Olga the Brolga

Rod Clememt's Olga is the inspiration for a dance piece staged in Edinburgh.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/75661.html

Costa Awarad

The finalists for the Costa Children's Book Award, formerly The Whitbread, have been revealed. The BBC has the news at http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6190000/newsid_6195400/6195426.stm
plus a place for readers to vote for their selection.

NY Times Selections

10 Best Books of 2006
100 Notable Books
Great ideas for gift-giving or holiday reading.

NZ Online Resource

New Zealand Electronic Text Centre’s free online archive of New Zealand and Pacific Islands texts and heritage materials. http://www.nzetc.org/

NLA Digital Collections

http://www.nla.gov.au/digicoll/

I am impressed by the growth of the National Library's digitised collections. There is digitised sheet music for such icons as The Aeroplane Jelly Song; MP3s that include interviews and oral histories; maps that include Sketch & description of the settlement at Sydney Cove Port Jackson in the County of Cumberland taken by a transported convict on the 16th of April, 1788, which was not quite 3 months after Commodore Phillips's landing there plus books and serials.

2006 Farjeon Award

Wendy Cooling has won the 2006 Eleanor Farjeon Award, given in the U.K. in recognition of an individual’s outstanding contribution to the world of children’s books. Cooling was honoured for a life spent promoting reading and children’s literature and, in particular for her role in setting up Bookstart, a national program which gives books to every child at eight months, 18 months and three years.

The Run-up to Christmas: A Bookseller Survey

Publisher's Weekly (US) survey lists titles that US Booksellers are particularly excited about for festive gifts. Although the bias is clearly North American the list is a useful tool.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6396065.html?nid=2788