The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books has released the 2014 Guide Book to Gift Books. This annual publication highlights more than three hundred of the best books for giving and receiving, with recommendations for children from birth to high school.
"We love the Guide Book—we really appreciate the opportunity to share what's new and worthwhile with everybody who is interested in children's literature," said Deborah Stevenson, editor of The Bulletin. "Since there are thousands of new books for children published every year, that's a lot for a busy gift-giver to keep up with. We hope our guide can help in finding the treasures just right for your gift list."
The Guide Book is available free of charge at the journal’s website, and its compact PDF can be printed or downloaded to a cell phone. It offers a broad range of styles, genres, subjects, and challenge levels. It is organized by age group for easier access to the right books for a particular recipient: 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.