scenes at night on the reverse of the fanfolded page.

The Bill Martin Jr Big Book o f Poetry
The definitive anthology of children's poetry with beautiful illustrations.

The Snee tches and Other Stories - Dr. Seuss
Includes four humorous verse fantasies: The Sneetches, The Zax, Too Many Daves, and What was I Scared of?

Little Red Riding Hood/Le Petit Chaperon Rouge - Ana Lomba
The classic fairy tale retold in both French and English through text and on CD.

New YA Books

2009-04-23T15:38:00.005-04:00

Scat - Carl Hiaasen
Nick and his friend Marta decide to investigate when a mysterious fire starts near a Florida wildlife preserve and an unpopular teacher goes missing.

The Amaranth Enchantment - Julie Berry
Orphaned at age five, Lucinda, now fifteen, stands with courage against the man who took everything from her, aided by a thief, a clever goat, and a mysterious woman called the Witch of Amaranth, while the prince she knew as a child prepares to marry, unaware that he, too, is in danger.

The Brooklyn Nine - Alan Gratz
Follows the fortunes of a German immigrant family through nine generations, beginning in 1845, as they experience American life and play baseball.

Creature of the Night - Kate Thompson
Bobby lives a reckless life smoking, drinking, and stealing cars in Dublin. So his mother moves the family to the country. But Bobby suspects their cottage might not be as quaint as it seems. And spooky details of the history of their little cottage gradually turn Bobby into a detective of night creatures real and imagined.

New Children's and YA Books

2009-04-21T12:31:00.006-04:00

If I Stay - Gayle Forman
While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, seventeen-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weights whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk High School - Jack Canfield
A collection of 101 stories for high school students written by other teens and by adults about their experiences in high school. All stories are true personal anecdotes covering a range of topics from funny and embarrassing moments to teen love and friendship, family issues, self-respect, and others.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Relationships - Jack Canfield
A compilation of true stories written by teenagers, and by adults writing about their teenage years, focusing on teen relationships with parents, friends, crushes, boyfriends and girlfriends.

My People - Langston Hughes
Hughes's spare yet eloquent tribute to his people has been cherished for generations. Now, acclaimed photographer Smith interprets this beloved poem in vivid sepia photographs that capture the glory, the beauty, and the soul of being a black American today.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 - Brian Floca
Here is the story of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon -- a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away by steady astronauts in their great machines.

New Nonfiction Books

2009-04-16T10:05:00.010-04:00

From the series Looking at Nature by Bobbie Kalman:

How Does It Move?
Looks at the many different ways in which people and animals move.

What Are Natural Structures?
Simple text and photographs explore the forms and structures of animals and plants as well as landforms.

Wha t Are These Animals Doing?
Simple text and photographs explore animal behaviors, such as hiding from predators, dancing, migrating, and caring for their young.

What Time Is It?
Explains what time is and how people tell time, and looks at different segments of time, focusing on a year of seasons.

Shel Silverstein, Poet - Rachel Lynette
Examines the life of poet and children's author, Shel Silverstein.

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland - Sally M. Walker
This book reports on the work of forensic scientists who are excavating grave sites in James Fort, in Jamestown, Virginia, to understand the people who lived in the Chesapeake Bay area in the 1600s and 1700s.

Ed Emberley's Complete FunPrint Drawing Book
Instructions for creating a variety of shapes and figures using fingerprints and a few simple lines.

Transportation Technology - Brian Williams
Describes new technologies that are helping make road transportation, railroads, ships, airplanes, and space travel more efficient and discusses how transportation will change in the future.

Military Technology - Ian Graham
Describes new technologies that are helping make military aviation, land warfare, warships and submarines, intelligence, non-lethal weapons, and space weapons more efficient and discusses the implications these technologies have on current and future warfare.

New Teen Books

2009-04-15T13:47:00.000-04:00

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Middle School
A collection of 101 stories for middle school students written by other young teens and by adults about their experiences in middle school. All stories are true personal anecdotes covering a range of topics from funny and embarrassing moments, to teen love and friendship, to family issues and others.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Tough Times
A collection of stories written by teenagers and adults reflecting on their teenage years, offering support and inspiration in tough times. Topics range from abuse to disease to death to self-destructive behavior.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Getting in...to College
A collection of 101 stories for high schools students who are applying to college written by teens and by adults about their experiences applying to college. Stories cover everything from grade pressure, to peer pressure, to parental pressure, to SATs and ACTs, interviews and essays, filling out college applications, to waiting for the letters, dealing with good and bad news, wait lists, and alternative paths to college such as gap years.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Growing Up
Collects anecdotes from teenagers about friendship, peer pressure, self-acceptance, family life, relationships, and overcoming obstacles.

Blinded: The Story of Paul the Apostle - Steve Ross
Saul of Tarsus is good at his job. He hunts down "Flesh Eaters," members of a strange and threatening religious sect that meets in secret and worships by eating and drinking the body and blood of their Lord. What happens when Saul discovers that's he's wrong? What happens when he becomes the Apostle Paul?

New Nonfiction Books

2009-04-13T13:57:00.006-04:00

Larry Page and Sergey Brin: The Google Guys - Gail B. Stewart
A brief biography of Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of the Google Internet Search Engine.

From the First Guide to Government series:

What's the Declaration of Independence? - Nancy Harris
What is the Declaration of Independence? -- The American colonies -- Unhappy colonists -- Taxes -- Taking a stand -- The Second Continental Congress -- Writing the Declaration of Independence -- Parts of the Declaration of Independence -- Signing the Declaration of Independence -- The Revolutionary War -- Celebrating the Declaration of Independence

What's the Constitution? - Nancy Harris
What is the United States Constitution? -- History of the Constitution -- The Articles of Confederation -- Writing the constitution -- Parts of the Constitution -- The amendments -- Why is the constitution important?

What's the Bill of Rights? - Nancy Harris
Simple text and illustrations provide an introduction to the Bill of Rights, discussing the history of the Constitution, when it was added, who wrote it, other amendments, and why it is important.

What Are the Amendments? - Nancy Harris
What is the United States Constitution? -- Why do we have amendments? -- How to amend the constitution -- The first ten amendments -- Other amendments -- Repealing amendments -- Why are the amendments important?

New Christian Education Resources Database

2009-04-09T14:56:00.006-04:00

A new database is now online that helps users locate Christian education resources that are available in the CMC. There are approximately 700 items in the database, which includes such things as children's and youth Bibles, activity and idea books, Christian children's books, children's devotional books, and much more. Users may also limit their search to eleven specific publishers if desired. All new Christian education resources will be added to the database as they arrive in the CMC. Visit this new database by clicking here.

New Resources for Middle School Phonics

2009-04-09T11:38:00.006-04:00

Month-by-Month Phonics for Upper Grades
This Month-by-Month book explains how to help struggling readers - whether they are fourth graders, tenth graders, or students learning English - become fluent decoders and spellers.

"Make Words" for Month-by-Month Phonics for Upper Grades Card Set
For use with the book "Month-by-Month Phonics for Upper Grades" (372.465 C973M). Contains 372 cards

Big Words for Big Kids : Systematic Sequential Phonics and Spelling
Contains 100 lessons which teach 33 common roots and all of the common prefixes and suffixes. The lessons are arranged in five-lesson cycles...Following the 100 lessons are some review and extension activities.

Big Words for Big Kids Word Card Set
For use with the book "Big Words for Big Kids" (372.465 C973B). Contains 662 cards.

Prefixes and Suffixes : Systematic Sequential Phonics and Spelling
Includes 120 lessons, arranged in five-lesson cycles, which teach the most common prefixes, suffixes, and spelling changes.

Word Cards for Prefixes and Suffixes: Systematic Sequential Phonics and Spelling
For use with book "Prefixes and Suffixes: Systematic Sequential Phonics and Spelling" (372.465 C973P). Contains 708 word cards. For grades 3 and above.

Phonics & Vocabu lary - Grade 4
Provides activities with a major emphasis on vocabulary development along with phonics and structural analysis. Includes lessons using the dictionary, using vowels, consonant blends, vowel pairs, accents, antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, and more.

Phonics & Vocabulary - Grade 5
Provides activities with a major emphasis on vocabulary development along with phonics and structural analysis. Includes lessons using the dictionary, using vowels, consonant blends, vowel pairs, accents, antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, and more

Phonics & Vocabulary -Grade 6
Provides activities with a major emphasis on vocabulary development along with phonics and structural analysis. Includes lessons using the dictionary, using vowels, consonant blends, vowel pairs, accents, antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, and more.

Making Words: Lessons for Home or School -Patricia M. Cunningham
Making Words is an active, hands-on activity in which children manipulate letter cards to construct words, sort words by spelling patterns, and use the sorted patterns to spell and read new words. This collection of 50 reproducible lessons familiarizes students with many common spelling patterns.

Phonics for Middle-Grade Students
Designed for students who have not yet mastered basic phonics skills. Includes consonant and vowel sounds, blends, digraphs, dictionary skills, answer key, teacher instructions, and more.

New Nonfiction Books

2009-04-09T10:39:00.010-04:00

Remember Little Rock - Paul Robert Walker
Just over 50 years ago, in Little Rock, Arkansas, nine brave black students stood up for their rights and made history. The integration of Central High School in Little Rock changed the course of education in America forever, and became one of the pivotal points in the Civil Rights Movement. In Remember Little Rock award-winning author Paul Robert Walker uses eyewitness accounts and on-the-scene news photography to take a fresh look at a time of momentous consequence in U.S. history. Here, we get the story from all sides: the students directly involved; their fellow students, black and white; parents on both sides; military, police, and government officials. The author uses personal interviews with many of those who attended the 50th anniversary celebration in 2007, and explores what happened, what's changed, what hasn't, and why.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through The Gates and Beyond - Jan Greenberg
Examines the lives and work of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude, a married couple who create environmental art installations, and features "The Gates," which was on displayed in New York City's Central Park in the winter of 2005.

When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature's Balance in Yellowstone - Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
When wolves were eliminated from Yellowstone National Park the natural system was out of balance. Shows the return of the wolves to the park and the natural balance being restored. Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Honor book

Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War - Thomas B. Allen
Lincoln knew that winning the war would take more than the same old strategies and maneuvers. It would require using technology to create new ways of waging war. Lincoln worked to make sure his soldiers and sailors had the best and latest hardware. By combining new tools with time-tested tactics, he helped revolutionize warfare.

Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, Jawed Karim : YouTube Creators - Katy S. Duffield
Presents a biographical discussion of the inventors of YouTube, a video sharing website, covering their education, development of their product, and changes as they worked together.

Genocide in Darfur - Janey Levy
Chronicles the events that led to the mass killings of thousands of Africans in Sudan's Darfur region, and efforts by many around the world to bring an end to it.

Genocide in Rwanda - Frank Spalding
Discusses the modern history of Rwanda, the violent events and single-party politics that led to the genocide in 1994, and the after effects in the country as the remaining ninety percent of Rwandans struggled to survive, and includes a timeline and glossary.

Afghanistan - Nicola Barber
Afghanistan is one of the least economically developed countries in the world. It will be hard for it to develop economically until peace is achieved.

Energy Technology - Chris Oxlade
Describes new technologies that are helping make fossil fuels, biofuels, water and wind energy, and solar energy more efficient, and discusses different ways we will get energy in the future.

Environmental Technology - Andrew Solway
Describes new technologies that can help us reduce pollution and global warming, such as alternative energy sources, buildings that cost less to heat, reducing waste, reducing threats to endangered species, and combining all of these to promote sustainable living.

New YA Books

2009-04-09T09:20:00.004-04:00

Marcelo in the Real World - Francisco X. Stork
Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.

A Curse Dark as Gold - Elizabeth C. Bunce
Upon the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Charlotte struggles to keep the family's woolen mill running in the face of an overwhelming mortgage and what the local villagers believe is a curse, but when a man capable of spinning straw into gold appears on the scene she must decide if his help is worth the price. William C. Morris Debut Award

Alice's Shooting Star - Tim Kennemore
Middle sister Alice helps her family recognize that her exuberant younger sister Rosie's accounts of her day are creative stories rather than lies.

The Last Thing I Remember - Andrew Klavan
High school student Charlie West awakens bloody and bruised in a concrete bunker, only to discover that he has lost a year of his life and remembers nothing about escaping from prison after being convicted of murdering his former best friend, or why he is being pursued by both the law and a group of terrorists trying to bring down the government of the United States.

New Picture Books

2009-04-08T14:01:00.014-04:00

Naughty Little Monkeys - Jim Aylesworth
Mom thinks all twenty-six of her monkeys are angelic, but from Andy's wayward airplane to Zelda's trip to the zoo, these little ones find a way to get into mischief for each letter of the alphabet.

Butterflies in My Stomach and Other School Hazards - Serge Bloch
On the first day of school, a student is confused by many of the phrases that are used, such as when the librarian says not to open a can of worms, or when the teacher says he expects the class to be busy bees doing their homework.

Our Abe Lincoln - Jim Aylesworth
Rhythmic verse tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's life, from his childhood in the wilderness of Illinois to his famous achievements as president.

The Black Book of Colors - Menena Cottin
This title invites readers to imagine living without sight through remarkable illustrations done with raised lines and descriptions of colors based on imagery. Braille letters accompany the illustrations and a full Braille alphabet offers sighted readers help reading along with their fingers.

One - Kathryn Otoshi
A number/color book reminding us that it just takes one to make everyone count.

Tacky Goes to Camp - Helen Lester
Tacky the penguin and his friends go to Camp Whoopihaha where they scare each other by telling ghost stories around the campfire, never expecting that one of the frightening stories will come true.

Tackylocks and the Three Bears - Helen Lester
Tacky the penguin and his friends perform a play for the little penguins in Mrs. Beakly's class, but with Tacky in the lead role, things do not go exactly as planned.

Little Beauty - Anthony Browne
When a gorilla who knows sign language tells his keepers that he is lonely, they bring him a very special friend.

Home on the Range: John A. Lomax and His Cowboy Songs - Deborah Hopkinson
As a child, John Avery Lomax loved the songs he heard the cowboys singing along the nearby Chisholm Trail. He began writing them down at an early age. As John grew older, he traveled the country collecting and recording cowboy songs, helping to preserve many favorites.

There's a Wolf at the Door: Five Classic Tales - Zoe B. Alley
As his plans are spoiled over and over again, the wolf keeps trying to find his dinner, in this retelling of five well-known stories and fables.

New Youth Bible

2009-04-06T16:04:00.001-04:00

Manga Bible
Includes manga versions of the creation story, a history of the Israelites through the destruction of Jerusalem, and the life of Jesus.

New YA Books

2009-04-06T15:38:00.013-04:00

Carolina Harmony - Marilyn Taylor McDowell
In the summer of 1964, Carolina is a runaway hiding out at Harmony Farm in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. The Harmony's, Mr. Ray and Miss Latah treat Carolina as their own and wait for her to reveal her secret. But Carolina doesn't want to reveal the accident that claimer her parents and her younger brother and the surrogate grandmother who cared for Carolina until illness forced Carolina to go to a foster home. Russell, a troublemaker who runs away from the foster home where Carolina was, comes to Harmony Farm. Then something so terrible happens that Carolina must run away again.

You Know W here to Find Me - Rachel Cohn
In the wake of her cousin's suicide, overweight and introverted seventeen-year-old Miles experiences significant changes in her relationships with her mother and father, her best friend Jamal and his family, and her cousin's father, while gaining insights about herself, both positive and negative.

Peace, Locomotion - Jacqueline Woodson
Through letters to his little sister, who is living in a different foster home, sixth-grader Lonnie, also known as "Locomotion," keeps a record of their lives while they are apart, describing his own foster family, including his foster brother who returns home after losing a leg in the Iraq War.

The Devil's Paintbox - Victoria McKernan
In 1865, fifteen-year-old Aiden and his thirteen-year-old sister Maddy, penniless orphans, leave drought-stricken Kansas on a wagon train hoping for a better life in Seattle, but find there are still many hardships to be faced.

Zorgamazoo - Robert Paul Weston
Imaginative and adventurous Katrina eludes her maniacal guardian to help Morty, a member of a vanishing breed of zorgles, with his quest to uncover the fate of the fabled zorgles of Zorgmazoo as well as of other creatures that seem to have disappeared from the earth.

Burn My Heart - Beverley Naidoo
Matthew and Mungo, boys with a different skin color and culture, have a friendship that is tested during the Mau Mau bid for national independence.

Crown of Horns (Bone #9) - Jeff Smith
It's full-fledged war as Briar, the rat creatures, and the Pawan army storm the city of Atheia. The Bone cousins, Thorn, and Gran'ma Ben are all there to defend the Valley and stop the return of the Lord of the Locusts. When Thorn goes inside a ghost circle, she hears a voice urging her to seek the Crown of Horns. What follows is another dangerous journey for Thorn and loyal Fone Bone as they race to the sacred grounds of the dragons, searching for the one thing that may save them all. This is the breathtaking conclusion to Jeff Smith's nine-book graphic novel series.

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith - Deborah Heiligman
Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma, were deeply in love and very supportive of each other, but their opinions often clashed. Emma was extremely religious, and Charles questioned God's very existence.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christian Teen Talk - Jack Canfield
A collection of 101 of the best stories and poems from Chicken Soup's library, written by Christian teens for other Christian teens to provide them with stories about the ups and downs of being a teenager, but from a devout Christian perspective. Stories deal with school, friends, love, family, growing up, puberty, and tough issues such as teen suicide, pregnancy, illness, death, and substance abuse.

New Children's Books

2009-04-06T14:21:00.006-04:00

Ed Emberley's Fingerprint Drawing Book - Ed Emberley
Shows how to make pictures by using one's fingerprints and a few dots and lines.

Do Kangaroos Wear Seat Belts? - Jane Kurtz
On a visit to the zoo, a little boy imagines what it would be like to be various animals, such as a hippopotamus or a penguin, and listens as his mother explains how all parents keep their young ones safe.

Tacky and the Emperor - Helen Lester
While awaiting a visit from the Emperor, a group of penguins fail to recognize their friend Tacky in the Emperor's clothes.

Annie Oakley: Wild West Sharpshooter - Jason Porterfield
Profiles Phoebe Ann Moses, the star sharpshooter of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show under the name Annie Oakley, who began shooting to help feed her family after her father's death.

Living in the Australian Outback - Jane Bingham
Looks at the ways in which the Aboriginal people have adapted to life in the Australian outback, describing their beliefs, art and artists, music and dance, body decoration, hunting and gathering skills, and use of plants and animals.

Australian Rainforest Animals - Steve Parish
Features information on Australian rainforest animals such as wallabies, dragons, and geckos, photographed in their natural habitats.

New Music Curriculum

2009-04-03T15:18:00.002-04:00

Spotlight on Music
Teacher's editions for grades 1-8

New Children's Books

2009-04-03T11:34:00.008-04:00

Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug - Mark Newgarden
A wordless picture book about a persistent terrier who spends a day following a bug through his neighborhood. Buckeye Children's Book Award

You never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! - Jonah Winter
In this striking picture book biography, an old-timer tells us what made Sandy Koufax so amazing. We learn that the beginning of his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers was rocky, that he was shy with his teammates, and experienced discrimination as one of the only Jews in the game. We hear that he actually quit, only to return the next season--different--firing one rocket after another over the plate. We watch him refuse to play in the 1965 World Series because it is a Jewish high holy day. And we see him in pain because of an overused left arm, eventually retiring at the peak of his career. Finally, we are told that people are still "scratchin' their heads over Sandy," who remains a modest hero and a mystery to this day.

The Snow Day - Komako Sakai
A little rabbit enjoys having a day off from kindergarten and spending time with his mother during a snowstorm, but his father's flight home is cancelled until the snow stops falling.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream - Tanya Lee Stone
Profiles thirteen women who challenged social norms and government policies to prove they could be exceptional astronauts.

Amelia Earhart: The Legend of the Lost Aviator - Shelley Tanaka
Ever since Amelia Earhart and her plane disappeared on July 2, 1937, people have wanted to know more about this remarkable woman. Amelia Earhart follows the charismatic aviator from her first sight of an airplane at the age of ten to the last radio transmission she made before she vanished. Illustrated with original artworks, contemporary photographs, quotes, and details, this is a great introduction to the famous pilot. Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

A Foot in the Mouth - Paul Janeczko
A collection of lively rhymes and tricky tongue twisters, poems for more than one voice, bilingual poems -- from classic Shakespeare and Lear to anonymous rhymes to contemporary riffs on everything under the sun. These poems just might inspire kids to memorize them!

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice - Phillip Hoose
The account of Claudette Colvin, a little-known civil rights figure whose story provides a fresh perspective on the Montgomery bus protest of 1955-56.

Telling Time with Big Mama Cat - Barry Moser
A cat describes her activities at various times throughout the day from morning to night. Features a clock with movable hands.

Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson
This is the story of Greg Mortenson's first building project in Pakistan.

New Teaching Aids

2009-04-02T15:26:00.010-04:00

States and Capitals Pocket Flash Cards
Contains 50 state cards, 3 outlying area cards, and 3 activity cards that teach about the states of the United States. Each card contains information on the state's capital, state bird, state flower, industries, admission to the union, etc.

Play Money
Contains play bills and coins of various denominations in large tray. Includes suggested extension activities. For ages 3 and up.

Cross Section Brain Model
Soft foam cross-section model of the human brain. For grades 2 and up.

Cross Section Hea rt Model
Soft foam cross-section model of the human heart. For grades 2 and up.

U.S. States and Capitals Bingo
Teaches the states of the United States and their capitals. For 3 to 36 players, ages 8 and up.

Antonyms Bingo
Builds vocabulary while teaching antonyms for 60 words. For 3 to 36 players, ages 8 and up.

U.S.A. Bingo
Teaches state capitals, nicknames, and more. For 3 to 36 players, ages 8 and up.

Survival Signs & Symbols Flash Cards
Contains 75 signs and their definitions. Includes activity ideas.

U.S. States and Capitals Flash Cards
Contains 109 cards: 50 state cards, 55 state and territory fact cards, 2 U.S. cards, 1 capital card, and 1 resource card. For ages 8 and up

New Music Curriculum

2009-03-31T13:44:00.002-04:00

Jazz for Young People Curriculum - from Jazz at Lincoln Center
Based on Jazz at Lincoln Center's popular Jazz for young people concert series, this multimedia jazz appreciation curriculum is designed for upper elementary/middle school students and beyond. The curriculum explores core concepts and major figures in jazz through accessible, interactive lessons that demonstrate the exuberant, rich cultural heritage, and definitive musical elements inherent in jazz.

New Children's Video

2009-03-27T14:15:00.002-04:00

White Mane
In the south of France, in a vast plain region called the Camargue, lives White Mane, a magnificent stallion and the leader of a herd of wild horses too proud to be broken by humans. Only Folco, a young fisherman, can tame him. A strong friendship grows between the boy and the horse, as the two go looking for the freedom that the world of men won't allow them.

New Children's Books

2009-03-25T09:32:00.003-04:00

Rhyming Dust Bunnies - Jan Thomas
As three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted, are demonstrating how much they love to rhyme, a fourth, Bob, is trying to warn them of approaching danger.

The Lion Encyclopedia of World Religions - David Self
A full-color, illustrated introduction to the origins, festivals, and beliefs of six major world religions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, along with other East Asian and modern religious beliefs.

New Social Studies Curriculum

2009-03-18T09:19:00.001-04:00

History Alive! The Rise of Islam
1. The revelation of Islam -- 2. The development of an Islamic civilization -- 3. The golden age of Muslims -- 4. The Crusades -- 5. Designing museums celebrating the rise of Islam