A roundup of the year-end "best of" lists and children's literature prizes. Except where noted, the books on these lists were published in 2012. This page will be updated regularly.
I've compiled several "The Best…" lists that share sites where you can learn about the geography, data, languages, and holidays of different countries around the world. Those resources are important, but I think it's like learning the words, but not the music, of a song.
So I thought I'd develop a separate list just focused on helping students learn about the cultures of different countries, and would love to hear additional suggestions.
All of us - adults, teens, and children - enjoy a scary chill: the anticipation of a creaking door opening in slow motion, waiting for someone - or something - to walk through, and then a wind gust slamming that door shut. BANG! What better time of year to indulge in stories that make our spines tingle than Halloween? So bring them on - ghosts and ghouls, wizards and witches, haunted houses and black magic.
Building a Home Library bibliographies below to provide guidance to parents, grandparents, and others interested in assembling a high-quality library for their children at home. When creating these lists, the committee looked to include tried and true classics, under the radar gems, multicultural books, and new, yet notable, reads for all ages.