2008 notable children's books in the language arts.

Children's Literature Assembly. (2008). 2008 notable children's books in the language arts. Journal of Children's Literature, 34(2), 15-27.

Here's the long-awaited list of books chosen each year by the Children's Literature Assembly as having exceptional merit and potential for teaching language, literature, and literacy. As usual, it's a list of stunningly wonderful books, all of which the reader will immediately want to order and hold in her/his hands.

There are 30 books, each with an annotation that describes and "sells" the book, inviting readers to look further. There are several genres represented: Poetry & Drama, Fiction, Informational, Biography and Memoir, and Picture Books. Each book has a suggested age level and a list of "related literature" in addition to an annotation.

This year, I'm most intrigued by Young Cornrows Callin' Out the Moon (Forman), In Search of Mockingbird (Ellsworth), Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones (Barretta), and The Zoo (Lee). All 30 will make good additions to classroom libraries.