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English

This guide lists key sources of information for English Language and Literature that are available for Kwantlen users. Click on the tabs for different types of sources and useful research tips.

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Resources to Start With

  • Keywords for Children's Literature - original essays on the essential terms and concepts of the field. From Aesthetics to Young Adult, an impressive, multidisciplinary cast of scholars explores the vocabulary central to the study of children's literature. This links to the updated 2nd edition.

  • Morals and Make-Believe podcast - "A [scholarly] podcast series documenting the socialising and moralising effects of British children's literature for over 200 years." Highly recommended for all Children's Lit students, especially ENGL3330 students who have not taken ENGL2430.

  •  WNDB (We Need Diverse Books)- is a non-profit organization dedicated to diversity in Children's and Young Adult Lit. Here you can find news, blog posts, and web resources.

Journals

Selected Books

General
  • School Library Journal (SLJ) is a great non-scholarly resource for reviews, interviews, blog posts, news, and stories.
  • The International Blog of the Children's Literature Association features regular blog posts about a host of children's literature topics.
Representation in Children's Books
  • WNDB (We Need Diverse Books)- is a non-profit organization dedicated to diversity in Children's and Young Adult Lit. Here you can find news, blog posts, and web resources.
  • Arab Kids Lit Now - A collection of books featuring Arab representation from picturebooks to YA.
  • IBBY Canada Indigenous Picture Books catalogue- From Sea to Sea to Sea is a celebration of Canadian picturebooks created by First Nations authors and illustrators (see below for more on picturebooks).
  • Whose Stories?: Whose Stories? is a podcast about children’s books, diversity, and the role of archives, brought to you by Newcastle University and Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books. The first season explores the story of Children's books and Black Britain.
  • Anishinabek Nation: Resources for students of all ages about First Nations History, treaty rights, and Indigenous rights.
  • Cynthia Leititch Smith's web site features an author's site and web resources for children's and YA literature. Leitich is also the author-curator of the Heartdrum imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books and HarperTeen which is published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books.
Children's Literature History
Fantasy and Fairytales
Maps and Mapping in Children's Literature
Picturebooks
  • Browse selected Picture Books in the Library Catalogue. You'll see a few critical books come up, but just keep scrolling.
  • "Design Matters" by John Scieszka - an essay on the design of picturebooks from Hornbook Magazine.
  • The IBBY 2018 Newsletter was dedicated to "From Sea to Sea to Sea" and features short essays about the importance of indigenous stories for children. IBBY's indigenous picturebook collection can be found here.
Picture books and Critical Works

The KPU Library has a fantastic selection of picture books available. Follow this link to access them via Library catalogue.

 

Picture book Awards 
  • Caldecott Medals- This is one of the largest picturebook awards, and it’s seal or stamp is usually featured on the cover of winning books. It’s given out annually by the ALA, and it’s named after pioneering illustrator Randolph Caldecott.
  • Coretta Scott King Award (Illustrator)- This award recognizes African American writers and illustrators. Make sure to look under the “illustrator” category. Not every single illustrator winner is given to a picturebook (some are for other types of illustration), but there are many, including Sulwe, illustrated by Vashti Harrison written by Lupita Nyong’o. The award is named after civil rights activist, Coretta Scott King.
  • Pura Belpré Medal (Illustrator)- This award recognizes a Latina/ Latino writer and illustrator. Make sure you look at the illustrator winners, not the novel winners. Not every single illustrator winner is given to a picturebook (some are for other types of illustration), but there are many, including work by renowned Latino picturebook writer Matt de la Peña. These awards are named after storyteller and author Pura Belpré, the New York Public Library’s first Latina librarian.
  • Kate Greenaway Medal- This award competes with the Caldecott for most prestigious award in picturebook creation. Shaun Tan, one of our authors, is this year’s winner. It is named after pioneering illustrator Kate Greenaway. Tan is the first person of colour to win this award.
  • Stonewall Book Awards- There are a number of individual awards under this set of awards, and some have recognized picturebooks. These awards recognize LGTBQIA+ books, and they are named after the tavern in New York City where the historic Stonewall riots in 1969 made a huge push for LGBTQIA+ rights.
  • The IBBY Canada Indigenous Picture Books catalogue- From Sea to Sea to Sea is a celebration of Canadian picturebooks created by First Nations authors and illustrators. There’s a wealth of options here, including one by one of my all-time favourite illustrators, Julie Flett.

Web links and resources:

Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday: A website, blog, set of resource links, and youtube channel dedicated to keeping up with YA Literature. The blog features plenty of recommendations from librarians, academics, and teachers of YA Lit.

 

  • YA Literature - books in the Library Catalogue. All juvenile books are in the Surrey campus in the following call number range: PZ 7.
  • Here is a comprehensive list of Juvenile Fiction in the Library (print and online books).

Selected Books

Children's Literature Awards & Lists

  • Newbery Medal and Honours- "The Newbery Medal was 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."
  • Caldecott Medal- This is one of the largest picturebook awards, and it’s seal or stamp is usually featured on the cover of winning books. It’s given out annually by the ALA, and it’s named after pioneering illustrator Randolph Caldecott.
  • Coretta Scott King Awards- This award recognizes African American writers and illustrators. Make sure to look under the “illustrator” category to find awards for picturebooks. The award is named after civil rights activist, Coretta Scott King.
  • The Walter Award- The Walter Award, given out by WNDB, is named after pioneering African American YA writer Walter Dean Myers. It recognizes excellence in diversity in Children's and YA Literature.
  • The Pura Belpré Medal- This award recognizes a Latina/ Latino writer and illustrator. Make sure you look at the illustrator winners, not the novel winners. These awards are named after storyteller and author Pura Belpré, the New York Public Library’s first Latina librarian.
  • Kate Greenaway Medal- This award competes with the Caldecott for most prestigious award in picturebook creation. It is named after pioneering illustrator Kate Greenaway.
  • Middle East Book Awards - a set of awards presented by the Middle East Outreach Council for picturebooks, non-fiction, and youth books.
  • Stonewall Book Awards- There are a number of individual awards under this set of awards. These awards recognize LGTBQIA+ books, and they are named after the tavern in New York City where the historic Stonewall riots in 1969 made a huge push for LGBTQIA+ rights.
  • South Asia Book Award - South Asia National Outreach Consortium (SANOC) will offer a yearly book award to call attention to outstanding works on South Asia for children and teens.
  • Freeman Book Awards - The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), the Committee on Teaching about Asia (CTA) of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), and Asia for Educators (AFE) at Columbia University sponsor the annual Freeman Book Awards for new young adult and children’s literature.