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Nuture vs. Homework
After rushing around all day, many parents face dreading homework almost as much as their children. How much is homework a help and when does it become too much?

First Book Charity Concert!
A hip-hop group named Tanya Morgan is holding a concert in New York City to benefit First Book! If you’re in the area, check them out on April 30th at the Crash Mansion.

Children’s Book in 3-D on the iPad
See Here Studies releases the first 3-D storybook application for the iPad and iPhone, “The Wrong Side of the Bed” is a book about a little boy who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning.

“Arthur Author Animates Kids”
Author of the famous children’s books series based on Arthur the Aardvark and his friends has teamed up with others for an event at Kreft Primary School. Marc Brown is an avid literacy proponent and encourages kids to write stories of their own as well.

Hope to Close the Reading Gap
While the reading gap between girls and boys has always been a problem, some say that this gap can begin to close with the implementation of certain initiatives and by paying attention to boys’ and girls’ individual needs.

Every Monday, we will be celebrating Poetry Month by sharing some childrens poetry resources with you. We scoured the internet and our own resources to bring you today’s list of great kids’ poems. These works are appropriate for children ages 0 to 4, but also for the child in you!

We learned that exposing children to similar sounds and rhymes has been proven to increase a child’s ability to learn not only more words but more challenging words at an earlier age.  For more information visit: Infants & Toddlers: Learning Through Rhythm & Rhyme

There are plenty of ways you can incorporate rhyming into a child’s reading. You can select poems with topics that interest your child or even try to create a few together! Here’s just one of the many activities you can try: Early Literacy Rhyming Activity

Some poems that are available online:
An Alphabet by Edward Lear
At the Zoo by William Makepeace Thackeray
There Was  A Little Girl by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The Star by Jane Taylor
On our very own Marketplace, two great titles:
Poems for Babies
Baby Einstein: Pretty Poems and Wonderful Words

Kids’ books: This ‘March Madness’ is literally playing by the book
“School Library Journal is sponsoring a “Battle of the Kids’ Books.” Patterned after the wildly popular NCAA March Madness, the “Battle of the Kids’ Books” pits 16 topnotch children’s books against each other and asks popular children’s-book authors to choose a winner.”

10 of the best: heroes from children’s fiction
Don’t miss this photo essay featuring 10 heroes and heroines from children’s fiction including Huckleberry Finn, Anne Shirley and Petrova Fossil.

All-New Shel Silverstein Poetry Collection Due in 2011
This week HarperCollins Children’s Books announced the fall 2011 release of a collection of never-before published Shel Silverstein poems and illustrations.

Alabama youth reading Mark Twain to promote literacy
Throughout Alabama, children, big kids and families are reading or re-reading Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ event The Big Read.

Author Name Pronunciation Guide
Ever wondered how you pronounce tricky authors’ names? This site offers a collection of brief recordings of authors & illustrators saying their names. Check out the recording from Adam Rex, a favorite of First Book staff member and author Erica Perl.

This Week is Words Matter Week
Check out the Words Matter Week blog, sponsored by the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors for interesting prompts and daily blog challenge questions.

There’s something about ‘Alice’
The Boston Globe features a great article on Lewis Carroll’s book and readers obsession with Alice’s story. In other “Alice” news, Tim Burton’s 3-D movie version opens today!

U.S. Plans New Measure for Poverty
This week the federal government announced it would begin producing an experimental measurement of poverty next year, a step toward the first overhaul of the formula since it was developed nearly a half-century ago.

Fairbanks man works to get boys to read more books
A great profile on Tim Stallard and the Alaska chapter of the Guys Read program, which seeks to encourage and improve boys’ reading levels.

Teaching kids to read from the back of a burro
For hundreds of children in the rural villages of Colombia, Luis Soriano is more than a man riding a stubborn donkey – he is a man with a mission to save rural children from illiteracy.

Quest for Olympic knowledge stirs reading enthusiasm
A Frederick, Maryland Elementary School is using Olympic excitement to incent students to read.

The Most Amazing Libraries In The World Part Two
The Huffington Post features a slideshow of  the “Most Amazing Libraries In the World Part Two” as a follow up to part one from last month. Check out the amazing photos of some incredible libraries!

The joys of bookshop browsing
Sam Jordison comments that “searching real shelves is the most satisfying way to find literary treasures – but can it survive the rise of Amazon and ebooks?”

Oddest book title prize pits worm hunter’s afterthoughts against Nazi spoons
Check out the shortlist for this year’s Diagram prize for the oddest book title, which includes Afterthoughts of a Worm Hunter and Collectible Spoons of the Third Reich.

Ready, Set, Answer; Trivia quiz show promotes reading
Oregon Second and Third grade students compete in the Battle of the Books program, a reading quiz competition and incentive to encourage reading.

Found in Books
AbeBooks.com shares the oddities that people have found in books they have purchased. Items range from the literary to the absurd and have included teeth, money, and bacon!

Henry Sutton’s top 10 unreliable narrators
“From Huck Finn to Holden Caulfield and Humbert Humbert, the novelist provides an entirely trustworthy guide to some of literature’s slipperiest characters.”

Catching up with children’s author Mo Willems
The Houston Chronicle caught up with Mo Willems, author of two new books for silly people, Cat the Cat Who Is That? and Let’s Say Hi to Friends Who Fly!, to find out if he is silly too.

Cursive is, like, so last century
The San Jose Mercury News finds that while teens are more and more adept at texting and typing, old-fashioned cursive is a dying form of communication.

‘Mockingjay’ to Conclude the Hunger Games Trilogy
Scholastic released the title and cover art for the third and final book in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy. Mockingjay will be released on August 24, 2010 and will have 750,000 first printing.

Seeing How Far $100 Can Go
A Brooklyn writer is celebrating four years of giving her friends cash and asking them to find ways to donate.

Lemony Snicket: Interview
Philip Womack on Daniel Handler, the enigma behind Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.

And it wouldn’t be a long weekend without a few reading lists:

Roundup: African-American history for young readers
USA Today features a nice list of four new illustrated books for kids celebrating African-American history.

Love stories: Top 10 Valentine’s books for your kids
Love is in the air! Laura DeLaney, the owner of Rediscovered Bookshop in Boise, shares her top 10 Valentine’s Day books for kids.

Presidential Library: A President’s Day Reading List
Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don’t Know Much About History, provides a reading list of Presidential biographies.

An Interesting Approach to Exciting Youngsters About Reading
What better way to get kids interested in reading than to make them the star of their very own personalized book?

Mixtape: 10 Songs About Libraries and Librarians
Check out these fun songs about libraries and librarians, including artists such as Frank Zappa and Green Day. You can even listen in to discover why these songs made the list.

Little House on the Prairie Continues to Wow Audiences
Everyone’s beloved story is back with a new musical twist. Be sure to check out this new musical, based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s treasured classic storyline.

Baby-Sitters Club: Life After 30!
The acclaimed teenage gang gets a new twist as we ask the question: Where are they now? From Kristy Thomas to Stacey McGill, these projections will certainly bring back cherished memories.

The Caldecott, Newbery and Printz book awards go to…
John Pinkney’s exceptional illustrations were awarded the Caldecott Medal for capturing the true spirit of a classic fable. The Newbery Medal as well as the Printz Award were also given to some special talent for excellence in both children’s literature and young adult literature.

Books to Film: Martin Scorsese Continues the Trend
With the release of some truly spectacular new films based on classic children’s books, Brian Selznick’s “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” appears to be next in line.

There’s an art to translating books into movies
The Houston Chronicle takes a look at what it takes to make a great book into a great movie.

Look Out, Pixar, Here Comes ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’
Oscar buzz has begun and Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is gaining momentum in the best animated feature category.

2010 Winter Books: January – April titles
Want to stay on top of the new book releases this spring? USA Today’s interactive book calendar can help.

2010: Living in the Future
Courtesy of  Shelf Awareness, “What will life be like in the year 2010? Daniel Sinker recalled one of his favorite childhood books, Geoffrey Hoyle’s 2010: Living in the Future, which was published in 1972 and, as Boing Boing observed, imagines imagines a far-off time when “we’ll all do our work and schooling and library-book-reading on ingenious video screens that can connect to each other from anywhere around the globe…. Wait until you get to the part about ‘a series of tubes.’”

Beautiful artwork on spines of stacked books
Check out this photo essay of artist Mike Stilkey’s “book sculptures” featuring images painted on book spines.

These Libraries Are Going To The Dogs
Although library and bookstore cats are frequently in the spotlight, this article higlights some of man’s best friends – library dogs.

Prevent Fines, Record Reading with This Handy Calendar
Happy New Year! If you’re looking to start the new year with fresh resolve to read, you won’t want to be without the Overdue Book Calendar.

New Envoy’s Old Advice for Children: Read More
Katherine Paterson was named the next National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature this week – and you won’t want to miss Motoko Rich’s article about the new Madam Ambassador.

Autographed Shirt Benefits First Book
Check out the cool t-shirt that Amy Krouse Rosenthal and other New York Times bestselling authors created to benefit First Book at our second annual Book Bash celebration.

Six-Word Memoir Book Trailer
Stop over to the Olive Reader blog to watch and enjoy the latest “book trailer” (like a movie trailer, but for books!) for It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure, edited by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser.

10 Best Books That Are Years
To kick off a new year, check out this list of the best books whose titles are years.

Bookstore Night in Buenos Aires Encourages Reading
Check out NPR’s story about Buenos Aires’ annual Noche de las Librerias — Bookstore Night. The city closes a main avenue, and replaces cars and trucks with sofas and chairs for people to lounge in with books from nearby bookstores.

“Leave a Mark” online auction – Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl
The latest offering in the “Leave a Mark” auctions benefiting First Book is a marked-up copy of First Book staff member and author extraordinaire, Erica Perl’s Vintage Veronica. Bids are accepted online through 11: 59 pm EST on Tuesday, December 22nd – cast your bid today!

Children’s books 2009: It’s all good! says Jon Scieszka
Don’t miss this humorous report on the state of Children’s Books from the National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature, Jon Scieszka.

Kids’ Book Boasts The Best Words, Real Or Not
Listen to this interview with Daniel Pinkwater about a new release of an old book Ounce, Dice, Trice by Aleister Reid, an book for children that is full of words — both real and made-up.

Children’s Books 2009: With a reluctant young reader, the grosser the better
Susan Carpenter shares some book titles and other ideas to get reluctant readers interested in books.

Reading Corps wants YOU
Read this stirring appeal from the Detroit Free Press seeking for tutors to help Detroit’s would-be readers.

The Concord Museum’s tree exhibit celebrates children’s literature
Those in the greater Boston area won’t want to miss the Concord Museum’s “Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature,’’ an exhibit that spans 14 years and generations of authors and readers.

Reading Practice Can Strengthen Brain ‘Highways’
Your child’s brain on books – NPR shares some interesting research that suggests that intensive reading programs can produce measurable changes in the structure of a child’s brain.

No Country for Old Typewriters: A Well-Used One Heads to Auction
Christie’s will auction Cormac McCarthy’s Olivetti typewriter that he used to type every book he has written, including three not published.

First look: Harry Potter enters real world in ‘Deathly Hallows’
USA Today offers a first look into Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh, and last, book in J.K. Rowling’s series which is being broken into two films, the first part coming out in November 2010.

DailyLit Announces Move to All Free
DailyLit, a site that offers books in installments via email or RSS, is now offering its service free of charge!

Neil Gaiman Asks: Heard Any Good Books Lately?
In this NPR piece, Gaiman ponders the future of audiobooks and talks to David Sedaris and Martin Jarvis about what makes a great audiobook — and a great reader.

And it wouldn’t be the end of the year without lots of booklists! Take a look at these:

100 Notable Books of 2009
The New York Times features a number of booklists to help you with your holiday shopping. Take a look at this list of the 100 notable books of 2009.

Books of the year: what kept you turning the pages?
The Guardian asks novelist, actors, critics and other notables what books kept them reading throughout 2009.

Kids books: A conversation with ‘Strega Nona’ author Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaola, author of “Strega Nona’s Harvest,” talks about the grandmotherly Italian witch/folk healer and her magic pasta pot.

What to Give & What to Get
More than 40 Penguin authors are sharing book recommendations for holiday gift-giving as part of Penguin’s What to Give & What to Get campaign. Check out videos of authors Nick Hornby, Kate Jacobs, Robert B. Parker and Frank Bruni who share favorite books on camera.

Oxford Word of the Year 2009: Unfriend
The New Oxford American Dictionary chose Facebook’s  “unfriend” as its 2009 Word of the Year, according to the OUP blog.

Bark for Books
A fun-filled, literary, family event with author readings, illustration workshops, and opportunities to buy books signed by the authors and illustrators (or “pawed” by protagonists) — just in time for the holidays! The books make thoughtful gifts for the animal-loving children in your life, and extras can be donated to the League’s Read-2-Me program, which provides humane-themed books to classrooms, school libraries and students.

Word Play: Going global
Interested in more than what the U.S. children’s market has to offer? The LA Times shares new imports from British, Dutch and French authors.

Overdue library books returned half century later
A high school librarian in Phoenix says a former student at the school returned two overdue books checked out 51 years ago along with a $1,000 money order to cover the fines.

Inculcating a Love for Reading
The Wall Street Journal suggests children’s books that might help repel the armies of electronic distraction.

“Leave a Mark” online auction – If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The latest offering in the “Leave a Mark” auctions benefiting First Book is a marked-up copy of Gayle Forman’s If I Stay. Bids are accepted online through 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, November 15 – cast your bid today!

Unlikely Word Origins Defined In Anonyponymous
How many words do you know that are named after real people? These words, called eponyms, fill a new book called Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words. Read and listen to the review at NPR.org.

Q&A: ‘Literarian’ Dave Eggers talks about the writing life
Read the interview with Dave Eggers, best-known for his memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, who will be honored November 18 at the National Book Awards.

Gift Books 2009, Part 1
Looking for great gift books for the  holidays? Shelf Awareness shares book suggestions on topics including: secrets of mysterious lives, travel books for the adventurous and Obamamania.

‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days’ is released
The latest book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series is out, posing another ethical dilemma for its antihero.

Positive attitudes generate whirlwind change
George Bickert, a first-year school principal sees Tohatchi Elementary School through a complete academic turnaround.

Interview with children’s book author Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo’s most recent book, “The Magician’s Elephant” is a rewarding and imaginative journey for younger readers that even adults can enjoy.

2009 National Book Awards Finalists
This year’s National Book Awards Finalists have officially been announced. The much anticipated winners are set to be announced on November 18.

“Let the Wild Rumpus Start”
Today, Friday October 16 marks the release of ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ directed by Spike Jonze, based on Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book.

Borders’ Educator Appreciation Week Offers 30% Discount
Through October 7th, current and retired educators can save 30% on in-store purchases for personal or classroom use when they bring proof of educator status.

Don’t read that! The secret lives of book banners
In celebration of Banned Books Week (September 26 through October 3), the Chicago Tribune’s Julia Keller shares her first encounter with banned books.

A rainy National Book Festival whets readers’ appetites
In case you missed last weekend’s National Book Festival, the L.A. Times provides a great recap of the Washington, DC event, which boasted record-breaking attendence.

Kids Paying More Attention to Nonfiction
“Nonfiction is gaining more popularity with younger readers, according to the Children’s Choices Booklist-an annual list in which students read, critique, and vote for their favorite books.”

To help boys, school creates the poster men for reading
A Philadelphia school created the “Real Men Read” campaign to locally address a national concern – boys falling behind academically, particularly in literacy – which is achieving impressive results.

Anderson University to dedicate space for rare children’s books
Anderson University’s rare books collection contains approximately 6,000 books—many of which are first editions—by authors such as A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh), Beatrix Potter (The Tale of Peter Rabbit), and Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are).

Early Start for Reading
Read and listen to WNYC’s report on a new literacy curriculum being piloted in New York City shows signs of promise in closing the gap in reading scores between low-income and middle class students.

Read All About It: National Book Festival
For those in the D.C. area, check this out from Express Night Out: “Bibiophiles should head down to the National Mall on Saturday for the ninth annual National Book Festival, which is bringing dozens of notable authors to D.C.”

Classic children’s books we’d like to see receive the Hollywood treatment
Entertainment Weekly’s Shelf Life blog features four children’s books they’d like to see get made into a movie, complete with casting suggestions and sample dialogue.

Initiative Focuses on Early Learning Programs
A legislative effort already passed by the House proposes funding to establish the Early Learning Challenge Fund, channeling $8 billion to states with plans to improve standards, training and oversight of programs serving infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Text message speak ‘not harmful to children’s spelling’, says research
The Telegraph reports on new research that suggests using text message language (like OMG, lol and 2mro) does not harm children’s spelling abilities and may even be a good sign.

A long overdue ode to Robert Munsch
Last weekend, Canadian author Robert Munsch, best known for his book Love You Forever, was inducted into Canada’s 2009 Walk of Fame.

Transparent New Home for Poetry
Today, Poets House, a national poetry library and literary center, opens its spacious new home in Battery Park City, New York.

Tiny librarian is hell on wheels
Check out this article (and video) about Beth Hollis, an Akron, Ohio reference librarian Ohio by day and a roller derby dynamo by night.

A New Assignment: Pick Books You Like
Motoko Rich of the New York Times highlights “reading workshop” a experimental teaching approach that lets students pick the books they read.

7,000 Words Are Not Enough
The New Yorker’s Book Bench encourages readers to embrace abandoned vocabulary by visiting Save the Words,  a website that offers visitors a chance to adopt endangered terms.  And to get you started building your vocabuluary, take a look at abecedarian, a great word of the day from Dictonary.com.

Last Chance to Support First Book at dd’s DISCOUNTS
Don’t forget, you have until September 7, to make a donation at the point of sale at dd’s DISCOUNTS locations in CA, TX, AZ and FL, with dd’s DISCOUNTS matching donations, up to $25,000.

Bringing ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ to the Screen
This weekend, The New York Times Magazine features film director Spike Jonze’s career and insights into the making of ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ opening in theatres on October 16.

Enter the Mrs P Children’s writing contest!
MrsP.com is seeking great stories written by children 4 to 13 years old for its first “Be A Famous Writer Contest.” Celebrity judges include Dave Barry and Craig Ferguson, so be sure to enter your child’s story today.

Good Books Don’t Have to Be Hard
An interesting article on “why millions of adults are cheating on the literary novel with the young-adult novel, where the unblushing embrace of storytelling is allowed, even encouraged.”

Remembering Ted Kennedy, America’s Eulogist
Vanity Fair’s Todd Purdum remembers Senator Ted Kennedy as America’s “unofficial eulogist laureate.”

Frustrated Novelist Julia Child Finally Tops Bestseller List
Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking debuts at number one on the New York Times bestseller list this week.

Lemony Snicket Threatens a ‘Dreadful’ New Series
The Guardian features a humorous article announcing that “elusive author Lemony Snicket (aka author Daniel Handler) is working on a four-book series as a follow-up to the bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

Apple joins with Publisher to put First Picture Book on iPhone
The UK’s Winged Chariot Press is the first publisher to offer a children’s picture book for the iPhone, publishing The Surprise by Sylvia van Ommen.

Everybody Wins
A spotlight on Everybody Wins, a reading program during lunch hour based in DC.

The History of the Book
In today’s world, technology seems to have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, even our books. So really, what is a book and where did it come from?

The Glory of Golden Books
Remember Golden Books? This article delves into the history of these accessible and lovable classics, from “The Poky Little Puppy” to “Laddie and the Little Rabbit.”

Laying a Good Foundation for Literacy
Learn some great ways to interact with your child to increase their literacy. Small changes to their routine and environment can strongly enhance their ability to learn.

An Old Favorite with a New Glow
Random House released “What Was I Scared Of?: A Glow-in-the-Dark Encounter” this week on August 11.This Seuss favorite was originally published in “The Sneetches and Other Stories,” and can now be enjoyed with new glow-in-the-dark features.

Boeing Announces Donation to Benefit Literacy
Boeing is deepening its impact, donating $25,000 to Trident United Way.

Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a comprehensive resource for children’s literature.

Book A Brighter Future
Macy’s is collaborating with Reading Is Fundamental to get more books to children in need. Visit http://www.bookabrighterfuture.com/ to find out how you can participate.

So many great links this week – enjoy!

Twilight at Comic-Con: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Chris Weitz and more introduce New Moon
Twilight fans were in for a treat at last weekend’s Comic-Con in San Diego, as New Moon director Chris Weitz and stars Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart and Ashley Greene participated in a live Q&A. Read part of the conversation using the link above.

Nancy Drew’s Granddaughters
After Nancy Drew was highlighted during Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s Senate confirmation hearings, The New York Times asks the question “Who was your Nancy Drew?”

Sendak & Jonze Talk Wild Things
A featurette starring Maurice Sendak and Spike Jonze, talking about the upcoming Where the Wild Things Are movie.

Audience Picks: 100 Best Beach Books Ever
Just in time for the lazy, hazy August days, NPR announces the results of its 100 Best Beach Books Ever poll, which received 136,000 votes from 16,000 listeners. How many on this list have you read?

Eric Carle, Eric Carle and
Book Trailers
Two great posts this week from Elizabeth at PW’s ShelfTalker blog. She shares a great post about “book trailers,” videos that promote books as well as her memories of her encounter with the author in a private tour of his studio and video interview featuring Eric Carle.

The magical, mystical path linking book and reader
The Chicago Tribune’s Julia Keller writes on the paths books take to find their readers.

McCourt: A Storyteller Even as a Teacher
A tribute to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt, who died on July 19, highlighting his decades of work as a New York City public school teacher.

Alice In Wonderland Movie Trailer
Take a first look at the Alice in Wonderland movie trailer, directed by Tim Burton, scheduled for release in March 2010.

Happy birthday, Ernest Hemingway
This week marked the 110th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s birth. Check out Jacket Copy’s post and links to the annual Papa Look-Alike Contest, held last weekend at Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, Fla.

The Fortieth Anniversary of the First Moon Landing: review
The Telegraph’s Helen Brown examines four accounts of the moon landings by astronauts and historians, including Magnificent Desolation by Buzz Aldrin.

100 Best Beach Books Ever: Final Voting
Help NPR narrow down it’s list of listerner-nomiated Best Beach Books Ever. The list of the top 100 titles will be announced on July 29.

How much do you know about literary spies?
Test your knowledge of literary espionage in Guardian’s challenging quiz (I scored 6 out of 10, a score that Guardian described as this: Mediocre. You have some intelligence, but this stuff is so widely known that you are an essentially worthless asset). Here’s hoping you fare better on the quiz!

Quirk Announces Follow-Up to ‘P&P&Z’ – Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
Quirk announced its next entry in its Quirk Classics series, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, another a Jane Austen mashup which will be published on September 15. Also, check out the Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (S&S&SM?) book trailer.

Planning a staycation this year?
Staycation is one of 100 new words that have been added to the 2009 update Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Also making the list were waterboarding, vlog, carbon footprint, flash mob, frenemy, locavore and webisode.

61 essential postmodern reads: an annotated list
Check out Jacket Copy’s list, complete with an annotated key as to what elements make each title fit in the postmodern category.

The Best Kids’ Books Ever, Reader Suggestions for the Best Kids’ Books and In Which I Apologize to Roald Dahl…
Be sure to read Nicholas Kristof’s much talked about column and blog posts about the importance of summer reading, the best kids’ books ever and his readers’ suggestions on great books for kids (and adults too!).

Harry Potter and the Rival Teen Franchise
With the latest Harry Potter movie release just around the corner, the Wall Street Journal takes a look at the battle between Harry Potter and Twilight as both series vie for the same teenage audience.

Twitter to Enter the Collins English Dictionary
The definition of Twitter, as in the social media platform, not the noise a bird makes, will be added to the next edition of the Collins English Dictionary.

Tips on getting kids to crack a book this summer
Parents share low-cost ways of motivating children to read and write. I especially like the idea of writing letters to your child - my parents did this periodically throughout my young adult years and I still have many of these letters.

“Children’s Book Authors for $1,000, Alex…”
Children’s author Tui Sutherland recently appeared on Jeopordy and won $44,200.

President Obama has addressed educational awareness through his latest act - declaring today, July 9th 2009, as National Summer Learning Day, and calling youth throughout the country to partake in service as well as extracurricular activities.

National Summer Learning Day will consist of several nonprofit sponsored events across the country. These fun filled educational activities range from a group of Chicago students from Kids Keep Learning taking a trip to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, to a group of Harlem kids, involved in REAL Kids reading and enrichment summer program at Harlem, participating in a formal induction for summer baseball teams.

National Summer Learning Day looks to improve the summer for all children, moving kids from the couch to the community. A decrease in reading and learning over the summer months contributes to the achievement gap between middle and lower class children. In fact, according to a study at John Hopkins University, a summer loss of 3 months results in a gap of 18 months by the end of 6th grade.

To learn more about the National Summer Learning Day, please visit www.summerlearning.org.