Curriculum Laboratory

Searching for Book Reviews for Children's and Young Adult Literature

For further assistance in using any of the resources in the Lab, please ask at the Curriculum Lab Information Services Desk.

Always make sure you have made use of the book suggestions and Internet links found in the related handout, "Bibliographical Tools to Locate Children's and Young Adult Literature." Some of the most useful resources  are:

  • Charlotte Huck's Children's Literature (372.64 Kie) (2007)
  • Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom (372.64 Bai) (1999)
  • A to Zoo:  Subject Access to Children's Picture Books (011.62 Lim 2006)
  • Best Books For Children (011.62 Gil 2006) (+ 2007 supplement)
  • Beyond Picture Books (011.62 Bar) (1995)
  • Children's Literature Arrangements (011.62 Hus) and Literature Connections (011.62 Lit)  and Aboriginal Collection Online --  Available online to Education students on the Digital Resource Subscriptions web page under Edmonton Public Schools Databases .
  • Book Review Digest (Z 1219 C96) -- Look in the volume of the year, or the year after, the book was first published.
  • Book Review Index (Z 1035 A1 B6) -- Look in the volume of the year, or the year after, the book was first published.
  • Contemporary Authors (Z 1224 C59) -- Look in the cumulative index.
  • Masterplots (PS 373) (senior high)
  • Gale Research "Dictionary of Literary Biography" series (PS 129) -- Use the "Gale Literary Index" to search for relevant chapters in the Gale series (See step 7, below, for more information). (mostly senior high)
  • The Reference Desk binder also has a printout of the latest major award winners, and related internet sites.  Ask at the Curriculum Lab Information Services Desk for access to this printout.

These subject headings in the Library Catalogue are useful for finding book reviews for children's and young adult literature.  General subject headings are:

  • literature--study and teaching
  • children's literature
  • children's literature--bibliography
  • young adult literature
  • (subject) + fiction
  • books and reading

Use title search in the Library Catalogue for specific criticisms, or expand your search by searching using the Library Catalogue's keyword index, and type in "author and criticism".

e.g. Julie of the Wolves
     Shakespeare and criticism

Browse Alberta Education's novel lists, as well as the Edmonton Public Schools' lists:

  • EC to grade 6:  "Children's literature arrangements" 011.62 Hus Gr.EC-6
  • Grades 7 to 12: "Literature connections" 011.62 Lit Gr.7-12
  • Grades 4 to 12: "English language arts : novels and nonfiction, grades 4 to 12" 375 LangArt Alta Gr.4-12 (2004)
  • Grades 8 to 12: "Knowledge and employability, novels and nonfiction, grade 8-12 : Alberta authorized resource list and annotated bibliography" 375 KE (LA) Alta. Gr 8-12 (2006)

 Browse the Curriculum Laboratory shelves under the "011.62s", and the Library Main collection under the "Z 1037s" and "PN 1009s."

Search for reviews in other electronic sources:

  • LearnAlberta.ca on our Digital Resource Subscriptions site (username and password required) contains 3 comprehensive literature websites (including some Canadian content), found in the Online Reference Centre:
    • Novelist K-8 Plus and Novelist Plus (grades 9-12) ("Your guide to reading") -- Book Reviews, Award Winners (including all Canadian awards), Recommended Reads, Book Discussion Guides, Book Talks, Picture Book Extenders, Author Biographies, Book Lists, Feature Articles, and Genre Outlines. These sites include standard reviews under each title.
    • Teachingbooks.net ("Sharing the spirit of books and reading") -- Audio Book Readings, Author Interviews, Author Programs and Author Websites, Book Guides, Booklists, Book Awards.
  • CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials  -- "is an electronic reviewing journal which reviews Canadiana of interest to children and young adults, including publications produced in Canada, or published elsewhere but of special interest or significance to Canada." It also contains author profiles.

Check the " Education Indexes/Databases" on the Library Home Page.

  • Hint:  Type in the author's last name and keywords from a book title, or use the following strategies to find title selections:
  • CBCA Complete has reviews from Canadian Children's Literature, and Resource Links, etc.
  • Global Books in Print has reviews from Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, etc.
    • Especially good for finding reviews for newer books (published in the last 10 years).
    • Hint:  Click on titles with a star beside them, which indicates reviews are available.
    • Hint:  After clicking on a title, look for the "Title Reviews" tab, and/or the "Author Biography" tab.
    • Hint:  Use the "Advanced Search" button, and set up your search page to search the author's last name, and then several keyword boxes, for the main keywords in the title. e.g.:   Reid and party; Sendak and wild and things.
    • "Children's Room" includes the "A to Zoo" database, where you can find picture book reviews by browsing subjects. e.g. "ABC books"
  • Book Review Index Plus Search for reviews on books, periodicals, books on tape and electronic media. Indexes thousands of publications including journals, magazines and newspapers. Includes full text reviews. This is a good source for finding reviews on newer books, or on titles published longer than 10 years ago.
  • Gale Literary Index indexes many of the Gale literary reference series available in the University Library.
    • Search by author and scroll down to find the title of your book.
    • It is an index only:  Once you figure out which volume you require, use the library catalogue to find out the location of the volume you require.  You will be glad you did!
      e.g. Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising"
  • ERIC:
    • good for literature curriculum tie-ins
    • Example searches for title:  cat and hat,  where and wild and things
    • You can also browse by typing in "children's literature" or "children's literature and grade #"

Find book reviews on the Curriculum Lab "web."

 

By Bill Glaister. Created August 2001.  Updated August 2009.