Out of the Easy College Scholarship Essay Contest Do you know teens on the lookout for college scholarship opportunities? Have them enter the Out of the Easy Essay Contest for a chance to win $5,000 toward the college of their choice. The essay needs to discuss how the quote below, which is in Ruta Sepetys’s award-winning YA novel Out of the Easy, relates to the journey of the book’s characters and the young writer’s own journey as well. “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”—Charles Dickens The winning student’s teacher or librarian receives 25 free books from Penguin. The contest is open to all high school juniors and seniors, and closes May 30. Join Curriculum Creators in Houston for the 70^th ASCD Annual Conference Consider taking part of the 70th ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, March 21–23, in Houston, TX. The conference theme is “Challenging Convention: Leading Disruptive Innovations,” which is as applicable to the library world as it is to schools. One of the featured keynotes is Nicholas Negroponte, the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, who also founded the One Laptop per Child Association. With over 200 exhibitors and 300 educational sessions, attendees can be sure that their days will be full. Founded in 1943, ASCD (doing business as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is a global leader in developing and delivering innovative programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner. A New Journey Ahead in Jonathan Friesen’s Latest, Both of Me In Both of Me (Blink, 2014) by Jonathan Friesen, Clara has set out on a journey to escape into a foreign place where she can forget her past, and forget her attachments. Until she finds herself seated next to an alluring boy named Elias Phinn—a boy who seems to know secrets she has barely been able to admit to herself for years. Clara quickly discovers that Elias suffers from dissociative identity disorder and they set out on a new journey for answers. Publisher Blink is letting readers take a peek at the first 30 pages of Both of Me; don’t miss the mesmerizing book trailer.