Crow-girl, Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet, and More

New Books -Reviewed in NEA Today, October 2004

Fiction

The Best Halloween Ever
By Barbara Robinson 

The troublesome Herdmans are back to stir up mischief in The Best Halloween Ever. To thwart their pranks, the mayor cancels Halloween—including the candy and trick-or-treating—for everyone. Can the Woodrow Wilson School students survive? Can the Herdmans turn the canceled holiday from the worst Halloween ever into the best one? Find out in this humorous book for ages 8 and up. 128 pp.

The Crow-Girl
By Bodil Bredsdorff, Faith Ingwersen (translator)

After the death of her grandmother, a young girl embarks on a journey with two crows and the knowledge her grandmother bestowed upon her in The Crow-Girl, a translated Danish tale by Bodil Bredsdorff. The girl, who earns the nickname "Crow-Girl" while on her journey, also gains life experiences and lessons while in search of a new family. 160 pp.

The Napping House
By Audrey Wood

Re-released for its 20th anniversary with a CD-ROM recording included, The Napping House, written by Audrey Wood and illustrated by Don Wood, delivers the classic tale of a household trying to settle down for naptime and an unexpected visitor who foils everyone's plans. The included CD-ROM features a reading of the story, along with songs. 32 pp.

T Is for Terrible
By Peter McCarty

In T Is for Terrible, Peter McCarty teaches preschoolers and elementary-age readers that the Tyrannosaurus Rex isn't such a bad guy after all. The dinosaur, like many children, simply wants others to like him and tries to explain how he is just like other animals and people—for the most part. Beautiful illustrations enhance the book's gentle humor. 32 pp.

Nonfiction

Exploring the Literature of Fact
By Barbara Moss

K–6 teachers looking to integrate nonfiction trade books into their language arts and other content area curricula may want to check out Exploring the Literature of Fact: Children's Nonfiction Trade Books in the Elementary Classroom. The book provides practical strategies, teacher-created lesson plans, examples of student work, and recommended book lists, all geared to help educators incorporate nonfiction into the classroom. 195 pp.

Many Children Left Behind
Edited by Deborah Meier and George Wood

In Many Children Left Behind: How the No Child Left Behind Act is Damaging Our Children and Our Schools , several education writers share their opinions and ideas about the shortcomings of NCLB. With essays by Alfie Kohn and Theodore Sizer, among others, the book serves as a guide to understanding what's wrong with the law and where we should go from here. 144 pp.

Read-Alouds and Performance Reading
By Christine Boardman Moen

Read-Alouds and Performance Reading: A Handbook of Activities for the Middle School Classroom outlines different ideas on how to make read-alouds and performance reading fun activities for the classroom. Each chapter in this best-practices book focuses on a single read-aloud or performance reading routine and includes sample preparation sheets, log sheets, tip sheets, and grading rubrics.

Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet
By Simon Johnson

Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet gives parents a guide to what kids are finding on the Internet and how to protect them from bad sites. Chapters include discussions on how kids can avoid harmful sites and electronic messages; reviews of content-filtering, firewall, and antivirus software; and information on spyware and adware. 336 pp.