Yesterday I attended my favorite workshop of the year.  It is something I look forward to each spring, the CCBC Choices workshop where we get to not only hear about the books on the Choices list, but we get to touch and look at each one.   This an incredible perk of being a librarian in Wisconsin.  But those outside of Wisconsin can order a copy of the list as well, and it is well worth the $10 charge.

Choices always has books that I have never heard of before, and I hope to get many of them on interlibrary loan and review them here.  Many of their titles are multicultural and serve children as either a window to a new culture or as a mirror of themselves.  This is so very important!   Choices also never shies away from controversial topics and titles, evaluating them on the basis of the research and quality rather than the topic.  Also a very important perspective in evaluating children’s literature.

Kudos go out to those who put the 2006 batch of titles together.  I was thrilled to see some of my favorites of the year on the list!