Here & There: May 6, 2010

From Scrub-A-Dub Tub—Roundup of Resources for Literacy and Reading – May 2010

From Booklist—Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth: 2010

From Booklist—Core Collection: Spy Kids

From The Horn Book (May/June 2010 Issue)—Eating Reading Animals by Jennifer Armstrong

From The Horn Book (May/June 2010 Issue)—What Makes a Good Graduation Gift? by Horn Book staff & reviewers by Horn Book staff and reviewers

From The Horn Book (May/June 2010 Issue)—Over the Moon: An Imaginary Interview with Margaret Wise Brown by Leonard S. Marcus

From School Library Journal (5/1/2010)—As Easy as Pi: Picture books are perfect for teaching math by Marilyn Burns

From The Observer (4/25/2010)
Parents “must let children choose what they read”
As games consume youngsters' time, publishing expert Michael Norris says reading should not be forced on them
by Vanessa Thorpe

Excerpt:
Little boys don't like reading any more and even little girls don't enjoy it as much as they once did: this is the accepted wisdom inside the book industry – and in many British families, too. Parents and booksellers tend to blame the growing appeal of online entertainment and handheld games, but research from the US is challenging these assumptions.

Michael Norris, an American publishing expert, will release findings in the monthly Book Publishing Report next month which show that, despite the best intentions, it is well-meaning mothers and fathers who often stop their sons and daughters from picking up the reading habit.

"Parents have too much of a role in deciding which books their child is going to read," said Norris. "It is turning children off. They should let them choose."

Norris, who is editor of the Book Publishing Report, urges parents not to give up on books. The results of a number of surveys Norris has carried out with hundreds of American booksellers over the past year have provided the basis for a series of tips for parents designed to help children find enjoyment in books. First, he argues, reading should never be described with "work words" which make it seem like a chore. Too many families, Norris suggests, have fallen into the trap of stereotyping reading as a "good" activity and digital or online game playing as "bad". Instead, it is important to let reading become associated with pleasure and achievement, just as game playing is.

NCTE / IRA Standards for the English Language Arts
Published jointly by NCTE and the International Reading Association (IRA), The Standards for the English Language Arts is designed to complement other national, state, and local standards and contributes to ongoing discussion about English language arts classroom activities and curricula.