Recommended Reading

ALA Library Fact Sheet Number 23

General Lists | For Children | For Young Adults/Teens | For Adults | Reference Books (for children, teens, and adults) | Reading Events, Programs, and Tips

Lists in the News

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of ALA) names 2009 Outstanding Books for the College Bound & Lifetime Learners List
Revised every five years, this list is intended as a tool for several audiences: students preparing for college, parents, educators and librarians. The 2009 list offers titles in five categories: Arts and Humanities, History and Cultures, Literature and Language Arts, Science and Technology and Social Sciences.

2009 Notable Books Selections Announced
A list of outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books for the adult reader. These titles have been selected for their significant contribution to the expansion of knowledge and for the pleasure that they can provide.

American Library Association announces literary award winners (Jan 2009)
The American Library Association list of award winning books, videos and audiobooks for children and young adults - including the Caldecott, King, Newbery, Schneider Family, Printz, and Morris awards.

Booklist announces prestigious 2008 Top of the List selections (Jan 2009)
The editors of ALA's Booklist review journal select the single best title in eight categories -- adult fiction, adult nonfiction, youth fiction, youth nonfiction, youth picture book, reference source, video/DVD, and audio.

Top Ten Most Re-Read Books List
List of popular novels, plays, and poetry compiled for a news report by committee of librarians and book review editors -- including Nancy Pearl.

General Lists (across two or more age groups)

• ALA Professional Tips Wiki: Selection. A list of online and print resources for selecting books for a library collection.
• 2009 Alex Awards - previous Alex Awards lists. ALA's Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) spotlights ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing. The award is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust and Booklist.
• 2009 Amelia Bloomer List - Amelia Bloomer Project. The list presents well-written and well-illustrated books with strong feminist messages that affirm positive roles for girls and women. The works are recommended for young people from birth through eighteen years of age.
• Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (May 2008). The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association presents awards to books that promote Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage in three categories: Adult Non-Fiction, Illustration in Children's Literature, and Young Adult Literature.
• Booklist Editor's Choice: Books for Youth, 2008 (Jan 2009). Committed to providing a broad selection of outstanding books that mixes popular appeal with literary excellence, the Books for Youth editorial staff has chosen the titles as best-of-the-year fiction, nonfiction, and picture books for children from preschool through 12^th grade.
• Rainbow List 2009 - Rainbow Project. Annual reading list of books for beginning readers through 12^th grade that validate same-gender lifestyles, including portraying GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or questioning) characters in a realistic and prominent manner.
• Schneider Award Select Bibliography of Children’s Books about the Disability Experience. This list contains some outstanding books that portray emotional, mental, or physical disability experiences, most published between 2000 and 2006. The grade level designations are intended as guidelines.
• University Press Books Selected for Public and Secondary School Libraries. Compiled in consultation with ALA's American Association of School Libraries and Public Library Association, this annual collection development tools lets librarians know about the best and most appropriate books from publisher members of AAUP, the Association of American University Presses.

For Children

• Notable Children's Books - previous Notable Children's Books lists. Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. This list includes the current year's Newbery, Caldecott, Belpré, Sibert, Geisel, Printz, Batchelder and Coretta Scott King Award and Honor books, as well as those that have been awarded the Schneider Family Book Award and/or were named a Best Book for Young Adults.
• American Indian Youth Literature Award – previous American Indian Youth Literature Award winners. The children's book award was created by the American Indian Library Association (AILA, an affiliate of ALA) as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians.
• (Mildred L.) Batchelder Award - previous Batchelder winners. The Batchelder Award is given to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States.
• (Pura) Belpré Award – previous Belpré winners. Established in 1996, this award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
• Building a Home Library. The ALA-Children’s Book Council (CBC) Joint Committee, with cooperation from the Quicklists Consulting Committee of ALA's Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC, a division of ALA), created this list to provide guidance to parents, grandparents, and others interested in assembling a high-quality library for their children at home.
• (Randolph) Caldecott Medal – previous Caldecott winners - Translated Caldecott Titles. This award is given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picturebook for children.
• Coretta Scott King Book Awards – previous King winners. Given to African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions, the Coretta Scott King Book Award titles promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all peoples and their contribution to the realization of the American dream.
• Dealing with the Tragic Events of September 11, 2001. Resources that were compiled to aid parents, teachers and caregivers in discussing with children and teens the terrorist attacks that took place in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
• (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award – previous Geisel winners. The Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States.
• Great Early Elementary Reads. The ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children, a division of ALA) 2007-2008 School-Age Programs and Services Committee recommends these titles for children who are just learning to read and beginning to read on their own. The books included were published between 2005 and 2008. However, many are part of a larger series that young readers also will enjoy.
• Growing Up Around the World. Books as Passports to Global Understanding for Children in the U.S. - Five Bibliographies by the ALSC International Relations Committee.
• Hi-Lo Books for Upper Elementary Grades. The 2009 ALSC School-Age Programs and Services Committee recommends these titles to reluctant readers in grades 3-6.
• (John) Newbery Medal – previous Newbery winners - Translated Newbery Titles. This award is given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
• Resources for Children and Their Parents and Educators Dealing with the Hurricane Katrina Tragedy. Compiled resources for children and their parents and educators dealing with the Hurricane Katrina tragedy in September 2005 by the Quicklists Consulting Committee of ALA's Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC, a division of ALA).
• Schneider Family Book Award – previous Schneider winners. The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
• (Robert F.) Sibert Informational Book Medal – previous Sibert winners. The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in English during the preceding year. Information books are defined as those written and illustrated to present, organize, and interpret documentable, factual material for children.
• (Laura Ingalls) Wilder Award – previous Wilder winners. The Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

For Young Adults/Teens

• 2009 Best Books for Young Adults - 2009 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults - previous Best Books for Young Adults lists. The list presents books that are recommended reading for young adults 12 to 18. It is a general list of fiction and nonfiction titles selected for their proven or potential appeal to the personal reading tastes of the young adult.
• 2009 Alex Awards - previous Alex winners. The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.
• Booklist Editors' Choice: Adult Books for Young Adults, 2008 (Jan 2009). Selected by the Books for Youth editors, the following titles constitute the year’s best personal reading for teenagers among adult books.
• (Margaret A.) Edwards Award - previous Edwards winners. The Margaret A. Edwards Award, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, that have been popular over a period of time.
• 2009 Great Graphic Novels for Teens - 2009 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens - previous Great Graphic Novels for Teens lists. List of recommended graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those aged 12-18. Updated yearly.
• In Light of Hurricane Katrina. This list from ALA's Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, a division of ALA) features fiction and nonfiction, was created to help librarians, educators and concerned adults guide teens to books that may help them cope after Hurricane Katrina. There are additional Dealing with Tragedy and Terror and Helping Teens Cope lists.
• 2009 Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners - previous Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners lists. The 2009 list is divided into five academic disciplines: arts and humanities, history and cultures, literature and language arts, science and technology, and social sciences. It is a combination of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Titles were selected based on criteria including readability, racial and cultural diversity, balance of viewpoints, variety of formats and genres, and title availability. The previous 2004 list has similar sections, for history, humanities, literature and language arts, science and technology, and social sciences.
• Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (all lists). A collection of lists by category, including read a-likes for stories like Harry Potter, Gossip Girl and Chronicles of Narnia. 2009 themes: Death & Dying, Fame & Fortune, Journey>Destination, and Spies & Intrigue.
• (Michael L.) Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature – previous Printz winners. This is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.
• 2009 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - 2009 Top Ten Quick Picks - previous Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers lists. The list is for young adults (ages 12-18) who, for whatever reasons, do not like to read. The purpose of this list is to identify titles for recreational reading, not for curricular or remedial use.
• Teens' Top Ten Books. Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year during Teen Read Week.

For Adults

• 2009 Notable Books Selections Announced - previous Notable Books lists - Notable Books for Adults: The List for America's Readers. Since 1944, the goal of the Notable Books Council has been to make available to the nation’s readers a list of 25 very good, very readable, and at times very important fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books for the adult reader.
• BCALA (Black Caucus of the American Library Association) announces the 2009 Literary Awards Winners - all previous BCALA Literary Awards. The BCALA Literary Awards acknowledge outstanding works of fiction and nonfiction for adult audiences by African American authors.
• Booklist Editors' Choice: Adult Books, 2008 (Jan 2009). The Adult Books editors have selected the following titles as representative of the year's outstanding books for public-library collections. The editors’ choose books that combine literary, intellectual, and aesthetic excellence with popular appeal.
• W.Y. Boyd Literary Award recipient named (June 2008) - W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction. This is an award honoring the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction for young adults or adults.
• Winner of 2009 Sophie Brody Medal announced - (Sophie) Brody Medal. This is an award for the U.S. author of the most distinguished contribution to Jewish literature for adults.
• Best genre fiction titles named to 2009 Reading List - The Reading List: Honoring the Best Adult Genre Fiction. First presented in 2008, this list highlights outstanding genre fiction that merits special attention by general adult readers and the librarians who work with them.
• 2009 Stonewall Book Award Winners announced at ALA’s 2009 Midwinter Meeting - Stonewall Book Awards. The Stonewall Book Awards of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Round Table of ALA are given annually to English-language books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.

Reference Books (for children, teens, and adults)

• ALA's Booklist magazine has several lists for reference books, which are updated yearly. Those most requested include:

  • Atlas & Dictionary Update

  • Children's Atlas Roundup (K-12)
  • Children's Dictionary Roundup (K-12)
  • Encyclopedia Update

• Booklist Editor's Choice: Reference Sources (high school and up), 2008 (Jan 2009). Selected by the Reference Books Bulletin section of Booklist, these titles are the year's best publications and databases for specific subjects, topics, and events.
• Booklist Twenty Best Bets for Student Researchers (K-12). An annual "Best Bets" list that features new titles that have been reviewed in the past 12 months and that are targeted specifically for students from the elementary through high school levels.

• Dartmouth Medal. This medal honors the creation of a reference work of outstanding quality and significance, including, but not limited to: writing, compiling, editing, or publishing books or electronic information.
• 2009 Outstanding Reference Sources list released - Outstanding Reference Sources. The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA, a division of ALA) recommends the most outstanding reference publications for small and medium-sized libraries. Updated yearly.

Reading Events, Programs, and Tips

• Banned Books Week - Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, sponsored by ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), is observed during the last week of September each year. Since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted.
• Born to Read: How to Raise a Reader - The joy of sharing books is a gift you can give children from the time they are born. Chanting nursery rhymes, singing songs, and reading stories can comfort and entertain even the youngest child. Listening to language lays the ground work for reading.
• El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day) - A celebration of children, families, and reading held annually on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
• National Library Week - Observed ever year in April, this annual event celebrates the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.
• Support Teen Literature Day - Established in 2007 by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, it's the Thursday of each National Library Week.
• Teen Read Week - Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It's aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults.

For more information on this or other fact sheets, contact the ALA Library Reference Desk by telephone: 800-545-2433, extension 2153; fax: 312-280-3255; e-mail: library@ala.org; or regular mail: ALA Library, American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611.