Every child is entranced by the magic of story, regardless of national boundaries. Many of the most memorable childhood stories have their origins in other countries. Exposing children to this multi-national body of literature introduces them to the great diversity of people and cultures that populate the world at a young age, enabling them to become more thoughtful and generous individuals. Children's Books from Other Countries is a complete and current guide to international children's literature. The concept of a bibliography of international children's literature is not new. In the past, many books have accomplished this task. The last two decades, however, have not yet produced a current reference source devoted to international children's books. Children's Books from Other Countries wonderfully rectifies this lack of attention. An introductory essay provides an overview of the field including a discussion on the rationale of sharing international books with children, a brief history of the children's literature movement, related books and awards, and basic information about the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) and its American branch, the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). An annotated bibliography contains over 700 titles from 29 different countries printed between 1950 and 1996. All titles are available in English; many have been translated and others have originated in other English-speaking countries. The titles are organized by genre and have been selected for their high quality. They are primarily targeted for children ages 0-14, although a few outstanding young adult titles are included. Winners of the Mildred Batchelder Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal are listed in the appendix. Indexes include Author-Title Index, Country of Origin Index, and Subject Index. Affordable and readable, this timely resource is certainly a "must" for librarians and teachers, and other professionals working with children. Sponsored by the United State

A History of Children's Reading and Literature presents the pattern of educational activity in relation to the methods undertaken in the schools, and the extent to which books are used in the advancement of literacy. This book describes the factors that are contributory or detrimental to the growth of literacy, including educational provision, the availability of school and public libraries, the use of books in schools, and the parallel evolution of recreational literature of all kinds. Organized into 22 chapters, this book starts with an overview of the educational activity during the years of economic depression wherein economic factors resulted in a national state of social unrest that both State and Church came to recognize could be controlled only by the extension of education. This text then describes the successive educational legislation and other factors that contributed to the advancement of public libraries in the last three decades of the 19th century. This book is a valuable resource for teachers, parents, and students.