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Lucy Scribner Library

Children's Literature

New Books

How do I find children's literature?

To find children's literature on a particular topic, use the Discovery Search. You can search for a title or author by just typing either or both in the search boxes. 

If you are searching by subject, in one of your search boxes type the term "juvenile" and limit that box to "Subject Terms." You can then type other terms in the additional boxes. 

Next, check the filter "Catalog Only".  This will limit your search to only items traditionally found in a library catalog (the physical items in the library).

The advanced search of Discovery with three search boxes. In the first search box, the word "Juvenile" is typed. To the right of this box, the dropdown menu has been changed to "Subject Terms - SU." In the second search box are the terms scientist OR science OR mathematics. In the third box is the term biography. A check has been placed below these boxes for "Catalog Only." Green boxes have been placed around the words juvenile, "subject terms - SU," and "Catalog Only" to highlight them.

How do I find children's literature in different languages?

  • To find children's literature in a language other than English, use the Language filter below the search boxes in the advanced search and select the language you want to limit your results to.  In our collection, we primarily have books written in Spanish.

The language limiter dropdown box from the Discovery search with the languages "Spanish; Castilian" selected.

Where's the children's literature?

The Children's room is located on the 3rd floor of the library and contains a variety of children's material including pictures books, biographies and other nonfiction books, early chapter books, and novels for elementary and middle school readers. 
Picture books, early chapter books, and novels are organized in alphabetical order by the author.  Biographies and other nonfiction books are organized by the Dewey Decimal system. 

Dewey Decimal System

This system is often used in public and school libraries as it works well for smaller collections.  It has 10 major classes that are organized by discipline.  These are then broken down further into divisions and sections.

000 - Generalities 500 - Natural Sciences & Math
100 - Philosophy & Psychology 600 - Technology (Applied Sciences)
200 - Religion 700 - The Arts
300 - Social Sciences 800 - Literature
400 - Language 900 - Geography, History, & Biography

Award Winners

Our collection includes the winners of the following children's book awards as well as some of the honoree books for each award. Consult the Discovery Search for call number locations.

Popular Topics - Search Terms

When searching popular topics, there are certain search terms that may work better than others. Here are some popular topics with their preferred search terms.

  • Bedtime - Bedtime and Sleep
  • Disabilities & Special Needs - Disabilities, Blind, Deaf, Autism, etc.
  • Environment & Nature - Nature, Ocean, Forest, Marine, Pollution, etc.
  • Fear & Anxiety - Anxiety and Fear
  • Feelings - Emotions, Sadness, Happiness, and Anger
  • Friendship - Friendship and Best Friends 
  • Grief / Loss - Grief, Death, Bereavement, and Loss
  • Identity & Self-Esteem - Identity, Self-Esteem, Self-Confidence, Individuality
  • Migration - Refugees, Emigration, Immigration, and Immigrants
  • Racism - Racism, Race relations, and Prejudices
  • Slavery - Slavery, Slaves, and Underground Railroad
  • STEM - STEM, STEAM, Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, Biology, etc.

Books to Read Aloud

Early Chapter Books, Novels, & Graphic Novels

There is both an early chapter book and novels section in the collection. 

  • Early chapter books are targeted for readers just moving beyond picture books while novels are targeted for elementary and middle school readers.
  • Middle Grade novels are geared toward young readers, usually ages 8-12. They tend to be longer than chapter books, and may feature more complex characters, plot lines, and themes.
  • Graphic Novels are integrated into the Novels collection with a few in the Picture Books.
  • YA novels (grades 9-12) are now located in our circulating collection with call numbers beginning with PZ.