Book award news. Over in the UK, the shortlists for The Carnegie (for writing) and Kate Greenway (for illustration) medals have been announced. It’s down to eight titles in each category, folks – place your bets. Click here for Carnegie. Click here for Greenway.

More UK madness. As part of World Book Day Davyhulme Primary School in the UK held an “Extreme Reading Competition”, where students and staff were challenged to take a picture of themselves reading in the most unique place. They posted a gallery of the results. Click here to check it out.

When I read about an art exhibit in Manhattan called “The Library of Unborrowed Books” by Meriç Algün Ringborg (100 Scope Notes 2013 umlaut count: 1), it made me wonder if a display of never-checked-out books would work in a library setting – you know, to generate some interest. Or would continue to sit, but in a new location? I’d like to test this some time. Click here to read.

Suzanne Collins’ Underland Chronicles are getting new covers – this is a good idea. Click here to see them.

The excellent illustration blog Pen & Oink (featuring one of the best headers in the business) talked with Surgio Ruzzier about the making of his new picture book Bear and Bee. It’s a step by step look at how the picture book sausage is made. Click here to read.

If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that when it comes to reading, teacher excitement =  student excitement. That’s why I love teachers like Colby Sharp, and that’s why I love this recent post at Bookends. Teachers post the books they are reading for the school to see. To borrow a line from Cam Jansen “click!” (I propose this as the new word for “I’m going to copy this”). Click here to read.

There are a lot of printable odds and ends cluttering up the internet, but this one is a winner. Chronicle Books and Jeffery Brown bring us a Vader and Leia pro-reading poster. Guaranteed crowd pleaser. Click here to download.

Fancy-schmancy book art alert! Click here to read.