Boston.com / A&E / Books / British fantasy is not just for kids
Something that most of us who love children’s and YA books would agree with! This article takes a look at the history of British children’s literature, the appeal of authors like Phillip Pullman, and the new appeal of adult fantasy by Susanna Clarke.

Indigo’s Star by Hilary McKay (0-689-86563-5)
A second visit to the wonderful family in Saffy’s Angel, Indigo’s Star focuses more on the two younger children, Rose and Indigo and their friendship with an American boy who comes to spend the school term with his grandmother in England. The rest of the family is there as well, forgetful Eve, Caddy and her many suitors, Saffy and her best friend Sarah, and even the ever-absent father of the family, Bill.
If you enjoyed the first book, you will love this one. It has the same charm, humor and joy to it. It also has a wonderful cover, unlike the original book, reflecting the modern setting and the top of Indigo’s head.
Recommend this to boys and girls alike. It will lead them to the first one and hopefully get them past that cover.

Tending to Grace by Kimberly Newton Fusco (0-375-82862-1)
This debut novel for teens is a real gem. It is the story of Cornelia, a teen who has been forced to take care of her mother. Cornelia has defined herself by the way she fixes things for her mother. But then when her mother runs off with a boyfriend, she dumps Cornlia off at her Aunt Agatha’s house. Agatha does not need the same sort of care that Cornelia’s mother did and Cornelia must now find her own way. Added in to the mix is the fact that Cornelia doesn’t speak because of a stutter.
Both Agatha and Cornelia are great female characters. Agatha is not the caregiver that readers might be expecting as a foil to Cornelia’s mother. Her broken-down truck, tipping-over outhouse, and messy house don’t seem like the right place for Cornelia to find peace, but it makes it that much more believable and authentic when she does.
The book goes by much too quickly. I wanted to stay in the messy, vibrant life of Agatha and the book-filled, angry life of Cornelia. Recommend this to girls who will enjoy the language, the spareness and the journey.

foe romeo: A creative generation has a post about a report on children from the UK and their online activity. The most important piece follows:
“Even more interestingly, the study found that 17% of young people have sent pictures or stories to a website and “online creativity can be encouraged through the very experience of using the internet.” That is, the more time kids spend online, the more likely they are to produce their own content. And interaction breeds interaction. Does that mean we can safely assume that as internet usage increases its media timeshare, more and more people will become creative producers as well as consumers?”
This is part of what I always thought the Internet could produce in its users. That if you use it enough, you will be prompted to start contributing yourself. Technologies like blogs and wikis are making it even easier for kids to participate and showcase their creativity.

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding (0-439-54656-7)
This amazing teen novel has a setting that is completely captivating and overwhelming: a gas-lit London filled with fog and all sort of monstrous horrors.
This London is filled with wych-kin, monsters that suddenly appeared in London after the bombings during the war and have taken over a section of London. Thaniel is a wych-hunter, who hunts down the wych-kin when they begin to encroach on other sections of London. But there are more horrors in store for Thaniel when he finds Alaizabel Cray who is possessed by another spirit named Thatch. Who is Alaizabel and how did she come to be possessed?
It is one of the most terrifying novels for teens that I have ever read and also one of the best written and most fascinating. What a combination to be able to offer horror fans! They will be unable to put it down.

The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > At a Click, a Clique of the Uncool
An interesting piece on the world of websites created to promote squips, the device central to Be More Cool, a novel for teens by Ned Vizzini. The best part is that kids who are interested are given a chance to contribute material to the sites.

LISNews.com | The Very Hungry Caterpillar turns 35
LISNews links to an article about the 35th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

New York Post Online Edition: entertainment has a very nice interview with Walter Dean Myers who has just released his 80th book, Here in Harlem.

Charlotte Observer | 10/22/2004 | Filmmakers take approving look at the political Seuss
Independent Lens, a PBS program, will be showing “The Political Dr. Seuss” on October 26th. It is a look at the politics within Seuss’ picture books and how his politics progressed through his life.