Acknowledgments

The SLA is very grateful to Julia Eccleshare, author of the booklist, and Prue Goodwin who wrote the introduction.

We would also like to thank Ian Dodds and Tricia Adams from CILIP Youth Libraries Group, Dianne Southcombe of Bristol SLS, Chris Brown, Geoff Dubber, Marny Leech, Kathy Lemaire, Richard Leveridge and Sally Duncan for their contributions to Book Ahead and Nigel Smith who created the website.

Moira Arthur and the staff at Peters Bookselling Services have also provided invaluable bibliographic and technical assistance.

In addition we would like to thank the following for their contribution to the selection of titles for this booklist:

Liz Attenborough, National Literacy Trust
Natasha Innocent, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
Alex Strick, Bookstart
Claire Wirth, Primary National Strategy
The National Committee, ASCEL
Members of the Youth Libraries Group of CILIP

Our thanks go to the following publishers for permission to use illustrations of their books on our cover:

Andersen Press for Suddenly, Macmillan Children's Books for The Gruffalo, Mantra Lingua for Fox Fables, Penguin Books for Where's Spot? and Random House Group for Dogger and Pumpkin Soup.

Finally our thanks go to Michael Stark, Jan McIntosh and Sue White from the DCSF whose vision, unfailing support and belief in the power of good books has underpinned the whole Book Ahead project.