AwesomeStories.com is a site filled with fascinating stories, poetry, and information. Combining effective hyperlinks with text, the site provides links to primary documents as they speak to specific issues. The first four chapters of all entries are available for free. And the entire site is free for schools and libraries.

Morning Edition on NPR had a segment with Nancy Pearl where she had a list of suggested children’s fantasy books: Adventures to Read All Through the Summer. You can either listen to the segment online, or just read the list on the site. As always, her selections are wonderful!

Knowing Poe from Maryland Public Television offers information for teachers and families on Poe’s life and writing. This is a must-visit site, because of the fabulous mood evoked. As readers go through the site, they will get to watch video clips, read complete works, and much more.

Master Blogs has selected this blog as one of its top blogs! Thank you! I am honored.

Horn Book: Summer Reading is a list from the editors of Horn Book with selections that will fill kids’ summer nights with reading and magic. Book selections include picture books, younger and intermediate fiction, young adult fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. All of the books are new rather than classics, making this a real treat of a list.

World Wide School offers a collection of online books. They even have a youth category featuring classics like The Bobbsey Twins, Anne of Green Gables, and Alice in Wonderland. The collection can be browsed by subject, title and author.

Pink Books is a site dedicated to books for gay and lesbian youth. They offer current releases, lists by title and author, books for both children and teens, and books for gay parents and staff.

Edutopia is the website of the George Lucas Educational Foundation. On the site you will find information on some of the latest innovations in education from some of the top schools in the nation. The site offers news, an Internet radio show, and online documentaries. Topics include assessment, community partnerships, the digital divide, mentoring, professional development, and technology.

Okla. lawmakers target gay-themed books
Oklahoma’s House of Representatives passed a nonbinding resolution that asks public libraries to move gay-themed children’s books to adult sections. Beyond the obvious problem of moving books intended for children into the adult section as if gayness was a disease caught through reading, no Oklahoma library has adult sections that cannot be accessed by children. The article offers quotes from both sides of the issue.