Web Scout
Children's Books Online
By Marcia Koth de Paredes
The holiday and vacation season is close and a good time to encourage reading for pleasure. This Web Scout includes suggestions for links to books and stories on line in English and Spanish and to recommendations for outstanding books to buy or borrow. I include sites that help children learn to use the Internet safely.
The American Library Association suggests that the following are the elements of a good web site:
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The purpose is clear and the source is clearly identified.
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The content encourages exploration and thinking that is appropriate for the age level.
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The site is easy to access.
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It is better if it does more than can be done with print.
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The message does not demonstrate biases that are inappropriate for children.
Here are some brief tips that the ALA suggests you teach your children.
http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/availablepiomat/safetytips.htm
Children's Book Recommendations
The following organizations recommend lists of outstanding books, some classic and some recent. Usually the classics may be found free online. You might use the links in the October ACAP Newsletter WebScout to find the classics online.
American Library Association Prize-Winning Books in English
The Association for Library Service to Children provides lists of notable books.
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/childrensnotable/notablecbooklist/currentnotable.htm
The ALA also provides lists for teens to help prepare for college. See:
Outstanding Books for the College Bound
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/outstandingbooks/outstandingbooks.htm
Centro Barahona para el Estudio de Libros Infantiles y Juveniles en Español
A research center sponsored by California State University San Marcos recommends books and provides books to download in Spanish and books in English about Latinos.
http://www.csusm.edu/csb/espanol
English/Spanish Bilingual
StoryPlace: The Children's Digital Library
Story Place, presented in both English and Spanish, offers children the opportunity to view online stories, participate in interactive activities and print activity pages.
http://www.storyplace.org/sp/storyplace.asp
International Children's Digital Library (University of Maryland)
Books available in 9 languages, including Spanish.
http://www.icdlbooks.org/
Reading is Fundamental Book Zone (See also the game zones)
http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/bookzone/default.mspx
Internet Public Library Kidspace (University of Michigan)
One of the largest digital libraries sponsors this portal for children.
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/ (Click Reading Zone, Stories in Spanish).
Colorin Colorado
Also provides suggestions to encourage reading for Spanish-speaking parents.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/
English
University of Florida Literature for Children
A consortium of universities in Florida sponsors this collection of books published in the U.S. and Great Britain.
http://palmm.fcla.edu/juv/
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Center for Children's Books
Help with storytelling: essays, on-line bibliographies and reviews of storytelling recordings -both audio and video- as well as the possibility to download storybooks.
http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~ccb/storytelling_links.html
Online Children's Stories
Portal created by David K Brown at the University of Calgary, Canada. Provides links to story collections, folklore, poetry, and classics for young people. Includes links to Christmas stories.
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/stories.html
Spanish
Centro Andino (Centro de Excelencia para la Capacitación de Maestros)
A portal sponsored by the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. The Centro has received support from funds available to Laura Bush. The portal provides links to games, activities and books online.
http://www.centroandino.org/centroandino/recursos/ninos.htm
Proyecto Huascaran, Ministerio de Educación del Perú
A portal with links to games, stories and educational materials for preschool, primary and secondary students.
http://www.huascaran.gob.pe/estudiantes/educasitios.htm
Spanish as a Second Language Web by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers: 300 Fabulas de Esopo
http://www.edyd.com/Fabulas/Esopo/Eindice.htm
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