Booktalks: Quick and Simple
http://nancykeane.com/booktalks
As described on the site, a “booktalk” is like a movie trailer, which tells just enough about the book to entice a reader. Want students to learn how to create their own booktalk as a cumulative assessment? This site contains more than 1,200 booktalks, easily searchable by author, title, interest level, or subject. The reports are written by both the creator of the site and by classroom teachers, and include tips for conducting a good booktalk. Invite your students to help you submit your favorite classroom titles!
 
Aesop's Fables: Online Collection
www.aesopfables.com
A treasure trove of fables makes this a great spot to visit during a study of Aesop. The collection has more than 625 of his tales, as well as a variety of audio versions with which children can read along. Great highlights include background information on the life and times of Aesop, a selected group of 180 easy-reading fables, and more than 120 fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen.
 
Children's Picture Book Database
www.lib.muohio.edu/pictbks
 Stumped on finding that perfect picture book for your current theme? This site includes short abstracts for more than 5,000 picture books. The “Keyword Search” feature takes you through a series of subject headings, so the items presented are always on target. Once you get used to the navigation, this site will become an invaluable resource.
 
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
www.carolhurst.com
Do you need some inspiration on how to make better use of classroom books? This extensive site contains a collection of book reviews, ways to use them in the classroom, activities, and professional topics. My favorite sections are “Curriculum Areas,” which categorize the books by very specific content areas, and “Themes and Other Subjects,” which allows you to find books to support your current curriculum theme.
 
Book Adventure
http://bookadventure.org/ki/bs/ki_bs_helpfind.asp
Trying to help students create their own reading list? This site allows them to choose a grade level, fiction or nonfiction, and up to five topics from a list that includes subjects such as holidays, fantasy, and much more. A reading list, taken from a database of more than 6,000 books, is then generated based on those choices. The results can be easily printed and carried to the library media center or bookstore.
 
The Reading Corner
http://ccpl.carr.org/read/
Compiled by teachers for teachers, this site is a compilation of book abstracts for students in grades 2-8. Searchable by the author's name, title, or subject, and easily browse- able by broad categories, the information provided here can help you give students a quick list of titles with a brief overview of the story line. There is also access to both the Caldecott and Newbery Award winners-with publishing information, book covers, and much more.
 
Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature
www.dawcl.com
 If you are looking for a list of high-quality children's books, this is the place to go! The database-containing more than 4,000 titles-allows you to create a tailored reading list for your students. It also provides information about each award a book has won. To search the database, you can choose from a series of drop-down menus, such as age of reader, genre, format, and year of publication.
 
Language Arts Cyberguides
www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cyberguide.html
This content-rich site contains supplementary, standards-based units of instruction, centered on core works of literature. Each CyberGuide contains a student and teacher edition, standards, a task and a process, teacher-selected Web sites, and an assessment rubric. Although they are based on the California standards, the guides are useful for anyone!
 
The Doucette Index: K-12 Literature-Based Teaching Ideas
www.educ.ucalgary.ca/litindex
A quick, no-fuss search of this large database (by author or title) will link you to Web sites and print materials-most of which contain lessons and activities. No browsing here-just a simple searching interface-but the results are up-to-date and useful


Kathy Schrock (www.kathyschrock.net) is the administrator for technology for Nauset Public Schools in Orleans, MA. This article was originally published in the September 2003 issue of Instructor