This Month's Features
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Are you listening? Many people are these days. They are listening in their cars, in their homes while they are knitting, on the sidewalks when they are walking, and in the classroom. What are they listening to? Great stories that have been recorded. Teachers are using audio books as an equalizer in the classroom. When a class listens to a professional reader, everyone can sit back and enjoy the words, the rhythm and the tale. Emergent readers and English as second language students do not have to concern themselves with decoding. Publishers are recognizing the importance of this format and as a result many audio books are now simultaneously published with new hardcover books. You can find reviews for audio books in The Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD). We currently have reviews from AudioFile, Children’s Literature, The Horn Book, KLIATT, and Science Books and Films. We are working with Recorded Books whereby we will soon include in the database the write-ups they assign to their own products which often include themes of the stories. So now you know that the CLCD is not simply books. “The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database is one-stop-shopping for teachers, media specialists, and educators who need a reliable, searchable source for reviews and purchase of titles,” states Melissa Anne Brown, Media Specialist, Bradley Hills ES, Bethesda, MD

Read Across America is celebrating a very important milestone this year. It is Ted Geisel’s 100th birthday which you will probably want to celebrate all year. From our home page you can link to the official Seussentennial site and also read about the man called Dr. Seuss and several recent biographies about him and sample reviews of several of his very well-known books.

Keep the celebration going with all things Irish for St. Patrick’s Day. We have updated our themed reviews relating to Irish Interests Separated into five categories, you will find books not only on St. Patrick's Day but also Ireland, Irish Americans, Irish Tales and Myths, and Stories with an Irish Flavor.

Looking for a new display idea? Fill a large basket with artificial grass, a few decorated wooden eggs and some new books about spring and Easter. We will get a jump on Easter later this month with reviews of many of the new books and also have a selection of titles that focus on the delights of spring.

March is also Women’s History Month. We have updated our list with some new and exciting titles, such as The Wright Sister: Katharine Wright and Her Famous Brothers by Richard Maurer, Runaway Girl, The Artist Louise Bourgeois by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, and a novel that eloquently illuminates the life of women in early twentieth century America, A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, all of which are recipients of our Children’s Literature Choice Award for 2004.

If you need a book immediately, remember that with just one click you can go directly to the Children’s Literature Barnes and Noble.com Bookstore.

Often when you get the results from a search that may seem pretty extensive; you can quickly go through the titles listed. One of the best approaches is to sort the results by either date or title. Then click and look at the first item in the list. From that point on you just need to click the next item button and you will see the full display for each successive entry in the results list. You can very quickly go through a list of several hundred titles and always click back to the search results screen to check off the one (s) of interest (remember to click save checked items after you select one so you don’t lose it). I perused about 700 titles on a subject yesterday in about 30 minutes to find the five titles that I wanted for a bibliography I was preparing.

Our monthly newsletter is now available to everyone within an organization, not just the primary contact. A feature at www.childrenslit.com will provide you with a form allowing you to sign up for just the electronic newsletter. We loved one of the most recent quotes about CLCD from Karla Schmit, Professor Library Department, Librarian Laboratory School, Shippensburg University ---"Every author, every title, every time."

The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database 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.