Links

This list of sites is intended particularly for those studying children's literature in the UK, and for those primarily interested in UK sources. It is, of course, not an exhaustive list – new sites (of variable quality and usefulness) appear all the time. 

General children’s literature sites:

Achuka – Michael Thorne's independent site covers all aspects of the children's books scene in the UK, and includes up-to-date news, reviews and profiles of authors as well as useful links.
Book Trust - whose pages give information on various national literary prizes, the Young Book Trust and the Book Information Service.
The comprehensive Children's Literature Web Guide at the University of Calgary, has a range of links to children's literature resources on the web including electronic journals and book reviews (but is sadly does not seem to be as frequently updated as in the past).
The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) is an educational centre for schools and teachers, parents, teaching assistants and other educators. CLPE has a national and international reputation for its work in the fields of language, literacy and assessment. Also of note is the CLPE Poetry Award which took the place of the Signal Poetry Award which bestowed its final award in 2001. In 2003 CLPE set up a new award for poetry for children. The aim of establishing the award was to highlight an important branch of children’s literature and ensure that it receives proper recognition. The Award is presented annually for a book of poetry published in the preceding year.

Journals:

Booklist is described as 'the digital counterpart of the American Library Association's Booklist magazine'.
CCL (Canadian Children's Literature) is a bilingual journal of criticism and review covering Canadian books and other media for children and young adults (including a whole section of papers on 'The Censorship Issue').
Children's Literature, ed. Julie Pfeiffer, (Johns Hopkins University Press).
Children's Literature Association Quarterly, ed. Richard Flynn, (Johns Hopkins University Press).
Children's Literature in Education, eds. G Fox, M Mackey and LR Sipe, (SpringerLink).
The Journal of Children's Literature Studies, ed. Debbie Mynott and Dr Glen Mynott, (Pied Piper Publishing).
The Lion and the Unicorn, ed. Louisa Smith and Jack Zipes, (Johns Hopkins University Press).
The Looking Glass, 'New perspectives on children's books', (The Toronto Centre for the Study of Children's Literature).
Riverbank Review – the Riverbank Review has ceased publication.
Signal – although Signal ceased publication in 2003, the Thimble Press will continue to supply its other existing titles (including back issues of Signal) and to produce occasional new publications.

Academic sites:

The University of Reading's Centre for International Research in Childhood: Literature, Culture, Media (CIRCL) aims to promote and coordinate international and interdisciplinary academic research in childhood, focusing particularly on research in children and culture, children's literature, and children and the media. The Centre organises lecture series, seminars, and conferences.
Children's Literature Association – this US-based Association aims 'to encourage serious scholarship and research in children's literature . . . (and) high standards of criticism'. The site has extensive links to resources on young adult literature, censorship and multicultural studies.
Danish Center for Bornelitteratur – based at the Danish University of Education, the Center aims to 'create the most favourable conditions for the production and dissemination of and research on literature for children and young people'.
International Research Society for Children's Literature – a professional organisation for children's literature scholars.

Children's literature discussion groups:

Our own discussion list, children-literature-uk was originally created to provide a space where children's literature issues with a specifically UK focus or starting point could be aired, but of course children's books (and those who study them) refuse to stay within national boundaries, and we have members from all over the world.
Child_Lit is the US (Rutgers University)-based discussion group examining the theory and criticism of literature for children and young adults. This is a wide ranging and very active group – it is probably best to sign up for its 'digest' rather than getting the list messages individually, as there can be twenty or more a day.

Authors and illustrators:

The list of authors and illustrators with their own dedicated sites grows all the time, but you could check the Children's Literature Web Guide's list of author websites and the Fairrosa Author/Illustrator Information and Links (compiled by an American enthusiast with a particular affection for Lewis Carroll) - or do a Google search!

Sources of information/Reviews/Collections:

Girl's Own Paper online index compiled by Honor Ward, covers the periodical's beginning in 1880 all the way through 1941.
The Greek Children's Literature Website
Reading and Language Information Centre – based at Reading University, the Centre is the home of a unique exhibition of almost 14,000 in-print books for children and other educational resources which is open to the public. Centre staff are involved in a wide range of activities in the area of Language and Education, including courses and conferences, research and publishing.
Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts Website – UK archive sources.