bookmarkNewsletter of the

New Jersey Association of School Librarians

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October, 2011

Vol XLI, Number 2 PO Box 610, Trenton, NJ 08607 609-394-8032 http://www.njasl.org

PreSorted First ClassPostage PaidPermit #313

Mailed atFranklin, NJ 07416

Calendar 2011

Dec 2 and 3, Annual Fall Conference, School Libraries: Equitable Access for All2012

January 6 - Letters about Literature dead-line. For more information, check http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org

bookmarkNJASLPO Box 610Trenton, NJ 08607Return Service Requested

(Cont’d on page 2)

A Message from Our President…

Fall is in the air. I love seeing the leaves turn colors and the brightly colored pumpkins and mums decorating doorways. It also means that we are well into our library routines and programs. The “newness” of the first few days of school is over. Our libraries are full of students and staff. I don’t know about you, but I am already looking for new ideas and new ways of presenting them. Fall signals that it is time for some professional rejuvenation. Don’t forget to register for the NJASL conference. April Bunn and the conference committee have planned a program with more advocacy and technology than ever. We’ll learn all about the latest Web 2.0 applications, as well as Kindles, Twitter, Skype

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and QR Codes for the library. They even have a program planned for displaced librarians. New this year is a pre-conference event on Thursday night December 1st. It looks like a great time to connect with other NJASL members. I hope you will join us in Long Branch this December 1st -3rd.

Fall also brings a new look to Bookmark. We are using a new web-based publishing program, and Bookmark will now be delivered to your inbox. I hope you enjoy the new format. In this issue, we will also begin a series on our own school librarians. So many school librarians are unsung heroes doing great work in their schools. This month, we feature Amy Rominiecki and Kathy Donoghue, co-librarians at Seneca High School in Tabernacle, NJ. We check in with them and see what is happening in their library. I love their Hunger Games project!

Fall is also the time to speak up for libraries. Let’s call our senators and ask them to co-sponsor the SKILLS Act. Call Senators Lautenberg and Menendez at 202-224-3121 and ask that they do!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at president@njasl.org.Fran KingNJASL President

2011 - 2012 Executive Committee

President: Fran KingPresident-Elect: April BunnVice President: Pam GunterRecording Secretary: Patty Huizing Corresponding Secretary: Amy Rominiecki Treasurer: Michelle MarhefkaMembers-at-Large: Karen Brill and Janice Cooper

October, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 3

AASL at ALA Annual- Part II

Hilda K. WeisburgAASL Liaison, AA Delegate

Resuming where I left off last month, this report brings the Sunday session of Affiliate Assembly to a close.

AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner Lesson Plan Database - Kathy Lowe, Valerie Diggs (both of Massachusetts), Dr. Violet Harada, and Melissa Johnson created this invaluable resource. Librarians from each region contributed a lesson to help populate this database, and now we need you to keep it alive and vibrant. You don’t have to be an AASL member to access it, but you do need to create an account. Lessons follow the template in Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in Action and use the rubric and checklist from that publication. Once you have had lessons accepted, consider becoming a moderator for the site. Also included is a crosswalk between the AASL Standards and the new Common Core English/Language Arts Standards. A crosswalk with the Common Core math standards is coming.. Matches are made automatically. There will be a badge created for your website that will link to this national database and you should receive professional development hours for this. Even teachers can create an account. Check it out at http://aasl.jesandco.org

Regional Caucuses – Although Region II had met a little over two months previously, this is always a good time to catch up.• Maryland launched their “Frameworks for the ELA Common Core,” and the school librarians are working

on it (www.mdk12.org to see Framework). It includes Technology Standards from Maryland, but it’s based on the ISTE NETS-S. The requirement is to be able to certify that students are “technologically literate” by eighth grade. Their Educator Effectiveness Academies will have a STEM curriculum.

• New York is working on new Teacher Evaluation Standards and asked for rubrics. NYLA’s Section of School Librarians (SSL – new name for NYLA) submitted to this and is waiting to hear if their ideas were accepted. They are also writing for the Common Core, because they want to be present at the table. Because of staff cuts, they are doing things that used to be done by their state Department of Education.

• Pennsylvania completed its library survey. Data has been collected. When they were 65% done, they really pushed so they will have more responses. The state government has cut education drastically, but that won’t be showing up until next year’s statistics. They have cut their conference schedule, got rid of Saturday lunch, and are doing a “lunch and learn,” having attendees take the meal with them. They are working on bringing Digital Literary Citizenship into the Common Core.

• Delaware thought it solved its problem of having a conference by joining with Maryland, but then couldn’t go out of the state even if they paid themselves. They are getting Data Coaching and Data Evaluation in using the Race to the Top money. The state is taking over library computers to use for high stakes tests. Students have to be tested three times a year for the growth model. Their State Administrator of the Year was one who led the way in getting rid of libraries.

•Nancy Everhart, AASL President until the end of ALA Annual, thanked everyone for their hard work and

cooperation. She also thanked local affiliates for supporting her Vision Tour. She said the tour made a positive impact, and the featured school libraries are receiving attention as being a model to follow. As Past-President, Nancy will still be on the AASL Board and will be attending state conferences, such as Idaho and Vermont.

Julie Walker, AASL Executive Director, welcomed the delegates and expressed her appreciation for the work done by Affiliate Assembly, which has been incredibly responsive to her requests. She will be completing

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her duties as Chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills on August 31st and will continue on as past-chair. This year P21 is meeting with chief state school officers for an institute forum. Susan Ballard and Gerry Feegan will attend. If you are a P21 state, you may also be there. The partnership will present documentation of correlations between P21 and AASL Standards and the Common Core.

Carl Harvey, AASL President at the close of Annual, encouraged everyone to get involved in AASL and complete the online volunteer form. Task Force is another avenue for your involvement. AASL’s Essential Links has been re-launched in wiki format, and you can contribute as well as get good ideas.

Cassandra Barnett has two days left as Past-President. She spoke of this year’s National Legislation Day. Her first impression was that we have children running the country. They are 25-years-old, and they are the ones whispering in the ears of our congressman. She is not sure how many of them had a certified librarian in their libraries teaching them. She said we all need to push for a certified librarian in every school and to have well-funded, well-stocked libraries. She met with reps from the National Education Association, overwhelmed Bob Kemp, and believes she made a connection. Get elected to NEA’s representative assembly! Join AFT or NEA and begin bridging with these organizations. If you are not familiar with www.capwiz.com/ala, you need to be. Pay attention to the School Library Advocacy brochures for teachers, parents, and administrators. Make use of them! You can find them online for free downloads, or buy packages at the ALA store. www.ala.org/aasl/advocacybrochures

Statements of Concern – We started with fourteen. The following ones passed:• From Delaware - AASL should work on the national level to identify and clarify what needs to be used to

determine what the 30% measurement in Race to the Top means for school librarians and find and develop tools to meet federal guidelines under RTTP for measuring school librarians’ impact on student growth.

• From New England School Library Association – AASL needs to clarify requirements for filtering in schools and survey educators to determine what resources are blocked and how that impacts student learning. Also, work with the Office of Intellectual Freedom to create guidelines for school systems and promote Banned Websites Week, and encourage and recruit AASL members to submit lessons plans incorporating participatory media to the new lesson plan database.

• From Region IV (Midwest) - A complicated proposal that mostly asked AASL to be proactive in informing members of the latest changes in e-book use, also CIPA information, and using the Essential Links to keep members informed of the latest in technology.

• From Hawaii – AASL needs to coordinate state, regional, national, and global information literacy efforts to mainstream the Capstone/Senior Projects, as well as improve prove program quality and quantity. Task force to be formed.

• From Missouri – AASL needs to develop a position statement on the school librarians’ central role in federally mandated educational programs and have the pre-service task force include a request that graduate school library programs make students aware of their role in implementing educational initiatives.

• From Maine - AASL should develop suggested guidelines for staffing of school libraries nationwide, targeting a campaign towards national PTO and other organizations. Tie staffing levels to best practices and student achievement.Statements of Commendation

• Children’s Literature Festival at the University of Central Missouri• Ohiana Book Festival• Outcome Evaluation of the Library Media Program on Information Literacy Skills (Montgomery County,

MD Public Schools Study• Henrico County, VA Public Schools Library Mentoring Program

NEW JERSEY ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS

2011-2012 Membership Form Membership Year August 1, 2011 – July 31, 2012

PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT

Last Name___________________________________ First Name______________________________________

HOME ADDRESS LIBRARY/INSTITUTION or SCHOOL ADDRESS

Street_______________________________________ Name of Library/Institution or School

City_____________________________State________ _______________________________________________

Zip__________County__________________________ Street__________________________________________

Home Phone (_____)___________________________ City____________________________State____________

Home Email Address___________________________ Zip___________County____________________________

Please send NJASL communications to: Work Phone (_____)______________________________

______ Home _____Work

Remove me from all electronic mailings ____Yes ____No

Work Email Address_______________________________

TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP PAYMENT: MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO NJASL ___ Renewal ___ New Dues Amount $__________

___ Active Professional $50.00/year Donation to NJASL Scholarship Fund**

___ Retired $50.00/3 years or $20.00/1 year Amount $__________

___ Student */Part-time librarian+ $25.00/year Donation to Villy Ghandi Memorial Fund**

*Student refers to matriculation in programs resulting in MLIS or

Associate School Library Media Specialist / +20 hrs./wk or less

Amount $__________

___Former librarian (no longer working in a library because of

budget cuts) $25.00/year

Total Amount Remitted $__________

I am a member of AASL: ___Yes ___No

I am in an urban school: ___Yes ___No

**Donations are tax deductible

Certificates held (e.g. Teacher, SLMS, CE, CEAS, Teacher-

Librarian, Supervisor, etc.) Please list:

I would like to: (please check all that apply)

___________________________________________ ___ Mentor a new librarian

___________________________________________ ___ Serve on a committee (Please list the committee/s)

___________________________________________ ______________________________________________

___________________________________________ ______________________________________________

I have held my School Library Media Specialist certificate less than 3 years. ____ Yes ____ No

Please return this form with remittance to:

I need to be mentored for the DOE. ___ Yes ___ No

My Position is: Jackie Gould, NJASL Membership Chairman

___ Public School Library Media Specialist PO Box 275

___ Private School Library Media Specialist Mantua, NJ 08051-0275 ___ Voc./Tech. School Library Media Specialist membership@njasl.org ___ Technology Coordinator ___Former School Librarian 856.464.0837 voice/fax ___ K-12 District Library Media Specialist Supervisor ___ Public Librarian ___ Related Business Member ___ LIS Faculty ___ Lib. Coop. Director ___Teacher

Membership Enrollment Deadline:

___ Retired October 1, 2011

For NJASL Use Only Membership #: Payment Rec’d: Ck #: Ck Date: District: PO #: PO Date: PO Amt. Members Only: EBSCO: Personal Ck: Ck Amt.:

Membership Renewal

Don’t forget to renew your NJASL membership for this school year. NJASL’s membership year is August 1 through July 31. You can renew your membership in several ways.

• Complete the membership form (www.njasl.org, About NJASL, Become a Member), and mail it with your check.• Complete the membership form, and mail it with a school purchase order.• Subscribe to Bookmark via EBSCO (Be sure to send your membership form under separate cover).• Join online, using your credit card.

Jackie Gould, ChairpersonNJASL Membership

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• Texas PTA for their Partnership with TASL• Pennsylvania House Resolution 987: A Study of the Commonwealth’s Public School Library Services for

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 12• The Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List (from TASL)

As always, if you want any information about ALA/AASL, including membership and committee appointments, or if you want further information about anything relating to AASL, contact me at 732-566-1995 or e-mail to: hildakw@gmail.com.

2011 NJEA ConventionNJASL Sponsored Programs

NJASL will again be sponsoring workshops and technology hall presentations at the NJEA Convention on November 10th and 11th in Atlantic City.

Workshops

Thursday, November 10, 9:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. Room 408Randy Testa (Walden Media) - From Book to Film: Readers, Viewers, Literacy, and Media Literacy

Friday, November 11, 9:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. Room 316Cordelia Twoomey - Navigating the Grant Writing Process

Friday, November 11, 3:00 P.M – 4:00 P.M. Room 321CISSL – Ross Todd and Carol Gordon - Another Bird Project. Do Students Learn Anything? Research Finding from New Jersey School Library Study

Technology Hall PresentationsBruce DuBoff – Glogster, Voice Thread, & Wikispaces: Perfect TogetherFriday, November 11 from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Michelle Marhefka – Learning Tools Smackdown; Location: Exhibit floor.

AASL continued:

Meet Your Colleagues

With this edition of Bookmark, we are starting a new series featuring New Jersey’s school librarians.

This issue features librarians Amy Rominiecki and Kathy Donoghue of Seneca High School in Tabernacle, NJ.

Amy and Kathy were visited by AASL President Nancy Everhart last Fall on the AASL Vision Tour. (More

information here: http://outstandingschoollibraries.org) In this interview, Amy answers questions about the tour

and the Seneca HS library program.

We will feature other librarians in future Bookmarks. If you would like us to interview you or know of

someone you would like to see interviewed, please contact us: president@njasl.org.

Your library was visited by Nancy Everhart, president of AASL as a stop on her Vision

Tour. How did you prepare for her visit? How did your students react?

Kathy Donoghue, my partner in the library, and I did a lot of preparation. We decided to

make the event about our students and how they use and appreciate our library. We asked

students to write “Why I Love My Library” letters and chose fifteen to read during the event.

Students in a Video Production class created videos about what makes our library spectacular.

We also invited several local celebrities to attend the event. Carol Erickson, weather

spokesperson from CBS 3, gave a great presentation about the importance of libraries. Our

students cheered and laughed and ate (our Future Chefs of America club catered our event).

Our creative drama students dressed up like their favorite literary characters and sang.

Everyone had a great time! Kathy and I got to sit back and enjoy the experience.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

There are so many things we enjoy about our job. We particularly love that we see every

student and staff member in our school. All 1,200 students and 150 staff members know Kathy

and me. They recognize that they can come to us if they need a book suggestion, a paperclip, to

work on a collaborative lesson, or if they need a shoulder to lean on during the day. We love

that! It’s a very unique position. We also love that every one of our students feels safe in our

in our library.

What kind of programs do you offer to promote reading?

This year we are promoting our 2011 “One Book, One School” summer reading book, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, all year. This has been a huge undertaking because we separated the entire school into 12 Districts, to simulate the book. Each month, we have various activities in which students can earn points for their Districts. For instance, the last week in September, our students brought in school supplies to help a school in Georgia that was damaged in the hurricane. For each school supply the student brings in, their District will receive a point. The top three Districts (which will be about 200 students and teachers) will win Seneca’s Hunger Games. Through fundraising efforts, we are paying for a private screening of the movie for those winners. Our entire school is into it, and most have read the book. So many students have told us, “I never liked a book until I read The Hunger Games. Do you have the second one?”

The other programs that we offer are book talks and what we call “Reader’s Café.” In the beginning of the year, we book talk to 10-20 classes per week. Every student self-selects a book to read during each marking period. We pick our favorite, most exciting books to talk about. We also have many classes of reluctant readers. They pose more of a challenge. Our theory is, “There is a book here for everyone,” and we usually find a match. Every marking period the students bring in their independent reading books and do their own book talks for the Reader’s Cafe. We serve hot chocolate, cookies and other treats. They sip and dine while discussing books. What more could a librarian ask for? How do you use technology in your library? Do you help teachers integrate web 2.0 tools into their research assignments? How?

Since our library is fairly new, we have selected our non-fiction collection to match our database choices. Although we encourage our students to use books, we understand that this is the digital age, and most of our students are going to use computers and the Internet first to find information. We educate and encourage our students to find the value in our databases rather than random Google-found websites. We also recognize that our students will use Google to find information, so we conduct many classes on evaluating websites—how to determine if a website has accurate information by looking at criteria such as who the author of the website is, if there are references, if there is contact information, and when the website was last updated, among other standards. Give one example of a recent collaborative lesson in your library.

One idea came from one of my mentor librarians, Arlene Baker. Last year a science teacher wanted students to research scientists. I used Arlene’s idea to have the students research a scientist and create a cover letter and resume as if the student was the scientist. This way, the students researched the scientist, but also honed their skills of writing a resume and cover letter. We even had the students search the classifieds to find a job suitable for the scientist. I think that one of the ways school librarians shine is by recognizing that students need real world skills to be successful and by integrating those skills into content area classes. How do you involve your students in your school library?

Our library is the hub of the school, and I’m not just saying that! It truly is. During any period, we have hundreds of our students working, laughing, playing, and researching in our library. They use the computers, read books, play chess, eat lunch, buy snacks, and read magazines. We ask for book suggestions from our students, helping us to develop a collection around what is popular and will get used. We run contests so that

students have input into what our library has. Right now we have a contest to decide which pet to adopt as our library mascot: a snake, a frog, or a tarantula. We want our students to have a stake in our library and think we’ve done a great job! How would you describe an excellent school library program in 2011? Would your description be different from when you started your career?

A school librarian very rarely sits! I think that is a mark of an excellent school library program. We are constantly teaching classes, helping students find books, working with teachers on collaborative lessons, putting together reading programs, printing, fixing, meeting, evaluating, and coming up with exciting ways to draw in our customers. Our library is not complete without the very ingredient that makes it successful: our students and staff. I graduated with my MLIS from Drexel in 2001, so most of my vision is still the same. I think what has changed most significantly, however, is the overwhelming student and teacher reliance on technology and the belief that anything can be found on the Internet. This has been hard to conquer. Do you have any suggestions for school librarians on managing time in school?

Time-- what time? There is never enough time! Like most librarians, I have to decide what is most important to get done each day. I keep a daily “to do” list and rank those items in order of importance. Since we are continually inundated with small things throughout the day, I need to make sure that I stay the course and get those important items done. I am also extremely fortunate to have a co-librarian who shares my vision, and two secretaries who do the behind the scenes work. Our district recognizes the importance of school libraries and supports that with staffing and resources. What advice do you have for librarians and their programs?

My advice is: Go to the NJASL Annual Conference! You will get invaluable resources, ideas, and information at the conference. I cannot stress that enough. We need to keep current on all of the new trends in school libraries, ideas for what other school librarians have found successful, and all of the new technology out there. We need to show our worth, and, if we are behind the times, we will not be successful. What are you currently reading?

I go through spurts of reading only a certain type of book. Sometimes I exclusively read non-fiction, sometimes young adult fiction. Right now I’m really into reading the newspaper; any and all types of newspapers! It is a little crunchy and awkward to read in bed, but I can’t wait to curl up in my pj’s and catch up on the news every night.

Bookmark is published monthly, September through June, by The New Jersey Association of School Librarians, PO Box 610, Trenton, NJ 08607. October through May issues are online. Deadlines are always the 15th of the month. Editors: Pat Mor-ris, Bev Siti. Email to <justbev@juno.com> and please put NJASL or Bookmark in the subject line. Big Changes com-ing for Bookmark this year. If you are interested in learning how to publish on issuu.com, please contact Fran King at <fking@passaic-city.k12.nj.us> or Bev Siti or Pat Morris.

NJASL Annual Fall Conference Registration Form Ocean Place Resort, Long Branch, NJ

December 2-3, 2011 Please use only one form per person. Copy as needed. Register guests separately and include separate registration and meal fees. All registrations and purchase orders must be postmarked by Friday, November 18, 2011. Late submissions will not be accepted! ON-SITE REGISTRATION—CASH OR MONEY ORDERS ONLY!

Badge Information – Please Print

Name:

Title: ________________________________

Library/Institution: ________________________

Municipality:

County:

Work Phone:

Work Email:

Home Address:

City:

State: Zip Code:

Home Phone:

Home Email:

Please check

_____ I have been a school library media specialist/librarian for 3

years or less.

_____I am a displaced School Librarian due to budget cuts.

_____ Yes, you can share my contact information with conference

vendors.

The registration fee will be waived for retirees who volunteer their services to help at the conference on Friday or Saturday. Please contact Elspeth Goodin (egoodin@ptd.net) for volunteer information. Retirees only -- I would like to volunteer on:

________Dec. 2 Dec. 3 The registration fee will be waived for retirees who only attend the Retirees’ reception/meeting, not the conference workshops.

Conference Fees CATEGORY FULL CONFERENCE ON SITE Personal Member $85 $115 Retired/Student/Special* $65 $95 Non-Member $135 $165

(Fee does not include membership in NJASL) CATEGORY ONE-DAY FEE ON SITE (Circle day) Personal Member $75 $105 Fri Sat Retired/Student/Special* $60 $90 Fri Sat Non-Member $125 $155 Fri Sat

(Fee does not include membership in NJASL) *Special Rate: For School Librarians who have been displaced from their library or are part-time (20 hours or less). NJLA members register at the same rate as NJASL members. No registration fee for administrators attending the breakfast when accompanied by School Librarian. Administrators must pay for Special Event breakfast.

Membership MUST BE renewed by October 1, 2011, in order to register at the member’s rate. Tickets for Special Events: You must pre-register for them at the time of registration.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Thursday, December 1st 7:30pm _____ Pre-conference- Exhibits preview, raffles and networking $10.00 (includes dessert and coffee/tea)

Friday, December 2nd 5:00pm _____ Retirees' Wine and Cheese Reception/Business Meeting $10.00 (beverage and cheese/crackers)

Friday, December 2 6:30pm _____ “An evening with authors Wendy Mass and Jordan Sonnenblick.” Two award-winning authors share how they develop their compelling stories. $45.00 (includes buffet dinner) 1 hr. PD credit

Saturday, December 3 8:00am _____ Leadership Breakfast with Connie Paul, previous director of CJRLC and author of “Just Do It! Leadership Training Builds Strong Networks” $25 (includes breakfast buffet) 1 hr. PD credit

Registration and Meal Fees Conference Fee (Full Conference) $_________________ Conference Fee (One Day) $_________________ Special Events : Thursday Dessert $ _________________ Friday Retirees Meeting $_________________ Friday Dinner $_________________ Saturday Breakfast $_________________ TOTAL $________________ All registrations and purchase orders must be postmarked by 11/18/2011 for confirmation. Confirmations will be sent through 11/25/2011. No refunds will be made after 11/25/2011. Your cancelled check or credit card bill will be your receipt. Receipts will not be printed on the back of your badge. Make checks, money orders and purchase orders payable to NJASL. Registration forms WILL NOT be accepted without a Purchase Order or Check. Purchase orders will not be accepted post conference. Mail to: NJASL Conference Registration Attn: Amy Rominiecki PO Box 8489 Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 Fax: (856) 433-8106 Any questions, please email registration@njasl.org or call Amy Rominiecki at (856) 795-8223, fax (856) 433-8106

Registration Postmarked: P O Number P O Date P O Amount Processed On:

Check Number Check Date Check Amount Confirmation:

FOR NJASL Registrar Use

October, 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 11

Alice DinizoNJASL-R

Reporter

All school librarians, working, waiting to work again, or retired, know by now of the NJASL 2011 Fall Conference that will be held in Long Branch at The Ocean Place Resort and Spa on December 2 (Friday) and December 3 (Saturday). But what we all need to be aware of is the Conference Committee’s plans.

“The Conference Planning Committee has been focused on creating an annual conference that can provide you with more tools to advocate for your library in these turbulent times, while addressing the needs of your diverse students and supporting your staff and school curriculum.”

Please be aware that conference registration forms are available at www.njasl.org. Volunteering at the conference’s welcoming/information table will allow a retiree to attend the conference at no cost. Please contact Elspeth Goodin, NJASL-R President, jsmgoodin@gmail.com, for further information on this special offer. In this day and age, when a retiree’s pension is not increasing, but costs of everything else are skyrocketing, this is an offer to be seriously considered.

SAD NEWS FOR US ALL Our beloved colleague and fellow librarian, Laura Whipple, passed away recently. She was a school librarian before becoming a published author and editor of children’s books. Many of us will remember Laura as an active participant at Author’s Alley.

Who could forget these among her many works? If The Shoe Fits: Voices from Cinderella Celebrating America Eric Carle’s Animals Animals A Snowflake Fell: Poems about Winter

Laura Whipple’s death silences a literary voice we all loved.

Hilda Weisberg is seeking a retiree to volunteer

and join her as a LSTA representative. This is a chance for one of us to make a difference in these difficult times. Please contact Hilda at hildakw@gmail.com

Time on your hands? Don’t quite know how to fill up those retirement hours? Here’s a thought; work as a literacy volunteer or offer to read to a child at your local library or community center. Volunteer and you might just be reading to a future President.

Apply Now for Villy Gandhi Leadership Award

-Leslie Blatt, AECT Representative

All NJASL members are invited to apply for the Villy Gandhi Leadership Award. Villy Gandhi scholars participate in the AECT Summer Leadership Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, tentatively scheduled for July 15 - 18, 2012, or the Annual Convention, which will be in Louisville, Kentucky, October 30-November 3, 2012. The Villy Scholar will also serve for a year on the NJASL Board of Trustees.

The Villy Gandhi Scholarship Award is based on leadership qualifications and willingness to serve on the NJASL Board. AECT, The Association for Educational Communications and Technology, promotes scholarship and best practices in the creation, use, and management of technologies for effective teaching and learning. AECT is a national affiliate of NJASL.

The scholarship provides up to $1,000 to cover transportation, lodging, and registration fees for attending the AECT Summer Leadership or AECT Annual Conference.

To become a Villy Gandhi scholar, you must

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A Little Literacy Cornerby

Deborah Sparnon

Easy

Egielski, Richard. The Sleepless Little Vampire. Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2011, 2011, 978-0-545-14597-8, unp. $16.99.

Gr. K-2A young vampire is having trouble sleeping. He wonders what it could be – bats flapping, werewolf howling, or skeletons clacking. Each new visitor brings along new sound words.

Egielski creates a theatre production with his illustrations of ink and watercolors all set on midnight black pages. Drawings start at small 4 x 4s and increase in size to a full two page spreads as the Little Vampire takes control of his world.

This Sleepless Vampire can be paired with Sendak’s Mommy! or Erica Silverman’s Big Pumpkin for a fun holiday story time. This will make a good language arts lesson on sounds.

Remkiewicz, Frank. Gus Makes A Friend. Cart Wheel Books, Scholastic, Inc. 2011, 978-0-545-24470-1, unp $3.99.

Gr. K-1 (Scholastic Reader, Level Pre 1, 30-100 words)On a snowy day, Gus wants to play in the snow. He builds a snowman with the help of his friend Ned.

Humorous watercolors will delight young readers.

Verburg, Bonnie. The Kiss Box. (ill Henry Cole) Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2011, 978-0-545-11284-0, unp $16.99.Gr. PreS-1Mama Bear and Little Bear are facing a short separation. They plan ways to stay close and share stored kisses.

Cole’s artwork of watercolor and colored pencil lovingly show the close relationship between Mother and son.

This would make a great introduction to a Mother’s Day gift-making project.

Storyteller’s note also suggests this a fabulous new parent gift book selection.

Beautiful!

be a certified library media specialist currently employed in a New Jersey school library media center. The scholarship will be based on these criteria: the applicant agrees to attend an AECT Summer or Fall Conference, serve on the NJASL Board of Trustees, and implement, for NJASL, at least one idea obtained at the AECT Conference attended.

To apply, provide the following information: name, home and school addresses, home and school telephone numbers, grade level responsibility, and number of years as a LMS. To this cover sheet, attach supporting evidence of qualifications for the award. These should include statements on experiences in educational media, statements regarding volunteer experiences with NJASL and/or its affiliates, and information on pertinent materials the applicant may have published or produced. Applicants also customarily provide letters of reference.

The deadline for this application is March 15, 2012. Please send the completed application by email to Leslie Blatt at MrsLes@aol.com.

For further information, please contact Leslie Blatt at the above email address.

October, 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13

FictionKrulik, Nancy. The Case of the Beagle Burglar. (ill Gary LaCoste) Scholastic, Inc., 2011, 978-0-545-26654-3, 94 p. $4.99.(Jack Gets a Clue)Gr. 1-3Jack Doyle is a normal third grader until he is hit in the head with an acorn thrown by a testy squirrel. Now Jack and talk to animals and understand what they say.

Jack and his classmates are preparing for the upcoming Science Fair. Leo’s robot plans go missing and Scout, the beagle is accused of eating the papers. Jack and Elizabeth aka Braniac set out to solve this mystery by retracing the steps taken after school.

LaCoste adds one humorous gray scale drawing per chapter.

This new, short chapter mystery series will appeal to young readers.

Also look for series titles The Case of the Tortoise in Trouble and The Case of the Green Guinea Pig.

Messner, Kate. Marty McGuire. (ill Brian Floca), Scholastic inc., 2011, 978-0-545-14246-5, 138p. $5.99.

Gr. 2+In this debut novel, Marty McGuire is finding third grade challenging with cursive writing and the upcoming grade level play. Marty prefers to catch fogs during recess than play dress up with her female classmates. Imagine her shock when she is cast in role of the princess in the Frog Prince. This muddy sneakered

princess will have an improvisation surprise to enliven the performance.

For a wonderful introduction to Marty visit http://www.katemessner.com/ and have students listen to a MP3 file first chapter read by Cassandra Morris in a third grader like voice.

Pair Marty up with Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine.

Miles, Ellen. Bella. Scholastic, Inc., 2011, 978-00545-2596-3, 92 p. $4.99.(The Puppy Place)Gr. 2-4Maria agrees to celebrate her birthday at Caring Paws and have all the presents benefit the shelter. Lizzie Peterson encounters an ailing four -week -old Cocker Spaniel pup that must be hand fed. The Peterson Family accepts the challenge of fostering this very needy pup.

Miles…..Moose. Scholastic, Inc., 2011, 978-0-545-25397-0, 90 p. $4.99.(The Puppy Place)Gr. 2-4Charles is invited by his Aunt Amanda to visit Camp Bowser to help work at training Moose, a Great Dane puppy to be less fearful of loud noises and creatures living in the meadow.

Miles….Ziggy. Scholastic, Inc., 2011, 978-0-545-25395-6, 90 p. $4.99.(The Puppy Place)Gr. 2-4At a local Dog Show, Charles meets a Dachshund breeder who allows him to tend Ziggy while she shows some of her other dogs. The owner who already has ten dogs needs to find a good home for Ziggy. She decides to let Charles and his family foster Ziggy aka Houdini. But this pup has other ideas and tunnels out of the back yard on a mission to find his way back home.

Page 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October, 2011.

Announcing the availability of all Garden State Teen Book Award materials on the NJLA wiki!Print out copies of the 2012 GSTBA Ballot, annotated lists of all 60 titles on the ballot, and the GSTBA Past Winners brochure (compiling a list of all winning titles in all three categories back to 1995): http://njla.pbworks.com/GSTBA-Nominations-and-Winners

You’ll also be able to access a listing of ideas and suggestions for how to use the GSTBA lists in your libraries and classrooms, as well as ways to encourage your readers to VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!: http://njla.pbworks.com/GSTBA-Promotional-Tools

Voting begins now and runs through mid-January 2012. Online voting is available at http://www.bccls.org/gstba/2012/. Libraries and schools can also compile their own numbers and send votes into Laura Leonard at leonard@bccls.org.

Coming soon: Keep your eyes open for a new GSTBA Facebook Page!!

New Jersey Center for the Book

The New Jersey Center for the Book com-pleted its tenth year as a vibrant organi-zation under the extraordinarily capable

direction of the chair, Renee B. Swartz, and succeeding in its mission to provide multiple ways to highlight avenues for literacy in the Garden State.

This year marked several events that showed the diversity of literacy. Science is Fundamental was a program at Monmouth County Library that targeted, on various day, different age groups. This was modeled on the first science literacy activity held a couple of years ago for the Center, Stellar Science Spectacular, at the Lib-erty Science Center.

Another event held at the Monmouth County Library to commemorate the anniversary of the Civil War was the Civil War Tea.

September is always a great time for the National Book Festival in Washington on the Great Mall. New Jersey Center for the Book promotes the state and its reading efforts there.

The Center honored New Jersey’s own Walter Dean Myers at its Tenth Anniversary celebration held at the Zimmerli Art Muse-um at Rutgers, New Brunswick. SC&I Dean Jorge Reina Schement presented acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers with the Rutgers School of Communication & Information Award for Distinguished Literature for Children and Young Adults.

The Literary Lion Award was awarded to Riletta Cream, Camden County Freeholder. One of the events that Freeholder Cream chaired was the celebration of the Walt Whitman House in Camden. Riletta Cream is a true literary lion.

The Miss Rumphius Award this year went to Dr. Dana Sheridan of the Cotsen Children’s Library at Princeton. Dr. Sheri-dan received her award at the Fall NJASL Conference.

The Letters About Literature Celebration for 86 finalists and winners was held at the Princeton University Art Museum. In addition to honoring the students, the Center paid special attention to the teachers who have been so instrumental over the years in using the program in their curriculum and helping their students suc-ceed.Teacher of the Decade Award was given to Brian Hanson-Harding, Northern Valley Regional High School, Old Tappan, NJ.Special Teacher Recognition Citations were awarded to Laura Stegmuller, Burlington Township Middle School; Donna Marcy, Columbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights; Catherine Mc Guin-ness and Lisa O’Shea, Community Middle School, West Windsor-Plainsboro; Cean Spahn and Charles Janesak, Lewis F. Cole Middle School, Fort Lee; Christine Maffa, Churchill Jr. High School, East Brunswick; Joan Marie Bellotti, High Tech High School; Mary B. Vargas, Toms River High School North; and Janis Rose, Rutherford Schools.

This continuing series will please all dog lovers.

NonfictionCarle, Eric. Tom Thumb: Grimms’ Tales retold by Eric Carle. Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2011, 978-0-545-27009-0, $17.99.

Gr. K-3A beautiful reissue of Carle’s retelling of four Grimm’s tales – Tom Thumb, The Fisherman and His Wife, Hans In Luck, and The Seven Swabians.

These tales originally were published as part of Eric Carle’s Treasury of Classic Stories for Children (1988) and/or Eric Carle’s Storybook: Seven Tales by the Brothers Grimm (1976).

Carle’s recognizable cut paper collages fill the pages of this newly released treasure. Is it time to update your Carle books?

Deborah Sparnon teaches for both William Paterson and Rutgers SCI PDS.

October, 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 15

3/4

The Chocolate Touch / Patrick S. Catling The Mouse and the Motorcycle / Beverly Cleary

Muggie Maggie / Beverly Cleary Morning Girl / Michael Dorris

The Hundred Dresses / Eleanor Estes Aliens for Breakfast / Jonathan Etra & Stephanie Spinner

Lily’s Crossing / Patricia Reilly Giff The Million Dollar Shot / Dan Gutman

Miss Daisy is Crazy / Dan Gutman Clementine / Sara Pennypacker The Talking T. Rex / Ron Roy

Wayside School is Falling Down / Louis Sachar Doing Time Online / Jan Siebold

See You Later, Gladiator / Jon Szczieska Who Was Helen Keller? / Gare Thompson

5/6 Who Was Amelia Earhartt? / Kate Bohm Jerome

The Wishgiver / Bill Britain Absolute Pressure / Sigmun Brouwer

The Dark Stairs / Betsy Byars A Week in the Woods / Andrew Clements My Teacher is an Alien / Bruce Coville

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key / Jack Gantos A Wrinkle in Time / Madeleine L’Engle

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon / Grace Lin Alvin Ho Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things /

Lenore Look A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray / Ann M. Martin

The Ghost Belonged to Me / Richard Peck The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Phigg / Rodney

Philbrick Esperanza Rising Pam / Munoz Ryan

It Only Looks Easy Pamela / Curtis Swallow

7/8 Al Capone Does My Shirts / Jennifer Choldenko

The Face on the Milk Carton / Caroline B. Cooney Weasel / Cynthia DeFelice

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl / Anne Frank Among the Hidden / Margaret Peterson Haddix

Hoot / Carl Hiassen Stormbreaker / Anthony Horowitz

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam / Cynthia Kadohata Schooled / Gordon Korman Hoops / Walter Dean Myers

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break / Kensey Namioka Interstellar Pig / William Sleator

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie / Jordan Sonnenblick When You Reach Me / Rebecca Stead

Elsewhere / Gabrielle Zevin

Battle of the BooksThe Battle of the Books is a reading motivation program for students in grades 3rd – 8th. The goals of the program are to encourage reading for pleasure, broaden reading interest, and recognize students who enjoy reading.

• Titles are chosen annually, (fifteen each for 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8) by librarians in NJASL.• Teams (4-6 students) read the books. This can be done in a time frame of several months.• The Battle of the Books is usually held in the spring. It can be done in your school alone or with other schools at

an interscholastic battle.• Questions are written by librarians in NJASL, 25 regular questions to be used at your school and 15 challenge

questions to be used at interscholastic battles for each book.• All questions begin with the words “In which book” so a title and author of a book is the answer to each

question.

Battle of the Books Event Planning: 1. Order books - The lists of books are on the NJASL website.2. Orientation & Team Set-Up3. Get questions from the Members Only section of the NJASL website (They will be available approximately

December 1st.) 4. Talk to librarians from other schools if you want to compete with others. 5. Hold practice battles with your students using questions that they have written.6. Rules are available in the Battle of the Books Handbook.

Coordinators:Linda Bykowski, 908-851-6397 lbykowski@twpunionschools.org Maureen Stryker, 973-635-0485 mstryker@chatham-nj.org Tricia Keene (Technical), 908-755-4422 pkeane@watchungschools.us

Page 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October, 2011NJASL Annual Conference for 2011

December 1st -3rd, 2011School Libraries: Equitable Access for All

When? and Where? Thursday Evening, December 1st through Saturday afternoon, December 3rd.

Ocean Place Resort and Spa 1 Ocean Boulevard, Long Branch, NJ 07740

(732) 571-4000. Call and make your room reservations by 11/8 to get the special NJASL rate of $139.

What authors can I expect to meet?

Wendy Mass and Jordan Sonnenblick

Author Banquet Friday night (Pre-Registration Required)

• Bonnie Christensen is presenting workshops both Friday and Saturday

• Authors’ Alley: During the conference you will have the opportunity to meet many authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults. You may purchase their books, have them autographed, and arrange visits to your library. Their books may be purchased either at the Barnes & Noble sales area or directly from the author or illustrator.

Who is the keynote at the Opening Session and Membership Meeting on Friday?

Kathy Dempsey, author of the Accidental Library Marketer.

Kick off your conference by absorbing both information and inspiration useful in the fight for your school library. The internet has made librarians more essential, not less. Learn to use data and stories to make your point.

What is new this year?

We listened to your requests: More programming on advocacy and technology.

Our new pre-conference event allows time to visit exclusive exhibitors and learn about the newest trends in technology, win raffle prizes, and enjoy dessert while mingling with fellow early birds! (Pre-Registration Required).

Hands-on sessions: Bring your own laptop and try out a new resource.

Exhibit hall mini-sessions: Watch the program for these exciting sessions.

Charging and networking station. Visit the upstairs foyer for an ocean view and a place to network, charge up your technology, and visit with your peers.

How to register?Visit our online registration site or print out the NJASL Conference Registration form and send it to:NJASL Conference Registration Attn: Amy RominieckiPO Box 8489 Cherry Hill, NJ 08002