Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired

I recently attended the Special Needs Consultants meeting in Madison, where one of the presenters was Stacy Grandt of the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

They provide statewide services to blind and visually impaired students. As a part of the Department of Public Instruction's Division for Learning Support: Equity and Advocacy, the WCBVI is the lead resource for providing quality services to blind and visually impaired school-age children.

As the Director of Outreach, Stacy and her team include consultants and/or specialists in the areas of assistive technology, birth-to-six, low vision, orientation and mobility, parent support, professional development, school-age children, students who are deaf/blind, students with multiple disabilities, and transition.

She talked about some great resources also available to public libraries, such as:

- Blind Children's Fund Website - includes books with characters who are blind and other products.

- connections to order materials for children at your library who are blind, including Squid books

- tactile graphics (See "Bits from Barb" for more information on ordering these for SRP)

- Braille items

Please contact Stacy if you have any questions about the resources available!

(stacy.grandt@wcbvi.k12.wi.us)

Children's Book Award Brochures

Every library should've recently received brochures for the 2008 RR Donnelley Award, the 2008 Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award, the 2008 Notable Wisconsin Authors/Illustrators and a Literary Awards 2008 Honors bookmark.

You also should've received a listing of the 2008 Books by Wisconsin Authors.

Annual Children's Book Conference

The 7th Annual Northwoods Children's Book Conference will be held again this year in Cable, Wisconsin on September 24 and 25.

Tons of featured presenters will be giving break out sessions, such as Kimberly Faurot! The conference is ideal for librarians, educators and writers.

If you did not receive a copy of the brochure, please let me know. Or, for more information, check out the session descriptions.

CCBC Podcast

The CCBC Choices presentation was held on Thursday, May 21. If you were unable to attend, you can listen to the audio podcast below of Megan and Tessa!

The following books were presented:

The Natural World
Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator – Sarah C. Campbell
Big Brown Bat – Rick Chrustowski
Loon Summer – Sandy Gillum

Historical People, Places and Events:
Comic Book Century: The History of American Comic Books – Stephen Krensky
Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse – Meghan McCarthy

Biography and Autobiography
Phillis’s Big Test - Catherine Clinton
Up Close: Thurgood Marshall – Chris Crowe
Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Lived to Draw – Deborah Kogan Ray

Contemporary people, places and events
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai – Claire A. Nivola

Issues in Today’s World
50 Simple Things You Can do to Save the Earth – John Javna, Sophie Javna and Jessie Javna
We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures– In Association with Amnesty International

Understanding Oneself and Others
My Two Grannies – Floella Benjamin
An Artist’s America – Michael Albert
Punk Rock Etiquette: The Ultimate How-To Guide for Punk , Underground, DIY and Indie Bands – Travis Nichols
Before John was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane – Carole Boston Weatherford

Picture Books for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers
Round like a Ball! – Lisa Campbell Ernst
Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp – Denise Fleming
Giorgio and His Star Crane Train – Jessica Spanyol
How to Heal a Broken Wing – Bob Graham

Picture Books for School-Age Children
The Chicken of the Family – Mary Amato
The Cow That Laid an Egg – Andy Cutbill
The Scrambled States of America Talent Show- Laurie Keller
Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad – James Rumford
Growing up with Tomales = Los tamales de Ana – Gwendolyn Zepeda

Fiction for Children
The London Eye Mystery – Siobhan Dowd
Diamond Willow – Helen Frost
Rapunzel’s Revenge – Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
Every Soul a Star – Wendy Mass
Greetings From Nowhere – Barbara O’Connor

Fiction for Young Adults
The Savage – David Almond
The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins
The Knife of Never Letting Go – Patrick Ness
Lunch with Lenin and Other Stories – Deborah Ellis
How They Met, and Other Stories – David Levithan
Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about the Grapes of Wrath – Steven Goldman
The Adoration of Jenna Fox – Mary E. Pearson

DS400027.WMA -Click here to listen to the podcast!