The Common Core in Grades K-3 is the second in a series of comprehensive tools to tap into the vast flow of recently published books for children and teens, offering recommendations of exemplary titles for use in the classroom. Currency meets authority, brought to you by the editors of the highly regarded review sources School Library Journal and The Horn Book Magazine. This guide includes hundreds of selections for grades K-3 published since 2007 recommended by The Horn Book Magazine. The titles are grouped by subject and complemented by School Library Journal's "Focus On" columns, which spotlight specific topics across the curriculum. Providing context for the guide, and suggestions on how to use these resources within a standards framework, is an introduction by Common Core experts Mary Ann Cappiello and Myra Zarnowski. These educators provide perspective on the key changes brought by the new standards, including suggestions on designing lessons and two sample plans. Following the introduction, you'll find a wealth of books, by category. (Note that the guide is Dewey-Decimal based, so you may want to dig around, for example, in "Social Sciences" to find some titles that you might first seek in "History" or "Science.") Each section includes a listing of the top titles with brief, explicit annotations, and key bibliographic data. "Focus On" articles are appended to appropriate categories to support in-depth curricular development. Each of these articles includes a topic overview and list of current and retrospective resources (including some fiction) and multimedia, enabling educators to respond to the Common Core State Standards call to work across formats.

Requests for the removal, relocation, and restriction of books-also known as challenges-occur with some frequency in the United States. Book Banning in 21st-Century American Libraries, based on thirteen contemporary book challenge cases in schools and public libraries across the United States argues that understanding contemporary reading practices, especially interpretive strategies, is vital to understanding why people attempt to censor books in schools and public libraries. Previous research on censorship tends to focus on legal frameworks centered on Supreme Court cases, historical case studies, and bibliographies of texts that are targeted for removal or relocation and is often concerned with how censorship occurs. The current project, on the other hand, is focused on the why of censorship and posits that many censorship behaviors and practices, such as challenging books, are intimately tied to the how one understands the practice of reading and its effects on character development and behavior. It discusses reading as a social practice that has changed over time and encompasses different physical modalities and interpretive strategies. In order to understand why people challenge books, it presents a model of how the practice of reading is understood by challengers including "what it means" to read a text, and especially how one constructs the idea of "appropriate" reading materials. The book is based on three different kinds sources. The first consists of documents including requests for reconsideration and letters, obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests to governing bodies, produced in the course of challenge cases. Recordings of book challenge public hearings constitute the second source of data. Finally, the third source of data is interviews with challengers themselves. The book offers a model of the reading practices of challengers. It demonstrates that challengers are particularly influenced by what might be called a literal "common sense" orientation to text wherein there is little room for polysemic interpretation (multiple meanings for text). That is, the meaning of texts is always clear and there is only one avenue for interpretation. This common sense interpretive strategy is coupled with what Cathy Davidson calls "undisciplined imagination" wherein the reader is unable to maintain distance between the events in a text and his or her own response. These reading practices broaden our understanding of why people attempt to censor books in public institutions.

The Classroom Go-To Guide for the Common Core is the first in a series of comprehensive tools to tap into the vast flow of recently published books for children and teens, offering recommendations of exemplary titles for use in the classroom. Currency meets authority, brought to you by the editors of the highly regarded review sources, School Library Journal and The Horn Book Magazine. This guide includes approximately 200 selections published since 2007 for grades 4-6 recommended by The Horn Book Magazine. The titles are grouped by subject and complemented by School Library Journal's Focus On columns, which spotlight specific topics across the curriculum. Providing context for the guide, and suggestions on how to use these resources within a standards framework, is an introduction by Common Core experts Mary Ann Cappiello and Myra Zarnowski. These experts provide perspective on the key changes brought by the new standards, including suggestions on designing lessons and two samples plans. Following the introduction, you'll find a wealth of books, by category.(Note that the guide is Dewey-Decimal based, so you may want to dig around, for example, in Business & Technology, to find some titles that you might first seek in World History or Science.) Each section includes a listing of the top titles with brief, explicit annotations, and key bibliographic data. Focus On articles are appended to appropriate categories to support in-depth curricular development. Each of these articles includes a topic overview and list of current and retrospective resources (including some fiction), and multimedia, that will enable educators to respond to Common Core State Standards call to work across formats.

The Classroom Go-To Guide for the Common Core is the first in a series of comprehensive tools to tap into the vast flow of recently published books for children and teens, offering recommendations of exemplary titles for use in the classroom. Currency meets authority, brought to you by the editors of the highly regarded review sources, School Library Journal and The Horn Book Magazine. This guide includes approximately 200 selections published since 2007 for grades 4-6 recommended by The Horn Book Magazine. The titles are grouped by subject and complemented by School Library Journal's Focus On columns, which spotlight specific topics across the curriculum. Providing context for the guide, and suggestions on how to use these resources within a standards framework, is an introduction by Common Core experts Mary Ann Cappiello and Myra Zarnowski. These experts provide perspective on the key changes brought by the new standards, including suggestions on designing lessons and two samples plans. Following the introduction, you'll find a wealth of books, by category.(Note that the guide is Dewey-Decimal based, so you may want to dig around, for example, in Business & Technology, to find some titles that you might first seek in World History or Science.) Each section includes a listing of the top titles with brief, explicit annotations, and key bibliographic data. Focus On articles are appended to appropriate categories to support in-depth curricular development. Each of these articles includes a topic overview and list of current and retrospective resources (including some fiction), and multimedia, that will enable educators to respond to Common Core State Standards call to work across formats.

Book collecting is an old tradition in Chinese culture which is experiencing a recent revival. Books are key to understanding Chinese culture, both past and present. This book offers a clear exploration of all aspects of China's rich history and cultures of book collecting, including government book collecting and prohibition, famous book collectors and the collections of books on specific subjects including religion, business, and numerous academic subjects. The coverage also takes in China's book collecting philosophy and its influence on the development of education and commerce up to and including the present day. It is the author's contention that books are a crystallization of human wisdom and book collection is a crystallization of culture. People's respect for knowledge and culture all start with books and with book collecting. In the electronic age this is even more relevant. The author Liangzhi Sang is Professor of Management, Anhui University, and he has published more than 100 influential papers on philosophy, management, culture, education and library science.

This collection of thought-provoking essays by visionary and innovative library practitioners covers theory, research, and best practices in collection development, examining how it has evolved, identifying how some librarians are creatively responding to these changes, and predicting what is coming next. Rethinking Collection Development and Management adds a new and important perspective to the literature on collection development and management for 21st-century library professionals. The work reveals how dramatically collection development is changing, and has already changed; supplies practical suggestions on how librarians might respond to these advancements; and reflects on what librarians can expect in the future. This volume is a perfect complement for textbooks that take a more traditional approach, offering a broad, forward-thinking perspective that will benefit students in graduate LIS programs and guide practitioners, collection development officers, and directors in public and academic libraries. A chapter on collection development and management in the MLIS curriculum makes this volume especially pertinent to library and information science educators. Provides an up-to-date professional guide that complements traditional collection management texts Identifies current trends and paradigm shifts in collection development and management Illustrates best practices for emerging trends in collection development Features contributions from innovative, informed, and visionary experts in the field

This easy-to-use, comprehensive guide shows how to establish a floating collection in any library-regardless of type or size. Despite its increasing popularity, there are few published works about floating and floating collections. Virtually no one has addressed critical long-term issues like core collections, material selection, and weeding after floating has taken place. Floating Collections: A Collection Development Model for Long-Term Success makes all of this urgently needed information available in one place. This unique guidebook defines "floating," explains the pros and cons, explores the impact of floating collections on collection work, and enables readers to establish a floating collection in any library. Not only does this book help librarians to decide rationally if, how, and when to float, it also outlines a how-to process for maximum success based on the real-world experience of many systems and identifies ways to maximize the advantages of a floating collection. In addition, the author addresses common collection concerns and outlines workable solutions for problematic issues that can arise. Checklists for various stages of the floating process Frequently asked questions for staff members A bibliography of publications on floating collections, covering websites of floating libraries, PLA presentations, articles, and listserv archives An index covers major topics, libraries described within the text, as well as interviewed individuals

Organized across appeal features, this comprehensive listing of stories, biographies, and fiction is the first and only guide to sports literature for adult and teen readers. Sports literature spans multiple genres-from fast-paced adventures, to biographies of sports heroes, to tales of underdogs overcoming the odds among others. Libraries and readers alike can benefit from a resource that organizes fiction and nonfiction titles according to their primary appeal features. This useful reference features reading lists of sports-oriented titles written by talented authors that are cataloged by character, story, setting, mood, and language. The lists are perfect for advising readers, creating thematic reading lists for library websites, and as plans for those who enjoy reading about athletic pursuits. The authors include fascinating notations for books that became films, as well as a resource list of websites and links to articles relating to sports fiction. Features interests and topics that defy traditional library classifications, such as "against the odds," "great coaches," and "high school athletics" Integrates fiction and nonfiction sports titles into read-alike lists based on the appeal features of story, character, language, mood, and setting Includes books that feature extraordinary life stories, dramatic events, and cautionary tales, all written by accomplished writers

An indispensable tool for librarians who do reference or collection management, this work is a pioneering offering of expertly selected print and electronic reference tools for East Asian Studies (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean). Handbook for Asian Studies Specialists: A Guide to Research Materials and Collection Building Tools is the first work to cover reference works for the main Asian area languages of China, Japan, and Korea. Several leading Asian Studies librarians have contributed their many decades of experience to create a resource that gathers major reference titles-both print and online-that would be useful to today's Asian Studies librarian. Organized by language group, it offers useful information on the many subscription-based and open-source electronic tools relevant to Asian Studies. This book will serve as an essential resource for reference collections at academic libraries. Previously published bibliographies on materials deal with China or Japan or Korea, but none have coalesced information on all three countries into one work, or are written in English. And unlike the other resources available, this work provides the insight needed for librarians to make informed collection management decisions and reference selections. Represents the first work to include Chinese, Japanese, and Korean materials in one volume Incorporates critical information on subscription-based and open-source electronic reference tools Written by noted leading experts in Asian Studies librarianship Supplies materials in English and vernacular Asian languages Includes multilingual titles but provides references and citations in English Comprises not only a bibliography, but a guide containing key tips on how to use many reference tools

E-book vendors continue to experiment: adjustments to business models, consolidation of content, and mergers with competitors mean constant change. What’s good for innovation can equal confusion when it comes to choosing an e-book platform for your library. Making a sound purchasing decision requires research and close consideration of trade-offs, and Roncevic’s new issue of Library Technology Reports will get you started. Based on surveys of e-book vendors with an established presence in academic, public, and/or K–12 library markets, this report includes Background and business model descriptions for 51 leading e-book vendors Four tables comparing content, technical specifications, functionality, and business models An at-a-glance overview of platforms, including vendor website URLs Bulleted checklists of factors to consider, and questions to ask vendors An examination of the blurring channels of publisher, aggregator, and distributor platforms, with advice to help you avoid content overlap

A comprehensive look at today's online book sites, such as Google Books and HathiTrust, that gives you the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to get up to speed on these amazing digital resources and use them effectively in the library setting. Online book sites such as the Google Books project, the Open Library, HathiTrust, and others are transforming our thoughts on just what a library is and does, and expanding the possibilities of what a library can be. Library staff need to be knowledgeable about these sites, but unfortunately many libraries- particularly those in the public arena-do not have the budget or staff time to learn about these sites and integrate them into their library services. eBooked! Integrating Free Online Book Sites into Your Library Collection fills this pressing need. This book examines four of the largest and most popular free, online book sites. Each is discussed in detail in its own chapter, profiling the service in question, identifying its origins and organization and presenting specific, concrete details that describe how to make effective use its available resources. Screenshots, applicable library scenarios, and sample questions that readers can use to quiz themselves are included. The end of each chapter contains a helpful summary that recaps the main points. Other helpful sites are discussed as well. Presents practical, clear, and accessible information accompanied by examples and explanations to help any reader to quickly understand online digital sites Includes sample questions, library scenarios, and data points for quick reference Supplies in-depth, focused information on today's hottest eBook sites, including Google Books, HathiTrust, the Open Library, the Internet Archive, and more Provides thought-provoking explanations and background knowledge to help the library administrator in any strategic or planning process

With this practical guide, it's easy to implement the proven fun-and learning-of a read-it-forward program in your middle school library. Teens recommend books to other teens, offering a surefire way to promote books and reading. Finding the right book for each student is almost impossible if you serve several hundred students, as most school librarians do. Read It Forward offers an innovative way around that problem: a program that lets librarians saturate the school with a title that encourages middle school students to read for pleasure. As an added bonus, Read It Forward (RIF) creates learning opportunities that can be leveraged across the curriculum. The program presented here is based on the author's experience with a community RIF project that was a collaborative effort among nine middle school librarians from schools with varying needs and socioeconomic levels. This thoroughly practical book takes librarians through the process step by step, offering specific examples of what worked and what didn't, then showing how the process can be extended to almost any book. The author also discusses other aspects of running a successful RIF program-such as getting buy-in from school administrators, the PTA, and department chairs-so that parents and teachers can collaborate in the experience. An easy-to-follow process for creating an RIF program in any middle school Testimonials from those who have initiated and run RIF projects Specific examples of what works and what doesn't Resource lists from which librarians can draw in creating their own programs Offers librarians step-by-step guidance in running a read-it-forward project in which students are encouraged to read books then pass them on to others Shows how RIF encourages interest in reading for middle school students during a period when they often stop reading for recreation Discusses how RIF can provide a focus for library programming throughout the school year, connecting it to academics Demonstrates ways to get students excited about reading by connecting it to the curriculum they are studying

Get young readers hooked on some of the best titles in juvenile literature, ranging from humor to mystery to fantasy, with unusual and effective methods like games. Getting students to want to read is one of the greatest challenges facing middle school teachers and librarians. Determining which are the "right books" that can spark a child's mental awakening is also difficult. This book from prolific author Nancy Polette furnishes interesting and fun games to pique students' interest in junior novels that are worth reading-carefully selected titles that will contribute to their educational and emotional growth. Gateway to Reading: 250+ Author Games and Booktalks to Motivate Middle Readers is a powerful tool for luring middle-school students away from the distractions of 21st-century media and introducing them to junior or 'tween novels that they won't be able to put down. By presenting children with a challenge to engage their minds-racing to decode book titles, or using their creativity to come up with titles of their own, for example-students are naturally drawn towards reading these books from well-known children's authors. Focuses on the middle grades, an age when reading tends to falter Features 40 of the best children's authors Supplies reproducible games and usable booktalks Applicable for school and public library programming

Covering topics such as mobile reference, eBooks, mobile websites, and QR codes, this book examines the effects of the global mobile revolution on libraries and library users-critical information all librarians need. The Handheld Library: Mobile Technology and the Librarian provides the information and guidance librarians need to adapt themselves and their facilities to the mobile revolution-the fastest, most diffuse worldwide technological innovation in human history. The book provides an up-to-date survey of how mobile technologies are affecting library use, library services, library systems, librarians, and library users at various types of libraries. The authors cover core topics related to mobile libraries, including mobile reference, eBooks, mobile websites, and QR codes, and address aspects of the mobile revolution less frequently covered in the literature, such as mobile health information services, the use of mobile technologies on archival work, the impact of the mobile revolution on physical libraries, and the ways in which new mobile technologies are creating professional development opportunities within the profession. While this resource is specifically targeted toward librarians who plan and provide services using mobile technologies, academic, public, and other librarians will also find the ideas and information within useful. Contains contributed chapters from active, innovative, respected librarians in the mobile library movement on ideas and trends for mobile libraries Addresses aspects of the mobile revolution that are rarely covered, such as the use of tablet computers in archives and the mHealth information services movement Provides updated descriptions of innovative mobile library services Supplies practical advice and recommendations about mobile library systems and services

Authors Sharon Snow and Yvonne Reed present fashion as a way to offer a fun and interesting program for teens in the library-and not just for girls. Today's fashion-savvy teenaged guys are just as likely to be eager participants. Teens Have Style!: Fashion Programs for Young Adults at the Library provides an easy-to-follow template for creating popular programs within the public or school library setting that will capture the attention of most teenaged girls. In Teens Have Style!, librarians will find programs they can adapt to their individual style or specific age range of their younger patrons, such as getting ready for the prom, making jewelry, decorating sneakers, creating a "green" outfit from recycled materials, and many more. All of the ideas are flexible and can be matched to other educational programs or to fit the library's needs, regardless of its size. For example, school librarians can partner with art teachers to orchestrate a "Fashion as Art" program, which challenges students to identify a painting that they like and then to create an outfit that reflects the style and feel of that work of art.

As it does each year, this invaluable, eagerly awaited guide will light the way for collection development specialists in smaller public, college, and school libraries, enabling them to easily identify the best, most affordable, and most appropriate new reference materials in any field. Featuring 550 titles chosen from the 2013 edition of the larger American Reference Books Annual, this volume caters to smaller libraries that must ensure every dollar of their often-limited budget is wisely invested. To help them do that, the editor has selected only titles that are highly reviewed, have a low price point, and will appeal to a broad audience. The book presents high-quality, critical reviews of 2012 reference products, both print and online, suitable for small college libraries, medium-sized and small public libraries, and school libraries. Chapters are arranged in four major subdivisions: General Reference, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Science and Technology. Within each, reviews are further divided by form: bibliography, biography, handbooks and yearbooks, and so on. Each review is written by a librarian working in the field and can be trusted to be accurate and fair. Each indicates the type of library or libraries for which the work is appropriate. Features 550 reviews chosen from American Reference Books Annual, a comprehensive and respected reviewing source for reference materials Offers unexcelled reliability, as all reviews are written by subject experts working in the library profession Retains any critical comments to ensure balance and aid in the selection process Considers affordability and broad appeal as criteria for inclusion

An essential tool for assisting leisure readers interested in topics surrounding food, this unique book contains annotations and read-alikes for hundreds of nonfiction titles about the joys of comestibles and cooking. Food Lit: A Reader's Guide to Epicurean Nonfiction provides a much-needed resource for librarians assisting adult readers interested in the topic of food-a group that is continuing to grow rapidly. Containing annotations of hundreds of nonfiction titles about food that are arranged into genre and subject interest categories for easy reference, the book addresses a diversity of reading experiences by covering everything from foodie memoirs and histories of food to extreme cuisine and food exposes. Author Melissa Stoeger has organized and described hundreds of nonfiction titles centered on the themes of food and eating, including life stories, history, science, and investigative nonfiction. The work emphasizes titles published in the past decade without overlooking significant benchmark and classic titles. It also provides lists of suggested read-alikes for those titles, and includes several helpful appendices of fiction titles featuring food, food magazines, and food blogs.

This practical guide clarifies why school librarians need to be part of the professional development process in their schools-and shows just how to achieve that goal. To remain gainfully employed, today's school librarian has to be a leader in the school. To that end, Adult Learners: Professional Development and the School Librarian encourages librarians to become instrumental in providing professional development to teachers and staff. The book begins by explaining why librarians should participate in designing and presenting professional development, then goes on to provide tips, examples, and a complete model for doing this based on system used at the author's school. Readers will discover how to determine what is practical and how to turn ideas into actions, whether they want to implement a major initiative or start with something small. Most important, this book details how to become part of the professional development team in ways that are both relevant and meaningful to the teachers and staff involved. When these stakeholders understand what the librarian knows and how they can benefit, the librarian's sphere of influence will be expanded-and a job just might be saved. A model for implementation that school librarians can put to immediate use Examples of 21st-century tools Suggestions for using Web 2.0 tools with teachers and staff

The increasingly important role that e-books and e-readers are playing in libraries makes it essential for librarians to get a handle on the ins and outs of e-book purchasing. Sue Polanka has compiled an expert-authored series of articles for this issue of Library Technology Reports that provide strategies, best practices, and case studies for meeting the unprecedented legal, technological, and vendor challenges that come with e-book purchasing. Articles include: "Consortial Purchasing of E-books," by Susan Hinken and Emily J. McElroy "Academic Library Dilemmas in Purchasing Content for E-readers," by Eleanor I. Cook "Open Access E-books," by E. S. Hellman "The E-textbook Revolution," by William D. Chesser "Digital Textbooks," by Stephen R. Acker "Textbooks, Open Educational Resources, and the Role of the Library," by Greg Raschke and Shelby Shanks.

As one of the only highly praised resources on this important topic, this thoughtfully compiled book examines and suggests picture books and chapter books presenting LGBTQ content to children under the age of 12. Highlighting titles for children from infancy to age 11, Rainbow Family Collections examines over 250 children's picture books, informational books, and chapter books with LGBTQ content from around the world. Each entry in Rainbow Family Collections supplies a synopsis of the title's content, lists awards it has received, cites professional reviews, and provides suggestions for librarians considering acquisition. The book also provides a brief historical overview of LGBTQ children's literature along with the major book awards for this genre, tips on planning welcoming spaces and offering effective library service to this population, and a list of criteria for selecting the best books with this content. Interviews with authors and key individuals in LGBTQ children's book publishing are also featured. A foreword by K.T. Horning of the Cooperative Children's Book Center An extensive bibliography of picture books, easy chapter books, nonfiction books and nonprint materials with LGBTQ content for children ages 12 and under An index of key terms for each title provides easy access to titles representing a specific aspect of LGBTQ culture

Created in consultation with teachers and public librarians, this fantastic collection of 101 ready-to-use book lists provides invaluable help for any educator who plans activities for children that involve using literature. Nancy J. Keane is the author of the award-winning website Booktalks-Quick and Simple (nancykeane.com/booktalks), as well as the creator of the open collaboration wiki ATN Book Lists. With 101 Great, Ready-to-Use Book Lists for Children, she provides another indispensable resource for librarians and teachers. The lists in this book are the result of careful consultation with teachers and public librarians, and from discussions on professional email lists. These indispensable reading lists can be used in many ways-for example, as handouts to teachers as suggested reading, to create book displays, or as display posters in the library. This collection will help educators support the extended reading demands of today's children.

With more than 500 original descriptive annotations in over 70 thematic lists, this unique compilation makes it easy for adult readers and librarians to discover graphic novel reads that satisfy their interests and reading tastes. Graphic novels are not the junk food of the literature world. Indeed, this inventive, high-quality storytelling medium comprises satisfying adult literature that can contain and express as much intellect, moral conflict, depth, and complexity as other artistic formats, embracing all genres, fiction and non-fiction alike. Read On...Graphic Novels: Reading Lists for Every Taste fulfills the promise of its title, providing more than 500 original annotations organized within 70 thematic lists. The broad selection of titles is further categorized by key appeal elements, including story, character, setting, language, and mood, providing unique access points that allow discovery of interests to transcend subject headings in catalogs. The selection encompasses all genres, ranging from literary fiction to mystery to science fiction, and from superhero stories to family sagas to coming-of-age tales. Nonfiction titles-memoirs, travelogues, history, and text books-are also well represented, as are international graphic novels, including the extremely popular manga category (Japanese graphic novels).

This resource helps collection development specialists in small and medium-sized libraries to quickly identify the best, most affordable, and most appropriate new reference materials in any field. Based on the highly acclaimed reviews of American Reference Books Annual, RRB includes only those resources that have been recommended for purchase by small and medium-sized academic, public, or school libraries. Written by 150 subject specialists, the reviews will help librarians to choose the right new reference materials for their facility in any given field. Every reviewer comment-whether positive and negative-has been retained, since even recommended works may be weak in one respect or another. If your budget precludes purchasing ARBA, this tool will provide you with the necessary information needed for your collection development needs. RRB features 500 critical reviews of reference books, digital resources, and websites from the years 2009 and 2010, written by academic, public, and school librarians or professionals in the field. The contents are organized into four general subject areas-General Reference, Social Science, Humanities, and Science and Technology-as well as specific topics, such as Education and Music. All selected titles are based on their quality, their affordability, and their usefulness in smaller libraries. 150 contributors comprising librarians with relevant subject area expertise A contributor list provides reviewers' titles and affiliations An author/title index and a subject index

This book will help librarians extend literary graphic novel collections to attract a large, untapped group of comic book readers with a sure-to-be-popular comic book collection. Do comic books belong in libraries? Absolutely-as Comic Book Collections for Libraries makes very clear. This illustrated guide defines the role of comic books in the modern library, provides a thorough grounding in the subject for beginners, and suggests new ideas for those already familiar with these perennial reader favorites. The book begins by introducing the structure of the comic book, industry players, and genres. The bulk of the guide, however, is comprised of actionable advice on such things as creating and maintaining the collection, cataloging for effective access, and promoting the collection, including how to feature comics with other library materials, such as movies and games. Drawing on the authors' experience, the volume answers numerous other questions as well. How can you tell which titles are age-appropriate for your library? Which titles are popular? How do you include characters that will appeal to diverse reader groups? Complete with checklists and a rich array of examples, this easy-to-use work can make every librarian a superhero. 60 A-Z entries on the comic book industry, publishers, and creators Helpful lists of recommended comic book titles, many of which are not usually found in libraries Numerous tables, comic book images, and illustrations A glossary of comic book-specific terms A title list actually used to begin a comic book collection at James Madison University Bibliographies for each chapter, plus a list of more than 50 web resources

In Radical Reads, Joni Richards Bodart identified 101 young adult books that featured gritty, complex plots, focused on multidimensional characters, and tackled such difficult subjects as teenage pregnancy, dysfunctional families, gangs, prejudice, violence, drugs, or other provocative issues. Teen readers were drawn to such books because they could identify with both the characters and the situations depicted in these raw and edgy works of fiction. In Radical Reads 2: Working with the Newest Edgy Titles for Teens, Bodart continues where the first book left off, examining more than a hundred titles published since the previous edition. The books featured here are engaging and tough, yet well written and accessible to readers. For each novel, Bodart lists the main characters, major themes and subject areas, and offers a brief summary. Along with providing book report ideas, she cites the strengths of each work, excerpts important reviews, and lists any awards the book has received. Indexed by author, title, subject, curriculum area, reading level, interest level, and genre, Radical Reads 2 is an indispensable tool for librarians, teachers, and parents alike, and will appeal especially to teens looking for relevant and topical fiction.