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The Carnival of Children's Literature is up at Big A, Little a. The theme is gift books--what books to buy for the holidays, how to choose a book, etc.

AND

The December edition of the Bookworms Carnival is up at A Striped Armchair. The theme is nonfiction.

By the way...

I am hosting the 7th edition of the Bookworms Carnival. I will host it at my blog, Reading with Becky.

The theme for January 2008 is

Best Books of 2007

There are several options. You could create your own "best of" list of books you've read and loved in the past year. You might want to make this a list with notes or commentary. But that isn't a requirement necessarily. Or you could submit a book review of the book you think is THE BEST of the year. Your list can be general or specific. Your focus can be looking at all books or just books about pirates in space fighting spiders. :)

Your "best-of" list can include any book that you read for the first time in the year of 2007. It doesn't have to be just the books with the 2007 release date. Though if that's what you want to do, that's fine too.

The deadline for submission is January 11th.

Submissions for this carnival are by email. Email me at laney_po AT yahoo DOT com. Please use the word Bookworms AND/OR the word Carnival in your subject line. Thank you!

Welcome to the December Carnival of Children's Literature. This month the carnival is all about giving and our favorite books. Shall we celebrate? Grab a mug of hot chocolate and let's get going:

Kidlit bloggers always have great ideas and are willing to share. Three bloggers help us with our gift-buying process:

Alyssa gets practical in a way we all can use at The Shady Glade. She shares her tips for online shopping and how to find the perfect books.

Susan Kusel also thinks practically and gives us a fabulous guide to buying a book for baby at Wizards Wireless.

MotherReader gives us 21 Ways to Give a Book, Even 21 More Ways to Give a Book, and Yes, 21 More Ways to Give a Book.

A bounty of booklists brings good cheer. There's something for everyone on these lists here:

Kelly Fineman shares books for little dancers this holiday season at Writing and Ruminating.

Teachers extraordinaire--Mary Lee and Franki--share their Dear Santa lists at A Year of Reading. Here's hoping Santa is good to you this year!

Tricia of The Miss Rumphius Effect shares a great list, divided by category, of the perfect books for kids of all ages.

Megan Germano recommends three new picture books (in no particular order) at Read, Read, Read.

Jenny provides a Recommended Gift Books guide for children ages 1 to 7 at Little Acorns Treehouse.

Heidi Estrin wrote in and shared a great list--the Hanukkah Read Up! list, created by the Association of Jewish Libraries. Heidi also recommends Letter on the Wind, by Sarah Lamstein, and Like a Maccabee, by Barbara Bietz, which she reviews on her December podcast at The Book of Life.

Writer Candice Ransome shares holiday gift book ideas and a cute cat picture at Ellsworth's Journal.

Jennie tells us about the books she's received as gifts over the years at Biblio File.

Sarah lists her Hot Gift Books for Middle Grade Students at The Reading Zone.

Kbookwoman of 4IQRead wrote in with her list, which includes: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie; Good Enough to Eat, by Brock Cole; Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal, by Paul Fleischman; Igraine the Brave, by Cornelia Funke; The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County, by Janice Harrington; Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, by Lynne Jonelle; and Library Mouse, by Daniel Kirk.

Writer Sam Riddleburger shares the "Books We're Giving for Christmas" and puts just one graphic novel on his personal Dear Santa list. (I hope Santa doesn't sell you short, Sam!)

Jama Rattigan talks Cool Cookbooks for Kids at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup.

Nancy tells us to Wrap 'em Up with her favorites at Bees Knees Reads.

You know the type and Jen Robinson has you covered with Two Books for Boys who Like Trucks and Tractors at Jen Robinson's Book Page.

Cheryl Rainfield recommends inspiring picture books this season and lists her favorites for your consideration.

Cloudscome shares her favorite gift books for children of all ages this year at A Wrung Sponge.

Becky Laney, of Becky's Book Reviews, provides us with Becky's Favorite Things: A Gift Guide for Book Lovers. (Bonus List from Becky: Make Your Holidays Pop--with the best pop-up books of the season.)

Little Willow asks children's writers what their favorite books of 2007 are and links to all their lists in this useful and fascinating post atBildungsroman .

Looking to add a little verse to a child's life this season? Then Elaine Magliaro's got you covered with her Poetry for Children Post at Wild Rose Reader.

Marcie Atkins recommends Writing Books for Young Writers at World of Words.

Anamaria brings us a set of "Alterna-Princess" books at Books Together.

Libby Gruner discusses her favorite Christmas books and stories at Literary Mama.

Denise Johnson tells us why an audio book is the perfect gift for a child and recommends her favorites at Children's BookJoy.

The Cybils casts a glow on holiday gift-giving:

Sherry from Semicolon links to her reviews of Middle Grade fiction titles nominated for the Cybils. Sherry finds the perfect book for every reader--from the sports fan to the gardener--in this useful post.

Charlotte, who is busy reading Young Adult fiction this Cybils season, recommends her Young Adult favorites from 2007.

A book makes the perfect gift for the holidays. But which one should you choose, for whom, and why? These bloggers have the goods:

Kerry knows you can't go wrong with Lauren Child's Clarice Bean (box set) and tells us why at Shelf Elf.

Jules, Eisha, and guest star MotherReader review Mo Willems's Early Readers with style and good humor in a tri-review up at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Jenny puts four books to the test in The 4 Books Battle at the so called me. (A YA title goes toe-to-toe with three adult books.)

Know a dinosaur-crazy child? Of course you do! Amanda suggests Dinosaurium as the Amazing Dinosaur Stocking Stuffer at Pajama Mommy Community.

Suzanne shows her appreciation for Jenny Linsky at Adventures in Daily Living.

Alkelda the Gleeful recommends Jane Cobb's What'll I Do With the Baby-o? Nursery Rhymes, Songs, and Stories for Babies at Saints and Spinners. Let's get singing with baby.

Susan Thomsen of Chicken Spaghetti gives us an easy gift choice for young readers not quite ready for chapter books: Garfield.

Anastasia Suen recommends an interactive book for the active toddler--My Mommy's Tote--at Create/Relate.

Tasha of Kids Lit reviews Orange Pear Apple Bear, by Emily Gravett, and finds it perfect for "an artistic, silly, and yes classy emergent reader."

Travis recommends Gallop! A Scanimation Picture Book, by Rufus Butler Seder, at 100 Scope Notes.

Authors share their own work this holiday season:

Steve Lafler gives us Nina Funnies #5 at Cute as a Button but Tiger Tough. Perfect for Ninja Toddlers and their caretakers.

James Bow provides us with the latest installment of his work-in-progress, THE DREAM KING'S DAUGHTER. Read, enjoy, comment

Writer Kakie Fitzsimmons tells us why her Bur Bur and Friends are iParenting Media Awards winners this year.

Thank you for participating in the December 2007 Carnival of Children's Literature. I wish you all a Happy Holidays and safe travels if you'll be on the road.
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Speaking of being on the road...I'm headed out west today. If I've missed your link, drop me a line or a comment. I'll be checking in from airport to airport.
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The next Carnival of Children's Literature will be held at Wizards Wireless. Awards are the theme. Details to come.

For this gift book post, we decided to be a bit selfish. We thought it would be fun to create our own wish lists of books. Any family members who read our blog will have an easy time buying us gifts. And, if you know us, you know we'll just buy these books after the holidays if we don't get them as gifts! Win-win. We like it that way when it comes to books!

Franki's Holiday Wish List

My piles of Books-To-Read seem to be growing and growing and growing. Two that I am hoping to get to soon are Run by Ann Patchett and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I don't need to ask for those--I already have them! But, these are books I would LOVE to own that I don't own yet:

Good Dog. Stay. by Anna Quindlen
Somehow I missed that Anna Quindlen had a new book out. This seems like a different type of book for her. One about her dog. It seems like one of her short life-lesson books. I read and love EVERYTHING by Anna Quindlen so I would love to add this one to my shelf.

Fire From the Rock by Sharon Draper
Sally's Newbery Hopeful list prompted me to want to read this one. Sharon is an Ohio author which makes it even more fun.

Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
Larry Swartz has been talking about this book since he read it last winter. I usually read Spinelli's books right when they come out, but I've missed his new ones this year for some reason. So this is way up there on the list of books to read before the Newbery is announced.

Honeybee: Poems and Short Prose by Naomi Shy Nihab
I saw an advanced copy of this book at NCTE and LOVE it. I love the poems, the concept of people finding passions and looking at the world in new ways, and I always love this author. Can't wait to get a real copy of this one. I know that it won't be out before Christmas, but my husband could preorder it for me, I guess... (hint, hint)

Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli
This books keep showing up on my lists of books I want to read but I forget about it every time I go to the bookstore. It is one that has looked good to me since I first heard about it. And every time since. If I don't get it on my stack upstairs, I am afraid I'll forget about it.

The Italian Cookie Tray
I would love to have this book or one like it. A book about Italian cookie baking. I love to bake cookies--especially at Christmastime and I like to try a few new recipes each year. I was looking for some recipes when I found this book. A book on Italian cookies and all of the traditions that go with them would be a fun one to have.

How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard
This is an interesting concept and it sounds like it would be fun to read. Who would think that someone would write a book about a topic like this--how could it not be an interesting read?

Regarding Emma: Photographs of American Women and Girls
I found this book a while ago while searching Ann Patchett. I love the whole idea of it and would love to have a copy.

But, what I would really, really, really like is this bibliochaise...who comes up with these things!? Thanks to Pixie Stix Kids Pix for sharing this find!


Mary Lee's Holiday Wish List

I mustmustmust have a copy of Andrea Beaty's Iggy Peck, Architect. Did you know it is number 4 on the Time Magazine Top 10 Children's Books list? (Thanks to Gregory K. for the heads-up!) Andrea is one of the Three Silly Chicks. She has her own blog, too.

While I was browsing around some of Time's other Top 10 lists, I checked out the Top 10 Graphic Novels. (Nope, none of the Cybils nominees made it to their list.) Number 4 on their list looks interesting: Jack of Fables Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape. It sounds a little like Into the Wild by Sarah Durst, except for the sex, nudity and corruption. Fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters are exiled and forced to live undercover in New York City.

This week's Poetry Friday (rounded up at The Miss Rumphius Effect) added an author to my must-have list. Shelf Elf introduced me to the poetry of Loris Lesynski. Books of funny poems do not stay on my shelf long during Poetry Friday. Lesynski's books will be a welcome addition to my collection.

Books that are coming out soon that I will have to have include: Babymouse #8: Puppy Love by Jennifer Holm (Dec 26, 2007), Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker (April 15, 2008), and Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by Barbara O'Connor (May 1, 2003).

My wish list is short because the one thing I want more than any more books is TIME TO READ THE ONES I ALREADY OWN!!!!

The clock is ticking, folks. Carnival submissions are due tomorrow.

Remember: December's theme is gift-books. Submit reviews of books you think would make great gifts, posts on book giving, or book lists related to the topic.

You can submit via the Blog Carnival page or directly by e-mail to kidslitinfo AT gmail.com. Either way works.

It looks like this Carnival will be a festive one. Don't forget to send in your links.

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Weekend reviews will be up this evening.

Review: I have a review of Denise Gruska's charming and fun The Only Boy in Ballet Class up over at Book Buds today.

Reminder: The December Carnival of Children's Literature will take place here next Wednesday, December 19. Submissions are due on the 16th. Please send them to me via e-mail or through the Carnival submissions site. This month's theme is book recommendations or book gift guides.

Every month a different blogger puts together some wonderful posts from various blogs on children’s literature, each with a different theme.

This month, MotherReader is the host, and her theme is tips, suggestions, and advice for readers, writers, reviewers, and bloggers of children’s literature, and parents, teachers, and librarians. MotherReader has come up with a fantastic collection, nicely organized. Pop over and visit the November Carnival of Children’s literature; you’re in for some good reading!

The November Carnival of Children's Literature is up at MotherReader's house. She has tips for everyone: reviewers/bloggers; parents; teacher/librarians; writers; readers and lifelong learners. It's a fascinating carnival, so head on over and read.
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The December carnival will be held here, date TBA shortly. The theme is books that make good gifts. Think reviews and recommendations.

Miss Pam, a.k.a. MotherReader, presents the Tips Edition of the Carnival of Children's Literature. If you are a teacher, book reviewer, blogger, librarian, parent, writer, reader, or a lifelong learner, there's something in the carnival for you. Go see, go read!

Head over to MotherReader this morning for a terrific collection of posts from children's book authors, editors, reviewers, and readers: the latest Carnival of Children's Literature.

(And the joke's on me: I got so wrapped up in forwarding the BlogCarnival code & stuff to this month's gracious host that I forgot to submit a post of my own. Ha!)

It's here!! MotherReader's November Carnival of Children’s Literature: Tips Edition.

Here's my submission: Some Tips for Girl Power, Hear Me Roar.

Now go on over and gain some knowledge.

For the upcoming holidays, I give you the gift of knowledge. Which is better than a S’more maker any day, I think we’d all agree. For the November Carnival of Children’s Literature I asked bloggers to share tips, suggestions, advice, and lessons learned from all areas of kids’ lit. I’ve pulled together those submissions, and went out searching for even more. I’ve grouped the tips in primary

Since there was an overwhelming response to this original post, I thought I'd share it, along with a couple new things, for MotherReader's Tips Edition: November Issue of the Carnival of Children's Literature.

This post is a reprint from May 25, 2007. There were so many incredible comments and tips from the original post I thought you'd like to read. I know I loved them. I've also included a few Tips of my own, some book recommendations and a short commercial in this reprint.
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It's tough being a girl in today's world. Personally, I believe girls deal with so much pressure at a young age. The pressure to be smart. To be strong. To be capable. To be athletic. To be beautiful. To be thin. To be Everything.

Now my husband thinks I'm a bit too outspoken on certain matters, so I don't want everyone jumping down my throat with this post. I'm just interested in a discussion, in an exchange of ideas, because I'm quite curious for the sake of research on what people think.

I'm just worried about today's girls. How are they going to handle the pressure to Be Everything? I'm not sure whether all this pressure to succeed is a result of the women's movement and the fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, which incidentally is still not an official part of the U.S. Constitution. Or maybe it's a result of a technologically advanced world and the incredible opportunities just waiting to be embraced. Or maybe, it's just the way of the world and I just need to learn to deal with it.

Some women might remember the famous television commercial of the early 1980's with a beautifully coiffed and dressed woman who does it all -- takes care of baby, has a great job, cleans, cooks and more -- "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan. And never let you forget you're a man, cause I'm a woman..."



Of course the message of this commercial was quite clear to my college friends and I. While our moms had to make choices of whether they stayed at home with the kids or had an incredibly successful career, my generation would be able to have it all. Oh yes. This commercial promised us we could have it all, quite effortlessly, mind you. All because countless amazing women had paved the way for us to have it all. So we better go for it baby, because women have fought for our rights. And we better do them proud.

Numerous women of my generation have proved that women can accomplish so much and be so much more than any of our mothers have dared to dream. We can survive, with or without a man. We can live our own dreams without waiting for Mr. Right. We don't need to be married to have children. We don't have to get married right out of college. We're not considered hopeless spinsters if we're still single in our 40's. We don't have to have children if we don't want to.

Women run businesses and run for political office. Women can be plumbers or electricians. Astronauts. Professors. Policewomen. Doctors. Surgeons. Principals. Mechanics. There are so many capable women who are intelligent, brave, courageous--simply amazing. We are survivors. We are women. Hear us roar.

Sure there are sacrifices and lots of angst. But the achievements have been extraordinary. And this is the incredible gift my generation gives to the next generation. The ability to know they are capable of and deserve so much more. We paved the way so the next generation of girls could have it easier. Forget the sacrifice. Forget the struggles. We can do anything. We are women. Hear us roar.

But with this special gift comes a price. Some women are so competitive, they put down other women who don't have the same edge. We have the Mommy Wars and the Best Career Wars. Instead of uniting, mentoring and helping each other, we women are so determined to prove we have the better life, so we end up attacking one another. Obviously this isn't true of every woman, but when it is noticed, it is plain disturbing. Sadly, this all rubs off on our daughters.

As a mother of young girls, I worry about my children's generation, who will soon wonder how they can dare compare or how they can achieve everything without losing a part of themselves. Girls are exhibiting unethical behavior, worried about their smarts and their beauty(podcast), and bullying one another. And this is all before the teenage escapism in weight control, plastic surgery, drugs and alcohol.

I worry about my generation and the expectations we have for our children. Because as we all know, there are parents who will take the expectations a bit too far. There are parents who will want their daughters to be friends only with the popular kids in school. Some parents want their girls to always be on the winning team. And there are the parents who constantly put pressure on their talented child because they want her to be the next superstar.

A number of girls in my town (boys too for that matter) are overscheduled with activities, starting in kindergarten or first grade. They are enrolled in sports teams, music and/or dance lessons and special tutoring classes too. Playdates need to arranged a couple weeks in advance. Some parents even keep their child behind a year in kindergarten for the sole purpose of giving them an edge the next school year over the other children in the class. I find this plain disturbing.

Part of me is worried because I'm not exposing my children to all of these wonderful opportunities. Sure my kids are involved in activities, but I limit them to 2 activities rather than the typical 5-6 commitments, so they can have kid time. I want my kids to be kids for as long as possible, and enjoy life. Another part of me is trying to be understanding because most parents only want the best for their children and to give them what they didn't have a children. I am left to wonder whether all this overscheduling is part of what is causing the tantrums, the talking back, the bullying, and even the attitude of some of my childrens' friends. This gives me much sorrow.

I find it interesting how we now expect our girls to be stronger and tougher, while our boys are taught to express their feelings. Isn't it sad our girls are losing their ability to be empathetic and caring? Most girls feel imprisoned by all the expectations and pressure to surpass what women have already accomplished. Is it any wonder they feel the stress and the worry? How do we set them free so they can Be what they want to be? What can we do to ease the burdens of the next generation of exceptional girls, before we end up destroying the hope of our future?

Here are some Tips:
1. Children will learn from their parents. Practice what you preach.
2. Involve children in something they love--sports, music, reading, science, etc.--rather than something you want them to do.
3. Allow your child the ability to enjoy a hobby, even if it doesn't involve a competition or a medal.
4. Don't overschedule your children. Allow them to use their imagination and play. And let them have time to just be.
5. Be a good role model and find good role models for your child.
6. Spend some quality One-on-One time with your child. Let your child know it is safe to talk to you...about anything.

What Tips can you share?
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Some Reading Recommendations on Cliques, Friendships and Self-Esteem and More Books on Cliques, Friendships and Self-Esteem.

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In case you wanted to read the incredible Comments and Tips from the original post, here they are.
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MotherReader has posted the new Tips Edition: November issue of the Carnival of Children's Literature. Go visit her and see the important Tips other bloggers have to share. You'll be so glad you did.

Me: Ask me what makes me so funny! You: Okay, what make you so f— Me: Timing!Today’s tip is about writing humor. I’m not even sure that I should be giving suggestions here, given that my process tends to involve an ongoing internal monologue about what I think I want to write that occurs throughout the mundane events of the day. I’ll be running the Swiffer WetJet over the kitchen floor, or

Don't forget to submit your links to the November Carnival of Children's Literature. Like, now. This month MotherReader is in charge and she's looking for tips and tricks for writers, readers, librarians, teacher, parents, etc. Read all about how to submit your entry here.

In the interest of promoting the upcoming Carnival theme, I’m going to share tips over the next few days to get you in the mood. I’m also going to ask if some other blogs could mention it out there, especially the extension for submissions — Tuesday, November 27th, by 9:00 a.m. EST. Today’s suggestions come from my role as a librarian and story time lady. They may help children’s librarians,

In the interest of promoting the upcoming Carnival theme, I’m going to share tips over the next few days to get you in the mood. I’m also going to ask if some other blogs could mention it out there, especially the extension for submissions — Tuesday, November 27th by 9:00 a.m. EST. Oh, and in case you missed the original call, I’ll be hosting the November Carnival of Children’s Literature.

It's that time again! This month's Carnival of Children's Literature will be hosted by MotherReader, who has a theme in mind:

For this month I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit. It doesn’t have to be a post that you did in November or October, though you may consider tweaking and re-posting an older entry to use. You can pick a post from any point this year. The deadline for submission is Saturday, November 24th, and I’ll post the Carnival on Wednesday, November 29th. Send your links through my email or the Carnival site — and please indicate, if possible, whether the tip/trick/hint is more for reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, editor, teacher, librarian, or parent.

So there's your mission for this holiday week. A much nicer way to spend Black Friday than fighting the mall crowds, if you ask me.

Thing Number One: There’s a DC-brand KidLit Drink Night this Saturday, November 10th. Because we define DC broadly here, it’s actually in Bethesda, Maryland. The Rí~Rá Pub & Restaurant at 4931 Elm Street features a cheap parking garage across the street (its meters take change) and easy access from the Bethesda Red Line Metro stop. I’ll be there at 6:00 p.m., along with writers Sara Lewis Holmes

Are you ready for a Carnival? I know I am. I’ll be hosting the November Carnival of Children’s Literature and I’ll be looking for your submissions through my email (using the ever-exciting Email MotherReader! button) or through the Carnival site. There is a theme and it is...

Wait. Let me introduce it this way. (Readers who like to get to the point can skip the next two paragraphs.) As a mother, I feel like I have lots of knowledge to share, but it tends to come out in clichés. Nap when the newborn naps. Pick your battles. Homework before playtime. The hints are true, but so general as to not really be helpful. But if I had to pick one specific tip, one lesson learned, there’s one at the ready. Buy your child’s violin on eBay.

See, I rented a half-sized violin for a year to the tune of $250. Of course, the rental goes toward a violin over, like, a period of years, but it didn’t seem like a good deal to me. But what could I do? Apparently, violins cost hundreds of dollars. Made sense to me. Except that they don’t necessarily cost hundreds of dollars, since I was able to buy a new 3/4-size and later a full-sized violin for about sixty bucks each, including shipping. They were both new and both from a music store. I assume that they are not of the highest quality, but as long as their construction didn’t involve rubber bands and they weren’t stamped with Fisher Price on the side, they are good enough for us.

Back to the Carnival theme. For this month I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit. It doesn’t have to be a post that you did in November or October, though you may consider tweaking and re-posting an older entry to use. You can pick a post from any point this year. The deadline for submission is Saturday, November 24th, and I’ll post the Carnival on Wednesday, November 29th. Send your links through my email or the Carnival site — and please indicate, if possible, whether the tip/trick/hint is more for reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, editor, teacher, librarian, or parent. (Yes, I know that there is plenty of overlap, but it would save time for me in organizing the posts if the suggested category were included with your link.)

For today, just for fun, share a tip in the comments. Any tip to save time, money, or energy. Frankly, I’ve been having a little bout of the blog crisis flu and could use a little comment noodle soup to make me blog-healthy again.

All aboard to Take a Ride on the Reading Railroad, the latest Carnival of Children's Literature hosted by Charlotte's Library. So put away the Monopoly board for now and get reading! And a bit late (sorry...) -- the September issue of The Edge of the Forest is up, with many features. I was delighted to find Kelly Herold's discussion of the different Anglo-American versions of Baba Yaga tales in

Wow, where did September go?

Meanwhile, see what's been happening at your favorite blogs (and discover some new ones.) The September Carnival of Children's Literature is over at Charlotte's Library.

I'm ashamed to say that time got away from me and I forgot to submit an entry. But, I can enjoy everyone else's!

The latest Carnival is up. You can read it here. It is great fun, and it's a great theme!

The September 2007 Carnival of Children's Literature is here! Actually, it's at Charlotte's Library. This carnival is called "Take a Ride on the Reading Railroad," and it's not to be missed.

For those who are wondering, "What exactly is a blog carnival?" Susan of Chicken Spaghetti has the answers.

The September Carnival of Children's Literature is up over at Charlotte's Library. This time we're riding the rails, so grab your ticket and go.