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September 2006
In this issue:
Watermark Teacher Appreciation Day is Saturday, Sept. 16, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(this is a new date—please update your calendars)
High School Students Invited to Book Clubs
Next KMUW Literary Feast: Friday, Oct. 6
Upcoming Author Events with Jane Hamilton, Mitch
Albom, Eoin Colfer—and more!
Visual Arts Books for Your Students & Classrooms
July book reviews from A-Review-A-Day.
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Watermark Teacher Appreciation Day
The school year is in full swing, and we know that you’re working hard. To
show our admiration for everything you do, Watermark will be hosting its
annual Teacher Appreciation Day on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. [Please note: this is a change, as it was previously advertised for the
following day. Please update your calendars; we’d hate to miss you!]
We’ll have information on new books for kids and teachers, a how-to on
hosting an author event at your school, and a session on awesome books for
young adult readers—plus great giveaway items and special discounts for
educators. The day’s final schedule will arrive to you in a supplemental
Teacher Feature e-mail early next week.
So tell your friends! Now is the perfect time to sign up colleagues who
don’t already receive Teacher Feature (or who might have changed e-mail
addresses). Forward them this e-mail and let them know that everyone who
signs up will be entered to win a free lunch from the Watermark Café, and
educators receive a discount on classroom materials purchased in the
bookstore. To sign up, they just need to send an e-mail to:
beth.golay@watermarkbooks.com
And remember: Teacher Appreciation Day is September 16, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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High School Students Invited to Book Clubs
Each month Watermark organizes six book discussion groups that cover a range
of reading material. We’d like to invite your high-school age students to
participate in one (or more!) of these groups: it’s a great way to broaden
their reading horizons and help them grow into life-long readers. Some
teachers may even wish to offer extra credit to those students who take
part.
The original Watermark Book Club chooses good recent fiction and non-fiction
titles; the Chick Lit club reads light, fun fare focused on women; the
Classics Book Club reads timeless works of literature—Eli Wiesel, Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle, E.M. Forster, and others; the Mystery club goes for thrillers
and quality suspense novels; and the French and Spanish book clubs read
foreign language titles and hold discussions in French and Spanish,
respectively.
All book club selections are paperbacks, and participants receive a discount
of 20%. We print a quarterly brochure listing the books for the three months
ahead, and current selections and meeting times are listed on our Web site’s
Events page:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/events.html
Please pass the word: we look forward to meeting your students!
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KMUW Literary Feast – Monthly Gourmet Dinner and Book Club
Friday October 6, 7:00 p.m.
Literary Feast participants enjoy dinner together – with a book-themed menu
created by our Watermark chef – then take part in a book discussion over coffee
and dessert.
October’s book is All Aunt Hagar's Children: Stories by Pulitzer
Prize-winner Edward P. Jones.; November’s books (for the Nov. 3 feast) will be
The Once and Future King by T. H. White and The Hero's Trail: A Hiking
Guide for a Heroic Life by young-adult novelist T. A. Barron.
Tickets for the feast are available in the bookstore or by calling (316)
682-1181. Places are limited, so we recommend purchasing your ticket well in
advance.
You can read more about October’s book, author, and menu on the KMUW Web
Site at:
http://www.kmuw.org/LiteraryFeasts.html
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Upcoming Author Events
Gerald Paske Reading & Book Signing – September 14, 7:00 p.m.
Mr. Paske is emeritus professor of philosophy at Wichita State University
and author of Why the Fundamentalist Right is so Fundamentally Wrong, a
book on modern morality. Read Mark’s review here:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0806-016.html
Jay Price Book Signing – September 17, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Mr. Price is a local historian and author of a new fully illustrated local
history, Cherokee Strip Land Rush.
Jeff Worley Reading and Book Signing – September 22, 7:00 p.m.
Mr. Worley is a native Wichita poet and author of the poetry collections
Happy Hour at the Two Keys Tavern and Only Time There.
Tom Drury Reading & Book Signing – September 23, 2:00 p.m.
Tom Drury will sign his new novel The Driftless Area a noir Midwestern
fable. Read Bruce and Sarah's reviews here:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0806-006.html
Jane Hamilton Reading & Book Signing – September 26, 7:00 p.m.
Ms. Hamilton is the author of several novels, including the Oprah Book Club
selections A Map of the World and The Book of Ruth. She’ll be here
to
sign her new novel “When Madeline Was Young,” the story of Aaron Maciver and
his beautiful wife, Madeline, who suffers brain damage in a bike accident,
leaving her with the intellectual powers of a seven-year-old. In the years
that follow, Aaron and his second wife care for Madeline with deep
tenderness and devotion as they raise two children of their own. Join us as
Hamilton talks about this portrait of a family tragedy that forever shapes
and alters the boundaries of love.
Looking further ahead:
Eoin Colfer Event – Saturday, Oct. 7 (time to be announced)
Come meet the author of the bestselling “Artemis Fowl” young adult novels.
Mitch Albom Reading & Book Signing – Wednesday, Nov. 15, 7:00 p.m.
Watermark will host Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie and
Five
People You Meet in Heaven for a reading and book signing.
Mark your calendars now; we’ll have more details as these two events get
closer.
For a full listing of Watermark events, including book clubs and art
openings, visit the Events page of our Web site at:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/events.html
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Visual Arts Books for Your Students & Classrooms
As a preview for our upcoming Teacher Appreciation Day session on new visual
art books, here are some quick words on exciting recent titles:
PICTURE BOOK: (4 to 8 years old)
“Tell Me a Picture” by Quentin Blake (Millbrook Press, 0761318933, $17.95)
Illustrator Quentin Blake (familiar as the illustrator of numerous Roald
Dahl books) created this fully illustrated picture book in conjunction with
an exhibition at the National Gallery in London. Arranged as an abecedary,
the book takes its readers on a tour through the Gallery’s collection,
stopping at one painting for every letter in the alphabet. Each image is
accompanied (on separate pages) by Blake’s trademark cartoons figures, who
name the work’s creator, then make comments or ask questions about the
picture. The goal is to encourage children to really explore the works,
become engaged by them, and began to ask questions themselves. The format
makes the paintings and drawings come alive and begin to tell whole visual
stories.
MIDDLE READERS: (9 to 12 years old):
“A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn’t Make it Good” by Mark Gonyea
(Henry Holt & Co., 0805075755, $18.95)
This book is like an entire introductory course in visual design in just a
few dozen pages. Using short, simple explanations and powerful, boldly
colored illustrations, Gonyea gives brief introductions to using size,
shape, proportion, warm and cool colors, angles, curves, and balance in a
drawing or design layout. The text is warm and humorous, and the images are
eye-popping. Your most visual students will likely grasp these ideas
immediately from the pictures; others will need further explanation but will
find the images excellent visual examples for your descriptions of simple
art principles. It’s a great tool for art instructors—or a great gift.
“Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter” by Susan Goldman Rubin (Abrams Books for
Young Readers, 081095477X, $18.95)
This well-illustrated picture book includes many samples from Warhol’s
career, all neatly discussed in the accompanying text. From soup cans and
Marilyn Monroe to his less-familiar interiors and landscapes, Warhol’s sharp
design sense and edgy use of color and repetition remain striking even
decades after he made them. Reading and poring over this brand-new book will
give students the complete story of the painter’s life as well as an
excellent introduction to his diverse, revolutionary work.
For more new titles on art appreciation and history, design, and famous
artists, please plan to attend our session on art books for K-12 educators
during Teacher Appreciation Day on Sept. 16.
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July reviews from A-Review-A-Day.
The following list links to recent Watermark reviews of children's and young
adult books. You can sign up here to receive our Review-A-Day e-mail in your
in-box:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/reviews.html
PICTURE BOOKS
Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0706-001.html
Hippo, No Rhino! by Jeff Newman:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0706-005.html
How to Make Friends with a Giant by Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by
Amy
Walrod:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0706-006.html
BEGINNING CHAPTER BOOKS
Akimbo and the Elephants, Akimbo and the Lions, and Akimbo and
the
Crocodile Man by Alexander McCall Smith:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0706-014.html
Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost by Cornelia Funke:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0706-012.html
MIDDLE READERS
The Great American Mousical by Julie Andrews Edwards & Emma Walton
Hamilton, illustrated by Tony Walton:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0706-003.html
(Mark's Pick of the Month!)
The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea by Ann M. Martin, adapted and
illustrated by Raina Telgemeier:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0706-007.html
YOUNG ADULT and TEEN
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0706-009.html
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Past reviews and archived issues of Teacher Feature can be read on-line on
the Watermark Web site at:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/teach.html
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How many days is it ’til Winter Break?
Mark David Bradshaw
Click here for the Teacher Feature Archives
Peruse
back issues of teacher feature since its inception in April
2003.
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