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It’s Presidents Day!

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It’s a wonderful day where we can all look back on the former presidents and appreciate what they did for our country! For example, our founding father, George Washington, who lead young America to freedom, or Abraham Lincoln who helped mend the ties of a broken country.  These are only a couple of the 44 presidents the United States of America has gained over 229 years.

The Mclure Education Library Staff have hand-picked a couple of books from our school library to offer to you and your future classroom!

index

What Does the President Do?  is a great book to educate the young curious mind! What does the future American President have to look forward too?  The author, David Jakubiak, simplifies the hard work of Mr. President for young readers, but also makes it interesting enough to inspire.

Location in our Library: http://library.ua.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=36&recCount=20&recPointer=6&bibId=4031178

index (1)

A Picture Book of George Washington is a book with wonderful illustrations as it briefly tells of one of the United State’s founding father’s life.

Location in our Library: http://library.ua.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=51&recCount=20&recPointer=9&bibId=643204

51CWJ8AXAXL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_

Abe Lincoln The Younger Years  gives readers a glimpse into Abe’s early life and how the trials he faced built him into the future president of the United States.  The illustrations are wonderfully fun and are sure to make any child smile.

Location in our Library: http://library.ua.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=357&recCount=20&recPointer=6&bibId=855144

Below you will find a few classroom activities pinned from Pinterest.  These are free printables picked by McLure Education Library staff.  Visit McLure Education Library on Pinterest for more classroom ideas. Don’t forget that you can print these in our library using your ACTion card!

 learning printables for kidsClassroom activity suggested by McLure Education Library.:

Barack Obama free printable-https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255238939/

George Washington dot to dot free printable-https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255238880/

Abraham Lincoln free printable- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255238848/

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Valentine’s Day

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By Kristy Justice, Library Assistant, McLure Education Library

How will you celebrate Valentine’s Day in your classroom?

Children learn about love starting at an early age, take this as a perfect opportunity to teach your class about love, kindness, and compassion.
Listed below are a few ideas handpicked by McLure Education Library staff.

Books
Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine
Junie

Does Junie B. really have to give that meanie ol’ Jim a valentime?  Her mother informed her that she was to include everyone in the class. Does Junie B. get a Valentine’s Day surprise?  This funny, chapter book series written by Barbara Park is suggested for ages 5-8.  This book is available in our school library!
http://library.ua.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=1787003

Snowy Valentine
snowy valentine

This delightful story takes place on a cold, snowy Valentine’s Day.  Jasper the bunny is desperately searching for the perfect gift to show his wife just how much he loves her.  Feeling discouraged and having no luck finding something special, a friend helps him realize that he has already created the perfect Valentine’s Day present.  Written by David Petersen, this heartwarming story is recommended for children ages 3-6.
http://library.ua.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=3609986

Classroom Activities

stemmathcolorword searchheart

Valentine’s Day Stem – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255158019/                                                                                         Valentine’s Day Math Worksheets- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255152169/
Valentine’s Day Color by Number- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255157691/
Valentine’s Day Word Search- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255157816/
Pumping Heart Model is located in the Curriculum Materials section at McLure Education Library – http://library.ua.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=3520948
Classroom Crafts

craftsmazeteddy

Heart Shaped Animals-https://www.pinterest.com/pin/Abzs4buSYCeL64rJfGsoG80wH2SW5PlG9iOGb3AtLk0R7gbyKSFNk1c/
Maze Printable-https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255163863/
Valentine Bag Bear/Bunny- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/69172544255169053/

 

 

 

Author Spotlight: Walter Dean Myers

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By Leslie Grant, Graduate Assistant, McLure Education Library

bookWe were saddened to learn of the death of Walter Dean Myers last July. Last month friends, family, colleagues, and others gathered for an event in his honor featuring readings, speeches, and performances. You can more about the event in the Publisher’s Weekly article “Celebrating the Legacy of Walter Dean Myers.” Myers was a prolific author, writing over one hundred books, including picture books, young adult novels, and nonfiction. He received several awards for his writing, including the Margaret Edwards Award, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Coretta Scott King Award. For those interested in reading or rereading his work, we have several of his titles available at our library:

  • 145th Street: Short Stories (PZ7.M992 Aae 2000)
  • Amistad: A Long Road to Freedom (E447 .M94 1998)
  • Angel to Angel: A Mother’s Gift of Love (PS3563.Y48 A84 1998)
  • Antarctica: Journeys to the South Pole (G863 .M94 2004)
  • At Her Majesty’s Request: An African Princess in Victorian England (DA565.F67 M94 1999)
  • Bad Boy: A Memoir (PS3563.Y48 Z47 2001)
  • Beast (PZ7.M992 Be 2003)
  • Black Pearl and the Ghost (PZ7.M992 Bl 1980)
  • Blues Journey (PZ7.M94 B58 2003)
  • Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse (PS3563.Y48 B76 1993)
  • Darius & Twig (PZ7.M992 Dap 2013)
  • Dragon Takes a Wife (PZ8.M987 Dr)
  • Dream Bearer (PZ7.M992 Dr 2003)
  • Fallen Angels (PZ7.M992 Fal 1988)
  • Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff (PZ7.M992 Fas)
  • Fly, Jimmy, Fly! (PZ7.M992 Fl)
  • Glory Field (PZ7.M992 Gl 1994)
  • Greatest: Muhammad Ali (GV1132.A44 M94 2001)
  • Harlem: A Poem (PS3563.Y48 H37 1997)
  • Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices (PS3563.Y48 H47 2004)
  • Hoops (PZ7.M992 Ho)
  • How Mr. Monkey Saw the Whole World (PZ7.M992 Hr 1996)
  • Ida B. Wells: Let the Truth Be Told (E185.97.W55 M94 2008)
  • Invasion (PZ7.M992 Inv 2013)
  • It Ain’t All for Nothin’ (PZ7.M992 It 1978)
  • I’ve Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (E185.97.K5 M936 2004)
  • Jazz (PZ8.3.M9954 Jaz 2006)
  • Journal of Joshua Loper: A Black Cowboy (PZ7.M992 Jo 1999)
  • Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier (PZ7.M992 Jp 1999)
  • Legend of Tarik (PZ7.M992 Le 1981)
  • Lockdown (PZ7.M992 Lo 2010)
  • Looking Like Me (PZ7.M992 Loo 2009)
  • Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (BP223.Z8 L5764 1993)
  • Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid (PZ7.M992 Me 1988)
  • Monster (PZ7.M992 Mon 1999)
  • Motown and Didi: A Love Story (PZ7.M992 Mot 1984)
  • Now Is Your Time!: The African-American Struggle for Freedom (E185 .M96 1991)
  • Outside Shot (PZ7.M992 Ou 1984)
  • Patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam (PZ7.M992 Pat 2002)
  • Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner (PZ7.M992 Ri 1992)
  • Scorpions (PZ7.M992 Sc 1988)
  • Slam! (PZ7.M992 Sl 1996)
  • Somewhere in the Darkness (PZ7.M992 So 1992)
  • Sunrise Over Fallujah (PZ7.M992 Su 2008)
  • Toussaint L’Ouverture: The Fight for Haiti’s Freedom (F1923.T69 M94 1996)
  • What They Found: Love on 145th Street (PZ7.M992 Wgr 2007)
  • Won’t Know Till I Get There (PZ7.M992 Wo 1982)

Recent Trends and Predictions in Children’s Literature

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By Leslie Grant, Graduate Assistant, McLure Education Library

image from School Library Journal

(image from School Library Journal)

In the January 2015 edition, School Library Journal published the article “What’s Trending? Hot themes in kidlit and what we want to see” by Elizabeth Bird. In it, Bird summarizes her observations about trends in books for youth during the previous year, as well as adding her own expectations for the coming year. You can read the entire article on their website, but here’s a quick summary of some literary trends:

2014

Kid’s Fantasy Getting Darker

Examples: The Riverman by Aaron Starmer, The Thickety by J.A. White, The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

Relationship between Lies and Storytelling

Examples: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier, West of the Moon by Margi Preus, Greenglass House by Kate Milford, The Riverman by Aaron Starmer

2015

Pranking

Examples: Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John, The Tapper Twins Go to War (With Each Other) by Geoff Rodkey

Post-apocalyptic Dogs

Examples: Apocalypse Bow Wow by James Proimos, Vacancy by Jen Lee

Liars and Unreliable Narrators

Examples: Lies I Told by Michelle Zink, Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes, Twisted Fate by Norah Olson, Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Beyond

Bird ends with trends she’d like to see in the future. The biggest of these is a continued increase in diversity. She lists several categories of particular interest and includes recent books within each one.

Disability as Incidental to Story

Examples: El Deafo by Cece Bell, Dragons Beware by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado

Realistic Depictions of Poverty

Examples: Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt and Vin Vogel, Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

African American Male Characters

Examples: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth, The Madman of Piney Woods by Christopher Paul Curtis, The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson, Eddie Red, Undercover: Mystery in Mayan Mexico by Marcia Wells, Public School Superhero by James Patterson

Latino Characters

Examples: Ambassador by William Alexander, Saving Baby Doe by Danette Vigilante, Sophia Martinez: My Family Adventure by Jacqueline Jules, Gum Luck by Rhode Montijo

Book Renewal Deadline for Faculty and Grad Students

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Reminder:

In order to help the library keep track of its materials, all library books charged to UA faculty and graduate students need to be physically renewed by Saturday, May 31. This can be done by bring the books to any library location. For faculty members with seven or more books, you can make an appointment with one of the librarians for a staff member to renew the books at your office. Please refer to the official memo for further instructions. Thanks for your cooperation!

(Note – this does not apply to undergraduate students.)

Midnight Snack: Where to Eat on Campus

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By Leslie Grant, Graduate Assistant, McLure Education Library

WImage courtesy of Bama Dininghile you’re studying and finishing up those last minute papers and projects, you might choose to take advantage of the library’s extended hours. If those late night hours work up an appetite, you’re in luck! Many dining locations on campus will be staying open later. For those studying at McLure, you might be interested to know that the Alston Bistro & Subway (located in the business courtyard behind the library) will be staying open until 2am during finals week. To find out about other locations and hours, check the Bama Dining website. Also, our library is food-friendly, so feel free to bring in outside food or drink as a study snack. You can even order food and have it delivered here, just don’t expect us to pay for it! : )

Longer Library Hours

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McLure will be open longer hours starting next week to provide more time for studying during dead week and finals.

Here is our schedule for the next two weeks ( April 20th-May 2nd):

  • Sunday:
    1:00pm – 12:00am
  • Monday:
    7:00am – 12:00am
  • Tuesday:
    7:00am – 12:00am
  • Wednesday:
    7:00am – 12:00am
  • Thursday:
    7:00am – 12:00am
  • Friday:
    7:00am – 6:00pm
  • Saturday:
    10:00am – 6:00pm

For more information, including exceptions and other library hours, click here.

Also, you may want to note that McLure will be opening two hours earlier than the rest of the libraries on campus this Sunday, April 2oth.

eBooks

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Compiled by Helga Vissscher, head McLure Education Library

 

Electronic Books come from many resources.  Most people regard the e-Book as an electronic copy of the traditional book published in paper.  Other items that populate the e-Book collection include published reports by research organizations and government entities.  Some ERIC Documents in microfiche are e-books; some reside in other databases, such as Lexis-Nexis, and Gale Virtual Reference Library. The largest general e-book resource is the database  ebrary: Academic Complete    Other agencies provide their books and reports within such agencies as the National Bureau of Economic Research.  Items from databases such as Dissertations and Theses  also show up as e-Books. 

E-books are easily divided by chapters, and can be downloaded as a complete book, or selected parts. This makes them ideal for linking to RESERVES for courses.  Please let the McLure Education Library staff know if you plan to do this, so additional access can be acquired. Most e-books allow for one user at a time.

Ebooks allow you to open the item at your computer for immediate viewing. Like e-journals, e-books are produced by a variety of publishers and vendors, so the platforms vary; they can be searched and accessed alongside the print books in SCOUT, then set the Source Type to ebooks. They can also be searched on the E-Resources search page, the same location where you search for electronic journals. Databases such as Gale Virtual Reference Library, Oxford Reference Online and Springer Link also offer books in electronic format.

12-minute video on how to use ebrary

2-page Quick Guide on how to use ebrary 

Here are some titles relating to Education Research for your perusal, which come from a variety of resources:

Education: Meeting America’s Needs? Gale Virtual Reference Library (database)   

Education: Meeting America's Needs?

Education: Meeting America’s Needs?

 

 

http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/fdlp930/readingfirst-final.pdf 

 

Higher Education in the 21st Century

Higher Education in the 21st Century

Higher Education in the 21st Century, NBER   

 

 

 

http://www.crcnetbase.com/ISBN/978-0-415-48000-0

 

 

Online Learning and Teaching inthe 21st Century

Online Learning and Teaching inthe 21st Century

Online Learning and Teaching in Higher Education  e-brary

 

 

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/alabama/docDetail.action?docID=10197006

 

Learning in Communities

Learning in Communities

Learning in communities.  Springer 

 

 

 

 

http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-84800-332-3/page/1

 

 Reading First implementation evaluation. U.S. Dept. of Education .  online Gov. Doc. ED 1.2:R 22/14 

Reading: first implementation Evaluation

Reading: first implementation Evaluation

http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/fdlp930/readingfirst-final.pdf 

 

 

 

 

50th Anniversaries: Children’s Literature Classics

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50th Anniversaries

Wrinkle in Time: By Madeleine L’Engle

Wolves of Willoughby Chase: By Joan Aiken

To Kill A Mockingbird: By Harper Lee

Blogpost by Benita Strnad, Curriculum Materials Librarian,  McLure Education Library

 

The book world celebrated the Golden Anniversaries of three very important works of Young Adult Literature in 2012.  In February the publishing firm of Farrar Straus & Giroux threw a big 50th birthday party for “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle.  This fall Doubleday celebrated the publication of “The Wolves of Willoughby Chase” by Joan Aiken.  Here in Alabama the 50th anniversary of the coming out of “To Kill a Mockingbird” passed without much fanfare.  All three of these books were landmark publications and brought fame, if not fortune, to their authors, and hours of pleasure to millions of readers over the years.  Each of them was iconic in their own way.  If you are looking for books to give to children and young adults in your lives in the next few weeks consider giving one of these three books. 

 

PZ7 .L5385 Wr 1962 Education School Library – Newbery

“A Wrinkle in Time” was a book that couldn’t find a publisher because it was so different.  L’Engle was studying, what was then, the revolutionary field of quantum physics while she was taking a ten week camping trip across the U. S. with her family in 1959.  She states that she saw landscapes that were totally alien to her and combined with the material she was reading she began to imagine a who new world.  The genre of science fiction was only in its infancy when L’Engle completed the book and started sending it to publishers.  They weren’t sure how this genre was going to be accepted by the public and so were leery of the manuscript when it arrived on their desks for several reasons.  It featured a female protagonist in an area that in the early 60’s was considered a male profession, it dealt with sophisticated scientific concepts that weren’t yet widely known, it dealt with evil in a very real way, which was not part of children’s literature, making it difficult for publishers to decide if it was a book for children or adults.   As a result, the book was rejected by 26 publishers before Farrar Straus & Giroux accepted it.  The year it was published it was awarded the Newbery award from the American Library Association, an edgy and somewhat radical departure from more mainstream titles that had won past awards.  The novel has stood the test of time and is still widely read and has been in continuous print since its publication.  Eventually, L’Engle published four other books about the Murry family that are known as the Time Quintet.

 

PZ7. A2695 Wo2 Education School Library Book

“Wolves of Willoughby Chase” was first published in Great Britian in 1963 and subsequently in the U. S.  The author, Joan Aiken, was the daughter of famed American poet Conrad Aiken, and was born and raised in Great Britain.  Like “Wrinkle in Time” this was book that had a hard time finding a publisher.  It defies genre categorization and sometimes is classed as supernatural fiction, alternative fiction, and fantasy fiction.  When it was published it was one of the first works for children that featured alternative history and geography.  Ultimately the book was the first in a series of 12 books that have come to be known as the “Wolves Chronicles.”  These books vary in length from 150 pages to 250 pages and fit into that nitch of readers in grades 4 through 6 or 7, who are past introductory chapter books and yet might not want to read a novel of greater length than 250 pages.  With time the “Wolves of Willoughby Chase” sort of faded from the view of teachers, parents, librarians, and readers, but with the renewed interest in fantasy and series books for children the book is back in the limelight.

 

PS 3562 .E353 T6 Hoole Special Collections and Gorgas

2012 is the Fiftieth anniversary of the film version of the book.  The movie is readily available in Netflix if you want to watch the film, but it might be a good idea to revisit the novel during this anniversary year.   Alabamians are mostly aware of Harper Lee’s masterpiece of a civil rights novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” as it has certainly become one of the pillars of American literature and its place as a classic is assured.  The myth and legend of the book has only been enhanced by the reclusive nature of the author and the fact that no other book by her has ever been published leaving her with a perfect record in the bestseller category.  Lee was well connected in the New York publishing literati of the era and so unlike the previous mentioned titles, she did not have much of a problem finding a publisher for her book.  After it was published it was well received by the critics and became an immediate bestseller.  It also won the Pulitzer Prize in the same year.  Unlike the other two titles this one was not a children’s novel.  It was published, and remains, an adult novel.  However, it is now required reading in many high schools and so has found a place in young adult literature.

 

All three of these novels, once published, were successful titles, winning an immediate following and with the passing of time each of these titles has become an accepted classic in children’s and young adult literature.  With the cooling temperatures outside, it is a good time to read, or in some cases reread, these 50th Anniversary titles.  All of them can be found in McLure Library and in Gorgas Library.  There are also copies at the Tuscaloosa Public Library.  They can be purchased at either Books-A-Million or Barnes & Noble.  (They would make great stocking stuffers!)