Child Development Class Assignment

There's a child development class with an assignment to find picture books for preschoolers fitting various categories.  They don't have to check the books out, just list the title and author, and then have a librarian (or someone working at the reference desk) sign the list for them.

I'll be glad to help them while I am here, but I'm leaving a little after 4 PM today and will be out tomorrow, and the assignment is due on Sunday.  It is an online course, so many of the students may be using their local public libraries for this assignment.  I have signed three so far over the past three days.

Here are the categories, and some tips to find each:

• Five fiction picture books - I recommend just browsing in the PZ7s.  You can also use the LibraryThing links below and look for books tagged "realistic fiction," "historical fiction," "fantasy," and "traditional literature."


• Five nonfiction picture books - I recommend browsing everything but all the PZs and poetry (PS), or use this list:  http://www.librarything.com/catalog/rdg301library&deepsearch=%252Bpicture+book+%252Bnonfiction.  You can also use the LibraryThing links below and look for books tagged "biography."


• Two wordless picture books - use books on this list:  http://www.librarything.com/catalog/rdg301library&deepsearch=%252Bpicture+book+%252Bwordless, or search the catalog for "stories without words" (in quotes) in a subject search.


• Three Caldecott picture books (I believe either winners or honor books will work) - see http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal.  We pretty much have all of these. I've also tagged a FEW (but by no means all) here: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/rdg301library&deepsearch=%252Bpicture+book+%252Bcaldecott.  If browsing the shelves, note that we have also put "Randolph Caldecott Award" stickers near the call numbers of these books, and a red dot near the bottom of the spine (since you cannot see the sticker on picture books when they are on the shelf).


• Five multicultural picture books - a starting point is this list:  http://www.librarything.com/catalog/rdg301library&deepsearch=%252Bpicture+book+%252Bdiversity.  When the list comes up, refer to the specific tags for each book for the type of diversity (Latino, Native American, African American, Asian American, etc.).  This list also addresses other types of diversity, so be careful. It also does NOT include books such as traditional literature (fairy tales, folktales, etc.) from other cultures cultures – you can browse the PZ8s and PZ8.1s for some of those. (example:  Grandma and the Great Gourd: A Bengali Folktale, a PZ8.1 currently on display with the new books behind the lower level reference desk).  

Note too that in LibraryThing in the Comments field, I have put Accelerated Reader information when available.  The first number is a reading level.  That's not as important in this case since these books are for preschoolers and can be read aloud, but a level that's *too* high might have content beyond them.  What you do want to look for is "K-3" after the reading level, as that is the interest level for the book.  There is no "preschool" interest level in Accelerated Reader, but K-3 books should work.