Children's books
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[edit] Overview
Children's literature (Wikipedia) deals with many different topics. Generally, children's literature includes books written for ages 0 to 12. Young Adult Literature begins around age 12, dealing with more sophisticated and developmentally appropriate content for adolescents. Children's books, like adult books, fall into fiction and non-fiction categories. Though non-fiction is considered a source of information, fiction can also be extremely informative for children - offering information about people and places that the child has never been to. Reading also expands a child's vocabulary, and may even increase intelligence. Children's literature is something to be highly valued, and even adults should never stop reading them.
There are many different types of Children's books, just as you would expect different types of adult books. Above, both the broader categories of non-fiction and fiction were mentioned. Non-fiction can include folktales, poetry, biographies, country studies, plays, science experiments, and maps, to name a few. Fiction includes many different genres, including historical fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, and science fiction.
Each of these types of books includes reading levels from pre-readers to students reading complex fiction verging on adult fiction. The format of these books can include sturdy board books for babies and toddlers; well-illustrated picture books for toddlers and preschoolers; easy to read and beginning chapter books for developing readers; and chapter books for readers.
With thousands of children's books published every year, there are many options for bringing Children's Literature into the elementary classroom. Below are some annotated lists of specific topics that may be of assistance to you as you consider how to integrate literature into your classroom. See the Resource section at the end of the article for resource books that offer practical advice for bringing together children and books.
[edit] Dealing with Feelings Through Books
There are also hidden moral messages inside many children's books, such as how to treat others different from yourself, how to handle the death of a pet or loved one, and how to entertain yourself. Many books have been written that address anger management in children. Following are a few such examples: Where The Wild Things Are [1] by Maurice Sendak. Describes through fantasy how a young boy handles his anger. He is sent to his room without supper for his "wild" behavior. He works through his anger by visiting a place where other wild things live.
The Todd Parr books use colorful pictures to engage children in a realm of thoughts pertaining to emotions, differences, peace, reading and many other topics. <http://www.toddparr.com/todd/index.html>
When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry... by Molly Bang.
Feeling Angry by Helen Frost Uses real photographs of children to show what anger looks like (faces), why you might feel angry (causes), what you might do when you are angry, and what you can do about feeling angry.
When I Feel Angry written by Maude Spelman, illustrated by Nancy Cote Parents and children alike must learn to manage their angry feelings (Note to Parents by author). Describes what makes us feel angry (mad). Explains how to handle the anger in ways that don't hurt others. Goes a step further and depicts characters talking about the anger and figuring out what is wrong together. Ends with a good pictorial summary of the important points discussed in the book. Provides options so a young child knows what to do when they feel angry.
The Outsiders written by S.E. Hinton. Tells the story of inner city youth and there struggle for survival after the death of their parents and their experience with a street gang. While not directly addressing anger it explores the issue and consequences of anger and how different approaches to anger can lead to different outcomes.
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges wrote about being one of the first to enter an integrated school in her autobiography. In a book such as this, students can see how to get through situations without reacting to harsh environments or returning hatred.
[edit] Fantasy
Children love fantasy book and they teach children how to use their imaginations to explore made-up worlds.
The Narnia Chronicle by C.S. Lewis. When Lucy and the rest of the Pevensie children went through the back of the professor’s magic wardrobe, apparently they stepped into more than the crunch-crunch of freshly fallen snow. They walked right into a grown-up spat about "The Chronicles of Narnia," the C.S. Lewis kiddie classic that is now a $150 million Disney movie, opening this weekend nationwide. News article
Harry Potter by British author JK Rowling's wizards and muggles cast a spell over the publishing industry. The first five volumes in her Harry Potter book series reportedly made Rowling richer than the Queen of England. Her spell-binding books also manage to do the impossible: Children of all ages line up to be the first to get their noses between the pages of her lengthy tomes. And the craze seems contagious; even adults pick up her books in record numbers. News article
Eragon by fifteen year old author Christopher Paolini takes you on an adventure involving dragons and the role of the legendary Dragon Riders. Good versus evil as the emergence of a new Dragon Rider battles the cruel ruler of the empire. The story continues in the sequel Eldest. To learn more about these books and their author you can visit the website Eragon and Eldest
[edit] History and Science
History and science is all around us. Children can learn a lot about it by reading fun and well written books.
Sophie's World by Jostein Gardner "Sophie's World" is a history of western (mainly European) thought, beginning with Nordic mythology and Greek philosophy and running through Locke and Hume, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Darwin and Freud, all wrapped into a compelling mystery novel whose main character is a 14-year-old Norwegian girl named Sophie. It all starts with two questions delivered to Sophie's rural mailbox: Who are you? Where does the world come from? News article
In ER Vets: Life In An Animal Emergency Room by Donna M. Jackson Jackson introduces readers to the vets and technicians who staff the unit and provides case studies of animals whose lives they have saved, including "Paco the Taco," a tiny foal who nearly died at birth and now is a "healthy handful." There also are stories of animals who didn't survive, including Lucy, a snake who crawled behind a car's dashboard and suffered such severe hypothermia that the vets couldn't revive her. News article
Hidden Child by Isaac Millman Millman writes in a matter-of-fact style. But his story -- augmented with photos and double-page illustrations of his intense and often painful memories -- is steeped in tragedy. Just 7 years old when the Nazis invaded France, Millman saw his world slowly close as he and other Jewish children were forbidden to attend movies or even play in the park in their Parisian neighborhood. News article
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco Polacco teaches children about the civil war in this story. She tells about an interracial friendship that leads them to on a path of showing the tradgedies of the civil war. This moving book really portrays the emotions that were connected to the civil war.
[edit] Math
Greg Tang [2] is by far one of the best writers of children's books related to math.
Jon Scieszka - His book "Math Curse" should be owned by every math teacher and read at the beginning of the school year to all students.
Neuschwander, Cindy ~ She is the author of a 5 book series titled Sir Cumference. She does a great job of allowing integration of literature in to geometric mathematics. ~ R. Hayes
Marilyn Burns ~ Her book The Greedy Triangle is another book that should be owned by every math teacher. It does a great job of relating geometry to real life. ~ R. Hayes
[edit] Our Environment
When teaching about ecology and the environment, students get a new view of how important it is to protect our planet.
The Lorax by Seuss Where a cartoon industrialist ignores the voice of nature and pays the price. This book illustrates in a very funny way what it means to be wasteful. There are hundreds of connections older students can make with stories they read as children.
Finding Nemo by Disney Productions. Since over 70% of the world is covered by water, we need to understand what is happening in the ocean. An incredible number of marine species are dependent on coral reefs. What happens if we destroy the coral reefs around the world?
Books and movies in the classroom
[edit] Adventure and Mystery
Reading adventure and mystery novels promote the activity of thinking about what was just read. When reading the book together you can discuss the adventure or mystery with the child. What do we know so far about the mystery? Can we draw any conclusions? What do you think will happen next?
Chasing Vermeer is a great example of a mystery with a hidden message. This message is only viewable by finding the pentominoes hidden in the illustrations throughout the book. After you have found them you will need to crack the meaning of the puzzle they create. This is a multi-level thought provoking book for children. The following website allows children to play with pentominoes and also get help solving the puzzle in the book! Chasing Vermeer. The author of Chasing Vermeer has just published another mystery for kids called The Wright 3. It features the same three kids living in Hyde Park. This time they solve a mystery involving Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.
[edit] Children's Literature - Awards
There are many awards given to authors and illustrators for outstanding contributions to children's literature. Award wining book lists are great resources for teaching literature. Some of the more notable awards are listed here.
Caldecott Medal - Given annually to the artist of an outstanding picture book. This award is given by the American Library association, and is named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott.
The 2008 Caldecott winner: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Scholastic Press).
Caldecott Medal Winners and Honor Books, 1938-Present
Coretta Scott King Book Award - Given annually to African American writers and illustrators for outstanding work in children's literature that promote cultural understanding and appreciation of all people. The award is given in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King.
The 2008 Coretta Scott King winner: Christopher Paul Curtis. Elijah of Buxton (Scholastic).
Scott King Book Award Winners 1970-Present
The Newbery Medal - Given to a distinguished author of Children's literature. This award is given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, and is named in honor of eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery.
The 2008 Newbery winner: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Robert Byrd (Candlewick Press).
Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present
The Pura Belpré Award - Given bi-annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays the Latino cultural experience for children and youth. The award is given by the Association for Library Services to Children and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking (both divisions of the ALA), and is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian of the New York Public Library.
The 2008 Pura Belpré winners: The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Sean Qualls (Holt); and, Los Gatos Black on Halloween, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Marisa Montes (Holt).
The Pura Belpré Award Winners, 1996-Present
[edit] Teaching Language Arts
Children's Literature is a tremendous device for teaching language arts. Professor Amy McClure has co-edited two books with Janice Kristo that assist teachers in using children's literature in language arts programs: Books That Invite Talk, Wonder, and Play (1996) and Inviting Children's Responses to Literature : Guides to 57 Notable Books (1994). Both guides include discussion questions and activities for featured children's books.
Picture books alone can also be a tremendous device for teaching language arts. Picture books are not just for the lower grades. They serve to illustrate concepts in a way many older students can relate to. Further, "the adage 'a picture is worth a thousand words' suggests the expressive power of images" (Manifold, 1997, online document). Below, literary devices are noted with appropriate picture books that illustrate the concept.
Predictable books are books designed with rhymes, the repetition of words, phrases, sentence patterns, events, or characters. By reading predictable books, language learning children can engage in a natural process of anticipating and guessing about what words, phrases, sentences, characters or plots would come next in a story. Such process may increase children’s vocabulary and memory skills.
Alliteration: Snow by Uri Shulevitz, The Awful Ardvarks Go to School by Reeve Lindbergh, Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears by Valerie Fischer
Metaphor: When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang, Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, Jam & Jelly by Holly Nellie, If Kisses Were Colors by Janet Lawler
Simile: Love as Strong as Ginger by Lenore Look, Heart to Heart by Jan Greenberg, Just Like You and Me by David Miller
Voice: Dear Mrs. LaRue, Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague, If the Shoe Fits by Laura Whipple, Dirty Laundry Pile by Paul B. Janeczko
Point of View: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieska, Dear Mrs. LaRue, Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague, If the Shoe Fits, Laura Whipple, The Three Questions by Jon Muth
Inference: Five Secrets in a Box by Catherine Brighton, Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky, Sector 7 by David Weisner
To explore how picture books can be used in all classrooms, as well as additional title suggestions, go to Web Watch: Picture Book Read-Alouds (http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/webwatch/picturebooks/index.html) authored by Denise Johnson, assistant professor of reading education at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virigina, USA.
[edit] Personal experience/comments
I am quite surprised that there is no mention of illustration in childrens' books for the sake of pictorial reading and predicting. The impact of color, shape, and pattern can be just as important to the story as the written or read word. Illustrations are a universal language regardless if one can read or not. Illustrations in children's books also assist in forming one's visual literacy. If I look back at a storybook from my childhood, the pictures cue memories and feelings from that time period. It is for this experience of mine, that I appreciate when students linger over a page after it has been orally read, to study the picture, to run one's finger over the lines drawn. Reading in this way can also be a tactile and visual experience. C. O'Kelley
I know that there are so many different types of books available for children to read and be read to by adults. They cover so many pertinent areas that are not only fantasy but reflect the children's background. This includes covering real life experiences such as divorce, when a child has two moms or two dads, and whose background is culturally and languistically diverse. Plus many of these books are age appropriate for children. I think it is great that authors are recognizing that not all children come from the same type of family make up or belief system. C. Unzicker
For kids who are not natural readers, a trick we learned to keep our daughter interested in reading is to link movies or theatre productions with family classics like Snow White, The Wizard of Oz, Charolette’s Web. Our daughter loves to read part of the book and then see that part in the movie or theatre. We also like linking books with theatre or movies because of other associations like music, dance and acting. During holidays she loves to read The Grinche that Stole Christmas and Christmas Story and we have seen them both as theatre and movie productions. Now that she is older she is exploring broader characters like King Arthur, Dances with Wolves and most recently Moby Dick. As she gets older she reads more on her own and increasingly more without the movies. Kent Randall
As a new teacher, one thing that I am so excited about is all the great new children's literature that has come out in the recent years. I feel like authors are getting more and more intuned about what teachers are doing in the classroom and writing books to fit our needs. For every topic I taught this year, there was at least one book, if not several, that I felt was really excellent in teaching the concept we were working on. There are so many interesting and engaging stories and even nonfiction books nowadays that give readers a lot of educational facts and knowledge along with the enjoyment of the story. I love finding great new books to read to my kids, and they love to hear them! -Annie Craig, 2nd Grade Teacher
When I was little, my mother read stories to my brothers and I every day. We had the greatest books growing up. Books like Down Down the Mountain, Gus the Ghost, Lyle Lyle Crocodile, Petunia, Ping, and so on. As we got older we advanced into the Little House on the Prairie books and the Hardy Boys. We would read together each night before going to bed. Today, I love reading to my students. So many of my students did not have that time with their parents. It is so wonderful. Reading helps to develop imagination, ask question, write for fun, and read for fun independently. It gives my students and I an opportunity to bond as well. For some it helps them to relax and for others it offers them something to get excited about. We are very blessed to have access to such wonderful children's literature. - V.C.
My wife and I both love to read it is a love that we have tried to pass on to our children. My third grade son is a great reader and really enjoys it. I think the key is to get them interested in books at a young age. There are so many good things out there. He reads all types of books. His favorites have include the Series of Unfortunate Events books and now the Box Car children. The key with getting children to read is to find something they are interested in and then just let them go. Our son reads a lot in the car when we are traveling. We have found this to be a better way of entertaining then having a DVD player in the van. Craig Johnson
I would definitely agree that the key to getting kids to love reading is to introduce it to them at a young age. I am an avid reader and I would love for my two year old to develop a thirst it as well. I have been reading to her each night before bed and I try to give her a variety of books to choose from, although, she tends to only want to read her favorite story, Maisy's Bedtime. Nevertheless, this is in stark contrast to her 10 year old half-brother. He does not like reading books and could care less if he never had to read them. He even hates to read the instruction booklets for his PS2 games. I think this can be attributed to his dad who does not like to read and his mom who did not read to him very often at all when he was little.
~S. Ward
Children's books have been proven to increase intelligence! Read Stephen Krashen's The Power of Reading. He proves in his analysis of many studies that time reading and time spend in the library definitely increases a child's reading level. - L. Weinstein
I love the books you have mentioned. I am an avid reader and I still love children's books because they are so expressive. I try to get children of all ages to read especially picture books because the pictures express so much more than just words. Some children are resistant to picture books and do not believe I really like them because they see them as "for babies" or as a punishment (the teacher has them read lower level and they se it as a sign they are not good enough). One of my favorite books is The true story of the three little pigs. Teresa Hibler
I am a third grade teacher. One of my all-time favorite authors is Kevin Henkes. I first learned of him in a college literature class at ISU, I used his books when I student taught in first grade, and I use them in my classroom now. He has a wonderful way of teaching children that they will go through some hard times, but most of the time everything turns out alright. His book Julius, Baby of the World, deals with a little girl that has to deal with having a baby brother. Chrysanthemum talks about a little girl that is teased by other students because of her name. His books are so useful, and the kids really enjoy listening to them and reading them. -Nicci Frick
I'm a big fan of children's books. I remember programs like 'weekly reader' and the scholastic booklets/bookfairs that allowed us to not only eventually purchase our very own books, but to also plan which books we wanted along with friends, and begi money management skills. Like Teresa, I'm also an avid reader, and I can remember my thirst for reading developing at a very early age, because of great children's literature (in addition to parental support). I think children's books are great for parent-child quality time, as well as developing early reading skills and life long readers because it allows young readers to develop a love for, and sincere interest in literacy. Jasmine Johnson
I also love to read. My daughter has learned from my modeling of reading. She is in first grade and is reading chapter books. I have found that the majority of the books she likes to read are from the American Girl series. She learns so many things from these books. She tells me about the history, the clothes, and what experience's the girls encounter. My daughter also loves to read to her three year old sister. I hope that in doing this, she too will gain a love for books. Nichole Jessup
My favorite children's book has always been Corduroy by Don Freeman. It is not fantastically illustrated, but does have a wonderful story. I think what I like about it is the life lesson it teaches. It says a lot about not judging someone based on appearance. The books I remember from childhood are the ones that had a touching story and taught me about feelings toward others. This may be why I didn't like the Cat in the Hat, I always thought he was mean. Chris Snodgrass
I think children's books are a great way for people of all ages to enjoy literacy and read. I love using wordless picture books to share with my students, regardless of age. With my younger readers, I let them tell me a story orally about the pictures they see in the wordless picture book. With older readers and even English Language Learners, wordless picture books are a great way to encourage writing. They are able to construct a story and use their imagination based on the pictures already provided for them. They enjoy it very much! JP
I am an avid reader who enjoys children's literature. I teach high school mathematics. There are wonderful children's books that focus on mathematical topics (The Greedy Triangle, The Adventures of Sir Cumference, and The Number Devil). My students are completely surprised when I want to read to them, but I think they enjoy it in the end. Jenny Circello
Children's Books are awesome in music classes. When I taught general music, I must have read aloud a zillion books that went right along with the songs we were learning like Senor Don Gato and The Cat Came Back. Also some books have a great rhythmic feel to them like Chika Chika Boom Boom. I also read absolutely every version of the Three Little Books avaialble to my kindergartners one year because our musical/play was based off of it with added songs. It was much more fun to rehearse when the students had pictures. They knew just about every angle of the story that was created from the True Story from the wolf's point of view to the one where the pigs end up in different fairy tales by accident. It was a great experience! - Missy Legutki
When I think back on my own education, some of my fondest memories are of my teachers reading to me. I think I can remember every book my teachers read aloud to me. I loved the Adventures of Pippi Longstocking when I was in 3rd grade, and the strong bond between a sister and a brother in Summer of the Swans which my teacher read when I was in 6th grade. There are lots of books scattered in-between too. As a teacher for the last 20 years I have tried to make reading aloud a priority in my classroom. I wonder if it means as much to my students as it did to me. - E. Remington
Children's books can be leveled to help teachers, parents, and children determine which books the child is able to read at any particular time in the child's education. Books might be leveled differently depending on the people and company doing the leveling. Therefore, it is best for the teachers and parents to decide together what leveling process will be used. This will ensure both parties are well informed about the ability level of the book. It is very important the child read's at his/her ability level to develop confidence, fluency, and comprehension. Teacher's have the important job to help the child attain those reading skills and strategies that will move them through increasingly challening texts.
In my school district, students need to attain certain "reading benchmarks" for each grade level. These benchmarks were developed to help teachers, parents, and students establish goals throughout the school year and ensure students read at grade level. It also demonstrated the school district's recognition that students develop differently; therefore, the child needs to read literature at their instruction level. -Tricia Pearl
I find interesting the number of children's books written in the past couple of years by actors, politicians and other non-traditional writers. Andy Griffith wrote a series of comedic stories; Jason Alexander wrote about the tooth fairy; Ray Ramano; Gloria Estefan; George Foreman; Garrison Keller; Mel Brooks. - M. Cornell
I find that to be an interesting trend as well, M. Cornell. So many folks who have gained media attention in other realms pen children's books, and many of them not so good. The criticism is mostly because they are not good writers, or they don't know how to write a good children's book. They are paid a lot of money up-front for these books and I think they sell well probably because of the name recognition. But often they lack the perspective of a child -- what they would think, or do, or feel. There are some exceptions. For example, Carl Hiasson wrote a book called Hoot, an environmental mystery set in Florida. It was a runner-up for the Newbery Award, the highest award given to children's literature in this country. Jamie Lee Curtis is another star who pens books that are written for children. I think some of the stars think that writing a children's book is great publicity, after seeing all of the publicity J.K. Rowling has received for the Harry Potter series. - E. Bearden
Don’t forget about Madonna who has created three children’s books in the past five years. I think that children’s book are a creative outlet for many performers who attempt writing one. I am not sure of their reasoning behind it, but it does seem to add more publicity to an already over popularized industry. -TYM
After observing a class of English language learners (ELLs), I found that the teacher emphasized writing more than reading children's literature. Probably the teacher did not find appropriate books, however, personally, I do think that reading children's books to/among ELLs is not only entertaining, but also is a way to enrich their vocabulary and writing ability. ---X. Z.
In the movie "Shadowlands" C.S. Lewis says, "...we read so that we know we're not alone." and Emily Dickinson said, "There is no frigate like a book." Children's literature is a resource for teachers, students, and adults. I have used Molly Bang's book, When Sophie gets Angry, Really Really Angry, to talk to children about feelings along with other texts like Mean Soup. The possibilities are endless. My favorite way to use children's literature is during Read Aloud. I have never enjoyed children's literature as much as when I see the students reactions (facial expressions) and hear their questions about an authors' writing style. This past school year I laughed so hard that I cried while reading The BFG by Roald Dahl. ~C. Hatchett
In our classroom we use children's literature all day long. I use children's literature to teach every subject. My students are learning how to become authors right now. They are in first grade. We look at different authors everyday and how they use their writing. I teach dialogue, beginnings, endings, details, feelings, etc. all with children's literature. The students are so proud of themselves and feel that they are really becoming great authors like those that they read about. This makes reading enjoyable for them. ~R.U.
My mother is currently a librarian in a elementary district in Illinois. Every phone converdation we have there is always talk about the new childrens books and what books she has to keep buying because the students love them. I am always shocked at how much time she says the students spend in the library reading or checking out books. I think it is great that the students are offered such a variety in reading that really gets them interested.
My students were quite surprised and amazed that how they can use childhood books to enhance their learning, and help them understand the basics of US history and Economics. They also like childhood movies for example school house rock. I use them in my US history class and the students get very excited about them when we watch them. Nic D.
Integrating literature into all contents is one of the greatest things teachers can do. Working children's books into your lessons enhances the learning for the students. I teach in middle school and the students will sometimes tell me by the time they get to 8th grade that it is silly for me to read them a book. I laugh at the comment everytime because they eat it up. All students no matter the age love to be read to. It is just one of those things that will probably never change because it is one of those favorite things that all kids either had or wished they had when they were growing up. Being read to when we were young was so special and for most, that feeling has never and will never change. ~ R. Hayes
I use children's books that are translated to Spanish in my middle school Spanish classes. I enjoy using the books because they provide Spanish input that the students attend to in order to determine meaning. Picture books are wonderful to use because the illustrations tell a lot of the story. It's especially useful/motivating when students encounter a book they are familiar with. In this scenario the students have background knowledge of the content of the story and can then attend to the language that is being presented. The students are often very excited to have "Kindergarten Day" in which they sit on the floor around me while I read to them. - J.Adams
Seeing children read is a wonderful experience.This year I am lucky to have a class that loves to read.They love the Jack and Annie books which are wonderful adventures that include historical references.The happiest day in the class is when the book order arrives.True happiness for these students is a new adventure to read. A.Harty
I use children's books in my classroom on a fairly weekly basis. The books serve as excellent starting points for the students to practice the various reading strategies, such as inferring, predicting, questioning, etc. Then, after becoming comfortable practicing the strategies in short texts, the students move on to short stories and novels. Furthermore, I have used children's books to model plot diagramming and dramatic structure. Finally, I have the students make a "Civil War from A-Z" children's book that showcases their knowledge of the Civil War unit. I find that having the students break down their learning into a digital children's book in which they have to "explain" the material to a child creates a more richer understanding for themselves. J. Juliano
[edit] Resources
Book links. Chicago, IL : American Library Association, c1991-.
This is a monthly magazine that connects curriculum with children's books. As a tool for integrating literature in the classroom, across content areas, it is indispensable, particularly in the elementary classroom.
This is a resource for identifying books to use with children. It is maintained by the librarians at the Ela Area (Illinois) Public Library. Submitted by Linda Diekman.
The Children's Literature Web Guide
This internet resource attempts to gather together and categorize the growing number of Internet resources related to books for Children and Young Adults. An excellent, comprehensive resource, though only updated through 2001.
Huck, Charlotte, et al. Children's Literature in the Elementary School, Eighth edition. Boston : McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Similar to the Sutherland text below, Huck thoroughly covers the genre of children's literature. In addition to the genre overview, Huck's classic text offers chapters that focus on creating curriculum that connects children with the books mentioned.
McClure, Amy and Janice Kristo. Books That Invite Talk, Wonder, and Play. Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 1996.
_______. Inviting Children's Responses to Literature : Guides to 57 Notable Books. Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 1994.
Both of these books offer practical suggestions for discussing and connecting children with literature in your classroom.
A select list of children's books selected by a committee of the Association of Library Service to Children.
The International Childrens' Digital Library
This great resource includes free childrens' books that have been put online.
Sutherland, Zena. Children and Books, 9th Edition. New York: Longman, 1997.
A classic in the field, Sutherland offers a catalog describing the full range and depth of children's books available, including a chapters on history and practical use.
Zipes, Jack, Lissa Paul, Lynne Vallone, Gillian Avery, and Peter Hunt, Eds. The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature: The Traditions in English. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005.
This ground-breaking title in the field of children's literature, as noted in Philip Charles Crawford's review in the March/April 2006 Horn Book, creates a "canon" for children's literature that can be used as a textbook in literature classrooms of English departments, helping to legitimize its existence beyond that of the vernacularly applied "kiddie lit" description. In addition, the publisher currently maintains a website with more information about the book, in addition to support materials for students and teachers: Norton Anthology of Children's Literature. This book also supplies a nice overview of the range of texts in children's literature, deeping the understanding and response to literature for classroom teachers as they work to engage their students in books.
References:
Manifold, M. (1997). Picture books as a social studies resource in the elementary school classroom. ERIC Digest. ED412168 (available online: http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed412168.html)
