Congratulations to Austin SCBWI founder and former RA Meredith Davis, whose manuscript “Tree” is a finalist in the Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Competition. Spookycyn readers should note that Meredith is a Writefest alumane. See the complete list of finalists!

Traffic on my website is holding firm at the end of the school year at about 20,000 unique visitors a week. As usual, most visitors are from the United States, Canada, and the U.K. Within the U.S., most visitors of late hail from California, Washington, Virginia, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Colorado (in that order). Most of the Canadians are from British Columbia and Ontario. I’d also like to send special cheers to the 100 Cynsations LJ subscribers.

CBC Showcase: May/June: Issues & Debate: “Current events and issues in the news, featuring nonfiction, picture books, and novels that approach the key topics facing our world.” See also Hot off the Press and Summer Reading Extravaganza from CBC. Highlights from summer reading include: Blackbeard by J. Patrick Lewis (National Geographic, 2006)(author interview); The Bumblebee Queen by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne (Charlesbridge, 2006)(author interview); Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt (Kids Can, 2006)(author-illustrator interview); Casey at Bat by Ernest L. Thayer, illustrated by Joe Morse (Kids Can, 2006); Falling Into Place by Stephanie Green (Clarion, 2006).

Dayton Bookings: “a full service booking agency specializing in award-winning authors who write for children, young adults and adults. The agency is committed to assisting schools, libraries and conference organizers in planning a successful author visit–from contracting until completion.”

“How to Write a Picture Book an Editor Will Love” by Gwendolyn Hooks of the Institute of Children’s Literature.

“Let’s Play Ball!” Baseball (Book) Picks for 2006 from Embracing the Child. See also the site author of the month, an interview with Eileen Spinelli.

Meet the Author-Illustrator: Laura Krauss Melmed from CBC Magazine. Laura’s titles include: Moishe’s Miracle, illustrated by David Slonim (Chronicle, 2005); New York, New York! The Big Apple from A to Z, illustrated by Frané Lessac (HarperCollins, 2005); Capital! Washington, DC from A to Z, illustrated by Frané Lessac (HarperCollins, 2004); This First Thanksgiving Day, illustrated by Mark Buehner (HarperTrophy, 2003); and Hurry, Hurry, Have You Heard (Chronicle Books, 2007).

Meet Illustrator Don Tate from SLJ Blog. See also a recent Cynsations interview with Don.

North Central/North Texas SCBWI has launched a spirited, southwesty website. The Oct. 7, 2006 conference will feature Dial editor Nancy Mercado and YA author Libba Bray (author interview).

R.L. LaFevers: official site from the author of the Lowthar’s Blade trilogy (The Forging of the Blade (Dutton, 2004)(excerpt), The Secrets of Grim Wood (Dutton, 2005)(excerpt), and The True Blade of Power (Dutton, 2005)(excerpt)) and The Falconmaster (Dutton, 2003)(excerpt). Site also includes: advice and resource suggestions for writers; interesting facts about falcons and medieval life; links related to the author’s books. Learn more about R.L. LaFevers.

Smart Writers Journal–May 2006. Highlights include “12 Questions about Babymouse (an interview with Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm)” by Kelly Milner Halls and “Your Great Idea Source for Curriculum-Based Historical Fiction” by Roxyanne Young. See also a recent Cynsations interview with Matthew about Babymouse.

Ste-e-e-e-eamboat A-Comin’! by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Adam Rex (FSG, 2005) and Airball: My Life In Briefs by L.D. Harkrader (Roaring Brook, 2005)(author interview) have won the 2006 Juvenile Literary Award from the Friends of American Writers. Lisa and Jill received the award on April 12 at the Friends of American Writers annual awards luncheon in Chicago.

Of U.S. Children Under 5, Nearly Half Are Minorities: Hispanic Growth Fuels Rise, Census Says by D’Vera Cohn and Tara Bahrampour of the Washington Post. May 10, 2006. Cyn Note: as publication of multicultural picture books has been on the decline (even more than picture books as a whole), what effect this population shift will have on the market? That said, I see brighter signs of late in the overall market.

Who’s Moving Where? from The Purple Crayon for news of editorial shifts at HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin, Little Brown, Scholastic, and Candlewick.