In this issue: A person making a difference in the lives of kids with learning disabilities, the NY Times 25 most provocative questions in science, Highlights for Children current needs, an online event registration tool, understanding teenage boys via Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman's comic strip ZITS, a pedometer you can count on and a "must watch" commencement address by J.K. Rowling.

NEW TO THE CCF SITE:

• Education: 
  
  • Anna Fitzhugh Helps Kids with Learning Disabilities - There's a special place in our hearts for kids of all ages who struggle with learning disabilities, reading difficulties and dyslexia. CCF celebrates those who are making a difference in these kids' lives. One such person is Anna Fitzhugh.
  • 25 most provocative questions in science - On November 14, 1978, the New York Times published its first issue of Science Times. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Science Times, the newspaper editors selected 25 of the most provocative questions facing science. Here are the 25 questions, linked to articles in the NY Times website.
• Publishing: Highlights for Children current needs - Highlights for Children is quite a prestigious venue to be published. Editors from HIGHLIGHTS have some specific requests for material. Current needs in both fiction and nonfiction categories list are listed on their website and updated regularly. We've taken their current needs list as of February 2008 and copied it below but please check the Highlights website itself for up-to-date submissions information and guidelines.
• Affiliates: RegOnline: Online Event Registration- For years we've served as Registrar to other organizations. Using spreadsheets to keep registrations straight was time consuming and cumbersome. As we researched online event registration companies we decided that, for the money, RegOnline was the way to go.
• Blog:
  • Not all pedometers are created equal: Omron HJ-720ITC - This is one smart little gadget! It tracks and differentiates regular walking and aerobic walking. It considers regular walking when you walk around at your house, work, errands, etc. When you walk for over 10 minutes straight, it tracks those 10 minutes plus however long your walk takes as aerobic walking. You set your own personal goals on your computer, using the software that comes with it, for both the steps you take during the day and aerobic steps you're aiming for.
  • The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination- J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series, delivered her Commencement Address at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association.
  • Zits: Understanding Teenage Boys- I love the cartoon strip ZITS. When I first discovered it years ago and began reading it, I realized my son was absolutely normal. It helped me understand boys more than any other self-help book I'd read on the subject. Since then, every mom I talk to about ZITS is convinced, as I am, that Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman are talking about their son in the strip!
• Bestsellers:Booksense Bestseller Lists- Links to the lists are updated regularly

REVISIT OLD FRIENDS:Do you have a favorite CCF article? Write and let us know and we'll list it in future bulletins under your name. Here are links to some of our favorites:

• Children's Classics: A Booklist for Parents - "Since it was founded in 1924, The Horn Book Magazine has celebrated notable achievements in the writing and illustrating of books for children. A logical consequence of this emphasis is the periodic compilation of lists of classics, beginning with an article by pioneering librarian Alice M. Jordan in 1947."  
• How Much Could I Earn? - Have you visited the College Board's website recently? Normally you would go there when registering for your SATs and other standardized tests. You will also find a wealth of information to help you choose a career.

Thank you for subscribing to the CCF Bulletin. Make the CCF site your own! Keep sending us your favorite links, news items, book reviews and questions we can design polls for. It's great to hear from our visitors and post their input to the CCF site. Also, let us know if you notice links that are not working. Let's keep the CCF site free of link rot! 

All for now,

Olgy
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Olgy Gary, M.A., CCF's General Manager
Children Come First...because they're our greatest treasure!
http://www.childrencomefirst.com

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The CCF Bulletin recaps articles posted to the CCF site. You can subscribe to our RSS feed and get up-to-the-minute headlines from our site displayed on your browser, web pages or blog. We've installed an RSS feed on both the CCF site and Olgy's blog.