How do you hear about great new kids’ books?

We’re always on the hunt for good books around our house. I rely on friends, librarians, my local bookstore, and several online sources for new titles we should be sure to read.

I subscribe to many blogs through my RSS feed, one of which is Getting Kids Reading. Through GKR, I recently learned about two new YA books I think my girls will like: Serpent’s Shadow(opens in a new window), the latest in the Kane Chronicles from Rick Riordan, and The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict(opens in a new window), which is a prequel to a favorite The Mysterious Benedict Society(opens in a new window). You can view the book trailer for that book here(opens in a new window).

I also subscribe to Anita Silvey’s Children’s Book-A-Day Almanac(opens in a new window). Silvey has encyclopedic knowledge of children’s books, and always provides enough background to pique my interest. I often go right from her post to our library’s site to put the book on hold.

An unlikely source of book recommendations comes from a blog I use for recipes! Dinner, a Love Story(opens in a new window) has a section on kids’ books(opens in a new window) that is usually pretty handy, and it includes a Q&A with David Sedaris, in which a lucky 8 year old got to ask Sedaris a few questions. Their Fave Five(opens in a new window) (updated weekly-ish) includes a rotating list of recommendations their kids are reading right now.

Sadly, some of my other favorite sites seem to have stopped posting, but their archives are worth a look: Open Wide, Look Inside(opens in a new window) is (was?) a blog about teaching elementary math, science, and social studies. Teach with Picture Books(opens in a new window) is LOADED with good recommendations. The labels along the right sidebar provide good navigation.

I hope at least one of these links leads you to a good book!