It’s been said that anyone can write a children’s book, but only the most talented can be successful. Don’t waste your time wading through poorly-written books; instead, take a look at these blogs that feature the best of children’s literature. Whether you are interested in literature for the very young, teen and young adult literature, or specialized genres such as multicultural literature, poetry, or comics and graphic novels, these blogs will help you find the best books available–leaving you more time for reading and enjoying this literature.
Picture Books and Younger Readers
From picture books to beginning readers, these blogs focus on books for the youngest book connoisseurs.
- Booklights. This blog from PBS Parents features picture books parents will love reading to their young children as well as information about literacy, literacy events, and more.
- Bottom Shelf Books. Blogging about picture books doesn’t have to be kid’s business, as this blogger demonstrates.
- jama rattigan’s alphabet soup. The eye-catching photos here that accompany these posts bring the best of children’s literature, picture books, and food to one spot.
- Mermaids on Parade. Take a look at the illustrations associated with picture books on this blog.
- Painting Bunnies. Take a peek into the world of children’s book illustrating and writing with the posts here.
- 5 Great Books. This blog looks at books appropriate for beginning readers.
- Picture Book of the Day. While this blog is about teaching writing to students of any age by using picture books, it is also a great way to discover great picture books for reading.
- The PlanetEsme Plan: The Best New Children’s Books from Esme’s Shelf. Esme shares picture books and books that are perfect for reading aloud in an effort to promote education for children.
- Kid’s Lit. This blog features some of the latest arrivals at the Menasha Public Library, with an emphasis on books for younger readers.
- Mo Willems Doodles. Learn all about Mo Willems’ work and take a sneak peak at some of his newest projects on this blog.
- MotherReader. This mom writes fun and interesting posts mostly featuring picture books.
- Saints and Spinners. Find out about storytelling and books for young children on this blog.
- Three Silly Chicks. These three silly chicks find silly and fun books for kids to feature on their blog.
Tweens and Teens and Young Adult
This category of books shares the prestige of being enjoyed by both teens and adults alike. Discover the best of the best with these blogs.
- Guys Lit Wire. Teenage boys will love all the book recommendations and reviews in this blog.
- Bookworm 4 Life. The posts here mostly focus on teen literature and are written by a librarian at a public library.
- GreenBeanTeenQueen. Another librarian blogger, this one provides reviews on teen and tween literature.
- In Search of Giants. Find great reviews on tween, teen, and young adult literature with this blog.
- The Book Cellar. This blogger is a 16 year-old, and she shares a short excerpt from the book along with her review and rating.
- Pop Culture Junkie. The Pop Culture Junkie reviews young adult books, along with a few reviews on other types of fiction.
- The Story Siren. This blog features a star rating system for separate elements of each book, including overall, plot, characters, ending, writing, and cover art.
- Tempting Persephone…. These young adult books are mostly in the fantasy or alternate reality genre on this blog written by a young adult librarian.
- Bildungsroman. Young adult literature and poetry are the focus of this blog.
- bookshelves of doom. This blogger features mostly young adult literature with a sprinkling of fantasy and adult lit mixed in.
- Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature. Find young adult literature featuring deaf characters in this blog.
- Finding Wonderland. This collaborative blog looks at young adult literature in their ongoing quest to find Wonderland.
- The Longstockings. These eight writers discuss children’s and teen literature on this blog.
- Oz and Ends. The bulk of these posts focus on fantasy literature and comics for youth.
- Wands and Worlds. Sheila Ruth blogs about fantasy and science fiction for young adults here.
Well-Rounded Book Blogs
These blogs feature literature across several age ranges and between many different genres to produce well-rounded kid’s lit reading.
- a wrung sponge. This blog features reviews of children and young adult literature, poetry, and books for parents too.
- SherMeree’s Musings. Written by a librarian, these reviews include number of pages, appropriate age range, and publishing information.
- Jen Robinson’s Book Page. Find information on children’s literature, including age ranges, publication information, and where Jen gets her books.
- Maw Books Blog. This blog features young adult fiction, books for the younger readers, and author interviews.
- Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. This popular blog provides information on authors, illustrators, and the books themselves from children’s literature.
- A Fuse #8 Production. This blog from School Library Journal features tons of information on children’s books and their authors.
- Shelf Elf: read, write, rave. Covering a wide range of ages and topics, this blog offers book reviews, news, and information on books and authors.
- 100 Scope Notes. From picture books to chapter books, this blog features news and reviews about them all.
- Blue Rose Girls. Seven professionals from the world of children’s literature share their insight on books.
- BookMoot. Get everything from books on the screen to authors reading their books to book reviews on this blog.
- A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy. This blog covers everything from children’s literature, including picture books, young adult books, blogging about books, and author interviews.
- Check It Out. This blog covers poetry, fiction and non-fiction across all age ranges.
- Chicken Spaghetti. Find out about books for middle-schoolers, picture books, young adult books, and more when you read this blog.
- the excelsior file. David Elzey, an MFA grad student, writes this blog with reviews ranging from picture books to young adult novels to graphic novels.
- Into the Wardrobe. Learn about books and their authors with the information here that covers young adult literature as well as literature for younger readers.
- Misrule. This blog focuses on various aspects of children’s literature and the authors who write these works.
- A Year of Reading. Two teachers share their insight on children’s literature, with books ranging from books appropriate at the elementary level through young adult books.
Multicultural Book Blogs
These blogs seek out the best books helping readers to identify with their culture or learn about cultures outside their own.
- PaperTigers Blog. Learn about multicultural books for young readers at this blog.
- The Brown Bookshelf. This blog promotes books written by African American writers for children across all age groups.
- Shen’s Blog. The blog shares news and notes from Shen’s Books, a publisher of children’s literature focusing on multiculturalism, especially from the Asian community.
- American Indians in Children’s Literature. Debbie Reese explores American Indians in children’s literature, the school curriculum, and popular culture on her blog.
- Scribbly Katia. This author and blogger writes about and lives a multicultural experience.
- mitali’s fire escape. Young adult literature and multiculturalism meet in Mitali Perkins’ blog.
Poetry
Find a great selection of poetry books as well as original verse among these blogs that feature children’s poetry.
- Big A little a. While this blog also features reviews and other information about children’s literature, it features mostly poetry.
- The Drift Record / Julie Larios. This blog is from Julie Larios, a published author of children’s poetry and professor at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
- emilyreads. Find book reviews, on both young adult and adult literature, presented in haiku form.
- Florian Cafe. This blog from Douglas Florian includes plenty about poetry as well as an infusion of his eye-popping illustrations.
- GottaBook. This dad, writer, librarian, and poet includes both poetry and information on children’s books on this blog, with an emphasis on the former.
- Poetry for Children. With a focus on sharing poetry with children, this blog features books, events, and more.
- The Miss Rumphius Effect. This teacher and mom shares plenty of information about children’s poetry, as well as a few children’s literature reviews.
- Miss Erin. This young woman writes poetry and shares her insight on literature and glimpses of her life.
Children’s and Adult Literature
These blogs feature quite a bit of children’s and young adult literature, but they also feature adult literature as well.
- Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog. This blog features young adult and adult books from the fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure genres.
- The Book Nest. Corinne reviews young adult and fantasy books on her blog.
- Whimpulsive. Mystery, young adult, memoirs, and historical fiction are just a few of the types of books reviewed here.
- We Be Reading. K and Z are a mom and son team that provide insight on both books mom enjoys and books they both like.
- things mean a lot. Young adult and graphic novels are among the many books reviewed on this blog.
- BookFetish. Go to Book Reviews to select from categories such as Teen & Young Adult, Graphic Novels, and more.
- Shelf Love. The books featured here range from children’s literature to classics to contemporary fiction.
- Age 30+…A Lifetime of Books. This mom writes about children’s literature among the other reviews featured here.
- Stuff as Dreams are Made On…. Find reviews on young adult, fantasy, and sci-fi books on this blog.
- Bold. Blue. Adventure.. Young adult and graphic novels are found along with sci-fi and fantasy.
- The Book Zombie. The Book Zombie enjoys eerie books for both young adults and adults.
- Blog | Book Dads. Adult, young adult, and children’s literature with an emphasis on dads and their relationships with their children are the focus of this blog.
- Book Nut. Book Nut Melissa writes about children’s and young adult literature with some adult fiction too, including appropriate age ranges.
Graphic Novels and Comic Books
With a focus on graphic novels, comic books, and manga, these blogs feature both recent and past literature from this genre.
- Warren Peace Sings the Blues. Comics from all genres are covered in this blog.
- Jog – The Blog. Among the specific genres covered on this blog are manga, old-fashioned comics, and graphic novels.
- The Weekly Crisis. Find weekly comic book reviews on this blog.
- 4thletter!. Get DC Comics, manga, previews, reviews, news and more.
- Abstract Comics. Abstract Comics: The Anthology explores both the history and contemporary work of sequential art, and this blog is an extension of the book.
- Anime World Order Podcast. Get weekly updates from the world of Japanese comics on this blog.
- Blog Flume. Cartoons, comics, and culture meet on this blog.
- Awesome Engine. This blog mostly features information about manga and anime.
- Radiomaru. Follow this blog from Bryan Lee O’Malley, an award-winning cartoonist from Canada.
- Comics-and-More. Dave Ferraro writes about all sorts of comic on his blog, including art comics, manga, and superheroes.
- Comics Comics. Get the latest news from the world of comics on this blog.
- Comics Should Be Good!. Find a year of cool comic book moments, comic book polls, news, and comic reviews here.
- Yet Another Comics Blog. This one focuses on comics and graphic novels.
- Precocious Curmudgeon. See previews, read news, and learn about comics, graphic novels, and young adult literature on this blog.
- Thought Balloonists. Reviews and critical analysis are featured on this comics blog.
From and For the Professionals
Listen to what these professionals have to share, from librarians to writers to publishers, all from the world of children’s literature.
- ALSC Blog. Keep up with reading celebrations like Black History Month, learn about literature programs, and more from this blog from Association for Library Service to Children.
- Brooklyn Arden. This book editor shares plenty about children’s lit, the editing process, and more.
- Chasing Ray. This writer, book reviewer, and reader features information about young adult literature, life as a writer, information from the world of publishing, and more.
- Cynsations. Get publishing information, resources for writers, inspiration, and news on children’s literature here.
- Writing with a Broken Tusk. This blog provides information and insight about the writing and creating process of children’s literature.
- Jacket Knack. Take a look at the cover art of children’s books with this blog.
- Alice’s CWIM Blog. Alice Pope, the editor of Children’s Writers & Illustrator’s Market, blogs about children’s literature news and events.
- Through the Tollbooth. This blog offers encouragement and information for those who are writing for children and young adults.
- Greetings from Nowhere. Children’s author Barbara O’Connor writes about her books, children’s literature, and more.
- educating alice. Named after the famous Alice from Wonderland, this blog by Monica Edinger covers the world of children’s literature and teaching, with a variety of other topics appearing as well.
- Children’s Illustration. Take a look at some of the best children’s illustration on this blog that includes examples from picture books to graphic novels.
- HipWriterMama. This writing mama shares writing tips, author interviews, and book reviews focusing mostly on teen and young adult literature.
- Editorial Anonymous. Find out what this children’s book editor has to say on this blog.
