Karen Ackerman, author of the Caldecott winning Song and Dance Man offers up a site filled with information that is updated regularly. I only wish the site had more links and less scrolling length.

A short article on illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, who won a Caldecott Honor for The Spider and the Fly and coauthors the Spiderwick Chronicles. He speaks about using nature as an inspiration for his art and the people who supported him as a kid.

Canadian Children’s Book Centre
I stumbled upon this site with book reviews, authors and illustrators, awards, news, and resources all focusing on Canadian children’s literature.

40 Books about Grief and Loss
The September list of books from the CCBC feature children’s books on grief and loss. This is part of the 40th anniversary celebration of the CCBC.

Akiko’s Homepage
Random House site for this popular series of books and graphic novels.

Poll reveals UK’s favourite novels
A mix of modern novels, children’s books and classics make up the 21 top books in the shortlist on BBC2’s The Big Read. Over the next 7 weeks, each book will be championed by a celebrity and will compete for votes.
Children’s books on the list include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, His Dark Materials, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Little Women, Wind in the Willows, and Winnie the Pooh.

Halloween stories put the ‘boo’ in children’s books
This story from Naples, Florida has a nice roundup of this year’s new Halloween titles for children.

Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay
I just finished this book on audio cassette. I adored it! I enjoyed the entire Casson family since they were all complete characters with their own issues and triumphs, even the parents. I wanted to go to the banana house and help unearth Saffy’s angel from the layers of debris in the house. I wanted to walk on the lawn filled with hamsters and guinea pigs. I wanted to peek into Eve’s shed and see Rose’s incredible artwork myself. And luckily, through the writing, I got to do just that.
My only complaint is with the cover art. Going by the cover, one would think that this is an old-fashioned story set in the distant past, rather than a hip story filled with driving lessons, flirting, nose studs, and friends who arrive by wheelchair. I would say that due to the cover art, this could be a hard sell to get in the hands of the right kids. Girls who enjoy modern books will like this one. It is such a well written and completely conceived book.

Feed by M.T. Anderson
Feed is one of those books that I had been meaning to get to for some time. It is a social satire set in the near future where everyone’s brains have been directly connected to the Internet through a feed. The feed sends a constant barrage of news, advertisements and communication to people.
I listened to Feed on audio cassette after starting it in book form and having too many other books to read. Feed is very enjoyable in audio format. The commercials that are mixed into the book were complete with music, giving the listener a true sense of being on the feed.
The society created in this book is what it is all about. It is a world that the reader can certainly see coming. Even the jargon that the teens use rings true. I found myself enveloped in the world and even thinking in the jargon.
My one complaint with the book is that I would have liked to have understood the characters better. I wanted to see under their skin more than I did, especially Violet.
I would recommend this to mature teens who can handle the strong language and understand the satire. Boys will certainly enjoy it as well as girls. This would be a great book for book talking, since the feed concept alone will sell it to kids.