Children understand a concept if they are familiar with the package in which that concept is delivered. Appalachian children can benefit by reading books which relate to their mountainous surroundings. For children of Appalachia, there have been many books published in which Appalachia is the apparent theme, setting, or character origin. Appalachian children’s books are also useful for those outside of the region because they can learn more about Appalachia through a child’s eye. A child’s book can be a wonderful way in which to learn about the area by using the simple words created for a child. This pathfinder is intended to help those looking for children’s books specifically pertaining to Appalachia.
The following sources provide excellent overviews about Appalachian literature for children.
Martin, Judy. “Introduction,” Choosing Books for Appalachian Children. Berea, KY: Draper Service Center, 1982, pp. iv-vi. ASU APP COLL Z 1251.A7 M37
Teaford, Judy. Contemporary Appalachian Picture Books(1999). Huntington, WV: Marshall University. ASU APP COLL PS286.A6 T43 1999
Teaford, Judy. “Miz Jackson was just talking outta her head, girl”: A Survey of Realism in Appalachian Picture Books (2000). Beckley, WV: Mountain State University, AppLit Articles.
- American literature—Appalachian Region—Collections
- Appalachian Mountains—Fiction
- Appalachian Region
- Appalachian Region—Fiction
- Appalachian Region—Literary collections
- Appalachian Region—Poetry
- Appalachian Region—Social conditions
- Appalachian Region—Social life and customs
- Folk songs—Appalachian Region
- Folklore—Appalachian Region
- Frontier and pioneer life—Appalachian Region
- Human geography—Appalachian Region
- Mountain life—Juvenile
- Children – Appalachia
- Education- General
- Picture books for children—Appalachian Region, Southern
Hicks, Ray. The Jack Tales (2000). New York: Callaway. ASU APP COLL Oversize PZ 8.1 .H533.
Troy, Anne. “Appalachia in Children’s and Adolescents’ Fiction” (January 1977). Language Arts, v.52- 1975- v.85, ASU PERIODICALS.
Multicultural Literature for Children: A Source Book for Teachers and Librarians (1980). Prepared by The Charlotte/ Mecklenburg Media Custer, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. ASU APP COLL Z 1361 .E4 M85
Winkel, Lois ed. Subject headings for Children (1994). Forest Press, Albany , New York, p. 16. ASU IMC REF 025.49 S941 V.2
Edwards, Pat. A Bibliography of Appalachian Children and Young People’s Books (July 1973). Berea College Appalachian Center: Berea, Kentucky. ASU APP COLL Z1251.A7 E3
Golden, Susan. “Reading the world—Appalachia: An update.” Book Links; May 1996, Vol. 5 Issue 5, p34-41. ASU PERIODICALS
Hanlon, Tina. Appalachian Folktales in Children’s Literature and Collections. (May 2000). AppLit. Retrieved October 24, 2007 from <http://www.ferrum.edu/applit/bibs/folkbib.htm#Picture Books>
Hanlon, Tina. Nature and the Environment in Appalachian Literature. (June 2002). AppLit. Retrieved November 28, 2007 from <http://www.ferrum.edu/AppLit/Bibs/EcoBib.htm>
These databases can be accessed by following the library’s weblink: databases and articles— search by title.
ERIC: the Educational Resource Information Center, contains more than 2,200 digests along with references for additional information and citations and abstracts from over 1,000 educational and education-related journals.
Education Research Complete is the definitive online resource for education research. Topics covered include all levels of education from early childhood to higher education, and all educational specialties, such as multilingual education, health education, and testing.
Academic Search Premier: This multi-disciplinary database provides full text for nearly 4,500 journals, including full text for more than 3,600 peer-reviewed titles.
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstract (LISTA) Subject coverage includes librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more. Coverage in the database extends back as far as the mid-1960s.
The Active Learner: A Foxfire Journal for Teachers. v.2, 1997-v.7, no.1, Spring 2002. ASU APP COLL OVSZ E161.A255
Teaching pre-K-8 (also known as K-8 Magazine). v.17, Feb 1987-v.36, May 2006. ASU PERIODICALS
Hurst, Carol. Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site (2007). http://www.carolhurst.com (Contains informative articles and a book chart listing children’s books on Appalachia.)
Hanlon, Tina. AppLit (2007). http://www.ferrum.edu/applit (Many helpful resources such as the bibliography mentioned earlier.)
Compiler: Courtney Baines, 1 November 2007