January 11, 1995

Press Contact: Jeanne Smith (202) 707-4337
Public Contact: Children's Literature Center (202) 707-5535

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Library of Congress Publishes Annual List of Noteworthy Children's Books

The Children's Literature Center in the Library of Congress has announced publication of its annual Books for Children, a list of noteworthy books published in the United States during 1993. Books for Children, the tenth list with this title, is the result of a year's work by a committee of specialists, who considered more than 5,000 children's hardcover and paperback books published in the United States during 1993.

The committee sought books strong in plot, theme, style, pace, characterization, and setting--elements essential for satisfying stories.

In picture books, the committee looked for illustrations in harmony with the text; in nonfiction, it looked for accuracy, timeliness, clarity, and quality in writing and illustration.

The list, which is divided by age groups, contains a brief description of each title. The list was edited by Margaret N. Coughlan, Children's Literature Center reference specialist.

Members of the committee advising the center on the 1993 selections were Nell Colburn of the Prince George's County (Md.) Memorial Library System, Sharon Grover of the Arlington County (Va.) Public Library, Elizabeth Guldseth of the Montgomery County (Md.) Department of Public Libraries, Steven Herb of Pennsylvania State University, Ilze Long of the Reston (Va.) Regional Library, Caroline S. Parr of the Central Rappahannock (Va.) Regional Library, Maria Salvadore of the District of Columbia Public Libraries, Jewell Stoddard of the Cheshire Cat Bookstore in Washington, Victoria Velsey of the Georgetown Day School in Washington, and Martha Walke of the Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Arlington, Va.

Books for Children No. 10 (Stock Number 030-001-00154-7) is available from the Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328, for $1.

The Children's Literature Center was founded in 1963 in the Library of Congress to provide reference and bibliographic assistance to children's book authors and illustrators, publishers, librarians, and scholars, and to recognize and encourage recognition of excellence in literature for children. While offering no programs directly serving children the center's reference services, publications, and programs provide benefits to professionals who work in children's literature and these are passed along to young readers.

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PR 95-001
1/18/95
ISSN 0731-3527