Paper Towns Movie!

Good news, John Green fans! Before The Fault in Our Stars has even officially come to the big screen, it's been announced that Paper Towns is being made into a movie too! Huffington Post has all the information here. I, for one, am so excited! Paper Towns is one of my very favorite books. Ever! I even learned about copyright traps from it.

If you've never read it, be sure to reserve a copy now.

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month! National Nutrition Month is a campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It's designed to focus attention on the importance of developing good eating and physical activity habits. The Washington Post has 8 ideas to help you and your family celebrate! Here are some of those tips:

1. Keep healthful foods in the kitchen so they're available and easy to grab. Even bring some with you on the go!

2. Make an effort to fit in fruit and vegetables. Keep some in the car for when you get hungry or start your lunch off with some raw veggies before you eat your main dish. You can also sneak them into your meals, such as diced onions, raw squash, and zucchini in spicy barbecue chicken nachos, or spinach into pasta with tomato sauce.

3. Eat more at breakfast. Americans tend to eat a light breakfast or skip it, grab lunch on the run and eat the bulk of our calories from dinner on through the evening. Your body will stay energized longer with your largest meal earlier in the day, and then metabolize better with less food in the evening.

4. Fit physical activity in so you earn your calories: walk, run, go to a gym, play team sports, use fitness apps or videos and burn calories by taking stairs and parking farther from your destinations.

For The Washington Post's complete list, click here.

Or, for more ideas on nutrition and health, check out some of the books below:

Kids:

Body Talk: The Straight Facts on Fitness, Nutrition & Feeling Great About Yourself! by Ann Douglas and Julie Douglas

Yummy!: Good Food Makes Me Strong by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly

Food by Celeste A. Peters

Eat Right!: How You Can Make Good Food Choices by Matt Doeden

The Food Pyramid by Christine Taylor-Butler

The Monster Health Book: A Guide to Eating Healthy, Being Active, & Feeling Great for Monsters & Kids! by Edward Miller

Teens:

Body Fuel: A Guide to Good Nutrition by Donna Shryer

Ask CosmoGirl! About Nutrition and Fitness from the editors of Cosmogirl

The Scoop on What To Eat: What You Should Know About Diet and Nutrition by Kathlyn Gay

Food Choices: The Ultimate Teen Guide by Robin F. Brancato

Food for Feeling Healthy by Carol Ballard

Food for Sports by Neil Morris

Love Your Pet Day!

Happy Love Your Pet Day! Today is a chance to show your cat, dog, tortoise, ferret, gerbil, bird, or goldfish how you really feel about them. It's a day for treats, pampering, maybe a belly rub, and all the the attention that the little guy or gal can handle!

I love my pet! This is my sweet but very playful, 3-year-old cat, Benjamin:

Do you like to read stories about pets? Today's the day! Here are a few suggestions:

Kids and middle grade readers:

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Everything For a Dog by  Ann M. Martin

The Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens

The Chocolate Cat by Sue Stainton

Ginger and Petunia by Patricia Polacco

Wings by William Loizeaux

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

Julia Gillian (And the Art of Knowing) by Alison McGhee

The Leanin' Dog  by K.A. Nuzum

The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya by Jane Kelley

Teens:

Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

Dogsong by Gary Paulsen

Straydog by Kathe Koja

Stray: A Novel by Stacey Goldblatt

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt

The Fault In Our Stars & This Star Won't Go Out

The Fault In Our Stars trailer, The Fault In Our Stars trailer, The Fault In Our Stars trailer!

If you haven't read The Fault In Our Stars, put a copy on hold before the movie comes out on June 6th!

In related news, This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl came out yesterday! According to TeenReads.com,  "This Star Won't Go Out chronicles the life of Esther Grace Earl. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age twelve, she lived with the disease for four years. During that time, she befriended her favorite young adult author, John Green, at a Harry Potter convention. Green’s cross-generational friendship with Esther motivated him to write his New York Times bestselling novel, The Fault In Our Stars, although the novel tells a far different story than Esther’s." Read more about the book on TeenReads.com.

Award Winners!

Today The American Library Association announced the 2014 awards for the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, Coretta Scott King(s), and the Geisel Award.

And the big winners are as follows:

The winner of the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature is:



Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Four Newbery Honor Books were also selected:

“Doll Bones,” by Holly Black

“The Year of Billy Miller,” by Kevin Henkes

“One Came Home,” by Amy Timberlake

“Paperboy,” written by Vince Vawter

The winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children is:

“Locomotive,” written and illustrated by Brian Floca

Three Caldecott Honor Books also were also selected:

“Journey,” written and illustrated by Aaron Becker

“Flora and the Flamingo,” written and illustrated by Molly Idle

“Mr. Wuffles!” written and illustrated by David Wiesner

The winner of the Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults is:

“P.S. Be Eleven,” by Rita Williams-Garcia

Three Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books were also selected:

“March: Book One,” by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin

“Darius & Twig,” by Walter Dean Myers

“Words with Wings,” by Nikki Grimes


The winner of the Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award is:

“Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me,” illustrated by Bryan Collier and  written by Daniel Beaty

One Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book was also selected:

“Nelson Mandela,” illustrated and written by Kadir Nelson



The winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults is:

“Midwinterblood,” by Marcus Sedgwick

Four Printz Honor Books also were also selected:

“Eleanor & Park,” by Rainbow Rowell

“Maggot Moon,” by Sally Gardner

“Kingdom of Little Wounds” by Susann Cokal

“Navigating Early,” by Clare Vanderpool

The winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers is:

“The Watermelon Seed,” written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli, is the Geisel Award winner.

Three Geisel Honor Books were also selected:

“Ball,” by Mary Sullivan

“A Big Guy Took My Ball!” by Mo Willems

“Penny and Her Marble,” by Kevin Henkes


For more information on the rest of the ALA youth media awards and notables (there are lots!), visit the ALA's Youth Media Awards official announcement.

Australia Day

Did you know that today is Australia Day? Australia Day is the official national day of Australia, like our Independence Day (July 4th). It's celebrated on the 26th of January every year and marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Sydney Cove. Today Australians celebrate with family and friends, by reflecting on Australian history, and with citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants to Australia.

Want to learn more about this wonderful country? Check out one or two of the following books on Australia:

Atlas of Australia by Karen Foster

Welcome to Australia by Mary Berendes

Australia by Dana Meachen Rau

Australia in Pictures by Ann Kerns

Spotlight on Australia by Bobbie Kalman

Explora Australia y Oceanía by Bobbie Kalman y Rebecca Sjonger

Or try one of these stories first published in Australia:

Noni the Pony by Alison Lester

Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod

The Biggest Frog in Australia by Susan Roth

Layla, Queen of Hearts by Glenda Millard


Moonrunner by Mark Thomason

The Warrior Sheep Down Under by Christine & Christopher Russell

Happy New Year!

Yesterday was the first day of the new year! If you, like many other people, are ready to make some new year's resolutions, we've got you set with all the books you need to help you improve yourself in 2014. Here are some ideas:

Get more exercise:

Yoga by Elizabeth Silas and Diane Goodney

The Girls' Yoga Book: Stretch Your Body, Open Your Mind & Have Fun! by Michaela Caldwell

365 Activities for Fitness, Food, and Fun for the Whole Family: Super Sports, Great Games, Exciting Experiments, and Nutrition Nuggets by Julia E. Sweet

Exercise and Rest by Sharon Dalgleish

Keeping Fit by Emily K. Green

Fitness For Young People by Simon Frost

Go green:

Waste and Recycling by Sally Hewitt

Recycling by Neil Morri

Max Goes to the Recycling Center by Adria F. Klein

The EARTH Book by Todd Parr

Recycle This Book: 100 Top Children's Book Authors Tell You How to Go Green edited by Dan Gutman

Gabby and Grandma Go Green by Monica Wellington

 Get better grades:

Get Organized Without Losing It by Janet S. Fox

Make the Grade: Everything You Need to Study Better, Stress Less, and Succeed in School by Lesley Schwartz Martin

Super Study Skills: The Ultimate Guide to Tests and Studying by Laurie Rozakis

Beat Stress!: The Exam Handbook by Anita Naik

Dr. Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking for Kids. Grades 6, 7, 8, 9 by Gary R. Gruber

Test Smart!: Ready-to-Use Test-Taking Strategies and Activities for Grades 5-12 by Gary W. Abbamont and Antoinette Brescher

Eat healthier:

Healthy Snacks by Mari C. Schuh

Healthy Eating by Emily K. Green

The Food Pyramid by Christine Taylor-Butler

The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls by Valorie Lee Schaefer

The Monster Health Book: A Guide to Eating Healthy, Being Active, & Feeling Great for Monsters & Kids! by Edward Miller

Yummy!: Good Food Makes Me Strong by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly

Read more (with some of our most-asked-for books):

Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney

Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-so-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce

Goosebumps Books by R.L. Stine

The Adventures of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Novel by Dav Pilkey

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan