Reid's Read-Alouds 2

The very successful first edition of Reid's Read-Alouds (ALA, 2009) profiled children's and young adult books published between the years 2000 and 2008. This companion volume showcases 200 strong titles that were published from 1950 to 1999. Reid offers a variety of genres and age levels, and a good balance between male and female protagonists. The titles were still in print when selected. Equally important was the desire to avoid racial stereotypes, excessive swearing, sexual incidents, or characters dealing with personal private matters. That's not to say that some of the selections don't include some strong language. The focus is on books that are great to read to groups of young people. Each entry includes a brief plot summary, suggested grade level, and Reid's signature "10 Minute Selections," which are engaging episodes from the books that can be read in one sitting. These alone make the book a valuable resource. The annotations are organized by author; three helpful lists divide titles by decade and year, subject, and grade level. There's an occasional book that may be hard to find, but most of them should be in current collections. Great for those times when a class visit shows up and you need to do programming on the fly.—Renee McGrath, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, NY