Research and Course Guides: LITR 3060: Children's Literature in the Classroom: Finding Books

How to Search the Library Catalog for Children's Books

Additional Book Selections

Best Books List - New York Public Library
Expert Librarians at the New York Public Library selected titles for kids they considered a great read for the past few years.
Cooperative Children's Book Center
Use that tab labeled "CCBC Book Search" to search for titles in specific diversity categories. Use the tab labeled "Literature Resources" and then select Diversity Resources to find additional reviews and databases.

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) This link opens in a new window
CLCD Enterprise PreK-12 database provides access to academic and research resources focusing on Pre K-12 books and media of all types, including reviews from respected publications. Content includes over one million of fiction/non-fiction titles, thousands of awards and quality reviews including author/title links, lesson plans and teaching guides. The search engine offers multiple options including 50 search filters to find materials for determining interest & reading levels; selecting trade books based on standards; creating thematic, annotated biographies; interpreting reviews; developing classroom collections and more.

School Library Journal
School Library Journal is the premiere publication for librarians and information specialists who work with children and teens. While this link will take you to the online website edition of the journal, you can also access it through our databases at the library by search for the title in the Journals tab.
Social Justice Books - A Teaching for Change Project
Critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

Locating Children's Books Online

There are many places to locate Children's Books Online. Many publishers will have channels on YouTube where authors or other people read a story. Many times they share the pictures on the screen as well. Below you will find a list of places to find picture books online. Some are video formatted (where you watch someone read the story), while others are scanned copies of the books that you can then flip through to see each page without audio narration. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but to be a place to get you started finding popular and historical titles.

Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature
A collection of digitized children's books from throughout history.
Children's Book Selections from the Library of Congress
A collection of digitized children's books from the 1700's - 1999.
International Children's Digital Library
A collection of stories in various languages. Click on the "Read Books" link in the left side navigation to browse through the different collections.
Kid Lit Tv
A collection of "Read Out Louds" will highlight different books being read our loud by the author(s). It will show close ups of the pictures in the picture book. Features more contemporary titles.
Little Brown Readers - Storytime with Bill
A small collection of children's books where you can see the pictures in the books.
Open Library
Open Library contains a collection of books, ranging from classics to more contemporary titles. You will need to create a free account, before you can digitally borrow a title.
Project Gutenberg
A collection of digitized children's books, mostly historic, with classics like The Tale of Peter Rabbit or The Wizard of Oz.
Storyline Online
A collection of contemporary children's books read out loud by famous actors/actresses such as Betty White, Rashida Jones, Elijah Wood, and more.