Ingram Library Services: K-12 MediaShelf

Winter 2004
Volume I, Issue 1

Welcome to the first issue of K12 MediaShelf, the Ingram Library Services newsletter for school librarians and media specialists. Here’s what you’ll find in this quarter’s issue:

An engaging interview with Amanda Credaro who is better known to the internet world as The Warrior Librarian
“Delving into the Shelves,” a regular feature that includes reviews of favorite books appropriate for schools
“The Reference Preference,” a must-have reference work selected by the Ingram Continuations manager
“Shelf Elf,” invisible ways Ingram can help you with programs and services. This month’s focus is on Children’s E-Library
“Shelftalkers,” top titles, publishers information—a wide range of information that will be helpful in your collection development
“Quicklists,” thematic lists developed by the Ingram collection development team.

Helpful Hint: Click the highlighted words for title detail information including publication date, publisher and price. If you have ipage®, open that now for the ultimate in convenience.

Featured Publishers

Quicklists

Prepare for poetry month and Spring Holidays including Cinco de Mayo. Also, lists of new and relevant culturally diverse picture books and Big Books perfect for group sharing.

Off the Shelf: Amanda Credaro, The Warrior Librarian

Are you challenged by the bureaucracy? Do you hear a clarion call to take up arms, or at least, the Dewey Decimal System in defense of your precious collection? If so, you might find you have much in common with Amanda Credaro, aka The Warrior Librarian. Read the interview here.

Delving into the Shelves
		Ancient Voices by Kate Hovey and Murray Kimber Hovey again puts voice to the myths through poetry, this time speaking through the mouths of the gods of Mount Olympus, the earth, the sea and the underworld. Paired with Kimber’s imaginative, dramatic illustrations in mixed media, these brief poems capture brilliantly the moods of the gods and their relationships to each other. Useful in classrooms, this title will also attract young people grades six and up for their pleasure reading. Brief background information is provided in an appendix. –Susan Johnston, MLS and Manager of Youth Services Collection Development
		Wonderful Words: Poems about Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Karen Barbour I confess the subtitle turned me off, because I didn’t much like the idea of reading poems about language. Yet, this is a terrific collection of poetry by mostly modern poets (Alice Schertle, Nikki Grimes, Pat Mora) and a couple of classics (Dickinson and Sandburg) with very bright and rather stylized full-bleed illustrations. Teachers will love this title, librarians can use the poems in story time, and children will pick it up because of the attractive illustrations. Some poems are suited to first graders, while most could be appreciated throughout the elementary grades.—Susan Johnston Selected other titles by Lee Bennett Hopkins
		George Washington Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War By Thomas B. Allen In an age where movies with the names like Spy Kids and Agent Cody Banks are all the rage, this clever book provides insight into revolutionary America that kids will be able to relate to. It’s all here: how Washington’s first assignment in the French and Indian War prepared him to appreciate the importance of accurate intelligence to how Benjamin Franklin used his formidable skills to outwit the British in France. Maps are included that illustrate how the spy story fits into the larger context. Upper elementary students and even middle schoolers will find this engrossing. –Ellen Myrick, Editor, Library Publications
		Art of Mentoring Series featuring Letters to a Young Gymnast By Nadia Comaneci Here’s a different way of helping anxious high schoolers investigate different career options. The “Art of Mentoring” series from Basic Books provides an opportunity for young people to receive the advice of renowned experts in an accessible and engaging way. Nadia Comaneci offers an in-depth knowledge that ranges from understanding pain (what is tolerable, what is debilitating) to fascinating insight into the world of international gymnastics. Other contributors include Alan Dershowitz (lawyer), Mary Pipher (therapist), and Daniel Boulod (chef).—Ellen Myrick
Reference Preference--selected by William Taylor, MLS, EdD
Career Discovery Encyclopedia, 5th edition Can you recall the moment you decided what you wanted to be when you grew up? How did you make the decision? How long had you thought about jobs that interest you? This completely revised and updated resource to more than 700 careers provides an excellent starting place for any young person making a career decision. Each entry includes a description, outlook, educational requirements, potential earnings, related subjects, and information for further research. Written for the middle-school student, high-school students will also find this resource invaluable. It is a must have for all public libraries. This also would be a good opportunity to further enhance your YA career-information collection by adding these two related Facts on File series to your standing orders: Careers in Focus and Career Ideas for Kids. Remember to bookmark "librarian". ISBN: 081605469X Publisher: Facts on File Hardcover: $ 175.00 8 Volumes Publication Date: September 2003
Shelf Elf: Children’s E-Library
Think of how many computers you have in your school. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could make a single title available on all those computers? At the same time? Imagine the possibilities for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, even Poetry Month. It’s possible with Children’s E-Library. The top source for children’s ebooks from major publishers for schools and libraries, Children’s E-Library is designed for those seeking in print, out-of-print and enhanced e-books for use on school and library networked computers. Both fiction and nonfiction: picture books, reference books, easy-to-read books, multilingual books and even multimedia titles are available. There are more than 1700 titles available now—more are being added each month. Ingram Library Services is the exclusive sales and distribution partner—learn more or try a free trial at childrenselibrary.com.
Shelftalkers--selected by William Taylor
Top Reference Serials for School Libraries Use this checklist to ensure your school has this these must-have reference works ranging from The Guinness Book of World Records to The Almanac For Kids and Peterson’s Guide to Four-Year Colleges. Don’t forget to compare your Ingram discounts to others—you’ll be astonished by how much more you can purchase your library. Interested in learning more about Continuations series and serials available from Ingram? Check out ingramlibrary.com.
Coming in the Spring issue:
Helps for preparing for Earth Day, an interview with Newbery Award-winning author Avi, Accelerated Reader® resources available on ipage and much more!



“an all-you-can-think brain buffet.” –Jerry Spinelli

A Note on the Quote: This is Ingram Library Services’ fifth year of asking authors and illustrators to complete the sentence “A Library Is . . .” To see others, check out the ingramlibrary.com website.