I’m thinking, in particular, about how to find the good new ones, from among the many thousands of children’s books that appear each year. This is a question I’m often asked, but it’s a question of particular interest to my Literature for Children classes right now, since their third paper requires them to find a “new” book (published in the last ten years) that’s different than the childhood favorite they’ve already written about. So, here are some tips for them — and for all of you.
Awards. Some good books win awards.
- International
- Jane Addams Book Award (Jane Addams Peace Association; official site)
- Hans Christian Andersen Award (official IBBY site)
- Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Awards (official CBCA site)
- Choices Booklists: Children’s Choices, Teachers’ Choices, and Young Adults’ Choices (sponsored by the International Reading Association and the Children’s Book Council)
- International Reading Association Children’s Book Awards (click on “Category” to sort by category; look for the ones marked “Children’s Literature Awards”)
- Astrid Lindgren Award (sponsored by the Swedish Arts Council)
- Phoenix Award (official Children’s Literature Association site). These books will all be at least 20 years old. The award is given to a book that did not win a major award when first published.
- Robert F. Sibert Award (official ALA site)
- New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards (official site)
- U.S.
- Alex Award (official YALSA site)
- American Indian Youth Services Literature Award (official site)
- Pura Belpré Award (official ALA site)
- Irma S. and James. H. Black Award (official site, at Bank Street College)
- Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (official site)
- Caldecott Medal (official ALA site)
- Christopher Award (official site)
- Coretta Scott King Award (official ALA site)
- Geisel Award (official ALA site)
- Golden Kite Award (official SCBWI site — click on the link at left)
- Newbery Medal (official ALA site)
- New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of the Year: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001; 1952-2002
- Michael L. Printz Award (official ALA site)
- School Library Journal’s Battle of the Kids Books (official SLJ site)
- Society of Illustrators’ Awards (official site)
- William Allen White Children’s Book Award (official site, at Emporia State University)
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (official ALSC site)
- Charlotte Zolotow Award (official site)
- U.K.
- Carnegie and Greenaway Medals (official site)
- Costa Book Awards, formerly the Whitbread (official site)
- Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize (official site)
- Nestlé Children’s Book Prize, formerly the Smarties Prize (official BookTrust site)
- Red House Children’s Book Award (official site)
- BookTrust’s Prizes and Awards page.
But plenty of good books do not win awards. So, you need to look elsewhere, too — and not only at the runners-up for these awards.
Mock Caldecott. All around the U.S. each fall, local libraries hold Mock Caldecott Awards, in which they bring in that year’s crop of U.S. picture books, invite anyone who’s interested to peruse them and vote on their favorites. Here are the results for the one we did at the Manhattan (Kansas) public library this past fall (2010).
Your local public library. See what’s new in the Children’s Section, Young Adult section, Graphic Novels section. Often, the new works are on display. If you have more specific questions, you might consult the children’s librarian or librarians. Children’s librarians keep abreast of what’s new and nifty.
Children’s Literature blogs. It will not surprise you to learn that many of these are run by librarians.
- Fuse #8, by Elizabeth Bird (Senior Librarian, New York Public Library). @FuseEight on Twitter
- 100 Scope Notes, by Travis Jonker (elementary school librarian, Michigan). @100ScopeNotes on Twitter.
- Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, by Julie Walker Danielson. @SevenImp on Twitter
- Slightly Addicted to Fiction, by Judi J. @ReadingJay on Twitter.
- Book-a-Day Almanac, by Anita Silvey. This one isn’t devoted to new books, but it’s a first-class education in children’s literature. @AnitaSilvey on Twitter.
- Curious Pages: Recommended Inappropriate Books for Children, by Lane Smith and Bob Shea. This one’s dormant, and also isn’t devoted to new books. But if you like children’s books that are a little unusual, then this site’s for you.
And, yes, there are many other excellent blogs. Do feel free to recommend your favorites below.
Bookstores. Preferably, independent children’s bookstores. But, really, any bookstore. Just go to the children’s section and look at the books. You don’t have to buy anything. Make notes on the books you like, and seek them at your local library, or perhaps return and buy them at a later date.
CHILD_LIT listserv, maintained by Michael Joseph (Rare Books Librarian, Rutgers). Members of the listserv include librarians, teachers (from grade school to university), graduate students (and a few undergraduates), authors, illustrators, and anyone with an interest in children’s literature.
Stay curious. Wherever you go, keep your eyes and ears open for good books. Read publications devoted to children’s literature, like The Horn Book, and Kirkus Reviews of children’s books. Talk with children’s book fans of all ages.
If you have other tips to add, please post in the comments below. Thank you!
I love this list (and am flattered to be included) and will pass it on to many. It works for students, librarians, parents, and more. Wonderful.
Don’t forget, for those interested in finding good picture books, the Society of Illustrators, too: http://www.societyillustrators.org/Awards-and-Competitions/Original-Art/Overview.aspx. One can peruse the winners of that Original Art award to see good titles (and not just U.S. only). As a picture book nerd, I get the most excited every year about the Caldecott (of course), the NY Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year every Fall, and the Society of Illustrators’ picks (Gold and Silver) in that particular category. They don’t steer you wrong. (Last year’s Gold medal winner was Renata Liwska’s The Quiet Book.)
One of our goals with SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books (http://sljbattleofthebooks.com) is to highlight worthy books of the previous year, some of which might have been overlooked. This year, for example, our semi-finalists were Kathi Appelt’s KEEPER, Jonathan Stroud’s THE RING OF SOLOMON, Louis Sachar’s THE CARDTURNER, and Andy Mulligan’s TRASH. (With Megan Whalen Turner’s A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS as the winner of our Undead Poll.) If you haven’t already, do take a look at the different matches from this year and last as the judges do a bang-up job presenting the books.
Kirkus’s new site is great these days for seeing what is new and worthy. (http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/)
And to be self-serving, I also occasionally review new books at educating alice –and like to highlight some that again might be otherwise overlooked.
Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards archived back to 1946:
http://cbca.org.au/awards.htm
New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards:
http://www.booksellers.co.nz/awards/new-zealand-post-childrens-book-awards
(Because there’s a world of books south of the equator!)
This is an excellent resource — for your students and us.
Thanks Jules, Monica, Judith, and (via Facebook) Maria for your recommendations! I’ve added them to the resources! (You’ll see your names credited at the bottom of the post, right above this “comments” section.)
In some cases, sheesh, can’t believe I forgot those — such as the Astrid Lindgren Award (Maria’s contribution) or the Society of Illustrators (Jules’ contribution). In other cases, the suggestions help correct this page’s Anglo-American bias (Judith, especially) or simply points me to resources of which I was not aware (Monica’s suggestion).
Monica: Though I read and enjoy your blog (you’ll notice it, at right, among the children’s lit blogs I link to), I didn’t list it for the same reason I did not list my own. I do occasionally review children’s books, but only occasionally. For that reason, I’ve pointed people to blogs that have a greater focus on reviewing children’s books.
Again: Thanks to all!
Phil, I figured as much:)
This is a terrific list, Phil. There are so many ways to find good books for children – it makes me nuts when people complain that “there are no good books out there”!
Thanks for the mention Philip – and for the great roundup!
Thank you so much for compiling such an amazing list! I’m always jumping all over the place trying to find new books. I really can’t thank you enough.
Regards,
Natalia
Two things to add:
You said at the top “Some good books win awards.” What is called “good” is subjective and changes over time. Case in point, Gerald McDermott’s ARROW TO THE SUN won the Caldecott in the 70s but I’d hope that Betsy Hearne’s writings on sources and specifics of a story would mean that the book would not win that award today. Same with Goble’s THE GIRL WHO LOVED WILD HORSES.
Second, could you add the awards given by Native associations? I’m thinking of the book awards given by the American Indian Library Association, the ones given by the Michael Lacapa Spirit Prize, and the ones selected for distinction by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers. (All three are linked at my site, left side, scroll down.)
Thanks, Debbie. I’ve added the American Indian Library Association’s award, and credited you above.
And, yes, my use of the word “some” was intentional. On this very blog, I’ve taken issue with awards choices in the past. Sometimes a great book wins; sometimes not.
Betsy: didn’t realize I’d promoted you. I’ve changed “head children’s librarian” to “senior librarian.” Thanks for the correction.
I don’t think you have any UK awards listed? There’s the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/carnegie/ and the BBC Blue Peter Book Award (voted by children) http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/getinvolved/bookclub/2011bookawards.shtml
There’s a list here http://www.booktrust.org.uk/Prizes-and-awards
Ali B: UK awards are listed above, under “UK”: Carnegie, Greenway, Costa, Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, Nestle Children’s Book Prize, & Red House Children’s Book Award.
I do not have the BBC Blue Peter Book award listed. I’ll add a link to the Booktrust.org site — looks like a useful compendium of links. Thanks!
Oh goodness! How did I miss that! Thank you!
A good place for serendipitous encounters (with books, that is) is the “Returned Today” shelf at your local library. The ‘best’ books are always out, so this is your chance to skim the cream.
It’s also worth while checking out the awards shortlist. Sometimes the winner may just not hit the target for you and your kids, but there’s always at least one or two successes from the list.
All booksellers can tell you that there are books that kids love, and books that parents love (sometimes they’re the same, but not always). Guess which there are more of.
That tatty, tired, not-very-good-book which is your child’s favourite bedtime story, is clearly speaking to them in some way. If you can figure out what it is about the book that the kid loves, you’re well on the way to finding more ‘favorites’ for them.
In addition to Judith’s point about New Zealand books, the organization called Storylines gives out national book awards (http://www.storylines.org.nz/Awards.html). Storylines is made up of librarians, authors, publishers and parents, and is a good balance to the NZ Post book awards.
This is a wonderful list! I can think of only one other award list that I don’t see here–USBBY’s Outstanding INternational Books LIst (http://www.usbby.org/outstanding_international_books_list.htm). There is overlap among all these lists, of course, but USBBY tries to point out really good books first published elsewhere and then later released in the US.
Kay
Wonderful suggestions, Phil. I’d definitely link up this post to my teacher-students who may be on the lookout for good reads in children’s lit. =)