Center for Children’s Literature

Children’s Book Committee

CBC LogoThe Children’s Book Committee (CBC) was founded more than 100 years ago to help parents, teachers, and librarians choose the books that children will find captivating and transforming. Every year it produces comprehensive annotated book lists for children aged infant through 18.

Our Mission

The CBC reviews over 6000 titles each year for accuracy and literary quality and considers their emotional impact on children. It chooses the best 600 books, both fiction and nonfiction, which it lists with annotations according to age and category.

The Children’s Book Committee strives to guide librarians, educators, parents, grandparents, and other interested adults to the best books for children published each year. The list includes more than 600 titles chosen by reviewers for literary quality and excellence of presentation as well as the potential emotional impact of the books on young readers. Other criteria include credibility of characterization and plot, authenticity of time and place, age suitability, positive treatment of ethnic and religious differences, and the absence of stereotypes.

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Children's Book Committee June Pick

Augusta Savage: The Shape of a Sculptor's Life
Author: Marilyn Nelson
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown and Company

A gifted sculptor and teacher flourishes during the 1930’s Harlem Renaissance. Free verse, concrete poems. Photographs of sculpture. Back matter, biography.

Our Young Reviewers Says:

“Overall, this was a well written book detailing the life of Augusta Savage through the use of free verse, concrete poems, and photographs of Savage’s art.”

–Sarabeth, age 16, New York, NY.

“I  enjoyed the shifts between poetry and prose, depending on the character the author was writing about. I also enjoyed how the poetry about Savage’s sculptures were coupled with photographs of the sculptures. Read more….”

–Vimala, age 15, Queens, New York, NY.

Past Monthly Picks