028.6 Cybil Awards for the 3rd Time

The winning titles of the Cybil Awards for the 2008 year have been announced and can be reviewed here in detail.

I love the nonfiction picture book Nic Bishop's Frogs selection of course...in fact used it in a catalog class situation last week. It is a perfect example of why kids can't get enough visually-stimulating science books! Here is a podcast with the author of the winning book from the Just One More Book site!

The only other winner I am familiar with enough to even mention knowing is the haunting, somewhat disturbing, YA novel Hunger Games. So much to think about on many levels.

Information about past winners can be found here for 2006 and here for 2007.

Happy Reading!

551.5 Winter Weather in Texas: Never a Dull Moment!

I had an opportunity to do a 1200-mile circle around part of Texas about a week ago and got to see the effects of weather in several ways...the terrible effects of drought in central Texas, the wild winds of the West Texas Plains...and the freakness of a hailstorm that happens when a cold front meets warmer air coming up from the Gulf! Earlier this school year, we got to experience a little snow at home in Houston. Take a look at what I ran into coming down off the Caprock between Post and Snyder! NO...it is not snow...it is hail and thank goodness it fell about a hour before I passed thru the area...or my cute red car may have been pelted and dented!