Juvenile Collection: Web Resources

The web provides many types of materials that have different levels of sophistication, credibility, and currency.

Remember to read everything critically, and to evaluate your sources.

You should be able to justify the articles and web pages you have selected to support your position.

Consider IMVAIN as you select sources for your bibliography: 

• Independent -- is the source independent, or is it self-interested? (Is it written by the picture book's author, or by an independent scholar or librarian?)
• Multiple -- More than one source is always better--can you find the information in more than one place?
• Verify -- Does your source verify material with data and information? Or do they simply assert?
• Authoritative/informed -- Your sources should be authoritative and informed on their chosen topic. Since authority is constructed and contextual, check to see what their authorities and expertise is in.
• Named: if your sources have sources, named is better than unnamed. (Note that at times you'll find randomized trials or anonymized information, particularly in certain studies--but make sure that experts' names are given, and that you can track citations provided.)

EXAMPLE SCENARIOS TO DEMONSTRATE FREE WEB SEARCHING CONCERNS IN RELATION TO OUR PAID RESOURCES

Wikipedia can provide good overviews of topics, with pointers to source materials, but the perspective is not always academically accurate or balanced. Be sure to supplement this information with more reliable information from the peer-reviewed reference tools such as handbooks, disctionaries, and encyclopedias listed on the Facts/Definitions sources page.

While you can perform advanced Google searches, your results are based upon your previous search preferences, so results will be less comprehensive over time, and will tend to support your favorite topics/perspectives/purchasing behavior. In addition, you will not always be allowed to access all the full-text articles that are available to you through our multidisciplinary Academic Search Complete journal-article aggregator.

Google Scholar provides free searching of  a selection of the academic journal literature, with results providing more reliable peer-reviewed materials, but the results are not as comprehensive as subject specific journal indexes. In addition, you will not always be allowed to access all the full-text articles that are available to you through our multidisciplinary Academic Search Complete journal-article aggregator.

Other web-based resources that may prove helpful include materials created by reliable sources such as professional associations and government agencies.

Here are a few resources recommended to scholars in the field:

• Children's Literature Association
• Children's Literature
• The Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers booklists, resources, and much more.
• Very selected popular Juvenile Literature Books - Goodreads
• The origins of children's literature - The British Library
• Children's Literature - Digitized Print Materials (Rare Book and Special ...
• Children's Literature (Bookshelf) - Gutenberg
• Begin Your Research - Juvenile Literature and Literary Criticism from George Mason University Library.
• Disability in Kidlit offers a valuable resource for librarians, youth workers, educators, parents, writers, and of course, young readers.
• Youth Media Awards from the American Library Association include some of the biggest in children's book awards
• We Need Diverse Books  
• Illinois Children's Choice awards
  • Monarch Award for readers in kindergarten through third grade
  • Bluestem Award for readers in third through fifth grade
  • Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award for grades four through eight
  • Lincoln Award is Illinois' teen and high school choice award