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Children's Literature Research Guide

Because the print and electronic resources for children's literature are fairly extensive, the resources listed below represent starting places for your research and do not constitute a definitive list. Do not restrict yourself to these items. Instead, seek out additional resources by
  • • searching the library's online catalog,
  • •  consulting your teachers, 
  • • investigating additional library databases,
  • •  joining relevant discussion groups, and
  • • bookmarking quality web sites,
  • •  compiling bibliographies from items read.

The following sections list resources in these categories:
  • •  Library Catalog & Browsing Tips, •  Book Reviews,
  • •  Databases & Electronic Books, •  Book Awards,
  • •  Subject & Topic Indexes, •  Book Talks,
  • •  Journals & Magazines, •  Multicultural Literature,
  • •  Critical Essays & Articles, •  Multi-topic Resources, and 
  • •  Author & Illustrator Information, •  Selection Aids.

LIBRARY CATALOG & BROWSING TIPS

Tarleton Libraries offer a wide range of materials for researching children's literature, some of which are listed in other sections of this page. However, the libraries' holdings are too numerous to list them all. Therefore, you'll need to locate other items by searching the online catalog and databases. Example search terms to use in the online catalog include

  • •  children's literature Narrow a search to more specific topics, by using the catalog's Power Search option to combine a phrase (like the ones listed on the left) with other terms. For example, combining children's literature and criticism, helps you locate materials offering literary analysis. Try various combinations for best results.
  • •  juvenile literature
  • •  literature for children
  • •  youth literature

You can also locate research materials by browsing specific call number ranges on the shelves. Much of Dick Smith Library's children's literature collection and reference materials are housed in the Curriculum Collection, which makes browsing more convenient. Some relevant call number ranges include

  • •  PN80-99 (Criticism)
  • •  NC (Graphic Arts)
  • •  PN451-497 (Biography)
  • •  PZ (Fiction in English Juvenile Literature)
  • •  PN1008.2-PN1009.5 (Juvenile Literature)
  • •  Z (Bibliography and Library Science)

DATABASES & ELECTRONIC BOOKS

Searching Tarleton libraries' online resources will yield article citations and/or full-text articles, bibliographies, authorship lists, biographical information, electronic books, and other materials depending on the tool used. Please note that the libraries' database subscription offerings do not remain constant; new databases are added and others removed based on a variety of factors. You should, therefore, always consult the Online Databases page and the Guide to Online Databases page to find out which ones might be relevant to your research needs.

VENDOR COLLECTIONS: VENDOR COLLECTIONS:
   EBSCO
Academic Search Premier
ERIC
MasterFILE Premier
MLA International Bibliography
Professional Development Collection

FIRST SEARCH CORE
ArticleFirst
Electronic Collections Online
ERIC

FIRST SEARCH SUPPLEMENT
AH (Arts & Humanities) Search
AltPressIndex (Alternative Press Index)
AltPressIndexArchive
PerAbs (Periodical Abstracts)
WilsonSelectPlus

GALE GROUP
Gale Literary Database
Gale Literary Index
Literature Resource Center
Student Resource Center   H. W. WILSON
Education Full Text
Library Literature & Information
Readers' Guide Retrospective
 
STAND-ALONE DATABASES:
  America's Newspapers
Biography & Genealogy Master Index
Books in Print
Children's Literature Comprehensive
Dissertations & Theses
Early American Imprints: Series I & Series II
InfoTrac Newspapers
JSTOR
New York Times: Current
New York Times: Historical
Periodicals Archives Online
Project Muse
Sage Journals Online
Taylor & Francis Journals
 
ELECTRONIC BOOKS:
  NetLibrary: ebooks
Project Gutenberg

SUBJECT & TOPIC INDEXES

Indexes offer booklists, bibliographies, and citations for articles and book reviews, as well as publication and award information. In addition, they often contain author and/or subject lists and annotations or brief summaries.
  • •  A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books -- Booklists and bibliographies. Call Number Z1037.L715 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for PreK-Grade 6 -- Booklists and bibliographies. Call Number PN1009.A1A38 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Best Books for Children, Preschool through Grade 6 -- Booklists and bibliographies. Call Number PN1009.A1G51 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Best Books for Junior High Readers -- Booklists and bibliographies. Call Number PN1009.A1G512 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Children's Catalog -- Subject headings, descriptive annotations, and evaluative quotations from reviews when available. Call Number Z1037.W76 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Characters in Children's Literature -- Plot summaries, character discussions, and author information. Call Number PN1009.A1J78 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Characters in Young Adult Literature -- Plot summaries, character discussions, and author information. Call Number PN1009.A1G55 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Fiction Index for Readers 10 to 16 -- Subject access to over 8200 books (1960-1990). Call Number PN1009.A1A52 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Fiction Sequels for Readers 10 to 16 -- Annotated lists of authors, titles, publication information, etc. Call Number PN1009.A52 (Curriculum Collection reference book) 
  • •  An Index to Historical Fiction for Children and Young People -- Guide to 461 titles with full bibliographic details, a brief plot summary, an evaluation, and the age for which it is suitable. Call Number PR830.H5F57 (Curriculum Collection reference book) 
  • •  Junior High School Library Catalog (1965-current) -- Booklists and bibliographies. Call Number Z1037.W765 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Your Reading -- Annotated listing of books of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama recommended for junior high and middle school students. Call Number Z1037.N346 (Curriculum Collection reference book)

JOURNALS & MAGAZINES

Periodicals (journals and magazines) vary widely in their coverage of children's literature, but usually offer critical analyses, author studies, reviews, book talks, awards information, and much more. The following alphabetical list of periodicals shows publications located either in the libraries' collection (print and often online in databases) or freely available on the Internet. Booklist
Print: 1904-current (Periodicals)
Database: Academic Search Premier since 2002
Web: selections from Booklist
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Print: 1947-current (Curriculum Collection)
Web: selections from The Bulletin
Children's Literature: Annual of the Modern Language Association Division on Children's Literature and the Children's Literature Association
Print: 1972-current (General Stacks)
Database: Project Muse since 2003
Children's Literature Association Quarterly
Print: 1981-current (Curriculum Collection)
Horn Book Guide to Children's and Young Adult Books
Print: 1989-current (Curriculum Collection)
Web: selections from Horn Book Guide
Horn Book Magazine
Print: 1954-current (Periodicals)
Database: Academic Search Premier since 1990
Web: selections from Horn Book Magazine
Kirkus Reviews
Database: LexisNexis since 1991
Web: selections from Kirkus Review
Language Arts
Print: 1975-current (Periodicals)
Web: selections from NCTE
 Library Journal
Print: 1937-2000 (Periodicals)
Database: Academic Search Premier since 1975
Web: selections from Library Journal
Lion and the Unicorn
Print: 1977-current (Periodicals)
Database: Project Muse since 1995
New York Times
Print: 1851-current (Periodicals)
Database: New York Times (historical) 1851-2001; New York Times (current) since 2000
New York Times Book Review
Print: 1960-current (Periodicals)
Database: America's Newspapers
since 2000
Publishers Weekly
Print: 1955-current (Periodicals)
Database: Academic Search Premier since 1999
Web: selections from Publishers Weekly
Rethinking Schools
Web: selections from Rethinking Schools
School Library Journal
Print: 1975-current (Curriculum Collection)
Database: Academic Search Premier since 1974
Web: selections from School Library Journal
Wilson Library Bulletin
Print: 1934-1994 (Periodicals)

CRITICAL ESSAYS & ARTICLES

Critical discussions of children's literature take many forms and are frequently collected into reference resources such as the following.

  • •  Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults -- Provides over 200 analytical essays on and study activities for fictional and biographical works written for young adults. Call Number PN1009.A1B38 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Children's Literature Review -- Contains collected critical essays, biographical information, bibliographies, and more. Call Number PN1009.A1C5139 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Children's Literature: A Guide to the Criticism -- Offers annotated bibliography of articles, books, and dissertations of children's literature criticism. Call Number Z2014.5H46 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Masterplots II. Juvenile and Young Adult Fiction Series -- Offers content descriptions and theme analysis. Discusses relationship of works to an author's canon and to young adult literature. Call Number PN1009.A1M377 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Touchstones: Reflections on the Best in Children's Literature -- Multi-volume set offering historical and critical discussions of children's literature. Call Number PN1009.A1T56 (Curriculum Collection reference book)

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR INFORMATION

  • •  Authors & Artists for Young Adults -- Call Number PS490.A98 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Authors and Illustrators of Children's Books: Writings on their Lives and Works by Miriam Hoffman -- Call Number PN1009.A1H58 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Children's Books and Their Creators by Anita Silvey -- Call Number PN1009.A1C5424 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Junior Book of Authors (1934-2000) -- Call Number PN1009.A1J85 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults: A Selection of Sketches from Something About the Author -- Call Number PN497.M3 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Twentieth Century Children's Writers -- Call Number PN1009.A1T9 (Curriculum Collection reference book)

BOOK REVIEWS

The following resources offer bibliographies of book review resources, links to book review web sites, and titles of review resources at Tarleton Libraries.
  • •  Book Review Digest -- Call Number Z1219.C96 (Reference Collection index area)
  • •  Book Review Index: A Master Cumulation -- Call Number Z1035.A1B62 (Reference Collection index area) 
  • •  Children's Literature and Language Arts Resources -- Offers grouped links to author and illustrator web sites, information on genres of children's literature, and book reviews.
  • •  Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults: An Annotated Bibliography -- Call Number PN1009.A1L97 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Many of the library databases contain reviews. For example, New York Times: Current
  • and New York Times: Historical are useful databases for locating book reviews.
  • •  Notes from the Windowsill -- An electronic journal of book reviews.
  • •  Reviews/Plot Summaries/Lesson Plans -- Offers links to various sources of book reviews and related information.

BOOK AWARDS

These resources provide a variety of information about award-winning books, as well as information about many of the awards granted to outstanding children's and young adult literature.
  • •  Book Awards: Information and Links -- Offers alphabetical list of book awards (both children's and young adults), information about the awards, as well as links to selection criteria and awarding agency sites. 
  • •  Children's Book Awards International: A Directory of Awards and Winners, from Inception through 1990 by Laura J. Smith -- Call Number PN1009.A1S45 1992 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature -- Contains over 3,500 records from 49 awards across five English-speaking countries (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom). Can be searched using a variety of criteria: reader age, genre, ethnicity, etc. 
  • •  Explanation of Awards -- Provides a list of awards from five English-speaking countries (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom), indicates each award's country of origin, and gives a brief explanation.
  • •  ISLMC Children's & YA Book/Media Awards -- Includes major book awards and best books lists in children's literature and young adult literature.  

BOOK TALKS

The following items offer a wide range of material about book talks such as the aims and benefits of booktalks, basic techniques, and personal touches to use when planning and delivering booktalks. They also offer summaries of fiction and nonfiction titles, plot analyses, and book talk material.

      PRINT AND VIDEO:
  • •  Booktalk! 2: Booktalking for All Ages and Audiences by Joni Bodart -- Includes instructions for all aspects of book talking. Call Number Z716.3.B63 1985 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Booktalk! 3: More Booktalks for All Ages and Audiences by Joni Bodart-Talbot -- Offers booktalks for all types of books and for all age groups, preparation tips, and troubleshooting ideas. Call Number Z716.3.B635 1988 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Booktalking with Joni Bodart -- Explains the strategies for creating and presenting booktalks and demonstrates booktalks before live audiences in libraries and classrooms. Call Number Z716.3.B654 1986 (Audio-Visual Collection)
  • •  Gotcha!: Nonfiction Booktalks to get Kids Excited about Reading by Kathleen A. Baxter -- . Presents booktalks for more than 350 nonfiction titles, which are organized according to topics. This electronic book is available to Tarleton students, faculty, and staff through the item's catalog record or through NetLibrary after they have claimed their NetLibrary accounts using campus computers. Call Number Z1037.A1B34 1999 EB (electronic book)
  • •  Introducing Bookplots 3: A Book Talk Guide for Use with Readers Ages 8-12 by Diana L. Spirt -- Offers guides for giving book talks and presentations on a book or a groups of books. Call Number Z1037.A1S7 1988 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Juniorplots: A Book Talk Manual for Teachers and Librarians by John Gillespie and Diana Lembo -- Call Number Z1037.A1G5 1967 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Juniorplots 3: A Book Talk Guide for Use with Readers Ages 12- 16 by John T. Gillespie with Corinne J. Naden -- Call Number Z1037.A1G497 1987 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  More Juniorplots: A Guide for Teachers and Librarians by John Thomas Gillespie -- Call Number Z1037.A1G52 1977 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • •  Seniorplots: A Book Talk Guide for Use with Readers Ages 15-18 by John T. Gillespie and Corinne J. Naden -- Call Number Z1037.A1G524 1989 (Curriculum Collection reference book)

      ONLINE:
  • • The Book Talk -- Identifies resources, gives definition, discusses purpose, offers planning sequence, selection criteria, and more.
  • • Books Talks: Quick and Simple -- Discusses book talks, gives tips, and provides author/title lists.

MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE

These items provide definitions, evaluation criteria, and analyses of multicultural children's and young adult literature.
  • • Our Family, Our Friends, Our World: An Annotated Guide to Significant Multicultural Books for Children and Teenagers by Lyn Miller-Lachmann -- Call Number PN1009.A1M654 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • • Reflections of Change: Children's Literature since 1945 by Sandra L. Beckett -- Call Number PN1009.A1R425 (General Stacks)
  • • Test Yourself for Hidden Biases
 

MULTI-TOPIC RESOURCES

The following online resources offer access to multiple topics regarding children's literature.
  • • Association for Library Service to Children -- Provides awards information, author links, resource lists, and much more.
  • • Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site -- Provides reviews, classroom activities, and book lists for specific topics and curriculum areas.
  • • The Children's Book Council -- Provides links to author information, book awards , book lists, and information about tradebook publishing, and much more.
  • • Children's Literature -- Offers book reviews, teaching materials, author and illustrator information, etc.
  • • The Clearinghouse on Reading's Children's and Adolescent Literature Resources -- Offers links and citations with abstracts, which provide an introduction to children's and adolescent literature, information about discussion groups, and more.
  • • Cynthia Leitich Smith Children's Literature Resource -- Offers biographical and bibliographical information, as well as recommended booklists.
  • • Fairrosa Cyber Library of Children's Literature -- Gives links to collection of online materials.
  • • Index to Internet Sites: Children's and Young Adults' Authors and Illustrators -- Supplies links to biographical information and sources.
  • • Kay Vandergrift's Special Interest Page -- Supplies a wealth of information and scholarship about children's and young adult literature.
  • • Young Adult Literature: Middle & Secondary English-Language Arts -- Offers links to a wide variety of resources: evaluation criteria, genre descriptions, multicultural literature sites, and more.
 

SELECTION AIDS

These resources offer discussions of many types of selection criteria, information about locating titles, and a variety of guides.
  • • Booklist -- Each issue covers five areas: forthcoming titles, adult books, books for youth, non-print, and reference books. Outstanding titles are noted, and adult books suitable for younger readers are identified.
  • • Children's Fiction Sourcebook: A Survey of Children's Books for 6-13 Year Olds by Margaret Hobson and Jennifer Madden -- Call Number Z1037.H647 (Curriculum Collection reference book)
  • • Guides to Collection Development for Children and Young Adults by John Thomas Gillespie and Ralph J. Folcarelli -- This electronic book is available to Tarleton students, faculty, and staff through the item's catalog record or through NetLibrary after they have claimed their NetLibrary accounts using campus computers. Call Number Z1037.G495 1998 EB (electronic book)
  • • The Horn Book Magazine -- Offers in-depth reviews of the newest books available for children and young adults, articles and columns concerning all aspects of books for young people, and up-to-date information about the field of children's books.
  • • One Hundred Books that Shaped the Century -- Published in School Library Journal in January 2000, this annotated list presents titles, publication information and brief comments indicating the signifcance of each book.
  • • This Land is Our Land: A Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults by Alethea Helbig -- Call Number Z1037.H48 (curriculum Collection reference book.)