Last updated on 2 June 2004. Copyright Terri J. Goldich, 2004. May be reproduced freely for educational use with appropriate citation.
This
guide to various resources for the study of children’s literature is presented
in two parts. The first section offers
a very small selection of the resources available in print at the University of
Connecticut in Storrs, and the second part offers information on selected
resources available in electronic formats.
The print resources are arranged in alphabetical order with a brief index
following the section. The electronic
resources are arranged by category.
This document is printer-friendly and was created in Microsoft ® Word
2000 (9.0 3821 SR-1).
Part I
Since
the 1970’s, when pioneers such as Dr. Francelia Butler worked to
bring children’s literature into the mainstream of academic study, researchers
have been applying the same techniques to this genre as to the more traditional
areas of literature. Therefore, the
field is broad, busy, and crowded. The
smattering of sources represented here does not include important topics such
as exhibitions, works in series, journals and periodicals, and audiovisual
materials. Multiculturalism is
represented by only a couple of works. However,
the works listed here are often used and some are old friends, such as Anita
Silvey’s well-known work Children’s books and their creators, which has never even left my desk long enough to
be catalogued. This list is presented
in alphabetical order to remove any confusion about whether a work is, for
example, a handbook or a directory.
100 Best books for children (Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004). By Anita Silvey, one of the best-known
scholars in the field of children’s literature. Ms. Silvey was a reviewer for and editor of the Horn book magazine for many years and also has been a publisher of
children’s books for Houghton Mifflin.
This guide to the best for the children in our lives is arranged by the
child’s age, with a bibliography, reading journal, and index, and covers a century
of the genre. The reading journal at
the back of the book just begs to be annotated with dates, ages, and our
children’s thoughts about the books.
A to Zoo: subject access to children’s picture
books (Westport, CT : Bowker-Greenwood, 2001). Carolyn Lima and John A.
Lima, eds., 6th ed. This is the guide to use to delve into
picture books from the subject perspective, but it can be a bit daunting since
a search for a particular book can be a three-step process. The first section provides LC subject
headings and cross-references. Once the
appropriate form of the heading is found, use the next section to look up the
authors and titles of books with that heading assigned. Then, with the author or title identified,
go into the third section for a full bibliographic description of the
work. Titles and illustrators are
indexed in appendices. One problem is
that in some libraries full subject analysis is not done for children’s
literature, or fiction in general, so the author/title information becomes
noteworthy since that information must then be taken against the local
catalogue. Still, this is an essential
source.
American literary scholarship (Durham, NC : Duke University Press,
2000). This is annual in 1 volume and
is also available as an Internet resource.
This handy yearbook describes
the work in essay form of the previous year's scholarship on prominent American
authors and subjects, with criticism.
Part 1 is arranged by author studied with part 2 by genre and time
period. An important source for the
academic looking for recent works on a particular topic or person to supplement
citation indices, this publication includes name and subject indexes.
Art of children’s picture books: a selective
reference guide (New York : Garland Publications, 1988). By Sylvia S. Marantz and Kenneth
A. Marantz. In 1 volume,
this is also vol. 825 of the Garland reference library of the humanities. This
bibliography of reference works in the genre could use some updating but still
remains a standard.
Best books for children:
preschool through grade 6 (New Providence, NJ : R.R. Bowker LLC, 1998). John T. Gillespie, ed., 6th ed. In 1 volume, this work indexes authors,
titles, and subjects by grade level, providing a rich resource for teachers,
librarians and media specialists.
Biography index (New York : H.W. Wilson, 2002). In 24 volumes and kept up to date by
supplements, this source provides biographical information provided by other
Wilson publications. Very easy to use
and comprehensive, Biography index includes access to autobiographical entries,
obituaries, and bibliographies.
Books by African-American authors and
illustrators for children and young adults (Chicago : American Library Association,
1991). By Helen Williams. In 1
volume, this extensively indexed work presents information for books produced
between 1990 and 1989 by black writers and illustrators. The chapters are arranged by the child’s age
from the very young to young adult readers,
with the fourth chapter covering illustration, including persons, styles, and
techniques.
Children’s books and their creators (Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., 1995). By Anita Silvey. Updated in 2002 with the title Essential guide to children’s books and
their creators, also from Houghton Mifflin. These two volumes taken together comprise
the “Bible” for the scholar and curator of the genre, who need information on
persons, trends, timelines, and techniques for just about anything. Well indexed, illustrated, and annotated,
the essays provide insight into the best and brightest lights of the
field.
Children’s books in print (New Providence, NJ : R.R. Bowker, LLC,
2002-). In 2 volumes for 2002 (v.1:
Authors/Illustrators, v.2: Titles/Publishers/Wholesalers/Distributors), with volume 3 for 2003 (Subject Guide/Publishers/Distributors). This
is the companion publication to the ever-present and irreplaceable Books in
print, and offers the librarian full bibliographic
information on thousands of books currently available and indexed in many
ways.
Children’s books,
their illustrations, and decorative art (Watkins Glen, NY : Century House, 1967). Series:
American Life Collector, vol. 7.
While an older work, this publication is comprised of reprints of
articles from various sources that remain an expression of the history of
illustration in children’s books.
Children’s catalog (New York
: H.W. Wilson, Co., 2001). Anne Price and Juliette Yaakov, eds. 18th edition.
This edition has expanded on its entries for minorities, ecology, natural sciences and natural history, with new sections on
recommended web resources and audiobooks. The four sections of the 18th edition are comprised
of:
- classification section (by Dewey class);
- recommended web resources;
- author/title/subject/analytics index;
- publisher and distributor directory.
Children’s literature: a guide to reference
sources (Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress; for sale
by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Printing Office, 1966, 1977
[second supplement]) . By Virginia
Haviland, with Elizabeth Wenning, Barbara Quinnam, and Margaret Coughlan. Produced
by the Children’s Book Section of LC by some of the best-known names in the
genre, these important government documents are due for some updating but
represent an “industry standard.”
Continuum encyclopedia of children’s literature ((New York : Continuum, 2001). Bernice E. Cullinan, and Diane G. Person, eds.
Containing over 1000 biographical entries and many articles, this
alphabetical work includes international authors and illustrators but covers
mainly those of North American and European interest. As with A
to Zoo, subject access is given but
here to authors, not titles. This is an
essential source by two of the major scholars in the field.
Current biography yearbook (New York : H. W. Wilson, 2001) 61st. annual. Clifford Thompson, ed. . Arranged
alphabetically by surname with indexes for profession and cumulative index
1991-2000, this resource contains biographies of prominent living leaders in
many areas of achievement including children’s literature. This is an annual publication kept up to
date by supplements and has been in publication since 1940. The 2001 edition includes 15,000 prominent
folks.
Encyclopedia Americana (Danbury, CT : Grolier, 2001). In 30 volumes and updated annually, this
very approachable work containing comprehensive coverage of all things American
gives information not only alphabetically by name, topic, place, organization,
or institution, but also by century, with timelines of important events and
players in each section. This work is
in a format more accessible to the younger reader.
Encyclopedia Britannica. (Chicago
: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998). 15th
edition in 29 volumes, this is the definitive, internationally recognized
encyclopedic resource for any library past elementary school, published in
sections called Micropaedia and Macropaedia, with a Guide to the Encyclopedia in 1 v. and a 2-volume index. The Micropaedia contains thousands of
shorter articles on specific persons, places, and topics in all fields of human
endeavor. The Macropaedia explores
learning and history in more depth.
Also available free online at www.britannica.com, this work is complete with
thousands of illustrations, graphics, charts, tables, and maps.
Encyclopedia of world biography (Detroit : Gale Research Group, 1998). 2nd edition in 17 volumes and arranged
alphabetically by surname, this includes biographies of approximately 7000
persons making contributions of international note in the areas of culture and
society. This work provides important
access to those in the field of literature internationally.
Humanities index (New York : H. W. Wilson, 1974/75-) Quarterly, with annual cumulations, this
indispensable resource is also available as an online subscription. Similar to Reader’s guide to periodical
literature, this essential source provides full-text articles from
English-language periodicals from 1995 forward, with citation coverage before
1995. Subjects covered include
literature, archaeology, communications, dance, film, history, journalism,
literary and social criticism, philosophy, and religion.
International companion encyclopedia of
children’s literature (London : Routledge, 1996). Peter Hunt and Sheila
G. Bannister Ray, eds. This
large volume (almost 1000 pages) fills a gap between the study of the North
American genre and the rest of the world.
Several other publications address the international children’s
literature “scene” but the subject requires a look at the International
companion for a complete picture.
Literary market place (New York : Bowker, 2003). Annual, in 2 volumes and accompanied by
International literary market place, this is also available online and in
CD-ROM. This is the “bible” of the
publishing trade. The set includes
information on publishers, agents, associations, trade events and
activities. This is very easy to use,
with pages in different sections in different colors, but inexpensively
produced since it is generally not retained past the current edition.
Our friends, our family, our world: an annotated
guide to significant multicultural books for children and teenagers (New Providence, NJ : R.R. Bowker, 1992). This important resource offers information
on over 1000 works published in the last quarter century for Native Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans, with entries for European and African works as
well. Extensively indexed, with
well-written essays on each work by well-known specialists, this is an
essential tool for the librarian, collection development officer, and
curator.
Oxford companion to children’s literature (New York: Oxford University Press,
1999). Humphrey Carpenter and Mari
Prichard, eds. 2nd
ed. In 1 volume and updating the 1984
edition, this well-known work covers the genre on an international scale with
biographies, subject access, and most importantly, summaries for several
hundred examples of the world’s best literature for children.
Something about the author (Detroit : Gale Research, 1971-). Donna Olendorf and Diane
Telgen, eds. 19th
ed. A multi-volume set published
according to its preface for the “younger reader,” this mainstay of information
about authors and illustrators provides information when other sources may
fail, with information on family, education, upbringing, and occasionally, portraits. Formerly edited by Anne Commire, this resource is useful for the curator in
children’s literature in the creation of biographical backgrounds for those
represented in a collection.
Touch magic: fantasy, faerie and folklore in the
literature of childhood (New York
Philomel Books, 1981). By Jane
Yolen. This
lovely work by one of children’s literature’s best writers explores the
presence of the elements of the book’s subtitle (“fantasy, faerie, folklore”) in a 10-chapter publication with an accompanying
bibliography.
Webster's biographical dictionary (Springfield, MA : F. & C. Merriam Company, 1980). In 1 volume, this resource provides short
biographical information on approximately 40,000 prominent persons. While international in scope, there is
emphasis on American and British persons of note. A useful addition not available in other biographical
dictionaries is the guide to pronunciation of names!
Who's who in America (New Providence, NJ : Marquis, 2003). 55th edition, in 3 volumes, also
alphabetically arranged by surname, this publication includes only American
leaders in public life, culture, and the society in general. A standard source for biographical
information but inclusion is voluntary.
Persons may list themselves, as with other "who's who"
publications such as Who's who of American women.