Happy Birthday, Dear Author!

A collection of information and ideas developed from Witter-Easley's classroom teaching and successful reading program at a public library, this text is for teachers and librarians who want to have author programs in the classroom or library. Twenty-seven authors spaced over nine months of the year (September-May) are highlighted according to their birthdays (more than 35 additional authors are also listed for each month), while a promotional reading log encourages children to read five books per month by a featured person. The book includes detailed activities for success with celebrations, ideas for games or activities, printable handouts, and author website links, but lacks a general index. Programming ideas for birthday celebrations (storytelling, art activities, party games that focus on the authors' works, favors, and food) aimed at beginning readers emphasize entertaining activities that both inform and promote literacy skills. Each entry includes biographical information and celebration activities with a theme based on books by the author and a reading log. A final "Resources" area includes two bibliographies: one for games, activities, and crafts books, the other a listing of titles by each featured author (again, by birth month). While biographical material on these authors can surely be found in other places, and reading logs are easily designed, the combination of author information, bibliography, and programming ideas in a single volume makes this title a useful resource.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX