“All books are divisible into two classes: the books of the hour; & the books of all times.” John Ruskin
Anita Silvey is a long-time award-winning advocate, author, expert, and activist in the wonder-filled world of children's literature. Between her 11 years as editor of The Horn Book Magazine and 7 years working with the Houghton Mifflin Company, Silvery worked with such well-known authors and illustrators as H. A. and Margret Rey, Virginia Lee Burton, David Macaulay, Lois Lowry, Allen Say, David Wiesner, Karen Cushman, Linda Sue Park, and Chris Van Allsburg. In addition to publishing her own collections of notable children's work, The Essential Guide to Children’s Books and Their Creators in 2002, 100 Best Books for Children in 2004, and 500 Great Books for Teens in 2006, Anita Silvey produces a rich and resourceful blog called The Children's Book-A-Day Almanac; a daily book recommendation in the field of children's literature. In concert with the calendar year, her posts connect readers, teachers, parents, and librarians with books for all occasions. She also includes instructional supports for use in classrooms, at home, and in the public library settings, to find a great activity to go along with the read.
Simple but helpful tagging makes finding the perfect book for the right occasion easy if you are in a hurry. Occasional pictures accompany Silvey's expert analysis, making this blog a beautiful resource that is also lovely to look at.