Identify Children's Books
The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database and Novelist K-8+ allow you to identify books on specific topics, by grade level, and by reading lexile. Then use the EMU Library catalog to look for the book title.
Other links and ebooks here can help you find award winners, diverse books, and specific genres of children's literature by topic.
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Children's Literature Comprehensive Database This link opens in a new window
Find reviews of children's books. Search by subject, grade level, reading level, etc.
Info type: book review articles -
NoveList K-8 Plus This link opens in a new windowPre-K thru teens. Find just the right book by subject, age, awards won, Lexile Reading levels, Common Core standards; even books made into movies, and much more. Read reviews and learn about the author. Create your own reading wish list.
Access Tips: Also available via
mel.org
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DAWCL - Database of Award-Winning Children's LiteratureThe purpose of this database is to create a tailored reading list of quality children's literature or to find out if a book has won one of the indexed awards. DAWCL has over 13,000 records from 154 awards across six English-speaking countries (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, and Ireland). Created by a librarian, books can be searched for by multiple facets.
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Cooperative Children's Book Center -- Recommended BooksBehind the links such as "Ages," you can use checkboxes to browse by age (babies through middle/high school), topic, and other factors.
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Moonbeam Children's Book AwardsThis award for exemplary children's books includes a spirit book award for books on topics such as Compassion, Exploration, Preservation, Imagination, Mindfulness, Remembrance, Activism, Peacemaking, & Creativity. Also, awards for books in specific formats and genres, such as board books, alphabet/counting books, pop-up/cut-out books, activity books, picture books, chapter books, preteen and young adult fiction in specific genres, poetry, nonfiction, books in Spanish, ebooks, and more.
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Diverse BookFinderA collection of more than 2,000 children's picture books featuring people of color and indigenous people (IPOC).
Tip: Browsing using the left-column menu may be more effective than keyword searching. -
Where to find diverse booksThis organization has compiled a list of sources for discovering diverse children's books.
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Best Books of the Year - Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's LiteratureOffers descriptions of recent exemplary multicultural children's books. Under CSMCL Best Books, you can find links to lists for best books from additional years.
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Contemporary Picture Books about Children and Families of Color & DisabilitiesA list of "fictional picture books about disabilities that both physically and culturally represent the identities and experiences of people of color."
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NPR Book ConciergeThere are categories for kids books and for young adult. Other categories may work for high school students.
Tip: If you are browsing from list to list, it helps to use the Clear Filters button. -
Children in Trauma BibliographyThis project aims to provide a selective bibliographic resource for teachers, parents, counselors, and others interacting with ACEs children so that they may have a resource. Includes many relevant children's books.
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Celebrating Authors of ColorThe Michigan Department of Education provides a list of children's books by author and (further down the list) by grade level.
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A to Zoo by
Call Number: REF PN 1009. A1 A2x (in Library use only)Publication Date: 2014Arranges 17,025 picture books for children preschool to grade 2 under a vast range of subjects.
The Library has this in both ebook form and in print at the library. Unfortunately the ebook version is clumsy to use as the table of contents isn't set up well. To find books on a topic, first go to the Subject Headings section and browse for the heading that fits your topic, then go the Subject Guide section to find that subject heading with a list of picture books on the topic. The Subject Guide section is long, so it's awkward to find the page you need. Instead of looking page by page, you can use the Go to page feature to go to a page (9-70) that is further down alphabetically. -
Choosing and Using Fiction and Non-Fiction 3-11, 2nd ed. by
Publication Date: 2019A guide for primary teachers to the many kinds of texts children encounter, use and enjoy in their nursery and primary school years. Discusses choosing and using various genres and offers annotated booklists for each genre for different age groups. -
Reaching Reluctant Young Readers by
Publication Date: 2017High interest books that may "hook" elementary and middle-school-age reluctant readers curated by a committee of the Young Adult Library Services Association. Offers 150 book short scripts to entice readers and read-alike suggestions, organized by genre categories such as humor, graphic novels, fantasy, horror, science fiction, superheroes, mystery, animals, sports, outdoor survival, etc.
Ebook Collections
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eBook High School This link opens in a new window
Ebooks for high school students and educators.
Access Tips: Also available via
mel.org
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Epic for EducatorsOver 15,000 ebooks for use in pre-K thru 6th grade classrooms. Includes both fiction and nonfiction books--also online educational videos.
Tip: Use Advanced Search to find books by Lexile or AR level.
Educators can register for a free account -
International Children's Digital LibraryFree access to children's books from more than 42 countries. Available in 11 languages.
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Children's Literature Bookshelf - Project GutenbergDigitized versions of out-of-copyright children's books arranged by author. Includes Alcott, Baum, Hodgson Burnett, Caroll, Dickens, Grahame, Kipling, Spyrii, Stevenson, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and more.
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Open eBooksOpen eBooks is a library containing thousands of popular and award-winning titles that are free for children from in-need communities. Educators serving low income children can find out how to register for access on this site.
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StoryWeaverThousands of free online children's books availble in this digital repository of multilingual stories for children from Pratham Books.
Multimedia Resources
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StoryOnlineStreams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
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Reading RocketsAmong other resources, this site offers videos of best practices in K-3 classrooms, videos on reading topics, and interviews with children's book authors.
Selected Ebooks
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200+ Proven Strategies for Teaching Reading, Grades K-8 by
Publication Date: 2016-11-21Provides practical, brain research-based intervention techniques and reading strategies teachers can use to help all students, especially those who are struggling, make strides in literacy achievement. -
Anything You Can Do: a Grammar Tales Book to Support Grammar and Language Development in Children by
Publication Date: 2022Targeting Subject-Verb sentences, pronouns and the auxiliaries 'can' and 'do', this book provides repeated examples of early developing syntax and morphology which will engage and excite the reader while building pre-literacy skills and make learning fun, as well as exposing children to multiple models of the target grammar form. Perfect for a speech and language therapy session. -
Best Practices in Writing Instruction, 3rd ed. by
Publication Date: 2018Guidelines for teaching writing in grades K-12. Offers strategies for teaching narrative and argumentative writing; using digital tools; helping students improve specific skills, from handwriting and spelling to sentence construction; teaching evaluation and revision; connecting reading and writing instruction; teaching vulnerable populations; using assessment to inform instruction; and more. -
Big Ideas for Little Kids by
Publication Date: 2014Everything a teacher needs to teach philosophy to elementary school children from picture books. -
Bridging Technology and Literacy: Developing Digital Reading and Writing Practices in Grades K-6 by
Publication Date: 2015This book provides a practical understanding of digital literacy and information on integrating digital technology into English Language Arts and literacy instruction at the K-6 grade levels. -
Comprehensive Reading Intervention in Grades 3-8 by
Publication Date: 2018This book provides innovative tools and strategies to support reading intervention for students in grades 3-8 who do not yet read with grade-level accuracy. Uses the Interactive Strategies Approach--Extended (ISA-X) . Includes some reproducible materials. -
Developing Digital Detectives by
Publication Date: 2021Easy-to-implement lessons to engage students in becoming media literacy "digital detectives," looking for clues, questioning motives, uncovering patterns, developing theories and, ultimately, delivering a verdict. Includes lessons for K through high school. -
Differentiating Phonics Instruction for Maximum Impact by
Publication Date: 2024High-impact routines that focus on the skills known to develop students' literacy best. Differentiated application of these routines--with fun multi-modal games and variations--for students working on- below-, and above grade-level expectations, and for multilingual learners. Includes several reproducible phonics and spelling assessments for placement, progress monitoring, and formative assessments. -
Dramathemes, 4th ed. by
Publication Date: 2014Full of engaging ideas, Dramathemes brings drama and play together with literacy sources to explore challenging issues such as identity, poverty, diversity, bullying, and immigration. -
Dyslexia & Spelling: Making Sense of it All
Exlains how to identify, and learn from, kids' spelling miscues, and use them to further inform our teaching and instruction. Includes activities (called Teachable Moments) and other teaching tips. -
Educating for Empathy
Publication Date: 2018Educating for Empathy reviews core elements of ELA instruction--response to literature, classroom discussion, research, and digital literacy--and demonstrates how to adapt these activities to foster critical thinking and empathetic perspectives among students. Chapters depict teachers and students engaging in this transformative learning, offer strategies for the classroom, and pose questions to guide school communities in collaborative reflection. -
The ELL Writer: Moving Beyond Basics in the Secondary Classroom by
Publication Date: 2013This resource for secondary school ELA and ELL teachers brings together compelling insights into student experiences, current research, and strategies for building an inclusive writing curriculum. -
Flash Feedback: Responding to Student Writing Better and Faster - Without Burning Out by
Publication Date: 2020For grades 6-12. Shares strategies for crafting effective, efficient, and memorable feedback to help students with revisions. -
Grammar to Get Things Done by
Publication Date: 2017Co-published by the Natl Council of Teachers of English this is designed for middle & secondary English teachers. It shows how form, function, & use can help teachers move away from decontextualized grammar instruction (such as worksheets and exercises emphasizing rule-following) and begin considering grammar in applied contexts of everyday use. Modules (organized by units) succinctly explain common grammatical concepts. -
Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom, Grades K-5 by
Publication Date: 2017Demonstrates how to use learning intentions, success criteria, formative assessment and feedback to achieve profound instructional clarity. -
Infusing Grammar into the Writer's Workshop: A Guide for K-6 Teachers by
Publication Date: 2015Best practices for fortifying the writer’s workshop model with meaningful, relevant instruction in grammar. Examples are provided for different grade levels. -
Inquiry Paths to Literacy Learning: A Guide for Elementary and Secondary School Educators
Publication Date: 2019Offers secondary level English language arts teachers several models and considerations for how to design and implement inquiry-based teaching and learning. An inquiry approach can significantly boost student achievement. Includes classroom-tested approaches, activities, and assignments focusing on issues that adolescents find consequential. -
Into the Story 2: More Stories! More Drama! by
Publication Date: 2016Presents an approach to the value of children’s picture books as a way to look at contemporary issues of social justice while building connections that promote a literacy that is multi-dimensional. Story drama structures offer teachers opportunities for the rich conversations and deep reflections that foster habits of mind critical for life in the twenty-first century. -
Listen Wise: Teach Students to Be Better Listeners by
Publication Date: 2021Builds a case for the importance of teaching listening to K-12 students and offers advice on using audio in teaching with activities for elementary and middle/high school students. -
Literacy Classrooms That S. O. A. R. by
Publication Date: 2020SOAR Teaching Frames provide a common language and a set of tools to foster informal self-evaluation, as well as teacher-to-teacher and coach-to-teacher collaboration. -
Literacy for Learning: A Handbook of Content-Area and Disciplinary Literacy Practices for Middle and High School Teachers, 2nd ed. by
Publication Date: 2022Enables readers to discover how content area teachers are now using a literacy model of instruction to maximize learning in every discipline and meet the Reading Informational Text Standards of the Common Core. -
Literacy Instruction with Disciplinary Texts: Strategies for Grades 6-12 by
Publication Date: 2020/2021A blueprint for constructing literacy-rich instructional units in English language arts, science, and social studies--including writing argumentative, informative, and narrative essays, and conducting discipline-specific inquiry. Offers sample text sets, 24 reproducible planning templates, and other teaching tools. -
Literacy in the Disciplines: A Teacher's Guide for Grades 5-12 by
Publication Date: 2016Discusses ways to teach close reading of complex texts, discipline-specific argumentation skills, academic vocabulary, the use of multimodal tools and graphic organizers, and more. Includes classroom materials, lesson plans, practice activities, and recommended online teaching videos. -
More Grammar to Get Things Done by
Publication Date: 2019The National Council of Teachers of English provides ten adaptable activity guides for middle and high school level to teach 10 grammar concepts, giving teachers a model and vocabulary for discussing grammar in real ways with their students -
More Than Words: How to Think about Writing in the Age of AI by
Publication Date: 2025Calls for us to use AI as an opportunity to reckon with how we work with words--and how all of us should rethink our relationship with writing. -
Patterns of Revision, Grade 3: Inviting 3rd Graders into Conversations That Elevate Writing by
Publication Date: 2023"Bite-sized" lessons teach revision strategies using model texts. Every revision strategy presented in can be applied at the word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, or whole-text levels. -
Phonics Pathways: Clear Steps to Easy Reading and Perfect Spelling, 10th ed. by
Publication Date: 2011Teaches reading using sounds and spelling patterns. Sounds and patterns are introduced one at a time, and slowly built into words, syllables, phrases, and sentences. Simple step-by-step directions begin every lesson. Useful for K-2 emergent readers, adult/teen learners, ELL students, and students with disabilities. -
Place-Based Writing in Action by
Publication Date: 2024Presents ways for students to meet traditional instructional goals in writing while also learning how writing can help them become stewards of the natural world and advocates for their own communities. Offers place-based writing activities, lesson plans, and sample student work. -
Playing with Language by
Publication Date: 2021Shows K-6 educators how to think about, talk about, and manipulate language out of context. Offers suggestions for introducing metalinguistic concepts like phonological, semantic, and syntactic awareness with fun activities like games, songs, rhymes, and riddles. -
Pose, Wobble, Flow: A Culturally Proactive Approach to Literacy Instruction by
Publication Date: 2015Offers culturally proactive teaching stances or “poses” that secondary ELA teachers can use to meet the needs of all students, historically marginalized or privileged. Describes how teachers can expect to “wobble” as they adapt instruction to the needs of their students, while also incorporating insights about their own cultural positionality and preconceptions about teaching. Teachers are encouraged to recognize this flexibility as a positive process or “flow” that can be used to address challenges and adopt ambitious teaching strategies." -
Protocols in the Classroom: Tools to Help Students Read, Write, Think, & Collaborate by
Publication Date: 2018Provides teachers with the tools they need to use discussion protocols to support students in developing crucial skills as readers, writers, critical thinkers, and active participants within the classroom community. For each protocol the author provides a clear set of steps, tips for teachers and students in facilitating the protocol, and a story of a teacher using the protocol with students. -
Pupils As Playwrights by
Publication Date: 2008An innovative approach to drama and to developing the literacy skills of children from the ages of 6 to 12. Offers extensive practical exercises and activities, including photocopiable material. -
Puzzle Me the Right Answer to That One: the further possibilities of Literature and Composition in an American High School by
Publication Date: 2015Presents a method to increase students' writing skills in AP English classes. -
Reading, Writing, and Talk: Inclusive Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners, K-2 by
Publication Date: 2016Chapters focus on oral language, reading, and writing development and include diverse possibilities for culturally relevant and inclusive teaching. -
Reading for Action: Engaging Youth in Social Justice through Young Adult Literature by
Publication Date: 2019Each chapter centers on one novel that represents a contemporary topic including police brutality, women's rights, ecojustice, and bullying. Authors provide reading strategies for teaching that connect the social issues in the texts to students' lives. Also offersresources such as documentaries, canonical companions for study, connected music, and supplementary lesson plans. -
Revolutionizing English Education: The Power of AI in the Classroom by
Publication Date: 2024Demonstrates how AI can be harnessed as a source of inspiration and meaningful instruction in secondary English classrooms. -
Seeing the Spectrum by
Publication Date: 2018Offers practical evidence-based strategies for teaching literature, informational texts, and writing in classrooms with both neurotypical students and students with autism. The first chapter includes a complete unit plan on Of Mice and Men, illustrating how curriculum focused on commonly taught literary works can be reimagined to accommodate the needs and draw on the strengths of students on the spectrum. -
Social Justice Literacies in the English Classroom - Teaching Practice in Action by
Publication Date: 2017This timely book focuses on different social justice pedagogies and how they can work within standards and district mandates in a variety of English language arts classrooms. -
Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers, 3rd ed. by
Publication Date: 2020Aims to "make language concepts accessible for teachers so that they can use instructional programs with confidence and flexibility." -
Still Learning to Read: Teaching Students in Grades 3-6, 2nd ed. by
Publication Date: 2016Focuses on the needs of students in grades 3–6 in all aspects of reading workshop, including reading workshop, read-aloud, classroom design, digital tools, fiction, nonfiction, and close reading. -
Teaching for a Living Democracy: Project-Based Learning in the English and History Classroom by
Publication Date: 2020Provides project-based units of study and classroom practices that allow students to reconfigure understandings of themselves, their capabilities, and their roles in the world. Offers the realistic perspective of a teacher working in an urban public high school. -
Teaching for Equity, Justice, and Antiracism with Digital Literacy Practices by
Publication Date: 2024Presents ways in which teachers can use digital tools in the service of antiracist teaching and developing equity-oriented mindsets in teaching and learning. -
Teaching Informational Text in K-3 Classrooms by
Publication Date: 2015Describes ways to use informational text creatively and effectively in reading and writing instruction. Presents lessons, read-alouds, and activities that motivate students to engage with a wide variety of exemplary texts. Links to the Common Core State Standards. Includes how to build academic vocabulary, balance fiction & nonfiction, and address needs of English language learners. -
Teaching Media Literacy, 2nd ed. by
Publication Date: 2019Lesson plans and activities designed to help promote critical thinking skills for K-12 students. -
Teaching Young Adult Literature: Integrating, Implementing, and Re-Imagining the Common Core by
Publication Date: 2015Provides strategies on using Young Adult Literature to meet Common Core standards. -
Teach Me How to Work and Keep Me Kind by
Publication Date: 2015Offers curriculum for AP English classes explains how to present challenging material to high school students. -
Vocabulary in Action by
Publication Date: 2012K-6 classrooms teacher share vocabulary routines, which you can use as-is or adapt for your own classroom. -
What to Do When the News Scares You, Revised Edition by
Publication Date: 2025This book is designed to help children cope with exposure to news items such as extreme weather events, terrorism, etc. The book explains news, how news can be sensationalized, and misinformation. Also offers cognitive-behavioral techniques for taking care of themselves. -
With Drama in Mind by
Publication Date: 2012The book offers sound advice on planning and managing drama across the curriculum from ages 5-14, and provides carefully annotated schemes of work complete with photocopiable resource sheets and online templates. -
Write Like This by
Publication Date: 2011Recognizing the importance that modeling plays in the learning process, high school English teacher Kelly Gallagher shares how he gets his students to stand next to and pay close attention to model writers, and how doing so elevates his students' writing abilities. -
Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone: Helping Students Navigate Unfamiliar Genres by
Publication Date: 2009The Unfamiliar Genre Project helps you:
*develop students' thinking about writing fundamentals such as purpose, audience, form, topic selection, and word choice
*support adolescents' test-taking abilities by increasing their awareness of the genre characteristics of test writing
*fully engage students by connecting school writing to their outside interests
*truly integrate the English curriculum by studying genre from the points of view of both readers and writers. -
Writing Workshop: the Essential Guide by
Publication Date: 2001Provides everything a teacher needs to get the writing workshop up and running. Each chapter addresses an essential element, then suggests five or six specific things a teacher can do to implement the idea.
Language Arts Lesson Plans & Resources
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AdLit.orgAdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers. Grades 4 - 12.
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Aesop's Fables Online CollectionThis site contains a huge collection of the fables along with Real Audio for some of them. The morals are listed and the site is indexed.
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Common Core Social Studies Aligned English Language ArtsOpen Educational Resources. Use filters on the left to find resources.
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EDSITEment's Literature and Language ArtsThis searchable site includes an annotated listing of many useful websites of language arts resources.
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News Literacy ProjectThe News Literacy Project is a national education nonprofit offering nonpartisan, independent programs that teach students how to know what to believe in the digital age.
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Notable Social Studies Tradebooks For Young PeopleThe books that appear in these annotated book lists were evaluated and selected by a Book Review Committee appointed by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and assembled in cooperation with the Children's Book Council (CBC)
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ReadWorks.orgFree content includes nonfiction & literary articles, along with related paired text assignments, vocabulary words, questions, lesson & unit plans, and auditory versions of articles.
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ReadWriteThinkFrom the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. Providing educators and students access to the quality practices and resources in reading and language arts instruction (including lesson plans).
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Sentence Stable / Paragraph PaddockA "resource for students and instructors to encounter, consider, practice, and play with language choice" through "examples of various stylistic techniques at work."
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Starfall Parent Teacher CenterMany excellent free reading resources
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Story Arts OnlineStory Arts Online provides lesson plans and activities to help teachers incorporate storytelling in the classroom to teach language arts.
Professional Development
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Literacy Essentials (Improve #MichiganLiteracy)Provides professional development for K-12 literacy instruction practices via online modules, classroom videos, and other resources.
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Michigan Department of Education - LiteracyInfo on standards, laws, professional development, grants, and more.
Some Texbooks Found in the Internet Archive Open Library
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Old and New Skills (Lifepac Language Arts Grade 3)
Publication Date: 2001Grade 3 language arts text. Can be borrowed digitally for short periods of time. -
Glencoe Literature the Readers Choice Course 5 (Texas Edition with World Literature Selections)
Publication Date: 2000Grade 10 Literature textbook. Can be borrowed digitally for short periods of time. -
The Language of Literature: American Literature by
Publication Date: 200011th grade literature text. Can be borrowed digitally for short periods of time.