You may have noticed a few changes to the children’s section of the New York Times Book Review over the last year; expanded pages devoted to children’s books, short thematic book review groupings on Sundays, and a weekly, in depth on-line picture book review. Pamela Paul, children’s book editor, is the driving force behind these changes and she has more improvements planned (the expansion of the Notable Children’s Book List from eight books to twenty-five is one change in the works but there are others). While many newspapers are shrinking their children’s book coverage in favor of covering technology, Paul has no difficulty seeing the wonder and magic in books for young people. She expects to “… to provide expanded coverage of everything from board books and middle grade stories to young adult fiction and nonfiction. There are so many ways to tell a story. I’m trying to make room for them all.”
So, if you haven’t checked out the children’s book pages of the New York Times Book Review lately, it’s time to stop by. I guarantee that you won’t regret it. Their breadth of coverage of children’s and young adult literature is refreshing.
Sheryl McFarlane 