Coursework

These articles and editorials, arranged broadly by topic, are recommended reading for every children's literature course and all scholars in the field. For additional material, browse Authors & Artists for insight on the creative process, News for information about upcoming events, and our full listings of magazine articles and editorials.

Culture, race, and ethnicity
    • An Interview with Rudine Sims Bishop by Kathleen T. Horning (May/June 2008)
Talking with the foremost scholar of African American children's literature
    • For the McKissacks, Black Is Boundless by Barbara Bader (March/April 2007)
A couple raises African American history.
    • "Now, why’s he got to come back to that?" editorial by Roger Sutton (May/June 1999)
Untangling the paradoxes of Nappy Hair.
    • Eight Ways to Say You: The Challenges of Translation by Cathy Hirano (January/February 1999)
The balancing acts of a Japanese-to-English translator.
    • "Mom, Look! It's George, and He's a TV Indian!" by Debbie Reese (September/October 1998)
Native Americans aren't history.
    • Against Borders by Hazel Rochman (March/April 1995)
A noted critic on multicultural children’s literature.

Picture Books
    • "Why Is This a Picture Book?" editorial by Roger Sutton (July/August 1996)
Offering young readers too much, too soon.
    • Design Matters by Jon Scieszka, designed by Molly Leach (March/April 1998)
How ugly duck prose gets transformed by good design.

Historical Fiction
    • Writing Backward: Modern Models in Historical Fiction by Anne Scott MacLeod (January/February 1998)
Historical revisionism in some of today’s most popular novels.

Nonfiction
    • Where Do All the Prizes Go?: The Case for Nonfiction by Milton Meltzer (February 1976)
A passionate plea for “information” books to be judged fairly and justly rewarded.
    • Annual acceptance speeches for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Nonfiction, listed on our Articles page, January/February issue each year.

Poetry
    • Audio Poetry: A Call to Words by Kristi Elle Jemtegaard (May/June 2005)
Assessing poetry recordings for children.
    • On Originality in Children's Poetry by J. Patrick Lewis (May/June 2005)
Why it requires borrowing.
    • Purposeful Poetry by Susan Dove Lempke (May/June 2005)
Forcing poetry into the lesson plan.
    • An Interview with Virginia Euwer Wolff by Roger Sutton (May/June 2001)
Talking about poetry and prose with the author of Make Lemonade and True Believer.

Young Adult Books
    • Redefining the Young Adult Novel by Jonathan Hunt (March/April 2007)
Literary YA fiction comes of age.
    • Looking for YA Literature in the Elysian Fields by Patty Campbell (January/February 2007)
The University of Minnesota's heavenly Kerlan Collection
    • Leave Them Alone editorial by Roger Sutton (May/June 2006)
Trusting teen readers
    • Tigers and Poodles and Birds, Oh My! by Tim Wynne-Jones (May/June 2004)
The curious publishing story of three crossover novels.
    • Holden at Sixteen by Bruce Brooks (May/June 2004)
Catching up with Holden Caufield.

Graphic Novels and Comic-Style Books
    • Graphic Novels 101: FAQ by Robin Brenner (March/April 2006)
A crash course for new readers.
    • Graphic Novels: Reading Lessons (PDF) by Hollis Margaret Rudiger (March/April 2006)
The medium and its messages.

Awards and classics
    • Slippery Slopes and Proliferating Prizes by Marc Aronson (May/June 2001)
A critique of identity-based awards, such as the Coretta Scott King and Pura Belpre Awards.
    • Awards That Stand on Solid Ground by Andrea Davis Pinkney (September/October 2001)
A response to Marc Aronson's "Slippery Slopes and Proliferating Prizes."
    • Could Randolph Caldecott Win the Caldecott Medal? editorial by Anita Silvey (July/August 1986)
The dangers of being distinguished.
    • See also Children's Classics (PDF), Future Classics submitted by readers, and complete Awards listings.
    • Annual acceptance speeches for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, listed on our Articles page, January/February issue each year.

Books in the classroom
    • What Ails Bibliotherapy? by Maeve Visser Knoth (May/June 2006)
Books can’t cure everything
    • Teaching New Readers to Love Books by Robin Smith (September/October 2003)
A second grade teacher's well-stocked classroom library.
    • Pets and Other Fishy Books by Monica Edinger (November/December 1999)
Some books make excellent classroom pets.
    • Have Book Bag, Will Travel: A Practical Guide to Reading Aloud by Mary M. Burns and Ann A. Flowers (March/April 1997)
Step-by-step guidelines for how to read aloud and an annotated list of what to read.