Where are they now?

Hey Library Ladies!

So, it's been a year since graduation. I'm just wondering where you all are and what you are up to.

I'm a stay-at-home mom that is working on the literacy of my almost 2 year-old! His favorite books include:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
Mystery in Bugtown by William Boniface and Don Sullivan
Mr. Brown Can Moo by Dr. Seuss
Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton

What are you all up to?
Kari

Teen Writer's Conference

The Teen Writers Conference

Saturday, June 6, 2009
Weber State University

Ages 13-19

Registration Information:
www.teenwritersconference.com

Conference Chair: Josi S. Kilpack
Contact: info@teenwritersconference.com

Parental Permission form required for ages 13–17
$39.00 Registration fee (includes lunch)
Enter the Writing Contest!

Presenters include
Award-Winning Authors and Editors:


Jessica Day George
James Dashner
J. Scott Savage
Michele Ashman Bell
Julie Wright
H.B. Moore
Annette Lyon



Matthew Buckley
Ronda Hinrichsen
Jewel Adams
C.S. Bezas
Karen Hoover
N.C. Allen
Josi S. Kilpack

Sponsored by: Precision Editing Group, LLC
www.PrecisionEditingGroup.com
WritingOnTheWallBlog.blogspot.com

Alum wins Utah “Best of State” Educator Award

Indiana University School of Education
Alumni e-newsletter
http://site.educ.indiana.edu/Newsletter_Details/tabid/10806/Default.aspx?xmid=291

Alum wins Utah “Best of State” Educator Award

Teacher for nearly thirty years honored during gala on May 31. By her own count, Lu Ann Brobst Staheli has taught reading and writing to more than 4,000 students. The Utah award is part of the annual Utah Best of State program, which honors excellence in a variety of fields.

Posted On: September-15-2008

How has an IU School of Education graduate turned out students proficient in reading and writing and instilled a love of literature for 29 years? To quote from a loud used-car commercial of days past, “Volume, volume, volume!”

“Until I’ve given them a million words, I can’t teach them how to write,” said Lu Ann Brobst Staheli, B.S. ’76. On the staff at Payson Jr. High School in Payson, Utah since 1984, she says she puts a lot of words in front of her students to help them overcome fears of reading and writing. “The more words I can put in front of them, the more likely they will discover something—a book, short story, poem, or piece of non-fiction—anything that will hook them, giving them a reason to get excited about reading.”

Her passion and her success earned accolades from the annual “Utah Best of State” awards, a program which annually recognizes excellence from a variety of fields across Utah. Staheli won the Best of State Educator K-12 award for her work over the years in teaching English, Writing for Publication, and Reading Options. “At first I didn't realize how big this award was, but I was excited to be nominated and chosen winner of my category,” Staheli said. “I had won other teaching awards before, and assumed this was similar in scope. Then I read the judging criteria and listened to stories about some of the other winners in various categories. I realized that winning Best of State was a wonderful honor.”

Staheli estimates she’s taught more than 4,000 students, many of whom she sees often. “Once my student, always my student,” she said. Many come back to visit the classroom or contact her for book recommendations or just to talk. She said the students develop a sense of connection with her by sharing literacy, which she said helps them value books and writing as adults.

And her work is very visible on the internet, where she maintains several blogs related to reading and writing. “LuAnnsLibrary.blogspot.com has become the gateway to all my blogs and evolved into a place where I write about my life,” Staheli said. “LuAnnsBookReview.blogspot.com allows me to share author interviews and book reviews with teachers, librarians, students, and friends; LuAnnsLibraryTechnology.blogspot.com started as a place to share info with librarians and those in my technology classes; ReadAllAboutItLuAnnStaheli.blogspot.com has tips for parents, teachers and students about literacy; OutoftheBestBooksLuAnnStaheli.blogspot.com focuses on adult literacy issues; and LibraryMediaFriendzy.blogspot.com started in my graduate class as a place for school librarians to share info.”

Staheli points with pride to being a “teacher of teachers.” Two former students also teach at Payson Jr. High, another is an administrator, and several others are in education elsewhere. She says she’s also moved students toward careers in creative writing and journalism. In all students, she’s hoped to encourage a lifelong love of reading.

“People who read succeed,” she said. “If a student reads well, school is easier. Eventually my students leave the junior high school. Most of them graduate from high school. Obviously, those who leave with reading and writing skills will move on to successful careers that add to the economy."

21st annual BYU Symposium on Books for Young Readers

Candace Fleming, Jennifer Holm, X J Kennedy, Wendell Minor, Kenneth Oppel, and Vivan Vande Velde are on the program to be held in the Provo Public Library on Thursday and Friday, July 17 and 18.

Candace Fleming is the best-selling author of numerous critically acclaimed books for young children. Her works include Ben Franklin’s Almanac and Our Eleanor, both ALA Notable Books and ALA Best Books for Young Adults, as well as Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!, Gabriella’s Song, and When Agnes Caws, all ALA Notable Books. Her book Boxes for Katie was awarded Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2003. She lives in a suburb of Chicago.

Jennifer Holm is the Newbery Honor-winning author of Penny from Heaven and Our Only May Amelia. Jennifer is the author of several other highly praised books, including the Boston Jane trilogy, The Creek, Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf, and the Babymouse series, on which she collaborates with her brother. She lives in Maryland.

X J Kennedy, who received the 2000 National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Children’s Poetry, has written eighteen children’s books, among them The Beasts of Bethlehem, Brats, The Owlstone Crown, and Exploding Gravy. He and his wife, Dorothy, have coedited the popular children’s poetry anthologies Knock at a Star and Talking Like the Rain. They live in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Wendell Minor is the award-winning illustrator of over forty picture books for children, among them many classics by Newbery award-winning author Jean Craighead George. His most recent collaboration with Ms. George is The Wolves Are Back. His works also include the illustrations for Robert Burleigh’s Into the Woods, which won the 2004 Best Illustrated Children’s Picture Book, and illustrations for Buzz Aldrin’s Reaching for the Moon, which appeared on the list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12, and was a New York Times best seller. He lives in rural Connecticut with his wife and business partner, Florence.

Kenneth Oppel is the science fiction and fantasy author of the internationally best-selling Silverwing trilogy. His books also include Airborn, which won the 2004 Governor General’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature and was named a Michael L. Printz Honor book by the American Library Association (ALA). The sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times best seller and was selected as a 2006 Best Book for Young Adults by the ALA. He lives in Canada.

Vivian Vande Velde is the author of numerous fantasy and mystery novels for young adult readers. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man received the 2000 Edgar Award in the Young Adult category. Her books Being Dead, Companions of the Night, Heir Apparent, and Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird were all ALA Best Books for Young Adults. She lives in Rochester, New York.

Interested teachers can register to receive recertification credit through BYU. To receive more information or to register, call BYU Conferences and Workshops at 801-422-2568 or go to go to http://ce.byu.edu/cw/bfyr/index.cfm

Book Trailers

This month my students are working on making Book Trailers for the books they have been reading in Literature Circles. Like a movie trailer, the purpose of these short films is to capture the interest of a potential audience, introduce them to the story, and remind them of the book's title so they will go get a copy for themselves.

Some of my published friends have also been using Book Trailers to help promote their books. Check these out!


The 13th Reality: A Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner


Already Asleep Illustrated by Julie Olsen

New blog, UELMA

I stopped by a few minutes ago to say "Hello", and I think the sound's still echoing. If anyone's still reading, I just wanted to let you know that my new blog is all set up. Stop by if you're curious. It's at http://booklady.wordpress.com.

On a different note, anybody going to UELMA? Fawn Morgan and I are doing a poster session there. Stop by and say hello!

Keeping Up with New Posts

I figure this school year much be too much for all of us because NO one is posting! Here's a quick way to be informed when a new post is added so you don't have to keep checking (and be disappointed).

Login to the blog, then go to the dashboard. Click on "settings." Click on "email," then add you e,ail address in the top slot. Everytime someone posts onto this blog, you'll get an email in your box with the message included so you can read it right from your email account.

If you want to post a response to the message, you'll still need to go to the blog itself, but at least you'll know there is a new message to read.