This guide is a starting point for identifying, locating, and evaluating books within a specific theme for a particular grade level.

If you need additional assistance, please Ask a Librarian or contact Mrs. Kathleen Lowe, Reference and Instruction Librarian, at lowek@montevallo.edu or 665-6109.

Guides to books by grade/age
Young Adult books
Themes

    Challenges
    European Children's Novels (translations)
    Graphic Novels
    Nonfiction
    Picture Books
    Poetry

Library Catalog
Organizations and Award Winners
Children's Periodicals
ERIC database
Academic Search Elite

• Guides to books by age/grade

Pre-school -  Grade 6
Children's Catalog 
Ref. PN 1009 .A1 C5445 2006  (Main Floor)

Children's' Catalog is a comprehensive list of fiction and nonfiction books, periodicals and electronic resources for children from preschool through grade six.  Includes an alphabetical index to all books in the Catalog.  Each book is entered under author, title and subject and includes the grade level.

Pre-K - Grade 6
Adventuring With Books: A Booklist for Pre-K-Grade 6
Ref. PN 1009 .N346 2002  (Main Floor)

Books chosen represent the highest in literary standards.  Published between 1999-2001, the books were reviewed by a wide constituency including university teacher educators and classroom teachers.  The book is divided  into themes ranging from mysteries, traditional literature, international literature, multicultural themes and topics such as death, family life and war.
 

Young Adult Books Michael L. Printz Award Sponsored by the American Library Association's Young Adult Division, the Michael L. Printz award is for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature

Teen's Top Ten
Sponsored by the American Library Association Young Adult Division, the Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year.  Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country

Themes and Genres Challenges Your Reading: An Annotated Booklist for Middle and Junior High Ref. PN 1009 .A1 Y68 2003  (Main Floor) The titles in Your Reading cover books published from the late 1990s to 2003 chosen around the theme of challenges.  The book is divided into six sections: Challenges of Coming of Age, Challenging Our Lives,  Challenging Our Imaginations, Challenging our Minds, Challenges of Today's World, and Challenges of Yesterday. European Children's Novels Beyond Babar: The European Tradition in Children's Literature Ref. PN 1009 .A1 B43 2006  (Main Floor) Examines in depth eleven of the most celebrated European children's novels. Graphic Novels Great Graphic Novels Sponsored by the American Library Association's Young Adult Division  To qualify for the Great Graphic Novels for Teens list, books MUST be graphic novels (written and illustrated in sequential art format, like comic books) published between September 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008 Graphic Novels: A Genre Guide to Comic Books, Manga, and More Ref. Z 5956 .C6 P38 2007  (Main Floor) Titles are divide by basic genres: Super-Heroes, Science Fiction, Contemporary Life etc.   Divides graphic novels by theme and age group.  Includes age-appropriateness guide for each book. Multicultural books Grades K- 8 Kaleidoscope : A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8 Ref. PN 1009 .C8 M353 2003  (Main Floor) PN 1009 .C8 M353 2003 (Second Floor) Lists books published by and about African American, Asian American, Latino Americans and Native Americans.  It also includes books set in countries of their origins or those of their ancestors, books about their coming to America, and books that deal with religious and cultural practices that can be traced to the countries of their ancestral roots.                                                             Kaleidoscope, 2001, xi Taken together the two volumes cover books published from 1995 to 2003. Nonfiction Award Winners Grades K- 8 Orbis Pictus Award Awarded by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) to the Outstanding Nonfiction Title for Children Picture Books (Picture books are Children's literature usually presented in book form consisting of 32 pages, in which pictures and words combine to tell a story) A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books  7th Edition Ref. Z 1037 .L715 2006 (Main Floor) A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books   5th Edition Ref. PN 1009 .A1 L715  1998 (Main Floor)

Poetry 
Ages 3-13
Poetry Award
Awarded by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) to honor a living American poet for his or her work for children ages 3-13.

Index to Poetry for Children and Young People
Ref. PN 1023 .B725 (Main Floor)
 

• Library Catalog
  The Library Catalog contains records for children's books in the Young People collection.  
  
  Use the Advanced Catalog Search to Limit By
  Young People Collection

The Young People Collection is the name given to the children's literature section in our Library.  The Young People Collection is located on the Second Floor.

Several examples of Library of Congress Subject keywords appropriate for use in a keyword search when searching for children's books in the Young People Collection include: :

• Juvenile literature 

• Juvenile fiction

• Juvenile poetry

• Children's poetry

• Children's songs

• Nonsense verse

• Fairy tales
  
  
  ·  Organizations and Award recommendations for outstanding book
   

American Library Association (ALA) : Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC)

Recommended Booklist offers titles by theme and ages

Especially for Families offers titles by awards

Newberry Award Winners
Awarded by the ALA to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Caldecott Medal Winners
Awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Sibert Medal
The Sibert Award is presented annually to the author, author/illustrator, co-authors, or author and illustrator named on the title page of the most distinguished informational book for children published in the United States during the preceding year

Coretta Scott King Award
Given to African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions, the Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream

Belpre Award 
Two medals shall be awarded biennially at the Annual Conference of the American Library Association, one to a Latino author and one to a Latino illustrator, for creating outstanding original children's books that portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.   The winner(s), recognized for their literary and artistic achievements that demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading, receives a bronze medal. 

Mildred L. Batchelder Award
Awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States. ALSC gives the award to encourage American publishers to seek out superior children's books abroad and to promote communication among the peoples of the world

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award The purpose of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award is to recognize an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have over a period of years made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The recipient is presented with a medal, designed by Garth Williams. The award is made every tow years Children's Notable List Each year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books, recordings, videos, and computer software. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Summer Reading and Learning Primarily aimed at the summer reading interest of teens Children's Literature Association Publishes two peer reviewed academic journals :  Children's Literature and the Children's Literature Association Quarterly.  Both are published by Johns Hopkins Press.  The organization presents  several awards for children literature.   Children's Periodicals The Horn Book http://www.hbook.com/ Has published critical reviews and articles about children's literature since the mid 1920s. Features: annual best books list called "Fanfare;" annual Boston Globe-Horn Book awards for "Picture Book," "Fiction and Poetry" and "Non-Fiction," categories. Horn Book Magazine Library has issues in print from 1924 -1995 Electronic full text access is via the Electronic Journals  (1990 - present) School Library Journal The Library has issues in print from 1975 - present Choose Curriculum Connections to guides by theme and grades Electronic full text access is via Electronic Journals (1975 - present)

• ERIC Database  

ERIC is a comprehensive database for resources in the field of education . Children's literature is analyzed in peer review journals, lesson plans, and education magazines.  The articles can assist in the understanding and presentation of children's literature to students from pre-school to secondary education.

• Academic Search Elite