Pauline Dewan

Drawing on the popularity of fairy-tale literature and its retellings, this guide provides insightful annotations to all the major picture books and novels for children and teens. Although popular fairy tales such as "Cinderella" are familiar, the broader genre of fairy-tale literature is less well known. This genre includes traditional fairy tales (often compiled in book collections), picture-book retellings of single fairy tales, fractured fairy tales, and fairy-tale-inspired novels for both children and teens. Designed to help librarians, teachers, and reading partners feel more confident in selecting and suggesting fairy-tale books for children and teens, this comprehensive guide offers themes, read-alikes, reading levels, awards, and curricular tie-ins for each book. Readers will learn about the distinguishing characteristics of fairy tales, key authors (contemporary and historical), major trends, and significant changes in the genre. They will also discover the therapeutic power of fairy tales, their empowering impact on children and teens, and the reasons that fairy tales continue to attract young readers. Insightful and engaging annotations of each book will increase their knowledge of the riches of the genre.

A fast-growing area in fiction for the young, genre blends allow for new possibilities and ideas, stimulating children’s imaginations. This helpful guide orients readers' advisory staff, educators, and collection development librarians with a hand-picked selection of hybrid genres and novels published since 2000. It’s no wonder that genre blends are some of most popular books for children and teens. When you mash up two different traditional genres, it’s like doubling what makes each one pleasurable on its own. This guide, the first of its kind, will help public and school librarians, teachers, and collections staff identify genre blends for readers' advisory, curriculum development, or creating core collections. Profiling more than 200 titles, inside its pages you’ll learn about six of the most in-demand genre blends for young readers, including Fantasy Mysteries, Magical Realism, Steampunk, and Verse Novels;be introduced to each genre blend’s most compelling novels and contemporary authors;understand both book appeal factors (such as genre and theme) and reader-appeal factors, assisting you in matching readers with the perfect book; receive guidance on finding genre blends for children who are facing difficult circumstances, such as their parents’ divorce, cliques in school, lack of popularity, poor body image, or self-blame; andfind what you’re looking for quickly and efficiently with the help of succinct annotations and a thorough index.

This guide identifies hundreds of books that can help children develop into engaged readers. Children's librarians, collection development specialists in public libraries, as well as K–8 school librarians and teachers will choose from the best in children's titles. This unique readers' advisory and collection development guide for librarians and others who work with children focuses on readers and their needs, rather than simply categorizing books by their characteristics and features as traditional literature guides do. Taking this unusual perspective brings forth powerful new tools and curricular ideas on how to promote the classics, and how to best engage with young readers and meet their personal and emotional needs to boost interest and engagement. The guide identifies seven reader-driven appeals, or themes, that are essential to successful readers' advisory: awakening new perspectives; providing models for identity; offering reassurance, comfort, strength, and confirmation of self-worth; connecting with others; giving courage to make a change; facilitating acceptance; and building a disinterested understanding of the world. By becoming aware of and tapping into these seven themes, librarians and other educators can help children more deeply connect with books, thereby increasing the odds of becoming lifelong readers. The detailed descriptions of each book provide plot summaries as well as notes on themes, subjects, reading interest levels, adaptations and alternative formats, translations, and read-alikes. This informative guide will also aid librarians in collection development and bibliotherapy services.