I have enjoyed sharing my love of reading with you on One Book Two Book. I am, however, saying goodbye to the site. The site will live on and I hope that you will continue to stop by!

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Anne of Green Gables, which more or less sums up how I feel about books and imagination and the world:

“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive–it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?”

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Saying Goodbye

2, DIRT ON MY SHIRT, by Jeff Foxworthy. Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman. (HarperCollins, $16.99)

3, DON’T BUMP THE GLUMP!, written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. (HarperCollins, $17.99)*

4, GRACE FOR PRESIDENT, written by Kelly Dipucchio. Illustrated by Leuyen Pham. (Hyperion, $15.99)

5, SMASH! CRASH!, by Jon Scieszka. Illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon. (Simon & Schuster, $16.99)

6, THE JELLYBEANS AND THE BIG DANCE, written by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. (Abrams, $15.95) 

7, KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. (Hyperion, $16.99) 

8, ZEN TIES, written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth. (Scholastic, $17.99) 

9, STAR WARS POP-UP GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, by Matthew Reinhart. (Orchard, $32.99)

10, LADYBUG GIRL, by Jacky Davis and David Soman. Illustrated by David Soman. (Dial, $16.99)*

* New or returning to the list

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New York Times Best Sellers: Week of Mar 30

The gist of the article is that fewer picture books are being produced for sale due to the cost of production. Since picture books cost more to make, publishers have to charge more for them. The higher cost of the books may turn off consumers – in turn, bookstores are ordering fewer to offer for sale.

As the mother of toddlers and early readers, I have to say that I have never really balked on the cost of a picture book. Ironically, I have put adult fiction for me back on the shelf because of the increased cost associated with paperback books ($15 for an afternoon read, no thank you). But not children’s picture books.

I guess I am drawn to the picture books because of their longevity. Since picture books rely so much on imagination, my children can look at them over and over and the story never seems to get old (well, for them).

But maybe I’m the odd parent out… So, I’m curious to know. Does the price of a book affect your decision to buy? Are you less likely to buy a picture book based on cost?

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Is the Picture Book Dead?

The holiday has been celebrated since 1925 on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, which is April 2, there has been an international celebration of children’s literature. International Children’s Book Day is sponsored by The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), a non-profit organization committed to bringing books and children together.

Hans Christian Andersen is, of course, a Danish author most famous for his fairy tales. His commitment to great literature in the form of stories, books and poems exemplifies the spirit of International Children’s Book Day.

Check in throughout the next few days for more info about Hans!

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Happy International Children’s Book Day!

Here’s a glimpse at some of the disturbing results of the studies as they apply to younger readers:

1, Nearly half of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure.

2, Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers.

3, The percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing at all for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period. Yet the amount they read for school or homework (15 or fewer pages daily for 62% of students) has stayed the same.

4, 15- to 24- year-olds spend only 7–10 minutes per day on voluntary reading — about 60 less time than the average American.

And my favorite pair of statistics:

While the number of books in a home is a “significant predictor” of academic achievement, average annual household spending on books dropped 14% when adjusted for inflation.

You can download all 98 pages of 2007 To Read or Not To Read here.

It’s pretty heady stuff. And it makes me wonder about my readers… if you don’t mind sharing! How many books are on your night stand – and how old are you? (age range is fine)

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How Much Are You Reading?

Britney Spears has signed a multi-million dollar deal to write a series of children’s books. Following in the wake of such celebs as Madonna and Geri Halliwell, Spears seemed a natural choice.

The first book in the series, We’re Just Country, Y’all will be released in 2009. The pop princess wrote the book in response to criticisms that she has faced in the press about her upbringing. “I just wanted to let kids know that it’s okay to be yourself,” she said. “And if that means riding around in cars without seatbelts or shaving your head, that’s okay.”

Subsequent titles will include Baby, One More Time and C is for Conservatorship.

When asked her qualifications to write children’s books, Britney replied, “I have babies.” She then quickly followed up with, “And I can read.”

Industry insiders question the validity of the latter.

*** April Fool’s!!

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Britney Spears Pens Children’s Book Series

There is something unbelievably cool about watching a child learn to read. You totally know it’s going to happen and it feels like it should be rather unremarkable – kids learn to read everyday.

But when you witness it, you are reminded how very amazing it is to learn to read. It opens up entire worlds.

My oldest daughter is now five years old. She has officially graduated from board books to real books. Case in point: her newest Lauren Child book, Charlie and Lola: But Excuse Me, That is My Books. This is a proper book – 32 pages of text with words like encyclopedia and butterflies. She got through the entire book and could not have been more proud of herself. I was so proud of her, too.

When she was finished reading, she couldn’t wait to try again. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Her three year old sister asked me when we could practice the book, too.

Part of the book’s appeal are the fabulous illustrations. The whimsical style and bright colors are just delightful. But perhaps the best part is the relationship between Charlie and his little sister, Lola. My girls understand that dynamic – how you can both love and be bothered by your sibling all at the same time.

We have a whole host of Charlie and Lola books at our home. The series is one of our favorites. I highly recommend it for the 3-7 year old set.

We bought the book in the UK, so I’m not 100% sure what it’s retailing for in bookstores. At amazon.com, it runs about $17.

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Charlie and Lola: But Excuse Me, That is My Book

Julie Andrews, probably best known to you and me as the actress who starred in The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins (my favorite!) has announced that the Julie Andrews Collection is moving to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a division of Hachette Book Group USA.

The collection is co-authored by Andrews’ daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton. There are currently 25 titles in the collection, which will grow over the next few years.

The collection will launch at Little, Brown in 2009 with an anthology entitled Julie Andrews’ Collection of Favorite Poems, Songs and Lullabies. A bonus CD featuring archival musical recordings as well as personal narrations by Julie Andrews will also be included.

In 2010, the collection will launch of a new character, The Very Fairy Princess. Of course, Julie Andrews knows a little something about princesses having starred in the movie adaptation of Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries.

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Julie Andrews Launches Collection at Little, Brown: Will She Bring a Few of Her Favorite Things?

I checked it out – purely for the kiddos, of course – and I have to say, it’s a really cool feature. You select the characters, background and music for each of the scenes, as well as key text, and you are rewarded with your very own Horton Hears a Who story!

If it’s a bit gray out at your house (like it is mine), you can keep the kids busy with this game. The beauty of it is that they have to think – and it’s a great way to practice new words!

Check out the Seuss Story Maker here.

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Create Your Own “Horton Hears a Who” Story!

2, DIRT ON MY SHIRT, by Jeff Foxworthy. Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman. (HarperCollins, $16.99)

3, THE JELLYBEANS AND THE BIG DANCE, written by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans. Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. (Abrams, $15.95) 

4, SMASH! CRASH!, by Jon Scieszka. Illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon. (Simon & Schuster, $16.99)

5, ZEN TIES, written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth. (Scholastic, $17.99) 

6, KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO, written and illustrated by Mo Willems. (Hyperion, $16.99) 

7, PURPLICIOUS, by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann. Illustrated by Victoria Kann. (HarperCollins, $16.99)

8, STAR WARS POP-UP GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, by Matthew Reinhart. (Orchard, $32.99)

9, DUCK SOUP, written and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic. (HarperCollins, $16.99)*

10, GRACE FOR PRESIDENT, written by Kelly Dipucchio. Illustrated by Leuyen Pham. (Hyperion, $15.99)*

* New or returning to the list

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New York Times Best Sellers: Week of Mar 23