The following websites were created by GSLIS graduate students. Each website notes the students name, the semester in which the website was created, the class for which the website was created, and the professor of the class that semester. Students were able to choose their topics, as long as the topics were related to children's literature (birth through high school) or youth librarianship.
Board Books, Building Blocks - Brian Conway
(Fall 2001, 403LEA, Hearne)
The education of infants, and the relative successes of the board book format are both topics that will be relevant to new librarians and parents, so there is no doubt the content is necessary.
Books for Military Children - Jan Pye Marry
(Fall 2003, 403LE, Hearne/Nielsen)
An excellent inquiry into books for military children, divided by age groups and listed by topics.
Changes in Non-fiction for Primary Grades - Joyce McCaffrey
(Fall 2003, 403LE, Hearne)
A well-researched historical evaluation of non-fiction titles for elementary children.
Choosing Books with Sibling Interactions - Lisa Weinstein
http://leep.lis.uiuc.edu/publish/lweinste/ChildrensLit403/SiblingRelationshipsinPictureBooks.doc.
http://leep.lis.uiuc.edu/publish/lweinste/ChildrensLit403/BibliographyofSiblingInteractionsinPictureBooks.doc (Fall 2004, 403A, Hearne)
A guide for choosing books that contain sibling relationships and sibling interactions.
East Asian Children's Books - Karen Woodworth-Roman
(Fall 2003, 403LE, Hearne)
An excellent resource for users seeking strong recommendations of East Asian children's books, booktalk ideas. Also useful is the brief, but important, list of books to weed immediately (or avoid for the teen user).
Graphic Novels - Jim Bone
(Fall 2004, 403LE, Nielsen)
The main portion of this site is a paper on the impact of graphic novels on literacy but the additional links are helpful too. Graphic novels continue to be contentious in public and school libraries, and any accurate sites that offer curriculum tie-ins and activities around this format are needed.
Latino Children's Book Resources - Maggie Hommel
(Fall 2004, 403A, Hearne)
With booklists, authors, award lists, and a strong introduction suggesting areas of further research, this is an excellent beginning resource for practitioners who want to broaden their collections or programming.
Male Literacy Role Models - Greg Schwartz
(Fall 2002, 403A, Hearne)
A website that explores the impact of men and positive male role models on children's literacy.
Picture Book Use in Secondary Classrooms - Lisabeth Richter
(Fall 2004, 403LE, Nielsen)
Picture book use in high schools is an unusual subject, and this paper a well-researched looks at this usage.
Reading Road Trip - Taryn Hettlinger
(Fall 2003, 403A, Hearne)
Click on any state on this roadmap and reading club books and book suggestions that relate to it appear.
Time Machine Book Club - Marissa Goodell
(Fall 2003, 403LE, Hearne)
The research questions, recipes, and suggestions around each book are fantastic and the idea of cross-generational programming is unique and fresh. Useful for school and public librarians, and this could also be a great site to bookmark for teachers and parents as ideas they could adapt for practice.
The following reading promotion/reader's advisory websites were created by GSLIS graduate students enrolled in a LIS 514: History of Children's Literature class. These sites were created as part of an ongoing effort to document and make universally available key facts about the unique and historically important texts held by the Center for Children's Books. In creating these sites, quality of information was considered more important than grace of layout or style of commentary.
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery - Minjie Chen
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/mchen6/www/collection/514A/ (Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on L.M. Montgomery that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to her books, as well as a critical evaluation of her work.
Betsy-Tacy, by Maud Hart Lovelace - Suzy Piel
(Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on Maud Hart Lovelace that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to her books, as well as a critical evaluation of her work.
The Biggest Bear, by Lynd Ward - Navadeep Khanal
(Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on Lynd Ward that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to her books, as well as a critical evaluation of her work.
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss - Loretta Morales
(Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on Dr. Seuss that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to his books, as well as a critical evaluation of his work.
Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling - Kathleen Weibel
(Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on Rudyard Kipling that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to his books, as well as a critical evaluation of his work.
Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Sharon Swanke
(Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on Laura Ingalls Wilder that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to her books, as well as a critical evaluation of her work
Tales of a Korean Grandmother, by Frances Carpenter - Sarah Park
(Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on Frances Carpenter that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to her books, as well as a critical evaluation of her work
Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A.Milne - Jennifer Greene
(Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on A.A. Milne that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to his books, as well as a critical evaluation of his work.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum - Corinne Hatcher
(Fall 2004, 514, Jenkins)
This site is a webpage on L. Frank Baum that includes a publication history, biography of the author, an analysis of contemporary reception to his books, as well as a critical evaluation of his work.
The Challenge Challenge: A Quiz Show to Test Your Knowledge of Censorship - Kate Nicholoff
(Summer 2005, 590IFL, Gaffney)
This site is great fun, a Jeopardy style quiz show on censorship issues. This is an excellent resource for advanced teen researchers and a hilarious break for beleaguered librarians who work on the front lines of these struggles.
Silenced Voices from Abroad: A Report from the Field - Marianne Martens
(Summer 2005, 590IFL, Gaffney)
A paper on international children's publishing issues and trends, this site will be helpful to researchers and practioners.
Calendar Girls: A Twelve-Month Guide to Stories that Feature Strong Women and Girls - Patricia Morey
(Spring 2004, 409A, Hearne)
A diverse and fun list of materials for elementary kids, ready to be used in a school library. Useful primarily as a beginning resource, this site will provide a strong base on which to build a curriculum for reading and discussion based on themes throughout the year.
Children as Storytellers - Bethany Walk, Carolyn LaMontagne, Patricia Morey
(Fall 2004, 506A, Bearden)
Intended for librarians, educators, and storytellers, this site has resources for each of these audiences. Visually attractive with lots of practical suggestions.
Chinese Comic Books - Minjie Chen
http://leep.lis.uiuc.edu/publish/mchen6/LIS303A/home.htm (Fall 2003, 403A, Hearne)
An analysis of Chinese comic books with rare examples of comics shown.
Cinderella: A Study - Joella Peterson
(Fall 2005, 403, Hearne)
Although there is no shortage of Cinderella information available online, this lovely and personalized site can guide you toward the best print versions of the story.
Creation Stories from Around the World - Hope Rokosz
(Spring 2003, 404, Jenkins)
An attractive and well-researched webpage on Creation stories from around the world.
The Folklore Tradition of Jack Tales - Janet Thompson
(Fall 2003, 403LE, Hearne)
A helpful beginning look at the history of Jack tales. The references, recommended websites, and summary of motifs are all excellent resources for new researchers.
Folktale and Retelling: A Case Study of Cinderella Stories in Picture Books, 1980-2004 - Minjie Chen
http://leep.lis.uiuc.edu/publish/mchen6/590FL.doc (Fall 2004, 590FL, Hearne)
An exploration of Cinderella picture books from the past 25 years.
Four Years, Four Months, and Fourteen Days: A Collection of My Dad's World War II Stories - Lynn Ward
(Fall 2004, 590FL, Hearne)
Not only an intriguing look at one man's war stories but this paper also suggests ideas for family research and storytelling and the importance of exchanging of family tales.
Is the Library Really Sinking? Campus Lore and Urban Legends at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign - Annette Lesak
(Spring 2005, 409AG, Hearne)
Will the Alma Mater statue take her seat when a virgin finally graduates from UIUC? What makes urban legends spread so quickly and what elements do they share in common? A solid introduction to urban legends with local appeal.
Littles and Lore - Beverly Hatcher
(Spring 2002, 409LE, Hearne)
A paper with added html content, this work focuses on bringing stories and storytelling to an early education environment.
Programming for Babies - Suzanne Piel
(Spring 2005, 409AG, Hearne)
A nice range of resources for public librarians working with children from birth to three. The information is accurate and helpful for those who are just jumping into storytimes or programming with this age group.
Tale Spinning Teens - Lauren Sopanarat
(Spring 2004, 409LEA, Hearne)
This site is intended for a teen audience who are interested in storytelling. Very fun visually and written well for the intended readers, the content offered is successful.
Tales with a twist: Retold fairy tales - Cathy Senior
(Spring 2005, 404LE, Joshi)
The strongest aspect of this website is the list of retold folk and fairy tales, organized by tale.
Tricksters and Their Place in Storytelling - Kathleen Hempel
(Spring 2005, 409LE, Joshi)
A solid introduction to tricksters and their appearances in stories around the world. The strong annotated bibliography makes up for the sparse content in some areas.
Tricksters Around the World - Kathleen Hempel
(Fall 2004, 403LE, Nielsen)
This is a pretty spectacular and well-researched site on tricksters around the world with lots of content and an attractive layout.
Trolls: Culture and Development - Joyce McCaffrey
(Spring 2004, 409LEA, Hearne)
Examples of trolls in folk and fairy tales, this site will be useful for storytellers and librarians as well as a general user who needs more background information on trolls. Pretty strong all around.
Alaskan Biography: Real People, Real Places, Real Cold - Linnae Fuller
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
An unusual topic, Alaskan biographies, this site offers a bibliography that would be difficult to find elsewhere.
Beyond Life of Pi - Lisa Chellman
(Spring 2005, 404, Jenkins)
Recommended reading for fans of Life of Pi.
Books for TV Fans - Lori Bervoets and Vicki Eilers
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
A plethora of suggestions on television tie-in books, books with topics that can be connected to television shows, and general suggestions for how to draw teens into books.
Bring the Noise: A HipHop Universe - Laura Frantz
(Spring 2005, 404, Jenkins)
Flashy and well-researched, this examination of hip-hop culture and the library is a great resource.
Butt-Kicking Princesses: Not Your Typical Docile Darlings - Melanie Little
(Spring 2003, 304, Mitts-Smith)
For all the rebellious teens and the librarians who serve them, this website addresses teen heroines who break the traditional rules.
Crossover Books: Adult Books for Young Adults - Janet Thompson
(Spring 2005, 404, Jenkins)
It is already known that teens are reading adult books, why not use a website like this to compile a reliable and tested list of adult books they will love?
Do I Dare Disturb the Universe? Reading for Rebels - Christine Skoglund
(Spring 2003, 304, Mitts-Smith)
Extremely stylish and cool, this is be a great site for teens and practitioners. Annotated lists of rebellious books from Gantos' autobiography to classics like The Chocolate War are arranged in an easy to use fashion with gorgeous artwork accompanying the navigational tools.
Fantasy Literature for Youth - Georgeann Burch
(Summer 2003, 304, Mitts-Smith)
Straight-forward and with brief annotations, this site is primarily developed for teen or middle school users. The suggestions are spot-on for the age group and the dreamy graphics match the topic perfectly.
Fear and Terror - Dana Russell
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
The title says it all, a satisfyingly creepy look at horror/terror books for teens.
The Fight for Human Rights - Cindy Yewdall and Juliet Kerico
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
Human rights issues, and recommended books on this topic, for teens and practitioners.
Funny Fantasy and Silly Science Fiction - Karin Thogerson
http://leep.lis.uiuc.edu/publish/thogerse/yalit/scifant.html (Spring 2003, 304, Mitts-Smith)
Great fun, a list of off-the-wall science fiction titles for young adults.
Graphic Novels Make Great Movies - Deidre Kellens Winterhalter
http://leep.lis.uiuc.edu/publish/kellens/LIS404/Graphic/GraphicNovels041106.html (Spring 2006, 404, Jenkins)
Carefully researched and visually stunning, this site on graphic novels that have been made into movies will be appealing to teens and librarians alike.
If You Like Stephen King… - Karen Kresh
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
This site consists of recommendations for teen horror fans, particularly those who love Stephen King novels.
If you like Weetzie Bat… - Karen Choy and David Schwartz
(Spring 2005, 404, Jenkins)
Weetzie Bat is such a quirky book, could there really be an entire list of books similar to it? Yes, if you break it down by characters, themes, and situations and this site offers a truly unusual and well-developed booklist.
The Lighter Side of Love - Kate Kite, Annette Lesak
(Spring 2006, 404, Nielsen)
Are those heavy, gothic romances getting you down? Try these booklists of light-hearted, funny romance titles.
Literature Circles - Kathy Hempel
(Spring 2005, 404LE, Jenkins)
Offers general suggestions for school and public librarians interested in starting literature circles. In addition, focused discussion questions and enrichment activities for six books put the general ideas into practice.
Lucien's Field Guide to Sandman Fans - Beth Tarr
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
A look at the Sandman series written as if from the perspective of an insider, Lucien.
New York Stories - Kate Nicholoff
(Spring 2005, 404, Jenkins)
A diverse collection of titles for young adults who are interested in New York City.
No Flying, No Tights - Robin Brenner
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
Although this site on graphic novels has expanded into a comprehensive, independent entity - Brenner started this site as a class project when she was a graduate student.
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep: Stories about Death and Other Life Changing Events - Melissa Smith and Jordan Seymour
(Spring 2003, 304, Mitts-Smith)
With a creepy design and excellent booklists, this will be appealing to teen users and
the practitioners who work with them.
Pizza and Pages Book Club - Ryann Uden
(Spring 2005, 404, Jenkins)
Ideas for conducting middle school and junior high reading groups with a mix of general and specific suggestions on this audience. Written for practitioners who have worked with this age group but haven't established a formal reading/discussion group.
Poetry is like Sushi…You Don't Know if You Like It Until You Try It - Melissa Henderson
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
A clever and fun site that recommends poetry titles and strategies for teen users.
Reclaiming Faerie - Amanda Pippitt
(Spring 2003, 304, Mitts-Smith)
Novels and short stories for teens based upon, or inspired by, fairy tales. The layout is fantastic and perfect for the teen users who are looking for a particular story and equally attractive for the casual browser.
Recommended Vampire Readings for Teens - Denise DeBrock
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
Dripping blood and creepy descriptions indicate the subject for this reading list site, vampires.
Women in Comics - Masha Barabtarlo and Mary Bell
(Spring 2002, 304, Jenkins)
A fun look at women authors and characters in comics and graphic novels.
Write Now: The Site for Current and Prospective Young Adults - Donna Miner and Erin Guss
(Spring 2005, 404, Welch)
Resources for prospective teen writers on publishing, the writing process, and other young adult authors. This site is geared for the teen audience but would also be appropriate for librarians who work with YAs.
YA Books on the Paranormal - Christine Kujawa and Barb Bolser
(Spring 2003, 304, Mitts-Smith)
Paranormal topics seem to be almost universally appealing to teen readers and this site pulls together some of the best titles.
Young Adult Fantasy Series - Todd Huettel
(Spring 2006, 404LE, Jenkins)
For your patrons who loved the Lord of the Rings movies and wants to become involved with a good fantasy series, this site has excellent recommendations.
What Would You Do if You Were Accused? - Elisa Gueffier
(Spring 2006, 404LE, Jenkins)
A compelling site about books and resources for young adults pertaining to the Salem Witch Trials.
ABCs from A to Z - Jomichele Seidl, Marissa Goodell, Stewart Fritz
(Fall 2004, 506, Welch)
A site for librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers on recommended books and activities that can be used to teach the alphabet to young children.
The Advisor: Graphic Novels - Kit Moore, Megan Stillwell, Krista Hutley, Kris Lustock
(Fall 2003, 506A, Bearden)
Librarians in superhero spandex offer excellent suggestions of graphic novels for casual readers and librarians looking for collection development assistance. The glossary and FAQ are helpful for truly new researchers and practitioners.
Alternative Library Programs - Sonya Green, Annette Lesak, Maggie Novario
(Fall 2006, 506A, Jenkins)
Have you been feeling like your “tried and true” teen programs are starting to lose their touch? Maybe it’s time to try something a little different.
Banned: A Resource for Youth Librarians on Censorship and How to Deal With It - Natalie Hoyle, Kapila Sankaran, Meghann Matwichuk
(Fall 2002, 506A, Bearden)
Cool enough for teen users, enough content for new librarians - this site has it all. Thankfully, neither of those user groups should mind the yellow on black for text and background choices.
Book Club Buzz - Cheryl Benoit, Ann Marie Jinkins, Karen Kresh, Leslie Scott
(Fall 2002, 506LE, Jenkins)
A resource intended for librarians, teachers, and parents interested in organizing a book club, this is a strong site with a great deal of useful content.
Expanding the Definition of Literacy - Maggie Hommel, Kimberly Ulrich, Ben Riegler
(Fall 2005, 506A, Jenkins)
The traditional definition that refers to an ability to decipher words on a printed page no longer works: what about visual literacy? Information literacy? Digital literacy?
Gaming in the Library - Erin Guss, Angie Stille, Julie Yen
(Fall 2005, 506A, Jenkins)
A great start-to-finish guide to adding gaming in a public library.
Going Beyond the Bars - Sean Eads, Melissa Henderson
(Fall 2002, 506LE, Jenkins)
This site on library service to incarcerated youth is simple but full of great content for practitioners.
The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent: Characterizations of Librarians in Children's Literature - Melanie Lyttle
(Fall 2002, 403, Hearne)
Close to any youth services librarian's heart, this site is an exploration of representations of librarians in children's books.
Graphic Novels and Libraries: A Review of Current Research and Advice for Introducing a GN Program - Lisa Chellman, Michael Deschenes, Julianne Hix, Linn McDonald
(Fall 2004, 506, Jenkins)
Focused on graphic novel programming, this is an unusual and particularly helpful website for practitioners venturing into this area for the first time.
Getting Crafty with Young Adults - Ria Newhouse, Mary Bell, Katie Tyberg
(Fall 2001, 506A, Bearden)
An excellent start-to-finish site for librarians interested in craft programming for young adults. Attractive and informal, this site offers entire programs from advertising to the actual patterns for various craft projects.
Harriette Gillem Robinet - Judy Chrisman
(Spring 2002, 404, Jenkins)
An examination of a children's author including an interview the creator had with Robinet.
I Want More Like This! Organizing Your Fiction Collection by Genre - Kristin Hill, Donna Miner, Ana Peso
(Fall 2005, 506A, Jenkins)
Thoughtful suggestions about how to amp the appeal of teen room shelving by arranging books by genres instead of in alphabetical order by author.
International Literature for Children and Young Adults - Diana Ceobanu, Michael Cox
Kerrie Huizinga, Denise Matulka
(Fall 2001, 506A, Bearden)
A site on international literature for youth that is rich in content and one that will be useful not only for new librarians but experts and researchers in the field as well
Libraries, Literacy, Y La Familia - Sarah Dutelle, Eleannor Maajid, Melanie Petersen
(Fall 2002, 506A, Bearden)
This site presents various programming ideas (storytelling, book discussion groups) with the intent of drawing in and serving Hispanic families in a public library setting. The level of detail (funding options, specific promotional suggestions) makes this an excellent choice for new librarians as the suggestions would all apply to any minority population currently being underserved in a library environment.
Library Service to Incarcerated Youth - Janet Thompson, Larra Clark
(Fall 2004, 506, Welch)
An underserved population and excellent outreach opportunity for practitioners, this site includes several suggestions of programs, titles, and other outreach possibilities for working with this group.
Magazines: What Teens Really Want @ the Library - Jenny Snow, Kasia Hopkins, Kathleen Wiebel
(Fall 2005, 506A, Jenkins)
Magazines are part of most library collections, but how do you find the best ones for your patrons? What if you have limited funds, are they as important as books?
Make me wanna holla: fostering literacy in the hip hop generation @ the library - Laura Frantz, Christa Hardy, Tamela James, Lori Kunc, Sherri Sinniger
(Fall 2004, 506, Welch)
Fun and stylish, this site offers several suggestions for programming, activities, and books that will make the public library an appealing space.
Marketing the Library - Starla Yelm, Carole Petro, Lisa Livesay
(Fall 2002, 506LE, Jenkins)
Increasing public library presence in a community is imperative in times of tightening budgets and failing tax initiatives. Marketing for the library is also an area that is often ignored or misunderstood, the informal, almost chatty tone of this webpage presents an impressive amount of information in an easily understood manner.
Paper Crafts - Mai Kong, Marianne Martens, Kate Nicholoff
(Fall 2005, 506LE, Jenkins)
Programming ideas, resource lists, and reference guides to a wide variety of paper crafts for children and young adults.
Planning a Successful Author/Illustrator Visit - Peggy Burton, Sarah Windau
(Fall 2001, 506A, Bearden)
Everything a school or public librarian would need to start planning their own author or illustrator visit with an informal and attractive style.
Poetry Slam - Arlene Badillo, Melanie Lyttle, Barb Bolser
(Fall 2003, 506A, Bearden)
Very stylish formatting and informal, folksy content makes this a perfect resource for new librarians or practitioners who are new to poetry slams.
Students with Special Needs - Linda Straube
(Fall 2004, 506, Welch)
Addresses a variety of special education students needs and includes recommendations for the students themselves, librarians, parents/guardians, and educators.
Taking the Library Outside - Anna Vani, Kathy Hempel
(Fall 2005, 506LE, Jenkins)
Why be content with staying inside the library? If you are lucky enough to have outdoor space for programming, here are suggestions about how to best use the outdoors.
Guides for Children's Fantasy Books
in the S-Collection in the Education and Social Science Library - Jennifer Wharton
(Spring 2007, 591, McDowell)
This excellent guide to fantasy books categorizes books by subject for quick and easy access.
