From: B o o k R e v i e w s Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 34 This entry in the series Libraries Unlimited Professional Guides for Young Adult Librarians focuses on the needs of children between ages 10 and 14. Geared towards young adult librarians in public libraries, the book attempts to define “young teens and ’tweens” developmentally and demographically, and to suggest effective resources and programs to best serve them. Each chapter addresses a different aspect of serving this age group. In Chapter 1, Anderson provides an overview of the group. She also includes a discussion of “special considerations” regarding this group in the library (censorship, space concerns, reference service, and negative behavior) and a list of more than two dozen professional resources, ranging from Lucille W. Van Vliet’s Media Skills for Middle Schools to Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul. An unannotated and out-of-place chronology of “landmark books about teens and ’tweens,” with no explanation of criteria, also appears. In Chapter 2, Brenda Hager discusses the information needs of children in “the zone.” She briefly addresses how and why this group seeks information, technology use, and the importance of partnerships between school and public librarians. A useful annotated list of current nonfiction resources on a variety of subjects that will appeal to this age (for instance, physical changes, relationships, and style) has also been compiled, along with descriptions of free and subscription-based electronic resources. Her allusion to Brenda Dervin’s sense-making model and its usefulness in working with young teens, though, will likely be confusing to librarians and other youth workers who are unfamiliar with it. Deborah Taylor, in Chapter 3, has compiled a useful annotated list of fiction titles, grouped by theme (for instance, social development, problem solving, and sexuality). She also annotates a list organized around Eliza Dresang’s categories outlined in her book Radical Change (H. W. Wilson 1999): changing forms and formats (novels in verse, graphic novels); changing perspectives (presence of underrepresented teen voices); and changing boundaries (discussion of previously taboo topics). Though public libraries will likely have many of these titles in their children’s and/or young adult collections already, the list might inspire booktalks, displays, or programs targeting young teens and ’tweens. Chapter 4, by Robyn Lupa, is full of examples of programs that would appeal to this age group, as well as tips for organizing and assessing programs. Her ideas provide ample opportunity for collaboration across organizations. The final chapter, by Kristine Mahood, makes a persuasive case for the importance of booktalking to young teens and’tweens. She breaks down “appeal characteristics” (story, character, setting, language) that can help in the selection of titles to booktalk, and then suggests ways to emphasize these characteristics when booktalking. She includes a sample program, complete with booktalks, to inspire librarians to write their own. Serving Young Teens and ’Tweens would be most useful to those beginning careers as young adult librarians and to people who have recognized a need to better serve this “in-between” population but need to discover effective ways to do so. Mikki Smith is a Ph.D. student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Email: smimikki@gmail.com � Serving Young Teens and ’Tweens — Reviewed by Mikki Smith Anderson, Sheila B. (2007). Serving Young Teens and ’Tweens. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN: 978-1-5915- 8259-5. (pbk.) $40.00. mailto:smimikki@gmail.com Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 35 � We all recognize the fast pace in which technology changes. Unfortunately, Technology Application Competencies for K-12 Teachers, while published in 2008, already feels out-of-date. The authors, Irene Chen and Jane Thielemann, both of the University of Houston Downtown, spend a lot of time talking about specific products, some of which are no longer in wide use, while ignoring some of the more widespread tools being employed by educators today. Articles available on the Web could provide the overview for most of the chapters, for free. This 300-page volume is divided into four sections: Technology Applications Core; Digital Graphics/Animation and Desktop Publishing; Video Technology and Multimedia; Webmastering. Each chapter begins with an objective and relates the chapter contents to the specific International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NEST●T). Each chapter ends with a bibliography for further reading, and a set of simple multiple-choice questions better suited to a high school student than an educator. Chapter I, Technology Operation and Concepts for Teachers, provides a history of computers and operating systems, as well as a summary of four types of software used in education: productivity tools (MS Word, MS Excel, and MS Access); authoring programs that help teachers (and students) produce courseware; electronic reference software (e.g., Microsoft Encarta and Grolier’s Multimedia Encyclopedia); instructional software for crating practice drills, educational games, and tutorials. The fact that many schools use integrated learning systems containing these tools, and that these resources abound in open-source, free, and low-fee options is ignored. Chapter II, Teacher productivity and Professional Practices, teaches educators how to use a spreadsheet and describes some utility software: system tools, antivirus tools, compression tools, device drivers, and format converters. None of these discussions provides links to specific products available for free (or fee) via the Web. Technology Application Competencies for K-12 Teachers —Reviewed by Barbie E. Keiser Chen, Irene, and Thielemann, Jane. (2008). Technology Application Competencies for K-12 Teachers. Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing. ISBN 978-1- 59904-735-5. $99.95. Using Technology for Learning, Teaching, and Designing Curriculum (Chapter III) is supposed to focus on using computers to “transform the role of the teacher in the classroom.” There is a discussion of multimedia skills by age so that correct choices are made in creating software, as well as a discussion of technology for learners with special needs. These discussions are of a general nature at best, with few specifics for how to create effective tutorials, for example. The Principles of Applications of Digital Design (Chapter IV) discusses paint and draw programs, and what to seek when selecting cameras, capturing images, editing graphics, and tips for animation and compression. The chapter is so basic that no topic is addressed thoroughly, requiring further reading to fully comprehend what needs to be done and which tools are best. Chapter V addresses the issue of desktop publishing in schools, including font selection, paragraph designs (alignment), layouts, and printing (WYSIWYG). Chapter VI (Creating Multimedia for Special Audiences) purports to address media literacy through composition principles, user navigation, aesthetic principles (proportion, balance, contrast, rhythm, unity/harmony, color mixing and meaning, and lighting). School Multimedia Design Teams and Projects, Chapter VII, reviews the main steps in developing multimedia project plans for education: plan, prototype, develop, author, test, and project dissemination. Unfortunately, none of these is described beyond a single paragraph, with no example presented. An 11-step multimedia project lifecycle is similarly offered up, with roles and responsibilities for each member of a multimedia design team or production crew. Chapter VIII tells the reader how to get good video and audio effects. Design, production, and distribution of multimedia projects are the topics covered in Chapter IX. Chapter X deals with the Administration of Educational Web Sites by talking about WANs and LANs, discussing the Internet (pre-WWW), and school web project development. Chapter XI addresses design tools on a superficial level and the final chapter of the book covers some of the things to look for in virtual Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 36 learning communities and evaluating instructional web sites and electronic resources. It’s unfortunate that such knowledgeable authors did not offer the educator something beyond what they could have gotten elsewhere. There is little new in this work and much of the material is dated. Perhaps a book, with its long production timeframe, is not the ideal delivery system for covering a technology where change is a constant. Barbie E. Keiser is an information resources management consultant located in the metro- Washington, DC, area. Email: barbieelene@att.net The Internet Literacy Handbook is an “evolving manual” designed to “respond to parent and teacher needs.” The third edition can be downloaded for free in either Flash or HTML version from http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/internetliteracy /hbk_EN.asp. The Flash version provides access to the material in small doses that are easily digested by novice users of the Internet; the HTML version provides a more traditional approach, requiring one to scroll down one long page. The only drawback in using the Flash version is that to proceed through the screens within each fact sheet one must click on the forward/back arrows at the bottom right of the screen; the navigation bar on the top is not hyperlinked. This could confuse the novice who might mistake not being able to progress through the fact sheet using the top navigation bar as a broken link rather than a design issue. According to the introduction, the work provides “sufficient technical know-how” to teachers and parents so that they can participate in their children’s “voyages of discovery through communication technology.” The work points to the wealth of ideas available on the Internet, particularly to those who do not regularly visit traditional libraries. The technology facilitates communication and the exchange of experiences across borders. Many of the practical “how to” fact sheets refer users to Wikipedia for additional explanation. The Handbook is comprised of a series of 25 concise fact sheets highlight ethical issues revolving around use of the Internet, and “give insight into added-value in education,” providing “ideas for constructive, practical activities in class or at home.” Consistent format of the fact sheets—for example, each fact sheet begins with an introduction and concludes with a “links to further information” screen—makes for site navigation that is easy to learn. Topics covered by the fact sheets include: 1. Getting connected: educational benefits of Internet use, ethical issues, how to and best practice 2. Setting up websites: building a school web site and best practice The Internet Literacy Handbook: A Guide for Parents, Teachers and Young People — Reviewed by Barbie E. Keiser. Council of Europe. (2009). The Internet Literacy Handbook: A Guide for Parents, Teachers and Young People. 3rd ed. http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/internetlitera cy/hbk EN.asp 3. Searching: introduction, educational value, ethical considerations and risks, how to and best practice 4. Portals: definition (horizontal and vertical portals) and usage, ethical issues, use for classroom activities and best practice 5. E-mail: as an educational tool, ethical considerations and risks, how to and best practice 6. Spam: introduction to phishing, ethical considerations and best practice 7. Chat: definition and danger, educational applications, how to, rules of thumb and ideas for classroom work 8. Newsgroups: definition and use as an educational tool, ethical considerations and risks, how to and best practice 9. WWW libraries: distinguishing an online from a digital library, why use online libraries at school, ethical issues, ideas for classroom work, best practice 10. Music and images: copyright, illegal content, ethical considerations and risks, ideas for the classroom, best practice for dealing with copyright and illegal content 11. Creativity: how the Internet promotes creativity, ensuring that creativity is not inhibited, boosting creativity in the classroom, best practice 12. Games: introduction indicating the size and scope of the industry, personal development and educational value, potential risks and best practice 13. Distance learning: definition and advantages, choosing a system and best practice 14. Labelling and filtering: signs indicating quality, education about use of filters, how to and best practice mailto:barbieelene@att.net http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/internetliteracy/hbk_EN.asp http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/internetliteracy/hbk_EN.asp http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/internetliteracy/hbk_EN.asp http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/internetliteracy/hbk_EN.asp Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 37 15. Privacy: why address privacy in class or at home, ethical issues, ideas for the classroom, best practice, cookies and data protection 16. Security: ethical consideration and risk and best practice 17. Bullying and harassment: definition, how to deal with it at school or home, ethical and safety issues, ideas for the classroom and best practice 18. Shopping: education, ethical considerations and risk and best practice 19. E-citizenship: rights, new skills required, advantages, ethical issues and ideas for classroom work 20. Mobile technology: issues in education, how to and best practice 21. Blogs: educational uses, how to and best practice 22. Social networking: ethics, advice, best practices and safety 23. Web 2.0: implications, ethics, ideas for classroom work 24. Democracy: driving forces, tools and trends 25. Assistance: how to report illegal content One can only hope that the online manual can be updated as new tools become available requiring similar treatment by qualified professionals. Barbie E. Keiser is an information resources management consultant located in the metro- Washington, DC, area. Email: barbieelene@att.net The discipline of children’s literature is vast, and many professionals find it increasingly difficult to keep up with the field. With the vast number of books published in all genres’ guides like Gillespie’s Historical Fiction for Young Readers is a valuable resource for librarians and teachers. Designed to introduce the different facets of the genre the work provides extensive information that will be useful in a number of contexts. The first three chapters give general background information about the genre and how it can be used. Chapter one focuses on the structure of novels in general and historical novels in particular. This chapter also discusses how structural aspects fit together and how structural criteria can be used to judge the quality of a novel. Chapter two gives a brief but very comprehensive overview of the history of historical fiction from the invention of printing to the modern day. It should be noted that while this chapter is full of exceptional information, the flow is awkward and often difficult to understand. The author moves quickly between authors and titles with little division. The third chapter offers some general techniques that librarians can use to promote and encourage the reading of historical fiction. The remaining chapters delve deeply into 81 high quality, recently published, historical novels for late elementary and middle grade readers. These chapters, four though eight, group the novels into five major geographical categories: Europe, Asia and Oceania, Africa, Latin America and Canada, and the United States. The chapter devoted to Europe (chapter four) and the one devoted to the United States (chapter 8) additionally subdivide the titles into subdivisions of important historical periods such as the Middle Ages and Renaissance or the revolution and after. For each novel in this section, in addition to full bibliographic citations, six areas of detailed information are given. First is an � Historical Fiction for Young Readers (Grades 4-8): An introduction — Reviewed by Rachel L. Wadham Gillespie, John T.. (2008). Historical Fiction for Young Readers (Grades 4-8): An introduction. Westport, Conn., Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 978-1-59158-621- 0. $60. mailto:barbieelene@att.net Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 38 introduction with biographical information on the author and other general yet significant information about the work or other related works. Second, an overview of important historical events that relate to the novel is given. Third, the principal characters in the title are outlined. Fourth, a summary of the entire plot of the novel is provided. Fifth, key passages are noted with page numbers that would be appropriate to include as part of a book talk. And last, the principal and secondary themes or subjects of the work are briefly outlined. While each of these overviews is brief they contain an extensive amount of information. They offer an excellent summary so readers get a true feel for the book without having to read it in its entirety. The book talk passages and outline of themes are also a valuable resource for the introduction to and connection of books and readers. With its emphasis on quality novels published since 1990, professionals are sure to find novels that they can use in libraries and schools and that will certainly appeal to a wide variety of modern young readers. Librarians who work with young people, who do readers advisory and build juvenile collections, will find this work particularly valuable. However, while Gillespie’s focus is on librarians, teachers will also find the information here extremely useful. Its layout and historical divisions will assist teachers in finding just the right book to make cross curricular connections with social studies, history, and language arts. Although this work is structured around novels suitable for grades four through eight, teachers of all grades will find this work valuable for its in-depth descriptions of novels that can be used for read alouds or resources for reluctant readers who are outside of the targeted age range. For academic librarians serving education students and juvenile collections this work would be an excellent addition since pre-service teachers preparing lesson plans and studying the field of children’s literature will also find value in the outstanding coverage and depth of this work. Rachel L. Wadham is Education Librarian at Brigham Young University. Email: Rachel_Wadham@byu.edu There is little doubt that the digital revolution has changed many fundamental things about the world in which we live and work. Among these changes are the transformations that have resulted in major differences in the creation, storage, distribution, and access to documents and records. While these are vast and complex, Professor Ziming Liu from San Jose State University has taken an important step in delving into the intricacies by synthesizing and addressing this complex topic with his examination of the characteristics of documents and how this change impacts society. By combining together and expanding on previously published articles this work brings simplicity to the subject by focusing its examination on significant emerging issues. These issues include topics relating to preservation, changes in scholarly publishing, perceptions of the credibility of digital information, changes in reading behaviors and document use, and the future of paper in this digital age. This discussion has broad implications for libraries and information services and the information presented in this work is virtually essential for modern day information professionals to understand. After a brief introduction, the remainder of the book is organized with the life cycle of a document as its larger framework. Thus, the work starts with issues of document creation, moves on to issues of document storage, and concludes with topics relating to the utilization of documents. Chapters one and two offer an introduction and summary of how documents have changed in the digital age and the impact these changes have had. Chapter two in particular focuses on the consequences of the shift from print to digital documents. Chapter three covers the creation of documents by discussing issues and trends in scholarly � Paper to Digital: Documents in the Information Age— Reviewed by Rachel L. Wadham Liu, Ziming. (2008). Paper to Digital: Documents in the Information Age. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, ISBN 978-1-59158- 620-3. $50.00 mailto:Rachel_Wadham@byu.edu Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 39 publishing and their implications. Chapter four discusses storage issues with an in depth discussion on the development of trusted systems for the preservation of digital information. The following chapters discuss how we utilize documents. Specific issues addressed are how reading behavior has changed in a digital environment (chapter five), the gender differences in reading behavior (chapter 6), how perceptions of creditability for documents have changed (chapter 7), how cultural differences effect judgments of creditability (chapter 8), and lastly how university students use both print and electronic resources (chapter nine). The underlying finding for these chapters is that while our utilization of documents has changed significantly, users have adapted to and desire a hybrid environment of print and digital since both have positives and negatives. The conclusion in chapter 10 summarizes the previous findings, and discusses the future of paper in the digital age. This chapter shows that paper is unlikely to disappear since paper and digital formats fill unique roles and serve users differently. Also it is important to note that the proliferation of digital documents has actually increased the use of paper since humans tend to prefer reading on paper. The work ends on the positive note that into the foreseeable future it is unlikely that digital media will make books and libraries obsolete. Relying on a survey of studies conducted by others as well as basic data collected by Professor Liu, each chapter presents extensive information and support for each topic addressed. While this work is an exploratory summary and is not intended to be definitive, readers are certainly encouraged to continue their own exploration with the extensive bibliographies at the end of each chapter. Numerous tables and graphs also add depth to the discussion and provide quick visual representations of many of the changes documents have undergone in the digital environment. This discussion of a complex and important issue is accessible and fascinating. Librarians at all stages of their careers and in all types of organizations will find much here regarding the forces shaping our present realities and our future. Rachel L. Wadham is Education Librarian at Brigham Young University. Email: Rachel_Wadham@byu.edu � Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap. — Reviewed by Sheila Kirven Sullivan, Michael. Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-8389- 0979-9. $40.00. Are boys and their literacy needs underserved by our schools and libraries? Librarian and author Michael Sullivan certainly thinks so. In his first book, Connecting Boys with Books: What Libraries Can Do, Sullivan focused on boys as a neglected group when considering literacy, and libraries. He referred to the lack of male reading literacy models and what public and school librarians, teachers, and institutions could do to make males more welcome in these perceived female spaces. In this volume, Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap, Sullivan delves more deeply into issues such as the reading gap, gender differences in child development, learning disabilities (particularly ADHD), and the continued lack of encouragement of boys’ literacy. He feels that just as problems in girls’ educational equity have been investigated and addressed, the problems of the gender gap in reading, and boys’ literacy must also be considered. In the well-referenced chapters, concerning male child development, Sullivan cites several studies and books such as Kindlon and Thompson’s Raising Cain, Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and Gurian’s Boys and Girls Learn Differently!: A Guide for Teachers and Parents reflecting the dominance of males in special education programs and ADHD diagnoses (pp.18-20). He agrees with Kindlon and Thompson that when ADHD /ADD behavioral symptoms are contrasted with normal male behavior, they coincide (p.19). Sullivan poses the question, “Are we punishing boys for being male”? As he did in his first book, Sullivan suggests many strategies for leveling the classroom “playing field” for boys. These strategies include: consideration of the lag in male development in the school years, recognizing male patterns of socialization, allowing physical mailto:Rachel_Wadham@byu.edu Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 40 movement, encouraging non-fiction reading materials, and dispensing with perceptions of male behaviors as disabilities. Sullivan provides updated lists of genre reading for boys, building on those found in the first volume. He also recommends dispensing with a reliance on lexiles and reading levels, which do not reflect the individuality of readers or their interests and abilities, and remediated instruction using mechanics in isolation. The author discourages reliance on the stationary reading behaviors necessary for SSR (silent sustained reading), and suggests its replacement with volume reading for pleasure in physical environments that recognize boys’ developmental, physical and social needs to accomplish the same goals. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Michael Sullivan’s theories, he provides an alternate perspective to viewing male behavior, male development and learning. He suggests new ideas for programs and approaches that create more inclusive spaces for males in schools and libraries. Each chapter in his book contains either citation notes or a reading list of useful books on topics such as gender differences, reading and learning, reading program resources, and genre booklists. He also includes surprising (to this reviewer) resources such as the U.S. Navy and Marine Reading Lists. (Who would have thought that the armed services recognize the importance of reading, and require that officers for promotion be well-read?) The book also contains an index and a bibliography. Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap is an addition to the growing literature on the topics of gender and learning , males and male development in the classroom, and literacy. This supplements the author’s previous work and those of Dan Kindlon, Michael Gurian, Leonard Sax, Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm. It is also useful as a resource for program ideas, genre bibliographies, and booklists on male students, and male development and education. This book will be of interest to librarians, reading and language arts teachers .It would also be a worthwhile supplementary text for literacy education, youth literature, and gender studies courses. References Gurian, M. (2002). Boys and girls learn differently!: A guide for teachers and parents.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Kindlon, D and Thompson, M. (2000). Raising Cain: Protecting the emotional life of boys. New York: Ballantine. Sax, L. (2005). Why gender matters: What parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences. New York, Doubleday. Smith, M. W. and Wilhelm, J.D. (2002). Reading don’t fix no Chevys: Literacy in the lives of young men. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Sheila Kirven is the Education Services Librarian at the Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library of New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ. She is a former Young Adult Services and school librarian. Email: skirven@njcu.edu � Action-Packed Classrooms, K-5: Using Movement to Educate and Invigorate Learners (2nd edition) —Reviewed by Warren Jacobs Summerford, Cathie. Action-Packed Classrooms, K-5: Using Movement to Educate and Invigorate Learners (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-4129- 7091-4. $28.95. The current emphasis on teaching to curriculum standards often leaves little or no time in the school day for physical education, yet research proves that aerobic activity prepares the brain for learning. Cathie Summerford, a California Teacher of the Year award- winner, encourages teachers to introduce movement into their classrooms to engage students in learning. Action- Packed Classrooms, K-5: Using Movement to Educate and Invigorate Learners makes extensive use of brain research to furnish a template for the introduction of movement into overburdened classrooms. This update of the 2005 edition includes new chapters on planning and organizing lessons that feature movement. The reader will find sample activities in social science, language arts, health, and physical education; and tools to assess the efficacy of activities. Action-Packed Classrooms, K-5 is divided into three sections consisting of nine chapters that include case studies, lesson plans, quotations, pictures, and lists to facilitate a teacher’s commitment to movement in his/her classroom. The text features a table of contents, introduction, index, brief references, and a resource section that teachers will find invaluable. The author mailto:skirven@njcu.edu Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 41 acknowledges the assistance of six classroom teachers who served as peer-reviewers. In the introduction, the author presents a list of benefits of action-packed classrooms that include an understanding of the research, strategies for learning, knowledge of movement-based activities, and an action plan for easy implementation. A flow chart shows the progression through the text leading to an action plan that will provide students with many opportunities for movement and learning enhancement throughout the day while taking little time away from standards-based curriculum. The first chapter discusses the need to teach students that learning is fun to increase their desire for their next opportunity to learn. Chapter two features a comprehensive timeline of brain- based research on movement and the effect on learning. It would have been helpful to include the complete citations of these articles in the list of references. The author asserts that instruction should stimulate and engage the whole brain. Examples include student demonstrations, active movement, discussion, simulation, and hands-on assignments. To promote readiness for learning, energizers, state changers, and attention grabbers overcome the effects of student fatigue and decrease daydreaming. In chapter three, the author provides many quick activities, some utilizing music as well as movement. Aligning movement with academic concepts is essential for learning to occur. Student learning increases when instructional methods utilize a multitude of activities. Teachers should alternate repetitive sedentary exercises and active lessons. The fifth chapter is comprised of subject matter template games that improve retention and foster active learning. Once students learn the game’s format, instruction in multiple modalities can be concentrated on the content standards. Voluntary exercise reduces the effects of a high fat diet, an important consideration with an epidemic of childhood obesity. Voluntary exercise includes activities that students like and want to perform, as opposed to required activities like running laps. Chapter six provides ideas for warm-up activities, inside and playground games, outside and field games, and basketball and water games. In chapter seven, Summerford advocates the use of a weekly lesson plan template in which movement is chunked throughout the day to assist teachers with organization, time management, and stress management. Standards-based assessment is discussed in chapter eight. Assessment is an active process that should be integrated with instruction. Alternative assessments, authentic assessments, performance-based assessments, and rubrics may be created by teachers or students. A sample rubric evaluates slide dancing movements. Chapter nine concludes the text by asking teachers to formulate an action plan that demonstrates an understanding of the effect of movement upon learning, features kinesthetic teaching strategies, and promotes clear learning objectives and multidimensional assessments. Action-Packed Classrooms, K-5: Using Movement to Educate and Invigorate Learners will be an excellent addition to every elementary teacher’s personal library. There are many resources and activities to enhance student learning through the use of movement. This title will be a useful addition to academic library collections supporting programs in teacher education. Warren Jacobs is a Reference/Instruction Librarian at California State University, Stanislaus. E-mail: wjacobs@csustan.edu mailto:wjacobs@csustan.edu 42Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 2, Winter 2009 Many multicultural education books approach the subject of cultural proficiency. The testimony usually begins with a novice teacher entering a “diverse” classroom and eventually making the cultural transition to understanding the “other”. White teacher by Vivian Gussin Paley was one of the first of these narratives. Had Culturally Proficient Leadership: The Personal Journey Begins Within been available to Vivian Gussin Paley, she might have had an opportunity to examine her perspectives toward her school, her students, and most importantly herself, before she stepped in the classroom. Raymond D. Terrell and Randall B. Lindsey, the authors of Culturally Proficient Leadership: The Personal Journey Begins Within, are university professors of education with a plethora of experience in K-12 teaching, school administration and diversity and equity issues. This book emerged from cross-cultural workshops conducted by the authors. The authors define culturally proficient leadership, as opposed to other leadership, as being “… anchored in the belief that a leader must clearly understand one’s own assumptions, beliefs and values about people and cultures different from one’s self in order to be effective in cross-cultural settings” (p.5). Terrell and Lindsey of differing racial and social backgrounds, consider their histories, their perspectives, and their progress toward cultural proficiency. The authors recount their lives and acquisition of cultural proficiency while guiding the reader through the same process. The reader examines his/her life through exercises in drafting a cultural autobiography by examining personal perspectives about language, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, “ableness,” religion and family. In one of the exercises, a self-interview, the reader’s personal experience is expanded to include an examination of not only the experience but also how it affects views of people who differ from the reader. An opportunity to interview persons with different backgrounds and orientations is also presented with careful instructions and guidelines (pp76-80). � The book is more a workbook than a narrative. Opportunities to stop and reflect on the topics discussed are presented within each chapter. Tables, interview forms, and blank spaces to respond are distributed throughout the text as the reader builds a cultural autobiography and relates it to the norms, beliefs and culture of the school environment. Terrell, Raymond D, and Lindsey, Randall B. Culturally Proficient Leadership: The Personal Journey Begins Within. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.2009. $31.95 Culturally Proficient Leadership: The Personal Journey Begins Within — Reviewed by Sheila Kirven Terrell and Lindsey intersperse excerpts from their personal cultural autobiographies throughout the book. The appendices at the back of the book contain the complete cultural autobiographies of the authors. The choice to begin with the text or the appendices is left to the reader. Advancing through the book, one follows the progression of discovery and reflection experienced by the authors in their cultural autobiographies. The realization of how one’s socio-economic status and other attributes create beliefs about oneself, one’s place in society and schools, and one’s attitudes toward students, parents and co-workers is soon apparent This is similar to the process that Vivian Gussin Paley had to develop on her own while working in the field. In our diverse schools, it would be wonderful to send out a well trained cadre of culturally proficient teachers and leaders to classrooms. Even though the primary intention of this book is for educational leadership, it would be a welcome addition for all pre-service teachers, and as a resource for in-service teacher workshops to create a subdued, supportive guide to the reflective practice necessary to achieve cultural understanding. This is a good choice as a supplementary text for educational leadership and multicultural education courses. The indexed volume contains chapter citations and a bibliography. References Paley, V.G. (1979). White teacher. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Sheila Kirven is the Education Services Librarian at the Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library of New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ. She is a former Young Adult Services and school librarian. Email: skirven@njcu.edu mailto:skirven@njcu.edu