YA Review: "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer (Book 1)

Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer

For the past couple of months, the kids have been waiting and ILL-ing this series. As with Harry Potter, I held out because other books interested me more or I have been extremely busy. Also, this book is always out so I have not had a chance to even check it out. (Meddling kids :) )
I finally got it in my hands and honestly, I could not put it down. I am not much for vampire stories, I was never into Anne Rice the way my friends obsessed over her. But this is definitely worth a read.
Bella (Isabella) moves to the town of Forks to live with her dad, Charlie. She hates it there. She grew up in Arizona with the sun and desert and cannot stand the cold and the lack of sunlight. However, she makes the move because her mother is dating a basketball player and is always traveling with him. She does not know her father very well and knows that she is in for challenge by moving to a town she hates and father she does not know.
As she becomes acclimated to her new surroundings, Bella has to face the fact that she is going to a new school. She goes and on her very first day in science class, she sees one of the most beautiful boys in her class. He is obviously repelled by her. She feels him loathing and hating her and does not know why. But she’s draw to him and cannot stop herself from being attracted and fascinated by his presence.
One day, Edward Cullen, starts talking to her. From that point on, for the both of them, they begin a dangerous dance that could place Bella in mortal danger.
This book is a young adult romance novel. Nothing sexually graphic happens but the tension between the two characters is so intense you cannot help but continue reading to see what happens. Bella’s life takes more and more interesting turns as she grows to accept her need for Edward Cullen. Highly recommended.

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Book Review : "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts..." by Will Richardson (rated 5 stars)

Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms

by Will Richardson

I started reading Will Richardson’s book to educate myself about how teachers and instructors have been utilizing web tools into their curriculum. In October 2007, I attended the Computers in Libraries conference and participated in a workshop called “New Research Tools” where they discussed practical and successful cases of educators using various online tools, like Flickr, Clipmarks, or RSS readers.

As a librarian, a 2nd year educator, and one who personally uses these different tools, I really am interested in incorporating these tools into the curriculum.

During the course of reading this book, I have started reading Will Richardson’s blog – Web-logged – as well as other educator and librarian blogs. This book has inspired me to try to incorporate the different tools that I enjoy using personally into the curriculum.

Richardson’s enthusiasm for these various web tools is conveyed through each chapter. He devotes chapters to each tool. For example, there is a chapter on Blogs, one on RSS and one on wikis. It is easily explained and whether you use these tools already or not, his writing is easily accessible. I have been promoting this book to my colleagues and have also pointed some of them to his blog.

His chapter on Wikis has caused me to reassess my hesitance towards utilizing Wikipedia as a valid source of information. I am still skeptical but one should be skeptical when approaching print media as well.

The chapters are short and easy to understand. He has an excellent list of resources and great examples of people who are already incorporating the read/write web into their classrooms. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Web 2.0, education and technology.

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Library of Congress' Flickr Page

Check it out. This is amazing that the LOC is providing these on Flickr. gorgeous. And also they seem to be in the public domain.

clipped from www.flickr.com The Library of Congress' photos

Print vs. Online Sources - editorial piece

This is an interesting editorial on online sources (e.g. Wikipedia) versus print sources. As a librarian, I am slowly changing my mind about the validity of the information in Wikipedia. I do not agree with Magnus Linklater's idea that Wikipedia is the first and possibly only place to find information. I still feel that print sources are valid and that they should be a part of research. I do not know any thing about the UK's education system so I cannot comment on that. But I do know that education curriculum needs to change. Research, writing, peer-reviewing -- all of these things are changing with the "read/write" web and as an educator/instructor we need to prepare students for these changes.

clipped from www.timesonline.co.uk Reference books? Give me Wikipedia The sniffy critics of the internet think we should be traipsing down to the library to do our research Today it is the University of Google that stands accused of purveying the new socialism by offering equality of information to everyone. Modern students, say the critics, are being handed unlimited supplies of dubious facts from online sources such as Wikipedia, without the means of distinguishing between the good and the bad. Because they no longer have to sift through books and carry out their own research, the students' sense of curiosity has been blunted. The internet provides “white bread for the mind” and it is breeding a generation of dullards.

Dana Boyd - post on social "networking"

I thought this was an interesting post that Will Richardson blogged about on Weblogg-ed. It is an interesting debate don't you think? I am not anti-sns. I just am a little hesitant about how to incorporate it into certain curriculum.

clipped from www.zephoria.org The Economist Debate on Social "Networking" "Social networking technologies will bring large [positive] changes to educational methods, in and out of the classroom" The Economist is doing an "Oxford-style debate" on the following proposition: danah's response to said proposition Social network sites do not help most youth see beyond their social walls. Because most youth do not engage in "networking," they do not meet new people or see the world from a different perspective. Social network sites reinforce everyday networks, providing a gathering space when none previously existed.

YA Review: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville (rated 5 stars)

Un Lun Dun

by China Mieville

missmartini
77 books / 18 friends / 2 groups
When I ordered this book for the library, I had no idea what I was signing up for. The reviews were good to great but then I saw on the cover that Holly Black, of the Spiderwick Chronicles, is quoted at saying that it “feels instantly like a classic…” I thought, “Well, that’s a bold claim” and immediately was swept in by Mieville’s writing. His words illustrated the scenes and feelings of his characters that I have found missing in a lot of the books I have already read. For example,
“Deeba and Zanna stared. The rubbish moving towards them. It was coming against the wind…/ The cartons and cans rolled in their direction. The paper fluttering for them as madly as butterflies. The plastic bags reached out their handles and scrambled towards the girls…/Behind them there was a scrunching of paper, a percussion of cardboard, the squelch of damp things moving fast. The girls were fighting for breath.” (pg. 28)

The book is filled with amazing images of an alternative London, or Un Lun Dun. Expected the unexpected in this fantasy novel. It was great fun reading it and at moments I laughed out loud. I loved the different characters from the binja (yup, they are what you think they are) to Obaday Fing, the designer who makes clothes out of books and has a head full of pins.
“Un Lun Dun” reminded me a bit of “Alice In Wonderland” meets “the Matrix.” I would describe it as ecological fantasy. The main villain is “The Smog.”
It is definitely one of my top books for the new year, even though it came out last year. Another plus is looking at all of Mieville’s illustrations of the characters and Un Lun Dun.

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Library Use by the "Well-Wired"

I thought this was an interesting study conducted by Pew. Though, I am wondering what they are referring to by "Library Use." Is it checking out books? Using the wi-fi? Using the databases?
From my own experience at the public library, we do have a lot of users who utilize the wi-fi but a lot of users do not have internet access at home.

I wonder who they surveyed...

clipped from www.nytimes.com The Well-Wired Use Libraries More By ALEX MINDLIN Library use is far more prevalent among people who have a broadband Internet connection at home or at work, according to a new study. The finding counters a decade-old assumption that libraries serve as a “bridge” for people who want to use the Internet, but have only dial-up connections, or no access at all.