Topics Often Requested from CCM
(This is a guide for how to assist patrons of the Curriculum Collection who are NOT a part of the 651 class, Literature for Young Children; Information on how to help those who are will be posted in the tab following this section)
Many of the topics on this page can be found on book lists which can be found on the main page of the Curriculum Library, or through this link.
Award Winners
1. There are many award winning books in the CCM Collection--the most requested are the Caldecott, Newbery, Américas, and Coretta Scott King awards, but other ALA awards are studied as well. When dealing with a request, try to determine if they need:
a) a specific title
b) a winner of one particular award or
c) an example of any children's award winner
Some users assume that they need a Caldecott Medal winner, when an Honor book or a title that won a different award would work just as well for their assignment. Within the first few weeks of a semester there are five or more classes which are all trying to use the Caldecott Medal books simultaneously, so avoid suggesting these unless necessary at that time.
2. Reference Copies are available for all Américas books (Award winners and Commended titles), half of the Caldecott Medal Winners, and about two-thirds of the Newberry Medals. These copies do not circulate, but are here to assist students with assignments that do not require checking the books out. If a circulating copy is needed, there should be at least one circulating copy of any award title in the reference section.
3. Book Lists (linked here) are available for the most used children's and young adult awards. Each award list is in chronological order beginning with the most recent winners, and each entry contains a link to the Primo record (the public catalog), as well as the call number. The record has information on the current location of the book, such as if it is checked out, on the shelf, or on class cart (similar to reserve; see rules here).
Beginning or Easy Readers
1. If a patron requests beginner books or early readers, first ascertain that they do not want reading textbooks (we do have a few older ones).
2. If they just want a beginning / easy book that is not a textbook, the exact title is likely not as important as the reading level, which is determined by publishers and is usually marked on the book itself.
3. The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award list is a book list for this category, but many more books which are not award winners can be found by browsing the collection (mainly in the fiction, but there are some in nonfiction and picture books as well). They can be identified by the yellow circular sticker on the spine: 
Bilingual Books
1. Most requests for bilingual books are looking for Spanish/English titles, but we do have a small number of books where the non-English language is not Spanish, such as Arabic, Chinese, or Hebrew.
2. Bilingual books may be found using a catalog search for "bilingual," or for more precise results, "bilingual AND [desired language]."
3. Many English/Spanish titles can be found by browsing in the Américas collection and/or the nonfiction call number for Spanish (460), which contains bilingual books and titles entirely in Spanish.
4. There are a few board books and big books that are bilingual; most of these are English/Spanish, with the 460 call number within their location.
Concept Books
1. Concept Books usually refers to very easy books which are based around a simple concept. They tend to lack a story line, and are more picture-based than text. Common subjects are: colors, shapes, sizes, numbers, the alphabet, days of the week, months, animals, foods, weather, seasons, play activities, household objects, body parts, and community helpers. These books are easier to find by searching or browsing individual concept names, rather than using "concept" as a search term.
2. Board Books are an excellent section to find examples of these, but they can also be located among the picture books and easiest nonfiction.
Content Area Learning
1. Content area learning are books which focus on a certain basic school subject. These can be both picture books and nonfiction which deal with facts related to a curriculum subject. For children's literature classes, these subjects are basic: math, science, social studies, and occasionally language arts dealing with things like homonyms, opposites, or punctuation.
2. Whether nonfiction, or picture and board books should be used is determined by the age of the intended user. Very young readers would benefit from the latter as long as they still contain subject area information, but the former would be necessary for primary grades or higher.
Diversity
(Diversity and Multiculturalism are often treated as the same topics, but they are different in the subject matter covered by each; if diversity is not the right topic needed, try looking under the Multiculturalism Guide instead)
1. While diversity can include multicultural topics, like racial and ethnic differences, it also specifically covers other types of differences such as physical disabilities, mental illnesses, gender and sex roles (which has a book list), and different types of family groups and situations.
2. Diversity topics are occasionally referred to as "sensitive subjects."
3. A catalog search for "diversity" does not bring up many CCM items, and as such, it is better to search for more specific diversity topics, such as Down syndrome, guide dogs, deafness, or same-sex parents.
Fairy Tales / Folklore
1. Stories that are commonly referred to as "fairy tales" are mostly considered to be "folklore" and as such will primarily be found in the 398.2 to 398.46 sections of nonfiction. There are a few exceptions, such as Hans Christian Andersen, that are found in the Picture Books or fiction under the author's name. If a patron wants to browse the fairy tale selections, however, they should be directed to the 398 sections.
2. "Traditional literature" is a term some instructors will use to refer to folklore. If it is unclear, ask the student whether fairy tales or "classics" (described here) are wanted..
3. If a specific story is wanted, search for different or shortened versions of the title, such as "red hen" or "three pigs."
4. If a specific ethnic background is requested, try alternatives like "folklore AND Poland" or "fairy tales AND Poland."
5. Common tales will often have several versions available; some which are often asked for are: Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, Emperor's New Clothes, Gingerbread Man, Hansel & Gretel, Jack & the Beanstalk, Little Red Hen, Princess & the Pea, Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Stone Soup, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Three Pigs, Tortoise & the Hare, and the Ugly Duckling.
6. Catalog Searches will reveal versions of some tales in areas other than the 398s. Very simple versions and modernized or "fractured" versions may be found in the picture books.
7. Mother goose rhymes are mostly in 398.8, but some can be found in both board book and big book formats.
Genres
1. In children's literature, particularly at the picture book level, subject headings for genres are not always used, even when those headings are commonly applied to books for older readers.This is a problem, particularly with fantasy and science fiction, which are frequently requested as picture books.
2. Science Fiction picture books can be books which deal with space travel, extraterrestrials, robots, and similar subjects; these more specific search terms will get more results.
3. Fantasy picture books are easier to locate by simply browsing the collection, as many of the books will include talking animals, or animals that otherwise behave like humans, which could be used despite not being labeled as fantasy.
4. Some genres (like folklore and poetry) have their own areas on our shelves, and anything located in those sections can be classified as that genre, regardless of the subject headings attached to it.
5. Some classes will use the term "genre" more broadly to refer to categories that are not genres in the traditional sense, such as award winners or chapter books. Some of these will be best searched for via our lists (like the Caldecotts) or by browsing the shelves (like chapter books or easy nonfiction).
Historical Fiction
1. Historical fiction is an actual genre subject heading, and is regularly used on fiction for older readers (chapter book level and up). Unfortunately, this heading is rarely used for picture books, so for historical fiction at a younger level, it is necessary to use more specific keywords. For example, "underground railroad" or "pioneer life" will retrieve some picture books on those topics.
2. Historical fiction is also the topic of a book list on CCM's website; the current list (being revised soon) is not exhaustive, but gives patrons a starting point.
Multicultural Materials
(Diversity and Multiculturalism are often treated as the same topics, but they are different in the subject matter covered by each; if multiculturalism is not the right topic needed, try looking under the Diversity Guide instead)
1. Multiculturalism deals mostly with racial and ethnic differences, religious practices, and other related factors, rather than the more varied topics covered under diversity.
2. Like diversity, multiculturalism does not work well as a search term, as it brings up books which discuss multiculturalism rather than those which cover individual topics within it. Instead, try searching for particular ethnic or racial groups, such as Afro-American, Hispanic, Jewish, Islam, or Hindu. Skin color or hair types can be searched, as can segregation, integration, and civil rights.
Multiple Copies
1. For whole class use, the multiple copies of Leo Lionni titles are usually used, and these are also available for individual users to check out during the rest of the semester when they are not on class cart status.
2. The Book List which includes titles in CCM for which there are 4 or more mostly identical copies is the most useful resource for location books which have multiple copies.
Where to Find Poetry
1. Most contemporary American poetry is found in or around the 811.54 nonfiction call number.
2. Older poetry or that from other cultures will be throughout the 800s.
3. Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes are primarily in the 398.8 area, and are considered part of folklore.
4. Foreign language or bilingual poetry is often in the 400s under the specific Dewey number for their language. Newer bilingual poetry can also be in the 800s.
5. "Stories in rhyme" is used as a subject heading for picture books and short fiction where the entire story is in rhyme. These are usually classified as picture books.
Realistic Fiction
1. This is usually asked for in picture books, or easy chapter books in the fiction section. There is no single keyword or subject heading for realistic fiction, so searching by that term is not helpful.
2. Books for this may usually be found by browsing in the picture book section. The best way to judge whether a book is realistic fiction is simple: realistic fiction contains only things that could exist in real life, in contemporary times (as historical fiction is oft considered its own category). Things which are not considered realistic fiction are: small children living on their own without adults, animals behaving like people, live dinosaurs on the playground, flying people, etc. Stories with imaginary elements, like make-believe friends, may work for this category, but are not ideal.
Traditional Literature
1. This term usually refers to folklore/fairy tales (here).
2. In some cases, Traditional is used as a category for what are also called "Classics" of children's literature, such as Alice in Wonderland, Chronicles of Narnia, Winnie the Pooh, the Wizard of Oz, etc. If it is unclear on which definition is meant, ask the patron for more details.
3. If folklore is wanted, direct the patron to 398.2. Check that heading if more information is needed.
4. Non-folklore "classics" will usually need to be looked up by title, series, or author, as they will not be shelved together.