New Trends in Kid Lit

First it was Harry Potter and then Twilight. Fads in children’s and young adult literature have reached a fever pitch in recent years. Lines of fans snake around bookstores in anticipation of midnight releases. Movie adaptations of children’s books are box office winners. But most people aren’t aware of some of recent trends in children’s and young adult books.

Joining us to page through a few is Mary Ann Cappiello, assistant professor of literature at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mary Ann mentioned these nonfiction books for children during today's piece:

Lady Liberty: A Biography by Doreen Rappaport and Matt Tavares

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

What Lincoln Said by Sarah L. Thomson and James E. Ransome

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming

The Tale of Pale Male: A True Story written and illustrated by Jeannette Winter

Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City by Janet Schulman and Meilo So

City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male by Meghan McCarthy

Mary Ann also recommends these websites for parents and educators searching for good books:

American Library Association

National Science Teachers Association

National Council for the Social Studies

(Photo by circulating via Flickr/Creative Commons)