LibGuides: Early Childhood: Children's Literature Resources

Books

Use Primo to find more books. You may borrow books for three (3) weeks with a valid SUNY Erie ID card.

A to Zoo by Carolyn W. Lima; Rebecca L. Thomas
Call Number: Z1037 .L715 2010
Carefully revised, focusing on more recent titles from the past ten years while keeping popular and available titles from the past, including classics and award winners * Includes a subject guide, a bibliographic guide, and title and illustrator indexes
The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature by Daniel Hahn
Call Number: PN1008.5 .C37 2015, Erie City Library Circulating Collection
The last thirty years have witnessed one of the most fertile periods in the history of children's books: the flowering of imaginative illustration and writing, the Harry Potter phenomenon, the rise of young adult and crossover fiction, and books that tackle extraordinarily difficult subjects. The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature provides an indispensable and fascinating reference guide to the world of children's literature.
The Picture Book Almanac by Nancy J. Polette
Call Number: Z1033.P52 P65 2016, Erie South Library Circulating Collection
This essential guide has exactly the right books to help you celebrate special days throughout the year—even "holidays" you've never heard of—and provides hundreds of fun titles and activities that could inspire your students to become life-long readers.
The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
Call Number: LB1573.5 .T68 2013 c.1, Erie City Library Circulating Collection
The classic million-copy bestselling handbook on reading aloud to children—revised and updated This updated edition of The Read-Aloud Handbook discusses the benefits, the rewards, and the importance of reading aloud to children of a new generation.
Reading with Pictures by Josh Elder (Editor)
Call Number: PZ7.7.R395 2014 Children's, Erie South Library Circulating Collection
Comics make learning fun! Comics have gone from "scourge of the classroom" to legitimate teaching tools, and the Common Core State Standards for scholastic achievement now explicitly recommend their use in the classroom. Reading With Pictures: Comics That Make Kids Smarter unites the finest creative talents in the comics industry with the nation's leading experts in visual literacy to create a game-changing tool for the classroom and beyond.

eBooks

eBooks can be read on your PC or downloaded to your device.

Use P rimo to find more eBooks. An SUNY Erie login is required to access eBooks from home.

Children's Literature by Seth Lerer
Call Number: ECC ebrary Collection
Ever since children have learned to read, there has been children’s literature. Children’s Literature charts the makings of the Western literary imagination from Aesop’s fables to Mother Goose, from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to Peter Pan, from Where the Wild Things Are to Harry Potter.
Children's Literature and Its Effects by Cedric Cullingford
Call Number: ECC ebrary Collection
A study of children's authors who are typical of their time, such as Enid Blyton, Angela Brazil, Judy Blume and Roald Dahl. The book discusses comics as well as classic texts, and the possible effects of these materials on children's attitudes.
Slavery in American Children's Literature, 1790-2010 by Paula T. Connolly
Call Number: ECC ebrary Collection
The first comprehensive study of slavery in children's literature, Slavery in American Children's Literature, 1790-2010 historicizes the ways generations of authors have drawn upon antebellum literature in their own recreations of slavery.
A Sneetch Is a Sneetch and Other Philosophical Discoveries by Thomas E. Wartenberg
Call Number: ECC ebrary Collection
Taking Picture Books Seriously: What can we learn about philosophy through children′s books? This warm and charming volume casts a spell on adult readers as it unveils the surprisingly profound philosophical wisdom contained in children′s picture books, from Dr Seuss′s Sneetches to William Steig′s Shrek!.
Using Children's Literature to Teach Problem Solving in Math by Jeanne White
Call Number: ECC EBL Collection
Learn how to use children s literature to engage students in mathematical problem solving. Teaching with children s literature helps build a positive math environment, encourages students to think abstractly, shows students the real-world purposes of math, builds content-area literacy, and appeals to students with different learning styles and preferences.

Caldecott Award Winners

The Caldecott Medal is 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.

Use PRIMO to find more Caldecott Medal winning books. You may borrow books for three (3) weeks with a valid SUNY Erie ID card.

The Adventures of Beekle by Dan Santat
Call Number: Ch Care jFic, Erie City Library Child Care Collection (also available at South Campus)
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Call Number: Ch Care jFic, Erie City Library Child Care Collection (also available at South Campus)
A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin; Mary Azarian (Illustrator)
Call Number: Ch Care QC858.B46 M37 1998, Erie City Library Child Care Collection (available at all campuses)
From the time he was a small boy in Vermont, Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal. Bentley's enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination revealed two important truths: no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Illustrator)
Call Number: Ch Care jFic, Erie City Library Child Care Collection (also available at South Campus)
The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.
This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
Call Number: Ch Care jFic, Erie City Library Child Care Collection (also available at South Campus)
When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it's a good thing that enormous fish won't wake up. And even if he does, it's not like he'll ever know what happened. . . .

Newbery Award Winners

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Use PRIMO to find more Newbery Medal winning books. You may borrow books for three (3) weeks with a valid SUNY Erie ID card.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Call Number: Ch Care jFic, Erie City Library Child Care Collection (also availble at South campus)
Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman; Dave McKean (Illustrator)
Call Number: PZ7.G1273 Gr 2008, Erie North Library Circulating Collection (also available at South Campus)
In this Newbery Medal-winning novel, Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?
Holes by Louis Sachar
Call Number: Ch Care jFic, Erie City Library Child Care Collection (available all all campuses)
A darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment Stanley Yelnat's family has a history of bad luck, so he isn't too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys' juvenile detention center, Camp Green Lake. There is no lake - it has been dry for over a hundred years - and it's hardly a camp. As punishment, the boys must each dig a hole a day, five feet deep, five feet across, in the hard earth of the dried-up lake bed.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De la Peña; Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Call Number: PZ7.P3725 Las 2015 Children's, Erie South Library Circulating Collection
Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate; Patricia Castelao (Illustrator)
Call Number: Ch Care jFic, Erie City Library Child Care Collection (also available at South Campus)
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Children's Booklists

ALSC Notable Books List
Notable books list from the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).
Children's Book Council
The Children’s Book Council (CBC) is the nonprofit trade association of children’s book publishers in North America, dedicated to supporting the industry and promoting children’s books and reading.
Cooperative Children's Book Center
The Cooperative Children's Book Center is housed with the School of Education at the University of Madison-Wisconsin.
Reading is Fundamental
Our programs work to address the never-ending cycle of illiteracy in the U.S. that suppresses millions of Americans, especially those from low-income communities, from reaching their full potential.

Resources for Selecting Children's Literature

Booklist
Booklist Online: More than 170,000 book reviews for librarians, book groups, and book lovers—from the trusted experts at the American Library Association
Horn Book
The Horn Book Magazine, launched in 1924, is a bimonthly journal of opinion, reporting, and timely reviews of the best titles.
School Library Journal
SLJ produces resources, services, and reviews that make library and education professionals savvier, and communities stronger.