Here are some articles from the past week that I found interesting, helpful or just plain fun. Happy reading and writing!

Best Children’s Books of 2013

Publishers Weekly put out their list of the best children’s books for 2013 and it includes every genre of middle grade or young adult books. So if you’re looking for a scary read, historical fiction, mystery, adventure, realistic or romance, you’ll find it there. I’ve read two of the books on the list—Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff and The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr, and I recommend both. Almost every other book on PW’s list is going onto my “to be read” list.

World’s Longest Book Domino Chain

At the Antwerp Book Fair, a Belgium book association broke the world’s record for the longest book domino chain. Check out the video as 4,485 books fall in a continuous chain reaction. Very cool!

I Want My Brick-and-Mortar Bookstore

Like most people today, I order books (and other things) from amazon.com. I hate shopping for those “other things,” but one of my favorite places to spend time and money is a real bookstore. And this article explains why: 10 Lovable Things about Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores

Winning the Banned Books Battle

When the Tucson school board banned many books either written by Latinos or containing Latino subject matter, one man, Camiliano “Cam” Juarez, fought the ban and won. This article tells his story.

Brown Butter Bread Pudding Tarts (yes, it’s writing news related!)

You don’t have to be a Jane Austen fan to enjoy this recipe. This is a fun article about the food in the famous and well-loved author’s books, and includes the recipe for this delicious-sounding tart.