Re: [LM_NET] HIT--Reader's Advisory sites

[Joanne Khoury <joeyk@MINDSPRING.COM>]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your suggestions. They are quite helpful. 

***************************************
In my library, I always have a "if you liked Title of the Book, then you'll
like . . ." I choose a popular book for the first part, then put out all
the others books that seem relevant. I change it randomly, and try to
showcase every genre throughout the year. 

The best in-library advising that I do is one-on-one. Favorite question:
"What's the last book you read that you liked?" Sometimes I can suggest
something similar by a different author. 
******************************************************************
I have a really long list of sites. I used to have it posted on my website,
but the server crashed and I haven't gotten it reposted yet. Here is my
copy:

Book-A-Minute - http://rinkworks.com/bookaminute/ - these
"ultra-condensed books" are a great way to get students interested in the
titles. Includes titles from the classics, science fiction, and 'Bedtime'
or "everything from Dr. Seuss to the Hardy Boys."

BookAdventure - http://www.bookadventure.org/ - "Book Adventure is a
FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create
their own book lists from over 6,000 recommended titles, take multiple
choice quizzes on the books they've read offline, and earn points and prizes
for their literary successes. Book Adventure was created by the Sylvan
Learning Foundation and is sponsored by Sylvan Learning, Inc." Includes
sections for parents and teachers as well.

Faithful Reader - www.faithfulreader.com/ - this site is new and
growing. A teen area will be posted soon.

Great Stories, People, Books & Events in Literary History -
http://www.todayinliterature.com/ - "features a new original biographical
story each calendar day about the great writers, books, and events in
literary history. Articles are supplemented with links to recommended
websites where you will find author biographies, electronic texts, reviews,
quotes and other reference materials of interest to avid readers, members of
book clubs, students, and teachers." The author list is wonderful. A
subscription is required for full use of site.

International Children's Digital Library - http://www.icdlbooks.org -
"The materials included in the collection reflect similarities and
differences
in cultures, societies, interests, lifestyles, and priorities of peoples
around the 
world. The collection's focus is on identifying materials that help
children to 
understand the world around them and the global society in which they live. 
It is hoped that through a greater understanding of one another that
tolerance and 
acceptance can be achieved. The collection has two primary audiences. The 
first audience is children ages 3-13, as well as librarians, teachers,
parents, 
and caregivers, who work with children of these ages. The second audience 
is international scholars and researchers in the area of children's
literature."

Just For Kids Who Love Books - http://www.alanbrown.com/ - Alan Brown is
a retired school librarian living in Toronto, Canada. He was in the
profession for 28 years in a K-5 school and has established this site where
students can submit book reviews and comments about authors.

Kids@Random - http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/ - games and contests for
younger students, as well as links to information on authors.

Librarian's Book Club - http://culaw2.creighton.edu/library/lbc/index.aspx
- The Librarian's Book Club is a group to read and discuss books that are
about libraries and the library profession. Every two months the Librarian's
Book Club will select a new book to discuss. All you need to do is get
yourself a copy of the current book and subscribe to the discussion list.

Linda's Links to Literature -
http://www.lindaslinkstoliterature.com/lll/booktitles.htm - "this website
has 15,500+ links to activities and lesson plans for children's and young
adult literature. Links are arranged in alphabetical order by title.

PlanetEsme - http://www.planetesme.com - "This site exists with the goal
of getting great children's books into the hands of great children." While
this site is mainly designed for elementary teachers, there is a wealth of
information here. Great place to build a picture book collection. Esme's
links are wonderful.

Poetry 180: A Poem a Day for American High Schools -
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/ - Getting high school students interested
in poetry can be a formidable task, so this helpful website created by the
Library of Congress will be a welcome addition for many educators. Poetry
180 presents 180 poems, selected by Billy Collins (the current U.S. Poet
Laureate), with the hope that high school students will read one of the
poems a day, one for each school day in the academic year. All 180 poems are
included on the site, and the list includes poems by contemporary poets such
as Martha Collins, Jane Kenyon, George Bradley, Edward Field, and Thomas
Lux. Another nice feature of the site is a brief list of suggestions by
Collins on How To Read a Poem Out Loud, which includes a number of helpful
hints on how to effectively deliver poems. Finally, visitors can sign the
online guestbook here, or just view the entries from other visitors.

Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America -
http://www.arts.gov/pub/ReadingAtRisk.pdf - surveys the state of literary
reading in America, offering an assessment of how much (or how little) the
average American does on a regular or occasional basis. Released in June
2004, this 60-page report draws on previous survey work to highlight some of
the trends in this area, including the finding that the percentage of adult
Americans reading literature has dropped dramatically during the past 20
years. The report reveals several other findings, including the fact that
literary reading continues to decline among all education levels and all age
groups. The report includes a number of useful tables, an executive summary,
and information about the study's methodology.

READING QUOTES -
http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/readamillion/readingquotes.htm - enjoy this
vast list of quotations. A great way to involve students.

ReadingGroupGuides.com - http://www.readinggroupguides.com/ - provides a
host of helpful resource materials for those seeking to start and maintain
an effective reading group. Launched in January 2001, the site now includes
over 1320 reading group guides, thematically and alphabetically organized,
and filled with helpful discussion questions, along with links to websites
with additional background material. Another section provides detailed
advice on starting a reading group and making informed decisions about how
to pick a piece to read. Not surprisingly, this section also contains a nice
list of books about reading groups as well.

Reading: Instructional Philosophy and Teaching Suggestions -
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/mla/read.html - this very extensive page
has to have one or two teaching tips you haven't tried yet! There are a few
specific titles mentioned, but mainly this site deals with understanding the
difference between good and poor readers, and suggestions for activities.
This list was compiled for grades 6-9 but has ideas that can be adapted to
many levels.

Reading Online - http://www.readingonline.org/ - Reading Online is a
peer- reviewed journal established by the International Reading Association.
The journal primarily focuses on literary practice and research in
classrooms serving students aged 5 to 18. The journal is also deeply
concerned with actively supporting professionals as they integrate
technology in the classroom. Visitors can peruse the latest articles from
the most recent issue. All of the articles from the past years are archive
here as well, with many of them also filed into different themes, such as
New Literacies, International Perspectives, and The Electronic Classroom.
Along with these materials, visitors may also elect to join the diverse
online communities and discussion forums offered here as well.

Recess Radio Program - http://recess.ufl.edu/center.shtml - Recess! is a
three minute radio program available through NPR (National Public Radio)
stations. It is sponsored by the Center for Children's Literature and
Culture at the University of Florida. The programs include sound essays,
interviews, commentaries, reviews, and historical and biographical notes
exploring the dynamic cultures of childhood.

S.C.O.R.E. CyberGuides - http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cyberguide.html
- supplementary, standards-based, web-delivered units of instruction
centered on core works of literature. Each CyberGuide contains a student and
teacher edition, standards, a task and a process by which it may be
completed, teacher-selected web sites and a rubric, based on California
Language Arts Content Standards.

See YA Around - http://www.cplrmh.com/ - Beneath the unabashed
promotion of her books on library services, young adult librarian RoseMary
Honnold provides access to many programming ideas. Ranging from descriptions
of specific activities to brief listings of similarly goal-oriented programs
(such as summer reading) this site offers lot of great programing ideas.

Teachers at Random - http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/newsletter.html
- includes free subscription to newsletter, areas for K-12 teachers and
librarians, teaching guides, information and links to authors and
illustrators, links to awards, and a monthly planning guide centered around
themes.

Teaching Books - http://TeachingBooks.net/ - this site is designed to
"generating enthusiasm for books and reading by providing easy access to
authors, illustrators and exceptional book resources - all in one place!
This is a fee based site, but free trials are offered. Having some problems
running in Navigator.

Web English Teacher - http://www.webenglishteacher.com/ - "presents the
best of K-12 English/Language Arts teaching resources: lesson plans,
WebQuests, videos, biography, e-texts, criticism, jokes, puzzles, and
classroom activities."

Wired for Books - http://wiredforbooks.org/ - "For many years, most of
the best writers of the English language found their way to Don Swaim's CBS
Radio studio in New York. The one-on-one interviews typically lasted 30 to
45 minutes and then had to be edited down to a two-minute radio show. Wired
for Books is proud to make these important oral documents publicly available
for the first time in their entirety. Listen to the voices of many of the
greatest writers of the twentieth century." The site contains a number of
great renditions of various works especially for children, including some
fine readings of the stories of Beatrix Potter and a great performance of
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Young Adult Librarian's Help: Comic Books & Graphic Novels -
http://yahelp.suffolk.lib.ny.us/yacomic.html - a nice collection of links
to pages dealing with the growing love of teens, comics and graphic novels.
Reading Promotion | Lists | Awards | Authors | Reviews


ABCNews.com: Read This - http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/ - the reading
list from "Good Morning America" is available here. They include excerpts
from the books and usually information about the author and discussion
questions.

Anti-war, or pro-peace, children's books -
http://www.sol-plus.net/peace.htm - list of books about "war or its
consequences," compiled by librarians Alison Clement and Bruce Jensen.
Includes an alphabetical list of books in English, as well as some comics
and titles in Spanish and Japanese. Includes age/reading level
recommendations and links to related lists.

ATN Book Lists - http://nancykeane.com/rl/default.htm - "These
recommended reading lists were created by one or more members of the school
librarian's listserv, LM_NET, Mike Eisenberg and Peter Milbury, owners, and
by other international K-12 librarians. The reading lists were started as
part of a librarian collaborative project, All Together Now, begun by Dale
Copps. The recommendations are now harvested from a variety of listserv such
as Childlit, Booktalkers @egroups.com, YALSA, etc."

Based on the Book-MCPL - http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies/ -
'Based on the Book' is a compilation of over 950 book titles, short stories,
and plays that have been made into motion pictures. Utilizing the Internet
Movie Database as the authority on release dates, all movies in this
collection have been released since 1980. Titles may be view by: Title,
Release Year, Book Title, Book Author.

Bettendorf Public Library Teen's Page -
http://www.bettendorflibrary.com/teen/index.htm - in addition to YA books
in series, a major feature here is links to teen writing contests.

Bibliographies at the Manchester Public Library -
http://library.ci.manchester.ct.us/ra/readnext.html - "I Know What I
Like...What Do I Read Next? Whatever your reading interests, our reading
lists can help you find just the right fiction or non-fiction book." These
are mainly adult fiction, but many can be used with older high school
students.

Books in a Series - http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/serieslist.html
- "This list is intended to reflect the hardcover fiction collection in the
Monroe County Children's Department." The list is arranged by author's
name.

Books 'n'Bytes - http://www.booksnbytes.com/ - contains mainly mystery
and science fiction reviews, but does include many other works. Consult the
large "Genre" list to see the wide range of materials covered here. Links
to author pages are included.

Children's Picture Book Database - http://www.lib.muohio.edu/pictbks/ -
"gives teachers, librarians, parents, and students a place for designing
literature-based thematic units for all subjects. Provides abstracts of
over 5000 children's picture books. Search capabilities for over 950
keywords, including topics; concepts, and skills which describe each book;
weblinks for keywords so you can integrate your up-to-date content." Select
the "Search the Database" option at the bottom of the page which allows one
to search by areas of study, keywords, or boolean.

Favorite Teenage Angstbooks - http://www.grouchy.com/angst/reviews.html -
"Mostly, we talk about books for teenagers, but we do it a little
differently here. Have you noticed that most discussions of young adult
literature are geared to the adults who serve teenagers (teachers, parents,
librarians)? I've always tried to make Favorite Teenage Angstbooks a
comfortable place for teen readers themselves, as well as to provide
down-to-earth perspectives on YA literature for the adults in their lives."

Issues at Ask Dr. Jami - http://www.askdrjami.org/issues.html - contains
a variety of bibliographies dealing with coping skills. Includes a "Divorce
Bibliography for Kids in Grades 3 - 6" however, most of this list is aimed
at the high school student.

Juvenile Series and Sequels - MCPL -
http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/series/juv/ - "The 'Juvenile Series and
Sequels' database currently contains over 16,000 books in series titles that
are classified into three audiences: Young Adult -- for high school-aged
readers, Juvenile -- appropriate for grade school through junior high-aged
readers, Juvenile Easy -- for young readers just beginning to read. These
books may be view by: Series Title, Series Subject, Book Title, Book
Author."

KDL What's Next Database - http://www.kdl.org/libcat/whatsnext.asp -
"'What's Next' helps you search adult fiction in series. A "series" is two
or more books linked by character(s), settings, or other common traits."
However, where possible, genres are identified, including Juvenile Fiction,
Chapter Books, and Young Adult.

Pageturners---Books Too Good To Put Down! -
http://www.shsu.edu/~lis_mah/documents/Pageturners.html - "These books
are intended for adult leisure reading, and were recommended by members of
LM_Net, Librarians' Message Board." However, many of them can be used with
high school students.

Salt Lake County Library Services' Teen Reads -
http://www.slco.lib.ut.us/teenbk.htm
- contains links to 'Author Websites,' 'Books of the Month,' and 'Book
Related Sites.' The book related sites are probably the best to use.

SciFan: Science Fiction & Fantasy Series, Prequels & Sequels (SF series,
fantasy sagas) - http://www.scifan.com/series/ - probably one of the
most comprehensive and accurate SF&F series database available. For each
writer, you'll find books listed in reading order, book that belong to a
common universe, related subjects, and links to dedicated sites, both
official and made by fans.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database -
http://lib-oldweb.tamu.edu/cushing/sffrd/ - "The Science Fiction and
Fantasy Research Database is an on-line, searchable compilation and
extension of Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index. Designed to cover
all aspects of science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural and weird
fiction. History, criticism, commentary, fan writings and some reviews are
all included, although book reviews are not included.

Series and Sequels - http://www.rbls.lib.il.us/bpl-bin/series.pl - you
can either "browse alphabetical lists of authors or series names. Or use the
search boxes at right to find authors, series names or individual book
titles." Designed for YA.

Summer Reading List -
http://www.k12albemarle.org/Burley/resources/summer_reading_list.htm -
Just an example of a schools' summer reading list. Is yours on your web
page?

Stop, You're Killing Me! - http://stopyourekillingme.com/ - "This site
is a resource for the lovers of mystery, intrigue and suspense books. Stop!
has hundreds of authors, with complete, chronological lists of their books
in this sub-genre. Select your favorite author or characters indexes."
While there are few true YA authors listed, the information on authors is
invaluable.
Reading Promotion | Lists | Awards | Authors | Reviews

Amelia Bloomer Project - http://libr.org/FTF/bloomer.html - "celebrate
the authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who create and produce
feminist books for young readers." Includes recommendations back to 2002
for fiction and nonfiction picture books, intermediate reading, and young
adult titles. Sponsored by the Feminist Task Force of the Social
Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association.

Borders - Feature - Best 2003 -
http://www.bordersstores.com/features/feature.jsp?file=best2003 - "a
pretty thoughtful array of works from 2003 that represents a wide range of
tastes and interests while maintaining a high standard of excellence. Please
consider these lists a reflection not just of our tastes, but also of our
passions."

Database of AwardWinning Children's Literature -
http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html - "The purpose of this database is
to create a tailored reading list of quality children's literature or to
find out if a book has won one of the indexed awards. I expect the user to
be a librarian or a teacher intervening for a child-reader, however anyone
may make use of it to find the best in children's literature including
parents, book store personnel, and children and young adults themselves.
DAWCL has over 4,000 records from 50 awards across five English-speaking
countries (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United
Kingdom). Each book is indexed to some degree so users can find it using
the form search or the keyword search. As I read a book, I index it more
fully. Naturally, DAWCL is always a work in progress, so results will change
with the addition of new awards, award-winners, and my reading/indexing
habits."

Literature Awards - http://www.literature-awards.com/ - "for fiction,
nonfiction, biography, autobiography, children's literature, poetry, science
fiction, horror, drama, mystery, fantasy, etc. There are now over 200
Literature Awards listed on this site!" Does not contain state awards.

McBookwords: State and Regional Book Awards -
http://www.mcelmeel.com/curriculum/bookawards.html - "Most of these sites
focus on readers' choice awards. These are awards in which the readers -
children or young adults have a vote on the book chosen as the winner."

The National Book Foundation - http://www.nationalbook.org/ - At this Web
site, visitors can peruse a listing of all of the award winners, learn about
the annual National Book Month (celebrated in October), and explore the many
other offerings of the foundation including workshops, writing camps, and
available resources. Reading Promotion | Lists | Awards | Authors | Reviews

Author Yellow Pages - http://authoryellowpages.com/ - "links to a highly
selective list of websites for each participating author. As a result,
you'll quickly find an author's Official and Publisher website, as well as
selected fan sites and press information."

Authors On The Web - http://www.authorsontheweb.com/ - "thoughtful book
reviews, compelling features, in-depth author profiles and interviews,
excerpts of the hottest new releases, literary games and contests, and more.
This site is mainly for adult literature; however, it does have links to
"Kidreads" and "Teenreads."

Downhomebooks.Com - http://www.downhomebooks.com/authors.htm - this
online bookstore dealing in mainly used children's books has a "series of
informal interviews with writers" admired by the owners including Yolen,
Woodson, and Napoli. Also check out their extensive list of links.

ECB Surf Report: Children's Books - http://www.ecb.org/surf/books.htm -
created in November of 2000, this contains web sites on children's
literature and authors. Most author Web sites provide information on writing
letters to the author and arranging author visits.

Index to Children's Book Authors & Illustrators -
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/biochildhome.htm - "designed to foster
easy access to curriculum related sites for teachers, school librarians,
parents and students." In addition to links to author sites, you will find
author birthdays, interviews and pronunciation guides.

McBookwords: Authors and Illustrators on the Web -
http://www.mcelmeel.com/curriculum/authorlinks.html - a very comprehensive
list of sites for authors and illustrators.

Powells.com - http://www.powells.com/authors/interviews.html - a large
list of interviews with mainly adult authors.
Reading Promotion | Lists | Awards | Authors | Reviews
Book Browse - http://www.bookbrowse.com/ - this site finds out what the
new books are and then re-prints "substantial" excerpts so that one can
virtually browse the books. Also included are reviews from a variety of
sources, the book jacket synopsis and author biography. Titles can be
selected in a variety of methods. Additionally, there is information on
starting a book club and reading guides.

BookHooks - http://www.bookhooks.com - a book review sites that allows
students to illustrate reports, and has built in spell checking, and offers
genre-related questions to kick start the reviewer. Many different types of
games related to reading can also be found here.

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site -
http://www.carolhurst.com/index.html - "a collection of reviews of great
books for kids, ideas of ways to use them in the classroom and collections
of books and activities about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes
and professional topics." In the "Featured Books" area one can find books
which have teaching ideas and related books and resources in addition to the
reviews. Free electronic newsletter available.

DearReader - http://www.dearreader.com/ - "Join a book club and every
morning I'll send you a portion of a book in your email. After you've read
two or three chapters from a book, I'll start sending a new book. It's free
and you can read at more than one club. Join today and start taking a five
minute reading break every day."

Frederick Muller's Book Reviews for Middle School -
http://www.halsted.org/br.htm - "a collection of book reviews that I
[Frederick Muller] have written and posted on LM_net for other librarians
and are not meant for students."

FreeBooknotes.com - http://www.freebooknotes.com/ - claims to be "a
comprehensive guide to free book summaries, literature notes, and study
guides." Books are listed alphabetically. Site also offers a few
suggestions for finding other book reviews and summaries. Many of the books
taught and those found on AP exams can be found here.

Kidspace: Write On! Book Reviews -
http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/kidspace/bookreviews.asp - huge list of
books reviews by kids. This is one of the easiest places for students to
submit reviews.

Reviews of Children's Literature -
http://mgfx.com/kidlit/kids/artlit/reviews/ 
- nice list of books with reviews by kids.

SUNLINK on the World Wide Web - http://www.sunlink.ucf.edu/default2.html - 
make it easier for you students to find resources by using Florida's "Weed
of the Month." 
Don't forget to look at the presentations!

Teen Reads - http://www.teenreads.com - designed for teens, this site
contains polls and a "Question of the Month," upcoming releases, and
"Discussion Questions" and author biographies. This is also a great place
to go to get information on starting and running a book club. Free
newsletter available.

TimeWarner Bookmark - http://www.twbookmark.com - features a section on
"Teen Reads" and "Children's Book Nook" complete with contests and reviews.
Also of interest is the "Author" section that includes biographies, and
often interviews. Don't miss the "Reading Group Guides." While these are
mainly for adult titles there are a few middle school titles and several
that are used at high schools.

Young Adult Book Review Page -
http://www.chesapeake.lib.va.us/TeenSpot/Home%20Page%20for%20Reviews.htm -
although there are not many books reviewed here, the way it is done is
wonderful. 

********************************************************
Nancy Keene's site has a Read-Alike section
http://nancykeane.com/rl/#Readalikes

Reader's Advisor http://www.readersadvice.com/









Joanne Khoury 
Teacher-Librarian
IS 10 JHS 
Queens, New York 11103
joeyk@mindspring.com 

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