February 2008 Volume 6 Number 7 Media Matters A newsletter for people who care about Library Media Centers 2008 Caldecott Winner The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Scholastic) From an opening shot of the full moon setting over an awakening Paris in 1931, this tale casts a new light on the picture book form. Hugo is a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station where he labors to complete a mysterious invention left by his father. In a work of more than 500 pages, the suspenseful text and wordless doublepage spreads narrate the tale in turns. Neither words nor pictures alone tell this story, which is filled with cinematic intrigue. Black & white pencil illustrations evoke the flickering images of the silent films to which the book pays homage. From the ALA webpage: http://www.ala.org The 2008 Newbery Medal winner is Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Robert Byrd, and published by Candlewick. In "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village," thirteenth-century England springs to life using 21 dramatic individual narratives that introduce young inhabitants of village and manor; from Hugo, the lord's nephew, to Nelly, the sniggler. Schlitz's elegant monologues and dialogues draw back the curtain on the period, revealing character and relationships, hinting at stories untold. Explanatory interludes add information and round out this historical and theatrical presentation. "Schlitz adds a new dimension to books for young readers performance," said Committee Chair Nina Lindsay. "Varied poetic forms and styles offer humor, pathos and true insight into the human condition. Each entry is superb in itself, and together the pieces create a pageant that transports readers to a different time and place." From the ALA webpage: http://www.ala.org Inside this issue: Exemplary Info 2 Book recommendation 2 LMSOY 3 Children's Lit 4 Conference Best wishes 5 Media blog 6 Pope HS 7 February celebrations 8 Morrow Elementary 9 Library Cuts in 10 Washington A Georgia Author 11 For High School 11 Students Druid Hills HS 12 GLMA Retreat 12 GALILEO 13 Peach Award 14 I Love Libraries 14 Top 10 Issues 15 Web pages 16 Info 17 Calendar 18 Page 2 Media Matters Exemplary and Exceptional Library Media Programs 1754 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Phone: 404-657-9800 Fax: 404-656-5744 Email: jserrite@doe.k12.ga.us The nominations for Exemplary Library Media Programs closed on February 1 and all nominees will be notified by email. Applications are due March 3rd and the recipients will be honored at the June State Board meeting. You can find more information about this program at: http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/pandp/media/exemplary.htm We will lead the nation in improving student achievement. Book Recommendation from a Media Specialist I think this is a title all Georgia high schools and probably all middle schools should have. It is a small local publication, so we won't see it in the normal channels. Written by J. Tom Morgan, former D.A. for DeKalb County, Ignorance is No Defense is written specifically for Georgia teenagers about the laws they need to understand to avoid breaking the law or becoming a victim. The information itself is so important, and the book is readable and engaging. More information is available at http://www.ignoranceisnodefense.com/ Kathryn Enniss Librarian Shamrock Middle School http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/~shamrock Decatur, GA 30033 kathryn_l_enniss@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools Page 3 Who will be Georgia's next Library Media Specialist of the Year? Do you think you have what it takes to be Georgia's next Library Media Specialist of the Year? Are you a member of GLMA or GAIT? Do you collaborate regularly with your teachers and come up with great programs? Does your library program help boost student achievement at your school? Have you connected with your school's community and involve parents & families with your media center?*Go ahead and toot your own horn*, ladies and gentlemen! Visit the Georgia Library Media Association web page and download the 2008 application for LMSOTY. Then check with your system's coordinator or your District Chairperson to check on local deadlines that may already be in place. BTW: If you KNOW a great media specialist, why don't you encourage him or her to apply? Sometimes a little nudge is all it takes for someone to step up for the recognition they deserve. Let us shine the spotlight on the stars of our profession! Here's the 411: 1) Each school system will have to select a date for their application deadline in order to get their system winner's application to the GLMA office by April 1, 2008. There should be a committee in place at the system level to select a Library Media Specialist of the Year and then appropriately recognize the winner. Check with your System Coordinator or veteran colleagues if you are unsure of your system's process and deadlines. 2) The system applications must be at the GLMA office by April 1, 2008 so that they can be forwarded to the District chairpersons for the selection of the District LMSOTY. 3) The District LMSOTY committee must have their final selection made and to the GLMA LMSOTY Chairperson for selection of the State winner at the Summer Conference. The GLMA Chairperson will head a committee of GLMA and GAIT representatives for this final judging. 4) You MUST be a current member of GLMA or GAIT to be considered for this honor. Applicants without membership in one or both organizations will not be considered. Don't go through life being an unsung hero! Share your successes! If you think you've got what it takes (and you probably do), visit the GLMA Website( http://www.glmainc.org/specialists.htm) today, download your application, and get started! You may just have the best program in the State! Susan Grigsby, Teacher-Librarian Elkins Pointe Middle School Alpharetta, Georgia susan.grigsby@gmail.com Media Matters The oldest portable steam engine in the United States is on display at the Historic Railroad Shops in Savannah. Georgia Department of Education Page 4 Media Matters Children's Literature Conference Registration for the 39th Annual Children's Literature Conference, to be held in Athens GA, on February 29-March 1, 2008 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, is now available. This year's conference features Brian Pinkney, Caldecott Honor Medalist for The Faithful Friend (1996) and Duke Ellington (1999).; Cynthia Kadohata, winner of the 2005 Newbery Medal for Kira-Kira; Ian Ogilvy, winner of the 2007 Children's Book Award for Measle and the Wrathmonk; David Wiesner, 3-time Caldecott Award winner for Tuesday (1992), The Three Pigs (2002), and Flotsam (2007).; and Mo Willems, winner of the 2007 Children's Picture Storybook Award for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, a 2004 Caldecott Medal Honor Book. Four ways to register: Online at: http://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/conferences/2008/Feb/29/ child_lit.phtml By Mail: 39th Annual Conference on Children's Literature- # 62875 Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602-3603 By Phone: 706-542-2134 or 800-884-1381 By Fax: 706-542-6596 or 800-884-1419 You can also register through accessing the GCBA website at: http://www.coe.uga.edu/gcba/ Please come and please bring a friend. Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools Page 5 Media Matters We wish a speedy recovery to Dr. Joel Taxel at UGA About a month ago Dr. Taxel was hit by a car while taking his morning walk. Joel's left leg was shattered below the knee and his left arm was severely dislocated. This has indeed been a nightmarish experience for Joel, but he and all of his friends are well aware that he is incredibly lucky to be alive. Joel said, The police say that 90% of those hit by cars doing 60 MPH (the estimate based on skid marks) are dead before they hit the ground. Miraculously, my dog also survived. So I am focusing on the miracle of being alive, being surrounded by my family and friends, and the incredible kindness being showered on me. He has a long road to recovery but is getting stronger each day. Joel is also determined to get back to where he was before the accident and simply marvel at being alive. Please keep Dr. Taxel in your thoughts and register now for the Children's Literature Conference. Who is Alice Coachman? Where was she born? Books had instant replay long before televised sports. Bern Williams Georgia Department of Education Page 6 To blog or not to blog Kris Woods Media Matters I would like to introduce to you the Georgia Library Media Association blog at http://glma.wordpress.com The blog is a communication tool for Georgia's school library media specialists. My goal is to make it a comprehensive place to receive the latest the library world has to offer. Explore the blog for resources for the library media professional, news and events of the association, and posts by guest bloggers throughout the month. There is a link to the blog in the left column on the main GLMA homepage: http://glma-inc.org Our guest bloggers will start conversations concerning state issues, standards, library research, technology integration, Web 2.0, reading, information literacy, best practices, GLMA district news, Peach Award, university perspectives, public library collaboration, and more. You are welcome to leave comments and watch the conversation grow. If you have a school library media blog you would like to share with the GLMA community, please send me the URL of your blog. I will add the link to the blogroll. You may wish to add the GLMA blog to your RSS reader for continual updates. If you would be interested in acting as a contributing guest blogger, please email me at kristine.woods@cherokee.k12.ga.us or mediainthemiddle@gmail.com. I will be transitioning the GLMA communications chair position with Cawood Cornelius over the next couple of months. I am looking forward to hearing from the media specialists of Georgia. Kristine Woods Media Specialist M.A. Teasley Middle School http://webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/teasley-ms/mediacenter/ http://middlemedia.wordpress.com