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Welcome New

Students!

Upcoming McConnell

Events

McConnell

Conference Poster

Sessions

Author Spotlight

McConnell

Conference

Martha Bennett Stiles

August—Get Ready

for Kindergarten

Month

Call for 2013

McConnell Breakout

Session Proposals

Connecting with

Characters Contest

SLIS CATS Meeting

Kentucky Reading

Association

Conference

Student Section

On the Blog

About the Center

The McConnell Center is a place where students can come to read and to conduct re-

search, and also come together with peers and library professionals to discuss youth and

their literature. We welcome all new students and hope to see you in the McConnell

Center!

We also welcome all students to join the SLIS CATS (Children and Teen Services)

Organizational meeting on August 20, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. in the McConnell Center. To

RSVP for this event, please go to our Facebook page at http://bit.ly/SLISCATS or you

can use our event registration form at http://bit.ly/McConnellRSVP.

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August 18 at 7:00 p.m.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie

Stiefvater

http://bit.ly/ScorpioRaces

August 20 at 4:00 p.m.

SLIS CATS (Children’s and Teen

Services) Meeting

http://bit.ly/SLISCATS

October 1 at 4:30 p.m.

Good Enough to Eat: Come Devour

a Banned Book

http://bit.ly/GoodEnoughtoEat

October 13 at 7:00 p.m.

McConnell Board Game Night!

http://bit.ly/McConnellBoardGame

Would you like to present a poster

at the 2013 McConnell

Conference? The 45th McConnell

Conference will be at the

Lexington Embassy Suites Hotel

on March 1-2, 2013.

The deadline for sign ups is

September 28, 2012.

Please direct questions to

Dr. Reynolds at

stephanie.reynolds@uky.edu.

Poster session sign up information

can be found here.

http://bit.ly/McConnellPoster

McConnell Conference

http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-

conference

Guidelines

Poster must be on a tri-fold

freestanding board. Boards must be

in black or white.

Content must be clear and concise

Must have content that pertains to

children’s library services, early

literacy skills, or other topics that

are pertinent to youth literature

Poster may be accompanied by

handouts and/or business cards

Poster must include a title, the

presenter’s name, and contact

information.

It is recommended that the presenter

include graphs, charts, and visual

cues.

Please RSVP on our Facebook pages

or the new form found here for these

events so we know approximately

how many are coming or if we need

to reschedule. ~Thanks!

Want to present at the 45th

McConnell Conference? Fill out the

Proposal form at

http://bit.ly/2013McConnellCFP

by August 15, 2012!

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Walker knows a secret. This secret could destroy lives and send the entire community into chaos. He

did not want to be responsible for keeping this secret. While out alone one night camping under the stars,

Walker stumbles upon two girls making love. In a community were being homosexual can have you run out

of town; Walker is confused and questions how he will keep this secret. Especially since, the new preacher in

town is on a witch hunt for homosexuals and labels Walker gay. Now the entire school is treating him like a

parasite and bullying him mercilessly for being something he is not. The preacher boy hands him an

ultimatum, either out the homosexuals in his school or be tortured daily with false taunts. Now Walker is

caught up in a dilemma that is eating away at his soul. What should he do? What is right? How do you protect

yourself in a community that only knows hate? Jack Gantos’ first teen novel will have you questioning your

own morals and principles. Written first in the late nineties it tackles a subject that is difficult and confusing

even by today’s standards. Nothing will prepare you for the ending and you will leave with more questions

than answers. However, that is the beauty of the novel it makes you question yourself.

Gantos, J. (1997). Desire lines. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Read A-likes

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

Kerr, M. E. (1994). Deliver us from Evie. New York: HarperCollins.

Dole, M. L. (2008). Down to the bone. New York: HarperTeen.

Every month leading up to the

McConnell 2013 Conference, the

McConnell newsletter will feature a

new book review from one of our

2013 guest presenters. These

reviews will introduce you to our

authors and some of their work. If

you have any books from our 2013

presenters you would like us to

review, please send suggestions to:

mercedes.hopewell@gmail.com

Desire Lines

By Jack Gantos

“A tightly written first-person novel tells how 16-year-old

Walker knows about the romance of two of his female

classmates. While he understands the evil of intolerance—

in this case homophobia in a rural community—he feels

helpless, and tragedy ensues." —The New York

Times Book Review

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Martha Bennett Stiles new

book, Sailing to Freedom, has

been selected by the Kentucky

Book Fair to be featured at the

National Book Festival on the

Mall in Washington, DC in late

September. We are very excited to

announce that local author Martha

Bennett Stiles has been chosen for

this honor! Look for the

forthcoming book review on our

blog.

Stiles, M. B. (2012). Sailing to

freedom. New York: Henry Holt

and Company.

McConnell Conference

March 1-2, 2013

Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington, KY

http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-

conference

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Would you like to present a

breakout session at the 2013

McConnell Conference? The 45th

McConnell Conference will be at

the Lexington Embassy Suites

Hotel on March 1-2, 2013.

Breakout sessions are to be 50-

minute informational or

instructional programs related to

youth literature. The deadline for

submissions is August 15, 2012.

Notifications of acceptance will be

made by September 30, 2012. If

you have any direct questions or

concerns about the conference

proposals, please contact

Stephanie Reynolds at

stephanie.reynolds@uky.edu

To submit a proposal for the 2013

McConnell Conference, please go

to:

http://bit.ly/2013McConnellCFP

August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month. Almost 2 million

children will be entering Kindergarten in the Fall. So what can you do

prepare the children in your library? The American Library Association

has provided a reading list of books that are recommended for

Kindergarteners.

ALA Recommendations for Ages 5-7

Keats, E. J. (1962). The snowy day. New York: Viking Press.

Lobel, A., Lobel, A., & Harper & Row, Publishers. (1970). Frog and

Toad are friends. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.

McCloskey, R. (1969). Make way for ducklings. New York: The

Viking press.

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things Are. New York: Harper &

Row.

Steptoe, J. (1993). Mufaro's beautiful daughters: An African tale. New

York: Mulberry.

Viorst, J., & Cruz, R. (1972). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no

good, very bad day. New York: Atheneum.

You can also check out The Department of Education’s website to find

information that is beneficial for kindergarteners and their parents.

http://www2.ed.gov/parents/earlychild/ready/preschool/part_pg9.html

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Are you interested in children and

teen outreach? Do you want first

hand experience with planning

programs and events for children

and teens? The SLIS CATS group

is the Children and Teen Services

Organization on campus that is

devoted to youth literature and

outreach for the surrounding

community. Our first meeting will

be August 20th at 4:00 p.m. in the

McConnell Center. All new and

current students are welcome to

join in our meeting!

We are excited to announce the 2013 Connecting with

Characters Contest. All kids in preschool through

12th grade in Kentucky or a neighboring state can

enter. Sponsoring libraries and schools must register to

participate by November 30, 2012. Entries must be

received by January 18, 2013. The Contest is in

conjunction with the 2013 McConnell Conference for

Youth Literature, which will feature Jack Gantos, Dan

Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla. We hope that the

Contest will provide an opportunity for the youth of

Kentucky and the surrounding states to connect with

the works of these wonderful contributors to the world

of literature for youth.

Participants could win a signed copy of Jack

Gantos’s Dead End in Norvelt, the 2012 Newbery

Medal Winner! There are also great titles available by

Dan Yaccarino and Selene Castrovilla. More

information is forth coming but be sure to check out

our website at http://cis.uky.edu/lis/mcconnell-contest-

2013

Please RSVP for this event at http://bit.ly/SLISCATS

or at

http://bit.ly/McConnellRSVP

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The KRA’s Annual Conference is taking place October 18-20, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel

Lexington, KY. KRA is a nonprofit affiliate of the International Reading Association (www.reading.org), a

professional organization aimed at promoting reading for all. The McConnell Center is looking for students to

help staff the McConnell booth at the KRA conference. If you are interested in staffing the McConnell booth,

please contact Dr. Reynolds at stephanie.reynolds@uky.edu or you can sign up for this event by going our

Google form at http://bit.ly/PkC41j.

Below is a list of registration fees and information. If you would like to register for this event, please go to

http://www.kyreading.org for further information.

2012 Registration Fees

Pre-conference Session -- Thursday, October 18 (Limited to 100 participants in each session)

$20 – Suzanne Carothers from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm (Early Childhood/elementary)

$20 – Laura Robb from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm (Intermediate/secondary)

Early Bird Conference Fee (On or before September 30)

KRA Member $100

KRA Non-member $120

Student $35 (must show student ID at registration desk)

One Day Registration: Friday or Saturday KRA Members - $75

Non-Members - $85

Late Full Conference Fee (After September 30)

KRA Member $110

KRA Non-member $130

Student $35 (must show student ID at registration desk)

Late One Day Registration: Friday or Saturday KRA Members - $85

Non-Members - $95

Student - $35 (must show student ID at registration desk)

Join KRA now and receive the KRA Member Conference Rate (Membership Fee--$15)

Special Events Kentucky Bluegrass Awards Luncheon $15--Friday, October 19 (Limited to 250)

Author’s Luncheon $15--Saturday, October 20 (Limited to 200)

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Exceptional projects

Middle Eastern Culture: Resources for All

Ages, a project from Dr. Reynolds's Youth

Literature for a Diverse Society:

http://bit.ly/MiddleEasternCulture

Overview

This Middle East Wiki is designed to

provide book and media resources and links

for those seeking culturally authentic and

diverse resources appropriate for children,

juveniles, and young adults. The wiki also

provides resources geared to assist adults

who work with youth of all ages. This wiki

is not considered a complete listing of all

resources available on the topic of the

Middle East or literature featuring those

of Middle Eastern descent, but is a jumping

off point for those wishing to explore

literature that features the Middle East in

some way.

STUDENT SECTION INFORMATION FOR SLIS STUDENTS

Are you interested in attending the YALSA

Symposium in St. Louis this November.

Listed below is a short synopsis about the

conference and registration information. We

will be staying two nights at the hotel. The

rooms are $105/night. However, we will be

sharing rooms so this cost can be cut

considerably. If you are interested in

participating in the symposium, please

contact Dr. Reynolds at

stephanie.reynolds@uky.edu.

Join the discussion on Facebook

http://bit.ly/UKYalsa2012.

For more information also check out

YALSA’s website at

http://yalitsymposium12.ning.com/.

Synopsis

YALSA’s 2012 Young Adult Literature

Symposium will gather together librarians,

educators, authors and publishers to explore

what lies ahead for young adult literature,

including trends in content, format and

interaction. In an era where trends can rise

and fall in the blink of an eye, how do we

find the next Big Thing? How will the

changing face of today’s teen drive

changes in content? What, besides words,

will be in the digital future of young adult

literature?

Can looking into the past of the genre help

us determine where we might be headed in

the years to come? What factors play a role

in determining what will become the Next

Big Thing? Join YALSA as we explore

what the future has in store for young adult

literature and what or who may transform it.

Fees

Early bird registration is open through Sept.

16, 2012. Until then, registration costs:

$195 YALSA and Missouri Library

Association and Missouri Association of

School

Librarians Members

$245 ALA Personal Member

$300 Nonmember

$50 ALA Student Members

Advanced registration begins Sept. 17

and runs through Oct. 9. Rates after

Sept. 16 are:

$245 YALSA and Missouri Library

Association and Missouri Association

of School

Librarians Members

$295 ALA Personal Member

$350 Nonmember

$50 ALA Student Members

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On the Blog:

ARC Read & Review 2012! We

have the following titles available

for anyone who wants to read and

review them for the McConnell

Center blog at http://

youthlitmatters.wordpress.com/

New Books in the Center:

Juvenile Fiction

Breathing Room by Marsha

Hayles

Because of Dog and Other Dog

Stories edited by Ann M. Martin,

illustrated by Aleksey & Olga

Ivanov

A vital gathering place for books

and ideas, the McConnell Center

is committed to identifying

excellent literature for children

and adolescents and to bringing

this literature to the attention of

those adults who have an

academic, professional, career, or

personal interest in connecting

young readers with books.

We maintain two main, non-

circulating collections:

Our Current Collection includes all

books sent to us for review by

publishers during the current year.

The Permanent Collection is

several collections of books

maintained in the Center as a resource

for students and librarians. It includes

the Basic Collection, the Award-

winning Collection (Caldecott,

Newbery, Printz, Morris, Pura Belpré,

Sibert, and Orbis Pictus Awards), the

Kentucky Collection (notable

Kentucky authors and books about

Kentucky), the Reference Collection,

and the Periodical Collection.

Our Fall 2012 hours are Monday &

Tuesday 10 p.m.–3 p.m. and

Wednesday & Thursday 12 p.m.–5

p.m.

Please visit our website for more

information:

http://cis.uky.edu/lis

mcconnellcenter

Young Adult 52 Reasons to Hate My Father

by Jessica Brody

Just Flirt by Laura Bowers

The Girl is Trouble by Kathryn

Miller Haines

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

Graphic Novel

Marathon by Boaz Yakin,

illustrated by Joe Infurrnari

Bloody Chester by J.T. Petty,

illustrated by Hilary Florido

In the Center:

Join us for the McConnell Center

Reading Club!

Our next discussion will be a

dinner discussion of The Scorpio

Races by Maggie Stiefvater

on August 18 at 7:00 p.m. Find

us on Facebook to RSVP

for this event.

http://bit.ly/ScorpioRaces

You can find the McConnell

Facebook Reading Group here:

http://on.fb.me/

McConnellReadingGroup

You can now RSVP for Center

Events via the following form:

http://bit.ly/McConnellRSVP

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