The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books has released the 2013 Guide Book to Gift Books. This annual publication highlights over 300 of the best books for giving and receiving, with recommendations for children from birth to high school.
“The Guide Book is our chance to draw on our professional expertise in recommending books for the current giving season and well beyond. As much as we'd love to, we can't walk with shoppers through the store or sit next to them as they browse, so we hope this is the next best thing,” said Deborah Stevenson, editor of The Bulletin. “Our compact PDF can be printed out or read on your phone, and it's divided by age sections for easier access to the right books for your particular recipient.”
The Guide Book, available free of charge at the journal’s website, offers a broad range of styles, genres, subjects, and challenge levels. It is organized based on four age groups: Picture Books, Books for Young Readers (Grades 1-3, 6-8 years), Books for Middle Readers (Grades 4-6, 9-11 years) and Books for Older Readers (Grades 7-12, 12-18 years).
The Bulletin, founded in 1945, is devoted entirely to the review of current books for children and publishes eleven times each year. Each issue provides concise summaries and critical evaluations with information on the book's content, reading level, strengths and weaknesses, and quality of format as well as suggestions for curricular use.