I recently visited my parents who live in what is called "an active adult community." It is a lovely, quiet neighborhood except when I am there. No, I am not the one who causes the commotion. It seems as if a major project is always scheduled during my time there, almost as if they check to see when I am due for a visit. This time, they were replacing the existing grass. In the dark of the night I was awakened by the sounds of great activity. In my groggy state, I thought it was the newspaper delivery but it went on for much too long, was much too loud, and eventually I realized the morning paper was not dropped off with beeping sounds. I looked out the window to see truck beds filled with rolls of sod. By this evening, the neighborhood will be quiet and pristine once again. Someone driving down the street tomorrow will remark on how pretty it looks.

It reminded me of the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD). Behind the scenes, there is a big scurry as we add reviews, links to author and illustrator sites and curriculum tools, and prepare our new features each month. Sometimes the tweaks seem like those trucks that beep--we move a little backward before we go forward. Finally, however, everything will have been uploaded and functioning properly. We are always delighted to hear our CLCD subscribers say what a great and useful tool it is. Our goal is to have the database ready at your fingertips 24/7, looking pristine and growing nicely.

Twitter

If you were receiving our tweets this past month, you would have been among the first to learn about the International Children's Digital Library iphone and ipad apps; the Martha Speaks Read Aloud Book Club; and100 free things to do in Washington, DC when you are there for ALA annual.

On The Road

While at ALA Annual, please stop by the CLCD booth located at 4213 at the convention center in Washington, DC. We really enjoy hearing from our customers and also introducing the CLCD database to those who may not be familiar with us.

Our Blog

Interesting perspectives, keen insights, and practical applications are what you will discover on our blog. Children's Literature reviewer Carollyn Hutter has two articles in Appleseed magazine and provides excerpts here; and Marilyn Courtot continues her series on What Makes a Good Book.

Quote of the Month

"One of the assignments I do in every youth literature class I teach is a "Review of Reviews," and it is easy for my students to see where reviewers overlap and where they differ since they see multiple reviews of a book they have already read. That's the beauty of CLCD for my purposes."
Fern Kory, Professor of English
Eastern Illinois University

E-mail, a boon and a bane, but it is one of the easiest ways to pass along information. E-mail capability from CLCD and now it is in place. All you need to do is click on EMAIL in the upper right hand part of the search results page and you will be able to send off the results of your search. Keep in mind that you have the ability to select from the results and save the selected results and also sort before sending your e-mail. We encourage comments about this and any other features and other capabilities that you would like to see added to CLCD.

Monthly Features

Our monthly features only present selected titles. For a more comprehensive and complete list of published titles with multiple reviews, use the CLCD.

This is National Foster Care Month. We have included links to websites that provide information about foster care to further your understanding. You will want to acquaint yourself with the books in our feature including Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd.

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9^th. We feature multicultural mothers and grandmothers, and even some animal mamas. Some Kind of Love: A Family Reunion in Poems by Traci Dant and illustrated by Eric Velasquez celebrates the author's family tradition of Mother's Day family reunion in Hannibal Missouri with a lovely series of prose poems.

Author Features

Louise Borden author of Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude and The Journey that Saved Curious George, spoke with Marilyn Courtot recently. In this interview, Louise talks about being a missionary for reading, her childhood, and how she makes history accessible to children.

When Ann M. Martin created the Baby-sitters Club books they were an immediate success. The first books in the series have been reissued, along with a prequel, The Summer Before. Discover Ann's favorite childhood authors, what hobby she enjoys, and how she got a New Yorker magazine cartoonist to illustrate the cover of New York, New York, one of the books in the Baby-sitters Club series.

Reminder: if you missed a newsletter or want to check on a previous feature, please note that all the newsletters are posted for your convenience here.

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/lewis-jpatrick.html.

J. Patrick Lewis

J.Patrick Lewis released several titles in 2009 including, Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year, Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles, The Underwear Salesman: And Other Jobs for Better or Verse, and First Dog. He has two books coming out this fall: The Fantastic 5 & 10 Store: A Rebus Adventure and First Dog's White House Christmas. Lewis holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Ohio State University, taught for many years at Otterbein College, and has published extensively in the field of Economics. Lewis has also published over twenty-five children's picture books and poetry. He lives in Chagrin Falls, Ohio with his wife and two stepchildren. He visits over 50 schools a year and loves sharing his stories, poetry, and humor with students. For more information about J. Patrick Lewis, please visit http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/omalley-kevin.html.

Kevin O'Malley

Trained as an illustrator, Kevin O'Malley made his authorial debut in 1992 with Froggy Went A-Courting, based on a well-known folk ballad. Since then he has been a part of many well-known children's picture books such as, Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude, Cinder Edna, and the "Miss Malarkey" series. New and upcoming books include, Animal Crackers Fly the Coop and Once upon a Royal Superbaby. O'Malley has a wild sense of humor that shines in his books and presentations. He has always loved drawing and shares his enthusiasm for the medium through his talks with kids in schools. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and two sons. For more information about Kevin O'Malley, please visithttp://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/edwards-cole.html.

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.