Melissa Rabey

Another in the series of Genreflecting Advisory Series, this one takes on the issue of historical fiction but for teens. The question of whether the titles are all historical fiction or fictionalized history is addressed only in that there has been effort to have titles that accurately reflect the historical facts of the period it represents. But it is a small sampling of titles printed between 1975 and 2010. Nice reading lists and can be effectively used for readers’ advisory.

Each year, a number of major bibliographies are published for use by teacher librarians and public librarians to build their collections in topical areas. The format, annotations, selection criteria and organization of the lists remain constant and provide users with excellent lists. These often end up in automated collection lists attached to OPAC systems. They are, of course outdated at the moment of publication, but are treasured as authoritative sources of the best. In tight budget show more years, more and more attention must be given to every dollar expended. The choice is always whether to buy an expensive published list or use the money to buy actual titles. These expensive lists are often best purchased and then shared. show less