When I lived in London my favorite spot to go was St. Martin-in-the-Fields. I would often go hear concerts in this old church, which sits in Trafalgar Square, right in the heart of this loud, bustling city. Once inside, the candlelit atmosphere of the historic building and classical music would soon transport and relax me.

Just like music, books have the power to transport the reader. Both tell a story and finding what stories will inspire and excite young minds is one of the challenges teachers and librarians tackle every day. Besides our powerful search engine, CLCD helps you meet these challenges by continuing to expand our curriculum tie-ins, available to you both in the database and through our newsletter and social media.

Beautiful symphonies are performed when all pieces of the orchestra work together seamlessly. That is what we at CLCD strive for. To seamlessly help our subscribers with all the different tasks required of them, from reading reviews to weeding their collection, from creating reading lists to assisting future educators in their research, and much more. For a trial or to subscribe, go to www.clcd.com.

Twitter

If you were following us on Twitter this month you would have been among the first to learn about our trip to Dallas for ALA Midwinter, new activity sheets from publishers to use in the classroom, and that Walter Dean Myers was named the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. To follow us on Twitter, just click on the blue Twitter bird at www.clcd.com.

Our Blog

Our blog presents practical and inspirational compositions that provide insight into the work you do each day. Recently, we blogged about the new Caldecott and Newbery winners, author Sharon Draper, and shared themed reviews for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. To read our blog go to our home page www.clcd.com.

Quote of the Month

"I can't imagine working on any children's or young adult literature project without checking the CLCD. This database is thorough, up-to-date and easy to use. It's the real deal!"
Ginny Moore Kruse, Emerita Director, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
School of Education, University of Wisconsin - Madison

App of the Month

There are a growing number of apps for smart phones and tablets aimed at children and teens that relate to books, authors, illustrators, and school curriculum. Each month we will share one app we believe stands out among the crowd. This month's is The Official SAT Question of the Day by The College Board. Available for the iPhone and iPad, this app is free from the iTunes Store. This app lets users answer the day's question or those from the past seven days. Before each question there is a brief instruction informing the user what is being asked of them. Multiple choice answers are given and after you select (if incorrect you may continue trying or see the answer), the answer is explained and details such as your time, what section of this test the question was from, the type of question it was, and stats on how other users did are given. There is also a hint option for each question.

While it has always been possible to search for an award in CLCD, we have worked with Nick Glass at TeachingBooks.net to incorporate the links to the material he and his staff have pulled together as described above. You will find them under the heading Curriculum Tools and they are identified as Links to Coretta Scott King Curricula Resources at TeachingBooks.net.

CLCD Has Modified Its Update Cycle

CLCD receives information from variety of sources for addition to the reviews at the end of each month. With the month-end update, we missed out on providing the most recent information to users when delivery was delayed or any issue arose. With the mid-month cycle, we will have enough margin to bring in all the information for the users more quickly. Our goal will be to have CLCD updated by the 20th of each month.

On The Road

We will be exhibiting at PLA 2012 from March 14th to 16th in Philadelphia, PA. You can find us at booth 845. CLCD President Ajay Gupte, Sales Representative Peg Glisson, and Publicity & Marketing Director Emily Griffin will be at the booth to chat about what is new at CLCD and how we can best serve your community.

Now Hiring

CLCD has openings for a Sales Manager and Account Executives. If you are interested in joining our team please contact ajay.gupte@clcd.com with your cover letter and resume, or to request further information.

Monthly Features

Our features present selected titles. For a more comprehensive and complete list of published titles with multiple reviews, use the CLCD.

The 2012 theme for Black History Month is African Americans and the Civil War. The beautifully illustrated picture book, Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, from Kadir Nelson, captures this moment in time and conveys how integral the role of African Americans throughout U.S. history.

This year's Presidents' Day feature presents a spectacular list of titles about America's leaders. The spirited nonfiction featured here will engage children in your classroom, library, or home. Check out Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham for a look at these two presidents unlikely friendship.

Chinese New Year began on January 23rd and is celebrated for fifteen days, ending with the Festival of Lanterns on February 6th. Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with these featured titles, such as A New Year's Reunion (get book jacket) by Yu Li Qiong and illustrated by Zhu Cheng Liang.

Love is in the air this February. Share these new titles with loved ones in your life this Valentine's Day. Snuggle up with Snowy Valentine by David Petersen, to discover how Jasper Bunny finds the perfect gift for his wife.

Author and Illustrator Features

Carmen Agra Deedy, Randall Wright, and Barry Moser teamed up to create The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale. This feature introduces the author's and illustrator to our readers and in honor of the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth we've included a list of noteworthy titles about this celebrated Victorian author.

Over the years Louisiana author Denise Lewis Patrick has worked as a writer, editor, and education-based volunteer. Her newest books, part of the American Girl historical character series, are about Cécile, an African American girl living in New Orleans in the 1850s. She describes Cécile as "bright, curious, and has a mischievous sense of humor."

Reminder: if you missed a newsletter or want to check on a previous feature, please note that all the newsletters are posted for your convenience at http://www.clcd.com/news/nl_index.php.

Children's Literature currently assists schools, museums, conferences and other organizations in identifying authors and illustrators for speaking engagements. Authors and illustrators provide valuable insight into their craft and connect their audience with the world of literature. In each issue we will highlight several of our booking service participants. To learn more about this service, please go to http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bs-home.html.

Derrick Barnes

Derrick Barnes is a native of Kansas City, Missour and a graduate of Jackson State University. He is the author of the popular "Ruby and the Booker Boys" series, published by Scholastic and the middle grade novel We Could Be Brothers which was a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year pick in 2011. Derrick has presented at elementary, middle, and high schools all over the country. He is also known for writing bestselling copy for various Hallmark Card lines and was the first African American male staff writer for Hallmark. Derrick resides in Kansas City with his wife and their sons. For more information about Derrick, please visit http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/barnes-derrick.html.

Elissa Brent Weissman

Elissa Weissman hails from Long Island, New York and is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars program and Roehampton University in London, England where she earned her MA in Children's Literature. Her first novels, Standing for Socks and The Trouble with Mark Hopper were published in 2009. Her newest novel, Nerd Camp, is a 2011 Cybil Award Finalist. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where she teaches creative writing to adults, college students, and gifted-and-talented children. For more information about Elissa, please visit http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/weissman-elissa.html.

CLCD Newsletter Editor, Emily Griffin serves as the Publicity & Marketing Director for the company. In addition, Emily writes and edits reviews for Children's Literature. She has a B.A. in English from George Mason University. Emily studied abroad in London twice; while there she worked at Peter Owen Publishers, creating sales and marketing material, reading submissions, maintaining the website and blog, and attending the London Book Fair. She also did a summer editorial internship program at Candlewick Press in Boston.

About the newsletter and CLCD

Our monthly newsletter is now available to everyone within an organization, not just the primary contact. A new feature at www.clcd.com will provide you with a form allowing you to sign up for just the electronic newsletter. The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD), updated mid-month, is your most complete source of information about children's books. Indeed, it is the next best thing to having the book in hand, and the best tool for leading you to the best books. All at a most affordable price. To subscribe to the CLCD or contact us, go to www.clcd.com.