Skip to Main Content

Education Resources: Children's Literature

Reference sources, books, e-books, book reviews, and peer-reviewed journals in Education.

Reference Sources

Finding Books

Title Search

Select Title in  the Search Within menu.  Skip initial "The,"A," or "An."  For example, to find a copy of The Tale of Peter Rabbit," enter "tale of peter rabbit."  To find other books by Beatrice Potter, select Author in the Search Within menu, last name first:  "potter, beatrice."  Here is the record:

Library Chldren's Books Locations

Library Locations for Children's Literature

Most Children's Books are in two locations:  Picture books like The Tale of Peter Rabbit are in the Children's Collection.  Readers like the Harry Potter books are in Young Adult (YA).

Some classic children's literature is shelved on the second floor in literature, for example, Tolkein's The Hobbit.

Call numbers for most children's fiction begin with the letters PZ.  

Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature

Children and the The Joy of Reading

Finding Book Reviews on Children's Literature

Teachers often must select children's books for their classes.  Common review sources for children’s books include Booklist, Horn Book Magazine, Kirkus Reviews, Library Media Connection, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal

Several EBSCO databases provide access to these reviews. 

Lists of books can be found in a web search.  Many are available on Amazon.com.

Caldecott Medal

Children's Books Awards

The two most important annual awards for children's literature are the Caldecott Medal, for picture books, and the Newbery Medal, for distinguished contribution to children's literature, both given by the American Library Association.  The award winning books, many of which stay in print long after the year of receiving the award, are a reliable selection for a school library.