The Reluctance to Read | Culture & Lifestyle | Deutsche Welle |
“Three years ago, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Pisa Study found that German students scored below average in reading when compared to their peers in other OECD countries. According to the findings, almost half of 15-year-olds said they never read for their own pleasure.”
Looks like Germany is facing similar problems with the youth of their country not reading. They are taking it enough to heart to reform their school system though. No such approach here in the U.S.

The New York Times — ‘Life As We Know It’: What (Sex) Boys (Sex) Think (Sex) About
The New York Times reviews Life as We Know It, the new series based on the teen novel Doing It by Burgess.

Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis (0-385-32307-7)
This book has quite a buzz around it with words like Printz and Coretta Scott King flying about. It certainly deserves it!
Luther’s mother, the Sarge, owns not only group homes but also slum housing, doing a lot of the business under the table and on the wrong side of the law. Luther runs one of her group homes and finds himself caught in her web. As Luther discovers just how trapped he is, the reader meets a cast of wonderful characters like Sparky, Luther’s best friend, and Dontay Gaddy, the sleazy lawyer. The book builds as the reader realizes how much trouble Luther is in long before he does.
This book is pure fun to read, speaking to serious issues with a broad sense of humor. Luther is an incredible character, a real teenage boy who lusts, loves, whines, sighs, and eventually learns to really live.

Samantha Comes to Life
American Girl presents their first full-length, live-action movie based on their popular dolls. Samantha, their most popular doll and book series, is featured in this film that will be shown on the WB network during Thanksgiving week and then released on DVD and video.

MSNBC – Teen surfer gets back on board after losing arm in shark attack
The Today Show featured 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton who was attacked by a shark while surfing in Hawaii. She has written a book about her story, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.

Wanda Gag remains the cat’s meow
A renaissance is occurring for Wanda Gag, with her home being open to the public and her out of print books being reissued by the University of Minnesota Press.

deseretnews.com | An eye for detail — Children’s author/illustrator Jan Brett says life is about the possibilities
A very nice piece on Jan Brett, which offer insight into her creative process. She encourages children to both read and draw, a winning combo.

Your Child Nutrition eSource
This is the official site for the American School Food Service Association. It offers links to interesting articles about nutrition. National School Lunch Week is coming up this month, so it is a great time to show people this online resource.

A curious future without wizards
Australian children’s book author, Odo Hirsch takes on Harry Potter head on with his new book Will Buster and the Gelmet Helmet.