Celebrate Pride with the CECH Library!

Check out the Pride display all month long at the CECH Library!

Explore childrens’ and YA titles that span the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity and celebrate LGBTQIA+ figures and history. To find more LGBTQIA+ titles, check out our reading list available on the CECH Library website.

Easier Browsing, Improved Wayfinding in CECH Library

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We’re happy to announce that we have recently installed improved signage in the CECH Library. The new signage clearly identifies the locations of our various types of children’s literature, as well as high-traffic areas like our info desk, makerlab, and … Continue reading

CECH Library Spotlight: The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart

CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

The Words We Keep / written by Erin Stewart / 2022

CW: Self-harm, suicide, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, OCD

Image of book cover of novel called The Words We KeepThe Words We Keep by Erin Stewart is a contemporary young adult novel that follows Lily Larkin, the younger sister of Alice, who ended up in a treatment center after a suicide attempt. Since The Night, her family has barely been holding it together, and Lily’s worried she might be “crazy” like her sister. When Micah, a boy that went to the program with Alice, joins her class, Lily begins to look into herself and the world around her. 

This novel looks into the reality of mental illness and its impact on the self and the family, while also talking about what it means to be loved for who you are. 

This book is available from the CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.

Review by Alice Somers, CECH Library Student Assistant | Early Childhood Education and Deaf Studies, CECH 2026

CECH Library Spotlight: Ellen Outside the Lines by AJ Sass

CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

Ellen Outside the Lines / written by AJ Sass / 2022

CW: Queer character being outed 

Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass is a contemporary juvenile novel that follows Ellen Katz, a queer, autistic, Jewish girl as she navigates life and friendship. Ellen’s Spanish class is going to Barcelona for two weeks, and she expects it to be a time for her to reconnect with her best friend Laurel. But during this trip, her carefully planned routines and expectations are thrown for a loop when she gets paired with a different group, allowing her to learn not just about herself but those around her.

This novel explores gender identity, queerness, religion, neurodivergence, and what it means to be a friend. It is a heartwarming story of growth and acceptance that makes it a read that you won’t want to put down until you’re done.

This book is available from the CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.

Review by Alice Somers, CECH Library Student Assistant | Early Childhood Education and Deaf Studies, CECH 2026

Looking Back, Moving Ahead: A Brief Review of 2021-22 in the CECH Library

Welcome to fall semester, CECH friends! Though we’ve been open all summer, the CECH Library is so pleased to open our doors yet again to students, faculty, and staff at the beginning of another promising school year.  

 Like you, we’ve had a busy year – full of projects, planning, and reflection. Here are a few highlights: 

As always, you can find fall semester library hours on the CECH Library website, as well as a complete listing of hours across UC Libraries locations 

It is our pleasure to serve CECH, and we wish you all a fantastic semester. 

Katie Foran-Mulcahy
CECH Library Head + Interim Assistant Dean 

Fall Space Refresh in the CECH Library

In preparation for the fall term, we completed a comprehensive space refresh on our library’s 3rd floor, including moving more than 26,800 books (by hand!) to make our highest-circulating collections more visible and accessible.  

We also re-designed our 3rd floor display spaces, creating more permanent areas to promote books and refreshing exhibits monthly.  

In addition, our MakerLab underwent a re-organization this summer to improve users’ experience. Rachel Hoople, CECH Library’s Operations Manager, led many of these changes and I know our students will reap the benefits of these improvements this year. 

We can’t wait for you to come visit us this year to check out our refreshed spaces. As always, you can find fall semester library hours on the CECH Library website, as well as a complete listing of hours across UC Libraries locations 

 It is our pleasure to serve CECH, and we wish you all a fantastic semester. 

Katie Foran-Mulcahy
CECH Library Head + Interim Assistant Dean 

CECH Spotlight: Black Fairy Tales

CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

Black Fairy Tales / written by Terry Berger / 1969
The People Could Fly / told by Virginia Hamilton / 1985
The Six Fools / collected by Zora Neale Hurston / 2006

The stories we tell our children are possibly the most important in our entire fictional memory, and foremost among these stories are fairy tales and folktales. Harkening back to the legends and myths of old, fairy and folk tales expand children’s imaginations, teach lessons, and reveal the reality in which they live. This is not more apparent than in Black Fairy Tales by Terry Berger, The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton, and The Six Fools by Zora Neale Hurston.

Coming from a wide variety of sources, origins, and peoples, these three books represent different oral traditions collected and written by a variety of authors. While storytelling traditions are much more expansive than what is contained within these books, they serve as an amazing introduction to fairy tales and folktales from African and African American cultures. Not only do they stand alone as great examples of children’s literature, but they serve as greater tools for change in the diversity they provide, as well as the history they present. “This book was done especially for the Black children who have never read Black fairy tales,” Terry Berger wrote in the dedication of his book.

These books present culture and stories which have long been ignored, and each provide unique perspectives to life, virtue, and our potential. Be it trying to catch sunshine in a wheelbarrow, marrying a great serpent king, or the fables of Bruh Rabbit, these books expand our imagination and deepen our appreciation.  .

All three titles are available from the CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.

Review by Linus Sinnard, CECH Library Student Assistant | Secondary Education, CECH 2025

Subscribe to New Children’s Books at CECH Library

image of new books blog

The CECH Library has a collection unlike any other at UC Libraries, including thousands of children’s and young adult books. Now you can subscribe to keep up with the latest additions to our library!

From the Children’s and Young Adult Literature LibGuide, visit our new books blogs based on the category you’re interested in. The blogs are updated each time CECH Library gets new books. By subscribing to updates, you’ll get an email every time we add new books in the following categories: picturebooks, juvenile fiction, YA fiction, informational, and Native American authors and illustrators. Subscribe today so you’ll never miss a new addition to the collection.

Written by Madeleine Gaiser, Online Learning and Instruction Specialist | CECH Library

CECH Spotlight: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe / written by by Benjamin Alire Sáenz / 2012

Celebrate Pride all summer long and read about the important stories of LGBTQ+ youth and their lives. Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe can be described as a very simple yet impactful read. Sáenz needs no intense plot twist or a plethora of characters to tell a touching and memorable story.

Follow along Ari’s coming-of-age journey as he faces struggles with loneliness, sexuality, and familial relationships, and along the way forms a special relationship with Dante, an artsy and talented swimmer he meets at the neighborhood pool. Ari and Dante live nearly opposite lives, yet are still struggling with the same issues. A perfect summer read with relatable teenage struggles, Ari & Dante is an authentic story that focuses on the small details in relationships and life, such as those ponderings about life, love, personal moments, and self-discovery.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is available from CECH Library,  as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks. Keep an eye out for the sequel that debuts in October!

Review by Alyssa Gruich, CECH Library Student Assistant | Political Science, A&S 2022

Books on the Big Screen at CECH

Summer is a great time to relax and catch up on all those shows you never got around to watching. Summer is also a great time for reading. So before you binge on Netflix, check out the books that came before the films. The CECH Library has many books that have been adapted for film and television. From the classics like Little Women to the ever-popular Shadow and Bone, there is something for everyone.

TV and film adaptations can be an excellent way to introduce readers to books they may not naturally be drawn to. In addition to aiding with understanding or reading comprehension, they can also assist with understanding difficult vocabulary. Film and TV adaptations can be a helpful motivator for reluctant readers. 

Whether you read before you watch or decide to pick up the book because you loved the show or movie, the CECH Library has got you covered! Check out this list of selected titles that have film or TV adaptations.  

Post by Haley Shaw, CECH Temporary Librarian
List by Sadie Matthews, CECH Library Student Worker