First things first: Two egregious BACA alerts: David Beckham and Mario Lopez are both writing children's books. I'm not even sure I know who Mario Lopez is exactly (I know he has muscles...), but I do know who David Beckham is and I am questioning the publishing decision behind his forthcoming series.
Okay...let's move on to better things: Jeff Baenen profiles Neil Gaiman in the Baltimore Sun on occasion of the publication of Gaiman's new children's novel The Graveyard Book.
Marilou Sorensen reviews children's books focusing on women in politics (including Barbara Kerley's What to Do About Alice?) for the Deseret News.
Susie Wilde also reviews political books for kids (including, again, What to Do About Alice?) for the Charlotte News Observer.
Politics must be on the collective brain, because here's another review column: Gina Gilligan reviews Obama and McCain picture books for The Grand Rapids Press.
Not a Review: Stacey Garfinkle talks boys and reading in the Washington Post.
Deirdre Barker considers " in the Toronto Star.
And this week's how-is-it-that-time-of-year-column is in the San Francisco Chronicle: Regan McMahon reviews Halloween books for the youngsters. Damn, I still have to order a trident.
Robert Walsh reviews two new Paul Fleischman books for The Californian.
Most-admired Amanda Craig reviews "two children's books embellished by master illustrators" for the Times.
Mary Harris Russell is back with capsule reviews of four new children's books, including one of Christopher Paolini's Brisingr.
Susan Perren reviews five new books for the Globe and Mail, including the new Polly Horvath title, My One Hundred Adventures.
Janet Christie reviews several new children's books for the Scotsman, including, this week, Henry Winkler's latest book in the Hank Zipper series.
The Telegraph asks whether Brisingr is the new Harry Potter. Read if you wish.
Elizabeth Hand reviews The Other Side of the Island, by Allegra Goodman, for the Washington Post. Also in the Washington Post, Michael Dirda (!) reviews Terry Pratchett's Nation.
Whew! Enjoy and I'm sorry for the delay.
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* I used to say that War and Peace would be my desert island book. Now, however, I'd choose the internet. Why? 'Cause War and Peace is there, but so is almost everything else.
