Resources List
Interested in delving deeper into the world of Children’s Literature and Culture? This list serves as a starting point for further exploration.
Award Winning Children's Literature
- Caldecott Medal – Each year, the Association for Library Service to Children awards the Caldecott Medal to the artist of the most distinguished picture book for children. Click here to view a list of all Caldecott Medal and Caldecott Honor books from 1938 to the present. (opens in new tab)
- Coretta Scott King Book Awards – Beginning in 1970, the Coretta Scott King Book Award has been “given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.” Click here to view a list of all award winners and honor books from 1970 to the present. (opens in new tab)
- Michael L. Printz Award – The Young Adult Library Services Association awards the Michael L. Printz Award annually to an exemplary work of young adult literature. View more information here.
- Newbery Medal – The Association for Library Service to Children awards the Newbery Medal to “the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” Click here to view a list of all Newbery Medal winners and honor books from 1922 to the present.
- Pura Belpré Award – Established in 1996, this award “is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.” Click here to view all winners and honor books.
Children's Literature Archives
- The Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature – Housed in the University of Florida’s Department of Special Collections, the Baldwin contains more than 115,000 volumes of children’s literature published from the mid-1600s to the present. Additionally, the collection includes artifacts from children’s culture, such as board games, puzzles, and toys. Click here to view the collection.
- International Children’s Digital Library – This digital children’s literature archive contains over 4,600 books in 59 languages. Click here to start browsing now.
- The John MacKay Shaw Childhood in Poetry Collection – Housed at Florida State University, this collection “consists of books, works of art, manuscripts, catalogs and ephemera related to childhood.” The collection includes bibliographies, biographies, literature, poetry, and criticism. Find more information here.
- The Kerlan Collection – Housed at the University of Minnesota, the Kerlan Collection contains more than 100,000 children’s books as well as original manuscripts, artwork, galleys, and color proofs, and other production materials for 1,700 authors and illustrators. Click here for more information.
Diversity and Representation
Online Resources:
- American Indians in Children’s Literature – Founded in 2006 by American Indian Studies scholar Debbie Reese, this blog reviews children’s literature and other media that feature American Indians. Reese rates each text as “recommended” or “not recommended” based on its representations of Native characters. https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/
- Diverse Book Finder – This searchable database provides a comprehensive overview of children’s picture books that feature Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC) published since 2002. https://diversebookfinder.org/
- Iris Center – This searchable database provides lists of children’s and young adult literature featuring characters with disabilities. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/resources/books/
- “Lifting Black Voices in Children’s Literature” – In this TedX Talk, Dr. Carlotta Penn argues that “Black children must see their cultures reflected in books, and that we must make more space for Black authors to write these stories.” Click here to view the video.
- “Missing Adventures: Diversity and Children’s Literature” – In this TedX Talk, Dr. Brynn Welch discusses the lack of diversity in children’s literature and advocates for more inclusive stories. Click here to view the video.
- We Need Diverse Books – This grassroots organization advocates for the publication of more books featuring diverse characters for all children. https://diversebooks.org/
Recommended Reading:
- Bradford, Clare. Unsettling Narratives: Postcolonial Readings of Children’s Literature. Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2007.
- Capshaw, Katharine, and Anna Mae Duane, editors. Who Writes for Black Children?: African American Children’s Literature before 1900. University of Minnesota Press, 2017.
- Lesley, Naomi. Fictions of Integration: American Children’s Literature and the Legacies of Brown v. Board of Education. Routledge, 2017.
- Naidoo, Jamie Campbell. Celebrating Cuentos : Promoting Latino Children’s Literature and Literacy in Classrooms and Libraries. Libraries Unlimited, 2011.
- Nel, Philip. Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: the Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books. Oxford University Press, 2017.
- Thomas, Ebony Elizabeth. The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games. New York University Press, 2019.
Children's Literature Archives
Gender and Sexuality
Online Resources:
- Henderson, Taylor. “21 Inspiring LGBTQ-Themed Children’s Books.” Pride, https://www.pride.com/books/2019/6/25/21-inspiring-lgbtq-themed-childrens-books#media-gallery-media-0.
Recommended Reading:
- Abate, Michelle Ann. Tomboys: A Literary and Cultural History. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2008.
- Abate, Michelle Ann, and Kenneth B. Kidd. Over the Rainbow : Queer Children’s and Young Adult Literature. University of Michigan Press, 2011.
- Clark, Beverly Lyon and Margaret R. Higonnet. Girls, Boys, Books: Gender in Children’s Literature and Culture. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.
- Clasen, Tricia and Holly Hassel. Gender(ed) Identities: Critical Rereadings of Gender in Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Routledge, 2017.
- D’Amico, Luella. Girls’ Series Fiction and Popular Culture. Lexington Books, 2016.
- Jenkins, Christine, and Michael Cart. Representing the Rainbow in Young Adult Literature : LGBTQ Content since 1969. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.
- Kidd, Kenneth B. Making American Boys: Boyology and the Feral Tale. University of Minnesota Press, 2004.
- Lehr, Susan. Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: The Construction of Gender in Children’s Literature. Heinemann, 2001.
- Naidoo, Jamie Campbell. Rainbow Family Collections : Selecting and Using Children’s Books with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Content. Libraries Unlimited, an Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2012.
- Reinhard, CarrieLynn D., and Christopher J. Olson. Heroes, Heroines, and Everything in between:Challenging Gender and Sexuality Stereotypes in Children’s Entertainment Media. Lexington Books, 2017.
Lists of Recommended Children's Literature
- The Center for Children’s Books – This center is housed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Its website features an extensive collection of bibliographies curated by CCB staff and volunteers on topics ranging from “Aliens” to “World War II.” Click here to view the list of bibliographies.
- Cooperative Children’s Book Center – Created by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education, the CCBC website includes comprehensive bibliographies and book lists of recommended texts for infants to high schoolers. Click here to view the CCBC’s recommendations.
- Notable Children’s Books – Each year, the Association for Library Service for Children compiles an extensive list of children’s books deemed “worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding.” Click here to view the Notable Children’s Books lists from 1995 to the present.
Peer Reviewed Children's Literature Journals
- The ALAN Review – This journal focuses on young adult literature and is published by the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English. http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/
- Bookbird: A Journal of International Children’s Literature – Published by the International Board on Books for Young Children, this journal publishes articles on any topic in the field of international children’s literature. https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/bookbird-journal-international-childrens-literature
- Children’s Literature – This journal is the annual publication of the Children’s Literature Association (ChLA) and the Modern Language Association Division on Children’s Literature. https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/childrens-literature
- Children’s Literature Association Quarterly – Published by the Children’s Literature Association, this journal features articles on “all aspects of children’s literature from any time period.” http://muse.jhu.edu/journal/301
- Children’s Literature in Education – Founded in 1970, this journal “covers classic and contemporary material, the highbrow and the popular, and ranges across works for infants through to material for young adults.” https://link.springer.com/journal/10583
- Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures – This interdisciplinary journal features scholarly discussions of cultural productions for, by, and about young people. https://jeunessejournal.ca/index.php/yptc/index
- The Journal of Children’s Literature – The Children’s Literature Assembly publishes two issues of this journal each year. https://www.questia.com/library/p439527/journal-of-children-s-literature
- The Lion and the Unicorn – Founded in 1977, The Lion and the Unicorn “ is committed to a serious, ongoing discussion of literature for children. The journal’s coverage includes the state of the publishing industry, regional authors, comparative studies of significant books and genres, new developments in theory, the art of illustration, the mass media, and popular culture.” https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/lion-and-unicorn
- The Looking Glass: New Perspectives on Children’s Literature – Launched in 1997, this electronic journal “combines an interest in the traditional with an eye to the modern.” http://www.the-looking-glass.net/index.php/tlg
- Marvels & Tales – This journal “provides a central forum for fairy-tale studies by scholars of literature, folklore, gender studies, children’s literature, social and cultural history, anthropology, film studies, ethnic studies, art and music history, and others.” https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/marvels/
Programs for the Study of Children's Literature
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- Eastern Michigan University offers a major in Interdisciplinary Children’s Literature and Theatre for the Young, as well as a minor in Children’s Literature. Click here for more information.
- Hollins University offers certificates, degrees, and workshops in Children’s Literature and Children’s Book Writing and Illustrating at the undergraduate and graduate level. View the various programs offered here.
- Kansas State University’s Master of Arts in English degree allows students to pursue a track in Children’s Literature. Click here for more information.
- The Ohio State University’s Department of Teaching and Learning offers a PhD program in Literature for Children and Young Adults. Click here for more information.
- San Diego State University is home to one of the largest and oldest children’s literature programs and is home to the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature. Click here for more information.
- University of Florida’s English Department offers a model in Children’s Literature for undergraduate students, and a number of the department’s faculty and graduate students study and teach courses in children’s literature. Click here to view the undergraduate model. Additionally, the department houses the Center for Children’s Literature and Culture, which can be viewed here.
- University of Pittsburgh offers a Certificate in Children’s Literature for undergraduates, and graduate students can specialize in Children’s Literature and Childhood Studies. Click here for more information.
Review Journals
The following publications and websites feature reviews of children’s and young adult literature, as well as articles on the publishing industry and recent trends in children’s literature.
- Booklist Online: https://www.booklistonline.com/
- The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: https://bccb.ischool.illinois.edu/
- Horn Book Magazine: https://www.hbook.com/
- Kidsreads: https://www.kidsreads.com/
- Kirkus Reviews: Click here for a list of children’s book reviews: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens/ Click here for a list of young adult book reviews: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/young-adult/
- Publisher’s Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/index.html
- School Library Journal: https://www.slj.com/