Tandem Insights

You Can't Spell "Tandem" Without T-E-A-M: Recap of a Speech by Author Catherine Thimmesh

It’s always fun to connect with authors in real life. There are several children’s and YA authors living in our hometown, the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and we keep our eyes peeled in case we run ever into one at the grocery store or walking the dog. Even better, this week we had the chance to hear local author Catherine Thimmesh’s keynote speech at the University of Minnesota Book Week event.

Catherine is the winner of the 2007 Sibert Medal for Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. Her speech discussed the research process behind this fascinating story, as well as the question she is most often asked by readers: “How do you get your ideas?” In the case of Team Moon, the answer was, quite literally, “By staring out the window!” After conducting taped interviews, visiting the NASA archives in Washington, D.C., and poring over lots of source material, Catherine began writing. Her goal for the book was to create a succinct narrative that emphasized the importance of the team as a whole.

Here at Tandem Insights, the team mindset prevails. So we appreciated her opinion when asked what she hopes readers will take from Team Moon: Catherine wants readers to realize the potential in teamwork. She feels that society has moved away from cooperative efforts and toward a “me-centered” culture where success equates to individual triumph. Most people think only of the astronauts when they think of the moon landing. But there really were 400,000 people involved in getting it right. One of them was actually in attendance at this lecture! Toward the end of the Q&A, a woman raised her hand and identified herself as someone who helped arrange housing for the engineers.

There are tons of interesting facts and stories in Catherine Thimmesh’s lively books. Click here for a list of all her titles in the Tandem Library Books online bookstore. And keep up the good teamwork!

The Cybils

The Internet's first literary awards are back.

The Children’s and YA Bloggers’ Literary Awards, or the Cybils, started in 2006 when a group of bloggers decided to invent their own book award.  Within hours, the word had spread through the blogosphere.  Within days, the new awards had a name and a website.  Nominations quickly opened in eight categories, from picture books up to Young Adult fiction and even graphic novels.  Participating bloggers include librarians, teachers, booksellers, authors, and the kidlit-obsessed. 

Tandem Library Books was pleased to promote the Cybils’ freshman year to our customers, including the fact that one of our own, a longtime book blogger (that’s me!), was involved as a panelist and an administrator.  We are also excited to let you know that last year’s contest was so successful last year that it’s on again for 2007!  I’m switching to nonfiction this year, and I’m looking forward to immersing myself in the best YA and middle grade nonfiction of the year.

Nominations are open to the public from October 1st through November 21st, so don’t miss your chance to be involved with this one-of-a-kind award by nominating your favorite titles of 2007 at www.cybils.com!

Don’t forget about last year’s Cybils winners and honor titles!  Panelists and judges read through some nearly 500 nominated titles to choose the very best in each category.  Some went on to win other major awards, like American Born Chinese.  Others were blogger favorites that didn’t get as much attention from more established awards, like A Drowned Maiden’s Hair and Scaredy Squirrel.  Here are all 45 honored titles from 2006.

Science Achievement

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has been making waves in news headlines at the school, state, national and international level since its introduction in 2001.  The four pillars of NCLB that remain constant are based on stronger accountability for results, more freedom for states and communities, proven education methods, and more choices for parents.

Forthcoming state science assessments required by the 2007-2008 school year under NCLB bring states another wave of headlines, the most recent being the so-called America COMPETES Act, the purpose of which is to strengthen the quality of the U.S. workforce and guard the economy against foreign competition.  Mandating states to have high quality science assessments in place to be administered at least once during the grade spans of grades 3-5, 6-9 and 10-12 is only one among several ways President Bush and Congress have set out to boost science achievement.  Check out The Facts About... Science Achievement for all the facts concerning the challenges and solutions for science NCLB achievement in your state.

Just what do students need to know science-wise as they move through the K-12 educational pipeline?  Check out Dare To Compare from The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).   Do you have what it takes to make the grade as a science student in today's science classrooms? 

NCES is located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.