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Children's Literature

Guide to several aspects of children's literature, including award winning, multicultural, folklore, etc.



The GCC Library carries Caldecott winners and honor books; Newbery,  Printz, Sibert, Schneider, Batchelder, Stonewall, Greenaway and Pura Bulpre award winners; and Coretta Scott King award winners and honor books.  Books are located in the Juvenile collection and have pink labels.




Image shows group of 6 childish fairies playing musical instruments in a mini-garden.
A folktale ​is a traditional narrative, usually anonymous, handed down orally - e.g., fables,fairy tales, legends, etc.

A fable is a brief story, usually with animal characters, including a moral or lesson (Example:  Aesop’s Fables).  Tricksters teach and learn lessons the hard way, making up for physical weakness with subversive jokes and tricks on unsuspecting victims.  (Coyote is probably the best known Southwest trickster; Anansi is well-known in African tradition.  Brer Rabbit shares many features of the African trickster stories).  And, Noodlehead stories are tales of good-hearted people who make lots of mistakes (Example:  Jack and the Beanstalk).  

Myths are stories that recount and explain the origins of the world and nature phenomena – sometimes called creation stories.  Legends are stories based on real or supposedly real individuals and their deeds.  A tall tale is a special kind of hero story because the heroes of tall tales are “larger than life.”  An exaggerated, unreliable story.  (Examples: Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill). 

Fairy tales are a subgenre of folk tales and almost always involve some element of magic and good triumphing over evil.   A good rule of thumb: if there's a fairy or other mystical/magical creature in the story, it's a fairy tale.   (Source: Oklahoma State University Library) 

Pourquoi tales offer folklore-type explanations for scientific phenomena or aspects of creation. An example is "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears." Pronounced por-kwa, it means "why" in French.

NOTE:  See Find Books/Media, in left sidebar,  for subcategory: Books at GCC - folklore. 


Image shows five children of different ethnicities.


Resources, suggested lists, and award-winning books: Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpre, Mildred Batchelder.

NOTE:  See Find Books/Media in left sidebar, for subcategory: Books at GCC - Multicultural