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Juvenile (K-12) Collection: Reference resources and journals about children's literature
Why Use Reference Books?
Before you begin writing a paper it's helpful to have a good overview of your topic. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and other reference material can help you. If a topic looks interesting, but you don't know enough about it, or you want a source of information other than your textbook, academic reference sources are what you need. You'll learn about the most important aspects of your topic, the important researchers, and many of these sources will list citations to key articles, books and book chapters.
I've listed some related reference material below. You can also ask a librarian about appropriate reference resources. Contact me or use Get Help
Selected Sources
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Children's Books and Their Creators. call number: Z1037 .C5424 1995
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. call number: PN1008.5 .C66 2003 [also available online -- see below for link]
International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. call number: PN1008.5 .I57 1996
Book Reviews & Criticism (use in addition to the online resources mentioned below)
Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults. 1989. 4 vols. call number: Z1037.A1 B38 1989
Children's Literature Review: Excerpts from Reviews, Criticism, and Commentary on Books for Children and Young Adults. 1976-2006 (in the ARC) call number: PN1009.A1 C5139
Handbooks
100+ Literacy Lifesavers: a survival guide for librarians and teachers, 1-12. call number: LB1573 .B235 2009
Children's Writers's and Illustrator's Market (most recent issue 2017). (in the ARC) call number: PN147.5 .C48
Online Resources (including journals)
- Bookbird : A Journal of International Children's LiteratureOnline access begins with v. 46 (2008). Hard copy available in the ARC: v. 5 (1967) through v. 42 (2004). Every two years this journal devotes an entire issue to the nominees for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
- Books for KeepsOnline access begins with the first number (1980).
- Bulletin of the Center for Children's BooksOnline access begins with v. 59 (2005). Hard copy available in the ARC: v. 3 (1949) through present.
- Children & Libraries : The Journal of the Association for Library Service to ChildrenOnline access begins with v. 1, no. 3 (2003).
- Children's Literature in EducationOnline access begins with v. 24, no. 3 (1993); most recent year not available. Hard copy available in the ARC: no. 1 (1970) through v. 34 (2003).
- Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's LiteratureWith many biographical-critical entries and nearly 100 topical articles all written by experts in the field, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature is the most complete and up-to-date single-volume reference source on the subject. The work covers 150 years of children's literature in many cultures: The United States, Great Britain, Canada, continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Asia. Biographical-critical entries include authors as well as illustrators.
- The Deakin Review of Children's LiteratureOnline access from the first issue (2011).
- Historical Dictionary of Children's LiteratureThe Historical Dictionary of Children's Literature relates the history of children's literature through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, a bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on authors, books, and genres. Some of the most legendary names in all of literature are covered in this important reference, including Hans Christian Anderson, L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl, Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Beatrix Potter, J.K. Rowling ...
- The Horn Book MagazineOnline access begins with v. 66, no. 4 (1990). Hard copy available in the ARC: v. 1 (1924) through v. 55 (1979), and v. 57 (1981) through present.
- In the Words of the Winners : the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, 2001-2010Winners of the most respected prizes in children's literature speak out in an exclusive collection of acceptance speeches.
- The Looking Glass : New Perspectives on Children's LiteratureOnline access begins with v. 5 (2001).
- Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's LiteratureWritten by an international roster of more than 300 authors, the Encyclopedia comprehensively documents and interprets the books read by children throughout the world. With a global perspective that pays attention to significant international trends and the multicultural expansion of the field, it includes brief biographies of every major author and illustrator. Also included are feature essays on all genres of children's literature, individual works, and prominent trends and themes ...
Librarian
J. Willard Marriott Library
The University of Utah
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Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0860
