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 presents the 62 books chosen by "School Library Journal's" editors as the best of the year. While novels include some historical settings and contemporary concerns, it is fantasy that continues to reign supreme. More original, and more creative than ever, it includes selections that are frightening, edgy, wildly funny, electrifying,…

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…

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 guide directs the researcher to materials relating to Carol Gilligan's work in the fields of psychology and gender studies, the scholarly dialogue of her critics, and related authors and works. Its purpose is to present a single resource from which the study of Gilligan's work and influence can grow through varied types of research materials,…

Annotates biographies about 12 heroic people, including Helen Keller, Indira Gandhi, Stevie Wonder, Hubert Humphrey, and Jesse Owens. (TJ)

In teaching about Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing a human dimension to the study of the region is essential. Texts on the region can be dull and lifeless or even biased and skewed. Introducing students to the region by exploring prose, poetry, and picture books helps to illustrate the rich diversity found throughout Latin America and the…

Lists and annotates seven new adult books of interest to high school readers, including biographical and autobiographical works, fiction, and nonfiction. (GT)

Suggests 22 biographies for elementary and secondary readers. (SJL)

Lists and annotates eight new adult books of interest to high school readers; the books include fiction, essays, biography, and books about travel and about animals. (GT)

Presents a profile of Myra Cohn Livingston who was best known as a children's poet and anthologist and also known for her teaching and mentoring of students and fellow writers through classes, lectures, and professional writings. Provides suggestions for extension ideas honoring the life and work of Livingston. Includes an annotated bibliography…

Discusses the life of Ezra Jack Keats in relation to his children's books, both as illustrator and author. Presents extension ideas for activities and includes an annotated bibliography of his works, including videos based on Keats's work, biographies, biographical information, and Web resources. (LRW)

Presents brief descriptions of 31 books (published between 1962 and 1991) concerning the commemoration of the discovery of the Americas. Divides the books into those about Christopher Columbus, those that shed light on the world in which he lived, and those that look at the Americas before he landed. (RS)