By providing a wide selection of high-quality materials that will grab the attention of individual readers, school libraries can play an integral part in initiating and supporting student agency and a student-centered approach to learning. Such materials should not only address and expand upon what kids are learning in the classroom, but also…

A balanced literacy program provides students with opportunities to interact with texts from a variety of genres. The dawn of the New York State Common Core Learning Standards has paved a natural gateway for students and teachers to regularly engage in reading, discussing, and writing nonfiction. This shift in the standards has inspired educators…

In this article, the author describes ten nonfiction books she recommends for adults: (1) "My Reading Life" (Pat Conroy); (2) "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" (Barbara Demick); (3) "Learning to Die in Miami: Confessions of a Refuge Boy" (Carlos Eire); (4) "The Perfect Shape + The Perfect Sauce =…

This article lists 30 titles, published between September 2007 and November 2008 (with reviews published in 2008), which the "School Library Journal's" ("SLJ's") Adult Books for High School Students Committee decided to recognize as the best for high school readers. The list includes realistic and historical novels as well as some genre-blending…

In 2008, as business increasingly became the news, business publishing showed a growing awareness of the big picture, putting out fewer personality-driven titles. In this list, one will see that business histories embrace recent technological innovation as much as longevity. The best management/HR books look at the big picture through pushing…

This article offers a savvy guide to the best graphic nonfiction books for middle schoolers. These include: "Ronald Reagan: A Graphic Biography" by Andrew Hefler; "Clan Apis" by Jay Hosler; and "Corpses and Skeletons: The Science of Forensic Anthropology" by Rob Shone.

With the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the most troops overseas since Richard Nixon's presidency, President-elect Barack Obama will certainly have his work cut out for him. But at least Obama is a reader (and a writer), and there is no better antidote to the stress of the present than an hour or so lost in a good book.…

Of the more than 5000 books reviewed in "School Library Journal's" ("SLJ's") pages in 2008, the 67 books listed in this article stood out as having distinctive voices, singular vision, and/or innovative approaches. They include books for toddlers and preschoolers, terrific picture books and easy readers, and some highly original novels. Fantasy,…

This article presents the how the author came about writing nonfiction novels. Here, he described some of his works and how he wanted to do it following his own compass, not handcuffed to the realities of an actual person. He discovered that book making was like pistachio nuts: one leaves you yearning for more.

Four years after the 9/11 attack on the United States, the country continues to be in considerable turmoil. Children have lived through the devastation of the September 11th attacks, the panic over the anthrax mailings, the hunt for terrorists in Afghanistan, elevated homeland security threat levels, the war in Iraq, the tsunami disaster, and…

Discussion of adolescent readers and adolescent literature focuses on adult books for adolescent readers. Topics include historical views; promoting free reading for teenagers; nonfiction, biographies, and interviews with real teens; and the need for lists of appropriate and popular adult books for teenagers. (LRW)

Language arts teachers and library media specialists bear the responsibility of teaching students how to properly feed their brains. In this article, the author describes how she teaches her students to make wise choices when selecting books. Furthermore, she presents the "Brain Food Pyramid" model that looks similar to the food pyramid but it…

Literacy and boys is currently a hot issue in education and the media. This new book by award winning authors Knowles and Smith explores the facts and research on the topic and furnishes annotations of current, relevant journal and magazine articles. It gives strategies for making changes in the classroom and the home to help improve the literacy…

Describes 14 Internet sites on popular entertainment subjects that provide information on books and book reviews, celebrities, movies, and restaurants. These were selected because they provide a great deal of authoritative information that is easy to find. A brief summary describes the contents of each site. (Author)

Summarizes Suzanne Newton's children's book, "I Will Call It Georgie's Blues." Includes discussion questions about the book, and a list of activities. Provides an annotated bibliography of fiction, picture books, nonfiction, and biography titles about jazz and jazz musicians. (AEF)