Readers for Life

James Patterson, the prolific author of thrillers and mysteries for adults as well as several series for young adults, has created a Web site "dedicated to making kids readers for life." Called Read Kiddo Read, it is packed with recommended reading lists, reading guides, a community forum, a newsletter, and much more. Take a look; there is a lot there!

Mr. Patterson is a big supporter of libraries. At the recent AASL Conference in North Carolina, he told the crowd,

It’s time for librarians to start making a lot more noise. School libraries are not a luxury, they are a necessity.

You can read more about his speech here.

Book Trailers

We all know about movie trailers--those few minute peeks at upcoming attractions. This catch- their-interest technique is the latest way to promote books. Book trailers use multimedia to capture readers' interest with a preview of characters, plot, and action. Publishers, teachers, students, and authors are all making trailers to promote new books or old favorites. This is a way for students to create book reports or to show their fellow students their favorite books. Equipment is minimal, students engage with the book and each other, and the trailers encourage reading for pleasure.

Here are some resources:

• How to make a book trailer
• Bookscreening aggregates a collection of book trailers for all types of books and readers, including more than 100 for youth
• Fiction Notes lists many book trailer resources
• Digital Book Talk is an award-winning site with resources for making book trailers and finished trailers for books of interest to K-12 readers.

Let us know if you try this out. We'd love to see your book trailers.

Why There Will Always Be Books

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/3/9/

I Am...

I took the Book Quiz that Information Woman! pointed out.

You're To Kill a Mockingbird!

by Harper Lee

Perceived as a revolutionary and groundbreaking person, you have
changed the minds of many people. While questioning the authority around you, you've
also taken a significant amount of flack. But you've had the admirable guts to
persevere. There's a weird guy in the neighborhood using dubious means to protect you,
but you're pretty sure it's worth it in the end. In the end, it remains unclear to you
whether finches and mockingbirds get along in real life.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.