May 2007 E-Newsletter in a Nutshell

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Looking for the latest books that celebrate Asian Pacific Islanders? Check out the following publishers and Web sites for books by and about Asian Pacific Islanders or books translated into many Asian and Pacific Islander languages.

• Asian American Curriculum Project: www.asianamericanbooks.com
• Lee and Low, www.leeandlow.com
• East West Discovery Press: www.eastwestdiscovery.com
• Children's Book Press:  www.childrensbookpress.org
• Culture For Kids:  www.cultureforkids.com
• Star Bright Books: www.starbrightbooks.com
• For films and media, go to the Center for Asian American Media, www.asianamericanmedia.org
• Asian Pacific Islander booklist can be found at www.nea.org/readacross

May is Get Caught Reading Month

In celebration of the Association of American Publishers' nationwide "Get Caught Reading Month," the cast of the Tony Award winning musical AVENUE Q have joined the cast of celebrities and public figures who have been photographed getting caught reading their favorite books. Educators can download the Avenue Q and other posters, featuring celebrities, politicians, and athletes free of charge. Go to www.getcaughtreading.org.

Online Professional Development Courses from ALA 's Young Adult Library Services

Looking for ways to turn teens on to reading? YALSA, a division of Read Across America partner American Library Association, has begun to provide online workshops, from "Making the Match: Finding the Right Book for the Right Teen at the Right Time," to "Power Programming with Teens," a course on creating successful teen literacy programs. For more information, go to www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/onlinecourses/info.htm.

Reaching Reluctant Readers

Looking for ways to reach reluctant high school readers? Read Across America partner Random House Inc. has published a terrific magazine filled with articles from educators, authors, as well as tips and resources. You can find the entire issue online or request a printed copy at http://www.randomhouse.com/highschool/rhi.html.

First Book Marketplace

Looking to buy books for your school or community program but have a limited budget?

The First Book Marketplace (http://www.fbmarketplace.org) is a Web-based subsidiary of First Book that sells high-quality children's books in carton quantities at deeply discounted prices to community programs serving children from low-income families. For more information, please call (866) 393-1222 (toll-free) and ask for any member of the Marketplace team, or email help@firstbook.org.

Reading Rockets Classroom Videos on iTunes

Reading Rockets, the national multimedia literacy resource for educators, is now offering their Classroom Video Series on iTunes. You’ll be able to see and hear teachers in real classrooms covering everything from phonemic awareness to spelling and assessment. Go to www.readingrockets.org.

Searching for Summer Reading Tips?

Reading Rockets children's literature expert Maria Salvadore is posting a terrific blog, Page by Page, on the Reading Rockets Web site (www.readingrockets.org). Read her postings and share your own thoughts and don't forget to explore the site for author interviews, Web courses, literacy news and more. Reading Rockets sister site, Colorin Colorado, is another terrific site, featuring bilingual tools and resources for educators and parents of English language learners. Go to www.colorincolorado.org.

Do Your Students Want to be Famous?

WGBH and Arthur show spinoff Postcards from Buster invite students to submit one-minute video postcards. Selected postcards will appear on the Postcards from Buster television show. Go to http://pbskids.org/buster/pfy/send.html.