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CLCD QuickFind PreK-12 This link opens in a new windowCLCD QuickFind K-12 is a custom topic-focused database, the most comprehensive listing of children's and YA literature titles in the industry.
Search by title, author, or keyword in CardinalSearch, then limit the scope to "Curriculum" using the drop down menu in the search bar.
Selecting Diverse Books
The following resources can help you select anti-bias and diverse titles to use in your lessons or classroom library.
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Guide for Selecting Anti-bias Children's BooksThis article discusses questions teachers should consider when evaluating children's books and gives examples of common issues in children's books that should be avoided. Links to other anti-bias resources are included at the end.
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Reading Diveristy Lite (Teachers' Edition): A Tool for Selecting Diverse TextsOne-page questionnaire that helps teachers include diverse voices in their day-to-day planning by answering 14 simple “yes or no” questions.
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Reading Diversity: A Tool for Selecting Diverse Texts (Extended Edition)This extensive document gives users an in-depth look at the complexity and diversity of a text and is ideal for curriculum coordinators, literacy coaches, book-selection committees and pre-service teachers.
Children's Literature Resources
Book Lists and Databases
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CCBC Recommended-Book SearchThis database from the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison includes CCBC's recommended titles the 1980 publishing year, when we began our annual CCBC Choices list, as well as occasional additional titles not in CCBC Choices. The database can be limited by age range, diversity subject, publication year, and more.
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CSMCL - Best BooksEach year a committee of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) identifies the best in multicultural books. According to the CSMCL criteria, "best" is defined as: worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to books, best should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels that reflect and encourage the interests of children and youth in exemplary ways.
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Diverse Families BookshelfIdentifying book titles that mirror the wide range of diverse readers and the unique characteristics of a family unit can be a difficult task. The Diverse Families Bookshelf was established as a finding tool to help bridge the gap between readers and books.
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Feminist Books for KidsThis blog, written by a self-described "writer, marketer, activist, and parent" is full of book lists that feature diverse authors and topics.
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Frequently Challenged BooksALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) receives reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. They compile lists of challenged books in order to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools.
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The Little Parachutes Picture Book Library (Books by Issue and Experience)Little Parachutes was founded by a mother who wanted to find books that helped parents offer kids a "softer landing" when they were experiencing challenging life issues.
Book reviews are organized into categories like Behaviors, Issues, Skills, and Experiences. -
Where to Find Diverse Books - We Need Diverse BooksThis page lists an extensive number of review sites organized topically. Each site linked offers recommendations for diverse titles in areas like social justice, disability, or religious identity.
Book Awards
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ALA Coretta Scott King Medal WinnersThe Coretta Scott King Medal award is given to "outstanding books for young adults and children by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience." The ALA publishes a list of these winners and our library maintains a copy of each.
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American Indian Youth Literature AwardAwarded biennially, the AIYLA identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity. In odd-numbered years, nominations are encouraged in fiction or nonfiction and may include graphic novels; for picture books, the award is for both author and illustrator. Awards are granted in even-numbered years. Authors/illustrators may win the American Indian Youth Literature Award in the categories Best Picture Book, Best Middle Grade Book, and Best Young Adult Book. In addition, up to five awards may be selected as Honors books in each category.
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Asian/Pacific Americans Librarian Association Past Literature Award WinnersThe goal of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature is to honor and recognize individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit.
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Pura Belpré AwardThis award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
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Schneider Family Book AwardAmerican Library Association award honoring an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
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Stonewall Book AwardsGay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Round Table of the American Library Association award presented to English language books that have exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experience.
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Woodson Book AwardNational Council for the Social Studies awards for the most distinguished books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the United States.
Through the Library
Search for the title of your book in Academic Search Complete to find reviews in sources like:
- School Library Journal
- Horn Book Magazine
- Booklist
- Publisher's Weekly
- Kirkus Reviews
Search for the title of your book using the Newspaper Search function of CardinalSearch to find reviews in sources like:
- The New York Times Book Review
- The Washington Post
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Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowGeneral research database which includes scholarly journals and popular magazines. 9,000+ full-text publications covering most academic subjects. PDF content going back as far as 1887 and searchable cited references for more than 1,400 journals
Online
Many of the sites listed on We Need Diverse Books provide book reviews. Other reviews can be found on sites like Goodreads, or on blogs or forums. When finding book reviews online, consider what information you're looking for in the review and whether the author of the review is qualified to give you that information.
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GoodreadsGoodreads is a free website used by over 50 million users who rate and review books. Over 50 million reviews are available on the site.
The feeds on this page are great resources for identifying newly reviewed/published titles that are trending in the world of Children's Literature. These feeds will update on a regular basis, so check back frequently for new suggestions.
These feeds review new titles that will likely not be in our collections here at Oesterle Library at the time of the review, but are a good way to stay informed of releases that may be of interest to you for your school or classroom collections.
NYT Children's Book Review Feed
The Children's Book Review Feed
Video Storytime
Remember that watching a video of the book being read will not be the same experience as exploring the physical book. For your college assignments, try to access a print copy of the books you are reviewing as often as possible.
Watching a reading of a picture book can be a great way to decide if you want to purchase the book for your classroom collection or use it in a lesson. If you are going to watch a video storytime, look for one created by the book publisher or author, or by a library, bookstore, or museum. The legality of reading a picture book in full and uploading it to YouTube is questionable at best, but most libraries, bookstores, or museums will have secured the proper permissions before posting.
Below are a few trustworthy and high-quality collections of vide storytimes.
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Storyline OnlineThe SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website, Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more. Storyline Online is available 24 hours a day for children, parents, caregivers and educators worldwide. Each book includes supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator, aiming to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners.
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Brightly StorytimeBrightly Kids brings you full-length picturebooks read out loud by our storyteller, Ms. Linda. Drop by for a new Brightly Storytime every month! Brightly is a resource to help parents raise lifelong readers, launched in partnership with Penguin Random House.
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Read and Learn with Simon KidsA Youtube playlist of read alongs and activities frequently updated by Simon & Schuster
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The Spanish ExperimentWell-known children's stories translated into Spanish and spoken by a native Spanish speaker.
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Indianapolis Library 100+ free read aloudsOver 100 books read aloud to follow along with. Collected on to one page by the Indianapolis library.
