The Definitive & Official Peter Rabbit Website
www.peterrabbit.co.uk
The Definitive and Official Peter Rabbit website..I know I read a lot of Beatrix Potter when I was a child, and I'm not sure how she got by us when I had my son..I do think I picked up Peter Rabbit once a few years ago and that part about him cutting off all their tails or whatever that was, put me off the old girl. Be that as it may, her illustrations are precious and timeless, and deserve your time via this website which includes games for all ages of Potter(not *that* one) fans. If ever a site could be "Baby's First Website", the soothing nursery colors and gentle animal drawings make this the one.

Audrey Wood
www.audreywood.com/
mac_site/clubhouse/clubhouse_page/clubhouse.htm
Audrey Wood is an unbelievably successful children's author/illustrator who has worked with the best illustrators (David Shannon, Mark Teague, her husband Don Wood) around. Books include: Piggies, King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, The Napping House and Heckedy Peg, to name a few of about 50 books she's written or collaborated on. The website offers activities for preschool age children based on her most familiar books (coloring, shape identification), but most valuably, recognizes and celebrates the work of her collaborators, by offering links to their websites. I found this a quite generous gesture, as she's worked with so many different artists and it diverts visitors away from her site. But come back and visit a bit longer, there are also biographies of Audrey and Don Wood, her recommendations of their books in terms of what's appropriate for what age child, and much more.

http://www.rif.org
     In addition to being a great source of information and entertainment, this website of the Reading is Fundamental organization is a joy to look at and navigate. The bright, happy colors and interesting graphics set it apart from the stodgy sameness of so many non-profits’ sites.
     But what’s in it for you? If you’re a kid, there are all kinds of games and activities, ranging from reading themed e-postcards you can send to a pal, to Make Your Own Word Puzzle Game. A feature I particularly like is Writers Blocks where kids can write stories with other kids via the Internet. Super Sorter helps kids (particularly non-readers, as the choices were pretty obvious) find out what kind of books and activities they might like based on their non-reading interests.
     If you’re a parent, there are plenty of tips to get your kid reading and loving it. Again, I thought some of the choices were predictable (read aloud, read early, read a lot) but I liked this one:
     “Get Caught Reading!” Take a picture of your child while they’re reading and post it on the fridge as a little reinforcement. It helps if your child “catches” you reading frequently as well….
For educators, there are tools such as a Monthly Reading Activity Calendar that you can print out and give to your class, plus a lot more.
     As a non-profit, RIF needs money and volunteers and they’re equipped to handle safe on-line donations, and also to help you locate groups in your area that need help. Please check it out!

The Official Pinkwater Page
http://www.pinkwater.com/indexh.html
Daniel Pinkwater has two books on our Book List (for now), but his oeuvre is so large (to match his formidable avoirdupois?) that we'll surely be adding more. Our favorites so far include Ned Feldman, Space Pirate and Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears.

A Series of Unfortunate Events
http://www.lemonysnicket.com
An unfortunate web site, to be sure. Whatever you do, don’t log onto this site.  Mr. Snicket would urge you to pull the plug on your computer before yielding to the temptation. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. (If you MUST know, Lemony Snicket is the author of the hugely popular series for children of a certain insouciance, unlikely to be scarred by depressing tales called A Series of Unfortunate Events. 

Wonder of Reading
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/
lausd/offices/instruct/itb/libserv/
wonder_of_reading.html
The Wonder of Reading's purpose is to inspire in children the love of reading.  Their mission is to have a significant impact on reading in Los Angeles Unified elementary schools.  The Wonder of Reading futhers its purpose through the 3R Program Renovate, Restock, and Read.  First, they renovate an elementary school's library, making it larger and more inviting to young students.  Second, they provide funds to the school so it can restock the library's collection of books. Finally, they recruit and train volunteers to read one-on-one with students.
       The Wonder of Reading
       120 N. Robertson Blvd.
       Los Angeles, CA  90048
       (310) 289-1201

The Newbery Medal
http://www.ala.org/alsc/newbery.html
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The Caldecott Medal
http://www.ala.org/alsc/caldecott.html
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Guys Read
A Literacy Initiative for Boys
http://www.guysread.com/
A "literacy initiative for guys" brought to us by Jon Scieszka, a very funny writer in his own right who is responsible for The Stinky Cheese Man, Math Curse and the Time Warp Trio... one of the writers who has identified the huge underserved market that is boy readers. Check your local "chapter book" section at Borders or Barnes and Noble and weep - 147 series for girls and verrrry few for guys except for Goosebumps and the ilk... until writers like Scieszka and Dav Pilkey (the Captain Underpants series, among others) found a need and began to fill it.

Dav Pilkey’s Website O’ Fun
http://www.pilkey.com/
Dav, are you out there? You haven't updated your website in five years but it's still pretty timeless stinkydiaper humor. For new and future fans of The Captain (Underpants, of course)

The Children's Canon
Kids' book authors pick their all-time favorites
http://www.salon.com/16dec1995/features/author.html

Kidsreads.com
http://www.kidsreads.com/