Selection Aid Toolkit

The School Library Journal is an American monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. The School Library Journal is not sponsored, but it does sponsor a yearly summit that "focuses on creating a culture that promotes an equitable world and closes the opportunity gap for all children." Throughout the website, there are several sections dedicated for multiple topics that would assist librarians, the most essential being the "School Libraries" tab. According to their website, "SLJ produces award-winning features and news coverage on: literacy, best practices, technology, education policy and other issues of interest to the school library and greater educator community. We evaluate a broad range of resources, from books and digital content to databases, in 6000+ reviews published annually." Reviews on books and resources are written by SLJ staff (journalists, educators, and librarians). The reviews are summaries, opinions, author commentaries, interviews with authors, and information on how to purchase the book. This website is kept up-to-date, visually appealing, and has relevant information for school librarians so I would rate it as an A+.

Baker and Taylor is a Follett owned company that is marketed to be a "collection development, selection, and ordering tool for libraries". Baker and Taylor ship books and other resources to libraries all over the world for students of all ages. In recent years, they have added digital content and technology solutions for their customers. This resource updates their catalog continuously. They also have a monthly publication, Forecast, promoting upcoming hardcover and paperback books. Forecast provides information on future best-sellers and noteworthy mid-list titles, as well as monthly subject collections. Although there are not reviews of the materials, they have several "featured" tabs on their home screen to promote their popular titles. Overall, I give this resource an A. I think it deserves an A because of the ease of ordering for librarians. To be an A+, I would appreciate some reviews from other librarians.

WorldCat is a resource owned by OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) that allows librarians to have access to collections of other libraries. WorldCat itemizes the collections of 17,900 libraries from 123 countries. With such a variety of libraries available, there is not specific grade level access. Physical materials included are popular books, CDs, and videos. Digital content includes downloadable audiobooks and articles. Anyone can make an account and have access to all of the content available on WorldCat.org. The booklist is updated regularly, and there is a book review section that is continually updated by reviewers (account members) all over the world. Each review is different because members are posting their likes/dislikes, asking questions, and posting reviews on a variety of resources (books, music, movies). I would give WorldCat an A+ because I have never come across a lending resource so large. I also appreciate the reviews section. This would be very helpful for librarians looking to order.

GoodReads is a social media platform geared towards readers! Users can create a free profile to be able to post their own polls, discussions, lists, blogs, and book suggestions. GoodReads can be used for adults looking for all levels of books, including children's books. GoodReads is updated continuously with users all over the world posting their thoughts on their latest read. GoodReads votes on books of each genre every year for the "Best of GoodReads" awards. When selecting books on GoodReads, the user will find information such as a synopsis, quotes from the author, recommendations, reviews, and purchasing information. I think if a librarian has a book in mind, this would be a great resource for viewing reviews prior to purchasing. I would give this resource an A+.

Originally created by a media specialist (Robin B.) for media specialists, No Flying No Tights is a graphic novel review page for avid comic book readers to post their opinions so distributors (librarians, teachers, and parents) will have a place to look for reviews. Although this is mostly a website for older readers, there are comic books that even older elementary students can enjoy. There are several browsing topics on the website such as age range, genre, and non-fiction topics. When selecting a comic book, there is a rather lengthy summary, ISBN information, age range, and a blurb about the author. There is a "schools picks" section that highlights titles great for students looking for engaging reads. I would rate this resource as an A+ for librarians/media specialists looking to add to their graphic novel collection.

The Georgia Conference on Children's Literature is an annual conference hosted and sponsored by the University of Georgia. With myself working in Georgia and having the goal of one day being a media specialist in Georgia, I think the books presented at this conference would be very relevant to my students. Each book presented has had several great reviews, and there are two awards given at the conference: picture books and middle grades books. These awards are given to authors from Georgia and are voted on by Georgia teachers, students, and media specialists. The winning authors produce videos to promote their books, and once they win their books are available to view online. I think this is a good resource for media specialist because I think our local children need to see that people who are also from Georgia can become successful writers. I would give this resource an A because although it promotes locals, the book choices are slim.

Booklist Online is sponsored by the ALA (American Library Association) and provides book reviews for public libraries and school libraries. Subscribers can have free access for 2 weeks to their reviews of books, then there will need to be a paid subscription. The reviews are provided twice a month by other librarians and educational professionals. Reviewers cannot just be anyone though, they have to go through a process to be vetted by Booklist prior to posting their reviews. On their website, each reviewer has a long list of credentials that verify they are qualified to be a reviewer. The reviews on Booklist contain the book review, synopsis, and information on how to purchase the book. I would give this resource a B+ because it is not free for librarians/media specialists, but I do think the reviews are quality and trustworthy.

Scholastic Book Clubs is sponsored by Scholastic Inc. and helps schools get excellent children's books into the hands of every child. The Scholastic Book Fairs have always been a hit at most schools and with Scholastic Book Clubs, books can be ordered all throughout the year. Scholastic sells books for every grade level and has monthly flyers promoting their most popular books of the season. Although there is mostly books, they also sell other educational tools such as phonics kits and learning games. Even though there are not reviews online or on the flyers, they do promote that the books they are selling are their most popular. In the flyers, it also shows Lexile and AR reader levels to help determine how to group the books by level. Scholastic does a great deal with points, so oftentimes teachers/librarians can get discounts on quality books. I would give Scholastic a B because even though they promote popular, recently published books, there are not reviews and most of the times the books come as paperbacks which is not suitable for libraries.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books is one of the nation’s leading children’s book review journals for school and public librarians. They provide concise summaries and critical evaluations to help librarians find the books they need for their library’s collection. Each review gives librarians information on the book’s content, reading level, strengths and weaknesses, quality of format, as well as suggestions for use in the curriculum. Most books are reviewed from publisher’s galley proofs. The reviews seems to have up-to-date coverage because the reviewers want librarians to know which books to buy the moment they’re available. With over 3,500 subscribers, I would say this is a trustworthy source for librarians to review books. I would give this source an A.

The Horn Book Magazine (in print and online) is quoted as one of the most distinguished resources in the field of children's and young adult literature. The Horn Book provides many resources such as their magazine, e-newsletters, and blogs on children's literature. They also have a database that offers short, critical reviews by professionals recommending books published between the present and 2000 for young people. Their newsletter, Calling Caldecott, publishes reviews every two days of different books. The reviews include a summary and how the author of the post related to the book. I would give this resource an A because it is very detailed, but I could see myself getting lost in the website.

Kirkus Reviews cover many topics such as book reviews, featured news, a Kirkus magazine, the Kirkus Prize, and a writing center. On their book review tab, users can browse through their multiple genres including children's books. Users can enjoy the Kirkus content with a free account. Once clicking on Children's Book reviews, the reviews can also be selected by subgenre, age, format, category, and rating. Book reviews are published on the 1st and 15th of each month. The Kirkus Prize is awarded yearly to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers' literature. The award is very distinctive with a prize of $50,000. I would rate Kirkus Reviews as an A+ because of how specific one can search for books.

The Library Journal is owned along with the same company as The Horn Book and The School Library Journal. The Library Journal is dedicated to helping librarians in all aspects of the library including book reviews, technology, library programs, public and academic libraries, and by hosting events. Users do need to pay for services, and they have three choices of membership: digital, print, or digital and print. On their Book Reviews tab, there are many options of reading book reviews such as the highest rated books, newly released books, fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels. Their reviews publish every two days of different books. The reviews include a summary and how the author of the post related to the book. I would give this resource an A because it is very detailed, but it is limited with their children's and young adult sections.

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to an author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". Members of the American for Library Service to Children can nominate a book for the 15 member committee to review. The Newbery Committee is made up of distinguished librarians and educators. Once the finalists are selected, a short synopsis on each book is provided. There is usually a short review given by each member of the committee. I would give this resource an A+ because it is one of the most distinguished children's literature awards, and I think all librarians should reference this list when choosing new books.

Programming Librarian is run by the American Library Association and they provide a place for librarians to share, learn, and present programs to their communities. Programming Librarian can serve as a professional development resource for librarians. Under the "browse ideas" tab, there are several community programs that librarians can select to learn more about. There are written reviews by other librarians who have hosted such events along with their personal tips and advice. The reviews also include program execution, budgeting details, marketing, and what to plan in advance. I think this is a great resource for librarians to brainstorm what community programs to select for their libraries. I feel that programs are few and far between and having a place where it's all laid out like a lesson plan for librarians is great. I give this resource an A+.

The Children's Book Review sponsored by the ALSC (Association For Library Service To Children) has thousands of reviews the best new and popular books. The book reviews range from readers who enjoy picture books all the way up to young adult and teen chapter books. This resource seems to be updated several times a week with new reviews of books being added constantly. The reviews consist of the age range, publisher, ISBN, and what to expect from the book. The author of the review also includes their thorough opinion about each book as well. Reviewers are members of The Children's Book Review committee. I would give this selection tool an A+ because of the vast amount of materials reviewed, and I appreciate the organization of the website.