Mondragon University has published the ‘2023 Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature’
Mondragon University has published the ‘2023 Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature’
Mondragon University has published the ‘2023 Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature’
The project is promoted by the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences and analyzes the 231 works published in Basque in 2023 and aimed at children and young people.
The Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences of Mondragon University has made available online a new publication that analyzes the 231 publications published in Basque in 2023 and aimed at children and young people: the 2023 Reading Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature. The work group responsible for creating the guide consisted of 14 professionals who read and analyzed the year’s publications and grouped them into three categories: recommended books, highly recommended books, and a special list. Books on the special list were also reviewed.
- Download publication: 2023 Reading Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Work group of 14 professionals
As the authors note in the prologue, the guide “is the fruit of having read many books and of continuous group work. With this guide, we aim to help parents, teachers and library professionals.” In the words of the team responsible for this edition, the guide “is no substitute” for doing one’s own reading, “nor for the pleasure that comes from reading.”
The creation of the 2023 guide saw the participation of 14 people associated with children’s and young adult literature and representing eight different entities, including librarians, school teachers and experts from Mondragon University. Specifically, the reading group for this edition included Olga Jauregi (Aramaio Municipal Library), Laida Zubia (Bergara Municipal Library), Oskar Loiti (Eskoriatza Municipal Library), Jasone Erostarbe (Legazpi Municipal Library), Marina Etxegoien and Arantzazu Ibarrondo (Oñati Municipal Library), Gurutze Urrutia, Edurne Urbiztondo, Aitziber Arrese and Joxe Otaduy (Kurtzeberri School in Aretxabaleta), Itziar Murua (former teacher at the Kurtzeberri School in Aretxabaleta), Ana Etxeberria (Luis Eceiza Public School in Eskoriatza), Nerea Alzola and Eunate Arebiotorre (Mondragon University); the coordinator was Marikarmen Apraiz from Mondragon University. The cover of this edition was designed by Mondragon University Audiovisual Communication student Maddi Martin.
Ratings: Recommended Books, Highly Recommended Books, and a Special List
In the prologue to the guide, the authors explain how they worked and the criteria they followed to classify the books: “the group’s work technique was based on reading the children’s and young adult literature that was published in Basque in 2023, comparing our readings, and assessing the use of the language, the literary quality, the treatment of the subject, etc.” Once all the books were read, the team grouped the works into three categories: recommended books, highly recommended books and a special list. Books on the special list were reviewed.
Regarding the age that they have added to each book for guidance, the authors of the guide remind readers that this number is “solely for guidance,” since “children’s rhythms, passions, etc., are unclassifiable. We believe that children’s free choice of books is basic and essential to inspire a passion for reading.”
Each year’s Reading Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature is much anticipated, and every year is one of the most downloaded of all works published by Mondragon University. The team has already begun work on next year’s edition of the guide.
Since 1990, the Haur Liburu Mintegia seminar of the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences of Mondragon University has been promoting the creation of these reading guides for children and young people, together with representatives of municipal libraries and teachers from different schools. Volumes published from 2001 onwards are available online.
- Download the 2023 guide (PDF): 2023 Reading Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature
- See the complete collection (PDFs): Reading Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature: from 2001 to 2023.