Do Children Read the Children’s Literature Adults Recommend? A Comparison of Adults’ and Children’s Annual “Best” Lists in the United States 1975–2005

Abstract

AbstractA content analysis of two annual lists of the "best" children's books in the United States was conducted to discover whether adults' and children's views overlap or diverge. All the children's books on two prominent lists were included for the years 1975 to 2005 (for books published from 1974 to 2004): the American Library Association's Notable Children's Books (chosen by a committee of librarians) and the International Reading Association's Children's Choices (chosen by children). Analyses reveal that instead of an expected 50% overlap of titles (chosen to offer each perspective equal status), there is only a 4.36% overlap averaged for a thirty year period. Using a test of proportions, the difference is significant for each year and overall at the p < .01 level. The results suggest a significant divergence between the providers and consumers of children's literature. Relatively few authors were appreciated by both groups, most being preferred by one and not the other. Award winning books prominent on the adult list seldom appear on the children's list. This study raises the question of whether parents, teachers, and librarians may need to pay closer attention to children's views of what is interesting and desirable reading matter if we are to assist all children in becoming strong and avid readers. Suggestions are made for achieving a balance between the efferent and aesthetic poles evident in this divergence.KEYWORDS: literaturelibrarianschildrenengagementawardsreadingpreferences APPENDIX: Book Lists Included in AnalysisBest Children's Books of 1974. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (20th ed.) New York: R. R. Bowker, 1975. 421–24. Print.Best Children's Books of 1975. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (21st ed.) New York: R. R. Bowker, 1976. 438–41. Print.Best Children's Books of 1976. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (22nd ed.) New York: R. R. Bowker, 1977. 472–75. Print.Best Children's Books of 1977. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (23rd ed.) New York: R. R. Bowker, 1978. 437–39. Print.Best Children's Books of 1978. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (24th ed.) New York: R. R. Bowker, 1979. 439–42. Print.Best Children's Books of 1979. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (25th ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1980. 552–54. Print.Best Children's Books of 1980. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (26th ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1981. 429–31. Print.Best Children's Books of 1981. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (27th ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1982. 486–89. Print.Best Children's Books of 1982. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (28th ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1983. 492–95. Print.Best Children's Books of 1983. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (29th ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1984. 504–07. Print.Best Children's Books of 1984. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (30th ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1985. 584–86. Print.Best Children's Books of 1985. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (31st ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1986. 532–35. Print.Best Children's Books of 1986. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (32nd ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1987. 533–36. Print.Best Children's Books of 1987. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information (33rd ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1988. 518–21. Print.Best Children's Books of 1988. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (34th ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1989–90. 542–44. Print.Best Children's Books of 1989. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (35th ed.). New York: R. R. Bowker, 1990–91. 591–94. Print.Best Children's Books of 1990. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (36th ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1991. 564–66. Print.Best Children's Books of 1991. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (37th ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1992. 554–57. Print.Best Children's Books of 1992. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (38th ed.), New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1993. 551–53. Print.Best Children's Books of 1993. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (39th ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1994. 592–95. Print.Best Children's Books of 1994. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (40th ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1995. 574–76. Print.Best Children's Books of 1995. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (41st ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1996. 610–11. Print.Best Children's Books of 1996. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (42nd ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1997. 586–87. Print.Best Children's Books of 1997. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (43rd ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1998. 606–07. Print.Best Children's Books of 1998. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (44th ed.). Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1999. 622–23. Print.Best Children's Books of 1999. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (45th ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 2000. 611–12. Print.Best Children's Books of 2000. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (46th ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 2001. 612–14. Print.Best Children's Books of 2001. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (47th ed.). New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 2002. 652–54. Print.Best Children's Books of 2002. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (48th ed.). Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2003. 573–74. Print.Best Children's Books of 2003. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (49th ed.). Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2004. 568–70. Print.Best Children's Books of 2004. The Bowker Annual: Library and Book Trade Almanac (50th ed.). Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2005. 580–82. Print.International Reading Association. "Classroom Choices: Children's Trade Books 1974." The Reading Teacher 29 (1975, November): 122–32. Print.International Reading Association. "Classroom Choices: Children's Trade Books 1975." The Reading Teacher 30 (1976, October): 50–63. Print.International Reading Association. "Classroom Choices: Children's Trade Books 1976." The Reading Teacher 31 (1977, October): 6–23. Print.International Reading Association. "Classroom Choices: Children's Trade Books 1977." The Reading Teacher 32 (1978, October): 28–46. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1978." The Reading Teacher 33(1979, October): 34–52. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1979." The Reading Teacher 34 (1980, October): 37–56. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1980." The Reading Teacher 35 (1981, October): 51–72. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1981." The Reading Teacher 36 (1982, October): 59–79. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1982." The Reading Teacher 37 (1983, October): 51–67. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1983." The Reading Teacher 38 (1984, October): 59–75. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1984." The Reading Teacher 39 3(1985, October): 4–49. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1985." The Reading Teacher 40 (1986, October): 38–55. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1986." The Reading Teacher 41 (1987, October): 34–53. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1988." The Reading Teacher 42 (1988, October): 47–58. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1989." The Reading Teacher 43 (1989, October): 51–62. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1990." The Reading Teacher, 44 (1990, October): 131–41. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1991." The Reading Teacher 45 (1991, October): 128–40. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1992." The Reading Teacher 46 (1992, October): 127–42. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1993." The Reading Teacher 47 (1993, October): 127–42. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1994." The Reading Teacher 48 (1994, October): 147–61. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1995." The Reading Teacher 49 (1995, October): 133–48. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1996." The Reading Teacher 50 (1996, October): 129–43. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1997." The Reading Teacher 51 (1997, October): 129–43. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1998." The Reading Teacher 52 (1998, October): 147–60. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 1999." The Reading Teacher 53 (1999, October): 169–83. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 2000." The Reading Teacher 54 (2000, October): n. p.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 2001." The Reading Teacher 55 (2001, October): 173–87. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 2002." The Reading Teacher 56 (2002, October): 139–53. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 2003." The Reading Teacher 57 (2003, October): 163–78. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 2004." The Reading Teacher 58 (2004, October): 158–72. Print.International Reading Association. "Children's Choices for 2005." The Reading Teacher 59 (2005, October): 158–72. Print.