Resources for researching & writing about children's & adolescent literature
MLA Guide. Check it out for how to write and format your papers. Important to look at before you hand in the final version of your research paper.
Check out the 60Second Recap video page on How to Write a Paper. Informative, lively points about writing academic papers. Can your paper pass all the tests?
These websites have many links to online and books in libraries where you can find critical essays about children's and adolescent literature
- Link to .pdf of Mark I. West's "Key Reference Works Related to Children's Literature " from Everyone's Guide to Children's Literature.Ft. Atkinson, WI: Highsmith Co., 1997.
- Online Children's Literature Journals
- Guide to Research in Children's Literature at the University of Illinois. Although specific to the U of I library, many resources are also at Milner Library.
- Online Children's Literature Journals
illustration by Quentin BlakeChildren's Literature Resources on the Internet from School Libraries Online.- Grad students' annotated lists: Children's Literature Research Resources by librarian & NC State grad student. Frank Rogers' (U of Ga grad student) general children's lit
- Children's literature book awards and Victorian Literature resources on this website.
- Son of Citation Machine. Easy Bib. KnightCite These three websites will create MLA Style citations for you. Put in your citation information and the website will create an MLA style citation for your Works Cited page and show how to cite the materials within your essay.
Annotated List of Resources for writing papers on children's literature and adolescent literature
ALAN Online: Official site of the Assembly on Literature of Adolescents. A subgroup of the National Council of Teachers of English. ALAN Review is the assembly's academic journal.
Book Bird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, available through Project Muse. Focus on global children's and adolescent literature.
The Center for Children's Books is based at the University of Illinois and has many resources for studying children's books, particularly through a library context. If you're are U of I in Champaign, check it out. CCB's informative publication is the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Children's Literature Comprehensive Database: A comprehensive database services of resources on children's and adolescent literature and media. ISU has a subscription, so you will need to access this through Milner Library's website
Children's Literature Web Guide Internet resources related to books for children and adolescents. Organized by University of Calgary
Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature has "8,300 records from 91 awards across six English speaking countries." It helps to know what you're looking for when using this database.
Horn Book is a legendary publication about children's and adolescent literature including reviews and essays.
The Lion and the Unicorn. An academic journal on children's literature and culture published by The Johns Hopkins University Press. Available via Project Muse, so if you can't access it, go through Milner or another academic library with a subscription.
Publisher's Weekly. The publishing industry's magazine that always reviews children's books.
Reading Online, a website from the International Reading Association of "hundreds of articles on a range of topics in reading education"
School Library Journal. Great resource for librarians at K-12 schools, so many reviews and articles about children's and adolescent books.
Research Books on Children's Literature & Adolescent Literature
These are books. Please go to a library, such as Milner Library at ISU, to find these. If a library doesn't have what you want, ask them to inter-library loan it. For more detailed information on some of these books, check the links above to the U of I's Guide to Research in Children's and Academic Booksr
American Picturebooks from Noah's Ark to the Beast Within. 1976
The Art of Maurice Sendak. 1980.
Authors and Artists for Young Adults. 1989-
Black Authors and Illustrators of Books for Children and Young Adults: A Biographical Dictionary. 2007
Canadian Children’s Books: A Critical Guide to Authors and Illustrators. 2000
Children’s Authors and Illustrators: An Index to Biographical Dictionaries. 4th ed. 1987.
Companion to American Children's Picture Books. 2005
Coretta Scott King Award Books: Using Great Literature with Children and Young Adults. 2000
Eighth Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators. 2000
Encyclopaedia of Girls’ School Stories. 2000.
Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults: a Comprehensive Guide. 2005.
Fiction, Folklore, Fantasy & Poetry for Children, 1876-1985. 2 volumes, 1986.
A Guide to Children's Books about Asian Americans. 1995
Illustrators of Children’s Books: 1744-1945. 1947. Supplements cover 1946-1956, 1957-1966, and 1967-1976.
Junior Genreflecting: A Guide to Good Reads and Series Fiction for Children. 2000.
Lesbian and Gay Voices: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Literature for Children and Young Adults. 2000.
Many Peoples, One Land: A Guide to New Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. 2001.
Native Americans in Fiction: A Guide to 765 Books for Librarians and Teachers, K-9. 1994.
Our Family, Our Friends, Our World: An Annotated Guide To Significant Multicultural Books For Children and Teenagers. 1992.
The Opie Collection of Children's Literature: A Guide to the Microfiche Collection. 3 vols. 1990. Great resource available in Milner Library
Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. 1984
Picture This: Picture Books for Young Adults: A Curriculum-Related Annotated Bibliography. 1997.
Popular Nonfiction Authors for Children: A Biographical and Thematic Guide. 1998
Something About the Author. 1971-. Biographic sketches of children's and adolescent authors in many volumes. Good place to start research about a specific author.
St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers. 1999
Teen Genreflecting: a Guide to Reading Interests. 2003.
Voices from the Margins: An Annotated Bibliography of Fiction on Disabilities and Differences for Young People. 2002
What Do Children and Young Adults Read Next? 2002-. Ideas for more books to read based on a previous book that the reader enjoyed
The Who’s Who of Children’s Literature. 1968
Winning Authors: Profiles of the Newbery Medalists. 2003.
Writers for Young Adults. 1997-2000. 4 vols
World Historical Fiction: An Annotated Guide to Novels for Adults and Young Adults. 1999.
Yesterday's Authors of Books for Children. 1977. 2 vols. About authors who died before 1961.
Medal and award sites
Caldecott Medal site of the American Library Association honoring artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children
Newbery Medal site of the American Library Association honoring the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children
Batchelder Award site of the American Library Association is given to an American publisher for a children's book translated into English
Pura Belpré Award site of the American Library Association honoring a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator
Carnegie Medal site of the American Library Association for most outstanding video production
Geisel Award of the American Library Association for beginning reader book
Sibert Informational Medal Book site of the American Library Association honoring best information books.
Coretta Scott King Book Awards of the American Library Association
Schneider Family Book Award of the American Library Association honosr an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
Margaret Edwards Award of the American Library Association
Alex Award for books with special appeal to readers age 12 to 18 by the American Library Association
Best Books for Young Adults list of the American Library Association
Hans Christian Andersen Medal of the International Board on Books for Young People to a living author and illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature.
Phoenix Award by the Children's Literature Association recognizing a book that meets high critical standards in children's literature that was published several years previously and deserves recognition.
Carnegie Award is awarded in the UK annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.
Kate Greenaway Medal to the artist of the UK's most distinguished picture book for children by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.
Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature "goes to an outstanding book for young children--a book in which text and illustrations are inseparable, each enhancing and enlarging on the other to produce a singular whole." This award is adminstered by the Bank Street College. Books are chosen by adult and the final selection is made by children.
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader Award "is an Illinois award for outstanding literature for young people and is sponsored by the Illinois Reading Council, the Illinois School Library Media Association, and the Illinois Association of Teachers of English.
More medals for children's books here
Websites of associations, museums, publishers, etc. and other connected with children's literature
Children's Book Council. The national nonprofit trade association of children's book publishers.
Federation of Children's Book Groups, a UK organization promoting children's books and connecting readers
National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. Check out the online exhibitions and other resources. Based in Abilene, Texas
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Teachers at Random. Resources on children's books and their authors published at Random House
Websites that review children's and adolescent books
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site. Hurst is primarily a resource for teaching English literature in K-12 setting but has book reviews and parent resources.
Children's Bookwatch, part of Midwest Book Review. Numerous short review of children's books each month.
Cynthia Letich's website. Children's and YA resources by children's author and writing teacher
Notes from the Window:Celebrating children's books loved by adult readers. Many reviews, often topical.
Paper Tigers. A website about books in English for young readers that focus on the Pacific Rim and South Asia. Reviews, interviews with authors, picture book galleries and more.
Farriosa Cyber Library of Children's Literature