SELECTIVE BASIC LISTS

Best Books for Children: Preschool Through Grade Six.  Catherine Barr and John T. Gillespie.  8th ed. Rev ed. Libraries Unlimited, 2006.  $80.00. ISBN 978-1-5915-8085-0.

Best Books for Middle School and Junior High Readers: Grades 6-9.  John T. Gillespie and Catherine Barr. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.  $75.00.  ISBN 1-591-58083-8 / 978-1-5915-8083-6.

Best Books for High School Readers: Grades 9-12.  John T. Gillespie and Catherine Barr. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.  $75.00.  ISBN 1-591-58084-6 / 978-1-5915-8084-3.

Each of these volumes includes thousands of recommended titles selected to satisfy both a child's recreational reading needs and the demands of a typical school curriculum.

Children's Catalog.  19th ed.  H.W. Wilson, 2006.  $195.00.  ISBN 0-8242-1073-5. (Price includes three annual supplements.)

A selected, classified catalog of recommended children's books, preschool to 6th grade, arranged with nonfiction first, in order by Dewey Decimal Classification, followed by fiction, short stories, and easy books. Titles included are all in print unless otherwise noted. Four year cumulations and yearly supplements. Analytical index. New to this edition are the inclusion of graphic novels and recommendations of periodicals. Also available as a web subscription.

Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog.  9th ed.  H.W. Wilson, 2005.  $290.00.  (Price includes three annual supplements.)  ISBN 0-8242-1053-0.

Same format as Children's Catalog, but contains books for older children, although many titles appear in both volumes.

SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS

A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books.  Carolyn W. Lima and John A. Lima. Libraries Unlimited, 2006.  7th ed.  $75.00.  ISBN 1-591-58232-6 / 978-1-5915-8232-8.

An indispensable aid for finding picture books on a particular topic.  Includes more than 28,000 fiction and non-fiction titles catalogued under more than 1,350 subjects.

Around the World with Historical Fiction and Folktales: Highly Recommended and Award-Winning Books, Grades K-8. Beth Bartleson Zarian. Scarecrow, 2004. $50.00.   ISBN 0-8108-4816-3 / 978-0-8108-4816-0.

Divided into "American History," "World History" and "Myths and Folktales," this gives bibliographic information and a brief summary for each title.

Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough Challenges. Cheryl Coon. Lutra Press, 2004. $17.95. ISBN 0-9748025-7-3 / 978-0-9748-0257-2.

Lists of recommended books (mostly picture books) on such topics as death, bullies, and sharing.

Boys and Literacy: Practical Strategies for Librarians, Teachers, and Parents. Elizabeth Knowles and Martha Smith. Libraries Unlimited, 2005. $35.00. ISBN 1-59158-212-1 / 978-1-5915-8212-0.

In addition to "strategies" and discussion questions, this features many bibliographies including ones on humor, science fiction, war and graphic novels.

The Coretta Scott King Awards Book: 1970-2004.  3rd ed.  Henrietta M. Smith, ed.  ALA, 2004.  $38.00.  ISBN 0-8389-3540-0 / 978-0-8389-3540-7.

Annotated lists of award winning books by African American authors and illustrators.

Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults.  Ruth Nadelman Lynn.  5th ed.  Libraries Unlimited, 2005.  $65.00.  ISBN 1-59158-050-1 / 978-1-5915-8050-8.

An annotated bibliography of thousands of titles for children grades 3-12, and a research guide.

Great Books About Things Kids Love.  Kathleen Odean.  Ballantine, 2001.  $14.00.  ISBN 0-345-44131-1 / 978-0-345-44131-7.

Great Books for Babies and Toddlers.  Kathleen Odean.  Ballantine, 2003.  $14.95.  ISBN 0-345-45254-2 / 978-0-345-4525-4.

Great Books for Boys.  Kathleen Odean.  Ballantine, 1998.  $14.95.  ISBN 0-345-42083-7 / 978-0-345-42083-1.

Lists books of special appeal to boys, but is definitely dated.

 Great Books for Girls.  Kathleen Odean.  Rev. ed.  Ballantine, 2002.  $14.95.  ISBN 0-345-45021-3 / 978-0-345-45021-0.

All of these titles were in print at the time of publication, and feature active, assertive female protagonists who go beyond gender stereotypes.

Hearing All the Voices.  Mary Ann Darby and Miki Pryne.  Scarecrow, 2002.  $36.50.  ISBN 0-810-84058-8 / 978-0-8108-4058-4.

Bibliography of more than 500 alphabetically arranged titles for grades 6-9, with corresponding reading and interest levels. Includes books on such issues as homosexuality, drug abuse and non-traditional families, as well as ones on 44 nationalities.

High/Low Handbook: Best Books and Web Sites for Reluctant Teen Readers.  Ellen V. Libretto and Catherine Barr.  4th ed.  Libraries Unlimited, 2002.  $50.00. ISBN 0-313-32276-7 / 978-0-31332-276-1.

Presents a core collection of books and websites. Most listed titles are from publishers which specialize in hi/lo books.

Junior Genreflecting: A Guide to Good Reads and Series Fiction for Children.  Bridget Dealy Volz, Cheryl Perkins Scheer and Lynda Clackburn Welborn.  Libraries Unlimited, 2000. $34.00.  ISBN 1-563-08556-9 / 978-1-5630-8556-7.

Recommended books in genres of interest to children (adventure, mysteries, etc.).

More Outstanding Books for the College Bound: Choices for a Generation.  Marjorie Lewis, ed. ALA, 2005.  $35.00.  ISBN 0-8389-3553-2.

Fiction and nonfiction choices of mostly adult and a few young adult books.

Good books listed the way children request them (e.g. "Where are your funny chapter books?").

The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books.  ALA, 2007. rev ed. $19.00.  ISBN 0-838-93567-2 / 978-0-838-93567-5.

An annotated list of all the medal and honor books, plus background on the awards and photos of the new medalists. Updated annually.

Sixty Years of Notable Children's Books.  Sally Anne Thompson, comp.  ALA, 2004.  $25.95. ISBN 0-8389-8265-4 / 978-0-8389-8265-5.

A compilation of all the notable book lists from the 1960s - 1990s.

Teen Genreflecting.  Diana Tixier Herald.  2nd ed.  Libraries Unlimited, 2003.  $45.00.  ISBN 1-5630-8996-3 / 978-1-5630-8996-1.

Lists of recommended books in all genres from science fiction to romance to contemporary problems.

This Land is Our Land.  Alethea K. Helbig and Agnes Regan Perkins.  Greenwood, 1994. $71.95.  ISBN 0-313-28742-2 / 978-0-313-28742-8.

Features fiction, folklore and poetry about African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans.  Annotations are quite lengthy.

Many Peoples, One Land: A Guide to New Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults.  Alethea K. Helbig.  Greenwood, 2001.  $80.95.  ISBN 0-313-30967-1 / 978-0-3133-0967-0.

Voices from the Margins: An Annotated Bibliography of Fiction on Disabilities and Differences for Young People.  Marilyn Ward.  Greenwood, 2002.  $49.95.  ISBN 0-313-31798-4 / 978-0-313-31798-9. Information Age Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-593-11400-1 / 978-1-5931-1400-8 (pap.)

ANNUAL COMPILATIONS

An annual list of the editors' favorite books from the previous calendar year, published in the January edition of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, and at http://bccb.lis.uiuc.edu.

A selected list of the editors' choices published in the previous year found in the January/February issue of Horn Book and at www.hbook.com.

"Notable Children's Books" ALA. Association for Library Service to Children.

Annual list selected by a committee of librarians includes picture books, fiction, and nonfiction. Reprinted in Booklist and School Library Journal.  Also of interest: "Best Books for Young Adults," "Notable Children's Recordings," "Notable Children's Videos," "Notable Children's Computer Software," "Notable Children's Websites," "Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults," "Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers," "Alex Awards" (top ten adult books for young adults), all published by ALA. All available at: www.ala.org/alsc or www.ala.org/yalsa.

"Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People."  National Council for the Social Studies. Annual, updated every June. 

Single copies available for $2 with a stamped ($ .87 postage) self-addressed 9"x12" envelope from: The Children's Book Council, Attn: Social Studies, 12 West 37th St., New York, NY 10018. Previous years' lists are available online at: www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable/.

"Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12."  National Science Teachers Association. Annual, updated every March.

Single copies available for $2 with a stamped ($ .87 postage) self-addressed 9"x12" envelope from: The Children's Book Council, Attn: Science, 12 West 37th St., New York, NY 10018 or at www.nsta.org/ostbc.

A selected list of the editors' choices found in the December issue of School Library Journal, and on their website www.slj.com.

Grace W. Greene Greene

Children's Services Consultant