50 best British authors since 1945?

The TimesOnline has published a list of what they think are the best 50 British authors since 1945. Do you agree with the list?

The following are those that are considered children's or young adult authors:

6. J. R. R. Tolkien
11. C. S. Lewis
16. Roald Dahl
24. Philippa Pearce
28. Alan Garner
42. J. K. Rowling
43. Philip Pullman
48. Benjamin Zephaniah
49. Rosemary Sutcliff

Have you read any books by these authors? The names in bold are represented in the SCCS library.

Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger, a 28 year-old Australian actor, passed away this week. Ledger has been in a variety of films, including 10 Things I Hate about You (which was based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew), The Patriot (a US Revolutionary War story, in the library this subject matter is found at 973.3), Brokeback Mountain and A Knight's Tale. Before his death he finished filming Dark Knight, a sequel to Batman Begins; he plays the Joker.

Please check out the Internet Movie Database for more information on Heath Ledger, or other actors and movies.

Magazine subscriptions

We're currently deciding which magazine subscriptions to keep, and which to toss. Can't live without Seventeen? Think PC Gamer is boring? Want to save Time? Or get rid of Newsweek? Speak up and tell Ms. Hanneman!

You're opinion counts, let us know what's on your mind.

Old Newbery awards

Yesterday's post was about the newest addition to the Newbery Award family, and today's is about previous ones. You can read some of the older Newbery winning books, like The Story of Mankind, through a service provided by the University of Pennsylvania. Check it out here.

There are also links to Nobel and Pulitzer winning authors.

Newbery and Caldecott announced!

The ALA just announced the Newbery and Caldecott winners!

The John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature was awarded to Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village, written by Laura Amy Schlitz.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children was awarded to The Invention of Hugo Cabret, illustrated by Brian Selznick.

These books will be available at the SCCS library in August 2008. For the full list of this year's American Library Association awards and nominees, check out their press release.

First day of Book Fair a success!

The first day of the SCCS Book Fair was a smashing success, with visits from Kinder, 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grade, as well as Middle and High school students.

Please remember that students may only take two books Monday through Wednesday. After that any and all takers are welcome to buy as many books as they can carry! The library will be open until 5 PM on Thursday and Friday to facilitate parental shopping.

Books? What a great idea for a Holiday gift!

Book Fair time!!

Wow, it's been almost two weeks since the last entry. I'm sorry! But, I bet what I'm about to tell you will win your forgiveness!

December 3-7 is the SCCS Book Fair! Yay!

Monday through Wednesday Elementary and Middle School students will have the opportunity to come with their classes to pick from over 500 books. Each student may purchase no more than 2 books during these first few days. High school students may also peruse the Book Fair during their free time.

On Thursday and Friday, during free time and until 5 pm, anyone may purchase as many of the remaining books as they'd like. Parents, students, teachers and anyone from the SCCS community are more than welcome to haul away titles for holiday presents or personal reading.

I can't wait to see everyone at the Book Fair.

(FYI, there will be a second Book Fair in April or May, 2008.)

Transportation strikes

It's quite interesting that both France and Bolivia are having transportation strikes at the same time, though over different issues. Read this BBC article (in English) to further understand the French strike. The BBC also has a short article on the Bolivian strike. El Deber has a more indepth article (in Spanish).

To find out more about this issue, or anything else in the news, Google News is a great place to start your search.

Veterans Day

Yesterday was Veterans Day in the United States. This holiday is a time for us to "honor all who served" in the military. War has a large presence in the literary world, many classic books have been written about both the glory and the horror of battle. The library has quite of few of these titles, and here are some general recommendations:

For younger readers a picture book called The Blue and the Gray, by Eve Bunting, has two young friends remembering the American Civil War. Good fiction books for adults on the Civil War include Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier and The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara.

Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes is a Newbery-award winning book for middle readers based during the American Revolutionary War. Sarah Bishop, by Scott O'Dell and The Pox Party, by MT Anderson are two other books written about that era.

If you prefer non-fiction works, They Marched into Sunlight, by David Maraniss, is a great read about different fronts in the Vietnam War. This work is recommended for older readers. For middle readers, Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers, is a fiction book about one young man's experience in the same war.

Please come to the library to find other books about war and veterans.

Volunteer opportunities, local and international!

Are you looking for something to do to help you community or the world at large? Here are a couple of ideas and ways to get started:

Mr. Vande Loo has put together an extensive list of contact information of local volunteer opportunities. Check it out on the SCCS website!

Amnesty International focuses on human rights and political detentions. If human rights are important to you, look at this website to see what opportunities there are to become involved.

PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, focus on animal rights. If treating animals in a humane and responsible way is something you believe in, see what you can do to contribute to their mission.

Locally, contact VEDA if you are interested in working with animals.

Greenpeace “exists because this fragile Earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action.” If you are interested in the environment this is a great organization to support!

For more volunteer ideas, check out the Idealist website.

And, come to the library to check out a book from our display on community service! From leaders like Gandhi and President Carter, to fiction books about helping the environment, we have something to interest and inspire you!