VOYA has a list of the Perfect Tens, or the books that received top scores in 2005. They include many that I have heard of but never read and others that I have read and loved. Rebel Angels and Invisible are two of my favorites on the list.

Squidoo is an interesting Web 2.0 resource. Gayle Keresey, a participant in the ALA Library 2.0 Bootcamp, has created a Reading List for School Librarians and Youth Librarians on Squidoo. She has included recommended blogs, articles on School Library 2.0, youth librarian blogs, author blogs, and books about Web 2.0. This is a very useful resource list!

TheNarniaForums is a discussion board for all things Narnia. It includes the movies and the books, as well as games, the TV series, fan art, fan fiction, and Christianity and the stories.

Teacher, author and children’s book advocate, Esme Raji Codell, has started a blog: Esme’s Bookshelf: Best New Children’s Books. The blog just started today and has three recommended children’s books. You should also visit her website, PlanetEsme, which is filled with a LOT of information on books, themes, and reading.

The Book Standard has an interesting article: Picture Books Fight Back: What the Publishing Industry Is Doing To Reinvigorate Illustrated Books about what is happening with picture books in book stores and publishing houses. I read with dismay that one of the tactics being looked at is more glitter and flaps. Those books are ok in their own way, but give me a solidly written and illustrated book and it can more than match the joy of a sparkly pink flap. I want a book that I can turn to time and again with my children and in my storytimes without fail. It takes a lot more than a sprinkling of fairy dust to get that. It takes talent.

Thank goodness for great niche blogs like Children’s Music that Rocks, a blog all about music for children. I freely admit that I know almost nothing about children’s music, especially not the kind that really rocks. This is a great blog for librarians to know about for collection development and for recommendations for music that parents can actually stand to listen to with their children.

I don’t usually link to for-profit sites, but ArtCards is of special interest.  It is an online greeting card shop that specializes in cards with images by famous Australian children’s book illustrators! 

Among Amid While is the blog of award-winning science fiction author, Margo Lanagan. I enjoy writer’s blogs that allow readers to see how the business of writing works: both the publishing and the process.

Centro Barahona // Barahona Center is part of California State University San Marcos. It is a center for the study of books in Spanish for children and teens. If you click on the logo, you will find lists of recommended books in Spanish and also books in English about Latinos.