Reading Difficulty and Interest/Audience Levels of Books
- Children's Literature Comprehensive Database This link opens in a new windowThe CLCD is the premier academic and research resource for courses needing to locate Children’s and Young Adult books and other media. The content includes over one million of fiction/non-fiction titles, thousands of awards and quality reviews including author/title links, lesson plans and teaching guides. The database offers multiple options including 50 search filters to find materials for determining interest & reading levels; selecting trade books based on standards; creating thematic, annotated biographies; interpreting reviews; developing classroom collections and more.
- Lexile Framework for ReadingSearch for a specific books or a list of books
- Teacher Book WizardUse Quick Search to search for reading difficulty and interest level of a specific book title, or use Leveled Search to find a list of books by reading difficulty level. Includes lesson plans, more.
- Lexile AnalyzerAnalyzes text to gauge lexile level. You must register to use the tool, but it is free.
- Readability of TextsLists a variety of Readability Formulas.
Biographical Information on Authors
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowFind up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on nearly 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowScholarly, multidisciplinary database containing more than 6,100 full-text journals, and indexing/abstracts for more than 10,100 journals.
- Children's Literature Author/Illustrator Directory Children’s Literature provides a highly visible directory for schools, libraries, and fans to find out information about their favorite authors and illustrators.
Literary Criticism
- Council on Interracial Books for Children: Interracial Books for Children Bulletin Bulletins provide critical, honest reviews written by educators from the specific group in question. CIBC made a point to advocate and uplift marginalized communities, including African Americans, Latinx, Asian American, and Indigenous peoples through their journal. Filled with information that allows us to chart not only how far children’s literature has come but also parallels the push for representation today.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowFind up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on nearly 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowScholarly, multidisciplinary database containing more than 6,100 full-text journals, and indexing/abstracts for more than 10,100 journals.
Booklists and Reviews
- ALAN’s PicksALAN’s Picks is a monthly book review column that is compiled and edited by Dr. Pam Cole of Kennesaw State University.
- Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site"This is a collection of reviews of great books for kids, ideas of ways to use them in the classroom and collections of books and activities about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes and professional topics."
- Cooperative Children's Book Center Recommended ReadsIn this fully annotated booklist, you will find books for children ranging from preschool to high school grade levels.
- Disability in Kidlit Disability in Kidlit is dedicated to discussing the portrayal of disability in middle grade and young adult literature. We publish articles, reviews, interviews, and discussions examining this topic from various angles — and always from the disabled perspective. We believe that a thoughtful portrayal of disability requires more than memorizing a list of symptoms; we hope that sharing disabled people’s thoughts on stereotypes, pet peeves, particular portrayals, and their own day-to-day experiences will help our readers learn about the realities of disability, which are often different from what we see in popular media.
- Diverse BookFinder The Diverse BookFinder is a comprehensive collection of children's picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC). We've cataloged and analyzed trade picture books fitting this criteria, published since 2002, to surface and create:
- The Horn BookPublications about books for children and young adults
- I'm Your Neighbor Books I'm Your Neighbor Books builds welcoming communities for New Arrivals and New Americans--using children's literature.
- Latinxs in Kid Lit Latinxs in Kid Lit is a resource for book reviews, resources, and discussions about Latinxs in children's literature and Latinix authors.
- Leewind "I'm here. I'm queer. What do I read?" A blog featuring books with LGBTQ+ characters or themes.
- The Miss Rumphius EffectThe blog of a teacher educator discussing poetry, children's literature and issues related to teaching children and their future teachers.
- NNSTOY Social Justice Book ListSocial justice book are provided for children ranging from preschool to high school ages. In addition, social justice books are provided to teachers and educators as well.
- The Pirate TreeThe Pirate Tree is a collective of children’s and young adult writers interested in children’s literature and social justice issues.
- Publishers Weekly - Children's BooksBest Children's Books
- Rainbow Book List - GLBTQ Books for Children & TeensThe Rainbow Book List is a bibliography of books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning content, and which are aimed at youth, birth through age 18.
- Raise Them RighteousA website by Jennifer Miller, an English lecturer at the University of Texas at Arlington with research interests in children’s literature and gender/sexuality.
- Rich in Color Rich in Color is dedicated to reading, reviewing, talking about, and otherwise promoting young adult fiction starring or written by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We believe that teens should be able to find themselves in the kinds of books they love to read.
- School Library JournalUp-to-date information needed to integrate libraries into the school curriculum, become leaders in the areas of technology, reading, and information literacy, and create high-quality collections for children and young adults.
- We Need Diverse BooksWe Need Diverse Books is a non-profit organization that advocates for essential changes in the publishing industry to reflect the lives of all young people.
- YALSA: The Hub The Hub is a teen collections blog for YALSA, the Young Adult Library Services Association. Learn more about the organization on the YALSA website. The mission of The Hub: Your Connection to Teen Collections is to provide timely information about emerging and new practices for evaluating, selecting and curating materials; raise awareness about appropriate YALSA tools to facilitate innovation in teen collections; and provide resources for members and the library community to support their efforts to continuously improve their teen collection and content curation.
Book Awards
- ALA/ALSC Notable Children's BooksIncludes all ALSC award-winning and honor book titles, as well as notable lists for the most recent five to ten years. Current awards and notables include the Batchelder Award, Belpré Medal, Caldecott Medal, Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media, Geisel Award, Newbery Medal, Notable Children's Books, Notable Children's Digital Media, Notable Children's Recordings, Odyssey Award, and Siebert Medal.
- YALSA Bookfinder DatabaseSearch 4,000+ books, audiobooks, and films from YALSA's book awards and book lists.
- NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for ChildrenThe NCTE Orbis Pictus Award® was established in 1989 to promote and recognize excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children. Orbis Pictus commemorates the work of Johannes Amos Comenius: Orbis Pictus—The World in Pictures (1658), considered to be the first book actually planned for children.
- Research Guide: "Becoming an Antiracist Educator"This research guide lists the book awards for the National Associations of Librarians of Color, including the American Indian Library Association (AILA), Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), and National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA).
International Children's Literature
- The Batchelder AwardThe Batchelder Award is given to the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.
- Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's LiteratureWe have access to this journal via several education journals. Use the journals tab on the front page of the library website.
- Bridges to understanding: Envisioning the world through children's booksCall # PN1009.A1 B766 2011
- Goodreads/Popular International Children's Literature"Goodreads is the largest site for readers and book recommendations in the world."
- Hans Christian Andersen AwardsThe Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children's books
- International Children's Digital Library
The ICDL Foundation's goal is to build a collection of books that represents outstanding historical and contemporary books from throughout the world. - International Reading Association: Choices Reading ListsChildren's Choices, Young Adults' Choices, Teachers' Choices (scroll to 'Advanced ‘ section of Teachers’ Choices for young adult titles).
- USBBY’s Outstanding International BooksBeginning in 2006 USBBY has selected an honor list of international books for young people. The USBBY Outstanding International Books List is published each year in the February issue of School Library Journal and as a bookmark.
- Worlds of Words"Our mission is to build bridges across global cultures through children’s and adolescent literature."
Graphic Novels & Comics
To find graphic novels, search GLOCAT using the search terms "graphic novels" (in quotes) and your subject area, theme or topic.
- "graphic novels" AND friendship
- "graphic novels" AND science
In addition, consider searching for books that focus on teaching with comics or graphic novels. Many times they contain annotated book lists broken down by subject, topic, or grade level.
Catalogs/Databases
- Children's Literature Comprehensive Database This link opens in a new windowThe CLCD is the premier academic and research resource for courses needing to locate Children’s and Young Adult books and other media. The content includes over one million of fiction/non-fiction titles, thousands of awards and quality reviews including author/title links, lesson plans and teaching guides. The database offers multiple options including 50 search filters to find materials for determining interest & reading levels; selecting trade books based on standards; creating thematic, annotated biographies; interpreting reviews; developing classroom collections and more.
- Wadsworth Public Library (Geneseo, NY)Graphic novels in their collection
- YALSA Bookfinder DatabaseSearch 4,000+ books, audiobooks, and films from YALSA's book awards and book lists.
A few helpful websites about graphic novels & comics:
- Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals.
- Diamond BookShelf BookShelf is the graphic novel resource for Teachers, Educators, Librarians, and more! Our mission is to provide the latest news and info on comics and GNs!
- Graphic Guides Series Graphic Guides bring to life complex, theoretical topics like Quantum Theory, Logic or Postmodernism, and help you get your head around thinkers from Aristotle to Zizek.
- Let's Get Graphic: 100 Favorite Comics And Graphic NovelsNPR fan list of100 great comics for all ages and tastes, from early readers to adults-only.
- No Flying No Tights Original creator Robin B. here. I just want to broadcast my opinions to the world! Actually, no — I decided to create a page devoted to graphic novel reviews specifically for those who read them the most — mainly teens — and for those who might be involved in distributing them to teens — namely teachers, librarians, and parents.
- Using Graphic Novels in Education: Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales Welcome to Using Graphic Novels in Education, an ongoing feature from CBLDF that is designed to allay confusion around the content of graphic novels and to help parents and teachers raise readers.
- YALSA: Great Graphic Novels for TeensGreat Graphic Novels for Teens is a list of recommended graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those ages 12-18, prepared yearly by YALSA.
Poetry/Short Stories
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowFind up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on nearly 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.
