Judy Freeman has developed a comprehensive handbook with thoroughly annotated lists of the 2006’s best children’s books, lesson plans, teacher’s guides, stories, songs, and Internet resources.

The Winners! Handbook starts with an extensive booklist of Judy’s 100 best books of 2006, including many of the big award winners. (If you own Judy’s Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3, it follows the same format. Indeed, you can consider the new Winners! Handbook the first update to that book.) Each entry includes a meaty and thoughtful annotation, a germ (a series of practical, do-able, useful, pithy ideas for reading, writing, and illustrating prompts and other activities across the curriculum); a useful list of exemplary related titles; and subject designations for each title to ascertain where the book might fit thematically into your curricular plan or program. There’s also a title, author, and subject index for easy access.

You find scores of useful and fun ideas, activities, lessons, and ways you can incorporate literature into every aspect of your day and your life. From story hour to school curriculum tie-ins, the many connections include strategies for comprehension, critical thinking skills, research, and problem-solving; songs, games, crafts, songs, plenty of great across-the-curriculum poetry, creative drama and Reader’s Theater, storytelling, booktalking, and book discussion. Most of the books included are fabulous read-alouds, read-alones, and natural choices for Guided Reading, Literature Circles, or Book Clubs.