CLCD NEWSLETTER Volume 2, Issue 10 October 2003    Upon returning to school after Hurricane Isabel, one fifth grade teacher asked her students to write about their experiences during the storm and its aftermath. She was surprised when she read their papers, for they all said they loved it. It didn't bother them that they had no television, computer games or electricity. They delighted in sharing meals with their parents and playing board games together as a family. This reinforces several studies that have been done. When children are asked what they would like most to have, it is time with their parents.    Public librarians and school media specialists can encourage parents to spend time reading to their children, no matter their age. Impress upon parents the importance of reading to their children even after they have mastered the basic skills. There are many wonderful books that beg to be read aloud. The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) can help you find those special books.    If you search "read aloud" you will get 3,283 hits. Qualify this with age and genre, and you'll be delighted with the results. Be sure to include some interesting biographies and other nonfiction as well. For those of you who are in college and university libraries, a display of read aloud children's titles is also important. Remember that today's students are tomorrow's parents. Be sure to include some titles they would have read in elementary school. They love these happy reminders of their childhood. Search Tip of the Month    If you are looking for a specific media other than a book just add that word to the information that you have put in the search box. For example, "hiking video" will net 17 potential items. While this search method is not perfect it will help you find non-book material fairly quickly. At Our Website    Authors Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, Andrew Clements, Patricia Reilly Giff, Steve Jenkins, James Ransome have all been updated to reflect new information about them and their books. New author features include Carl Reiner and Lynn Chaney.    We also have a good selection of books appropriate for Halloween reading and have added new books to our ongoing features about African Americans with a review of the Romare Bearden exhibit and his one and only children's book Li'l Dan the Drummer Boy and a feature that highlights some of the world's jazz greats and another that highlights books about African-American artists. Spreading The News    Our monthly newsletter is now available to everyone within an organization, not just the primary contact. A new feature at www.childrenslit.com will provide you with a form allowing you to sign up for just the electronic newsletter.    We were delighted to see the comments from Ruth Jean Shaw, Anchorage School District "CLCD is a rich resource in my routines with collection development. I depend on this service for our program."    The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database, updated by mid-month, is your most complete source of information about children's books. Indeed, it is the next best thing to having the book in hand, and the best tool for leading you to the best books. All at a most affordable price. To subscribe to the CLCD, go to www.childrenslit.com.    Your inquiry about CLCD has generated this email. Our newsletter is issued monthly. Please be assured that we do not sell or rent our lists. If you do not wish to receive our monthly updates, please contact unsubscribe@childrenslit.com. The CLCD Company, LLC Click here to return to the newsletter index.