Who are your favorite authors? What kinds of books do you like to read? What have you recently read that you really enjoyed? These are some questions that I ask children who are looking for a book to read. They were easy questions to form because they are the ones that run through my mind, either consciously or subconsciously, when I am looking for my next book.

Don't you just love the feeling that comes with sitting down with a brand-new book by a favorite author? I look at the cover for a moment and then I open to the title page. I look at the typeface of the title. I feel the paper. I take a deep breath as I turn to the first page and read the first sentence.

Ah! The all-important first sentence. If it really resonates with me I will read it two or three times before moving on. It is part of the transition from my reality of sitting in a chair to being transported to another place, another time, to becoming another person. It often happens so quickly that I don't realize I am doing it. I do this seamlessly because I am a book-lover and a reader. I can easily identify with those children and young adults who devour several books a week.

What about all those young people who are distracted by anything and everything around them? How are we letting them know that a good book will help them learn about themselves as they learn about other places, people, and times?

I am convinced that there is a book for everyone. The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) can help each of us find that unique book. With two million MARC records and over 400,000 reviews of children's and young adult materials, and a very quick search engine, you can find the book or audio book that will change that young person's life.

How is CLCD different from other databases? Its depth and breadth present many more titles – and not just titles that someone wants to sell to you. With CLCD you can find what you need right on your shelves. This summer, make a difference in your community. Connect young people with books they will cherish. Lead them to laughter, to learn something new, to discover a hero, or discover something within themselves they didn't know before. When you come right down to it, books do matter. Critical reading is critically important. Librarians make a difference.
To begin your free trial or to set up your subscription, go to www.childrenslit.com today.

On The Road

If you are coming to ALA in Washington DC this month, be sure to stop by to see us and discover twenty reasons to use CLCD. We will be at Booth 4212 at the Washington DC convention center.

Twitter

If you were receiving our tweets this past month, you would have been among the first to learn about the Children's Choice Book Awards; that Meg Cabot's Avalon High is to become a Disney Channel movie; where to find a teaching guide for Word after Word after Word by Patricia MacLachlan; and a trailer for The Search for Wondla by Toni DeTerlizzi.

Our Blog

Interesting perspectives, keen insights, and practical applications are what you will discover on our blog. Go there to read "Building Bonds through Books: Mother's Day Musings by Lezlie Evans, in which she offers some valuable guidelines for reading to infants, toddlers, as well as emergent and independent readers. Share it with the parents in your community. Lezlie's most recent book is Who Loves the Little Lamb.

Quote of the Month

"CLCD is valuable when compiling bibliographies for students such as summer reading suggestions, Harry Potter read-alikes, or genre lists, as well as when gathering books to use in displays. I read reviews to jumpstart booktalking ideas."
Peg Glisson, School Library Media Specialist
Pittsford, NY

With the recent emphasis on reading metrics, we have a feature in CLCD to help you quickly determine a book's Lexile level. That information now displays on the search results screen. You will also be able to sort the results by Lexile level. All of the other features are still available, so you can select from your sorted list, and then look at the title in more detail to read the reviews and prepare reports.

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.

Father's Day is Sunday, June 20^th. Learn about its history and a variety of recommended titles. Be sure to read about a new picture book by Laura Krauss Melmed and illustrated by Henri Sorensen, entitled My Love Will Be with You. This lovely lullaby book is a companion to their bestselling I Love You as Much….

Thirty-two teams from around the globe will be gathered in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup event from June 11 to July 11. Our Soccer feature presents information on 1Goal and includes a wide range of nonfiction titles (an encyclopedia, World Cup facts, South Africa, etc.), novels and picture books. One title you won't want to miss is Soccer World: South Africa by Ethan Zohn and David Rosenberg and illustrated by Shawn Braley.

Summer Fun for some means days at the lake or the ocean, roller coasters, summer jobs, and cottage rentals. Not everyone goes to the beach, however. For example, there is One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. Set in the summer of the late 1960s, the eleven-year-old protagonist, Delphine, and her two younger sisters go to Oakland, California to visit their birth mother during the height of the Black Panther revolution. Turn summer reading into summer fun with the titles in this feature.

Author and Illustrator Features

Lesley Livingston, author of Darklight, which is the follow-up to Wondrous Strange, answers questions about the first two books of this trilogy. She relates how her background as a Shakespearean actor influences her work and why she chose Central Park as the point where the mortal and Otherworld realms meet.

David Macaulay, a master at pen and ink architectural drawings in books such as Cathedral and Castle, talks about his approach to Human Body. Discover how and why he created Mosque. He divulges his favorite "energy choice" and talks about new projects, too.

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 of the newsletter we highlight several of our booking service participants. To learn more about this service, please go to http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bs-home.html

Susan Roth

Susan Roth, a native of New York City, is the author/illustrator of over 35 children's books. She received her BA and MA in art from Mills College in Oakland, CA. Over the years Susan has developed a unique collage technique that only involves cutting and tearing papers. Her newest book, Listen to the Wind, received starred reviews in School Library Journal, Booklist and spent many weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.. This story of Greg Mortenson's experience in the Pakistani village of Korphe, is written from the perspective of the children of that village. Susan lives in New York with her husband. For more information about Susan Roth, please visit http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/roth-susan.html.

Alison Hart

Alison Hart has written over twenty mysteries and historical fiction novels for children. She has a MA in Communicative Disorders from Johns Hopkins University. She has taught elementary school and is currently an adjunct college instructor specializing in improving reading and writing skills. Her new middle grade novel, Emma's River, takes place along the Mississippi River in 1852. Also new is Whirlwind, the sequel to Edgar Award nominee Shadow Horse. Alison, who is an avid horse rider, lives in Virginia. For more information about Alison Hart, please visit http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hart-alison.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.