Children’s Literature Pathfinder for Parents and Teachers
Created by Katheryn Weber
LIS6603.732F08: Basic Info Sources/Services
Dr. Debra Slone
Introduction
and Scope
Children’s Literature is an extremely broad area, and
it is often difficult for young people to know where to go next when a book is
finished. It is very important that
children have access to good literature that interests them, so as to foster a
life-long love for reading. Children
today have so many choices when it comes to books that it is virtually
impossible for them to not find an interesting book.
Keeping these young readers hooked will benefit their lives in ways other than
simply encouraging literacy.
Many
times, parents and teachers face the question “I don’t know what book to read”
from their children and students. This
pathfinder is designed to guide users toward resources that will help them
choose books for the classroom or their home libraries that their children will
want to read. It focuses on elementary
grade level literature, but there is also higher level reading included in
several of the sources. This is meant to
help parents and teachers of advanced readers choose an interesting book, as
they often need guidance due to age-inappropriate themes in books at their
reading levels. By using the resources
included in this pathfinder, parents and teachers can become more knowledgeable
on what their children are reading and help them choose their next book. This pathfinder is intended for individuals
with access to the
Browsing Areas
for the USF Library
|
CT104 Reference Annex |
PN1009-PS374 Reference Annex |
BL313 Circulating Collection |
E184 Circulating Collection |
LB1575 Circulating Collection |
|
PN1008-PS374 Reference Collection |
PN1008 Periodicals |
Z1037 Periodicals |
PN1008 – PS490 Circulating Collection |
Z1037 Circulating Collection |
Entries followed by * are also
available as an E-Book through the USF Library webpage.
There are about 3000 annotated titles and over 400 authors
in this guide to sequels, sequences, and series. Grade levels are not included, but age
appropriateness will help parents and teachers determine if a book is suitable
or not. This is a great source to answer
the question “what comes next”.
Barr, C. (Ed.). (1998). From
biography to history: Best books for children’s entertainment and education.
This is an excellent resource to help encourage students to read something dealing with social studies. It includes bibliographical references, as well as indexes, and the entries are arranged alphabetically. After each entry (of which there are over 300), there is a suggested reading list for older readers.
Denman-West,
M. W. (1998). Children’s literature: A guide to
information sources.
This mainly bibliographic book contains information on various subject areas in children’s literature, such as award-winning books, multicultural choices, subject areas, biographies, and periodical sources. It can be used to help build a classroom library, or simply guide the reader to an interesting choice for their next book.
Lind, B. B. (1996). Multicultural
children’s literature: An annotated bibliography, grades K-8.
This bibliography contains over 1,100 literature titles dealing with four ethnic groups - African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. Each section is broken down into two groups of grade levels – K-3 and 4-8. The organization goes even further, as the sections are divided into genres including informational nonfiction, biographies/autobiographies, historical/realistic fiction, and folktales/myths/legends. There is also curriculum material available for teachers.
Odean,
K. (2001). Great books about things kids love: More
than 750 recommended books for children 3-14.
There is a wide rnage of topics covered in the titles found in this resource. The titles were included based on librarians and teachers who found them interesting as read-alouds or independent choices. The eight categories of titles are broken down into animals; arts and crafts; folklore and fantasy; history and adventure; games, puzzles, hobbies and holidays; science, math, and technology; sports; and transportation and engineering. An index is included to help locate specific titles, as the titles within the categories are arranged by age level.
Odean,
K. (1998). Great books for boys: More than 600
books for boys 2-14.
Getting boys to read is often much more difficult than getting girls to read. This is simply because of a difference in interests. The titles in this resource cover a broad range of topics and themes in an attempt to expose boys to a variety of experiences, but graphic novels and comic books are not included. The titles are organized by reading level and genre.
Odean,
K. (1997). Great books for girls: More than 600
books to inspire today’s girls and tomorrow’s women.
Included in this inspiring collection of literature aimed at young girls are biographical references and indexes. The titles in this collection depict strong female characters that break the stereotypes of girls and women in our culture. There are also age guidelines, making choosing an appropriate book easy.
Sinclair,
P. (1992). E for environment: An annotated
bibliography of children’s books with environmental themes.
This is an annotated list of 517 titles of children’s books for ages up to 14. It includes award-winning books and science trade books, as well as an appendix with titles for older children or higher readers.
Pettus, E. S. (1998). Master
index to more summaries of children’s books, 1980-1990.
This is a useful tool for parents and teachers who are interested in what common and popular children’s books are about. As indicated by the title, the books included were published between the years 1980-1990, thus limiting the selection to that decade. It also has subject and title indexes for easy use.
Fisher, M. T. (1975). Who’s
who in children’s book: A treasury of familiar characters of childhood.
This is a useful directory that gives information about beloved characters from familiar children’s stories. Notice, though, that it was published in 1975, so if more current information is needed, another source would be more useful.
Jones, D. B. (1994). Children’s
literature awards and winners: A directory of prizes, authors and illustrators.
This directory contains information on award winning authors, illustrators and their works. It is an excellent resource for those wishing to read critically-acclaimed books and an annual supplement updates the latest edition.
Cecil, N. L. (1998). Families
in children’s literature: A resource guide, grades 4-8.
This is a great resource that includes quality children’s literature that portrays families in a positive and diverse manner. It cites 100 familiar books, and it includes activities and questions that go along with each. Parents will find it useful to help explain and discuss difficult family issues at home, and teachers can use it to bring positive family stories into the classroom.
Hearne, B. & Stevenson, D. (2000). Choosing books for children: A commonsense guide.
This is an updated revision of the original publication (1981), and contains information to discuss issues surrounding the many titles included. There are also comprehensive bibliographies and advice on how to choose just the right book for a child. It is presented in a user-friendly manner that allows the adult to introduce the literature to the child in a knowledgeable way.
Lipson, E. R. (2000). (3rd Ed.). The New York Times parents’ guide to the best books
for children.
Included in this revised and updated edition are the top 1,001 children’s literature titles from the 20th century. The titles are categorized in six age ranges, making it easy for parents and teachers to find the appropriate level of books. There are also young adult books, which is useful to parents of those more advanced readers. Each title includes an annotation, letting adults become familiar with the content of the books.
Scott, J. C. (1984). Children’s
literature from A to Z: A guide for parents and teachers.
Teachers and parents can use this resource as a means to familiarize themselves with quality children’s literature. It will help adults understand the books, therefore being better able to guide their children to a good book that they will want to read.
Silvey, A. (Ed.). (2002). The
essential guide to children’s books and their creators.
This resource includes essays in around 375 titles for children, which can help parents and teachers know what books will best suit their child’s needs. It also allows the adults to become aware with what themes may be in some of these books.
Thomas, R. L. & Barr, C. (2004). Popular series fiction for K-6 readers: A reading and
selection guide.
This is an excellent resource to help children find the next book in a popular series. Once children get hooked on a particular series, they generally want to read the rest, and then similar series. The series included have at least three titles, and are arranged alphabetically by series name. Each entry includes author, publisher and date of publication, grade level, genre, an annotation, and a list of the titles in the series. Where applicable, Accelerated Reader information is listed, which is a very useful aspect for teachers.
Wilson, E. L. (1987). Books
children love: A guide to the best
children’s literature.
This book offers comments on the content of hundreds of titles in over two dozen subject areas. Both fiction and nonfiction titles are included, so there is bound to be something of interest to even the most stubborn readers. Delineated subject areas make it easy to search by topic to meet the needs of students who are interested in a specific genre or aspect of literature.
Cullinan,
B. E. & Person, D. G. (Eds.). (2001). The
continuum encyclopedia of children’s literature.
There are 1,200 author/illustrator and 97 topic entries in this extensive collection. Biographical information of authors/illustrators, such as notable awards, works, and achievements, as well as critical discussions is included. This would be a useful tool in finding other works by enjoyed authors or other books dealing with a subject of interest.
Hurst, C. O. (1990). Once
upon a time… : An encyclopedia for successfully using literature with young
children.
This book is geared for university students in the education
field, but it can be helpful to teachers and parents as well. It includes annotated lists of books by
categories and an index, so it could be useful in finding a book about a
specific topic of interest. Basic
biographical information about authors/illustrators is also included.
Zipes, J. (Ed.). (2006). The
This is a very comprehensive resource in discovering the world of children’s literature. It discusses 39 countries and regions, including the Arab world; China; South America (Spanish-speaking); 105 "Special Subjects and Terms";106 genres or types of literature, including Crossover books, Graphic novels, Horse and pony stories, and Television and children; over 150 titles and characters; and more than 2,700 entries on authors, illustrators, librarians, and other important people in children’s literature. There is also a selected bibliography and a detailed index, making this resource easy to use and very helpful.
Helbig, A. K. & Perkins, A. R. (1985). Dictionary of American children's fiction, 1859-1959: Books
of recognized merit.
Helbig, A. K. & Perkins, A. R. (1986). Dictionary of American children's fiction, 1960-1984:
Recent books of recognized merit.
Helbig, A. K. & Perkins, A. R. (1993). Dictionary of American children's fiction, 1985-1989: Books
of recognized merit.
Helbig, A. K. & Perkins, A. R. (1996). Dictionary of American children's fiction, 1990-1994: Books
of recognized merit.
Helbig, A. K. & Perkins, A. R. (2002). Dictionary of American children's fiction, 1995-1999: Books
of recognized merit.
The above five entries are comprehensive volumes in a series of useful sourcebooks. They include hundreds of entries on titles that have won critical acclaim and awards. Each entry includes a synopsis of the book and sometimes a critical analysis. Detailed indexes make finding a title easy. The breakdown of years makes this series a very useful tool in finding the right book for a young reader.
Children’s
Literature Review.
Technically this is a journal, but it fits with the reviews as well. The USF library has most of the volumes and issues of this periodical dating back to 1976. It is a great source for book reviews, criticisms, and commentaries. The latest edition available in the library is from 2005.
Helbig, A. K. & Perkins, A. R. (1997). Myths and hero tales: A cross-cultural guide to
literature for children and young adults.
Included in this source are
brief critical reviews of 189 books that were published between 1985 and 1996
that deal with myths and hero tales. The
indexes list stories by writer, tale type, culture, character and place
name, grade level, title, or illustrator, making it easier to find an
appropriate choice for a child of a specific age or grade level. There is also a bibliography of 26 standard
works.
Kutzer, M. D. (Ed.). (1996). Writers of multicultural fiction for young adults: A
bio-critical sourcebook.
Teachers will find this resource a valuable tool in finding quality children’s literature titles to foster multicultural awareness in the classroom. There are critical reviews of more than 50 writer's works, and it includes famous as well as lesser-known authors in its reviews.
All journals are available
through the USF library page as E-Journals.
Some are available for free on the Internet.
Children’s Literature.
This is a peer reviewed publication, and it is the official journal of the Children’s Literature Association. Each volume includes eight to ten articles, five to seven review essays, and an index. It deals with current issues in the field of children’s literature, and might be more appropriate for teachers or those in an academic setting.
Children’s
Literature Association Quarterly.
This academic journal includes theoretical articles and essays, as well as book reviews. It also has an international column. It is published in February, May, August and November.
Children’s
Literature in Education.
The journal contains articles on prose, fiction, poetry, as well as picture books. It also contains many features that would be useful to teachers, such as articles on the reading process and other reading related topics. It is available online as well as in print. The following website brings up the online journal page: http://www.springerlink.com/content/0045-6713
Journal of
Children’s Literature.
This is a refereed publication that includes research, reviews of children's books and professional resources, booklists, teaching ideas, among other interesting points.
The Horn Book
Magazine.
This long running magazine is a wonderful resource for parents and teachers interested in children’s literature. Each issue contains opinions in the field and book reviews of the best selling titles. The Horn Book Guide is a related publication that is strictly reviews; however, it is not available through USF’s library.
The Lion and
the Unicorn.
The book reviews in this journal are highly regarded, making this a great source to find a good book for a young person. It also contains interviews with editors and authors, as well as material dealing with regional authors, comparative studies, illustration, and popular culture.
Axel-Lute, M. (Compiled by). Quotation index to children's literature.
This resource is a wonderful tool to help locate the source of familiar phrases and sayings. It includes quotations by author, quotations from traditional sources, keyword index, title index, and bibliography sections, making it very easy to find the desired quotation. This would be useful for finding books related to popular children’s movies in which a character says something memorable.
McElmeel, S. L. (1999). 100
most popular children’s authors: Biographical sketches and bibliographies.
This volume includes four to five page entries on some of the most popular and well-known children’s authors, such as Beverly Cleary, writer of the Ramona Quimby series. Many of the books included in this resource are geared toward upper elementary or higher level readers. Lists for further reading and annotated lists are sometimes included with the author biography.
Volz, B., Scheer, C. & Welborn, L. (2000). Junior genreflecting: A guide to good reads and series
fiction for children.
Included in this E-Book are titles for children published between 1990 and 1998. They are geared toward third through eighth graders, and each section includes annotated bibliographies of popular works. There are chapters dedicated to adventure books, animal stories, realistic fiction, fantasy and sci-fi, historical fiction, and mysteries, and the author/title index makes finding a specific book easy.
American Library Association. (2008). Best books for young adults. Retrieved
November 26, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/bestbooksyoung.cfm
This site is definitely targeted toward older readers, but there may be material of interest for advanced readers. It would also be helpful in finding a popular book that a parent could read with their child. The year goes back to 1996 and links on the page take the user to a list of “best books”. The drawback is that there are no annotations, so the user is left not knowing what each book discusses. Searching for the selected title at an online bookstore site, such as www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com, would give the user the desired description of each title.
American Library Association. (2008). Internet resources: Children’s literature: Useful
sites for teachers, librarians, and students. Retrieved November
26, 2008, from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/crlnews/2000/jul/childrensliterature.cfm
This site is a pathfinder in itself. It includes links to several sites dealing with children’s literature, and literature geared toward young adults and adolescents is purposely omitted. Each link gives a brief description of what the site offers, making choosing the appropriate link easier.
Brown, D. K. (2001). The
children’s literature Web guide.
Retrieved November 26, 2008, from http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
David Brown works at the Doucette Library of Teaching
Resources at the
CLCD Company. Children’s
literature comprehensive database. Retrieved November 26, 2008,
from http://clcd.odyssi.com.proxy.usf.edu/member/csearch.htm
This is an extremely comprehensive database, as depicted by its name. It does require a subscription for those without access to the database through USF. It has access to over 150,000 full-text reviews on books, audiobooks, and other multimedia, making a great tool to decide if a chosen book is really worth reading. There is also a section offering 3,000 Web features about authors and illustrators in the field, as well as award winners dating back decades. According to its professional reviews, this is a user-friendly tool that will be useful to parents, children, teachers, and librarians.
Gale Cenage Learning. Literature
resource center. Retrieved November 26, 2008, from http://galenet.galegroup.com.proxy.usf.edu/servlet/LitRC?locID=tamp44898&srchtp=advathr&ste=3
This is a comprehensive literature database that includes all kinds of literature. An author search can be narrowed down to children’s literature, though, in a few steps. Simply select “Authors by Type” and then select Children’s Literature as the genre. A keyword search for children’s literature also brings up some other resources, but it might take some looking through to find what was desired, so searching by author seems to be the best solution.
Ubbes, V. A. (2008). Children's
picture book database at
This is a useful database because keywords can be searched and a variety of results is generated. The search results are arranged in alphabetical order and include abstracts briefly describing the book. This is a picture book database, so it is geared more for younger students, but there are numerous picture books at higher reading levels that will interest older and more advanced students.