Skip to Main Content Ramsey Library UNC Asheville

Children's and Young Adult Literature: Reference

Using Reference Resources

A reference source is a compendium of authoritative information, compiled for ease of use.

Reference materials include

  • subject or general encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauri 
  • statistics
  • biographical compilations
  • maps
Reference materials may be found on our main floor to the left of the Research Services Desk as well as online.

Key Reference Titles

Dictionaries / Encyclopedias / Guides

Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults [REF PN 1009 .A1 B13 1989]

The Children's Literature Dictionary [REF PN 1008.5 .L38 2002]

Continuum Encyclopedia of Young Adult Literature [REF PN 1008.5 .C67 2005]

Encyclopedia of Fable [REF PN 980 .S66 1998]

Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature [REF PN 1008.5 .O94 2006]

Biographical Information

Biography and Genealogy Master Index (online index)

Black Authors and Illustrators of Children's Books [REF PN 1009 .A1 B1]

Something About the Author [REF PN 452 .S6]

St. James Guide to Children's Writers [REF 1009 .A1 T9]

Handbooks / Research / Publishing

Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market [REF PN 147.5 C48]

Who's Who in Children's Books: A Treasury of the Familiar Characters of Childhood [REF PN 1009 .A1 F575]

Censorship/Intellectual Freedom

ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom - monitors challenges made against children's books.

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) - provides information on how to respond to book challenges.

Banned in the USA: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries [REF Z 658 .U5  F64 2002]