Written by Jon Williams
It’s one of
the hottest topics of today, a conundrum that unfortunately has no easy
solutions and isn’t even easy to discuss. The topic is bullying, and it’s a
situation that occurs far too often. Teachers, school administrators, parents,
and students themselves often deal with it on a daily basis. That was the case
for Carrie Goldman, for whom the bullying of her daughter led her to write a
book that lays out ways to help deal with bullying situations, hopefully before
they start. That book is Bullied,
and it’s an essential guide for anyone who deal with children on a day-to-day
basis.
The one
bright spot is that there are any number of resources, both fiction and
non-fiction, that deal with bullying. The fiction titles can help students—and adults—think
about bullying from different perspectives and perhaps come to terms with its
causes and effects. The non-fiction titles offer anyone who might find
themselves dealing with a bullying situation (from any angle) with practical advice
on how to get through it as peacefully as possible and prevent it from
happening again.
To that end,
Midwest Tape has put together a collection of these audiobook resources that
libraries can put on their shelves for those who need them. Kids
& Bullying: Audiobooks for Conversation can be found via a panel on our
homepage. In the coming weeks, you can look for a number of audiobook
collections like this on a variety of topics. We hope you find them useful, and
that they expose you to some great titles you may have missed. You can let us
know what you think here in the comments.
Described video, or Descriptive Video Service (DVS)—pioneered by WGBH Media Access Group—provides audio descriptions of key visual elements within such visual media formats as TV and film to visually impaired and blind audiences.¹ WGBH, the Public Broadcasting Station in Boston, Massachusetts, developed its Media Access Group roughly 30 years ago with the mission of creating and delivering captioned and described media “to people in their homes, classrooms, at work, and in the community.”² With over 20 million people in the U.S.—12 million of them movie watchers—possessing some form of significant visual impairment, major studios have really stepped up to enhance the public’s media-viewing experience.³
Such studios as PBS Home Video, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and Universal Studios Home Entertainment provide described video on select DVD titles. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment also provides described video on select Blu-ray Disc™ releases.
With the increase of described video-enabled DVDs and Blu-rays, Midwest Tape has created a collection of DVS titles to help libraries fulfill the needs of their patrons. To shop our collection of Described Videos, click the image below or follow this link.
Library Journal recently assembled a list of classic films essential for every library collection. These selected titles—pointedly named the Timeless Reels Collection—have withstood the test of time, making them true cinema classics. Midwest Tape is excited to now offer these titles together in one online collection.
Click the image below to shop the collection at midwesttapes.com.
What do you think of Library Journal's list? Are there any films you would add?
On May 24 th at The TimesCenter in New York, the Audio Publisher Association hosted the 2011 Audie Awards, the only awards program in the U.S. devoted exclusively to spoken word entertainment. From the best in specific genres to the prestigious Best Audio Book of the Year, the awards honor a wide array of audiobooks, publishers, and talented narrators.
This year Keith Richard’s Life took the highest honor of the night, and narrator Joe Hurley, a New York based pop singer and songwriter, graciously accepted the award:
"‘When I heard they needed me on this project, there were no questions asked,’ said Hurley. ‘I was sound checking Singing Back Home in Paris when I got the call. I went straight to the airport, flew for hours, lost my luggage, and had no sleep, but we recorded it on time and the result is this amazing memoir to music icon, Keith Richards, who I have the privilege of calling a personal friend.’"¹
After scouring through critical review sources (like Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal), award nominees and winners (such as The Audies, Parents Choice, and AudioFile Earphones), and lists from major publications (like The New York Times, O Magazine, US Weekly, and Entertainment Weekly), Midwest Tape noted and tallied the most frequently occurring titles.
From this tallied list, we constructed our “Audiobooks Everyone Should Hear” cloud. These audiobooks have garnered the most critical praise, awards, and popularity over time.
Do you see your library’s most popular audiobook?
What audiobook do you recommend the most? Is it in our cloud?
Click image to enlarge.
Is your library missing anything from our audio cloud? Shop this collection of classics and contemporary sensations now: search “Audiobooks Everyone Should Hear” in SmartBrowse.
Millions of people anxiously watched the clock on December 4, awaiting the stroke of midnight. No, they weren’t practicing for New Years. Instead, they were gathering with fellow Twilighters and Twihards at local retail stores for the DVD release of the third installment of the Twilight Saga, Eclipse.
Originating as a paranormal romance novel for young adults, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga has become a pop culture phenomenon, gaining popularity in multiple realms of entertainment—books, film, and music.
Twilight, the first novel in the saga, debuted on bookshelves in 2005, followed by New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. The saga, based loosely on the literary classics Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights,and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, has been on the New York Times Best Selling Children’s Series List for the past 172 weeks. 1 In June, Meyer followed up the series with the release of her novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, and in just one month, the book sold over one million copies. 2
Due to the increased popularity of the series, the Twilight Saga has since been adapted into five films. The last book, Breaking Dawn, will be split into two films tentatively scheduled for release in theaters on November 18, 2011 and November 16, 2012. And as gross sales for the first three films have steadily increased with each release ( Twilight, $192 million; New Moon, $296 million; Eclipse, $300 million), the final two films are expected to do even better. 3 Released in November 2009, New Moon set a Guinness World Record for highest opening day sales by grossing $72.7 million. 4
Twilight and New Moon have gained popularity among young adults, earning accolades at both the MTV Movie Awards and the Teen Choice Awards. Meanwhile, the most recent release, Eclipse, has been nominated for eight People’s Choice Awards including Favorite Movie, Favorite Drama Movie, and Favorite Movie Actor and Actress, among others.
Released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 4, Eclipse sold three million copies in just two days. Over the next four weeks, Steve Nickerson, president of Summit Entertainment, expects sales to increase dramatically for both original and special edition releases. Summit is committing three times as much on marketing in the post-street window compared to Twilight and New Moon, which both sold around four million units in their first two days in stores and over nine million units since. 5
Chart-topping soundtracks accompany the successful movies. Debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, the Twilight Motion Picture Soundtrack sold 165,000 copies in its first week before reaching certified double platinum. 6 Additionally, the New Moon Motion Picture Soundtrack was named certified platinum. Together, these CDs made history for being the first soundtrack and sequel to both reach the number one spot on the Billboard chart. 7 The Twilight Saga – Eclipse Soundtrack debuted at number two on the chart. And accompanying the soundtracks are their respective scores—the Twilight Score, New Moon Motion Picture Score, and Twilight Saga – Eclipse the Score. A collection of music videos and live performances from these soundtracks is also available on DVD, Music from the Twilight Saga Soundtracks.
The overall booming popularity of Twilight has turned the city of Forks, Washington into a major tourist attraction. Every month, an average of 8,000 tourists flock to the tiny Seattle town to eat from Twilight-inspired menus at local restaurants and venture on local tours. 8 Even those not able to make the trek can see the town and its splendor by watching the documentaries, Twilight in Forks and Destination Forks – Real World of Twilight.
However, despite the unparalleled popularity of the Twilight Saga, parents and educators often dispute the novels, labeling them unsuitable for young adults due to subtle religious and sexual notions. In 2009, the series ranked number five on the American Library Association’s Top Ten List of the Most Frequently Challenged Books. 9 But that hasn’t stopped readers from catching Twilight fever. As of March 2010, the print series sold over 100 million copies worldwide. 8 And Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse have grossed over $1.7 billion in theaters worldwide. 3
Midwest Tape is Here to Re-Vamp Your Collection
Midwest Tape has created a collection of audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs from the Twilight Saga. To view our collection, click on the Twilight panel on the Midwest Tape homepage.
Has your library seen a large demand for Twilight materials? What other popular culture materials are in high demand at your library?
1 http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/series-books/list.html
2 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/books/29arts-THELITTLEVAM_BRF.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=The%20Short%20Second%20Life%20of%20Bree%20Tanner&st=cse
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twilight_Saga_%28film_series%29
4 http://www.examiner.com/twilight-in-national/the-twilight-saga-new-moon-makes-guinness-world-records-book
5 http://www.homemediamagazine.com/research/consumers-bite-a-third-time-twilight-21335
6 http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003889643#/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003889643
7 http://www.newmoonmovie.org/2009/11/new-moon-soundtrack-goes-platinum/
8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_%28series%29
9 http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/2009/index.cfm
Fox’s musical comedy sensation Glee is only in its second season but it is already a driving force in television. As a newly minted pop culture phenomenon, there is a high demand for all things Glee.
The Show
Glee follows high school teacher Will Schuester as he tries to resurrect McKinley High School’s less than favorable glee club, New Directions. Armed with funny one-liners and high school melodrama, the show delivers a story of hope as the group—comprised of socially and ethnically diverse students—prepares for and competes in choir competitions in the hopes of making it to Nationals.
While the major draw of the show has been its innovative catalog of Top 40, country, R&B, hip-hop, and Broadway tunes coupled with intricate dance numbers that smoothly fit into the context of the show, the breakthrough hit is more than just singing and dancing. Interspersed between the theatrical routines, Glee slyly tackles tough topics like teen pregnancy, bullying, sexuality, and religion.
Glee’s directors bypassed traditional casting calls, instead culling cast members straight from Broadway and saving guest spots from comedians, pop sensations, and Broadway stars for one-time appearances. The show has also dedicated entire episodes to singing inspirations like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Madonna, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show among others.
Accolades
Despite early critical skepticism, (a show featuring singing and dancing was unheard of during a time when hard-hitting dramas and established comedies dominated primetime television) Glee quickly proved itself a success.
In its first season, Glee was nominated for 19 Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes (winning the award for Best Television Series—Musical or Comedy), and six Satellite Awards. 1 The Glee cast has two certified gold albums ( Glee: The Music, Volume 2 and Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers), one certified platinum album ( Glee: The Music, Volume 1) and has racked up more than 10 million song downloads. 2 Currently, Glee continues to rank as the number one entertainment program among adults aged 18–49 for the first six weeks of the 2010-2011 season. 3
Glee has also become a commercial success thanks to dedicated fans who have coined themselves as “Gleeks”. The increasing popularity of the show has spawned a national tour, a young adult book series, an iPad application, a karaoke video game, stationery, greeting cards, apparel, jewelry and even the Glee Project--a reality series focused on finding the next Glee cast member through open casting calls
Midwest Tape is Here to Gleek Your Collection
Midwest Tape has created a collection of CDs featuring music from the show. We update the collection every Wednesday morning with CDs from original artists whose songs were featured on the previous night’s episode.
To find the collection Glee – The Music & More, click browse in the toolbar on the Midwest Tape website.
Select CD and browse by collection and then scroll through the collections to find Glee – The Music & More.
A feature panel on the Midwest Tape website will also redirect you to the collection. Click Next to flip through the panels until you find the one featured below.
Has your library experienced a large request for Glee related materials? What other pop culture materials are in high-demand at your library?
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glee_%28TV_series%29
2 http://www.fox.com/glee/about/
3 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/15/live-7-update-week-6-and-season-to-date-glee-remains-this-seasons-no-1-entertainment-program/72087
To quote TIME.com, “we've been through a lot, we Potterites.” J.K. Rowling’s first book in the legendary septology released thirteen years ago, and since then, the world has experienced Potter-mania with nine years of cinematic glory, stunning film scores and soundtracks, encyclopedias and wikis, slews of fan clubs, thousands of blogs and websites (including the hilarious AverageWizard.com), and video games.
Just this past year, Universal Studios in Orlando fulfilled the dreams of Potterites everywhere and turned the world beyond Muggles into a reality. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened on June 18, 2010 and features rides, restaurants, merchandisers, and live shows. The park’s flagship attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, whisks riders “through scenes and environments in and around Hogwarts Castle from the various books and films of the Harry Potter series.”¹
The series’ iconic sport Quidditch has also become a reality. According to TheStarPress.com, Quidditch has taken off across college campuses throughout the U.S. While athletes can’t fly like they do in the books and films, they still “must ride their brooms during the game, so to speak, for their plays to be counted.” Quidditch has started to extend beyond intramural college sports, taking off worldwide, especially in the UK and Canada. There’s even an International Quidditch Association who just hosted their fourth Quidditch World Cup.
In addition to real-life Quidditch matches, Wizard Rock, a rock music genre characterized by bands’ humorous performances and songs about the Harry Potter universe, blossomed out of the series’ fandom. According to a TIME.com article about the original Wizard Rock band, Harry and the Potters, “Wizard rockers dress like Hogwarts students. They play at conventions and clubs and wizard-rock festivals.” According to Wizrocklopedia.com, as of 2010, there are over 750 Wizard Rock bands worldwide.
And while J.K. Rowling has promised Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe that there will be no more Potter films even if there are more books², there’s no doubt that the iconic franchise has ingrained itself in popular culture as well as literary and cinematic history. The series experienced a historical 10-year-run on The New York Times bestsellers list.³ In fact, the books initially clogged the fiction list for so long that the New York Times ended up creating a separate list for children’s fiction.⁴
According to Box Office Mojo, when not adjusted for inflation, Harry Potter is the highest grossing film series of all time, raking in over $5.4 billion worldwide, and the franchise’s first six films are among the 30 highest earning movies worldwide. With each film and book, the Potter mania has intensified, igniting the development of supplemental materials, like interactive DVD games (The Harry Potter DVD Game), tribute albums (Harry Potter Piano Tribute), biographical and explorative DVD programs (Discovering the Real World of Harry Potter), and guides and analyses on audiobook (A Parent's Guide to Harry Potter).
With the first part of the final film—Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—hitting theaters today, we want to make sure your library is prepared for the surge in Potter mania. To rev up your library’s selection of Harry Potter films, audiobooks, scores, and soundtracks, visit MidwestTapes.com and select the Harry Potter Collection panel to shop all our Harry Potter franchise titles.
What is your library doing to prepare for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I? What’s your take on Potter mania?
¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Forbidden_Journey
² http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/nov/17/harry-potter-jk-rowling-radcliffe
³ http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/ten-years-later-harry-potter-vanishes-from-the-best-seller-list/
⁴ http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2001/11/111201t_top10.jhtml
Recent studies have shown significant improvements in reading test scores of children who continue reading books of their choice during the summer.
During a three-year study from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, researcher, Richard Allington found that, “children who do not read in the summer lose two to three months of reading development while kids who do read tend to gain a month of reading proficiency.” 1
The study also found that, “children improved their reading scores even though they typically weren’t selecting the curriculum books or classics that teachers normally assigned for summer reading.” 2 Most students favored pop-culture books featuring musicians, athletes, and television and movie characters.
Boys and Reading
Additional studies have found that boys do not read as much as their female counterparts. For the past 30 years, girls have outperformed boys on reading tests in every age group, according to the U.S. Department of Education reading tests. 3 However, similar to the conclusions of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville study, author and former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka agrees that guys are more likely to read when the topic is of their interest.
As a result, Scieszka created guysread.com, a web-based literacy program that offers reading suggestions that appeal to the interests of boys. Recently, he has expanded his venture to include Guys Listen, which encourages boys to embrace both the written and spoken word.
Benefits of Listening to Audiobooks
However, listening to an audiobook provides more than just an escape to a fantasyland. According to Rose Brock, an avid audiobook advocate and Library Media Specialist at Coppell Middle School West, “Audiobooks are an ideal medium for all boys, whether they are reluctant readers or voracious ones, especially the 30% of guys who are auditory learners.” 4 Additionally, School Library Journal notes that audiobooks help students improve listening, writing, and vocabulary competencies and build literacy skills. 5
Midwest Tape Can Help
Taking the contemporary interests of young readers into consideration, Midwest Tape has compiled a collection of Must-Have Youth Audiobooks, recommended by School Library Journal. To find this collection and other collections of audiobooks tailored to fit the interests of young listeners, click the browse tab on the Midwest Tape website.
Then, select Audiobook and browse by collection in the Browse Controls.
Some of our other collections featuring notable audiobooks for kids and young adults are named 2010 ALSC Notable Audiobooks, Booklist Best Audio for Kids, New & Notable Children’s/YA, and Critic’s Picks: Children’s Collection.
After browsing our lists, are there any other audiobooks you would recommend for young readers?
1http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/2010/07/21/ut-experts-summer-reading/
2http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/summer-must-read-for-kids-any-book/?emc=eta1
3http://www.guysread.com/about/
4http://library.booksontape.com/2009-pdf/GuysListen.pdf
5http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissue/currentissue/885853-427/heard_any_good_books_lately.html.csp
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