Today is National Reptile Day

There are more than eight thousand different kinds of reptiles. They can be less than an inch long or they can weigh a ton. When reptiles hatch, they look like miniature adults. Reptiles have dry skin and scales, while amphibians have moist skin and do not have scales.

These facts were pulled from Learning to Care for Reptiles and Amphibians, written by Felicia Lowenstein Niven.

Win a Copy of The Devil's Door! Sponsored by SLJ

October 20, 2010



With Halloween just around the corner, it's time to put the finishing touches on your costume and share scary stories about ghosts, goblins, and witches. In Enslow Publishers' newest historical fiction adventures title, The Devil's Door: A Salem Witchcraft Story, Sarah Wright and her father come to Salem Village to start a new life. But a strange affliction has begun to torment some young girls in the village, and after the doctor fails to find a cause, he's determined that it can only be one thing: witchcraft! The devil has come to Salem. As fear and panic spread, so do the accusations. Readers can follow Sarah on her journey in this terrifying tale that's set in colonial America.


Would you like to win a copy of The Devil's Door? Simply email whatsnew@enslow.com and tell them about your favorite Halloween memory. Better hurry! Only the first five entrants will receive a free book. (Please include your mailing address.) Winners will be notified by email within three days and their responses will be posted on the publisher's blog and Twitter pages. All entrants will be added to Enslow's e-newsletter list.


This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter SLJTeen.

Today is National Day on Writing

To draw attention to the remarkable variety of writing Americans engage in and to help make writers from all walks of life aware of their craft, the National Council of Teachers of English has established October 20, as the National Day on Writing.
 
To celebrate NCTE encourages participants to the visit National Gallery of Writing where they can read published work, contribute their own writing, start a local gallery, or search galleries.

NCTE provides a list of wonderful classroom activities, Web sites, and related resouces available here.

Thinking of writing a book or maybe starting your memoirs? Why not start today?

Need a book to help your students with their writing? Check out our Ace Your Creative Writing Project or Ace Your Research Paper or Ace Your Writing Assignment titles.

Happy National Day on Writing!

Happy Birthday Philip Pullman

The works of Philip Pullman, award-winning author of the His Dark Materials trilogy, are enjoyed by readers of all ages. Some of the themes of his work include the conflict of good vs. evil, the end of innocence, and the beginning of wisdom. Perhaps more than anything else, however, his work is known for its depiction of the relationship between religion and science. Such depictions continue to fuel discussion among readers and inspire debate today.

What is a Joey?

Young students reading about animals offer instructors a multitude of teachable moments. Their names, for example, help define the creatures as young or adult.

Did you know that a baby kangaroo is called a "joey"? As with many of us, one's initial instinct might connect "joey" with a human being. Children may find "joey's" attribution amusing or puzzling. However, "joey" will get them to stop and think. At that point, the teachable moment begins.

Teachers and students can read about "joeys" and adult kangaroos in Enslow Publishers' How Do Baby Animals Live? Author Faith Hickman Byrnie's 32-page book, part of the Enslow series "I Like Reading About Animals," includes striking color photography, a child-friendly design, and useful back matter. The book's dual reading passages accommodate two distinct Guided Reading Levels, while maintaining the same overall narrative for both texts. A Teacher's Guide is available for each book in the six-title series.

How Do Baby Animals Live? is available in paperback for $6.95; a library-bound version is also available.

For more information, visit http://www.enslowclassroom.com/

Make Discussing Breast Cancer Easier!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so when I think of October I think of PINK and my mom!

This October I'm celebrating my mother's one year anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I'm sure you can think of at least one person who you know that has battled this disease.While I was able to meet with my mother's surgeon, to learn more about the type of breast cancer she had and discuss her treatment options, there are many people who are not so fortunate.

     Enslow's The Breast Cancer Update title is a great way for teenagers to learn about the disease that perhaps someone they know is battling. Complete with a summary of the disease, how cancer develops, different stages of cancer, and diagnostic and treatment methods are presented in a way that even teenagers can understand.

Discussing breast cancer as an adult was difficult, I can only imagine what it would be like for a teenager who probably has little knowledge of the disease and LOTS of questions. Books are a great way to get accurate information into teenage hands and hopefully make discussing topics, like breast cancer, a little easier for everyone.

Happy National Boss Day!

Tomorrow, October 16, is really National Bosses Day, but since it falls on a weekend, people are celebrating today!

Whether your boss is like Michael Scott or Jack Donaghy (I watch too much NBC) take a minute to thank him or her today for all of their hard work!

Here at Enslow, we thank all of our bosses for all their great work!

Check out this site with the most desirable bosses. Who can see yourself working for?

Police Officer and K-9 Presented Book by Author

Enslow author, Linda Bozzo, visited James Monroe Elementary School in Edison, New Jersey yesterday to present Officer Shawn Meade and his K-9 partner, Lucky, a copy of her new book Police Dog Heroes in which the officer and his dog are featured.

After presenting the newly published book to Officer Meade, Linda read from the book. She also talked about how she came in contact with the officer and told the group of children how he helped her with the research for the book.

Police Dog Heroes is one of six books in Enslow's new series, "Amazing Working Dogs with American Humane" for grades 3–4.  Each book in the series features a true story of a real dog and his handler as well as includes the history, breeds used, training, the work they do, and what happens when these dog heroes retire.

Cold versus flu

Want to know the difference between a cold and the flu? Now that cold and flue season is upon us ...

There is a chart in the Investigating Influenza and Bird Flu title that lists 11 different traits and whether that trait is found in a cold, the flu, or both. An interesting fact: "every year, between 4 and 20 percent of the world population catches some form of influenza."

Part of the Investigating Diseases series, there are five other topics in this series:  depression and bipolar disorder, diabetes, eating disorders, STDs, and tuberculosis.

Two Fantastic Videos for Earth Week

The first of the 33 miners trapped for 69 days in a collapsed mine, half a mile underground, have been rescued. If you missed the news footage like I did, thanks to technology you can still watch it or watch it again online. What better way to celebrate Earth Science Week than by watching video of the Chilean Miners Rescue.

Another great video was forwarded me this week that I thought was worth posting is the Father and Son Film Outerspace video. Using a weather balloon, a video camera, and an iPhone, this father-and-son team managed to launch their homemade spacecraft up to nearly 19 miles into the stratosphere and capture amateur, yet impressive footage.

Canadian and American Thanksgiving

Today is the day Canada officially celebrates Thanksgiving. Most of the celebrating was done yesterday, when Canada enjoyed the tail end of a three-day holiday weekend. The Canadian Thanksgiving meal is strikingly similar to that US version, with turkey, mashed potatoes, and other traditional dishes.

The Canadian holiday reminds us that the American Thanksgiving is a little over a month away. For pre-K teachers looking to incorporate the holiday into lesson plans, consider using Enslow Publishers' Thanksgiving Day. This Guided Reading Level "B" paperback title offers a charming story, opportunities to count, and thoughtfully chosen vocabulary suitable for the target age and reading threshold.

Paperback versions of this 24-page book cost $6.95; library-bound versions are also available. For more information about the book and related titles in Enslow Publishers' "All About Holidays" pre-K series, visit Enslow's paperback book website -- http://www.enslowclassroom.com/.

Celebrating Earth Science Week

According to http://www.earthsciweek.org/

The American Geological Institute has organized this national and international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences. Started in October 1998, this year's Earth Science Week will be October 10-16 and celebrates the theme "Exploring Energy."

Interested in doing some earth science projects this week? Go to Earth Science Projects Using the Scientific Method.

Fifth Annual New York Comic Con and comic book memories

On Sunday I attended the New York Anime/Comic Con at the Jacob K. Javits Center for the first time. I had a great time strolling Illustrator Alley, shopping the vendors (got my Bazinga and Flash t-shirts), and attending several of the Professional Panels while admiring all of the great costumes and superheros walking the floor and hanging from the ceiling!

I even purchased a one year subscription of unlimited online comics as a birthday present for my daughter at the Marvel booth. This reminded me of how publishers of all genres are changing with the times. Apparently, comic books are no exception.

It wasn't until rummaging through some boxes of old comic books at a vendor table that my childhood memories of comic books came rushing back. My earliest memory of comic books is being at our family's lake house.We didn't have a television there. We were lucky to be able to afford the one television at home. As you can imagine we did lots of other things like fish, hike, and ride bikes. But, on rainy days I remember my parents taking my brothers and I to a bookstore that sold comic books. We were each allowed to pick out several comic books since they were probably an inexpensive way of keeping the three of us from killing each other until the rain subsided. I was always an avid reader so I'm pretty sure I had a book with me. My brothers...not so much. I don't remember being allowed to buy comic books like Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica when we were at home, so when I think of comics books, rainy days at the lake house are what I remember. Thank you Comic Con for helping me relive that memory on Sunday.

What's your earliest memory of comic books?

Teen Read Week 2010- October 17-23

According to ala.org:

Join the more than 5,000 librarians and educators who will celebrate Teen Read Week™, October 17-23. This year's theme is Books with Beat @ your library®," which encourages teens to read poetry, audiobooks, books about music, and more. Libraries across the world celebrate Teen Read Week with a variety of special events and programs aimed at encouraging teens to read for pleasure and to visit their libraries for free reading materials.

Go to http://www.enslow.com/ to see some of your favorite Enslow Publishers' books!

Happy Birthday Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Millions of fans today see Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the flaming red No. 8 car and think that with his name and family tradition, he was born to win races and accept the cheers of the crowd. But it was not easy. He had to grow up in the shadows of both his famous father and his grandfather, Ralph. Dale Jr. had to race cars knowing the fans would always compare him to those two other racing Earnhardts. In 1998 and 1999 he took home the Busch Grand National Series title, becoming the first driver to win such a championship after both his father and grandfather had won it before him. After his dramatic and emotional victory at the Daytona 500 in 2004—the race that took his father's life just three years earlier—Dale Jr. has emerged as one of NASCAR's best drivers. Exciting new title for reluctant readers!

It's Earth Science Week!

From October 10 to October 16, it's Earth Science week. This year's theme is "Exploring Energy."

Organized by the American Geological Institute, this event is designed to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for Earth Sciences.

Today would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday

There are a lot of web sites dedicated to this famous singer and musician, as well as a movie Nowhere Boy, being released in the U.S. on Friday, Oct. 8.

"How different might music, and perhaps the world, be if a crazed fan had not prematurely ended Lennon's life? All one can do is imagine." These two sentences are from Jeff Burlingame's biography John Lennon: "Imagine."

Today is the birthday of R. L. Stine

A firsthand interview and family photos can be found here, along with an examination of the life and work of this best-selling author.

Did Leif Eriksson who traveled to Canada, beat Christopher Columbus by nearly 400 years?

October 9 every year is Leif Eriksson Day. This day was created in 1964 and chosen for its connection to the first organized immigration from Norway to the United States (the ship arrived in NY harbor on October 9 1825), but ironically not for any event in the life of the Eriksson.

There are many fascinating things to find out about the Viking explorer: Leif Eriksson was a Norse explorer who was probably the first European to land in North America. According to stories from the time, he established a Norse settlement at Vinland, which has been tentatively identified as L'Anse aux Meadows, a Norse site on the northern tip of the island of Newfoundland, Canada.

Find out more in Enslow Publishers' titles here.

Freedom of the press

Should news providers be allowed to publish stories that may prove embarassing to the United States government? This was the question the United States Supreme Court had to consider in the case of New York Times v. United States in 1971.

The debate about freedom of the press is discussed in a thought-provoking overview entitled New York Times v. United States, a library-bound book for middle school readers.