"Going straight to the source and learning something new is like finding buried treasure."

Many of the blogs I like to read have been participating in Facts First! Nonfiction Monday posts. I have enjoyed reading about new nonfiction books and decided to share one that I purchased at the AASL conference in Charlotte this month. Go Straight to the Source by Kristin Fontichiaro is part of the forthcoming 8-title series "Super Smart Information Strategies." Fontichiaro, a school library media specialist and Michigan colleague and friend, writes about using inquiry strategies to discover more about primary sources.

What I like about Go Straight to the Source is that it covers several types of primary sources (pictures, objects, and print), helps students learn what a primary source is, and provides hands-on activities and examples to guide readers through the process of using these resources in research. Each activity reminds students to ask questions and write about what they see, think, and wonder. This page, for example, demonstrates how a reader might ask questions about a primary source image.

Fontichiaro also explains how regular people are creating primary sources that tell stories about them each day. In one activity she challenges students to look at the objects an adult has in his or her pocket and/or purse in order to learn more about the person. She then continues the activity and explains how a student might learn about another through the objects in his/her backpack.

Unfamiliar words are highlighted throughout the text and there is a glossary to help with both pronounciation and definitions of these words. There is also an index which is helpful in locating information about specific types of primary sources throughout the book. Go Straight to the Source is written for an upper elementary audience, but I will probably use many of the activities in middle school as well, especially because many of my students have never investigated primary sources or worked closely with a librarian in the past.

Go Straight to the Source will be published in January 2010. Other titles in the series include Find Your Way Online, Team Up Online, Find the Right Site, Hit the Books, Write it Down, Put it All Together, and Make the Grade.

This week Facts First! Nonfiction Monday is hosted by Diane Chen at Practically Paradise.

"I begin to think that maybe there are more things in life that seem simple, or even stupid, on the surface but turn out to have so much more . . .."

Lucius and Aurora are the new kids at school. However, they have arrived under vastly different circumstances. Lucius' family has moved after he did the unthinkable: created an explosion that left him without his arms. Aurora's father has decided to move after they lose her mother to sickness. Both are alone in a new place and have to figure out how to cope. Unlike Lucius, Aurora is instantly popular. She is the kind of girl everyone wants to be friends with. For Lucius, it's more difficult. People notice right away that he has prosthetic arms, complete with hooks, which intimidates many and keeps them at a distance. Told in alternating chapters, we hear Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logstead from both Lucius' and Aurora's voices.

I read this book quickly, probably within a couple of hours. However, I've gone back to it four or five times in the last few weeks--reading parts out loud to students, colleagues, and generally whoever would listen because there were so many parts that I wanted to share. I loved Lucius' relationship with Nick Greek, the former football star turned security guard at his new school. There's something transformational about being able to help someone else when you are in bad circumstances and their friendship defined that for me. I also tend to believe that one positive relationship with an adult can change a kid forever, even though the impact may not be seen for years.

Although this is a quick read, there is a lot to think about. I'm always advocating for kids to be allowed to read whatever they want, regardless of format or length--this book is an example of a slim volume that really delivers.

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logstead was published in September, 2009.

"Among the hardships, disappointments, and losses, it's the adventure of it all that has gotten me up each morning."

It's summer and Lyza has no idea the adventure that lies ahead of her. It's 1968, the Vietnam War has captured the attention of the nation, and Lyza's mother has left the family. Instead of being free to wander and enjoy the summer, Lyza's father decides that she must wash dishes at the local diner while her father teaches courses at the local university. Lyza's unique friendships with her neighbors Malcolm and Carolann make them perfect partners for sneaking off while her father is working. Her friends also provide a window to look at race relations in the late '60s, as Malcolm is African American and his brother is drafted, sending letters home throughout the summer explaining the differences between current society and the military attitude about race, as well as sharing what it's like to be at war.

Lyza and her grandfather have always shared a love of adventure. From the time she was little, he would show her maps and tell her about his travels. When he passes away, she discovers an envelope that says, "FOR LYZA ONLY." She has to decide if she should share the contents of the envelope and, if so, who will understand? Will she be able to figure out the clues her grandfather left behind? Even if she can discover the secret, will she have enough time to complete the adventure?

Told in verse, this is a story of a family figuring out how to change when circumstances demand new ways. I especially loved the relationship between Lyza and her grandfather. I lived with my grandparents twice (once as a teenager and once as an adult), so I got to enjoy a great relationship with my grandfather. Reading about Lyza's adventures reminded me of how much I miss him--and what a wonderful influence he was in my life.

Kaleidoscope Eyes by Jen Bryant was published in 2009.

"Lucky me. I found the right kind of love. With the wrong person."

The statistic that brought Ellen Hopkins to write Tricks is that the average age of a prostitute in the United States is twelve. TWELVE. When Ellen Hopkins visited B&N to read and sign her latest book, Tricks, during Banned Books Week, she told the audience that she wants teens to know that there are other ways. That they can make better choices.

Tricks is the story of five teens: Eden, Seth, Ginger, Whitney, and Cody, and the choices each of them makes when faced with difficult family situations. Hopkins based most of her characters in Tricks on teens she has met and pieces of their lives that they have shared with her. Written in verse, each of the teens tells they story of how he or she ended up as a prostitute in Las Vegas.

It took me almost two weeks to read Tricks because it was so hard to continue. I have three children of my own and I work in a middle school, so I have lots to worry about. Reading these stories made me scared, then sad, but ultimately the end also gave me hope. Hopkins researched Tricks through the stories of teen prostitutes, as well as the people who work to help change their lives.

It was amazing to hear Ellen Hopkins read a bit about each of the teens. She answered audience questions, many from teens, and then graciously signed her books. Following the signing, it was fun to meet Tirzah from The Compulsive Reader and Sara from The Hiding Spot and chat with Ed Spicer from Spicy Reads. I'm looking forward to more community events that allow readers to connect with authors and one another.

"My biggest fear was that I'd wake up every day alone, that I'd never find someone to love."

Johanna has always been the kind of girl who others count on. She's a good student and a great friend. She even volunteers her time at a nursing home. Underneath the surface, however, Johanna has problems like anyone else. Her parents have both passed away, forcing her sister Tessa and brother-in-law Martin to move home to take care of her. Her relationship with Tessa is complicated by the fact that she believes that her sister does not approve of her being a lesbian. Johanna has always taken care of her best friend Novak, but their friendship is troublesome due to Novak's on-again, off-again boyfriend and rocky relationship with her parents. She depends on Johanna to be there, but is not really a reliable friend herself.

What Johanna really wants is Reeve Hartt. Reeve is also a lesbian and seems comfortable in her own skin. She doesn't know Johanna is alive until Johanna starts tutoring Reeve's twin brother Robbie. While working with Robbie, Johanna begins to spend time with Reeve and a tenuous relationship develops. What Johanna could not have realized is that Reeve and Robbie lead a messy home life, one which ultimately leads to tragedy.

This is one of those books where I constantly yelled at the main character. I wanted her to understand the destructive nature of her relationship and to realize her own value. In the end, both Johanna and Reeve have to figure out what is best for each of them individually, which will resonate with teens who face decisions about their own relationships.

Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters was released September 8, 2009.

"I had the strangest sensation there was more to the story."

Have you ever wished for something to happen and then when it did, you had that creepy feeling, the one where part of you thinks that you willed it to happen? Now imagine that your wish is that the popular kids at school who are constantly picking on you would die. And then, Lucy, who is #1 on your list, goes missing. This is the set up for Todd Strasser's newest book, Wish You Were Dead.
Our protagonist is Madison, a well-off girl who is part of the popular crowd but also is involved with other kids. She is not one to make fun of other students. But she is one of the 2 drivers who dropped Lucy off at her house the night she disappeared. Madison tries to unravel the mystery of what happened to Lucy (and then other students in their clique).
Madison is getting clues from lots of people but will she be able to put them together in time to save her friends?

This book is due to be published on September 22, 2009.

"Something had been born here and it lived here still"

I love a good ghost story and the creep factor that goes along with it. When I was in Chicago for ALA, I snagged an ARC of The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom and looked forward to starting it.

Conrad Harrison is lost in many ways before the book even begins. But as he moves his wife, Joanna and their dogs from LA to Black Earth, his life starts to unravel in ways he could not predict or prevent. The former owners of this "birthing house," the Laskis, are strange and their unknown number of children are just not right. Laski brings Conrad a photo of the women of the house from years ago . . . and Conrad recognizes one of them. She startingly resembles his wife. After Joanna leaves for a work trip and Conrad gets sucked deeper and deeper into the house and those that still inhabit it, he loses track of what is real and what is dream. But is it really a dream at all?

You can watch the video trailer for the book, where the author explains what has inspired him to write it. He and his wife actually moved into a birthing house and after he had a nightmare, he decided to write the novel. Can we say creepy? If I had nightmares like this book, I might hesitate to go to sleep!

The Birthing House was just released on August 4, 2009.