Themepark

imagination
Children's Literature

Almost everyone has a book or series of books that they treasured as a child. Maybe it was the Anne of Green Gables books or the Hardy Boys series or Little Women. In our imaginations, we saw Anne Shirley jump off the roof on a dare, helped Joe and Frank Hardy solve mysteries, and agonized over Jo March not being in love with Laurie. What books will become part of the collective imaginations of today's young people?

Sample some of the following activities to learn more about children's literature.

 

Places To Go    People To See    Things To Do    Teacher Resources    Bibliography

Places To Go

The following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about children's literature.

Inside the Wardrobe
Journey to Narnia and have tea with the beavers; go on adventures with Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan; and ride on Aslan's strong back
Magic School Bus
Go everywhere that the Magic Bus goes--inside the human body, inside the earth, inside a hurricane, inside a beehive! 
Mem Fox
Take a trip to Australia and visit with Mem Fox. Her delightful picture books such as Possum Magic, Wombat Divine, and Koala Lou often feature the unique animals of the "land down under"
Paul Bunyan Trail
Take a walk down the Paul Bunyan Trail. Along the way, you'll find an illustrated re-telling of Paul's story.
Roald Dahl
Travel the world in a giant peach

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People To See

Arthur
Hang out with Arthur and Francine and D.W. and the Brain. In the FAQ about author, Marc Brown, see if you can find out how Arthur's appearance changed from the original Arthur books (it has to do with his nose)
Charlotte's Web
Re-acquaint yourself with Fern, Wilbur, Charlotte, Templeton, and the rest of the crew at the farm.
Caldecott Medal
Become acquainted with Randolph Caldecott. He was an English illustrator. He is famous for his illustrations of a series of 16 children's books in the mid 1800s at a time when books written specifically for children were just coming into vogue. The Caldecott Medal for excellence in children's-book illustration is named for him
Newbery Medal
John Newbery was an English publisher and bookseller in the 1700s. He was one of the first to include juvenile literature as an important branch of the publishing business. The Newbery Medal for excellence in children's-book writing is named for him.
Paddington Bear
Chat with Paddington Bear. Find out if he knows Winnie the Pooh. Learn about the famous Paddington books
Scholastic - Harry Potter
If you're one of the few people who has not yet met Harry Potter, spend some time with him and see what all the fuss is about

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Things To Do

100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Read through this list of recommended children's picture books which includes Strega Nona, Horton Hatches the Egg, Goodnight Moon, Corduroy, and 96 more
BookHive
Find books to read. The site is divided into subject areas such as adventure, biographies, classics, mystery, fantasy, and folklore. You can enter in the kinds of books you like to read and receive a listing of pertinent titles.
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
Experience this 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
Children's Literature Association of Utah
Become a member of the Children's Literature Association of Utah (CLAU). CLAU is composed of parents, teachers, and school and public librarians. CLAU sponsors the Utah Children's Book Awards
Children's Literature Web Guide
Become familiar with this useful guide to children's literature. One of the fun sections of this site begins about September or October with an online forum about the upcoming Newbery and Caldecott Awards. Readers submit the books that they think will be the winners, and a lively and discussion ensues
Coretta Scott King Award
This award is given annually to authors and illustrators of African descent whose distinguished books promote an understanding and appreciation of the "American Dream." Find out the winners for this year
KidLit
Students are often interested in what other young people their age are reading and enjoying. This site offers reviews of popular books written by kids.
KidLit Reviews of Kids' Books
Read reviews of kids' books written by other kids. Read a good book? Send in your review!

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Bibliography

  • Blishen, Edward. Children's Classics to Read Aloud. New York, N.Y. : Kingfisher, 1995
  • Brown, Muriel. Newbery and Caldecott Medalists and Honor Book Winners : Bibliographies and Resource Material Through 1991. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1992.
  • Horn, Pamela. Read-aloud Classics. New York, NY: Black Dog & Leventhal: Distributed by Workman Pub. Co., c1995.