INTERVIEW

• A Short 700-Mile Walk in The Gambian Bush
  Getting arrested by the Taliban, hanging out with Somali pirates, and riding through the streets of Phnom Penh are all in a day's work for photojournalist Jason Florio. Now he and his partner, Helen Jones, are walking 700 miles around the entire perimeter of The Gambia to raise money for the U.K.-based Eden Project charity.
  
  Their journey, “A Short Walk in The Gambian Bush,” begins with visits to five participating schools in the West African nation before they start an eight-week trek on November 1 to raise money for Gardens for Life, an Eden initiative that links 20,000 pupils in schools in the U.K., Africa, India, and the U.S., and encourages them to create gardens, grow food, and share stories with others across the world. The goal? To raise enough money to buy things we take for granted, like tools, hoses, water pumps, and fences. more » » » 

Blogs

• ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog
  Josie Leavitt, Co-owner, Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, Vt.
  How to Have a Successful Author Event (Part 1)
  Author events are the backbone of my store. While every event may not be as well attended as I'd like, every year my top 50 bestselling books are from in-store events. What follows is a preliminary to...
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• A Fuse #8 Production
  Elizabeth Bird, Children's Librarian, Children's Center at 42nd Street
  Press Release Fun: Pooh Release Party
  We'll be hosting a couple important guests next week. From the press release. *ahem* PENGUIN YOUNG READERS GROUP WILL UNVEIL AND PRESENT A PERMANENT MURAL FOR THE ORIGINAL WINNIE-THE-P...
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• Good Comics for Kids
  Katherine Dacey, ,
  Review Index, July - September 2009
  Our Summer Reading Challenge inspired us to review even more books than usual in the last three months, from comic-book treatments of classic fables to horror stories featuring talking housepets. Belo...
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• Nonfiction Matters
  Marc Aronson, AUTHOR, EDITOR, PACKAGER, SPEAKER,
  Vooks
  Did You Catch This Piece in the Times tinyurl.com/yb9vx39 It almost feels like a response to my post from yesterday -- a way to bring together what we do in books with video, audio, Google Earth...
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NEWS

• School Librarian Runs for ALA Presidency
  Sara Kelly Johns, a school librarian from New York, and Molly Raphael, a retired public library director from Oregon, are the two candidates running for president of the American Library Association for the 2011–2012 term.
  
  Raphael, who began her career as a children’s librarian, was named Multnomah County library director in the fall of 2003 and retired last May. Prior to that, she spent 33 years with the District of Columbia Public Library. Raphael has spent 35 years advocating for the profession through service to ALA. Most recently, she was president of ALA’s Library Leadership and Management division. more » » » 
• PA Cuts Endanger Library Subscription Sites
  If Pennsylvania lawmakers approve proposed cuts in the state budget, many K–12 students may lose access to valuable research databases at their school and public libraries.
  
  “Everyone is planning for the worst, but hoping for the best,” says Susan L. Hauer, administrator for the Library System for Lancaster County. “But we know we are going to get some kind of cut.” more » » » 

REMARKABLE READS

• I'm So Hungry I Could Eat a Book!
  How can you get young children interested in cooking? One surefire way is to read stories in which food and cooking are the stars! Each of the titles below not only includes a recipe or two, but also demonstrates a social aspect of food service or eating. Have a copy of Isabella and Olivia Gerasole’s The Spatulata Cookbook (Scholastic, 2007) or Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson’s Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes (Tricycle, 2004) on hand and let young kids pick out a recipe they’d like to make. more » » » 

LIBRARIAN'S INTERNET

• Fun for Young Kids, British Style
  www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/
  
  This site was designed to enhance the BBC's children’s television programming, but kids don’t have to be familiar with any of the TV shows to have a blast discovering its hundreds of entertaining and educational online games, stories, and activities.
  
  Start exploring by clicking on “Fun and Games,” then sort them by “Theme”—it’s a great way to find fun activities for specific holidays or for kids with special interests or needs. A unique and valuable feature of this section is the “Mouse or Keyboard” sort tab. It will display games that will help young children (or special ed. older kids) master mouse and computer keyboard skills. more » » » 

JOB OF THE WEEK