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Children's & Young Adult Literature

Education Library Booklists & Displays

Education Library Booklists 

These booklists have been created to help you find books, including children's and YA titles, available at the Education Library. These booklists are organized into several broad categories, most of which are aligned with the British Columbia curriculum and with key areas in Education theory and practice.

Displays

Visit the Collection Spotlight and New Books displays on the main level of the Education Library. Browse past displays on the Education Library blog. 

Collection spotlight display

Databases & Periodicals

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) - Provides online information to help educators find books to meet their educational and collection management requirements. CLDC can be used for reader’s advisory, curriculum development, and more. Content includes:

  • Records for over 3,000,000 children's and young adult titles
  • More than 50 professional review sources (650,000+ reviews) and 850+ national and international young adult and children’s book awards
  • Thousands of best books lists
  • Curriculum tools

NoveList - NoveList is a database of reading recommendations, presenting fiction, nonfiction and audiobooks and includes expert recommendations, reviews, articles, lists and more.

  • Quill & Quire (on hiatus in 2023) - Magazine of the Canadian book trade. Includes author profiles, news about upcoming books and developments in the Canadian industry, and reviews of new adult and children’s titles. 
  • Canadian Children's Book News - Keeps readers informed about the latest in Canadian children’s books. Includes reviews for recommended books, author and illustrator interviews and profiles of publishers and bookstores.
  • Kirkus Reviews - American book review magazine. Previews over 5000 books each year, including adult fiction and nonfiction hardcovers and trade paperbacks, as well as children's and young adult titles.
  • Horn Book Magazine - Provides reviews of children's and young-adult literature, articles, editorials, and interviews of authors and illustrators. Designed for professionals and academics in the field of children's books.
  • Horn Book Guide to Children's and Young Adult Books - Short, critical reviews of virtually every hardcover trade book published in the United States for young people.
  • Booklist - An American Library Association journal for librarians, especially those in public and school libraries, that publishes reviews of recommended library materials. Offers advance reviews of books, reference resources, and media for children, young adults, and adults. Indicates books suitable for young adults or curriculum use. 
  • Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - Provides concise summaries and critical evaluations of current children's books. 
  • School Library Journal - News, information and reviews for librarians and media specialists who serve children and young adults in school and public libraries.

  • Children's Literature Review - Full-text literary criticism on writers and illustrators for children and young adults.

  • Children's Literature Association Quarterly - Publishes scholarship in children's literature studies. Each issue features an editorial introduction, juried articles about research and scholarship in children's literature, and book reviews. 

  • The Lion and the Unicorn - International theme- and genre-centered journal, is committed to a serious, ongoing discussion of literature for children. The journal's coverage includes the state of the publishing industry, regional authors, comparative studies of significant books and genres, new developments in theory, the art of illustration, the mass media, and popular culture. It is especially noted for its interviews with authors, editors, and other important contributors to the field, as well as its outstanding book review section.

  • New Review of Children's Literature and Librarianship - Discussion of children’s literature, and of issues relating to one of the key places in which to find such literature—libraries for young people. Articles covering the management of library services to children and adolescents; education issues affecting library services; user education and the promotion of services; staff education and training; collection development and management; critical assessments of children's and adolescent literature; book and media selection; and research in literature and library services for children and adolescents.

  • The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - Provides concise summaries and critical evaluations of current children's books. This invaluable resource assists readers with questions regarding the ever-evolving children's literature field. Reviews give an in-depth look at a selected book's content, reading level, strengths and weaknesses, and quality of the format, as well as suggestions for curricular use.

  • ALAN Review - Articles and professional materials that support the learning and development of readers committed to (or wanting to learn more about) young adult literature—its authors, its readers, and its advocates. 

  • Reading Time - Reviews books for children and young people published in Australia, as well as overseas books of quality, particularly New Zealand titles.

  • The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature (2011-2020) - Review of contemporary English-language materials of interest to children and young adults. Of particular use to librarians, parents, teachers and anyone working with young people, we also publish news and opinions relevant to children’s literacy.

Keyword searching

There is more than one way to find reviews for a specific book or author in the library:

1. Add AND review to your search in the UBC Library General search (Summon). For example:

flett, julie AND review

birdsong AND review

2. Search for the book or author by name and then use the "Book review" filter under "Content Type" on the results page:

 

For more general research related to children's & YA literature reviews, criticism, and evaluation, try adding the following to your keyword search:

  • evaluat* (this will run a search for evaluate, evaluated, evaluation, and evaluating)
  • review* (this will run a search for review, reviews, reviewed, and reviewing)
  • criticism

For example:

"children's literature" AND evaluat*

Additional Resources

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation and Selection Criteria

for Children’s and Young Adult Fiction

STORY & CHARACTER

  • Does the story have a narrative strong enough to keep readers engaged? (Mallett, 2010, pg. 26) Will the plot be appealing to the intended audience?
  • Will the story entertain, stimulate, surprise, intrigue, or reassure young readers? (Mallett, 2010, pg. 26)
  • What is the theme? Is it well-communicated and worth communicating?
  • Does the story present a real-life challenge for readers to engage with?
  • Can the story lead to a discussion between readers?
  • Will the characters connect with readers? Are the characters believable, relatable, and/or admirable?
  • Does the story result in character development and growth?  
  • Will the story help to expand the reader’s understanding and awareness?
  • Is the plot original and appealing?
  • Is the setting distinct and interesting?
  • Does the story (including text and/or images) reinforce stereotypes? Consider depictions of race, gender, sexuality, ability, class, and age.
  • With regard to power and ideology:
  • Whose story is told? From whose point of view? (From Short, K.G. in Johnson, et al., 2017, pg. 11).
  • Which characters have power and agency? How is this treated or examined by the author? (From Short, K.G. in Johnson, et al., 2017, pg. 11).
  • Is a specific ideology presented, either explicitly or implicitly? What impact could this have on readers? (From Bradford, C. in Johnson, et al., 2017, pg. 26).

LANGUAGE

  • Is language used to add depth, richness, and imagery to the story?

  • Does it express feeling in a way that would connect emotionally with the intended readers?

  • Does the language communicate well the story’s mood? Is language used to effectively build excitement and tension?

  • Is humour incorporated to add to the level of engagement? Is humour incorporated without reinforcing stereotypes, “othering,” or demeaning?

  • Is the reading level and complexity of language suited to the intended reader? Will it challenge young readers without being inaccessible to them?

 

ILLUSTRATION & TEXT

 

  • Does the cover convey well what the book is about? Will it appeal to the intended audience and encourage readers to pick it up?

  • Is the text clear, appropriately sized, and readable?

  • Are illustrations used to enhance and add life to the story?

  • Do the illustrations align well with the text?

CONNECTIONS TO CURRICULUM

  • Can the story be used to support at least one of the core competencies from the BC curriculum (Communication, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Positive Personal & Cultural Identity, Personal Awareness & Responsibility, Social Responsibility)?

  • Does it reinforce at least one Big Idea from the BC curriculum?

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Awards & Prizes

 

  • Atlantic Book Awards - Acknowledges excellence in Atlantic Canadian writing and book publishing. Includes the Ann Connor Brimer Award for Atlantic Canadian Children’s Literature.
  • BC and Yukon Book Prizes - Includes the following prizes:
  • Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize
  • Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize
  • Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC): Book Awards - Includes the following awards:
  • Amy Mathers Teen Book Award
  • Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
  • Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
  • Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction
  • Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse
  • TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
  • Jean Little First-Novel Award
  • David Booth Children’s and Youth Poetry Award
  • Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada’s Information Book Award - Award aims is to recognize excellence in Canadian publishing of children’s nonfiction.
  • Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award - Given annually in recognition of outstanding artistic talent in a Canadian picture book. 
  • First Nations Communities Read (FNCR) Awards -  First Nation Communities READ (FNCR) is the Ontario First Nation Public Library Community’s contribution to the reading movement. FNCR celebrates Indigenous literature across Turtle Island.
  • Forest of Reading: Awards - The Forest of Reading Award Programs are where children and young adults pick the winner. This program aims to encourage a genuine and life-long love of reading among readers of all ages.
  • Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) - Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) celebrate literature and inspire the general public to read books by creators from Canada. Children's & YA awards include:
    • Young People's Literature – Text
    • Young People's Literature – Illustrated Books
  • IODE Violet Downey Book Award - IODE Canada is a national women's charitable organization. This award is offered annually for the best English language book containing at least 500 words of text (preferably with Canadian content) in any category, suitable for children aged 13 and under.
  • Red Cedar Book Awards - aka Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC). Award Nominees are selected by a group of educators across BC, and kids, families, and educators from across British Columbia vote for their favourite titles.

  • Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People - Given annually to the author of an exceptional body of work in children's literature. 

 

For information about literary awards for Indigenous children's & YA literature, please see the list created by X̱wi7x̱wa Library: Indigenous Children's Literature: Awards

  • AILA American Indian Youth Literature Awards - Awarded biennially, the AIYLA identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America.
  • Alex Awards - Given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. 

  • Américas Award Winners and Honor Books - CLASP founded the Américas Award in 1993 to encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinx cultures in the United States, and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use.

  • Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award - Given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and also sparks compassion, empathy, and connection.

  • Arab American Book Award - Celebrates Arab American literature and honors those who have produced exemplary work.

  • Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Honors individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit.

  • Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards - Winners selected annually in three categories: Picture Book, Fiction and Poetry, and Nonfiction. Winning titles must be published in the United States but they may be written or illustrated by citizens of any country.

  • Carter G. Woodson Book Awards - Awards the most distinguished books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the United States. First presented in 1974, this award is intended to “encourage the writing, publishing, and dissemination of outstanding social studies books for young readers that treat topics related to ethnic minorities and race relations sensitively and accurately.”

  • Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) - Presented annually to the authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books on Africa published or republished in the U.S.

  • Children's Book Council: Kids' Book Choice Awards - National book awards program where the winners are selected by kids and teens of all ages. 
  • Children's Literature Legacy Award - Honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children's lives and experiences.

  • Coretta Scott King Book Awards - Given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. 

  • Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award - Recognizes authors, illustrators, and publishers of high quality fictional and biographical books for children and youth that authentically portray individuals with developmental disabilities.

  • Freeman Book Awards - Honoring East And Southeast Asian titles for children and young adults.

  • Irma Black Award - The Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature (Irma Black Award) goes to an outstanding book for young children—a book in which text and illustrations are inseparable, each enhancing and enlarging on the other to produce a singular whole. 

  • Jane Addams Children's Book Award - Annually recognizes children’s books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people.

  • John Newbery Medal - Named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

  • Kids’ Book Choice Awards - US book awards voted on solely by kids and teens. 

  • Lambda Literary Awards - Created to garner visibility for LGBTQ books. Includes 3 awards for children's & YA literature.

  • Margaret A. Edwards Award - Honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.

  • Michael L. Printz Award - For a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.

  • Middle East Book Awards - Recognizing books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to understanding of the Middle East.

  • Mildred L. Batchelder Award - Awarded to an American publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originating in a country other than the United States and in a language other than English and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States during the preceding year.

  • Morris Award - The William C. Morris YA Debut Award honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.

  • National Book Awards - Young People's Literature - Administered by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the best literature published in the United States.

  • Nonfiction Award - Honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year.

  • Odyssey Award - Annual award given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.

  • Orbis Pictus Award - The NCTE Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children promotes and recognizes excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children.

  • Pacific Northwest Library Association: Young Reader’s Choice Award - A children’s choice book award with young readers in both the United States and Canada participating in the program.

  • Pura Belpré - Honors a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose works best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. 

  • Randolph Caldecott Medal - Named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

  • Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal - Awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The award is named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois. ALSC administers the award.

  • Schneider Family Book Award - Honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.

  • South Asia Book Award (SABA) - Given annually for up to three outstanding works of literature, from picture books to young adult novels, which accurately and skillfully portray the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world. 

  • Stonewall Book Awards - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award - Presented to English language books that have exceptional merit relating to the LGBTQIA+ experience.

  • Theodor Seuss Geisel Award - Given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.

  • Tomás Rivera Book Award - Honors authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience. 

  • Walter Dean Myers Awards (Walter Awards) - Recognizes diverse authors whose works feature diverse main characters and address diversity in a meaningful way.

  • William C. Morris YA Debut Award - Honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.

  • Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award - Global award given annually to a person or organization for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature. Administrated by the Swedish Arts Council.
  • Big Little Book Awards - Honours significant contributions of authors and illustrators to children’s literature in Indian language(s). 
  • Bologna Children's Book Fair Awards - Includes a number of international awards in the world of children's publishing.

  • Bookbug Picture Book Prize - Celebrates Scottish picture books and encourages reading for pleasure.

  • Brage Prize - Recognizes Norwegian literature, including children's & youth literature.

  • Carnegie Medals for Writing & Illustration - UK’s longest running children’s book awards, recognizing outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people. Awarded annually by children's librarians.
  • Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards - Annual awards that aim to: promote quality literature for young Australians by Australians; support and encourage a wide range of Australian writers and illustrators of books for young people aged 0 through 18 and; celebrate contributions to Australian children’s literature.
  • German Children's Literature Award (Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis) - Prize is intended to encourage the development of children’s and young adult literature.
  • Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI): Translated YA Book Award - Established to honor the most outstanding translated work that was originally written and published (or simultaneously published) in a language other than English. 

  • Hans Christian Andersen Award - Given every other year by IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People), the award recognizes lifelong achievement and is presented to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature.

  • Neev Book Award - Aims to recognize outstanding children’s literature that leads to a fuller understanding of India, Indian lives, and Indian stories.

  • New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults - Awards made in six categories: Picture Book, Junior Fiction (the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award), Young Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction (the Elsie Locke Award), Illustration (the Russell Clark Award) and te reo Māori (the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award).

  • Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize - Awarded to a work of fiction in one of the Nordic languages – poetry, prose or drama – that meets high literary and artistic standards.

  • Notable Books for a Global Society - Annually selects 25 outstanding trade books for enhancing student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world.

  • Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Celebrate outstanding literary talent in Australia. Includes two awards for children's & YA literature.

  • Prix Vendredi/Friday Prize - Honors French-language novels intended for those over 13 years old.

  • Scholastic Asian Book Award (SABA) - Joint initiative of Scholastic Asia and Singapore Book Council (SBC). Recognizes children’s writers of Asian origin who are taking the experiences of life, spirit, and thinking in different parts of Asia to the world at large. The award also aims to promote the understanding of the Asian experience and its expression in innovative and creative forms.

  • Sheikh Zayed Book Award - Presented annually to outstanding writers, intellectuals, and publishers, as well as young talent whose writing and translation in humanities objectively enriches Arab intellectual, cultural, literary and social life. Includes a category for children's literature.

  • Swiss Children's and Youth Book Prize - Goes annually to an outstanding individual work in the fields of picture, children's and youth books. Non-fiction books or comics with a young target group can also be awarded.

  • Tir na n-Og Awards - Popular awards for children’s literature in Wales.

  • Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards - Support, develop and recognize excellence in Western Australian writing. Includes awards for children's literature and unpublished Indigenous junior & YA fiction.

  • Young Australians Best Book Awards (YABBA) - Goal of awards is to have children Recommend, Read, Rate and Reward their favourite Australian books.

  • Young People's Book Prize - UK award that aims to promote literacy in young people and inspire them to read about science.