For some reason(  XML Serialization in the .NET Framework), the generic Dictionary in .net 2.0 is not XML serializable.  The following code snippet is a xml serializable generic dictionary.  The dictionary is serialzable by implementing the IXmlSerializable interface. 
    using System;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    using System.Text;
    using System.Xml.Serialization;
 
    [ XmlRoot( "dictionary")]
    public class SerializableDictionary<TKey, TValue>
        : Dictionary<TKey, TValue>, IXmlSerializable
    {
        #region IXmlSerializable Members
        public System.Xml.Schema. XmlSchema GetSchema()
        {
            return null;
        }
 
        public void ReadXml(System.Xml. XmlReader reader)
        {
            XmlSerializer keySerializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(TKey));
            XmlSerializer valueSerializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(TValue));
 
            bool wasEmpty = reader.IsEmptyElement;
            reader.Read();
 
            if (wasEmpty)
                return;
 
            while (reader.NodeType != System.Xml. XmlNodeType.EndElement)
            {
                reader.ReadStartElement( "item");
 
                reader.ReadStartElement( "key");
                TKey key = (TKey)keySerializer.Deserialize(reader);
                reader.ReadEndElement();
 
                reader.ReadStartElement( "value");
                TValue value = (TValue)valueSerializer.Deserialize(reader);
                reader.ReadEndElement();
 
                this.Add(key, value);
 
                reader.ReadEndElement();
                reader.MoveToContent();
            }
            reader.ReadEndElement();
        }
 
        public void WriteXml(System.Xml. XmlWriter writer)
        {
            XmlSerializer keySerializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(TKey));
            XmlSerializer valueSerializer = new XmlSerializer( typeof(TValue));
 
            foreach (TKey key in this.Keys)
            {
                writer.WriteStartElement( "item");
 
                writer.WriteStartElement( "key");
                keySerializer.Serialize(writer, key);
                writer.WriteEndElement();
 
                writer.WriteStartElement( "value");
                TValue value = this[key];
                valueSerializer.Serialize(writer, value);
                writer.WriteEndElement();
 
                writer.WriteEndElement();
            }
        }
        #endregion
    }
Update: Fixed bug Justin pointed out by adding an extra reader.ReadEndElement() and by checking the IsEmptyElement property.