LibGuides: Child Development Subject Guide: Children's Literature

Search for Children's Books

Search for books in the library's Children's Collection.

Tips for searching

Here are a few tips for finding children's books in our library catalog.

Search using a keyword and the term "juvenile literature" or "juvenile fiction"
- Example: sharing AND "juvenile fiction"
- Example: emotions AND "juvenile fiction"
Limit by format (book or e-book)
Limit by Audience (Juvenile)

Call Numbers

Looking at the call number can tell you a little bit about the book.

When the call number starts with:

JE - Juvenile Easy - Picture books, large text, lots of pictures/illustrations

J - Juvenile fiction - Middle grades, more text, chapter books

J 398.2 - Juvenile Non-Fiction - Mixture of books with text and photos/illustrations

Award Winners and Notable Lists

Youth Literature Award Winners
Coretta Scott King Award Winners
African-American culture and universal human values
Belpre Medal and Honor Books
Latinx Culture
Schneider Family Book Awards
Disabilities experience
Stonewall Book Award Lists
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender experience
Jane Addams Children's Book Awards
Books that promote the causes of peace, social justice, world community and the equality of the sexes and all races.
Caldecott Award Winners
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.
John Newbery Medal Winners
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.
Children's Notable Lists

Finding Books at Other Libraries

Search in WorldCat to find books at libraries around the world, and request them via Interlibrary Loan.

Diverse Voices in Children's Literature

Diverse Book Finder
Search Collections: Curated Lists. You can identify and explore multicultural picture books. Their collection focuses on depictions of racial and cultural diversity published in the U.S. since 2002.
American Indians in Children's Literature
Established in 2006, American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society.
Disability in Kid Lit
Disability in Kidlit is dedicated to discussing the portrayal of disability in middle grade and young adult literature. We publish articles, reviews, interviews, and discussions examining this topic from various angles—and always from the disabled perspective.
Mighty Girl Books
A Mighty Girl's book section features over 2,000 girl-empowering books starring stellar Mighty Girl characters.
Latinxs in Kid Lit
Exploring the world of Latinx YA, MG and children's literature.
50 Board Books Featuring Faces of Color
These 50 books—many of which are by #OwnVoices creators—show Black, Indigenous, and people of color learning new skills, fighting for justice, and simply living their lives—and they’re all appropriate for ages 0–3.
I'm Your Neighbor Booklists
I’m Your Neighbor Books builds welcoming communities for New Arrivals and New Americans—using children’s literature.
ALA Bibliography of Children's Books about the Disability Experience
This list contains some outstanding books that portray emotional, mental, or physical
disability experiences.