I completed the school visits for our Summer Reading Program. This year our theme in Wisconsin is shared by many other states: Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds. I had huge success in 1st through 3rd grade reading poems aloud from The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky. The kids paid attention amazingly well, and the poems served as the perfect cap to my speech about all of our activities. I read four poems: I Wish I Had a Dragon, I Am Boom, The Dragons Are Singing Tonight, and Once They All Believed in Dragons. (I am pretty sure those are the titles, but I am doing this without the book in hand, so they may just be pretty close.) They were all hits. I love to see kids respond to poetry so positively. In fact, it was so cool that I am considering offering to do poetry with the students up at school on a regular basis. Just reading and sharing poetry together is very powerful. Plus, all four poems are a joy to read! What could be more fun!
Woodson Is Laureate
The BBC announced yesterday that the Children’s laureateship goes to Jacqueline Wilson. Wilson is the most borrowed author in libraries in the United Kingdom and has sold over 20 million copies of her books. She follows Quentin Blake, Anne Fine and Michael Morpurgo as children’s laureate.
Llewellyn
Llewellyn Publishing offers books for teens and tweens on their site. Many of their other books on wicca, tarot, the paranormal, and astrology would be of interest to teen readers as well.
Gossip Girl
A profile of Cecily von Ziegesar, author of the Gossip Girl series: Gossip Girl: The New Young Adult Novel – Adolescence Plus Wealth Equals Big Sales. The article offers a look at how Gossip Girl began and as well as the fact that von Ziegesar is looking towards writing books about young mothers and turning away from young adult writing.
Stuck on Youth
Lauren Mechling has written a wonderful article for all of us adults who are still reading books for children and teens: Stuck on Youth.
Aaron Shepard's Home Page
Aaron Shepard’s Home Page: *Stories, Scripts, More* is the home page for children’s author Aaron Shepard. But this site offers more than the normal author site. It has extra features like resources for reader’s theater and storytelling, plus a section for young authors. All of these extra section are chock full of great ideas, tips and much more.
Young Adult Canadian Book Award
CLA: Book Awards ~ Young Adult Canadian Book Award have been announced. A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews won the award. The Beckoners by Carrie Mac and Airborn by Kenneth Oppel are the honor books.
SLJ Blog
The SLJ Virtual Summit is School Library Journal’s new blog. They now have an RSS Feed that you can subscribe to.
2005 Edgar Award Winners
Mystery Writers of America selected the 2005 Edgar Winners.
Winner for best young adult was In Darkness, Death by Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler.
Winner for best juvenile was Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett.
Waking Brain Cells 