With so many lists and reviews and opinions, how do you know what to choose?
Check out Rocket Reading's How to Choose Read Aloud Books: Babies to Third Graders guide for some great tips.
Talk to Jamie Kohler! Jamie is the librarian in charge of collection development for McGill Library - she selects and purchases our children's books. Ask her how she makes those choices!
Literacy Organization Journals
These journals offer reviews of children's books, as well as research and evidence-based practices for incorporating literature into your instruction.
You can either search for keywords or subjects within each journal or browse some of the most recent editions.
The Reading Teacher - International Literacy Association (ILA)
Bookbird - The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures - World of Words (WOW)
Journal of Children's Literature - Children’s Literature Assembly (CLA) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
To search the Journal of Children's Literature, Limit your results by publication and use the search bar at the top of the page
Book Lists
These sources are not affiliated with a national literacy organization but do offer trusted reviews of Children's and Young Adult Books.
Be sure to check out the Lion and the Unicorn, an international theme- and genre-centered journal, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, which is committed to a serious, ongoing discussion of literature for children. In addition to scholarly articles related to the field of children's literature, you will find interviews with authors, editors, and other important contributors to the field, as well as an outstanding book review section.
