FAQs
Answers to the questions most commonly asked related to Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.
- Do I need to fill in all of the blanks and choose an option in each category before I conduct a search?
- Why does my search return zero results?
- Why is there a keyword search or "string" search and not a subject search?
- Can I list all of the books on a certain subject area or keyword without having to enter a grade level or author?
- Why does it take so long to conduct a search?
- Do I have to know the name of the book or the author's name to search the list?
- Do I have to know the name of the book or the author's name to search the list?
- Can I print out the entire list of titles in the database including the annotations?
- Can I download the database onto my computer?
- Is the document available in a printed version?
- Why is a title included in the previous Recommended Literature: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve but it is not included here?
- Can my school or district choose literature that is not on this recommended list?
- Who selected the books on the list?
- What was the process for selection?
- What was the criteria for selection?
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- Do I need to fill in all of the blanks and choose
an option in each category before I conduct a search?
No, this will undoubtedly produce a zero results search.
Try searching by a single keyword or category, then if there
are too many titles listed in the search results, click the
Back button on your browser and add another category until you
obtain the desired number of titles in your search results.
To view the annotation, publisher, etc. of a single title, click
on the title of the book you are interested in, and you will
see the full record for that book.
- Why does my search return zero results?
There are several possibilities for a search yielding zero
results. There are over 7,800 titles in this searchable database,
but there isn't a title for each set of possible criteria in
each grade-level span. Try conducting another search with fewer
categories or less specific criteria. For best results, use
one to three categories per search. The search is an "and" search , which means that only records that match all of the
selected categories will be displayed.
- Why is there a keyword search or "string"
search and not a subject search?
At this time we do not have the ability to create a subject
search. The "string" search has to exactly match the
string of letters existing in the database. If you want to find
books about magnets or magnetism, use the keyword magnet, as
that will return results of magnet, magnets, and magnetism in
the title or annotation.
Additionally you can select “Any of these words” or “All of these words” when searching by title or annotation.
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- Can I list all of the books on a certain subject area
or keyword without having to enter a grade level or author?
Yes, you can start your search by using one category or keyword;
if there are too many results returned by your search, click
the Back button on your browser, add another category, and click
the Search button again.
- Why does it take so long to conduct a search?
This may be because of your Internet Service Provider, the
speed of your connection, or the number of books that will be
returned in your search. A large number of books will take longer
to download than a small number of books.
- Do I have to know the name of the book or the author's
name to search the list?
No. You can search by the author's first or last name, use
a single word in the title, or use a single keyword to search
the title or the annotation. A title search looks only in the
title field of the database. A keyword search looks in both
the title and annotation fields. If you spell the author's name
or the keyword incorrectly, the database will not be able to
find any titles for your search. You can also search by one
to three of the dropdown categories, such as grade-level span,
genre, classification, language, culture, curriculum connection,
or award.
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- Why are the books organized by grade-level span instead
of by a single grade level?
The list is organized by grade-level span designations indicating
the appropriate audience for a particular title. Grade-level
spans are determined by many factors, such as interest level,
curriculum connections, and readability level. Titles have been
divided into the following grade-level spans: preschool/pre-kindergarten (Preschool/Pre-K), kindergarten through
grade two (K-2), grades three through five (3-5), grades six
through eight (6-8), and grades nine through twelve (9-12).
- Can I print out the entire list of titles in the database
including the annotations?
No, not at this time. You can print out the list of titles
and authors in English by clicking the Search button at the
bottom of the page without selecting any categories, then printing
the document. If you want all titles in all languages, select
All Languages from the Languages dropdown box, click the Search
button, then print the document. If you want to print a single
title's full record, click on the title of the book, which will
bring you to the record detail page, then print the page.
- Can I download the database onto my computer?
No. The database that contains the information about the
titles is the property of the California Department of Education
(CDE) and is not available for sale or distribution.
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- Is the document available in a printed version?
No. The most recent document you can purchase is the 2009 version which does not include the merging of titles from the Recommended Literature for Mathematics and Science or the Recommended Literature for History-Social Science and Visual and Performing Arts. The 2009 version does not include titles added by the committee convened in 2012 to update the list. To purchase the 2009 version, contact CDE
Press.
- Why is a title included in the previous Recommended
Literature: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve but it is
not included here?
Titles that were on the previous list but are not on the
new list were dropped for a number of reasons. Reasons may include
the book is out of print or hard to find, or a newer title covers
the subject area more completely. Because a title is not included
does not mean it is no longer recommended.
You can view the authors and titles of previously published literature lists on the CDE Previously Published Literature Lists Web page.
- Can my school or district choose literature that is
not on this recommended list?
Yes, this recommended list is meant to guide local districts
in the selections of appropriate literature. Schools and districts
may choose literature that is not on this list for a variety
of reasons. This list is not intended to restrict the literature
choices of districts. Rather, we encourage you to use this list
both as a source of titles for the development of local lists
and as a guide for evaluating literature that is not included
on our recommended list, whether it be newly published or an
old favorite. Local school officials and teachers are encouraged
to use this list as a resource in designing standard-based instruction
programs.
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- Who selected the books on the list?
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve
was coordinated by the CDE and developed with the assistance
of teachers, library media teachers and public librarians, administrators,
curriculum planners, college professors, and parents. The CDE Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12 Acknowledgments
Web page lists those involved in this process.
There are additional acknowledgement pages for previous updates to the 2001 and 2004 Recommended Literature: K-12 Acknowledgments, Recommended Literature for Science and Mathematics, and Recommended Literature for History/Social Science and Visual and Performing Arts Web pages
- What was the process for selection?
In 2001, 2004, and 2012 a team of experts in the field of literature for children and adolescents reviewed thousands of selections. Each of the titles was reviewed and discussed by the committee members before coming to a consensus on the titles that are included on the list. Books selected by separate teams of experts convened in 2004 and 2008 to develop and update the Recommended Literature for History-Social Science and Visual and Performing Arts and the Recommended Literature for Mathematics and Science, respectively, are now included in this single, comprehensive list.
- What was the criteria for selection?
Each title considered for selection was reviewed against
the following criteria: literary quality, reader appeal, and
when applicable, the quality of the illustrations and the quality
of the translation.
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Last Reviewed: Monday, July 01, 2013