Collections & Resources

Our Collection

The CCB houses a non-circulating research collection of children’s and young adult books. Our emphasis is on children’s books published within the last year and a small reference collection, and older books are being added to the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL) collection in the Main Library.

Our Space

We moved! We are now located in Room 211/212, 501 E Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820.

Map of the CCB

Featured Collection: AAPI Heritage Month

Below are some of the featured books on display at the CCB.

Graphic Novels

Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying, Gr. 10-12/14-18 Yrs Old

“A beautiful and heart-wrenching young adult graphic novel takes a look at eating disorders, family dynamics, and ultimately, a journey to self-love.”

Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham, Gr. 10-12/14-18 Yrs Old

“A moving young adult graphic memoir about a Vietnamese immigrant boy’s search for belonging in America, perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and The Best We Could Do!”

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang, Gr. 10-12/14-18 Yrs Old

“From New York Times –bestselling author and illustrator Jen Wang comes a singularly affecting story about self-discovery, self-reliance, and the choice to live when it feels like you have no place in the world.”

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American by Laura Gao, Gr. 9-12/14-18 Yrs Old

“Laura Gao illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter. Insightful, original, and hilarious, toggling seamlessly between past and present, China and America, Gao’s debut is a tour de force of graphic storytelling.”

Young Adult

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee, Gr. 10-12/14-18 Yrs Old

“From the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl comes a YA murder mystery noir set in 1930s Los Angeles’s Chinatown.”

A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli, Gr. 10-12/14-18 Yrs Old

“What if you could avenge your own murder? A brilliant young woman gets a second chance at life in this debut YA tale of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.”

Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend by Brandon Hoàng, Gr. 10-12/14-18 Yrs Old

“A contemporary YA debut about a Vietnamese-American boy who tries to attain popularity by befriending the most beautiful girl in school, inspired by the Vietnamese-American author’s teen experience.”

Maya in Multicolor by Swati Teerdhala, Gr. 8-10/13-14 Yrs Old

“Fans of When Dimple Met Rishi will love this charming, slow-burn YA romance about all the ways you can honor tradition while still giving it a modern flair.”

Middle Grade

The Cobra’s Song by Supriya Kelkar, Gr. 3-7/8-12 Yrs Old

“From the author of American as Paneer Pie comes an “absorbing” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade adventure steeped in Indian folklore following a girl who learns how to find her voice and face her fears, perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Amina’s Song.“

Made in Asian America: A History for Young People by Erika Lee & Christina Soontornvat, Gr. 5-7/10-14 Yrs Old

“From three-time Newbery Honoree Christina Soontornvat and award-winning historian Erika Lee comes a middle grade nonfiction that shines a light on the generations of Asian Americans who have transformed the United States and who continue to shape what it means to be American. Asian American history is not made up of one single story. It’s many . . . This book is a stirring account of the ordinary people and extraordinary acts that made Asian America and the young people who are remaking America today.”

Winnie Zeng Shatters the Universe (Winnie Zeng #3) by Katie Zhao, Gr. 3-7/8-12 Yrs Old

“In the third book of this epic fantasy series, kids from around the world are summoned to compete at the magical Shaman Youth Tournament! But with all the young shamans away, who will defend the human realm from evil spirits?”

The Spindle of Fate (The Spindle of Fate #1) by Aimee Lim, Gr. 3-7/8-12 Yrs Old

“When Evie Mei discovers that her recently passed mother was the head of a guild of magical weavers, she enters the Chinese netherworld to try and bring her back in this middle-grade debut.”

Picture Books

Home Is a Wish by Julia Kao, Gr. Pre-2nd/3-6 Yrs Old

“A deeply moving, gorgeously illustrated picture book about leaving home and finding a new place to fit in, for anyone dealing with a move, to another town or to a new country.”

Masala Chai, Fast and Slow by Rajani LaRocca, illus. by Neha Rawat, Gr. Pre-3rd/3-7 Yrs Old

“Newbery Honoree Rajani LaRocca, author of I’ll Go and Come Back, turns her focus to a careful, deliberate grandfather and his impatient grandson in a cozy family story featuring a recipe for spiced chai.”

My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story by George Takei, illus. by Michelle Lee, Gr. 1-4/6-9 Yrs Old

“A moving, beautifully illustrated true story for children ages 6 to 9 about growing up in Japanese American incarceration camps during World War II—from the iconic Star Trek actor, activist, and author of the New York Times bestselling graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy.”

Who We Produce Pearls: An Anthem for Asian America by Joanna Ho, illus. by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, Gr. K-3/4-8 Yrs Old

“From the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Joanna Ho, comes an uplifting call to action that highlights Asian American history, paired with vibrant and colorful illustrations by artist and activist, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya.”

Campus Resources

Here is a list of other collections on the UIUC campus that may be of interest to scholars of children’s literature.

The School (S) – Collection 

The School (S)-Collection in the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign consists of over 178,000 cataloged volumes of children’s and young adult literature.

HathiTrust Digital Library

Founded in 2008, HathiTrust is a not-for-profit collaborative of academic and research libraries preserving 17+ million digitized items. HathiTrust offers reading access to the fullest extent allowable by U.S. copyright law, computational access to the entire corpus for scholarly research, and other emerging services based on the combined collection. HathiTrust members steward the collection — the largest set of digitized books managed by academic and research libraries — under the aims of scholarly, not corporate, interests.

HathiTrust Research Center (HTRC)

Illinois is co-host (with Indiana University) of the HathiTrust Research Center, which offers data sets, consultations, training, longer-term collaborations, and a variety of text-mining and analytic tools for working with the enormous collections of the HathiTrust Digital Library.

ALA Archives

The American Library Association Archives is the repository for the American Library Association, the world’s oldest and largest national library association.

The ALA Archives consists of official records, correspondence, publications, photographs, sound recordings, films, and videotapes. Research material is arranged in five general areas: administrative and staff offices, associations and divisions, round tables, committees and members’ papers, and affiliated and associated organizations.

NCTE Archives

The National Council of Teachers of English Archives documents the history of the National Council of Teachers of English and the teaching profession. The University Archives has over 130 cubic feet of NCTE materials. These records, dating from the organization’s founding in 1911 to the present, document NCTE’s history of advocacy for literacy, as well as its affiliates’ history, including the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) and the Conference on English Education (CEE). Further information can be found on NCTE’s homepage.