This one is especially for Michigan folks. Teacher and Nerdy Book Club Blog co-mastermind Colby Sharp is up to more masterminding. He went and created nErDcamp, a daylong event with a literacy focus. The goal is to bring together a variety of educators to talk reading, writing, and thinking on July 11 in Battle Creek, MI. [...]

Publishers Weekly recently published their list of the bestselling books from January-March of 2013. You may not be shocked at the top children’s book on the list, but I bet the second kid’s book on the list (which narrowly bested 50 Shades of Grey) might come as a slight surprise. Here’s a hint – it’s [...]

When it comes to nuts and bolts, “here’s the big stuff”-type previews, Publishers Weekly is the place to go. They recently put up their Fall 2013 Sneak Previews, and now my eyebrows are tired (from all the raising). If you’re interested in upcoming books, check it out.  Publishers Weekly Fall 2013 Sneak Previews

Best lamp ever? The Lumio lamp, a Kickstarter project, looks like it will soon be a reality. Click here to read more. (Thanks to Book Patrol for the link)

Brian Kenney writes about the current state of e-books and his hopes for the future in a recent piece for Publishers Weekly. But it isn’t what you might expect. What do I want to come in 2013? What I want is simple: more chaos. Click here to read.

Leonard S. Marcus (a.k.a. our children’s lit historian) wrote an interesting piece for The Horn Book about picture book jackets, explaining how “covers have grown less representative of the books they trumpet.” Say hello to Ye Olde Electrical Man. Click here to read

The Kids’ Indie Next List is always something I look forward to checking out. The 2012-12 Winter group was recently announced, and it features a bunch of books I can’t wait to get my cold hands on. My hands are always cold in the winter. Click here to read it.

Publisher’s Weekly is the first of the major journals to name their best books of the year. Click here for Children’s Picture Click here for Children’s Fiction Click here for Children’s Nonfiction

Children’s literature classic Charlotte’s Web turns 60 years old this year, and NPR recently provided a little behind the scenes on author E.B. White. Question of the day – how many takes did White need to get through the book’s most tragic scene? Click here to listen. [3 min. 57 sec.]

Tara Lazar (she of the blog Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)) recently put together a post of heretofore unknown children’s literature terminology. I’m a pretty big fan of “Shel Shocked” myself. Fun read of the day, I say. Click here for the Kidlitonary

Good ol’ Jules Danielson. Now only does she provide the world with one of the most consistently remarkable picture book related blogs, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, she also posts for Kirkus Reviews. Recently, Jules wrote about a batch of upcoming fall picture book favorites. Some Stead, some Small, a bit of Klassen – it [...]

CAUTION: BROAD GENERALIZATION TIME Children’s authors and illustrators are typically a pretty diplomatic lot. They tend to have such respect for others in their field that asking them to put one book ahead of another might seem futile. Maybe this is why I like the recent Caldecott/Newbery Matching Game at the Horn Book website. They [...]

In the name of humor, let’s take a look at how the genius blog Better Book Titles chose to rename the modern children’s lit classic, Knuffle Bunny. Click the image below to read.