"I Am Legend"

I had to read this one -- the movie, I Am Legend, will be out this holiday season. Yes...I admit to all -- I love classic horror. This is one of the best and has been since 1954. Movies and stories have tried to mimic this novella by Richard Matheson, but few have succeeded. Past movie adaptations were mediocre, at best, so I'm hopeful that this movie will stay somewhat true to the story and that Will Smith will portray Robert Neville as in the book.

Although the science is dated, this is one of the first takes on vampirism as scientifically plausible. Robert Neville is possibly the last man on earth, surviving a plague that took every man, woman, child, and animal. His days are spent gathering food, eliminating the threat, and preparing for the onslaught and terror that comes with the night. For that terror is the undead, who want him as part of their own -- and then they want him as the threat to their very existence.

Although this is a great horror story in the classic sense, it is an interesting view of a man who is the last -- the loneliness, the apathy, the courage and ingenuity, and the fear of stepping over the grey line of insanity. All in all, a good read, a must-read for horror buffs, but definitely not for everyone.

So much to explore, so little time...

It was great seeing everyone at the meeting! Thanks to Maddie, Pat, and Mary for giving some great presentations. I wanted to give you a quick update, and get some feedback, on our PST (Professional Study Team). If you weren't at the meeting, or missed some of the facts, here's a quick rundown of where we are right now concerning the PST:

• It should clock in at around 25 professional development hours


• We will meet at Skyline High School on Wednesdays from 4-5:30 pm beginning on January 16


• We have oodles to cover, but yet I wanted to get your feedback on things you really, really, really want to cover under the Web 2.0 umbrella...or, just sit back and hang on for the ride. We will have fun exploring, learning, and expanding.


• So far...blogging, RSS, wikis, nings, social networking, photo/video applications, online productivity tools, social bookmarking, ...and brainstorm how to use these in the library.

If you know you want to participate in the PST, let me know. If you know that you cannot participate, let me know that, too. I'd like to have an idea of numbers when I turn in the application next week. I'll keep you posted as to when you can register for the PST and further details.

"The Other Boleyn Girl" Movie Trailer

The trailer is now available for the movie The Other Boleyn Girl and I thought I'd post here for you. If you'd like to see the trailer full screen, you can go to this site and click the full screen option. I hope the movie does justice to the book.

More on "The Other Boleyn Girl"

I was just going to add a comment to Linda's post about The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, but I wanted to offer up some more information and links on the series.

First, I loved this book (thank you, Linda, for the recommendation) and I'm ready to read the next. I wasn't sure if the books were intended to be read in any particular order...so I went to the source, Philippa Gregory's website. The chonological order for Henry VIIIs Court history is: The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Queen’s Fool, and The Virgin’s Lover. She has great information on her new book coming out next year, discussions on her current books, and even further research on characters!

Check out her new research on Mary Boleyn and her children. I, too, anxiously await the movie.

Book Groups and Reading Clubs

When we find some spare time (ahem), we would like to sponsor a reading group. We have so many readers and it would be wonderful to really share and nurture this passion. I've noticed some schools have set up book circles and blogs for students to share and come together as a community. How are those going? ...any recommendations for schools considering forming book circles?

We will be launching our reading blog, Skyline Reads, next week and we are excited about it. We'll send the URL, as soon as it is up, in hopes that you will take a look at it for us and offer any suggestions or ideas. We will just be offering book reviews and recommendations in hopes of not only turning kids on to new reads, but establishing a two-way communication with the kids.

I found a couple of sites to share with you for resources on book clubs and reading groups...ideas, questions to ask, and tips for starting books groups: The YA Librarians' Homepage and Reading Group Guides. Many of you know Karol Sacca, the booktalk queen, quite well. She created the "Circle of 10" reading group project and it has evolved into many forms used at schools throughout Colorado and the country. Take a look at her recent project: Book has created ‘one town’ among schools.

What a great idea! Perhaps we should consider a "One Book, One District" for kids and staff to voluntarily read a book as a district project. We could facilitate online book discussions and communication across school boundary lines. If online safety is an issue, we could use Moodle as the online delivery medium allowing for moderation, control, and district-only access. Maybe a mini-grant from DMS or the district to buy multiple copies of a book? Too ambitious? ...perhaps that is something we could discuss at a future meeting.

The Thirteenth Tale

A captivating read, Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale is a wonderful yarn about books, mysteries, ghosts, and family secrets. This is Diane Setterfield's first novel...and what a master wordsmith she is! I was swept into the story, not only by the unfolding mysteries, but by the flowing lyricism and master craftsmanship of her writing.

Margaret Lea, sheltered within her father's bookstore and own haunted past, is invited by reclusive Vida Winter, a world-renowned writer, to pen her biography. Ms. Winter has yet to tell the truth regarding her mysterious past; so why now does she want to tell her true story? ...and why to Margaret? Margaret is soon drawn into the story of Vida Winter and The Thirteenth Tale -- a story of haunting mysteries, ghosts, twins, and family skeletons. Is Vida Winter telling the truth now? How frustrating, and tantalizing, are Ms. Winter's rules for Margaret (and the reader) to not ask questions and not jump ahead in the story.

This is a wonderful Gothic mystery in every sense. What a joy to read a book about books, libraries, writers, and the love of reading. This is one of the best books I have read in quite some time and I highly recommend it. This is another one we need to discuss! Please visit the website, too! This is one of the best websites I've visited -- don't explore too much, however, until you've read the book.

Teens Reading More than Ever!

I found a couple articles that I wanted to share with all of you. They are a bit dated, but still validate what seems to be a surge in teen reading as of late. We have so many new readers at Skyline this year -- it's exciting. We have been scrambling to find new books for them to read (looking for lots of vampire books...thanks to Stephanie Meyer)! We were hoping that it was a result of our superb marketing displays, but we just do think that kids are reading more. If you have a chance, check out these articles. In Teens Buying Books at the Fastest Rate in Decades, the author attributes the surge to better writing and more great young adult authors (and J.K. Rowling):

Not only are teen book sales booming -- up by a quarter between 1999 and 2005, by one industry analysis -- but the quality is soaring as well. Older teens in particular are enjoying a surge of sophisticated fare as young adult literature becomes a global phenomenon.

Do kids have more time on their hands? ...more disposable income? It's not just that there's more great Young Adult literature, though. They are just reading more. That's an interesting statistic in light of increased computer use, social networking, and increased use of tech gadgets. Research Reveals Teens Read More Magazines, Not Less also indicates that teens are reading more magazines than ever before.

Hm-m-m, an interesting thought -- teens are reading MORE even as many thought MySpace, social networking entities, and computer use would steer kids away from reading. So...thank you to the J.K. Rowlings' and Stephanie Meyers' of the world, great marketing by publishing companies, and to us -- for providing the services we provide!

Question: What other authors are really grabbing the kids' interests? ...Westerfeld, Tiernan? What are the books that you just can't keep on the shelf?