I can’t wait to read this companion to the Newbery Honor winner Savvy: Scumble by Ingrid Law

Read our interview with Ingrid Law!

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

The children have spoken! On May 11, 2010, The Children’s Book Council (CBC) in association with Every Child a Reader, Inc. (the CBC Foundation), announced the winners of the third annual Children’s Choice Book Awards.

The CBC created the awards program to allow young readers to voice their opinions about the books being written for them and to help develop a reading list that will motivate children to read more and cultivate a love of reading. The favorite book finalists for this year were determined by close to 15,000 children and teens from across the country. They voted for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at www.BookWeekOnline.com.

The Children’s Choice Book Award winners are as follows:

Author of the Year

James Patterson for MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel (Little, Brown)

Illustrator of the Year

Peter Brown for The Curious Garden (Little, Brown)

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year

Lulu the Big Little Chick

by Paulette Bogan

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Synopsis: Lulu the chicken is little…but wants to be big. Paulette Bogan’s humor and timeless kid-friendly style are irresistible.

Lulu the little chicken is sick of being told she’s too little to do things…so she decides to run away where no one will tell her what to do. And when the horse, and sheep and cow and everyone seem to get in her way, it only makes her more determined. But when she finally gets far far away, what happens when a loud crow scares her? Next time, she’ll take her momma with her!

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Publisher: Knopf/Random House

Synopsis: Serving justice . . . and lunch!

Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life

by Rachel Renee Russell

Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: New school. New mean girl. New crush.

New diary so Nikki can spill about all of it…

Teen Choice Book of the Year

Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)

by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Synopsis: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge!

Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists!

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

May 10-16, 2010, is Children’s Book Week. Each year, during this week, The Children’s Book Council hosts the Children’s Choice Book Awards. The favorite book finalists for this year were determined by close to 15,000 children and teens. I highly recommend checking out these books!

This year’s Children’s Choice Book Award finalists are as follows:

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year

Birthday Pet

by Ellen Javernick, illustrated by Kevin O’Malley

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

Synopsis: It was Danny’s Birthday and his folks said he could get any kind of animal he wanted for a pet. Danny thought it over before he went to bed. ‘All I really want is a turtle,’ he said.” But instead, his family gets him a dog, a kitten, a rat, and a bird. Danny shakes his head after each gift is offered until he finally receives the present he’s wished for all along. Accompanying each amusing stanza are Kevin O’Malley’s cheerful illustration using design markers and colored pencil.

Lulu the Big Little Chick

by Paulette Bogan

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Synopsis: Lulu the chicken is little…but wants to be big. Paulette Bogan’s humor and timeless kid-friendly style are irresistible.

Lulu the little chicken is sick of being told she’s too little to do things…so she decides to run away where no one will tell her what to do. And when the horse, and sheep and cow and everyone seem to get in her way, it only makes her more determined. But when she finally gets far far away, what happens when a loud crow scares her? Next time, she’ll take her momma with her!
Mouse Was Mad

by Linda Urban, illustrated by Henry Cole

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Synopsis: Who knows the best way to be mad? Bear stomps. Hare hops. Bobcat screams. Mouse? He just can’t get it right. But when he finds the way that works for him–still and quiet–he discovers that his own way might be the best of all.

The Odd Egg

by Emily Gravett

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: Each of the birds has an egg…except for Duck. So when Duck finds a beautiful egg of his own he’s delighted — even though the other birds make fun of it. But everyone’s in for a BIG surprise when his egg finally hatches!

Opposnakes: A Lift-the-Flap Book About Opposites

by Salina Yoon

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: Swing open the giant flaps over each adorable snake to reveal which extra-long opposnake is waiting for them. This book features simple opposites such as clean to dirty, quiet to loud, hot to cold, and a grand finale of one lonely snake becoming lots and lots of snakes having a party!

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year

The Book That Eats People

by John Perry, illustrated by Mark Fearing

Publisher: Tricycle Press

Synopsis: WARNING! THIS IS NOT A BEDTIME STORY

Legend has it there exists a book that eats people.

This is that book!

Many readers have been unable to escape its perilous pages. But this isn’t that book.

Yes it is!

This is simply a story about that book. Really. I mean, how could a book eat people? So if you’re just dying to know the history of this literary monster, all you have to do is turn the page…

Don’t do it!

Coretta Scott

by Ntozake Shange, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins

Synopsis: Walking many miles to school in the dusty road, young Coretta knew, too well, the unfairness of life in the segregated south.

A yearning for equality began to grow.

Together with Martin Luther King, Jr., she gave birth to a vision and a journey—with dreams of freedom for all.

Gonzalo Grabs the Good Life

by Janice Levy, illustrated by Bill Slavin

Publisher: Eerdmans

Synopsis: After Gonzalo wins the lottery, he decides it’s time to leave the farm and go out to find the good life. He tries everything, from golf to boating to solos in the church choir — but no matter where he goes or what new adventure he embarks on, Gonzalo still does not find what he’s looking for.

What will make this sassy rooster happy?

This rollicking story, with its bright, colorful illustrations, will remind readers that sometimes contentment is right in your own backyard.

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Publisher: Knopf/Random House

Synopsis: Serving justice . . . and lunch!

Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!

Oceanology: The True Account of the Voyage of the Nautilus (Ologies)

by Ferdinand Zoticus deLessups

Publisher: Candlewick

Synopsis: What if a sixteen-year-old assistant traveled aboard the storied Nautilus, the narwhal-shaped submarine of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? And what if he were the sole survivor of the ill-fated voyage and went on to relay his adventures to a certain . . . Jules Verne? Find this brave young man’s own account in the lavishly illustrated Oceanology, a tale of an 1866 voyage of discovery that investigates diving bells and shipwrecks; coral reefs and ice canyons; sharks, giant octopi, and luminous sea monsters; underwater volcanoes, and even the legendary island of Atlantis.

Follow the fascinating journey of Captain Nemo and explore the ocean’s wonders, both real and imagined … or are they?

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year

Adventures of Benny

by Steve Shreve

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

Synopsis: As Benny goes on five adventures that take him from the woods behind his house to the pyramids of Egypt, he comes face to face with a host of bad guys—pirates, a mummy, and even his very own Booger-Man! And what about all those monkeys?

Join Benny on these wild adventures as he confronts all things hilarious and grotesque. Black-and-white art on every spread of the book will appeal to reluctant readers as well as fans of comics, graphic novels, and illustrated novels.

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life

by Rachel Renee Russell

Publisher: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: New school. New mean girl. New crush.

New diary so Nikki can spill about all of it…

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover))

by Brian Floca

Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson/Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: Simply told, grandly shown, here is the flight of Apollo 11. Here for a new generation of readers and explorers are the steady astronauts, clicking themselves into gloves and helmets, strapping themselves into sideways seats. Here are their great machines in all their detail and monumentality, the ROAR of rockets, and the silence of the Moon. Here is a story of adventure and discovery — a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away.

Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood

by Tony Lee, Sam Hart, and Artur Fujita

Publisher: Candlewick

Synopsis: How did Robin of Loxley become Robin Hood? Why did he choose to fight injustice instead of robbing for his own gain? Expressive and gritty, this graphic novel whisks readers back to Crusades-era England, where the Sheriff of Nottingham rules with an iron fist, and in the haunted heart of Sherwood Forest, a defiant rogue — with the help of his men and the lovely Maid Marian — disguises himself to become an outlaw. Lively language and illustrations follow the legendary hero as he champions the poor and provokes a high-stakes vendetta in a gripping adventure sure to draw a new generation of readers.

Zoobreak

by Gordon Korman

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Synopsis: When Griffin Bing’s class goes to a floating zoo, they don’t expect to see animals being treated so badly. They don’t expect to find Cleo, Dog Whisperer Savannah’s pet monkey who’s been missing for weeks. And they really don’t expect to have to hide the animals once they’ve rescued them! Hilarity ensues as Griffin’s team once more pulls off a heist…trying to break the animals back into a (better) zoo! No animals were harmed in the making of Gordon Korman’s funny, crowd-pleasing next middle grade novel.

Teen Choice Book of the Year

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4)

by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin

Synopsis: How far will Rose go to keep her promise?

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir’s Academy was the deadliest ever in the school’s history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them. . . including Dimitri.

He’d rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Blue Moon: The Immortals

by Alyson Noel

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin/Macmillan

Synopsis: Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever’s powers are increasing, Damen’s are fading—stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen’s past—the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden—but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them—or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day…

Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)

by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Synopsis: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge!

City of Glass (Mortal Instruments)

by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: McElderry/Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and her best friend, Simon, has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City — whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling The Mortal Instruments.

Shiver

by Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Synopsis: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human — or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Author of the Year

Suzanne Collins for Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) (Scholastic Press)
Carl Hiaasen for Scat (Knopf/Random House)
Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw and Dog Days (Amulet Books/Abrams)
James Patterson for MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel (Little, Brown)
Rick Riordan for The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5) (Disney Hyperion)

Illustrator of the Year

Peter Brown for The Curious Garden (Little, Brown)
Robin Preiss Glasser for Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire! (HarperCollins)
Victoria Kann for Goldilicious (HarperCollins)
Susan L. Roth for Listen to the Wind (Dial/Penguin)
David Soman for Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy (Dial/Penguin)

The Children’s Choice Book Awards winners will be announced live at the Children’s Choice Book Awards gala on May 11 in New York City as part of Children’s Book Week (May 10-16, 2010), the oldest national literacy event in the United States.

Artist and author Jon J Muth enchants readers with his books, including the Caldecott Honor book Zen Shorts. Last year he was selected as the Children’s Choice Illustrator of the Year.

Featuring pandas Stillwater and Koo and siblings Karl, Addy, and Michael from Zen Ties, Jon’s beloved characters — along with a couple of new friends — help us celebrate books and reading in this year’s poster!

Thanks to Scholastic Book Clubs, the poster will be distributed free of charge in schools during April and May. ~ www.bookweekonline.com

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Congratulations to Bobbie Hinman and Mark Wayne Adams for your Gold Medal win in the Mom’s Choice Awards! We love your book The Belly Button Fairy, along with The Knot Fairy and The Sock Fairy (both illustrated by Kristi Bridgeman). We look forward to your next offering.

The Belly Button Fairy

by Bobbie Hinman (Author), Mark Wayne Adams (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 0-6

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Best Fairy Books; Har/Com edition (September 1, 2009)

Source: Author

What to expect: Children, Fairies, Belly buttons

Using enchanting rhyme, Bobbie Hinman has created an imaginative and whimsical take on how belly buttons end up in the middle of our tummies. The illustrations are bright and delightful! A sweet book that is perfect for a calming story time. The lovely story reading and music on the CD—included with the book—just add to the appeal.

Publisher’s synopsis: The Belly Button Fairy is a grandmotherly fairy who flies through the skies in her rocking chair, carrying a ruler and a bucket of fairy dust. She is responsible for making sure that every child has a belly button, and that its always in the middle.

Add this book to your collection: The Belly Button Fairy

You may also enjoy: The Knot Fairy and The Sock Fairy

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Two of the simplest ways to encourage children to read—the fundamental skill behind all learning—is to let your children see you reading and to keep books around the house where they are visible. Coffee table books are perfect for both scenarios.

What makes a good coffee table book?

If it’s going to be out on show they need to look good. Usually a hard cover with great great illustrations, or a color scheme that fits with your furnishings—it needs to look decorative. However, once you get past the aesthetics, it needs to be able to hold the attention of the reader and have the power to become a topic of conversation.

Typically, most coffee table books will only hold the attention of adults—and often not even past the first couple of pages. That is why I like the following two books. They’re both attractive, entertaining, and have true family appeal. Perfect for the coffee table in the playroom … and they also make good gifts!

Tollins: Explosive Tales For Children

by Conn Iggulden (Author), Lizzy Duncan (Illustrator)

Reading level: All Ages

Hardcover: 176 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st ed/1st printing edition (October 6, 2009)

Source: Publisher

What to expect: Fantasy

Picked for its bold red color and sparkling silver border and simple but intriguing cover illustration. Not to mention the gold sticker reminding us that this book is from the creators of The Dangerous Book for Boys—that’s sure to peak interest even in the most reluctant of readers.

Publisher’s synopsis: These are the first three stories of the Tollins. Yes, they do have wings, but no, they aren’t fairies. Tollins are a lot less fragile than fairies. In fact, the word fragile can’t really be used about them at all. They are about as fragile as a house of brick.

In “How to Blow Up Tollins” a fireworks factory comes to the village of Chorleywood and the Tollins find themselves being used as industrial supplies. Being blasted into the night sky or spun round on a Catherine wheel is nowhere near a much fun as it sounds. It’s up to one young Tollin to save his people from becoming an ingredient.

In “Sparkler and the Purple Death” our hero look execution in the face. Luckily, the executioner’s mask in backwards.

Finally, in “Windbags and Dark Tollins” Tollin society faces a threat from the Dorset countryside, which, again, is much more frightening and nail-bitingly dramatic than it actually sounds.

Add this book to your collection: Tollins: Explosive Tales For Children

You may also enjoy: The Dangerous Book for Boys (this would also look great on the coffee table).

The Story Of Weston Woods (Imagination And Innovation)

by John Cech

Reading level: Ages 12+

Hardcover: 176 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 1, 2009)

Source: Publisher

What to expect: Weston Woods Studios, Motion picture producers and directors, American children’s literature, History and criticism of animated films.

The title is inspiring, but what is fabulous about this nice looking hardcover book is that its cover features some of the most beloved storybook characters. It will be irresistible for many, both old and young. Readers will be inspired to pick up this interesting book and delve into the world of storybook-turn-animated-movie. When the youngest readers see older readers and adults flipping through this book, they will surely be motivated to read the matching books most likely found in their home collection.

Publisher’s synopsis: In this lush nonfiction volume–rich with archival photographs, animation cells, historical references, and first-person accounts–readers get a personal, behind-the-scenes look at the man and creative empire who presents the work of leading picture book creators to young people and librarians via the medium of film.

Trailblazers in the children’s entertainment industry, Mort Schindel and Weston Woods have, for decades, introduced kids to Maurice Sendak, Rosemary Wells, Mo Willems, and many other notables.

Mort Schindel and Weston Woods rival Walt Disney and the Disney studios as forerunners in the creative development and delivery of content for children. Trade has been granted the opportunity to produce this intriguing book to celebrate an important legacy during Mort Schindel’s 90th birthday year.

Add this book to your collection: The Story Of Weston Woods (Imagination And Innovation)

You may also want to stock up on the following classic books (listed by publication date) which appear in The Story of Weston Woods:

• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

• Stone Soup (Favorites on CD) by Marcia Brown

• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel lap board book by Virginia Lee Burton

• Curious George Rides a Bike (Read Along Book & CD) by H. A. Rey

• Caps for Sale Big Book (Reading Rainbow Book) by Esphyr Slobodkina

• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

• Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

• Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition by Crockett Johnson

• Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel

• Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

• Corduroy (40th Anniversary Edition) by Don Freeman

• Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema

• The Napping House by Audrey Wood

• In the Night Kitchen (Caldecott Collection) by Maurice Sendak

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

• Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg

• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

• Chrysanthemum Big Book by Kevin Henkes

• Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Anniversary Edition by Bill Martin Jr.

• Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino

• Possum Magic by Mem Fox

• How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? – Audio by Jane Yolen

• Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin

• The Dot (Irma S and James H Black Honor for Excellence in Children’s Literature (Awards)) by Peter H. Reynolds

• Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

• Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) by Mo Willems

• Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

• Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by Laurie Keller

• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

• First the Egg (Caldecott Honor Book and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book (Awards)) by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Leave us a comment: What books do you have on your coffee table?

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Congratulations to Phillip Hoose, the winner of the 2009 National Book Award, in the Young People’s Literature category. I haven’t had the opportunity to read this book, however, I thought I’d share the link to the Nataional Book Foundation’s inspiring interview with Phillip Hoose. As well as the publisher’s synopsis …

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

by Phillip M Hoose

Reading level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 144 pages

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1 edition (January 20, 2009)

Publisher’s synopsis:
“When it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can’t sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, ‘This is not right.’” – Claudette Colvin

On March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Instead of being celebrated as Rosa Parks would be just nine months later, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin found herself shunned by her classmates and dismissed by community leaders. Undaunted, a year later she dared to challenge segregation again as a key plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle, the landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery and swept away the legal underpinnings of the Jim Crow South.

Based on extensive interviews with Claudette Colvin and many others, Phillip Hoose presents the first in-depth account of an important yet largely unknown civil rights figure, skillfully weaving her dramatic story into the fabric of the historic Montgomery bus boycott and court case that would change the course of American history.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

The winners of the National Book Awards will be announced on Wednesday, November 18, 2009. Here is the list of finalists for the Young People’s Literature award:

YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE

Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith (Henry Holt) – Interview
Phillip Hoose, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) – Interview
David Small, Stitches (W. W. Norton & Co.) – Interview
Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic) – Interview
Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped (HarperTeen/HarperCollins)

YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE JUDGES:
Kathi Appelt, Coe Booth, Carolyn Coman, Nancy Werlin, Gene Luen Yang

You can visit the National Book Foundation for more information: http://www.nationalbook.org

Leave us a comment: We’d love to hear your thoughts or have you share links to reviews on any of these books.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

boo·ka·raz·zi

A freelance blogger who pursues celebrities who read books, to create posts that promote children’s literature.

Tony Award-winning actress Mary-Louise Parker has made her pledge to read in the world’s largest annual reading event, National Read for the Record Day on October 8, 2009. Each year the Jumpstart organization hosts Read for the Record, an international campaign which brings children and grownups together to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all over the world. Reading aloud to young children is not only fun, but provides the extra nourishment needed for literacy development: the fundamental skill that leads to overall success in school.

In 2008, Jumpstart broke their own world record when approximately 700,000 readers from around the world, on one day, all read the classic children’s book, Corduroy. This years book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle — a fantastic choice! So why don’t you make your pledge to read with your kids, or even their class, on Thursday, October 8, 2009. Click here to find out how.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.