YALSA has announced the new Teen Read Week 2006 website.  The site is already filled with great ideas for programs and ways to interpret the Get Active theme.  You could do a Get Physical, Get Active in Politics, Get Outdoors, Get Crafty or many more! 

Sail Away, Little Boat by Janet Buell, illustrated by Jui Ishida. 

Lovely, lovely, lovely!  This picture book is a combination of poetic language and evocative illustrations.  It is the story of a little toy sailboat that floats down a little brook, into a river and finally into the ocean where some children discover it.  The illustrations are stylized and really evoke the feeling of a brook and a river.  The artist stays away from making everything blue and instead selects a palette of deep greens and greys.  The text of the book is gently rhyming poetry that matches the illustrations perfectly. 

Children will enjoy seeing all of the animals along the little boat’s trip and realizing how rivers pour into the ocean.   The book’s poetry reads aloud well and the entire trip will quietly captivate your preschool audience.  This is definitely a journey worth sharing. 

Overboard! by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Sam Williams. 

Doing a toddler story time?  Do I have a book for you!  Overboard is the story of a little baby bunny who enjoys throwing all sorts of things out of his high chair, his crib, the bathtub, etc.  The book has charming pictures that share the joy of throwing things down.  The illustrations are combined with a bouncy, rhythmic text that will engage toddlers and preschoolers immediately.  This one is perfect for sharing with groups but will also be enjoyed one-on-one. 

D Is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Yongsheng Xuan is a picture book about Chinese New Year that follows the alphabet and shows many aspects of the celebration.  The format, the text and the illustrations are all very child-friendly.  The illustrations are stylized and filled with bright primary colors.  Each page features textural Chinese letters behind the paintings, adding another level to the illustrations.  There is also a cat on every spread that reacts to each new letter and item.  This one is sure to draw all children into the holiday and give them a lot of information as well. 

The Phildelphia Inquirer has a great article, “In reading, Dick lags far behind Jane” that speaks of the gender gap in reading, college education and advanced placement classes.  It gives several of the theories of why this gap is happening as well as some remarks from boys themselves.  Important information for all of us working in reading with children. 

Scripps Howard News Service has an interesting article on Thacher Hurd, the child of two children’s book authors who has finally embraced his family’s trade. 

VOYA’s list of the Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror is something I look forward to all year long.  The 2005 list has some of my favorites like Rebel Angels by Libba Bray and Ptolemy’s Gate by Jonathan Stroud.  But it also has so many titles that I haven’t read!  Hurrah!

The Los Angeles Times has an article “In Their Own Words” that talks about the trend of young adults writing books for teens.  One of the books featured is The Notebook Girls, a nonfiction title compiled from a series of notebooks passed between four friends.  There are also several other titles mentioned.  Now this is a much better trend than celebrity picture books! 

The Last Laugh by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey is a nearly wordless book that succeeds completely.  The book is filled with cartoon panels, so it is a graphic novel for the youngest of beginning readers.  It is the story of a mean snake who likes to go up behind other animals and hiss to scare them.  Then he accidentally swallows a duck and gets his comeupance.  The book is dedicated “to bullies everywhere.” 

This isn’t a good book for storytimes, but it is the perfect one to hand to children who are just starting to read or want to try to read on their own.  It has such a sense of humor and the pictures are so bright and silly that the panels carry the story even if they aren’t able to read the words.  The