Welcome, PBS Fans from Facebook and Twitter

This week, the new PBS Parents blog that I'm working on with Pam Coughlan, Susan Kusel, and Gina Montefusco officially launched. Today, PBS linked to Booklights from their Facebook page. So far, 400+ fans of PBS have given the thumbs up to the new blog, with 50+ people taking time to comment at Facebook or at Booklights. Gina also launched Booklights on Twitter, where we have a few followers already. Me, I'm just thrilled to see this tremendous positive response from so many parents, fans of PBS, and fans of children's books.

I noticed in the Facebook comments that there was a particularly positive response to my inclusion of  Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief in my top 10 middle grade books on Booklights. All I can say is, people really really love the Percy Jackson books. So, fans of Rick Riordan who have landed here via Booklights, I have two tidbits for you:

1. Here's the link to my interview with Rick Riordan from November of 2007. A snippet from Rick that I think PBS readers will appreciate is: "when I'm writing for kids, I get the sense that I am making a real impact on their lives. I love it when the Percy Jackson series turns kids into readers. The teacher in me just thinks that's the greatest reward possible."

2. The fifth and final Percy Jackson book, The Last Olympian, is out TODAY. I don't have a copy yet - I'm waiting to buy one (or two, probably) when I attend a local signing this weekend. But I have already run across a review of the new book at Ms. Yingling Reads.

Many thanks to all of you who have shown such strong early support for Booklights! (And especially to all of my blog friends who have taken the time to mention Booklights.) Susan will have a post up tomorrow at Booklights about some of her favorite books to read aloud.