Mister Monday by Garth Nix (0807216569) Listening Library Cassette Version
I just finished listening to this one in my car and towards the end I would slow down just to keep listening a little longer and I would take an enormous amount of time tidying the dash so I could just hear a tiny bit more.
Set in England, Arthur is a boy who has just started a new school. On the first day he has to run around a park in gym class and collapses due to his asthma. Two other students come to his aid, but he still starts to die. As he is dying, he sees the strange site of a man in an antique wheelchair and his butler appear beside him. The man, Mister Monday, gives Arthur a key. And so starts this immense adventure through a vibrantly imagined and rendered realm.
Recommend this to Harry Potter fans. It offers a great sense of humor, a British setting, magic, destiny, and the necessary battle between good and evil. A wonderful ride that will keep you looking for the second in the series.

The Guardian | Making of children’s books
This one had me laughing out loud especially from the quote below, which is what the reviews or blurbs in some children’s books should say:
“Other books should carry the warning, “Does that thing where parents start doing the dialogue in the wrong kind of voice – eg suddenly discovering that the pig said something crossly when they’d read it out happily – and so obliges them to read bits all over again, thus making them appear unfit even for this rudimentary task.” Or: “Will remove from adults their will to live by page four.”
C’mon, it’s only funny because it’s so very true!

Willo Davis Roberts
Official site for this author of children’s adventure and mystery books.

Giggle Poetry
A website filled with funny poetry like school poems, favorite poems, poetry contests, and much more. Laugh your way through some rhymes.

The Graphic Novels
Online forum for discussing graphic novels with a focus on quality graphic novels and news.

YA Authors Cafe
Very cool new idea for lovers of teen books! This site is offering free online chats with guest authors on Tuesday evenings. Tonight is the first one with guest Nancy Werlin at 7:30 CST! The software used is Chatzy which doesn’t require you to sign up for membership.

IBBY News
Martin Waddell has won the 2004 Hans Christian Andersen Author Award and Max Velthuijs has won the Illustrator Award.

DC Comics Acquires North American Book Rights to Rebellion’s 2000 AD
DC Comics has acquired the North American publication rights from Rebellion, the UK publisher of 2000 AD and Judge Dredd. The first books are scheduled to be released in September of this year.

2003 Americas Award
The Americas Award is given to U.S. works for children through teens that “authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States.”
The 2003 winners are:
JUST A MINUTE by Yuyi Morales
and
THE MEANING OF CONSUELO by Judith Ortiz Cofer.
The pdf document referred to in the link above gives lists of the honor books and the commended.