176 A source for children’s reading

If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or pushover mama to the neighborhood, you might enjoy reading back issues of The Bulletin of the Center for children’s books (University of Illinois) for help in selecting gift books or library books for your little ones. Sorry I didn’t mention this before Christmas, but there are always birthdays and graduations from kindergarten.

I mention back issues for two reasons--that’s what is on line if you carefully work your way through the links (they don’t make this too obvious), and with children’s books does it really matter if they don’t have the latest? Don’t you want something with 1) beautiful illustrations, 2) wonderful use of the language and 3) timeless lessons to be learned?

I first clicked to the Blue Ribbon Archive then clicked on any year before 2003 and was able to read the feature articles and blue ribbon selections and special subject focus lists. The Bulletin’s Dozen is a theme based list, available only on-line. July 2002, for instance, listed 12 books about farms and farming with brief annotations, for example: Hall, Donald. The Farm Summer 1942; illus. by Barry Moser. Dial, 1994. 6-9 yrs. "While his father and mother serve their country, Peter spends his summer caring for animals and listening to family stories on his grandparents' New Hampshire farm." These lists can be printed in pdf double sided, tri-fold.

Also an interesting article on storytelling and libraries in the August 1997 issue, some of which will hold true when you curl up in a big chair with the little big ears, but also important to know if the child in your life goes to library story hours.