How to Study.org: a Website to Help Students!

As you know, studying for a math test and writing a history paper require different study skills.  HowtoStudy.org can help you learn key study strategies and writing techniques — and the site is organized by subject so that you can home in on exactly what you need to know!  Although geared more towards college students, there is much here that will translate well for all teens.  There are also general tips on many related topics, such as How to Get Organized, Notetaking, Time Management, Memory Improvement, and Test Anxiety.  This is just a sampling: Check it out because it really is a resource-rich site!

Program Cancelation at Newton Free Library Jan. 27

We regret that the program “Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education without Loans, Scholarships or Mooching Off My Parents” with author Zac Bissonnette has been canceled tonight (1/27 @ 7:30 pm) because the author is not able to make it to Newton from his home in western Massachusetts.  If possible, this program will be re-scheduled, so stay tuned.

Contest! The 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are now accepting Submissions!

Established in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s largest, longest-running, most prestigious visual and literary arts program recognizing accomplishments of students in grades 7 – 12.  It is a symbol of excellence that can bolster resumes, college applications, and scholarship applications.  All National Award recipients earn a place on the National Recipient list.  Selected works will be featured in the National Catalog and The Best Teen Writing anthology.  Most importantly, winning a Scholastic Art & Writing Award offers the opportunity for scholarships.  At the regional level, award-winning seniors have access to more than $3.5 million in scholarships from local institutions.  At the national level, $10,000 scholarships are given to 15 graduating seniors who earn Portfolio Gold Medals, a select number of Portfolio Silver Medalists will earn $1,000 Notable Achievement Awards, and seniors who earn Portfolio Gold Medals or Portfolio Silver Medals can leverage partial to full-ride scholarships from a network of 60 arts universities and institutes, which annually earmark $3.9 million in financial aid.

To share your creative work with The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, you can go to www.artandwriting.org and click “Register Now” to access the Scholastic Awards Online Registration System.  Here you’ll find out about the categories of art and writing, how to prepare your work, and your regional guidelines and deadlines.  You’ll have to know your school’s ZIP code to determine your regional program.

Generally, the answers to virtually all questions you might have about the entire process will be found in the site’s extensive FAQ page.

The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature 2011

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.  It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association.

2011 Printz Winner

Ship Breaker
by Paolo Bacigalupi
published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group

In Ship Breaker, near a drowned New Orleans ravaged by hurricanes and global warming, Nailer and his young crew eke out a meager existence by scavenging materials on the ship-littered coast.

“This taut, suspenseful novel is a relentless adventure story featuring nuanced characters in thought-provoking conflicts. Bacigalupi artfully intertwines themes of loyalty, family, friendship, trust and love,” said Printz Award Committee Chair Erin Downey Howerton.

2011 Printz Honor Books

The committee also named four Printz Honor Books:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher, published by Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

The rugged Australian outback becomes Gemma’s prison after she is drugged and abducted by a handsome, obsessed stranger in a first novel filled with searing imagery and archetypal characters.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King, published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Vera Dietz wants to be ignored, but the ghost of her ex-best friend won’t leave her alone in this dark comedy that examines relationships, identity, grief and flowcharts.

Revolver written by Marcus Sedgwick, published by Roaring Book Press, an imprint of the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

In Sedgwick’s grim, chilling story set in the Arctic Circle, Sig finds his father’s frozen corpse as human predator Wolff arrives seeking retribution and a hidden Gold Rush treasure.

Nothing written by Janne Teller, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Pierre Anthon’s nihilism causes his classmates to begin a search for life’s meaning in this bold, unsettling parable translated from Danish.

YA Books for Giving!

Take a look at this list of new YA books perfect for giving…Just click on the link below:

YA Holiday Books

Debt free for college program at the NFL!

Zac Bissonnette author of, “Debt-Free U:  How I paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships or Mooching Off My Parents” will speak at the Newton Free Library on Thursday January 27th at 7:30 pm in Druker Auditorium. 

Click below for more information…

Debt-free for college program — January 27th at 7:30 pm