OEMA Newsletter
  
An Electronic Newsletter
of The Oregon Educational Media Association
Volume 16 No. 4
December, 2003

FROM THE OEMA BOARD

OEMA President Linda Ague's regular column is being written this month by board members because Linda has been in Ohio since November 10 to be with her mother. OEMA board members were asked to suggest books they would recommend to OEMA members to take some of the load off of Linda. The editor heartily thanks the board members for their suggestions and is anxious to read their recommendations.

From Gregory Lum, 2004 Conference Chair

Life at These Speeds, by Jeremy Jackson, Picador, 2003. What would happen when most of your friends are killed in a school bus accident after a track meet? For Kevin, his life is shattered since he rode home with his parents instead of riding on the school bus. From that moment on, Kevin is transformed: he transfers to a different school, becomes a track prodigy and struggles with repressed memories of his dead friends. Great read for high schoolers!

Downsiders, by Neal Shusterman, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1999. What happens when you glance down and see a face in a New York storm drain? Fourteen-year-old Lindsay accidentally meets Talon, who lives in the secret Downsider community that evolved in the subterranean passages of the subway built in New York in 1867. She and her new friend try to bridge the differences between their two worlds. Good for middle school and high school.

From Carol Dinges, Region 2 Representative

Brides of Eden: A True Story Imagined by Linda Crew, Harper-Collins, 2001. This historical fiction, set in Corvallis in the early twentieth century, is based on the actual account of a charismatic cult leader who charmed naive, deeply religious people in into doing unthinkable acts, as narrated by one of the characters, a teenage girl who actually survived the experience.

From Cindy Bennett, High School Representative

City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende, HarperCollins Publishers, 2002. In this fast paced adventure story, a 15 year old boy and a young girl are part of an expedition to the remote territory of Amazon. They face many dangers and make personal discoveries experiencing the magical realism of the Amazon.

From Edith Fuller, Listserv Coordinator

What works in schools : translating research into action. Robert J. Marzano. Alexandria, VA : Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, c2003. While many differences in student achievement are due to the students themselves their home life, prior knowledge, and motivation, the good news is that there's a lot that schools and teachers can do to improve student achievement . . . if they follow the direction provided in this book.

Applying 35 years of research, author Robert J. Marzano illuminates the factors that influence student academic achievement. Using the book's research-based survey tools and action steps, you can identify your school's strengths and weaknesses, prioritize your options, and implement a clear plan for improvement. In every chapter, answers to many once-elusive questions become crystal clear.

From Deb Wheelbarger, Award Co-chair

Bagels from Benny by Aubrey Davis, Kids Can Press 2003 Gr. K-3 This modern story rooted in an ancient Jewish folk tale from Spain features a young boy trying to come to terms with God with the help of a kindly, bagel-baking grandfather. Simple line drawing illustrations compliment spare, compelling text to build a truly fine story of a good deed impacting others far beyond our knowledge or imagination. This picture book would be an excellent addition to all school and classroom libraries as a good read aloud, individual check out and as a means to enhance units on family traditions, cultural diversity, or legends from around the world.

Dark Waters by Catherine MacPhail, Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books 2003 Gr. 6 A fast-paced, well written, suspense novel that would be an asset as a group read-aloud or individual choice. Hailing from Scotland, MacPhail brings the culture, environment and language to life in this griping book. Col, the main character, is a believable at-risk adolescent who, through an act of bravery, is given the opportunity to throw off family bad-blood expectations for a different life.

Harry’s Box by Angela McAllister, Bloomsbury USA Children’s Book 2003 Gr. K-2 Remember when imagination ruled the world of play? Well, it still does. How many children receive the perfect present in the morning only to be enchanted by the box in which it came in the afternoon? McAllister’s vibrant picture book is indeed an “Everybody” book for everyone. Reality and fantasy mix as Harry, accompanied by Wolfie, his faithful companion, moves the box from one location -inspired adventure to another. Harry’s Box will be a hit for group read aloud or individual checkout.

Eminem by John Mitchell Bankston, Lane Publishers 2003 Gr. 4-6 Nicely layed-out rags-to-riches biography of rapper turned movie star Eminem (Marshall Mathers III). The author frankly documents the facts of Mathers life including multiple failures such as dropping out of high school after flunking Freshman year twice, constant turn-over in low-pay service related jobs, and a rocky start launching his career. His shaky personal relationships are also examined under a bright light. High interest, easy reader makes a good addition to the biography section of intermediate and middle school libraries.

Hushabye Lily by Claire Freedman, Orchard Books 2002 Gr. K-3 A bedtime story about a baby rabbit who is unable to sleep due to nightly barnyard noise. Lily, the baby bunny, and her mother go from ducks to donkeys hearing and seeing the fictionalized nighttime routines including quacking a story, squirming in a pig heap, and collecting straw for a more comfortable chicken roost. Friendly pictures enhance the story line, make it a nice easy-reader book.

From Susie Schweitzer, Region 5 Representative

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume. Dutton, 1972. A summer in Tarrytown, N.Y. is a lot of fun for ten-year-old Sheila even though her friends make her face up to some self-truths she doesn't want to admit.

Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski. Lippincott, 1945. A classic!!!

From Jim Tindall, Promotions Chair

River of the West: A Chronicle of the Columbia by Robert Clark, Picador USA, 1997. This thoroughly researched collection of tales of historic characters of the Columbia River is poetic and poignantly written. Clark vividly captures the lives of such diverse folks as David Thompson, David Douglas, Narcissa Whitman, Smohalla, Woody Guthrie, and David Sohappy, Sr.

From Karen Wedeking, High Education Representative

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines Vintage Books.1993. Set in the south in the 1940's, Jefferson,a young man, is convicted of murder and sent to prison. Grant Wiggins, returning to the plantation school to teach, is convinced that he must visit Jefferson and impart learning to the boy before he dies. This is an incredible story of compassion and struggle.This was the Multnomah county "everybody read" book.

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. Counterpoint. 2002.The story of Jayber Crow and his life and those around him in Port William, Kentucky. An incredible story of life and its meaning. This book has small stories within the main one to share and enough quotes that you will want to remember for years.

Exit Wounds by J.A. Jance.. William Morrow. 2003. Sheriff Joanna Brady returns again with excessive Arizona heat,murder of humans and animals, suspense, and more than a few surprises. A real page turner for mystery fans.

From Allen Kopf, Region 6 Representative

1421: the Year China Discovered America by Gavin Menzies. William Morrow, New York; c2003. The author promotes his theory that 15th century Chinese navigators, led by Zheng He, a eunuch admiral and favorite subject of the Chinese Emperor, circumnavigate the world. Ships laden with trade goods and supplies are sent out by Zheng He in four waves to explore many areas of the world, including the Americas 70 years before Columbus. Because of weak research and few facts to support his theory, the book is highly controversial, but is fun to read. Part of the delight of this book is imagining the paradigm shift many of us would need to make, were his assertions true.

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist. HarperCollins, New York; c1999. Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events. As the series name suggests, the Baudelaire children, Violet (age 13), Klaus (age 10), and Sunny (age 1) suffer through a series of unfortunate events, beginning in Book the First when their parents die in a fire that consumes their home while the children are away at the beach. Throughout the series the children are sent to a number of dopey relatives and terrible child care facilities in which unfortunate events occur. The only constant through it all is a distant relative, the evil Count Olaf, who plagues the children every step of the way, trying to get his hands on the Baudelaire family fortune. Fourth/fifth grade students enjoy the silliness of the stories. The books can also be used effectively as teacher read-alouds for younger students. Weak humor and the repetitiveness of the “unfortunate events,” however, wear thin by the end of the series (Book the Ninth) for older students.

From Jenny Takeda, Scholarship Chair

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Listening Library, book on tape production, 2000).  Many middle and high schools may already have purchased this book for their libraries.  For book on tape collections, this production is highly recommended.  The performance by Mandy Siegried brings to life the compelling voice of a teenage girl who progresses through her freshman year of high school with the trauma and secrecy of having been raped at a summer party.

From Sue Kelsey, Awards Co-Chair

Coraline by Neil Gaiman, illustrations by Dave McKean (Scholastic, Inc., 2002). Ignored by her parents, inquisitive Coraline explores their apartment and finds a door that leads to what seems like an exact duplicate of her home - except everything there seems wonderful and the adults actually pay attention to her. But it isn't exactly the same; her other mother and other father have buttons for eyes. and if Coraline lets them sew buttons over her eyes, she can stay there with them - forever.

From Kelly Kuntz, Past-President

If you are looking for a wonderful read, please pick up The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk.  This is a beautifully written book to slowly savor and treasure each phrase.  It is a book you wish would never end, and you will find yourself writing the sequel in your mind.  Set in the 1950's, I was immediately transported to my life at age 14 as Sue Monk perfectly captures the angst, the longing and the urges of 14 year old Lily who makes her way through an obstacle-filled life.  The tension of civil rights, the intricacies and delicacies of a bee's life, and an aching first love make this a very special book.  

From Jann Tankeresley, Chair of Beverly Cleary Children's Choices Committee

How Tia Lola Came to Visit Stay by Julia Alvarez, Knopf, 2001 for ages 9-12. Ten year old Miguel and his seven year old sister are adjusting to their parents' divorce and their move from NYC to rural Vermont. Flamboyant, Spanish-speaking Aunt Lola comes to visit from the Dominican Republic and "weaves a magical spell of love" for his family and the town.

From Patty Sorensen, Communications Chair

Mieko and the Fifth Treasure by Eleanor Coerr (author of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes), Puffin Books, 1993. Tale written from the point of view of a young girl whose family lived outside Nagasaki when the atom bomb was dropped. She has a talent for calligraphic arts but her hand was injured from the bomb. Great tale of friendship, self-confidence, and hope. Great for point of view, perspectives, art, students who are new to a school, discussions about empathy. I would even recommend this perspective for HS history classes.

From Mary McClintock, Parliamentarian

Persepolis:The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi, Pantheon, 2003. This graphic novel is the author's memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black and white comic strip images, she tells the heartbreaking yet funny story of daily life in a repressive society told from a spirited child's perspective. Critical comparisons to Art Spiegelman's Maus. Secondary level.

It Was a Dark and Silly Night edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly, Harper Collins, 2003.
This is an oversize, colorful collection of silly stories in graphic format. All the writers and artists begin their stories with the words "It was a dark and silly night" Contributors include Lemony Snickett, Neil Gaimon, Martin Hanford, among others. It is a visual treat that's appropriate for upper elementary through secondary.

From Sheryl Steinke, Newsletter Editor

B is for Beaver by Roland and Marie Smith, illus. by Michael Roydon, Sleeping Bear Press, 2003. Poetry, factual sidebars and beautiful illustrations take readers on a journey through the alphabet and across Oregon. And the Q page is about Ramona Quimby and Beverly Cleary.

JIM TINDALL EARNS NATIONAL CERTIFICATION

Jim Tindall, District Librarian in Hood River, OEMA Promotions Chair and OEMA 1999 Secondary Media Specialist of the Year learned recently that he has passed all tests and requirements to become a nationally certified library media specialist. Jim is the only librarian in Oregon to achieve this honor. There are 11 in Washington and 2 in Alaska. Learn more about the national certification program from Jim or at http://www.nbpts.org/

GREGORY LUM INTERVIEW

AECT (Assn. for Educational Communication and Technology) has published an interview with Gregory Lum who was named by AECT as their 2003 National Library Media Specialist of the Year. The interview is available at http://www.aect.org/Newsletters/default.asp?id=193%0D%0D

LAGRANDE LIBRARIANS IN MASTER TEACHER PROGRAM

Sharon Porter and Sally Mielke of La Grande Schools are participating in the OPB/NTTI Master Teacher program. They will be writing lesson plans that integrate streaming video and interactive web sites into benchmarked curriculum content. The lessons will be posted to the OPB Education site this spring after editing and mentoring from Ken Brock of OPB.

SHARON PORTER TO ATTEND PALM SCHOOL

Sharon Porter will be attending Palm Education Ceritification School December 9-12 in San Jose, CA. She will spend three days in workshops and training to learn how to operate the Palm software, integrate the handheld into classroom activities, and how to use software written for educational use in the classroom. After training, she will be certified to teach the Palm platform and the use of the handheld in content areas.

IT WORKS FOR ME
Meg Miranda, Westland Middle School Library

Last year I was very upset when I discovered students steeling stuff from the Scholastic Book Fair. This year I bought some heavy poster board and attached one of each small item to the board. Each item was labled with the price and colors available (for highlighters, etc). I used hot glue on things like the pencils and plastic ties for the toys and other things that hot glue would damage. I also scanned the CD Roms and put the pictures out in the display box. Students could purchase these items that were safely stored in our workroom.

SCHOOL LIBRARY/MEDIA SPECIALISTS DROP 12%

In the latest statistics issued by the Oregon Department of Education, the number of school library/media specialists in Oregon public schools has fallen by 12%, the biggest annual decline in decades. The report shows that only 510 library/media specialists were employed by Oregon schools in October, 2002, as compared to 582 in the previous year. In 1980 there were 818 library/media specialists working in Oregon schools, which was equivalent to one library/media specialist for every 547 students. The October 2002 figure is equivalent to one library/media specialist for every 1,027 students. Most of the losses of librarian positions have come in elementary school libraries.

WEBSITE OF OREGON DATA

Data for Local Communities is a brand new web resource designed to make it easier and quicker to find locally specific information for cities, counties, watersheds, school districts, and other sub-state areas on Oregon. This web site gathers in one easy-to-use site over 350 federal, state, and non-governmental web pages with high-quality community-level statistical and descriptive data. Users may query the database by topic or keyword, then filter their results by the desired geographic level: e.g., "income tax" by county, or "dropout rate" by school district. The resource was created at the University of Oregon Libraries, and is a project of the Orbis Cascade Alliance. We hope you will check it out at <http://libweb.uoregon.edu/dlc>, and include it in your repertoire of Oregon information-seeking tools. Find out more about the project by reading this release: <http://libweb.uoregon.edu/news/stories/dataforcommunities.htm>. Or contact Tom Stave <tstave@uoregon.edu> at the UO Libraries' Document Center for more information.

DIGITAL LITERACY MATERIALS FOR GRADES 5-9

Middle school teachers can instruct students on responsible "digital citizenship" with a new curriculum kit called "What's the Diff?" developed by Junior Achievement. The organization started offering the anti-piracy program last month. Information about the curriculum kit is online at Junior Achievement Website: <http://www.ja.org/> (look under "Programs") or try <http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_supplements_citizenship.shtml>.

MOCK CALDECOTT PROGRAM

OEMA Region 2, OLA Children's Services Division, the Mid-Valley Reading Council, and the Oregon State Library are holding a Mock Caldecott program at the Corvallis- Benton County Library on Saturday January 3, 2004 from 10 am to 4:30 pm. Participants will examine and discuss some of the best picture books of 2003 and cast votes for the most distinguished. Artist Nancy Helmsworth will present information about artistic elements in picture books. 2004 Caldecott Committee members Nell Colburn and MaryKay Dahlgreen, will facilitate the discussion and voting process. Registration information is available at the OLA CSD website http://www.olaweb.org/csd. Registration deadline is December12th.

CALENDAR

OEMA Newsletter -- Editor: Sheryl Steinke

Published monthly on the 5th of the month September through May
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