In honor of 50 years of Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish entertaining children around the world, Random House Children’s Books, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Ocean Project, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) are partnering to celebrate World Oceans Day, held annually on June 8th. Seventy-five AZA accredited zoos and aquariums across the country, and more than 600 Ocean Project partners worldwide will host fun-filled family events inspired by One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, with the goal of teaching children about our ocean’s great diversity of life and the important things we can all do to protect our shared world ocean.

Celebrating the Ocean’s Diversity with One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish!

Participating locations will commemorate 50 years of One Fish fun on or near June 8th with birthday festivities that incorporate the 2010 World Oceans Day theme. “Oceans of Life” celebrates our ocean’s diversity, just as Dr. Seuss celebrated diversity with his colorful characters in One Fish. “From here to there, from there to here, funny things are everywhere.” Children will have fun getting to know the ocean’s funny things with Seussian games and activities. Since the 2010 World Oceans Day honors former La Jolla resident Dr. Seuss, visitors to San Diego County will be able to choose from a host of special events throughout the region, including the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Botanic Garden, SEA LIFE Aquarium, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, and many others. For more information about World Oceans Day, and to find events and materials, visit theoceanproject.org/wod/index.php.

Random House Children’s Books is publishing a special 50th anniversary edition of ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH (Random House / 978-0-394-80013-4 / April 27, 2010 / $8.99 / Ages 5–8 / 72 pages) Originally published in 1960, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish remains a beloved Seuss favorite and has sold over 9 million copies to date. With fantastically funny creatures, this Beginner Book teaches the concept of reading with easy rhyme and identifiable illustrations. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish takes children on a wildlife adventure and, like all of Dr. Seuss’s books, makes learning to read fun.

Random House Children’s Books has selected Isaac Hellemn, from Plano, Texas, a senior at Plano West Senior High School, as the winner of its first annual Oh, the Places You’ll Go! College Scholarship; it was announced today by Chip Gibson, President and Publisher, Random House Children’s Books. His winning essay was entitled “Father, I Wonder, Why Bother with School?” and he will receive $5,000 toward his post-secondary education, which he will pursue at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Isaac credits his parents with teaching him to follow his dreams, and his many interests—from writing screenplays to climbing mountains around the world—to his inquisitive personality. He said, “The most important lesson that I have learned from my parents is that we define ourselves, and that it is never too late or too difficult to become something new.” Isaac is looking forward to the many opportunities that college will present, and plans to major in business. Before going off to college in the fall, Isaac will continue his many adventures with a trip to the trip to the Yucatan region of Mexico.

Random House received over 12,000 entries for the scholarship, which was established in 2010 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s perennial bestseller. The winner was selected by a panel of judges, including representatives from Random House, Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P., and the educational community.

In the spirit of Dr. Seuss’s joyous ode to personal fulfillment and its enduring message about life’s ups and downs, for the Oh, the Places You’ll Go! College Scholarship, high school seniors were asked to describe in an essay the opportunities and challenges that they think their education will present to them in the future. Upon its publication in 1990, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! was an immediate success, embraced enthusiastically for its wonderfully wise outlook on life and for encouraging the potential that lies within us all. This remarkable book has since sold over 8.5 million copies and become the quintessential gift for graduates of all ages—from preschool to high school to college and beyond.

For more information about the scholarship program, visit www.ohtheplaces.org. Entries will be accepted for 2011 beginning November 2010.

Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books to novels, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House is the longtime home of the beloved and bestselling Dr. Seuss books, which continue to make learning to read fun for millions of children everywhere. The company’s award-winning Web site Kids @ Random (www.randomhouse.com/kids) offers an array of materials and activities free of charge for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG, a leading international media company

Mystery Writers of America announced on the 201st anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, its Winners for the 2010 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2009. The Edgar Awards were presented to the winners at our 64th Gala Banquet, April 29, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.

BEST NOVEL

The Last Child by John Hart (Minotaur Books)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff (Minotaur Books)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Body Blows by Marc Strange (Dundurn Press – Castle Street Mysteries)

BEST FACT CRIME

Columbine by Dave Cullen (Hachette Book Group – Twelve)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

The Lineup: The World’s Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives edited by Otto Penzler (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company)

BEST SHORT STORY

“Amapola” – Phoenix Noir by Luis Alberto Urrea (Akashic Books)

BEST JUVENILE

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Books)

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams (HarperCollins Children’s Books – HarperTeen)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“Place of Execution,” Teleplay by Patrick Harbinson (PBS/WGBH Boston)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

“A Dreadful Day” – Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by Dan Warthman (Dell Magazines)

GRAND MASTER

Dorothy Gilman

RAVEN AWARDS

Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Oakmont, Pennsylvania

Zev Buffman, International Mystery Writers’ Festival

ELLERY QUEEN AWARD

Poisoned Pen Press (Barbara Peters & Robert Rosenwald)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER – MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

(Presented at MWA’s Agents & Editors Party on Wednesday, April 28, 2010)

Awakening by S.J. Bolton (Minotaur Books)

Buy Guinness World Records 2010

Guinness World Records, the global authority on record-breaking achievements has announced an international search for the next Tallest Living Woman.  The record chronicler is looking high and low in every corner of the globe to fill the coveted title with the U.S. search kicking off at a social event with the Tall Club of New York City. Frontrunners from each country will ultimately help Guinness World Records confirm the one absolute Tallest Woman in the world. If you or someone you know fit the bill, Guinness World Records urges you to register your proposal on www.guinnessworldrecords.com and follow the mandated instructions. All legitimate contenders for the Tallest Living Woman title must be willing to be measured in person by an official Guinness World Records adjudicator.

“We have had remarkable success in the past with these record-breaking callouts. It’s how we found the current world’s tallest man – Sultan Kosen,” said Craig Glenday, Editor-In-Chief of Guinness World Records. “The ‘Tallest’ category always brings out the most awe in people, and hopefully another amazing woman will step forward for measurement and claim the title.”

The new Tallest Living Woman will join a lofty list of record-holders from the US, UK and China. The most recent record-holder, American Sandy Allen, stood 7 feet 7.25 inches and was crowned the Tallest Living Woman in 1976 and held the record until her passing in 2008. A frequent fixture in the Guinness World Records book, Allen grew at a rapid rate reaching 6 feet 3 inches by the age of 10 and was 7 feet 1 inches by 16. The Tallest Female Ever, Zeng Jinlian of China, stood an imposing 8 feet 1.75 inches tall.

In 2008, Guinness World Records launched an international search for a new Tallest Living Man. The trail led them all the way to Turkey where they discovered 27-year-old Sultan Kosen, who measures a staggering 8 feet 1 inch in height. Robert Wadlow (US) holds the title as the Tallest Man Ever measuring in at an amazing 8 feet 11.1 inches tall.

In addition to the Tallest Woman, Guinness World Records is also searching for new pet records in the following categories: Dog With the Longest Ears, Smallest Dog (Length), Oldest Dog, Smallest Cat (Length) and Shortest Cat. For a chance to be included in the Guinness World Records 2011 edition, submit your record proposal at http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com.

• Buy Guinness World Records 2010

Guinness World Records is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 25 languages and is the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3 million copies sold annually across the globe. Guinness World Records celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its 100 millionth copy. Guinness World Records also annually publishes the Gamer’s Edition; a records book devoted solely to the world of computer gaming and high score record achievements. The Guinness World Records website (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com) receives more than 11 million visitors a year. Guinness World Records is part of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada’s largest privately owned companies which is a conglomerate of interests, including advertising, broadcasting, grocery stores and automotive retailing.

Batman beats Superman. The Caped Crusader is pounding the Man of Steel – and the recession – in an auction.

A rare copy of the first Batman comic book has far surpassed the previous comic books record price, $317,000, paid for a first Superman comic in 2009, and the bidding is still underway with Batman already at $418,250. Super heroes and pop culture fans will learn the final, new record price when the auction ends on Feb. 25.

“One of the finest known surviving copies of the 1939 issue of Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman, is being offered without reserve by Heritage Auctions in a public auction in Dallas, and simultaneously online,” said Lon Allen, Director of Sales for the Comics Division of Heritage Auctions (www.HA.com). “It’s been an amazing thing to watch as the price has soared. Collectors know this may well be the only shot they will ever get at this, the ultimate comic book. Who knows how high it will go by the time bidding ends?”

Heritage is selling the Batman comic on behalf of an anonymous consignor.

“It was owned for decades and kept in excellent condition by a savvy comic book collector who purchased it for $100 more than 40 years ago,” said Allen. “In the 1960s and 1970s many people considered that an outrageous amount of money to spend for a comic book of any era. It’s safe to say those same people are kicking themselves today for not spending similar ‘outrageous’ sums on the same thing.”

“The Bat-Man,” as he was originally called, appeared for the first time in a six-page story in Detective Comics #27 with a cover date of May 1939. Superman appeared a year earlier in Action Comics #1 with a cover date of June 1938.

“Today, due to the popularity of the movies, cartoon and toys, Batman would seem to be the more popular pop culture character,” said Allen, “and now he’ll dethrone Superman as the most valuable comic book.”

For additional information, contact Heritage Auctions at (800) 872-6467 or visit online at www.HA.com.

Batman Comics

Batman – The Animated Series, Volume One (DC Comics Classic Collection)

Batman – The Animated Series, Volume Two (DC Comics Classic Collection)

Batman – The Animated Series, Volume Three (DC Comics Classic Collection)

Batman – The Animated Series, Volume Four (DC Comics Classic Collection)

Batman – The Complete 1943 Movie Serial Collection

Batman and Robin – The Complete 1949 Movie Serial Collection

The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave

Batman The Dark Knight Archives, Vol. 1 (DC Archive Editions)

Batman The Dark Knight Archives, Vol. 2 (DC Archive Editions)

Batman The Dark Knight Archives, Vol. 3 (DC Archive Editions)

Batman The Dark Knight Archives, Vol. 4 (DC Archive Editions)

Batman: The Dark Knight Archives, Vol. 5 (DC Archive Editions)

Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 6 (DC Archive Editions)