CLCD Newsletter | Volume 6, Issue 12

Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 4th. Among the new books this year is Where Is Baby’s Dreidel?: A Lift-the-Flap Book that is just perfect for toddlers. Read about this and other books in our Hanukkah feature.

Each year we see many newly illustrated versions of The Night Before Christmas. Check out our Christmas themed reviews for which ones you will want to add to your collection. Along with those titles there are many other beautifully illustrated and highly original books in this feature including Merry Navidad!: Christmas Carols in Spanish and English by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, illustrated by Viví Escrivá.

The rhythm and rhyme of The Seven Days of Kwanza by Melrose Cooper and illustrated by Jeremy Tugeau will have you singing about the symbols and sentiments of this holiday. It is one of the books in our Kwanzaa feature.

Author Features

Raúl Colón illustrates the innocence of a child, the warmth of a family and the humor of a situation in Frank McCourt's Angela and the Baby Jesus. In this interview he discusses his technique, his inspiration for the children's faces, and he reveals his favorite illustration.

Peter H. Reynolds, master of pen-and-ink drawings, talks about using full color for the first time in Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday, and also reveals a favorite holiday memory from his childhood in this interview.

Lisa Yee says she can "totally relate" to her new character Ivy in the book Good Luck, Ivy ("American Girl" series). Her research took her back to the 1970s and to San Francisco where she walked through Chinatown and went to Ghirardelli Square for ice cream and chocolate. I can relate to that! In this delightful question and answer interview, Lisa also divulges what she hopes girls will learn from Ivy, Julie Albright's best friend from Megan McDonald's "Julie" series.

		Volume 6, Issue 12 December 2007



	Search Tip of the Month This Month's Features Spreading the News Delicious December is upon us, and I am looking forward to cooking and baking our favorite family traditional dishes. We will delight in my grandmother's sausage rolls and Mrs. De Witt's cinnamon rolls for breakfast, Ron's uncls recipe for artichokes at dinner, and most certainly chocolate jumbles made with Christmas cookie cut-outs. I will be adding my grandson's new favorite dessert to our traditions, too: chocolate mousse freshly made in Grandma's kitchen. At the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) we are busy cooking up something new to add to our tradition of the best review sources. We are pleased to welcome The Children’s Book and Play Reviews (CBPR), which reviews fiction, nonfiction, and plays written for young people. It is a joint effort of the Department of Teacher Education, the Department of Theatre and Media Arts and the Harold B. Lee Library of Brigham Young University. We know you will find these reviews very helpful. Well, I am off to make my shopping list of must-have ingredients for my special family treats. Speaking of lists, make sure you have the CLCD on your list of must-haves for the New Year. Good things will be cookin' in your library and in your classes when you subscribe. From all of us at the CLCD: Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and may joy fill your professional and personal lives in the coming New Year. Quote of the Month "CLCD is the easiest place to find book reviews. Having the full text of many reviews from so many different sources in one place for each title is a great time-saver. I also love the ability to limit by age or grade level. These and other features make CLCD invaluable for teachers, professors, students, and children alike." Christina M. Desai, Education Librarian, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale


	We have improved the ability to search the reading metric data. You may now select records based on a range of Lexile numbers, interest levels and reading levels as well as numeric point values for Accelerated Reader and Scholastic Reading Counts.


	Monthly Features Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 4th. Among the new books this year is Where Is Baby’s Dreidel?: A Lift-the-Flap Book that is just perfect for toddlers. Read about this and other books in our Hanukkah feature. Each year we see many newly illustrated versions of The Night Before Christmas. Check out our Christmas themed reviews for which ones you will want to add to your collection. Along with those titles there are many other beautifully illustrated and highly original books in this feature including Merry Navidad!: Christmas Carols in Spanish and English by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, illustrated by Viví Escrivá. The rhythm and rhyme of The Seven Days of Kwanza by Melrose Cooper and illustrated by Jeremy Tugeau will have you singing about the symbols and sentiments of this holiday. It is one of the books in our Kwanzaa feature. Author Features Raúl Colón illustrates the innocence of a child, the warmth of a family and the humor of a situation in Frank McCourt's Angela and the Baby Jesus. In this interview he discusses his technique, his inspiration for the children's faces, and he reveals his favorite illustration. Peter H. Reynolds, master of pen-and-ink drawings, talks about using full color for the first time in Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday, and also reveals a favorite holiday memory from his childhood in this interview. Lisa Yee says she can "totally relate" to her new character Ivy in the book Good Luck, Ivy ("American Girl" series). Her research took her back to the 1970s and to San Francisco where she walked through Chinatown and went to Ghirardelli Square for ice cream and chocolate. I can relate to that! In this delightful question and answer interview, Lisa also divulges what she hopes girls will learn from Ivy, Julie Albright's best friend from Megan McDonald's "Julie" series.


	CLCD Newsletter Editor, Sharon Salluzzo serves as a library and education consultant to CLCD. In addition, Sharon is a book reviewer, a storyteller, and a member of The Children's Book Guild of Washington, DC. She currently serves on the ALSC Quicklist committee. Sharon earned her MLS at SUNY Geneseo. About the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database 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. The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database, updated 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 or contact us, go to www.childrenslit.com.