About Us

Children's Literature reviewers read and critically review more than 5,000 books annually. Our mission is to help teachers, librarians, childcare providers and parents make appropriate literary choices for children. Founded in 1993 by Marilyn Courtot, a trained librarian, the review staff has grown to more than 125. Our reviewers include book authors, librarians, writers and editors, teachers, children's literature specialists and physicians. Reviewer biographies are available on our website. We pride ourselves on being an independent review source. We are not affiliated with any publisher and accept no advertising.

At the end of 2012, Marilyn Courtot passed the Children's Literature reins to Emily Griffin, a contractor with the company. While Marilyn's presence will be greatly missed we are excited for all the new adventures she and her husband Charlie will be able to enjoy as they continue to cruise around the world.

Emily Griffin began working with Children's Literature and Marilyn Courtot in 2009, after graduating from George Mason University with a degree in English. During college she turned her life-long love of literature into a career path. First, by working as a manager at her local independent children's bookstore, A Likely Story, then by internships at Peter Owen Publishers, located in London, and stateside at Candlewick Press. She finished her degree back in London, at Queen Mary University, where she also returned to work in the Publicity and Marketing department of Peter Owen Publishers. Since then, Emily has been working for both CLCD (www.clcd.com) and Children's Literature (www.childrenslit.com); attending trade shows, editing the monthly e-newsletter, compiling value added data (awards, best book lists, curriculum tools), handling all social media, updating the websites, processing books for reviewers, organizing Booking Service events and sales, and more. Emily now lives in Northwest D.C.

The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) Company was established in 1999 as a spin-off from Children's Literature. Initially, CLCD used the reviews from Children's Literature and three other sources to provide an Internet based acquisition, research, and reference service. Currently, CLCD has reviews from more than 3 dozen other professional review media. Its subscribers include schools, libraries, colleges, publishers and booksellers. Support for CLCD was recently moved from the www.childrenslit.com website to a new website www.clcd.com.

The Children's Literature Author/Illustrator Booking Service was established in 2007 to assist schools, museums, conferences and other organizations in identifying authors and illustrators for speaking engagements. In addition, CL handles book sales at these events and has developed a turnkey approach that makes it attractive to anyone involved with such events.

Children's Literature also provides support for book sales at numerous other author events, school book fairs and the like. Often we have one or two copies of a book left that we do not bother to return to the publisher. We make those books available on a first come first serve basis at a very attractive price: 50% off list. Email emily@childrenslit.com for information about book sales.