Lite Brite
I always like to find good websites to let kids play on. This one is the old toy Lite Brite from my childhood without the sore fingers from poking those plastic pieces through the paper. No popup ads, no ads at all, just a simple game to share with kids.
Via Metafilter.

NOW with Bill Moyers
Tonight on NOW with Bill Moyers (and usually repeated sometime over the weekend) Bill Moyers will interview Maurice Sendak about his new book, Brundibar.
The NOW website has articles up about Brundibar as well as censorship of children’s literature.

Scripps Howard News Service
“This month, Scholastic Books rolls out a new Nancy Drew series featuring a fresh version of everyone’s favorite girl detective _ with quite a few notable changes.”
What changes? Well, they are now written in first person, rather than third. Nancy is a little older now, out of high school. Best of all, the first four volumes have an introductory price of 99 cents!
Via [places for writers].

Independent.co.uk — Education
“The novels of Philip Pullman, which have been condemned as blasphemous by some critics, should form part of pupils’ religious education, the Archbishop of Canterbury said in a speech made public yesterday.
Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, which was partly inspired by Milton’s Paradise Lost, should be used by teachers to address the “inadequacy” of some religious education courses, Dr Rowan Williams told a meeting of religious leaders and academics hosted by Tony Blair at Downing Street on Monday.”

Coming Soon! – Latest News
“Judy Blume, one of the world’s best loved authors (“Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret,” “Blubber,” “Superfudge,” and “Deenie,” among others), filmmaker Lawrence Blume, and renowned producer Jane Startz (Ella Enchanted) have entered into a multi-picture deal with The Walt Disney Studios to develop and produce films based on Judy Blume’s bestselling books for young people, it was announced today by Nina Jacobson, president of the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group. Under the terms of the deal, the Blumes’ Tashmoo Productions Inc. and Jane Startz Productions, Inc. will adapt several of Blume’s books, beginning with Deenie, Blume’s acclaimed bestseller about a young woman’s struggles to define herself independently from the dreams and expectations her parents have for her.”
Via ACHOCKABLOG.

RTÉ.ie Entertainment in association with the RTÉ Guide – Animated pic for Seabiscuit’s Ross
Universal Pictures will make an animated film of The Tale of Despereaux. It is being developed by Gary Ross, writer and director of Seabiscuit.

Peter Panned (washingtonpost.com)
I read Peter Pan when I was a kid, but this article may just have inspired me to pick it up again as an adult.

Narnia film on the cards
New film version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Disney will be released for Christmas 2005. It has not been announced whether it will be live action or animated.
Via LISNews.com.

NapaNews.com | As research moves online, pity the poor encyclopedia
“With so much free online information, including proprietary databases for which libraries pay for the public’s use, families like Amy Sahn’s say encyclopedias seem unnecessary.
Her oldest of two sons, Zach, 10, will soon have more complicated school assignments, but the Redwood City mother thinks the Internet will suffice.
“The kids are so computer literate,” Sahn said, “that it would seem almost foreign to them to use a book.””
Well, I am compute literate too, but that only makes me better understand how much information on the Internet is suspect and should be used with care. Sadly, I don’t think that children or teens understand any of that, unless they encounter a teacher, librarian, or parent who can explain it to them. Most of the teachers in our community require kids to use at least one print resource in their reports. That’s why we continue to purchase new encyclopedias.