Youth News - December 6, 2011

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Edward E. Hale

Calendar

Let’s Get Crazy! Library Programs On and Over the Edge

Presenters: Shana Johnson and Patrick Remer

Date: Thursday, December 15, 2011

Start Time: 2PM Central

This webinar will last approximately one hour. Webinars are free of charge and registration is ONLY done on the day of the event on the WebEx server. No Passwords are required. For more information and to participate in the December 15, 2011 webinar go to http://infopeople.org/training/lets-get-crazy.

Science of the Movies

Date: Sunday January 22, 2012

Where: The event will be held at the Stunt Ranch & Fire Lake Event Center 13317 Fitzhugh Road Austin, TX 78736

Join 1000 friends and family for the most exciting educational event of the year. You’ll experience hands on science and witness amazing stunt demonstrations by renowned movie stunt expert Steve Wolf and his team of professional stuntmen! Featuring live music, great food, swimming, zip line rides and much more, this kid-friendly event will ignite the love of science in adults and children and raise money for The America’s Future Scientist Fund.

Kids under 16 get in and eat free (courtesy of Gatti’s Pizza). Tickets are $15 in advance ($25 on the day of the event). Educators receive a 25% discount on tickets. Enter discount code 2pct5 at checkout to activate discount.

Click here to buy tickets in advance and learn more. This event will sell out quickly so order your tickets now.

Contests and Awards

Letters About Literature Contest

Every year, the Texas Center for the Book sponsors the Letters About Literature contest, which is a program of the National Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Students in grades 4 through 12 write a letter to an author of a book that changed their way of thinking or impacted their life in some way. Writing to an author is a wonderful opportunity to encourage reading as a life-long joy.

Every year Texas has one of the highest numbers of entrants, and we’d love for that to continue. That’s where you can help. Following are links to .pdf files for the poster, application, and curriculum plans. The deadline for the contest is January 6, 2012.

http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/

http://www.dallaslibrary2.org/services/doc/lalGuidelines2011-2012.pdf

http://www.dallaslibrary2.org/services/doc/lettersAboutLiteraturePoster2010.pdf

There are state winners in three categories: grades 4 through 6; grades 7 and 8; and grades 9 through 12. The state winners are then entered into the national competition. Last year, one of the national honor winners was from Plano! The Texas winners in each category receive a plaque, a $100 cash prize, and a trip for each winner and one parent to the Texas Library Association Conference. Each winner will read their letter to the Texas Association of School Librarians at the TLA Conference in Houston in April.

Thank you Sharon Perry Martin for this information.

Texas Media Awards
The Texas Media Awards promote excellence in amateur media production and its importance in life-long learning. Since 1988, it has been an annual, statewide event open to school-aged Texas residents. Qualified, impartial volunteers judge entries on criteria for each individual contest division.

Texas Media Awards Program sponsors include the Texas Media Awards Committee and the Media and Related Technologies Round Table of the Texas Library Association, and the Texas Association of School Librarians.

See the Contest Rules & Entry page for details on the various contest categories and to access the online entry form. A new category this year is the Book Trailer. The deadline to submit entries is Friday, January 20, 2012.
Thanks to Neil Krasnoff for this information.

National STEM Video Game Challenge
The National STEM Video Game Challenge is an annual competition of original video game concepts and designs from students and educators in four categories (middle school, high school, collegiate, and educator) through March 12. For submission information.

ALA Newsletter

Summer Programming Resources

Workshops

Summer Programming for Tots to Teens

February 3, 2012 Harker Heights Public Library—Harker Heights

February 9, 2012 Bastrop Public Library—Bastrop

To register go to http://www.ctls.net/

Summer Programming Coordination

This is a way that CTLS libraries can coordinate programs and presenters. Anyone can enter information to be shared by everyone.

share travel expenses
receive multiple booking discounts
coordinate shared programs or program exchanges presented by staff (for example, one library can plan a program and trade it with another library so each library creates one program but gets two.) Call me to talk more about ideas and ways this may be able to work. Kim Cell – 512-627-0113
If you have trouble getting to this document, let me know and I can input your information and send you the gathered information.

Click here to coordinate presenters.

Showcase

Thank you to all the performers who supported our Showcase this year. You may want to consider hiring one of these great performers this summer.

Bill Oliver, Mr. Habitat

Cody Fisher, Magic

Cy Young, Musical Stories

Zooniversity, Animals

David Titus, String Storytelling

Chris Espinosa, Improvisational Storyteller, Author, Illustrator

Boitumelo – Rochelle Rabouin, International Music

Critterman – David Kleven, Animals

Tipi Tellers – Janet Latham, Storytelling

The Magician Black Bert – Bertil Fredstrom, Magic

Lawrence Clark, The Singing Poet Guy

Glenn Little, Science programs

Reptile Shows – Michael Foux, Reptiles

Scott Sutton, Author, Illustrator

Aaron DaMommio, Juggling

Chelsea Phillips, Tiny Tails to You

Lucas Miller, Singing Zoologist

EXHIBITORS

Authors and More – Carole Weitzel

Bonzo Crunch: Fool at Large – Richard Gern

Circus Chickendog – Darren Peterson

Dan Gibson, Storyteller/Banjoplayer – DanGibson

Hideout Theatre – Jessica Arjet

Mad Science of Austin – Jan Fiebig

Magic Hotline – Kent Cummins

Sue Young, Bilingual Storyteller – Sue Young

Texas Commission on the Arts – Anina Moore

Xtreme Kidz Ntertainment – Debbie Dunafan

PROGRAM ADS

Austin Reptile Service – Tim Cole

Hand to Mouth Puppet Theatre – Ellen Scott

Mr.Leebot – Lee Davila

Nancy Renfro Studios – Ellen Scott

Programing Resources
Die Cuts Available

Some of you have die cut machines in your library. Others are on the circuit of CTLS machines that are making their rounds. Either way, here is a great resource for you. The Louisiana State Library has over 500 die-cuts that are available for people to check out. All you pay for is the return shipping. You can order 25 at one time. If you have any questions contact Angie at 225-342-4927. Die cut catalog.

Thank you Kathy Nixie for this information.

Kamishibai Storytelling

Interested in learning more about Kamishibai Storytelling? What is that, you may ask? Jackie Kerin uses this traditional Japanese storytelling technique to tell this Aussie tale. See her in action.

Top Selling Books

Top-selling books at Baker & Taylor in October for teens, children, and adults from Booklist.

Top Titles for Teens

Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini

Tiger’s Voyage, by Colleen Houck

Clockwork Prince, by Cassandra Clare

Stefan’s Diaries, by L. J. Smith

Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer

Crossed, by Allyson Braithwaite Condie

The Fire, by James Patterson

The Future of Us, by Jay Asher

Ruthless, by Sara Shepard