Library of Congress : Civil War Resources

I've been spending some time on the Library of Congress website the last few days.  There are so many wonderful resources there!  In the next few posts, I will highlight resources of interest, but there is far too much to cover in a few blog posts.  Head over to their website and check it out!


The Civil War resources at the Library of Congress cover the gamut from  Reconstruction, to Abraham Lincoln, to Slavery and Abolition. Photographs, official papers, personal accounts, and maps are available.  With such a wide range of multi-media materials, students in both middle and high school will be able to locate pertinent information.

Additionally, the Historic Papers section dates back to 1860 and students can view the actual newspaper pages. 

National Poetry Month

It's more than halfway over, but it is still National Poetry Month!


Quick Picks for Readings 

Elementary 

Lemonade : and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word by Bob Raczka

Both puzzles and poetry make up this fun book.  Raczka uses one word to create each poem, as the title points out.  The fun part is seeing how he gets an entrie poem out of only the letters in the word.  Sparse illustrations accompany the poems and don't distract from the poems themselves.





Middle School 

Brains for Lunch by K.A. Holt
Written entirely in haiku, this quick read will have the students simultaneously grossed out and having way too much fun.  Perfect for middle schoolers! Since the story is in haiku, the pacing is quick and make for a fast read. This is also a great pick for reluctant readers.






High School 

Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

This story of star-crossed lovers told in free verse is set against a background of street gangs and poverty in Harlem in which seventeen-year-old African American Damien takes bold steps to ensure that he and his new love will not be separated. Great to pair with a study of Romeo and Juliet  or to select passages to read aloud. 



Activity for Any Age Group

Newspaper Blackout Poems (via School Library Journal) - Give students a page or clipping from a newspaper and a black marker.  Students black out everything but their poem using the marker.  The results can be displayed in the library, the classroom, or in a hallway display to promote National Poetry Month.

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

 Clary Fray is a regular girl living in New York City.  She spends most of her time with her best friend Simon.  When Clary and Simon sneak into the club Pandemonium, they have no idea that their lives will change forever.  After meeting Jace, Clary discovers that she is part of an entire world she never knew existed.  Clary must learn to use her artistic abilities in a new and powerful way, try to make sense of memories that have been erased, discover who her father is, and come to terms with her new life.

A fast-paced story keeps each of the books entertaining and exciting.  There are many elements borrowed from other fantasy genre books, but none of the books feels derivative or like a cheap knock off of something else. The world of the Shadowhunters is interesting and new, but not so unusual that students would have a hard time relating to it.  The series will appeal to both male and female readers; lots of action, adventure, romance, and friendship. While the plot can be overblown and predictable at times, the characters are likable and the overall experience with the series pays off.

The Mortal Instruments Series begins with this trilogy.  The entire series is project to be six books, with the additional three picking up where City of Glass ended. 

Genre: Fantasy
Rating:4/5
Age group: Grades 9-12

City of Bones
New York : Simon and Schuster Audio 2007
City of Ashes
New York : Simon and Schuster Audio 2008

City of Glass 
New York : Simon and Schuster Audio 2009
All copies from Dekalb County Library

The Seer of Shadows by Avi

Genre:  Ghost fiction; Historical fiction

Rating: 4/5


Age group recommendation: Grades 5-7

The Story:  In post-Civil War New York, young Horace Carpetine is apprenticed to photographer Enoch Middleditch.  Enoch's apprenticeship takes a turn when Mr. Middleditch decides to specialize in spirit photography.  Middleditch plans to place images of dead people in his photos, but does not plan for the supernatural to actually affect his photographs or his apprentice. 
     Told from Enoch's point of view, the narrative keeps a quick pace and has enough tension to make for an exciting (though not too scary) read.  Enoch is a well-written character who students will be able to identify with.  Enoch's discovery of and fascination with the then-new technology of photography is an interesting angle for students who have likely grown up taking lots of pictures (and movies).
    I listened to the audio version of this book.  At times, there seemed to be a lot of repetition which may not be as evident in the print version.  The repetition may be beneficial for younger readers in being able to follow the story, while older readers may find it slows the story.

Educational applications:  Great for giving students a look into life in the 1870s.  Avi includes a lot of details about the Von Macht's home and the daily life of the time.  There is also a lot of material for discussion of post-slavery attitudes and practices. 


The Seer of Shadows by Avi
Prince Frederick, MD : Recorded Books, p2008
Copy from the Dekalb County Library

BibMe : Bibliography Maker

BibMe is an online citation creator that is really easy to use.  I usually hesitate to recommend citation generators as I would rather teach students how to do it themselves.  Students should also know how to recognize a correct citation so that if the citation creator makes an error, the student can spot and correct it.  OK, that's it for this particular soap box speech.

One of the great things about BibMe is that the bibliography you create is download-able and save-able to your free BibMe account.  The downloaded version automatically credits BibMe with creating the citation, but students can eliminate the citation from their Works Cited pages. 

Students can also edit their citations in the BibMe program before downloading the Works Cited page.  If BibMe creates an incorrect citation, students should have no excuse for the mistake on their Works Cited page. MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian styles are all available for citation creation in BibMe.

The Awesome Library

The Awesome Library is just that...awesome. With over 37.000 resources for teachers, students, librarians, and parents, there really is something for everyone!

The straightforward (and almost 90s looking) site design makes it easy to find what you're browsing for without much distraction.  One drawback of this that you may have to drill down through several links to get to your final destination. 

Teachers will find links to lesson plans and other classroom resources for just about every subject. 

I especially like the Teen pages.  In addition to academic resources, The Awesome Library provides links to resources for things teen may not want to talk about with an adult like bullying, depression, and obesity. 

Hat Tip to Richard Byrne over at  Free Technology for Teachers.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Rating:  3.5/5 stars

Age group recommendation: 9-12 grade

The Scoop: Set in England during World War II, Daniel escapes from the death of his mother, his irritating step-mother, and the dangers of war through his love of books. 

The Story:   I loved the way this book began.  Connolly's language drew me right into the story.  It was also the first print book I picked up after a stint of audio books only.  Picking up a book about books was the best way to dive back into printed material!
Traveling through the fantasy world with Daniel was an exciting journey with some familiar (and some unfamiliar) fairy tales.  Connolly gives the fairy tales a classic, Grimm-style treatment, with no holds barred on the grotesque and the scary.  For this reason, I would recommend this title for high school students (in some cases, only older students). 

Educational applications: Because this book is very episodic in structure it would make a great read aloud.  It would also make a great example for an exercise for a creative writing class. Students could choose a fairy tale to make his.her own and embellish and twist the story in different ways. 

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
New York : Atria 2006
Copy from Atlanta Fulton County Library