Children's Book-a-Day Almanac
Silvey, former editor of The Horn Book magazine and an expert on children’s literature, has compiled her online Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac (childrensbookalmanac.com) into print. In so doing, she provides a worthwhile resource for teachers, librarians, and parents. For each of the 365 days of the year, she gives a bit of historical or informational narrative, presents the synopsis of a book that relates to the day, and suggests an age-appropriate audience for the title. Sidebars offer brief facts and additional books to read.        The recommended books—which span age ranges from elementary through high school—are classics (or are destined to become classics). Although students might need background information to understand or appreciate some of the older books, there are plenty of newer books that are readily available and appropriate. The print volume is a handy desk ready-reference book, and when used in conjunction with the interactive website, it becomes much more dynamic. Recommended for parents, teachers, and librarians. --J. B. Petty