And 2012 continues to be less-than-good for kidlit.

Else Homelund Minarik and Donald J. Sobol died last week.

Just in case Encyclopedia Brown ever made you feel dumb (that egg-spinning trick, jeeeez!) made you feel dumb, according to mental_floss, Sobol once said "I couldn’t solve the mysteries if I didn’t write them. You know my worst secret."