Rita Williams-Garcia interviews the National Book Award finalists: Sherman Alexie; Kathleen Duey; M. Sindy Felin; Brian Selznick; and Sara Zarr. See also Cynsations interviews with Rita, Kathleen, and Sara.

Robert’s Snow for Cancer’s Cure

Robert’s Snow is an online auction that benefits Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. More than 200 children’s book illustrators have created art on individual snowflake-shaped wooden templates. Please stop by to view all the 2007 snowflakes here.

Interviews and features on participating illustrators are being posted throughout the kidlitosphere.

Oct. 22: Mark Teague at The Miss Rumphius Effect; Sharon Vargo at Finding Wonderland; Christopher Demarest at Writing and Ruminating; Rose Mary Berlin at Charlotte’s Library; David Macaulay at Here in the Bonny Glen.

Oct. 23: Carin Berger at Chasing Ray; Marion Eldridge at Chicken Spaghetti; Sophie Blackall at not your mother’s bookclub; Erik Brooks at Bildungsroman; Brian Lies at Greetings from Nowhere.

Oct. 24: Elisa Kleven at Rozzie Land; Consie Powell at Becky’s Book Reviews; Jimmy Pickering at Shaken & Stirred; Frank Dormer at What Adrienne Thinks About That; Sheila Bailey at Lizjonesbooks.

Oct. 25: Julia Denos at Interactive Reader; Rebecca Doughty at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy; Brian Floca at A Fuse #8 Production; Margaret Chodos-Irvine at readergirlz.

Oct. 26: David Ezra Stein at HipWriterMama; Juli Kangas at Sam Riddleburger’s blog; Ginger Nielson at Miss O’s School Library; Margot Apple at Jo’s Journal.

Oct. 27: Julie Fromme Fortenberry at Your Neighborhood Librarian; Sarah Dillard at The Silver Lining; John Hassett at cynthialord’s Journal; Abigail Marble at Please Come Flying.

Oct. 28: Ashley Wolff at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy; Barbara Garrison at Brooklyn Arden; Kelly Murphy at ChatRabbit.