Selection Tools

From monthly journals to websites, blogs and books, there is a wide range of tools available to children’s librarians to aid in the selection of books for youth. This post will describe and present the respective merits of five such tools: School Library Journal, Booklist, Hornbook, Kathleen Odean’s Great Books for Babies and Toddlers, and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. I will then compare the utility of the five tools in selecting books for children 0-4 years of ages. Finally, I will present five books review in the style of Kathleen Odean’s Great Books for Babies and Toddlers.

School Library Journal
ISSN: 0362-8930
Website: www.slj.com/

School Library Journal is a monthly publication with print and online versions. It publishes reviews of print and multimedia items for youth. Along with its monthly reviews, School Library Journal also includes news, editorials, features and columns that discuss technology, information literacy, school curriculum and publishing. Reviews are written on a volunteer basis by librarians working with youth in school and public libraries. A large number of books (as well as CDs, CD-ROMs, DVDs and apps) are concisely and critically reviewed each month on the basis of “literary quality, artistic merit, clarity of presentation, and appeal to the intended audience”. School Library Journal reviews books published in English, as well as Spanish. Reviewers often compare new titles to previously published materials and recommend materials for additional purchase. If there are previously published materials that are superior to the title being reviewed, reviewers will often mention them. Additionally, reviewers will indicate if a title is recommended, non-essential, or if it should be passed over altogether.
School Library Journal’s website now allows users to read reviews from the most recent issues for free. A multi-field searchable database is available to all users in Beta form until March 1, 2012, from which point it will be limited to subscribers only.

School Library Journal’s book reviews are grouped into age categories and the “Preschool to Grade 4” category includes book reviews for the youngest children. Despite its name, this category also includes materials for children younger than preschool age. School Library Journal also reviews CDs and DVDs for children 0-4 years of age. A large number of materials are reviewed monthly, and exceptional books receive a starred review, allowing busy librarians to quickly determine which books are the “best of the best”.

Booklist
ISSN: 0006-7385
Website: http://www.booklistonline.com/

Booklist is a review journal published by the American Library Association twice monthly September through June, and monthly in July and August. It includes reviews of children’s books, but it is not devoted solely to youth materials like other review journals such as School Library Journal and Hornbook. Booklist contains reviews of books only, and does not review multimedia, CDs, DVDs, apps or audio books. Reviews of children’s materials are written by editorial staff, as well as librarians, both practicing and retired. A limited number of children’s books are reviewed in each issue. The reviews are rarely critical of books; it seems that materials that don’t merit praise are simply not included in the publication. Additionally, whereas School Library Journal will often suggest other worthy books on the same topic, Booklist does not.

Booklist organizes its reviews as books for “Older Readers”, “Middle Readers”, and “Young”. Materials specifically for children 0-4 years of age would fall into the “Young” category, which covers children in preschool through grade 3. Books for the youngest audiences- birth to 3 years of age- are not reviewed in Booklist.


Hornbook
ISSN: 0018-5078
Website: http://www.hbook.com/

Hornbook is one of the most respected children’s book journals in the United States. Hornbook Magazine is published bimonthly and includes articles, editorials, news on children’s book publishing and reviews of selected titles. The Hornbook Guide comes out twice a year and includes reviews of nearly all the children’s hardcover books published in the previous six-month period. Reviews are written primarily by a permanent editorial staff, consisting of professors, teachers, editors, librarians and booksellers. The reviews themselves are concise, with an almost scholarly flavor to them. The Hornbook is definitely intended for professional audience, rather than parents or people with a casual interest in children’s literature. Hornbook also has a searchable online database of over 80,000 reviews that is available to subscribers. As with School Library Journal, Booklist and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, reviews of materials for the youngest of children aged 0-4 are included, though the Hornbook covers books for a wide range of ages.


Odean, K. (2003). Great books for babies and toddlers: More than 500 recommended books for your child’s first three years. New York: Ballantine Books.

Great Books for Babies and Toddlers is a literature guide focusing on exceptional books for children 0-3 years of age. Author Kathleen Odean has impressive credentials as a former children's librarian and chair of the 2002 Newbery Award committee. In addition to reviewing the best books for young children, Odean’s book presents advice to parents, teachers and librarians; tips on reading aloud; suggestions for further reading; and other useful information. Her reviews are concise and conversational (Odean often addresses her reader directly and gives recommendations on how a book can be best shared); they include recommended ages, information on the book’s format, and whether the book is good for sharing with groups. The books are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name, but there is a subject index that can be used to locate books by broad subject. A separate section includes books all based on nursery rhymes, fingerplays and songs. The book spotlights books for the very young; though the age range it names is 0 to 3 years old, nearly all of the books included would be appropriate for slightly older children as well. This is a useful volume for anyone who shares books with young children. The only drawback to this book is its age- unfortunately the book is nearly ten years old and does not have an updated edition which includes newer books.




The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
ISSN: 1542-4715
Website: http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

This journal is published on a monthly basis by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne. The Bulletin includes reviews of children’s books, as well as editorials, bibliographies and reviews of professional books. Reviews indicate the book's content, its strengths and weaknesses, suggested reading level, as well as suggestions for curricular or storytime use. As with The Hornbook, the reviews are written with a scholarly tone and are intended for a professional audience. The reviewers consist of professors, editors, librarians and teachers, many with doctoral degrees. The Bulletin reviews books for all age groups, so books specifically written for children 0-4 are included, though they comprise a limited portion of the total reviews.


Comparison

All of these selection tools have their respective strengths. For a children’s librarian who is just starting out, Odean’s Great Books for Babies and Toddlers is wonderful source of information about books specifically for children 0-4. The drawback to this book is its age. The fact that it has not been revised or updated is really a shame, because it is one of the only sources that truly focuses on books for the very young.


While the review journals lack such specificity of focus, they make up for that deficit in their currency. For children’s librarians doing collection development, School Library Journal, Hornbook Magazine and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books are invaluable tools. School Library Journal and The Bulletin are published every month, which allows librarians to keep on top of the newest books. Additionally, School Library Journal also reviews multimedia and apps for youth. The broad variety of materials reviewed is useful, as the selection of media and formats within library collections for children is ever expanding. Though Booklist reviews children’s materials, its focus is too broad to be of great use to a children’s specialist. The online review databases of School Library Journal and The Hornbook Guide are also excellent tools for librarians to decide which books are best for their collections.



Reviews (in the style of Kathleen Odean)

Feiffer, Jules. Bark, George. 1999. Hardcover: HarperCollins. Good for groups. Ages 3 years and up.

When little George tries to bark, all kinds of meows and moos and oinks come out of him- to the great consternation of George’s mother, of course. George’s mom decides to take him to the vet, who pulls on a latex glove and fishes out of George a cat, a duck, a pig and a cow. It would seem that the vet has saved the day and George has been cured, but a twist at the end shows us that George has yet another problem. Jules Feiffer’s bold illustrations are the highlight of this hilarious book. The expressive faces of George, his mom and the other animals display a huge range of emotions from dismay, shock, and frustration, to determination, gratitude and elation. Adults will likely empathize with the plight of George’s mom. This book is a hit with kids and parents and is sure to elicit laughs.

Steig, William. Pete’s a Pizza. 1998. Hardcover: HarperCollins. Ages 3 years and up.

Pete is in a bad mood- he stuck in the house and can’t go play ball with his friends because it’s raining outside. When Pete’s dad notices his son’s mood, he decides to have some fun by pretending to make him into a pizza. Pete’s dad stretches him “this way and that”, tosses him in the air, lays him on the table and pretends to put toppings on him. Pete plays along until he gets tickled, which causes him to giggle and run. By the time their game is done, the sun has come out and Pete can go out to play. This book is good silly fun for kids, and the loving father-son relationship is an excellent model. Too often in books for young children, it is the mother-child relationship that gets all the attention.

Stileman, Kali. Roly-Poly Egg. 2011. Hardcover with lift flaps: Tiger Tales. Good for groups. Ages 2 years and up.

Roly-Poly Egg is the tale of Splotch, a charmingly colorful bird, and her egg. When Splotch lays a brightly spotted egg, she is so excited that she begins to jump up and down, shaking the tree branch and causing the egg to roll out of the tree. The egg goes on a rollicking adventure, propelled by various animals along the way. The egg eventually makes it back safe and sound, where it hatches and a spotted chick is born. This book has just the right level of drama for the very young to enjoy. The illustrations, rendered in bright colors against a white background, are bold and eye-catching, and kids will be won over by the lift-the-flap illustration of the hatching egg.

Willems, Mo. Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep!. 2010. Hardcover: HarperCollins. Ages 12 months and up.

Mo Willems is a master at creating books with a sophisticated simplicity that appeal to adults as well as kids. His Cat the Cat series (of which this book is a part) is intended for the very young. Cat the Cat rounds up all of her friends for bed as they prepare to go to sleep. The animals are depicted in various pre-bed activities such as reading a story, taking a bath and brushing their teeth, making this a natural choice for a bedtime story. When Cat the Cat gets to her friend Owl the Owl though, it’s clear that he’s in no state for sleep. As the other animals snuggle in their sleeping bags, Owl sits wide-eyed and awake on his perch. With an economy of words, repetitive text, and simple illustrations, this book is a great choice to share with very young children.

Thomas, Jan. What Will Fat Cat Sit On?. 2007. Hardcover: Harcourt Books. Good for groups. Ages 18 months and up.

Jan Thomas’s simple and silly story of a group of animals who are terrified of being sat on by Fat Cat makes an excellent read aloud for young children. The animals are ruled out one by one (to their great relief), and ultimately Mouse suggests that Fat Cat sit on the chair. As Fat Cat contentedly rests on a fluffy, flowered armchair, he is left to ponder what he will have for lunch. Thomas uses bright colors and thick, dark outlines to illustrate her characters, and the illustrations on the front and back covers, as well as the endpapers, are an integral part of the story. Her text is spare, simple and direct- making this book a good choice for young audiences, as well as beginning readers.