Question:

Where can I learn more about books?

Harry Potter

There is a lot of information about Harry Potter on the internet. Learn about the author, study the language...you can really make a career out of this! Most of these sites give away information about the books, so if you haven't read them all you might want to wait. Try these sites for starters:

Harry Potter Lexicon This is a huge project that is still underway. The webmaster is trying to organize all the information in the book. Need to know which brooms are discussed in the story? He knows. He is also cataloguing spells, vocabulary and more. A time line is in progress.

The Unofficial Harry Potter Fan Club Ask your parents to check this site out first, since it isn't just for kids and includes ways to communicate with others online. Here you can be sorted, learn to play Quiditch, read rumors and facts and more. Some parts are better for kids than others.

Funology Ultimate Harry Potter Word Search Find words from the Harry Potter books. This is a printable search.

Alice in Wonderland

Did you know that the author of Alice in Wonderland was a math professor? Many aspects of his books have math in them. However, even if you don't recognize the math, the book is fun to read. Here are some sites about the book:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland This is an online version of the book. Print it out and put it in a notebook for your very own copy.

Alice in Wonderland:An Interactive Adventure This site has games based on the book. It requires Javascript and Java.

The Making of Alice in Wonderland This article tells you how the story came to be and also gives background on the illustrations. This page isn't just for kids, so as always, surf with a parent.

Nancy Drew

Nancy Drew has been around so long your grandmother probably curled up with her stories on a dark and stormy night. She has changed a lot over the years, but she is still independent and happily solving mysteries. Want to learn more or just have fun? Try these sites:

Nancy Drew Kids This is the official Nancy Drew site. Read original adventures, play games, meet other fans and, if you're a teacher, even get lesson plans. Surf with a parent.

Pawprints Books Kids Corner You can read reviews of Nancy Drew mysteries and then write your own reviews to be published. Surf with a parent and get permission to submit.

Nancy Drew Coloring Pictures Print and color two pictures of Nancy.

Natalie Babbit

Natalie Babbit writes books that really make you think. She is best-known for Tuck Everlasting. Bruce Coville says it's the best book written in fifty years! Check these sites out to learn more:

Ask the Author: Natalie Babbit The Internet Public Library has a short biography of the author.

Natalie Babbit's Biography This is really an autobiography. It's her story in her own words and includes a link to the interview.

Horn Book Acrostic Natalie Babbit made this acrostic puzzle for you to print out and solve.

Beverly Cleary

Almost everyone loves Ramona the Pest or Henry and Ribsy. The author, Beverly Cleary, is a very interesting person too. Check out these sites to learn more:

Blackbird Beverly
Blackbirds were the worst readers in class. Beverly Cleary had a terrible time learning to read. Find out how she finally became a reader.

Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden
Beverly Clearly grew up in Portland, Oregon. This children's page shows you the sculptures based on her books, tells you where to write her and even shows you what she looks like.

Meet Beverly Cleary
This site gives you a little information about her life, tells you where to write Ramona and shows you what other children have written, allows you to read and write reviews of the books and has an activity guide.

Bruce Coville

Bruce Coville writes exciting books about fantasy, unicorns, aliens and other things kids believe in. Try these sites to learn more:

Official Bruce Coville Webpage Yes, Bruce Coville has his own page. Okay, he's a bit of a procrastinator and some of the links lead to blank pages, but what is there is fun. He has frequently asked questions, information about books he's writing, and a way to buy autographed books.

Interview Bruce Coville was interviewed by a group of children for this article.

Tedd Arnold

Tedd Arnold writes and illustrates children's books, including the Huggly books. Visit these sites to learn more:

Tedd Arnold's very own page. From here, you can find out exactly how he illustrates a book, check out questions kids ask him, or learn about his cat that loves reading.

Students interviewed Tedd Arnold. Why does he spell his name with two d's anyway?

Read a letterby Tedd Arnold about Dr. Seuss.

Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Zilphah Keatley Snyder writes books that are scary, exciting and hard-to-put-down. She wrote the Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and other books for children. Check out these sites to learn more:

Zilpha Keatley Snyder Read a letter she sends children who write her, email her at her own email address, read her autobiography, learn how she writes and more on this terrific site.

The Egypt Game and the Gypsy Game This page has teaching ideas for teachers about these books. You can use them to come up with ideas for reports and projects.

Carolyn Arnold

Carolyn Arnold is the author of over a hundred books for children, including The Terrible Hodag. Check out these sites to learn more about her:

Carolyn Arnold This is her very own page. From here you can learn about her books, get ideas for projects based on her books, find out how to get her to come to your school, or learn more about her. This is a very well-done site.

Kids Bookshelf Read an interview with the author to learn more about the author and her writing.

Bookworm Sites

There is nothing better than curling up with a great book. There are so many books on the shelves though? How do you know which ones are for you? The net has some great resources to help you choose. Remember though, that only you can really decide which books are right for you, and sometimes you might be surprised. Read the jacket cover, read the first two pages..and think...do I want to know more about this story? If you do, read the book. Here are some sites to help you choose:

Book Adventure This site has quizzes about books, quizzes that help you choose books, and a chance to win prizes for reading books.

Book Hive This is a great place to find books for kids your age. There are reviews by topic and age, as well as coloring pages, quizes and other activities.