One of the standard questions that school and children’s librarians get asked is “I enjoyed x, what else can I read?” Well, apart from being one of those questions that can put you on the spot as a librarian, it’s also one which over years has been easier to answer given the invaluable guide to children’s authors called ‘Who next…?’
Edited byViv Warren and Mary Yardley, and published by LISU at Loughborough University, this guideis designed as a tool to help parents, teachers and librarians guide children who have already liked stories by one writer to find other authors they will enjoy.
The 4th edition, now in stock in Curriculum Resources, lists 759 writers of children’s fiction, and with each name suggests other authors who write in a similar way. The idea is that you look up one of your favourite children’s authors, then try reading a book by one of the other authors suggested. By moving from one entry to another children can expand the number of writers they enjoy.
The guide is arranged in four age groups: for children aged 5–7, 8–11, 12–14 and, new in this edition, 14+ years. Other features are:
- Listings by genre and theme
- Key book titles and series of titles for each author
- Graphic novels and titles for dyslexic or struggling readers
- List of authors included who also write short stories
- Authors whose titles are sometimes available as talking books and ebooks
- A list of prize-winning children’s books
- Books and websites for further exploration
Pingback: Going graphic in Curriculum Resources