Recommended Reads, Collections & Links
Click on the button below for the growing list of Destiny Collections:
Below are the current reading lists our English Teachers use with students:
See below both the above list in booklet form:
Following is the initial reading list compilation used by our English teachers. Our library collection has grown considerably since these lists were collated, hence the update above, but there are still lots of great suggestions to be found here:
More useful lists:
Great Book Recommendation Websites:
Credible Children's Book Reviews
Many of us are so used to doing a book search on Amazon and reading the reviews by buyers there that when we chance upon a really new book which has yet to be reviewed, we're at a loss.
Below we have listed a number of tools you can use to be assured that the books you might purchase for your children are of credible literary value.
Kirkus Book Reviews
Kirkus Book Reviews, an extremely well-regarded review specialist, has been churning out book reviews, twice a month, for over 70 years.
Kirkus Reviews was launched in 1933, by Virginia Kirkus, once the head of the department of Harper & Bros. What is special about Kirkus Reviews, is that it focuses on pre-publication reviews. That means, they review the book even before it goes into publication, sometimes up to two to three months before. And you must wonder, why in the world would they want to do that? Well, Kirkus Reviews used to do that because it was a bi-monthly publication targeted at booksellers primarily and librarians to a certain extent.
While the publication ceased to exist in 2009, the digital version of it is still very much alive and kicking. 24 times a year, on the 1st and 15th of every month, the website continues to publish close to 200 articles every month. A wide range of fiction books (and some nonfiction) are covered and within this, includes reviews on both children's and young adult books.
What we really like about the children's and young adult book review section, is that the reviews are categorised by age! Just like how we have built this website as well. This makes it a lot easier and quicker to find the age-appropriate books suitable for your child. While the section highlights some of the critics' picks, you can also do a search for any book you're interested in using the search tool at the top corner.
The other great reason to use Kirkus Reviews is the fact that for many of us who may not be industry experts or experienced publishers in the children's book field, Kirkus Reviews is a great way to discover new authors and their titles. While stocking up on every title of Eric Carle and Julia Donaldson is all right, sometimes it's also great to fall in love with an entirely different style of writing or illustration.
So what are you waiting for? Go click away at Kirkus Reviews!
Goodreads
Finding the right books for a child can sometimes be a challenge. And not just because we're trying to find books suitable for him or her at their age. But also because we want to make sure that the book would be something that he or she enjoys. Maybe there's a particular theme or type of books they're fascinated with (Disney princesses anyone?) or there's a specific kind of storyline or plot that really engages them. Whichever the case, with the selection of books available in bookstores, libraries and online, it can be mind-boggling for a parent.
Fear not! As with all things today, technology often has a solution for us. Goodreads, is a social reading site that has just the answer you'll need. The site's core purpose is to help book lovers recommend and share their favourite reads with others like themselves. Not only are you bound to find a review for any book you're interested in, you'll also be able to receive customised recommendations for books that you might enjoy based on your ratings of other books you have read.
Now, you must be wondering to yourself, how does that help me? I don't want recommendations for the paranormal romance novels that I'm into at the moment (although we're sure you'll be happy to know that you could find recommendations for the paranormal romance novels you're into at the moment on the site as well). Let's say you are looking for recommendations for your 5-year-old Sarah or your 3-year-old Aaron.
The answer is simple. Instead of setting up an account for yourself, create an account for each of your children. Then select a specific genre, in this case "Children's" for them. The first thing you'll be prompted to do, is to start by rating the books that Sarah or Aaron have already read. The key is of course, to rate the books that they like. The more ratings you provide, the easier it would be for goodreads to provide you with a list of recommendations that might fit their tastes.
And to help goodreads refine their recommendations further, you can choose to remove recommended books from the list by simply clicking "Not Interested". The overall logic is simple, the more information you can provide to goodreads based on the books that Sarah or Aaron have already read, the better goodreads will become in predicting what other books they might also enjoy.
To top it all off, since goodreads is a social reading site to begin with, you can get your friends and family to join in the fun as well! Once you're connected to them on goodreads, you'll also be able to find the books that they (or their children) have rated or recommended. So what are you waiting for? Go knock yourselves out!
Common Sense Media is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping you find the best books,movies, apps, games and more for your family. We're also here to help you answer the tough questions about raising kids in a digital world, and keep you updated on news, policy changes, special events, and information on how to be an advocate for healthy kids' media.
Minute Book Reports, is a channel that aims to summarize and analyze popular and classic novels and short stories through drawings. Videos that containing not only the general plot of a story, but also a few discussion points. The stories are read, summarized, analyzed, and animated into short and quick videos. A great place to go to decide whether you are going to enjoy reading a book.
Books for Keeps
Books for Keeps is an excellent online source of information about children's books. You can subscribe to their email list and receive notification when a new issue is available ( every three months)