Recently, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) came out with their 25 Best Apps for Teaching & Learning for 2014. The apps were chosen because they foster innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration.
Civil War by KIDS DISCOVER is one such app. The app allows students to “explore and interact with the different facets of the Civil War,” meeting the key players, visiting the battlefields, and reading nonfiction passages that provide background information.
The app is recommended for grades 3-8 and is available on iOS only (starting at $1.99). Check out this video to see the app in action:
Films about the lives of authors are always intriguing! Here we have five films about some of the most beloved authors.
William Shakespeare Anonymous (2011), directed by Ronald Emmerich, 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, Rhys Ifans as the Earl of Oxford/Rafe Spall as William Shakespeare
This film explores the less-than-popular theory that Shakepeare’s plays were actually written by the Earl of Oxford, who hid behind Shakespeare to remain anonymous. Whether or not you take the theory seriously, the film can be an interesting one to watch and even spark conversation.
This film takes a look at Austen’s personal and romantic life, centering on her relationship with Tom Lefroy. Some audiences really enjoy the romantic focus, while others would prefer a take on Austen that focuses more on her literary accomplishments.
This film about a female author does center on her literary accomplishments, rather than a romantic relationship. There is an important relationship in the story, but the film is ultimately about Potter’s career and how she works toward her dreams.
This film starts “at the very beginning” – showing flashbacks of Travers’ life throughout the film, and ending with the release of Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964). The movie gives audiences a sense of Travers’ difficulties with turning her beloved nanny into a “cavorting, and twinkling” one.
This film highlights Barrie’s controversial relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family, and its impact on his famous Peter Pan. Sequences that take the audience into Barrie’s imagination add just the right amount of fantasy.
The Minnesota Book Awards Gala is fast approaching. . .and so is the deadline for nominations! Be sure to submit your nominations for the Minnesota Book Awards by 5:00 PM on Friday, December 5th. Click here for more information on nominating (including how-to), or here for our previous post about the Minnesota Book Awards.
Introducing our new monthly update – Notable Dates for your Noggin! Each month we’ll bring you a compiled list of fun national holidays, birthdays of authors, and publication dates of favorite books. You can use these for your own personal use or for some library inspiration!
Did we miss anything? Let us know if we did!
For our calendar of library events, including conferences and library days, check out our Events/Initiatives page.
And for more Notable Dates for Your Noggin, check out our Notable Dates page.
What’s your favorite part about Thanksgiving – hearing about the first time your baby nephew put his finger up his nose? Political debates? Hearing that story your aunt tells every year? Your uncle’s jokes? Me neither.
Check out this video by Mental Floss – 25 Little Known Facts About Thanksgiving – and bring something more to the table this year. (There’s even a nod to Minnesota!)
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