Compy 386!!
Strong Bad is a phenomenon on the Net. He is featured in a serious of cartoons answering his email. In this one, Strong Bad has written a children’s book. A sad, sick children’s book, but what other kind would Strong Bad write?

Speak (2004)
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson has been made into a movie. I have heard good things about it, including that it is faithful to the book.

Pumpkin Carving; Flash | Metafilter
Metafilter has a pumpkin carving flash site that is great for kids. There are a couple of others listed in the comments, but the one mentioned in the original post is the easiest for kids to play with.

Guardian Unlimited Books | By genre | Young adult fiction: Oct 24
This article from England takes a look at the new field of crossover novels that are appealing to both children and adults. It has some new items for me to add to my list of future reads.

NPR : ‘Lizard Motel’ Weighs Children’s Reading Habits
All Things Considered had on Barbara Feinberg speaking about her book, Welcome to Lizard Motel: Children, Stories and the Mystery of Making Things Up. Her book is about the dark reality books being assigned in schools.
Via joannejacobs.com.

Blogs for Kids
RSS Specifications blog has this post about using blogs with kids and the benefits that they will derive from it.

Boing Boing: Kids who support Kerry threatened with expulsion
Shame, shame, shame on a Wisconsin public school stopping kids from expressing their political opinion! I wonder how much of it had to do with Bush’s requirements for supportive crowds.

Boston.com / A&E / Books / British fantasy is not just for kids
Something that most of us who love children’s and YA books would agree with! This article takes a look at the history of British children’s literature, the appeal of authors like Phillip Pullman, and the new appeal of adult fantasy by Susanna Clarke.

Indigo’s Star by Hilary McKay (0-689-86563-5)
A second visit to the wonderful family in Saffy’s Angel, Indigo’s Star focuses more on the two younger children, Rose and Indigo and their friendship with an American boy who comes to spend the school term with his grandmother in England. The rest of the family is there as well, forgetful Eve, Caddy and her many suitors, Saffy and her best friend Sarah, and even the ever-absent father of the family, Bill.
If you enjoyed the first book, you will love this one. It has the same charm, humor and joy to it. It also has a wonderful cover, unlike the original book, reflecting the modern setting and the top of Indigo’s head.
Recommend this to boys and girls alike. It will lead them to the first one and hopefully get them past that cover.