Author Study - A Guide to Resources
An Author Study researches the life and work of a children's book author. This guide suggests strategies and resources to help complete this project. Resources can be found in the Curriculum Materials Center, as well as throughout the Library or online.
Here are some tips to use when searching the online catalog:
- A SUBJECT Search will find information ABOUT an author (author's last name, first name)
- An AUTHOR Search (author's last name, first name) will find books BY an author.
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Reference books:
Available in the Curriculum Materials Center Reference Room
- Something About the Author
- Best source for information about children's book authors. Check the last volume for the index to all volumes.
Call Number: Curr.Mat.Ref PN451.S6
- The Junior Book of Authors
- Titles vary, i.e., Sixth book of junior authors and illustrators. Check the last volume for an index to the entire series.
Call Number: Curr.Mat.Ref PN1009.A1K8
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Some Books to Use
- Cummings, P. (1995). Talking with Artists. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Call number: j741.642 Tal
- A series of conversations with children's book illustrators.
- Kotch, L. & Zackman, L. (1995). The author studies handbook: Helping students build
powerful connections to literature. New York: Scholastic Professional Books.
Call number: Curr. Mats. LB1575.5 .U5 K68 1995
- Suggestions for building classroom activities around books and authors.
- McElmeel, S. (1999). 100 most popular children’s authors: Biographical sketches and
bibliographies. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
Call number: PS490 .M39 1999eb
- This online book contains photographs and short biographies of popular authors.
- Nel, P. (2004). Dr. Seuss: American icon. New York : Continuum, 2004.
Call number: 2nd level PS3513.E2 Z787 2004
- A critical analysis of the work of Theodore Geisel from his political cartoons to his children's books.
- Story-Huffman, R. (1998). Newbery on the Net. Fort Atkinson, WI: Alleyside Press.
Call number: Curr.Mats. PS490 .S75 1998
- Suggests how to use the Internet to extend understanding of Newbery Award books.
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Reference Databases
- Children's Literature Comprehensive Database
- Reviews of children's books. Link to Children's Literature Home Page for "Featured Authors."
- ERIC
- Index to educational journals and documents. Includes citation and some full-text.
- Education Abstracts
- Part of the Wilson OmniFile index of journals and magazines. Includes citations and some full-text.
- Literature Resource Center
- Full-text database of biographies, bibliographies and critical analyses of authors. Only major children's book authors are included.
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Web Sites
- Children's and Young Adult Literature
- Websites about literature for children and young adults selected by staff of the David and Lorraine Cheng Library.
http://www.wpunj.edu/library/currmats/cya.html
- Children's Literature Web Guide
- A directory of internet resources for children's and young adult literature, maintained by David K. Brown. Use Authors on the Web for web sites about authors, and the Doucette Index for books and web sites with teaching ideas.
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown
- Learning about the Author and Illustrator Pages
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- More than 600 links to author/illustrator websites selected by Kay Vandergrift of Rutgers University.
http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/AuthorSite
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