Books for Collectors

Books For The Beginning Collector

Rosemary Jones and Diane McClure Jones
A Collector's Guide to Children's Books, 1850 to 1975, 3 vols.; c. 175 pp. ea
Boys' and Girls' Book Series: Real World Adventures, 1850 to 1975, c. 275 pp
Encyclopedia of Collectible Children's Books
All published by: Collector Books  PO Box 3009, Padukah, Kentucky 42002-3009

A remarkably good value at about $20 or less each, with beautiful colour photo reproductions and useful lists by author, illustrator, publisher, series, and more.

References we use for publication data and grading.

Zempel, Edward N. and Verkler, Linda A.
First Editions: A Guide to Identifications.
Spoon River Press, Third Edition, 1995 and Fourth Edition 2001
Printings of editions are identified by publishers' statements. Especially in the case of picture books, these statements may not be accurate; we have been conservative. Please email with any additional questions.

John Carter's ABC for Book Collectors

AB (Antiquarian Bookman) Grading see Search Hints.

Some reference books on Children's Literature.

We have quite an extensive reference library of individual author bibliographies and biographies, but the following books are close at hand as we enter books in the computer:

Ahearn, Patricia and Allen.
Collected Books, The Guide to Values, 2002

Bader, Barbara.
American Picturebooks From Noah's Ark to the Beast Within.

Baumgarten, E. Lee
Children's&Illustrated Books 1880-1960
(used for publication data rather than price)

Carpenter, Humphrey and Mari Prichard.
Oxford Dictionary of Children's Literature.

Children's Book Council.
Awards and Prizes.

Egoff, Sheila.
The Republic of Childhood (Canadian).

Gilderdale, Betty.
A Sea Change: 175 Years of New Zealand Fiction

Hurlimann, Bettina.
Three Centuries of Children's Books in Europe.

Kirkpatrick, D. L., and third edition Tracy Chevalier
Twentieth Century Children's Writers (1288 pp).

McBride, Bill A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions and Points of Issue
Very useful, inexpensive small travel guides with the important information in condensed form.

Mahoney, Bertha.
Illustrators of Children's Books.

Meigs, Cornelia /Eaton/ Nesbitt/ Viguers.
A Critical History of Children's Literature.

Prentice, Jeffrey.
Dromkeen A Journey into Children's Literature. (Australian)

Rosenbach, A. S. W.
Early American Children's Books.

St. John, Judith.
The Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books 1566 - 1920.

Sutherland/Arbuthnot.
Children and Books, frequent editions, I like the 4th edition for collectible books.

Schlug, Albert, ed.
Die Bilderwelt im Kinderbuch.

Back issues of the Horn Book.

Also bibliographies on various authors and illustrators.

Also auction records.

See also Parent Resources on the Building a Child's Home Library and our Booklinks to Research collections and online Children's Literature Sites.