Monday, April 21, 2014

Select Barnes and Noble Bookstores Offering Spanish Storytime

Tapa ¡Te lo regalo! con título dibujado

Barnes and Noble has unveiled a new pilot program with a Spanish-language Storytime at select stores across the USA. Barnes & Noble kicks off the inaugural Storytime in May with a reading of ¡Te lo regalo! by Gabriela Keselman and other stories for toddlers. Customers can listen to stories read in Spanish and enjoy word practice and fun activities.

"More schools are embracing dual immersion language programs, helping children become fluent speakers in two languages by the time they graduate high school," said Sarah DiFrancesco, Vice President of Business Development for Barnes & Noble. "We're hearing from parents that they want to immerse their children in language learning at a young age, when language acquisition is easy and fun. We believe Spanish-language Storytimes fill a growing demand for this type of early childhood foreign language programming."

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share our favorite Spanish-language books with customers attending our new monthly Spanish-language Storytimes," said Denise Duarte, Spanish-Language Children's Buyer for Barnes & Noble. "The May selection, ¡Te lo regalo!, was just nominated for a Latino Book Award in the category of 'Most Inspirational Children's Picture Book – Spanish.' It's an important story about learning to share with adorable animal illustrations the children will love."

Select Barnes and Noble Bookstores Offering Spanish Storytime is a post from: Good e-Reader

New Onyx Zeus is a 9.7 e Ink Open Android e-Reader

 zeus

One of the downfalls of a dedicated e-reader is that you are limited in dealing with the company who sold it. When you buy a Kobo, Nook, Sony or Kindle you are locked into that ecosystem. This presents challenges when Sony closes their North American bookstore and forces customers to switch to another retailer. Tablets overall are a bit more agnostic, because readers can choose what app they want to download and can deal with more than one company. The new Onyx Zeus e-Reader is poised to bridge the two worlds and offer a new experience.

The Onyx Zeus is a new 9.7 touchscreen e Ink Pearl Reader with a resolution of 1200 x 825. It lacks the frontlite of the competition, which will warrant customers investing in a reading light.

Underneath the hood of the Boox M96M Zeus  is a 1GHz Freescale i.MX6 Solo Lite processor and 512 MB of RAM. You can store your data efficiently with the 4 GB internal storage and boost it up via the MicroSD.

The most compelling aspect of the Zeus is the fact it is running a pure version of Android with version 4.04. This means you can easily load in your own apps and not do business exclusively with a specific company. It does not have access to the Google Play market obviously, but you can load in the Good e-Reader App Store and install things like Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Sony or a number of indie apps. Speaking of indie, the e-reader comes bundled with a bunch of notable ones such as FBReader, Cool-ER and more.

This e-reader is fairly expensive at $400 and is available exclusively in Russia. You can order it directly from Onyx in a few weeks for 14990.00 p. We will try and get a copy of this and do a hands on review shortly.

New Onyx Zeus is a 9.7 e Ink Open Android e-Reader is a post from: Good e-Reader

World Book Night Unveils eBook Giveaway for 2014

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The World Book Night organization is best known for its mission to share one million books each year on April 23, attempting to foster a love of reading in people around the world. This year, a special bonus title is available as well, starting stateside on April 22nd. This free ebook, which can be found HERE, is a compilation of essays from a wide variety of book givers, outlining their experiences in being book givers in 2013. The ebook was powered by Livrada and made available in conjunction with this year’s event.

"As a company, we are thrilled to bring our technology and resources to support World Book Night,” said Livrada’s CEO and co-founder Leonard Chen. “We strive to meld our passion for technology and books, and hope this ebook brings joy to many people this WBN 2014.”

WBN’s executive director Carl Lennertz added, “We've discussed a digital component for WBN since year one, but it didn't come together until the great people at Livrada stepped forward, and until two authors who were givers agreed to contribute pieces. Then we sought and received the fun bookseller and library contributions to the ebook. This is a supplement to our primary mission of printed books, not a change in direction. It's short and fun original material, and we wanted the givers to have this to offer anyone they meet who might not read often on their smart phones or tablets. Our main mission is still to find a half million people without means or access to printed books, but this digital extra is a nice plus. We also feel it's a great thank you to the 25,000 volunteer givers to enjoy as well. And now, we have the giver contest to be in next year's ebook!"

The contest, which lets this year’s givers submit essays on their giving experience this year, will run through May 31st for feature in next year’s ebook. The winner of the essay contest will receive two roundtrip airfares in the US. The library winner will receive two air tickets to the ALA conference, while the bookseller winner will receive two airline tickets to BookExpo 2015. Full contest details can be found HERE.

World Book Night Unveils eBook Giveaway for 2014 is a post from: Good e-Reader

Podcast: Barnes and Noble Yuzu, Amazon, GoodReads and More

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Welcome back to the most captivating edition of the Good e-Reader Radio Show! Today Michael Kozlowski and Jeremy Greenfield of DBW discuss all of the major digital publishing events of the last week.

Today on the show Michael and Jeremy discuss Barnes and Nobles latest eTextbook platform called Yuzu. The Founder of B&N has also been selling a ton of stock this year, what are the reasons? They also talk about the newfound synergy between Amazon and Goodreads, with the ability to add paid Kindle books to your shelf.  A great show as always, with a special feature on people editing open source and royalty free eBooks to get a quick sale.

Podcast: Barnes and Noble Yuzu, Amazon, GoodReads and More is a post from: Good e-Reader

Weekly eHighlights: Special Streaming Video edition

If your library has not yet purchased streaming video, all you have to do is place an order! Once you submit your order, your Account Specialist will be in touch about updating your site to support streaming video for your users. Streaming video titles are available under the one copy/one user model. Users can select their lending period for three, five or seven days.

OverDrive Streaming Video is a convenient and exciting way to instantly watch videos anytime, anywhere, on any computer, tablet or mobile device with an internet connection (and coming soon: the OverDrive Roku® channel)! Also, check out the growing list of streaming videos that are available for simultaneous access in Marketplace.

Here is a list of some of the most popular titles in our catalog of over 6,000 titles. If you purchased all 42 of the titles in this list, your cost would be $922.47.

Click here for a Marketplace cart containing these titles

 

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Selected Popular Streaming Video Titles

 

10 Years – Channing Tatum, Chris Pratt, Rosario Dawson
Starz Digital Media
The night before their 10 year high school reunion, a group of friends realize they still haven’t quite grown up in some ways.

14 Women – Hillary Rodham Clinton, Annette Bening
Screen Media Ventures Documentary
Profiles fourteen women in Congress.

AmericanoSalma Hayek, Geraldine Chapman
MPI Media Group Foreign Film: French
A man who returns to Los Angeles to wrap up his mother’s estate sets out in search of the mysterious woman named in her will.

At War with the Army – Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin
Film Chest Media Group Feature Film
Alvin Corwin is low man on the totem pole, and goes from one hilarious mishap to another at an army training camp in World War II.

Becket – Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, John Gielgud
MPI Media Group Feature Film
When Henry II appoints his close friend Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket shocks the world by openly defying the King with his newfound faith and compassion. This classic film won 15 major awards and was nominated for 22.

The Best and the Brightest – Neil Patrick Harris, Bonnie Sommerville, Amy Sedaris
Cinedigm Entertainment Corporation Feature Film
A twist on contemporary parenting, this film is set in the world of New York City’s elite private kindergartens.

Blue Valentine – Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
A shattering portrait of a disintegrating marriage.

BMX Bandits – Nicole Kidman
MPI Media Group Feature Film
16-year-old Kidman's movie debut. Two BMX expert bikers and a friend of theirs (Kidman) become entangled with a group of bank robbers after discovering a carton of walkie-talkies.

Django Unchained – Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog)
Academy Award ®Winner for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.

The Evil Dead – Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss
Starz Digital Media Feature Film
Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons. Classic comedy/horror film.

Give Me the Banjo Steve Martin
Cinedigm Entertainment Documentary
A comprehensive look at a quintessential American musical instrument, the banjo, from its African roots to contemporary jazz and into the 21st century.

I Don't Know How She Does It – Sarah Jessica Parker, Christina Hendricks, Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
A finance executive manages the ultimate balancing act between work and her adoring family. With the support of her best friend and fellow working mother she generally manages to keep her out-of-work husband, two young children, and colleagues happy. But when she lands a lucrative new account that requires frequent travel at the same time her husband receives a job offer he can’t refuse trouble ensues. Based on the novel by Allison Pearson.

The Iron Lady – Meryl Streep

The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog)
Meryl Streep won both the Oscar® and the Golden Globe® for best actress for this look at the life of Margaret Thatcher through her own eyes.

Jillian Michaels: One Week Shred
Gaiam, Inc. Instructional
From the number one fitness celebrity, this is an all-new comprehensive program featuring a morning strength workout, evening cardio workout and a custom meal plan to help lose up to 7 lbs. in just one week.

Killing Them Softly – Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
During the economic turmoil of 2008, an enforcer is hired to restore order after three idiots rob a mob-protected poker game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.

The King's Speech – Colin Firth
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
Academy Award® for the Best Picture of the Year, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenwriter. Also won several Golden Globes®. The true story of King George VI of England, who unexpectedly ascended to the throne and had to overcome his speech impediment.

The Last Time I Saw Paris – Elizabeth Taylor, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Walter Pidgeon
Film Chest Media Group Feature Film
After an absence of two years, a successful writer returns to Paris and reminisces about his failed marriage.

The Master – Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
A Navy veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader. Nominated for three Oscars and several Golden Globes.

The Men Who Stare At Goats – George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey
Starz Digital Media Feature Film
A journalist in Iraq encounters a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit with unparalleled psychic powers that can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through solid walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Nominated in the U.K. for an Empire Award for Best Comedy.

Mr. Wuffles! – David Wiesner
Dreamscape Media
A black cat named Mr. Wuffles doesn’t care about toy mice or toy goldfish. He’s much more interested in playing with a little spaceship full of actual aliens—but the ship wasn’t designed for this kind of rough treatment. Between motion sickness and damaged equipment, the aliens are in deep trouble. When the space visitors dodge the cat and take shelter behind the radiator to repair the damage, they make a host of insect friends.  Based on the 2014 Newbery Honor Book.

My Week with Marilyn – Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier, documented the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe in a diary during production of The Prince and the Showgirl. This is the story of the most intense week of all. Williams won the Golden Globe® Best Actress award and both Williams and Branagh were nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards®.

Our Idiot Brother – Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
Perennially upbeat Ned, an erstwhile organic farmer, is utterly lacking in common sense. After his girlfriend dumps him and boots him off their farm, Ned turns to his sisters, who once again come to his rescue, each taking a turn housing their troublemaker sibling.

Paper Man – Jeff Daniels, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, and Lisa Kudrow
MPI Media Group Feature Film
An inspirational comedic drama about an unlikely friendship between a failed middle-aged novelist who has never quite grown up and a 17-year-old girl whose role in a family tragedy years earlier has stolen away her youth.

Personal Effects – Ashton Kutcher, Kathy Bates, Michelle Pfeiffer
Screen Media Ventures Feature Film
A heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting romance that is a testament to the power of love.

Race with Destiny: The James Dean Story – Casper Van Dien
MPI Media Group TV Movie
Goes beyond the myth to tell the true story of the superstar who lived fast, died young and left a legacy that changed movies forever.

Royal Wedding – Fred Astaire, Jane Powell
Film Chest Media Group Feature Film
A dance act goes to London at the time of a royal wedding. Music by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner.

Sarah's Key – Kristin Scott Thomas
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
Based on the novel by Tatiana de Rosnay, In modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup in 1942. Movie Guide Award nomination for best film.

Scream 4 – Wes Craven, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
The spine-chilling fourth installment of the $300M-grossing Scream franchise.

Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden – Cam Gigandet, Anson Mount
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
Based on the true story. Seal Team Six is sent to find and retrieve Osama bin Laden.

Silent Wings: The American Glider Pilots of WW IIWalter Cronkite, Andy Rooney, Hal Holbrook
Janson Media Documentary
Thousands of lives were saved and battles won in WWII because of the efforts of American glider pilots. Winner of a Cine Golden Eagle for History.

The Silver Linings Playbook – Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Actress and the movie garnered over 60 awards. After a stint in a mental institution, a former teacher moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when he meets a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Smother – Diane Keaton, Liv Tyler
Screen Media Ventures Feature Film
When Noah Cooper is fired from his job as a therapist, he thinks his day can’t possibly get worse, but arriving home— he discovers his overbearing mother Marilyn has moved in with her five dogs in tow.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro – Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward
20th Century Fox Feature Film
Classic film based on the short story by Ernest Hemingway. Writer Harry Street reflects on his life as he lies dying from an infection while on safari in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.

South of the Border – Oliver Stone, Hugo Chavez
Cinema Libre Studio Documentary
Oliver Stone sets out on a road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media’s misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World – Jessica Alba, Joel McHale
The Weinstein Company (via the Starz Digital Media catalog) Feature Film
In the fourth installment of the hit Spy Kids franchise, a retired spy is called back into action, and to bond with her new step-children, she invites them along for the adventure to stop the evil Timekeeper from taking over the world.

Sunshine CleaningAmy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin
Starz Digital Media Feature Film
In order to raise the tuition to send her young son to private school, a mom starts an unusual business with her unreliable sister—a biohazard removal and crime scene clean-up service.

Super High Me – Doug Benson
Screen Media Ventures Documentary
Standup comedian and marijuana user Doug Benson documents 30 days of pot free living and 30 days of non-stop use to compare the effects of both with unexpected results. Along the way he performs across the country and hangs with fellow notable comedians.

The Terror – Jack Nicholson, Boris Karloff
Film Chest Media Group Feature Film
A young officer in Napoleon’s army pursues a mysterious woman to the castle of an elderly Baron.

TraitorDon Cheadle
Starz Digital Media Feature Film
When straight arrow FBI agent Roy Clayton heads up the investigation into a dangerous international conspiracy, all clues seem to lead back to former U.S. Special Operations officer, Samir. Obsessed with discovering the truth, Clayton tracks Horn across the globe as the elusive ex-soldier burrows deeper and deeper into a world of shadows and intrigue. Cheadle was nominated for an Image Award for Outstanding Actor.

Trashed – Jeremy Irons
Green Planet Films Documentary
Jeremy Irons travels around the world to beautiful destinations tainted by pollution.

Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak, Peter Schickele
Weston Woods Animated
An animated film of the award winning and beloved classic children's book.

World War I: American Legacy – Narrated by David Carradine
Janson Media Documentary
Vividly tells the many forgotten stories of the men and women who served in the Great War, reminding Americans of their impact on our country that can still be felt today. The WWI Centennial is this year.

 

Did you miss our last eHighlights? Click below!

Click here for all the back issues of eHighlights.

 

Cindy Orr is a Collection Development Analyst at OverDrive.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! April 22, 2014 marks the 44th Earth Day celebration.  Over 192 countries participate with educational and outreach activities.

Because education is a critical part of Earth Day, we've put together some examples of fantastic nonfiction titles for K-12. These eBooks encourage students to discover more about the environment, as well as offer ideas on how to help.

K-6: 

earthdaykids

 

Young Adult:

earthdayteens

 

Click here to access a saved search with these titles, as well as many more science and nature eBooks available for your school or library to purchase in the OverDrive Marketplace.

**Some titles may have limited regional or platform availability.

Laura Ruttig is an Account Executive at OverDrive.

More smart school updates: The email share feature

One of the best moments in my teaching career was when an eighth grade girl said to me "Hey Mrs. L, I really liked that book you recommended." This short anecdote in itself is not compelling, but if you knew that this student was obsessed with drawing Manga characters, dreamed of visiting Japan and rarely did the assigned work in my class then you might look at the story a bit differently. Are you wondering about this enticing book? Yes, the story took place in Japan and featured artistic and somewhat rebellious tweens similar in age to my student. It is the hope of every educator that he or she can make these memorable and precious connections with all students.

The art of recommendation is a powerful motivator and a way to appreciate a student's individuality in the classroom. The email share feature, found on a title's details page, can be used to recommend titles of interest to students, teachers, and staff at your school.  For elementary students, who don't yet have an email, the title link can be copied and placed in a public space such as the teacher's website or school library page. Don't overlook the Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest share options too.

The email share feature joins other recent updates, such as the improved wish list.

emailshare

Renee Lienhard is a Collection Development Analyst at OverDrive.

eBook Review: Haunted Empire by Yukari Iwatani Kane

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Verdict: 3 Stars

I expected a lot from Haunted Empire, and I did get a lot of information. It just wasn’t the stuff I thought I would read about. Where was the controversy? Where was the speculation about Apple’s downfall? Basically, where was the information that CEO Tim Cook took issue with?

There was a lot of background information, and I will say that the beginning of the book contained an even closer look at Steve Jobs. It’s funny to read a book that contains information on how Jobs fought with the guy writing his book! There was a lot of really in-depth and thrilling–both heartwarming and negative–information on who Jobs was, told only through the most hidden conversations that made me ask several times, “How did the author find this out?” That’s not to question Kane’s veracity, but to really highlight that she included conversations no one else would have known about.

But while the content within the book gave detailed information about Apple’s woes since the untimely passing of Jobs–I’m not above admitting that I cried several times during Kane’s depiction of the CEO’s last few months and final death–there was nothing of note about where the company is headed with Cook at the helm, at least not in terms of the uproar that followed the book’s publication. Yes, there is certainly mention that Apple hasn’t released anything profound since losing its original dreamer, but it’s also understandable. Kane even paints a picture of a company that is still reinventing itself as a new company, having gone through downturns in the past with various underwhelming CEOs.

At the same time, Kane herself gives so much insight into not only the legal woes that have plagued Apple lately (and kept the company fairly busy with its leadership and its finances tied up in courtroom drama), but also unintentionally details the cyclical nature of Apple’s innovations. It’s hardly newsworthy that the company that brought us the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and resulting app and music stores in the space of such a short time frame would rest on its laurels for a moment before attempting to launch anything quite as world changing again.

Haunted Empire was insightful and interesting, but hardly earned its reputation as the tell-all, “bearer of bad tidings” book that the hype told us to expect.

eBook Review: Haunted Empire by Yukari Iwatani Kane is a post from: Good e-Reader