Anniversary of Elvis Presley's 1st hit on Billboard's top 10

On this day in 1956, Elvis Presley had his first Billboard top 10 hit with "Heartbreak Hotel."

The title song was written by Tommy Durden and Mae Boren Axton. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956. The song also became Presley's first million-seller, and the best-selling single of 1956. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1995 and in 2004 was named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll."

Enslow's biography of Elvis Presley, written by John Micklos, Jr., is written for the high school market.

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Feb 20-26, 2011

Investigating Eating Disorders, a book written by Marylou Ambrose and Veronica Deisler discusses the difference between bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating, and gives students a place to turn if they think they may have an eating disorder. This award-winning title is perfect for high school students.

For education packets, activity ideas and guides, as well as other articles and materials, go to http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ to find out more.

NY Mets David Wright Sure Bet for Opening Day

For many of us there's still snow covering the ground with no sign of spring but the New York Mets spring training got under way on Tuesday. There's still plenty of time and a lot can happen between now and Opening Day against the Marlins on April 1st but it's a pretty sure bet that David Wright will be in the lineup!

Science Books & Films awards

Six Enslow titles were recently awarded recognition by Science Books & Films. In the "Best Books for Children" category, Astonishing Ancient World Scientists was included.

Part of the Great Scientists and Famous Inventors series, this title includes information on eight scientists: Pythagoras, Hippocrates, Aristotle, Archimedes, Galen, Ptolemy, Zhang Heng, and al-Khwarizmi.


In the "Best Books for Junior High and High School Readers" category, five titeles were included.
 

Three of those titles are in the Investigating Diseases series. Investigating Depression and Bipolar Disorder discusses everything from the history of this disorder, to treatment options, and stories of real teens dealing with depression.
 
Investigating Diabetes answers teens' questions about the signs and symptoms, diagnostic tests, important prevention tips, and stories about real teens living with this disease.
 
Investigating Eating Disorders describes the difference between bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating.
 

In the Scientists Saving the Earth series, Who on Earth Is Rachel Carson? is another title to win this award. Called the mother of the environmental movement, Rachel Carson wrote The Silent Spring, which exposed the environmental harm done by pesticides and helped lead to restrictions on their use.
 

A title from the Score! Sports Science Projects series, Wheels! Science Projects with Bicycles, Skateboards, and Skates describes how bicycle gears work as well as teaches about the physics involved in favorite wheeled sports, whether it is cycling, skateboarding, or skating.

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

A preview shot  of Isle Esme from the upcoming film Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 was released yesterday for Valentine's Day. The much anticipated film is due to open in theatres on November 18th.

Students will enjoy reading about author Stephenie Meyer in Enslow's book, Stephenie Meyer: Author of the Twilight Saga. You'll want to have this title ready on your library shelf in time for the release of the movie.

Free Valentine's Day craft

Fun Valentine's Day fact: Did you know that nearly one billion valentine cards are exchanged every year in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia?

Want to make a lacy heart card for your valentine?

What you will need:
white office paper
red office paper or construction paper
scissors
hole punch (optional)
white glue
markers or crayons

1. Put a sheet of white paper and a sheet of red paper together. Fold the papers in half. Cut a half-heart shape. Unfold. You now have two paper hearts.
2. Fold the white heart in half lengthwise. Cut designs along the edge. Cut small hearts, flowers, or other shapes in the paper. Use a hole punch to create designs if you wish.
3. Glue the white heart to the red heart. Let dry.
4. Use markers or crayons to write your special valentine message.

That's it! This craft can be found in Paper Crafts for Valentine's Day, part of Enslow's Paper Craft Fun for Holidays series, written by Randel McGee. This title is available in both a library binding and paperback.

Congratulations to the January 2011 raffle winner!

Congratulations to Marsha from Chatfield Public Schools in Minnesota for winning Enslow's drawing for free books!

Justin Bieber Biography

If you have a Justin Bieber fan in your house and even if you don't, you're probably aware that the Justin Bieber movie "Never Say Never" opens in theaters today. But did you know that Enslow has a new Justin Bieber book on our 2011 fall title list? Justin Bieber:Teen Music Superstar explores the singer's road to fame. This fun book offers juicy quotes, personal stories, and accessible features such as a timelime and glossary. This 48-page book for grades 5–9 will be part of our Hot Celebrity Biographies series perfect for your reluctant readers and will be availabe in both library binding and paperback.

It's Dental Health Month!

I know this is a stretch, but I had to blog about this upcoming Enslow title. I think the entire series is wonderful, but this book is the closest to the subject matter. It's called Don't Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth, and will be available in the fall of 2011.

It discusses how medicine was practiced in the Middle Ages, including how barbers were the ones who performed surgery, pulled teeth, set bones, stitched cuts, etc., because they were the ones who had sharp scissors and knives. Imagine that! Did barbers go to medical school? Of course not!

Another interesting tidbit about barbers: did you know that barber poles were used as advertisements for barbers? They would wrap bloody rags around the pole, or put a bowl of blood in the window. The barbers learned their craft from looking at books that contained diagrams of which veins to cut to heal each part of the body. It was thought that too much blood in one part of the body led to an imbalance. By draining blood from the sick part of the body, balance would be restored.

Great for reluctant readers, this series also includes Sweaty Suits of Armor, There's a Rat in My Soup, and Ye Castle Stinketh. Look for them this fall!

25th Annual Celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day

The National Association for Girls and Women in Sports celebrates the 25th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day with this year's theme, "Play, Believe, Achieve."

To celebrate Enslow is featuring our Danica Patrick: Racing to History title from our Heroes of Racing series.

Millions of sports fans know the name Danica Patrick—even if they've never watched an indy car race before. As a female driver, Patrick has broken ground for her consistent performances behind the wheel. In 2008, she won the Indy Japan 300, becoming the first woman to win in an Indy Car race.

For grades 5–9, this 128-page book is perfect for reluctant readers.

Many Not Ready for College

This article, Most New York Students Not College-Ready in yesterday's paper caught my eye. Last year Enslow put together a list of remedial books intended for use by college freshman that several community colleges have found very helpful. If you think this list may be helpful to your college or students, please email us and we will be happy to provide you with a list of Enslow books that are being used by those students struggling with their transition from high school to college.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

February is the month our nation celebrates the birthdays of two presidents: Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Both iconic leaders loom large in schools' American history curricula. For teachers, one challenge has been to place these figures in context without trivializing their significance or overwhelming students with unmanageable detail.

Books from Enslow's intriguing American history series "What Would You Do?" provides solution for that pedagogical dilemma. Author Elaine Landau's six-title series is structured to foster a variety of teaching needs, including small group exploration, whole group activity, or individual work. Each book's 48-page length, excellent illustrations, and Guided Reading Level "O" content helps create the conditions for a successful reading experience. Landau also combines speculative opportunities for students within her narrative to encourage critical thinking development. Free, downloadable teacher's guides, which includes activities in all curricular areas, are available for all books in this series.

The Emancipation Proclamation: Would You Do What Lincoln Did? drives readers to consider the Union's situation and Lincoln's options as he considered this freedom-giving declaration. George Washington Crosses the Delaware: Would You Risk the Revolution? presents the historical moment and decisions Washington faced to maintain the struggle for American independence. Both books are available in paperback from Enslow Classroom for $7.95 per title. Library-bound editions for these titles are also available.

Joke Day Friday!

Today's jokes are going to center around football. Taken from Sports Jokes to Tickle Your Funny Bone, this title is now available!

Which football game do cats like to watch? The Goldfish Bowl.

Fun Fact: In the National Football League, teams play for the championship in the Super Bowl. In Canada, the championship game is called the Grey Cup. There are some differences between the games in the United States and Canada. The playing field in Canada is larger. It is 110 yards long. In the United States, the difference between the end zones is 100 yards. In order to get a first down, teams in the United States have four tries, while teams in Canada have three tries.

Fun Fact: The Heisman Trophy goes to the top college football player every year. The only player to win the award twice was Archie Griffin of Ohio State University. He won it in both 1974 and 1975. Eight Heisman Trophy winners were good enough to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They are Marcus Allen, Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett, Paul Hornung, Barry Sanders, O. J. Simpson, Roger Staubach, and Doak Walker.

Free Chinese New Year Craft

According to the Chinese calendar, today marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit. Do you know why people wear red, why children receive money in red envelopes, or why some people paint the doors to their houses red? Red is a color that is supposed to scare away bad luck and bring good luck. This and many other interesting facts about Chinese New Year along with fun counting exercises are included in our title Chinese New Year: Count and Celebrate for grades 1–3.

If you're looking for a fun craft to celebrate the New Year, here's instructions on how to make a Dragon Streamer Puppet from our Chinese New Year Crafts book.

What you will need:

• construction paper
• bright fluffy feathers or bright tissue paper
• crepe paper in bright colors
• scissors
• glue
• wiggle eyes

1. Pick a piece of construction paper in a bright color. Fold the paper in half. Cut the corners opposite the
    fold to make them round. This is the dragon's head.

2. To make the dragon's mane, glue fluffy feathers along the folded edge or use fringed tissue paper. Cut   
    construction paper about 2 inches wide and about the same width of the dragon's head. Cut long, curving
    points to look like eyebrows. Glue in place to cover the ends of the feathers.

3. Cut two half-circles of paper for the eyes. Glue wiggle eyes to the half-circles. Glue some feather fluff to
    the backs of the eyes to make eyelashes. Glue the eyes below the eyebrows. Cut two shapes for nostrils.
    Glue in place.

4. For the dragon's whiskers, glue narrow feathers behind the nostrils. Cut six strips of crepe paper about 3
    feet long. Glue to the underside near the folded edge, overlapping the strips. Cut a strip of paper about 1
    inch wide and about the width of the head. Fold 1 inch under on either end. Glue the folded tabs to the
    underside of the head and let dry. This is the handle for your puppet. Glue long strips of tissue paper under
    the bottom "lip" of the dragon to form the dragon's beard.

5. Let everything dry completely. When the puppet is ready, hold it by the handle and make it dance around!

On this day in 1863, who used a pseudonym for the first time?

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (better known as Mark Twain) used that name as a pen name for the first time.

According to Mark Twain: Banned, Challenged, and Censored, the phrase mark twain is a riverboat term for two fathoms, or twelve feet. It was used to denote the line between safe and dangerous waters.

In this book, written by Michelle M. Houle, she discusses Twain's life and times, analyzes two of his best-known books, and explores both sides of the argument over censorship. She helps readers decide for themselves about whether Twain's books should be banned.

Valentine's Day for Pre-K

With Valentine's Day less than two weeks away, young children are curious about the holiday, its symbols, and its sentiments. The event offers teachers, parents, and librarians with a wonderful opportunity to connect children with suitable books about the day.

One title that's especially useful for read aloud sessions, group activities, or parent-child reading is Enslow Publishers' Valentine's Day. Author Dorothy Goeller's 24-page title, intended for pre-K aged children, effectively combines sight words and full-page color photos to produce a rich, enjoyable reading journey. The book's 6" x 7" trim size and large type size helps make Valentine's Day accessible to a young, emerging reader. Enslow also provides a free, downloadable teacher's guide for the title, with fun, yet pedagogically sensible activities available for all five principal curricular areas.

Visit Enslow Classroom for more information and immediate ordering of the $6.95 paperback version of Valentine's Day, or other books in Enslow's "All About Holidays" series. A library-bound version of each holiday book is also available.

Interested in getting an unusual pet?

How about a ferret, a hairless cat, a hermit crab, a hissing cockroach, an iguana, or a potbellied pig! Enslow's new elementary series, Far-Out and Unusual Pets, covers all of these animals. Each 48 page book, written by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein and Laura Silverstein Nunn, covers the feeding and care of these unusual pets.

With plans on adding to this series in the future, check out the six that are currently available!

Fun Facts about Scarlett Johannson

• Did you know she is a twin? She has a twin brother, Hunter.
• Her family lived in New York City when she was growing up?
• She studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute for Young People?
• In the movie Manny and Lo, Scarlett's parents, sister Vanessa, and brother Hunter all had small parts, however Scarlett was a co-star
• In which movie did she do voice over work? The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

Interested in reading more about her? Click here.

Kevin Garnett Bowling for Charity

Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett ("KG") has earned a good reputation for his charitable interests off the court as well as his strong play on the court. His most recent endeavor was participating in a charity bowling event to rasie money for "The Truth Fund" and "The Truth on Health" information campaign. Both initiatives, targeted to reach underprivileged kids, are spearheaded by Garnett's teammate Paul Pierce.

Read more about KG's longstanding interest in "giving back" in Enslow Publishers's Kevin Garnett: All-Star On and Off the Court. Author J. Chris Roselius' attractively designed, 128-page biography neatly illuminates Garnett's early years, his rise to stardom, and selected charitable activities. An excellent choice for character education and African-American biography collections, this Guided Reading Level "V" title is available in paperback for $9.95 or in a library-bound edition.

A free, downloadable teacher's guide, including curriculum-specific activities, is also available for the book.

Kevin Garnett: All-Star On and Off the Court is part of Enslow's nine-book "Sports Stars with Heart" series, which focuses on professional athletes in basketball, baseball, and football.

No Name-Calling Week Starts Today

No Name-Calling Week is being celebrated January 24th - 28th this year. It sounds like a good initiative for schools to support. You can find more information and great resources on their very informative website. If your school is celebrating we would love to hear about it!

Enslow's title for grades 6–up, Bullying: How to Deal with Taunting, Teasing, and Tormenting, published in 2005 continues to be a popular-selling title. With anti-bullying programs gaining more and more popularity, this title serves as a great tie-in and supplemental reading for students.