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LIAR is the new book from Justine Larbalestier, expected from Bloomsbury Publishing in October 2009. We received ARCs today and based on the sneak peek flyer we received in the mail, I just can’t wait to dive into it. It looks like a deliciously twisted bone-chiller with a fantasticly unreliable narrator.  Bloomsbury is targeting the book to ages 14+, planning for an online teaser campaign, a multi-city author tour, Blog tour, web site pitch, and YA listserv.  Awesome! From the back cover: Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Ove theRead More →

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Scratch (scratch.mit.edu), is a free computer program from MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group that’s changing the landscape of how young people learn programming, engage in media-based project creation, and develop 21st-century literacy skills. Today’s young readers are experiencing reading and books as more than a one-dimensional printed medium.  The growing popularity of books with cross-over components (39 Clues Series, Skeleton Creek, The Softwire Series just to name a few), as well as the proliferation of fan fiction sites, fan forums, and eBooks, are only the beginning.  People raised with technology integrated into all aspects of their lives see no disconnect with enjoying a story in multi-leveled, multi-facetedRead More →

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Comic generator site MakeBeliefs Comix has a new offering. Users can create their own comic strips, selecting characters, colors, stories and formatting choices.  Strips can be downloaded and printed.  Comics could also be created with speech bubbles left blank for ELL and other students to fill in their own narratives. Comics can also be created in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Latin. Be sure to check out the Teacher Resources page with tips on how to use comics in the classroom.  Sweet!Read More →

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There are a lot of books coming out from Random House in Fall ’09!  We can’t wait!  Here are just a few to look forward to: Arizona’s own Robin Brande, Fat Cat, October 2009: You are what you eat. . . .  Cat smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.  As the poundsRead More →

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We can’t wait for these new releases from Scholastic in Fall 2009: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, Book 2), Suzanne Collins, Sept 1, 2009: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry.Read More →