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Children and Young Adult Literature Research Guide

Children's Literature Collection

Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic License by Carol VonHook

The Children's Literature Collection is a select representative collection of fiction and nonfiction children's and young adult literature which is maintained to support the HSU academic curricula. This collection of approximately 10,000 volumes is located in the northwest corner of the second floor of the HSU Library. There are three sections:

  • Picture books (call number E - for easy), shelved in alphabetical order, by author.
  • Fiction (call number x), shelved in alphabetical order, by author.
  • Nonfiction (call number in Dewey Decimal system), shelved in numerical order. Includes folk tales and fairy tales from all countries in 398.2, poetry collections in 811-821, and biography in 921; these sections are shelved separately, in the low shelving. Materials in foreign languages are in 438-495.

Books ABOUT Children's Literature

The Children's Literature Collection includes books read by children, but it does not include books on the subject of children's literature. In order to find information about children's books, children's authors, and using books with children, consult your HSU Library Catalog.   The primary subject headings to be checked are:

Children's literature
Children's stories
Children--Books and reading
Children's literature AND Gay literature
Censorship and Children's literature
Illustrated children's books
Picture books for children
Teenagers--Books and reading
Young adult fiction
Young adult literature
Young adults--Books and reading
Youth--Books and Reading
Children of minorities--Books and reading
Young Adult AND Multicultural 
Young Adult Literature AND Gay Literature
Blume, Judy
Sendak, Maurice (etc.)
 
Pro Tip: Use the book A to Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books to find subject terms for searching children's literature to find children's books on a wide range of topics affecting children, such as potty training, death of a parent, flamingos, etc.  

Textbooks

The following textbooks offer different approaches to children's literature. Each includes lists of recommended children's books as well as criteria for evaluating these books.

Browsing

Browsing in the main book collection is another good way to find books about children's literature. The two primary areas where these books are located are: PN 1009 and Z 1037; other areas are LB 1575 and PR 990.