book review children's literature

What Is Social Emotional Learning and Why Is It Important?

How to make an impact on our kids’ mental health, illustration inspiration: manka kasha, creator of small knight and the anxiety monster, are you raising a reader or two we've got you covered, editor's picks, the power of pets, place, and personal experience: lauren castillo on the inspirations behind ‘just like millie’.

Award-winning author and illustrator Lauren Castillo shares experiences and meaningful inspirations behind her latest picture book, Just Like Millie.

Jo’s Special Gifts, by Mariam Shapera | Dedicated Review

Jo’s Special Gifts by Mariam Shapera, illustrated by Lorna Humphreys, is a picture book that celebrates the unique gifts and perspectives of an autistic child.

How to Make a Sandwich | Dedicated Review

How to Make a Sandwich by Lorena M. Proia is a charming children’s picture book that blends good old-fashioned storytelling with joyful illustrations.

Books by Age

• Teens: Young Adults

The Quiet Forest, by Charlotte Offsay | Book Review

In the delightfully whimsical picture book The Quiet Forest, author Charlotte Offsay takes readers on a riotous journey through a woodland.

Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep | Dedicated Review

The best new audiobooks for little listeners, coyote lost and found, by dan gemeinhart | book review, play with me, by kat chen | dedicated review, the growing readers podcast, growing readers’ hearts: an interview with dan gemeinhart on coyote lost and found.

Facing Fears Together with Alysson Foti Bourque and ‘Alycat and the Sunday Scaries’

Andrea wang weaves threads of belonging: exploring identity in ‘summer at squee’, poetry insights from jane yolen on crafting words, wisdom, and wonder, exploring love and light in ‘ferris’ with kate dicamillo, growing readers: reading and writing tips, haiku for kids: how to teach it and what to avoid, reading milestones: how to identify progress and seek support for a child, reading as a love language between children and their parents, teaching about civil rights leaders in the classroom through literacy, asian american and pacific islander heritage month, roar-choo by charlotte cheng | awareness tour.

Join us on an enchanting journey through the pages of Roar-Choo! by Charlotte Cheng, beautifully illustrated by Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Dan Santat.

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China | Book Review

The year of the dog, by grace lin | book review, pahua and the soul stealer | book review, my writing and reading life with linda meeker, author of thank you, mama, recent posts.

• Bubba and Squirt’s Shield of Athena | Dedicated Review

Bubba and Squirt’s Shield of Athena is an exciting adventure with lots to teach readers, perfect for the middle-grade classroom. 

• 1-2-3, A Deep Breath for Me | Dedicated Review

1, 2, 3, A Deep Breath for Me is an enjoyable story and a practical, accessible tool for teaching young readers about emotional regulation. 

Krystal Winkle and Galloping Giuseppe | Dedicated Review

Sasquatch, by roxanne seubert | dedicated review, true friends indeed, by ralph tufo | dedicated review, stardust: a journey to remember | dedicated review, virtual book awareness tours.

• 1-2-3, A Deep Breath for Me | Awareness Tour

Join us as we watch Mack and his best friend Gertie explore self-regulation skills in 1-2-3, A Deep Breath for Me, written by Hillary Harper.

Jo’s Special Gifts, by Mariam Shapera | Awareness Tour

Join us on a virtual book tour for the heartwarming picture book Jo’s Special Gifts by Mariam Shapera, illustrated by Lorna Humphreys.

How to Make a Sandwich, by Lorena M. Proia | Awareness Tour

Attention book lovers! You’re invited to join the virtual book tour for Lorena M. Proia’s delightful new picture book, How to Make a Sandwich!

Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep | Awareness Tour

Dive deep with us as we explore the world of Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep by Jeanne Walker Harvey.

Mama’s Love Language: Sometimes Love Tastes Like Hainan Chicken Rice | Awareness Tour

Immerse yourself in the pages of Mama’s Love Language: Sometimes Love Tastes Like Hainan Chicken Rice by Elisa Stad and Ry Menson.

Play with Me, by Kat Chen | Awareness Tour

Is your toddler looking for someone to play with? Join us on a picnic playdate as we explore Kat Chen’s board book Play with Me!

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New Releases

The No-Girlfriend Rule

Song of the Six Realms

Dragonfruit

Piper Chen Sings

Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets: Penelope Rex, Book 4

The Night War

Camp Sylvania

¡Fiesta!: A Festival of Colors

Hearts Still Beating

Escargot and the Search for Spring

Sheine Lende: A Prequel to Elatsoe

Black Girl You Are Atlas

Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail

The Secret Language of Birds

The Passover Guest

Twisted Love: Twisted, Book 1

Festergrimm: Legends of Eerie-on-Sea, Book 4

Our Editors' Top Picks

Popular with kids, best fantasy books for kids, popular with parents.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

• About the Bulletin
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• Center for Children’s Books

Welcome to  The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

We are one of the nation’s leading children’s book review journals for school and public librarians. We provide concise summaries and critical evaluations to help you find the books you need for your library’s collection.

May’s Big Picture

Children’s fantasy often gives both its characters and readers a magical world filled with adventure and shine, before returning them home with the yearning for adventure now put to rest. In this month’s Big Picture, author Kekla Magoon subverts this neat, stifling return to adult responsibility. While The Secret Library offers plenty of swashbuckling, time traveling, and fantastical action, it trusts its young readers with complexity and nuance rather than soothing tropes.

Our best books of the year list for 2023 is available! Whether young readers are looking for a belly laugh or a cathartic cry, they’ll find something to love with this year’s selection.

The Center for Children’s Books

The Bulletin is partnered with the Center for Children’s Books, a research center whose mission is to facilitate the creation and dissemination of exemplary and progressive research and scholarship related to youth-focused resources, literature, and librarianship.

Cover illustrations from THE SECRET LIBRARY . Jacket illustrations copyright © 2024 by Brittany Jackson. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

May’s Features

© 2024 Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. All Rights Reserved.

Interested in licensing our reviews?

Our book reviewers read and critically review thousands of children’s books and young adult literature annually to help teachers, librarians, parents, and childcare providers make appropriate literary choices for children. Preschool books, chapter books, juvenile nonfiction books, and parent literature are just some examples of the books we review. Our reviewers include book authors, librarians, writers and editors, teachers, children’s literature specialists, and physicians. Reviews cover books for and about children ages birth to 18.

• Fiction, nonfiction, audio/visual materials, activity, and craft trade books
• Professional development resources and parenting materials
• Indie book reviews
• Reviews are aimed at teachers, librarians, parents, and caretakers, helping them make the best selections for their audience
• Over 100,000 reviews, dating back to the 1990s

Companies like CLCD, a subscription database tool used by schools, universities and libraries, ILS vendors, and publishers are some organizations who use our reviews.

Is your company is interested in licensing reviews by Children's Literature? Please contact us at [email protected]  for more information.

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Children's & Young Adult Literature

• Finding Books
• Abandoned children in literature ---- Children's literature in series
• Children's literature, African ---- Children's literature, Yiddish
• Children's poetry ---- Children's rights in literature
• Children's stories ---- Grief in children--Juvenile literature
• Historical fiction ---- Young adults--Books and reading
• Article Databases & Web Resources

Book Review Sources

Book selection tools, "best" book lists.

• Authors & Illustrators
• Graphic Novels
• Banned Books
• Teaching Resources & Children's Lit Associations
• Open (Free) Access Children's & Young Adult Literature
• Plagiarism & Academic Integrity
• Booklist   Provides a guide to current print and non-print materials worthy of consideration for purchase by small and medium-sized public libraries and school library media centers
• Book Review Digest Retrospective  (EBSCOhost database)  Book review digest retro provides excerpts from, and citations to, reviews of adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction. Citations with excerpts of reviews of juvenile and adult fiction and nonfiction in the English language are included.
• Books In Print   Provides record of in-print and forthcoming books published and distributed in the U.S. which are available to the general public or trade for purchase. Includes reviews for some books taken from various book review sources.
• The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Book  A journal dedicated to reviewing some of the top children's books in the country.
• Children's BookWatch Locate current book reviews or archived book reviews from the previous 5 years. Part of the Midwest Book Review site.
• Children's Literature Comprehensive Database   The datab ase contains critica l reviews of thousands of children's books, ranging from the earliest baby board books to novels and nonfiction for young adults.
• The Horn Book Magazine Reviews of the best children's books published, articles about children's books, explorations of children's books from every perspective and news of the children's book world.
• Kirkus Reviews   Publishes reviews for fiction, mysteries,  sci-fi , translations, nonfiction, & children's books.
• Literature Resource Center (LRC) Excellent source for literary information. Includes poetry, short stories, novels, drama and reviews for children & young adults. Also plot summaries, critical analysis, author portraits, literary images, and biographies of authors and illustrators. Includes full text of journals containing book reviews and literary criticism relevant to children's and young adult literature (e.g.  BookList , Horn Book Magazine).
• Publisher's Weekly Current reviews of children's books. The trade journal of the publishing industry - does not typically include critical reviews.
• School Library Journal   The most complete provider of news, information and reviews for librarians, media specialists and teachers who serve children and young adults in school and public libraries.
• Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
• Horn Book Magazine
• Library Journal
• Lion and the Unicorn
• School Library Journal (SLJ)

Many books have been published listing the 'best' titles in selected subject areas, genres or for use with target groups [e.g. age, reading level, ethnicity etc.]. A selected list of those titles are listed below. In addition to single books a database for identifying titles is also listed. Search ASU Library catalog   for additional "best" titles. 

• 100 Best Books for Children
• A to Zoo : Subject Access to Children's Picture Books
• Across Cultures : A Guide to Multicultural Literature for Children
• Best Books for Children: Preschool through Grade 6
• Best Books for Children, Supplement to the 8th edition: Preschool Through Grade 6
• Best Books for High School Readers, Grades 9-12 
• Best Books for Middle School and Junior High Readers: Grade 6-9
• Best Books for Middle School and Junior High Readers: Grades 6-9   
• Best of Latino Heritage, 1996-2002: a Guide to the Best Juvenile Books About Latino People and Cultures
• Beyond Picture Books: Subject Access to Best Books for Beginning Readers
• Best Books for Young Adults
• Best Books for Young Adults 3rd ed.
• Best Books for Young Teen Readers, Grades 7 to 10
• Bilingual Children's Books in English and Spanish: An Annotated Bibliography, 1942 Through 2001
• Black History in the Pages of Children's Literature
• Crossing Boundaries With Children's Books
• Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults: a Comprehensive Guide
• Hearing All the Voices: Multicultural Books for Adolescents
• Kaleidoscope: A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8
• Multicultural Picturebooks: Art for Illuminating Our World
• << Previous: Awards
• Next: Authors & Illustrators >>
• Last updated: Nov 28, 2023 3:01 PM
• URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/ChildrensYoungAdultLiterature

The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.

• Research guides

Children's Literature

Book reviews, children's literature review sources.

• Children's Literature Comprehensive Database This link opens in a new window The CLCD database provides bibliographic data, reviews, awards, and lists for children's books, audio books, and videos. The database contains over 900,000 catalog records, and 130,000 full text reviews from 24 review sources. Approximately 1500 new reviews are added each month. There are retrospective reviews going back 10 years. Additionally, there are links to author sites, publishers, parent resources, curriculum resources and information on reading measurement programs.
• MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window Subject index for books and articles published on modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics
• Book Review Digest Plus (current & retrospective) This link opens in a new window Book Review Digest provides excerpts from and citations to reviews of adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction. Retrospective file covers 1908-1982. Current covers 1982-present.
• Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window Literature Resource Center provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of authors (novelists, poets, essayists, journalists, and other writers) from every age and literary discipline.
• Project MUSE This link opens in a new window Project MUSE provides full-text access to a large number of scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences published by over 120 of the world's leading university presses and scholarly societies. In addition, UPCC Book Collections on Project MUSE, launched in January 2012, offer book-length scholarship, fully integrated with MUSE's scholarly journal content. The Project Muse platform allows searching of books and journals in one place.
• Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Available through Project Muse, the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books is devoted to the review of current books for children.
• Lion and the Unicorn "The Lion and the Unicorn is a theme- and genre-centered journal of international scope committed to a serious, ongoing discussion of literature for children."
• NoveList This link opens in a new window NoveList K-8 Plus is a database about books specifically for younger readers. It helps kids find books that are just right for their reading level and interests. NoveList features articles, booktalks, book discussion guides, author read-alikes, readers' advisory and a variety of other reader and staff materials for the K-8 environment.
• << Previous: Children's Literature Awards
• Last Updated: Dec 22, 2023 3:14 PM
• Subjects: Education , Education K-12 curriculum , English Language & Literature
• Tags: children's_literature , juvenile_fiction , juvenile_literature , multicultural_literature_literature

Children and Young Adult Literature

• Locate Books

Children's Book Reviews in Journals

Children's book reviews in online databases.

• Awards and Organizations
• << Previous: Locate Books
• Next: Awards and Organizations >>
• Last Updated: Jan 9, 2024 12:41 PM
• URL: https://semo.libguides.com/childrens-literature

• Directories
• Articles & e-Journals
• Book Reviews
• Encyclopedias & Background Sources
• Finding Diverse Children's Literature
• Start Your Research
• Research Guides
• University of Washington Libraries
• Library Guides
• UW Libraries
• Children's Literature

Children's Literature: Book Reviews

Searching for book reviews.

The following databases are good places to search for book reviews of children's and YA books published in both scholarly journals and popular magazines.

Starting Points: Book Reviews

More Databases for Current Children's and YA Book Reviews

Resources for locating older book reviews.

• American Humanities Index 1975-present. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - AI3 .A487
• Book Review Digest 1905-present. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - Z1219 .B65
• Book Review Index 1965-present. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - Z1035.A1 B6
• Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Humanities Journals 1802-1974. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - Z6265 .C65 1982
• Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Scholarly Journals 1886-1974. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - Z1035.A1 C64
• Horn Book Index 1924-1989. Suzzallo-Allen Stacks - Z1037.A1 D39 1990
• Index to Book Reviews in England 1749-1774. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - Z1035.A1 F67 1990 1774-1800. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Refernece - Z1035.A1 F675 1997
• Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities 1960-1990. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - Z1035.A1 I63
• Index to Literature in the New Yorker (4 vols.) 1925-1975. Suzzallo-Allen Stacks - AP2 .N6764
• Literary Reviews in British Periodicals, 1789-1797: A Bibliography 1789-1797. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - Z2013 .W36 1979a
• National Library Service Cumulative Book Review Index 1905-1974. Suzzallo-Allen 1st floor Reference - Z1035.A1 N35 1975
• Times Literary Supplement Index 1902-1980. Suzzallo-Allen Stacks - AP4 .T15 index 1902-1939

Reviews in the News

• More news databases ...

NoveList Plus

• Link to NoveList Plus at Seattle Public Library [Requires SPL library card]

NoveList Plus is a readers advisory database of fiction and nonfiction for adults, teens and children, offering enhanced subject access and full-text reviews, Author Read-alikes, awards, theme-oriented book lists, Book Discussion Guides, Book Talks, and Feature Articles for a wide range of reading interests.

• Get a card at SPL
• << Previous: Articles & e-Journals
• Next: Encyclopedias & Background Sources >>
• Last Updated: May 6, 2024 1:06 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/childrens

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Children’s Books

Reviews of and essays about children’s books from the new york times., wanted: the good old days when kid-lit criminals were bad.

Even for the youngest readers, attempted piggy-bank robbery may not cut it.

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Asian American Children Are Front and Center in a New Version of a Groundbreaking Work

Erika Lee and Christina Soontornvat’s “Made in Asian America” spotlights young people who defy erasure and make their own history.

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A Quite Contrary Alphabet Book Asks, How Did Our Gardens Grow?

Jamaica Kincaid and Kara Walker unearth botany’s buried history.

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A Child’s-Eye View of One Black Family’s Covered-Wagon Journey

Lesa Cline-Ransome’s new novel in verse adds female voices to the late-19th-century Black homesteaders movement.

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A Long-Forgotten TV Script by Rachel Carson Is Now a Picture Book

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Voices of Peaceful Protest

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‘Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go’ Turns 50

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A Child’s Island of Wonder, as Fascism Rises

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In These Books, the Parents Are the Problem

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Our Bunnies, Ourselves

How the bunny became the reigning star of children’s literature.

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Tom Hanks Reviews a Tale Told by a Typewriter

A boy’s mother is missing. Her Olivetti was the last one to see her before she disappeared.

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It Was Enough to Make You Wish You Lived in a Boxcar

Gertrude Chandler Warner’s “The Boxcar Children,” celebrating its 100th year, depicts the delights of concocting scrumptious meals.

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Move Over, Alan Turing; Meet the Teenage Girls Who Rocked Bletchley Park

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Kate DiCamillo’s New Children’s Novel Is a Balm for the Soul

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A Feminist Retelling of the Medusa Myth, for Middle Graders

In Katherine Marsh’s new novel, the girl with the snaky curls loses neither her head nor her wits.

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2 Middle Grade Novels About the Legacies of Partition

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By Pooja Makhijani

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site BooksInTheClassroom.com

This is a collection of reviews of great books for kids, ideas of ways to use them in the classroom and collections of books and activities about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes and professional topics.

The Current Issue of the Newsletter is out!!

This issue features an Annotated List of Books Featuring Friendship for Grades Preschool through Ninth . Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter.

Children's Books:

• Featured Books Great books for kids with reviews, activities, links to related books and subjects on this site and links to other online resources.
• All Reviewed Children's Books This section has all the featured books above plus many more recommended books. We have reviewed each of them and linked them to related areas of this site. This list is arranged by title, author, and grade level.

Subjects in Children's Books:

• Curriculum Areas We've taken subjects such as MATH and HISTORY and integrated them with the language arts and other areas of the curriculum. Here you'll find recommended children's books, activities and approaches for the curriculum areas. (For more professional topics see the Professional Resources section below.)
• Themes and Other Subjects Ideas for themes, topics and other subjects around which to focus class work, research projects, and discussion groups. Naturally, these subjects overlap with the above curriculum areas. Each subject, such as Trains or Colonial America, contains children's book titles, activities, and links to related areas of this site.

Continued Below

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Professional Resources:

• Professional Topics Language arts topics such as Children's Literature, Reading and Writing, with articles, classroom activities, professional book excerpts and links to related Internet resources.
• Free Newsletter A children's literature electronic newsletter available by e-mail or on this web site. The newsletters contain new book reviews, author studies, featured books in depth, classroom themes, and the latest news about the web site. Sign Up or Read Back Issues .
• Carol Hurst's and Rebecca Otis' Books Professional books on using children's literature in the classroom, historical fiction picture books and novels. If you've always wondered how to keep up with our latest professional and children's fiction book releases and where to obtain books and other products; here's the place.

Getting Around Our Site:

• Expanded Table of Contents Here is a complete hierarchical Table of Contents of this site. So you don't miss a thing!
• Search Use this search form to look for specific authors, titles, and other subjects.

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Teach US History using great kids books.

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Home Page - Subjects - Books - Curriculum Areas - Table of Contents - Newsletters - Authors - Search - What's New Books by Us (Teachers' Resources and Children's Fiction) - Contact Us - Advertising Information

Copyright 1996-2016, Rebecca Otis. This document is from Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site at http://www.carolhurst.com. Contact Information: Rebecca Otis Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site. 52 Brookwood Dr. Florence, MA 01062 online: http://www.carolhurst.com/feedback.html

Children's Literature

Lisa Rowe Fraustino , Hollins University

Journal Details

Editorial correspondence should be addressed to:

The Editors Children's Literature Hollins University P.O. Box 9677 Roanoke, VA 24020 E-mail:  [email protected]

Manuscripts submitted should conform to the style in this issue. Submission as an e-mail attachment (MS Word) is preferred. To facilitate anonymous review, the author’s name should not appear on the essay. Please provide full contact information in a separate document. Double-spacing should be used throughout text and notes.

The Hopkins Press Journals Ethics and Malpractice Statement can be found at the ethics-and-malpractice  page.

Peer Review Policy

Children's Literature  is the annual publication of the Children's Literature Association and the MLA Division on Children's Literature.

Essays submitted to  Children's Literature  should be original work that is not under review elsewhere. We will consider translations of previously published work, if the material is seen as useful for our readers. Submissions are initially reviewed by the editor. Strong submission are then sent to two reviewers. Both author and reviewers remain anonymous to each other throughout the process.

We publish theoretically-based articles that demonstrate an awareness of key issues and criticism in children’s literature. We typically require at least one round of revision in response to reviewers' comments; often published essays go through two or more rounds of revision. Accepted essay are edited by the editor, the JHUP copy-editor, and a proof reader. Authors can expect a twelve to twenty-four month time frame from first submission to publication.

Editor-in-Chief

Lisa Rowe Fraustino Hollins University

Book Review Editor

Melissa Jenkins, Wake Forest University

Editorial Assistant

Lisa J. Radcliff,  Hollins University

Children’s Literature Advisory Board

Janice M. Alberghene,  Fitchburg State University    Ruth B. Bottigheimer,  SUNY at Stony Brook    Elisabeth Rose Gruner,  University of Richmond    Margaret Higonnet,  University of Connecticut    U. C. Knoepflmacher,  Princeton University    Roderick McGillis, University of Calgary

Children’s Literature Association Officers 2016–2017

Kenneth Kidd,  University of Florida,  President   Teya Rosenberg,  Texas State University,  Vice President/President-Elect   Annette Wannamaker,  Eastern Michigan University,  Past President   Gwen Athene Tarbox,  Western Michigan University,  Secretary   Roberta Seelinger Trites,  Illinois State University,  Treasurer

Children’s Literature Association Board of Directors

Philip Nel,  Kansas State University , 2014-2017   Sara Schwebel,  University of South Carolina , 2014-2017   Marah Gubar,  Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 2015-2018   Joe Sutliff Sanders,  Kansas State University , 2015-2018   Eric L. Tribunella,  University of Southern Mississippi , 2015-2018   Thomas Crisp,  Georgia State University , 2016-2019   Elisabeth Gruner,  University of Richmond , 2016-2019   Jackie Horne,  Independent Scholar , 2016-2019   Nathalie op de Beeck,  Pacific Lutheran University , 2016-2019

Send books for review to:   Melissa Jenkins     English Department     Wake Forest University     P.O. Box 7387     Winston Salem, NC 27109-7387     Email queries to: [email protected]      

Review copies received by the Johns Hopkins University Press office will be discarded.

Abstracting & Indexing Databases

• Web of Science
• Biography Index: Past and Present (H.W. Wilson), vol.22, 1994-vol.38, 2010
• Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson), 1988-
• Education Research Complete, 1/1/1993-
• Education Research Index, Jan.1993-
• Education Source, 1/1/1993-
• Humanities Abstracts (H.W. Wilson), 1/1/1988-
• Humanities Index (Online), 1988/00-
• Humanities International Complete, 1/1/1993-
• Humanities International Index, 1/1/1993-
• Humanities Source, 1/1/1988-
• Humanities Source Ultimate, 1/1/1988-
• Library & Information Science Source, 1/1/1972-1/1/1982
• MasterFILE Complete, 1/1/1993-
• MasterFILE Elite, 1/1/1993-
• MasterFILE Premier, 1/1/1993-
• MLA International Bibliography (Modern Language Association)
• OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson), 1/1/1988-
• Poetry & Short Story Reference Center, 1/1/1993-
• Professional Development Collection, 1/1/1993-
• RILM Abstracts of Music Literature (Repertoire International de Litterature Musicale)
• TOC Premier (Table of Contents), 1/1/1995-
• Book Review Index Plus
• Gale Academic OneFile
• Gale Academic OneFile Select, 01/1989-
• Gale General OneFile, 01/1989-
• Gale OneFile: Educator's Reference Complete, 01/1981-
• Gale OneFile: Leadership and Management, 01/1981 -
• InfoTrac Custom, 1/1981-
• ArticleFirst, vol.24, 1996-vol.39, no.1, 2011
• Electronic Collections Online, vol.31, no.1, 2003-vol.39, no.1, 2011
• Periodical Abstracts, v.19, 1991-2011
• Education Collection, 1/1/1991-
• Education Database, 1/1/1991-
• Literary Journals Index Full Text
• Periodicals Index Online
• Professional ProQuest Central, 01/01/1991-
• ProQuest 5000, 01/01/1991-
• ProQuest 5000 International, 01/01/1991-
• ProQuest Central, 01/01/1991-
• ProQuest Professional Education, 01/01/1991-
• Research Library, 01/01/1991-
• Social Science Premium Collection, 01/01/1991-
• The Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL)

Abstracting & Indexing Sources

• Children's Book Review Index   (Active)  (Print)
• Children's Literature Abstracts   (Ceased)  (Print)
• MLA Abstracts of Articles in Scholarly Journals   (Ceased)  (Print)

Source: Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.

0.4 (2022) 0.4 (Five-Year Impact Factor) 0.00007 (Eigenfactor™ Score) Rank in Category (by Journal Impact Factor): Note: While journals indexed in AHCI and ESCI are receiving a JIF for the first time in June 2023, they will not receive ranks, quartiles, or percentiles until the release of 2023 data in June 2024.  

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Published annually in May

Readers include: Librarians, teachers, writers, scholars, and those interested in children's literature

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Also of Interest

Joseph Michael Sommers, Central Michigan University

Kate Quealy-Gainer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Linda Mahood, University of Guelph

Dora Malech, Johns Hopkins University

David L. Russell, Ferris State University; Karin E. Westman, Kansas State University; and Naomi J. Wood, Kansas State University

Ted Atkinson, Mississippi State University

Adam Ross, The University of the South

Meghan O’Rourke

Nathan L. Grant, Saint Louis University

Charles Henry Rowell

Maria Farland, Fordham University and Duncan Faherty, Queens College and The CUNY Graduate Center

Chrysogonus Siddha Malilang, Malmö University, Sweden

Hopkins Press Journals

• International edition
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• Europe edition

Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books

Lauren Child brings a light touch to big issues, Elle McNicoll explores autism – and a secret society is at work in Paris’s sewers

T he inimitable Lauren Child revived her longest-serving character, Clarice Bean (7m sales, 25 years in print) in 2021. Smile (HarperCollins), her latest title, takes on big themes – ecosystem collapse, at home and beyond – in Child’s matter-of-fact, meandering way. She is one of those gifted authors whose plots bimble along innocuously, with the ever-sparky Clarice internal monologuing about this and that.

All the while, Child unobtrusively builds Clarice’s worry over an ill parent, and her realisation about the role of plankton (small) in sustaining blue whales (huge) for a science project that goes very wrong, but also very right. Libraries groan with publications unfairly tasking the most blameless in society with doing the work of averting climate catastrophe – “things YOU can do”, etc – but Child captures the right worry-to-comfort ratio as disasters are turned around and unexpectedly lovely things happen too.

Elle McNicoll burst on to the scene in 2020 with A Kind of Spark , which found Addie, 11, campaigning to exonerate the victims of Scotland’s witch trials. How many neurodivergent women were among them? In Keedie (Knights Of), McNicoll returns to Addie’s family a few years earlier, focusing on her protective older sister, whose autism comes with fashion sense and an aptitude for righting wrongs.

Keedie takes down school bullies (verbally). Soon, she is charging others for her services; eventually she takes things too far. It’s another gripping, original read from McNicoll, who always has a moving plot ace up her sleeve.

In The Wrong Shoes – written and illustrated by Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster) – artistic Will is at the sharp end of a costof living crisis. His injured dad is out of work; there’s no money for shoes. Naturally, jerks like Will’s nemesis Chris home in on sub-par footwear.

But when Will’s dad turns to the loan shark, a furious Will ends up in league with Chris and out of his depth in this all-too-real tale of stolen footwear – and surprising turnarounds. Nearly three in 10 children in the UK live in poverty, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. This is a book for right now.

Escapism, of course, is a tried-and-tested method that can momentarily alleviate adversity. The subject of publisher auctions, The Whisperwicks: The Labyrinth of Lost and Found by Jordan Lees (Puffin) builds its parallel worlds convincingly. Benjamiah Creek is 11, and an arch-rationalist. But a weird doll – a daemon-like poppet – soon leads him into a shadow realm. There, Benjamiah becomes enmeshed in a quest to find a missing boy, dodging the Hanged Men police force and solving riddles that will take him to the heart of Wreathenwold’s labyrinth.

Piu DasGupta’s debut, Secrets of the Snakestone (Nosy Crow), by contrast, doesn’t need much hocus-pocus to be spellbinding – just vivid storytelling and an excellent cover illustration by Helen Crawford-White. In Paris in 1895, Zélie is a mystified maidservant. Her father sent her over from Kolkata for reasons unexplained; now he has gone missing.

Making friends with Jules, who knows the sewer network, Zélie turns sleuth. Of course, there is a circus in town; naturally, a stolen, powerful object – the Snakestone – figures. Is there a secret society at work in the maze-like underworld? There is! All of this is made fresh by DasGupta’s brio and her subtle postcolonial side-eye, one that also celebrates the work of female scientists, so often unsung.

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Translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson, Yorick Goldewijk’s Movies Showing Nowhere (Pushkin) won awards in the Netherlands. Strikingly original, it finds wry, motherless tween Cate being invited to a disused cinema to learn the ropes from the mysterious Mrs Kano. But (spoiler!) these screenings are something else altogether: vignettes from people’s own pasts that viewers can step into.

So many kid-lit tropes are present in this sensational book (grief-stricken father, semi-wicked sort-of stepmother, time travel) but Goldewijk’s magic-cineaste fable makes everything new again, even the video game Mortal Kombat . The final, emotional twist is like a kick in the solar plexus from a pixelated goon – but in a good way.

• Children and teenagers
• Children's book reviews round-up
• Children's books: 8-12 years

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10 of the Best New Children’s Books Out May 2024

Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury grew up in a house so crammed with books she couldn’t open a closet door without a book stack tumbling, and she’s brought that same decorative energy to her adult life. Margaret has an MA in English with a concentration in writing and has worked as a bookseller and adjunct English professor. She’s currently a freelance writer and editor, and in addition to Book Riot, her pieces have appeared in School Library Journal, BuzzFeed News, The Lily, Parents, StarTrek.com, and more. She particularly loves children’s books, fantasy, science fiction, horror, graphic novels, and any books with disabled characters. You can read more about her bookish and parenting shenanigans in Book Riot’s twice-weekly The Kids Are All Right newsletter. You can also follow her kidlit bookstagram account @BabyLibrarians , or on Twitter @AReaderlyMom .

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

May children’s book releases explore many diverse experiences. In May picture book releases, a Cherokee girl moves, a Moroccan library tells its story, an anxious child learns to love a pet, Muslim children become friends, and a young girl experiences persecution during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In May middle grade releases, a Chinese American girl discovers a magic paintbrush, a Pakistani American experiences harassment, a nonbinary kid has their first romance, a Hindu boy discovers what it means to be brave during the British Partition of India, and a girl learns to value beauty from within. All of May children’s book releases were fantastic, and I can’t wait for everyone to get a chance to read them, too.

To read reviews of even more of May children’s book releases, make sure to subscribe and follow my reviews on Book Riot’s kidlit newsletter .

May Children’s Book Releases: Picture Books

Being Home by Traci Sorell & Michaela Goade (May 7; Kokila)

Most picture books about moving depict a child who doesn’t want to move or feels nervous about it. While those books are needed, Sorell instead shows a child who looks forward to moving. A young Cherokee girl and her family are leaving the city to move closer to family on a Cherokee Nation reservation. The picture book opens with the girl saying goodbye to her old home. Her mother tells her they’re on a new path, “One that leads us to / our ancestors’ land / and to our people.” The girl is ready and excited to follow the path. Once they arrive at their new home, relatives come to help and celebrate and explore with the girl. Goade’s illustrations are warm, joyous, and vibrant. It’s a beautiful celebration of Indigenous culture and what it means to be home.

Behind My Doors: The Story of the World’s Oldest Library by Hena Khan & Nabila Adani (May 7; Lee & Low Books)

This wonderful nonfiction picture book is told from the unique perspective of the oldest library in the world—the Al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco. The library is born in 859 when Fatima al-Fihri uses her inheritance to build a mosque and school, with a library to serve both. For centuries, the library enjoys prestige and relishes in the scholars who visit. But slowly people stop visiting, and the library falls into disrepair. In 2012, the government hires the architect Aziza Chaouni from Fez to restore the library. This is a really magical and accessible glimpse into a library’s history with soft and warm illustrations.

Growing Up under a Red Flag by Ying Chang Compestine & Xinmei Liu (May 7; Rocky Pond Books)

This is the first picture book memoir that I know of that takes place during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Compestine was three when Mao Zedong declared a Cultural Revolution and punished educated people like Compestine’s parents, who were doctors and taught Compestine English. When she turned five, they were no longer allowed to read or speak any foreign languages, and the leader of the Red Guard came to live with them to ensure compliance with all of Mao Zedong’s rules. Eventually, the Red Guard arrested Compestine’s father, and she doesn’t see him again until she’s a teenager. This is a compelling glimpse into an important historical moment accompanied by dramatic and moving illustrations. A short author’s note with photographs follows.

Sister Friend by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & Shahrzad Maydani (May 7; Abrams Books for Young Readers)

This heartwarming picture book grapples with the too-common struggle of finding friends when you look different and come from a different culture than everyone else. Ameena is the only brown girl and Muslim in her class. The other kids don’t really play with her. At recess, she plays an old game her Momma taught her alone. When a new student arrives, Sundus, who is brown like Ameena and wears a hijab, Ameena hopes they can be friends. But Ameena’s too-hasty words make Sundus believe she’s making fun of her. However, when the two attend the masjid together, Sundus realizes that Ameena can also be the friend she seeks. This special friendship book has gorgeous, soft illustrations that feel like a hug.

Neat Nick’s Big Mess by Chad Otis (May 7; Rocky Pond Books)

Nick loves everything to be just so—tidy, organized, planned. Nothing out of the ordinary, unexpected, or messy. But sometimes Nick’s concentration on everything being neat and tidy makes him feel lonely. So, his mom buys Nick a big, hairy, happy dog as a surprise. This doggo is not neat. He’s squishy and slobbery and messy and excitable. Can Nick learn to love this slobbery mess? Can the dog help Nick break out of his shell? This is such a sweet and funny book for anxious kids.

May Children’s Book Releases: Middle Grade

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol (May 7; First Second)

This delightful Eastern European fairytale graphic novel set in a nebulous historical time explores the idea of beauty. Jane has always known she’s plain; her wealthy parents made sure of that, constantly critiquing her eating, face, and demeanor. When her parents die, Jane learns that girls can’t inherit property. Her horrible male cousin will receive everything and kick her out of the only home Jane’s ever known. Jane will receive an inheritance if she marries, so she finds the most handsome boy in the village—the fisherman’s youngest son—and asks if he’ll marry her. He hesitantly agrees, wanting to escape a life of catching fish, but then a beautiful mermaid lures him into the ocean. Jane isn’t about to let her handsome fiance go, so she goes on a quest into the ocean’s depths to save him. This is so very entertaining. Fairy tale readers of all ages will love it.

Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani (May 7; Balzer + Bray)

This moving middle grade verse novel occurs during the British Partition of India. Twelve-year-old Raj, who is Hindu, loves flying kites with his best friend, who is Muslim. Raj is the middle child and often feels like he isn’t good enough in his father’s eyes. Raj loves cooking, but his father sees that as women’s work. His father wants Raj to excel at math so he can work in the family’s tailor business, but numbers swim for Raj. He and his family are initially excited about India’s independence, but then they learn they will be forced to move into what is now considered ‘India.’ During the harrowing journey, Raj’s younger sister is lost. Once they arrive at their new home, more difficulties face the grieving family. Thankfully, everything begins to improve thanks to Raj’s bravery, which is something he struggles to understand from the beginning. This is a lovely novel that I flew through despite the length.

Any Way You Look by Maleeha Siddiqui (May 7; Scholastic Press)

This is a fantastic and relatable novel about consent and fashion. Sixth grader Ainy, who is Pakistani American, and her family are going through hard times financially. Her father has moved back to Pakistan to care for his mother with cancer. Their family has moved into a friend’s basement, unable to afford their apartment’s rent. Ainy really wants to work in her mother’s clothing store, and her mother finally agrees. Her older sister gets a job at a coffee shop to help the family. When boys harass Ainy, she feels like she needs to deal with it herself. Her family is so busy and worried; she doesn’t want to add to their burdens. Ainy begins wearing a hijab like her older sister, hoping the boys will leave her alone. She feels guilty about this, knowing wearing a hijab should be about faith rather than hiding. When the hijab fails to deter the boys, she finally tells her family. This also has friend drama and first crushes.

The Magic Paintbrush by Kat Zhang, Eric Darnell, & Phoebe Zhong (May 21; Crown Books for Young Readers)

This is such a fun first book in a new illustrated fantasy series full of Chinese folklore. Seventh grader Amy has always loved art but feels like her art has been stuck in a bit of a childish rut lately. When she visits her Lao Lao in Flushing, the two bond over art. One day, while Amy is using Lao Lao’s jade paintbrushes, the bird-headed tiger she creates comes alive! She realizes Lao Lao’s jade paintbrushes are magic. Meanwhile, a university student in China has been hunting for the magic paintbrushes. This is a fast-paced, exciting fantasy read.

Upstaged by Robin Easter (May 28; Little, Brown Ink)

I smiled so much while reading this sweet, queer middle grade graphic novel romance. Ash (they/them) and Ivy (she/her) always share a cabin at a musical theater summer camp. This is the last year they can attend the camp, and Ash wants it to be the best year yet. But Ivy and Ash are put in different cabins, and Ash, who has a crush on Ivy, worries that Ivy is falling for her fellow costar in the musical they’re performing—”Ella,” a retelling of Cinderella. Ash doesn’t know how to tell Ivy they have a crush on her, and their worries are ostracizing them from other caring campers.

If you’re looking for more new children’s book releases beyond this list of May children’s book releases, check out my list of April children’s book releases , March children’s book releases , and February children’s book releases .

You can find a full list of new releases in the magical New Release Index , carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.

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Book Review: Coming-of-age meets quarter-life crisis in Fiona Warnick's ambitious debut 'The Skunks'

Isabel’s just trying to do better in a world buzzing with diametrically opposing views of what that means

Usually when I see a book described as an “ambitious debut” I read it as a cop-out. Isn’t a debut inherently ambitious? What does that even mean?

“The Skunks” is what that means. And Fiona Warnick makes it look effortless.

A coming-of-age novel with a quarter-life-crisis thrown in, “The Skunks” is told in a stream of consciousness with a cynical sort of oddball humor that's completely Warnick's own. Reading “The Skunks” is like drinking a cool glass of water on a hot summer day — it’s nothing particularly earth-shattering, but it’s wholly necessary, gratifying and gone before you know it.

The story is largely told from Isabel's point of view. She’s a recent college grad who has returned to her hometown with no real plans for the future. And one day, while house-sitting, she sees three baby skunks in the yard. The perfect antidote to her obsession with boys: an obsession with skunks.

Isabel’s just trying to do better in a world buzzing with diametrically opposing views of what that means. Her days are interspersed with fairytale-like skunk chapters. You can take the secondary story of the skunks as something that's happening alongside Isabel's story, or as something Isabel is writing to better make sense of her own life. It's also possible that it's just a really lovely story from the point of view of a skunk, which so happens to intersect occasionally with a human named Isabel.

The result is an unabashedly honest character study, humanizing and equalizing, in which skunks are just as much a part of the story as people. And by the end of it, you can’t help but have a new appreciation for both species.

It’s weird. It’s fresh. It’s a big bet that people will go along for this ride. In a word, it’s ambitious. And it pays off.

Warnick peppers the story with fresh imagery, similes and metaphors: Isabel describes her friend as having an internal rain gauge that’s always full, whereas everyone else’s leaks, leaving them craving a thunderstorm. The author also has a knack for contrasting literary beauty with the everyday, like when she describes the skunks’ tails swishing in unison “like a ballet, or a windshield wiper.”

The novel is filled with moments that are profound despite their mundanity — or could be profound if you look at it metaphorically — or just random thoughts and moments, a gentle ribbing of the reader for trying to find meaning in every detail.

But, if you can just sit back and enjoy it, the pages breeze by almost without notice. Warnick's smooth style and the lack of formal structure make the free-flow story fly by like you’ve been swept up in a jet flow.

Who knew a quarter-life crisis could be so engaging and delightful? Who knew Skunks were so charming and thoughtful? This book passed like a dream, and was over before I knew it.

AP book reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/book-reviews

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