January 2009
Search Tip of the Month
This Month's Features
Author Booking Service
Spreading the News
Happy New Year!
No one seems at all sad to see 2008 depart. I dare say we are all ready for a new year and a fresh outlook. We can all use some good news and a good jolt to get us back on track with positive thinking. That is, after all, the key to making changes that will improve our circumstances.
I recently noticed a couple things in the news that seem to have a positive viewpoint. An aura of excitement certainly surrounds the inauguration of the new American president on January 20th. Even the fashion industry is recommending some hopefulness with its new spring colors. Among the top 10 is bright yellow. It is a color that you will want to incorporate into your accessories everyday in 2009 and I know just how you can do it. Click on www.childrenslit.com each morning and you will see the yellow sun in our logo. Looking at it will make you smile but it is what's behind it that will improve your disposition.
Current subscribers already know the benefits of the CLCD. They say they are "especially thrilled with the addition of the CLCD," are "so glad to have this wonderful tool," "are delighted," and "couldn't be more pleased." So, if you are looking for something that will positively cheer you up day after day because it lets you find the information you need when you need it, make sure you to subscribe to the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD). The cheery little yellow sun in our CLCD logo is right in fashion and the perfect reminder that CLCD is all the rage - not just for spring but for all year round. What are you waiting for? Bring some sunshine into your life today.
CLCD On the Road
We are looking forward to seeing you at ALA Midwinter. We will be at the Colorado Convention Center from Jan 23-26. Please stop by Booth 2634 to discover new ways that CLCD can help you everyday. We also love to hear ways you are using CLCD so we can spread the news to other subscribers.
Quote of the Month
"My librarians would not like me if we lost CLCD in the budget cuts!"
Christine Findlay, CRC Director, Centerville City Schools, Centerville, OH
Many subscribers are not aware of the features on the Browse page which let you look at a Dewey Decimal range. This is a feature that really helps when you are weeding or working on collection development. If there are questions about using this feature, check out the help section on-line which includes a Browse tutorial. There are also instructions on the Browse screen.
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January 19 is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Among the titles we have assembled about him and the Civil Rights Movement is a book by his sister, Christine King Farris. It is called March On!: The Day My Brother, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Changed the World.
It seems there is always something new about Dinosaurs. There is either a new discovery or a new book. That is why we have updated this feature. It contains new titles by Dougal Dixon and other knowledgeable authors, books for preschoolers up through high school students, and even art projects, such as those in Crafts for Kids Who Are Learning About Dinosaurs by Kathy Ross.
There are several other Special Birthdays to celebrate in January. They include Edgar Allan Poe, Lewis Carroll and Benjamin Franklin. We offer some titles that you may want to display, booktalk, or suggest to teachers to incorporate into the curriculum. We recommend you take a look at Ben Franklin: Printer, Author, Inventor, Politician by Pamela Rushby. Our reviewer says it "is highly attractive for older reluctant readers."
Author Features
Jane Harrington, is the author of the very funny teen novel My Best Friend, the Atlantic Ocean, and Other Great Bodies Standing Between Me and My Life With Giulio, which is the sequel to Four Things My Geeky-Jock-of-a-Best-Friend Must Do in Europe. In this feature Jane tells about one of her most embarrassing moments, what she finds to be the most difficult part of writing, and how she knows she is on the right track.
Paulo Rui, the illustrator of Galileo's Journal, 1609-1610 by Jeanne K. Pettenati, was dubbed "the Energizer Bunny" by our own Marilyn Courtot after she met him in September. Take a peek into his studio, learn about his background as an illustrator and what gave Marilyn that impression. It is all inside this interview.
Marcus Pfister who is best known for The Rainbow Fish talks about how he began his career as a children's book illustrator, how he creates his illustrations and what he is currently working on. When you read one of his most recent books, Bertie at Bedtime, you will feel the warmth in the story and illustrations. He reveals his inspiration in this interview.
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Children's Literature currently assists schools, museums, conferences and other organizations in identifying authors and illustrators for speaking engagements. Authors and illustrators provide valuable insight into their craft and connect their audience with the world of literature. In each issue we will highlight several of our booking service participants. To learn more about this service, please go to http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bs-home.html
Carole Boston Weatherford
Raised in Baltimore and currently residing in North Carolina, Carole Boston Weatherford says, "Poetry makes music with words. Writing poetry lets me sing." She wrote her first poem in first grade, and saw her first book published in 1995. Since then, Carole has been as prolific as she is talented; her books have won far too many literary honors to list here, but among them are: a Caldecott Honor for Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom; an NAACP Image nomination for The Sound that Jazz Makes; and the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award in 2008 for Birmingham, 1963.
Dennis and Judith Fradin
As two former teachers, it's no surprise that this prolific husband-and-wife team specialize in books that educate as well as entertain. Their nonfiction series include National Geographic's popular "Witness to Disaster," as well as "Sea to Shining Sea." They have also written many 5-star stand-alones, including three books featuring fascinating women who fought for civil rights in America: Ida B. Wells; Mary Church Terrell, and Daisy Bates, who mentored the nine African American teens braving unknown territory in Little Rock's Central High. And talking about braving unknown territory! The Fradins have also written about the Lewis & Clark Expedition, as well as one of the world's most famous tour guides: Sacagawea.
CLCD Newsletter Editor, Sharon Salluzzo serves as a library and education consultant to CLCD. In addition, Sharon is a book reviewer, a storyteller who often performs with The Genesee Storytellers, and a member of The Children's Book Guild of Washington, DC. 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.