Read*Write*Now! is the site for the American Initiative on Reading and Writing. The site offers information for parents and teachers on how to create fun reading activities for children. The website is filled with reading readiness activities and ideas.

Chicken Spaghetti is hosting the 2nd Carnival of Children’s Literature. If you are a blogger who blogs about children’s literature in any way, submit one of your favorite posts to the carnival. Submissions are due by this Friday, March 3rd. Join in, it’s a lot of fun, and you can get exposure for your blog!

The Miami Herald has an article on boys and reading entitled, These tips might make your son a reader. The tips are simple but powerful:
Find an “entry point.” Meaning look for reading materials that your son is interested in.
Look for books with male characters.
Think “outside the book.” There is plenty of reading materials not between book covers.
Start a book club.
Go to the bookstore and library.
Get involved in your child’s education.
Set the tone. Read in front of you children.
Start early. Read. Read. Read.
Music to my ears!

Alt Teen Services Blog is a blog run by two librarians who work professionally with teenagers. They have great ideas for working with teens, technology and teens, and programming.

ALA announces that YALSA releases new book on summer reading programs for young adults, entitled Sizzling Summer Reading Programs for Young Adults. The emphasis is on libraries of all sizes providing high quality teen-friendly programming.

Bookslut has a great article about Investing in the Children’s Section of public libraries. The author uses the new library in Eugene, Oregon, and explains what she and her son love about their library. Most of the things they love are attainable by any public library serviing children: put books on display so busy parents can reach out and grab, have puzzles and puppets and toys, and have art on display. Her love letter to her public library is not about the budget or the new library. It is about how her library makes her and her son feel.

Drop Everything And Read or D.E.A.R. Day is on April 12th. It is a program featuring beloved book character Ramona Quimby and celebrates reading as well as Beverly Cleary’s 90th birthday. On their site you can learn about the celebration, read the press release, and request free materials for your library.

Writing with a broken tusk is the blog of author, Uma Krishnaswami. The blog focuses on writing books for children. Wonderful insights and inspiritional ideas.

Sound Bend Tribune has a great article about art in picture books. It ends with:
“Exposing children to many different visual styles is doing them a great service, says dePaola. “Children who are picture-book age — I don’t think they have any ‘taste.’ Their taste is in formation. Let them see as much as they can, and then they’ll form their own taste.””
Exactly. Read, read, read to those kids!