Oh, boy! The Fourth of July! Get ready to celebrate the birthday of the United States of America. Share a story, a poem, or a slice of American history with friends and family as you gather together. My husband's side of the family will gather at Aunt Betty's camp in the Adirondacks – just as they have done for about 40 years. We will be at my brother's house the next day where we will all get to meet the four newest members of the clan who were born within the last year. These toddlers, babies, and their parents will be traveling from Minneapolis, Asheville, New York City and Syracuse. Cynthia Rylant's The Relatives Came captures events like these perfectly. I used to read that book to my children, nieces and nephews when we were all together. Now I will be reading it to grandchildren, great nieces and great nephews. It may not be American history but it is certainly a slice of American life. Traditions are wonderful.

Speaking of traditions, we at the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) make it a tradition to review the database components and our search page regularly to see how we can make it more useful and efficient. That always results in a few tweaks and, sometimes, big changes. In that regard, you may have noticed that we have a new delimiter: country of publication. Our subscribers in Canada and the UK asked if this would be possible. We looked into it and it was.

Brian Searles, the editor of the SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES column of American Libraries, stopped by our booth at the ALA Midwinter and followed up by featuring the CLCD in the current June/July issue (page 96). Our subscribers agree: the CLCD is both a solution and a service. If you haven't seen us lately, visit us at ALA in Chicago at the McCormick Place in the Exhibit Hall at Table 1043. You can also click on www.childrenslit.com for a free trial today. We are happy to tell you about some other new features we have in store for you and, as always, we love to get feedback about the CLCD.

Marilyn Courtot, president of the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database, served as a National Level 2 judge in the Letters About Literature (LAL) contest. Marilyn stated that it was an honor and a privilege to be a judge that and reading the final selection of letters was very difficult because so many were heartfelt, but some just stood out and that is reflected in her comments about the National Level 2 winner. LAL is a national reading promotion program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. To read Marilyn's comment and all about the program go to http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/home

Quote of the Month

"As a librarian and book lover, I wanted to instill the same love for books in my young son. I have used CLCD to find authors, titles and subjects that have helped me raise a reader."
Robyn Truslow, Public Relations Coordinator
Calvert Library, Prince Frederick, MD

We have had requests for a printable poster that libraries can use to promote CLCD to their patrons. In response, we have created one that you can download and which can be customized by adding your own library name and some brief information. It is in pdf format, but libraries will be able to insert their information in the blank areas using Adobe Acrobat Reader or higher. Go to clcd-poster-final.pdf and follow the instructions below:

1. Open the PDF using Adobe Reader or higher
2. Click into the open area (when you hover your mouse over the open area a tool tip will appear that says "enter information here")
3. Type in your information
4. Save the PDF
5. Poster can be printed on letter-size paper or any paper up to four times letter-size using flat, matt or glossy stock

Monthly Features

With the anniversary of the first moonwalk in 1969, the status change for Pluto from planet to dwarf planet, and all the recent information from space probes, this is a good time for librarians and teachers to weed outdated titles about the solar system, the universe and all relating to it. To facilitate that work, our goal is to provide information about the latest and best possible resources for the students. Beginning this month and continuing over the next few months we will provide updated features relating to our solar system and the Great Beyond. While we will provide links back to the prior features, our reason for undertaking this update is to incorporate the vast amount of information that has come from space exploration over the last five or six years. Keep in mind our features represent selected titles. For a more comprehensive and complete list of published titles and multiple reviews, use the CLCD.

We begin with Planets in Our Solar System. The selections include nonfiction titles for preschool through high school. There are books that include science projects and even a book of poems, And Then There Were Eight: Poems About Space by Laura Purdie Salas. By the way, check your collection to make sure any other poetry books on the topic of space are also providing accurate information.

The 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing occurs on July 20th and there are some truly wonderful books for readers of all ages, such as Mission Control, This Is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon by Andrew Chaikin. This feature includes fiction, picture books, nonfiction and even a pop-up book that take a look back at the event and the astronauts.

The 4th of July provides a wonderful opportunity to help children visit the past. A couple books in this update will acquaint them with U.S. geography, historic sites and natural resources. One such title, How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. by Marjorie Priceman, provides a "yummy journey."

Sharks are endlessly fascinating creatures. Our new feature will help you shore up your collection, create a display, and find just the right book for that budding specialist. You will find titles that include information about types of sharks and where they are found, and what it is like to be a shark attack survivor. You can broaden your knowledge about shark conservation reading Face to Face with Sharks by David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes, a new title from National Geographic Society.

Author Features

Kimberly K. Jones writes novels that have great appeal to teens who are in the process of discovering "how a new person is trying to figure out his or her place in the world." She discusses her latest book, The Genie Scheme, in this interview. I found what she had to say about the setting as a character in the story to be particularly interesting.

Gary Paulsen provides insights into the characters of his new book, Mudshark. His response to the question, "What do you hope kids take away from Mudshark after reading it?" should not be missed.

Tina Wells, author of Mackenzie Blue, talks about writing for tweens and the important role parents play in their children's lives. She discloses something she learned about her book while she was on her book tour.

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

Authenticity is at the heart of Susan Roth's work. Inspired by a friend's volunteer work in Pakistan, Susan wrote Listen to the Wind, a folktale written from the perspective of children in a small Pakistani village that was also published in Urdu, the official language of Pakistan. Over the years, Susan has created her own distinctive style of collage-making, a process that exclusively utilizes tearing and cutting and allows Susan to provide the artwork for her books without painting. A New York City native, Susan has published over 35 children's books and continues to tell real and moving tales. She speaks to audiences of both children and adults. Please visit http://childrenslit.com/bookingservice/roth-susan.html to learn more about this author/illustrator.

Marty Figley writes books that examine American history through the eyes of children. Born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, "the queen city of the Ozarks," Marty spent much of her childhood visiting her grandparents in Hannibal, Missouri. It was there that she attended the Tom Sawyer Days festival and was inspired to write her first book at the age of six. Marty's school visits are tailored to each specific audience and are usually designed for grades K-3. Please visit http://childrenslit.com/bookingservice/figley-martyrhodes.html to learn more about this author/illustrator.

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.