Do you ever feel lost or overwhelmed trying to figure out where to find the books and materials you need in our Kids Sections? What do “E” and “J” mean, and which one is best for you? What ages or grade levels go with each? What type of video content will you find in “E” vs. “J?” What’s the difference between “ER” and “EP?” What do all the categories mean?!
A brief overview below introduces each classification in our youth collection to help you make sense of it all. You'll see these categories both on Library labels in our locations, as well as when you're searching our Web Catalog.
E and J (Easy and Juvenile)
- Often thought of as “Picture Books” (E) and “Chapter Books” (J)
- The cutoff between them is roughly third grade, though — as with all age/grade delineations — the boundary is fuzzy and there are many exceptions.
- Think of it in starkest terms as read-aloud listeners vs. independent readers – with a long transition period in between.
- The J to Teen cutoff is roughly sixth or seventh grade.
In addition to the big E/J distinction, materials for younger readers are further divided into special categories because children grow and change rapidly and have a wide range of needs.
EI (Easy Infant)
- Board Books have cardboard pages (instead of paper) that help infants develop 6 by 6 skills in a format that fits their hands and is more durable.
- True infant books, made for eyes that are still developing, have simple, high contrast illustrations, not many words and simple content.
- Board Book durability is so popular that many books get produced (or reproduced) in this format even if they are not strictly infant titles.
EP (Easy Picture)
- The “easiest” of the picture books. Fewer words, more emphasis on the illustrations.
- Beginning concepts like letter/alphabet, numbers/counting, emotions, vocabulary building/naming things, rhyming, “I Spy.”
- Includes wordless picture books.
- Excellent read-alouds; good for storytimes and parents who have been tapped to be guest readers at their kids’ schools.
- Specifically supports 6 by 6 skills.
ER (Easy Reader)
- For beginning readers; the gateway between picture books and independent chapter books. The five-finger rule can start here.
- Includes fiction and a measure of nonfiction, alphabetized by author (or series/character name). Format is determinative – these books are specifically published for this designation.
- Ranges from books with one word on a page to books with very short chapters.
- Ideally uses a controlled vocabulary so all words are short, common and easy to recognize — familiar words that are simple to sound out. Includes phonics and letter-sound books.
- Different publishers have different designations for “Level 1,” “Level A,” etc., so there’s not a consistent standard across series.
- The easiest ER books have an EER designation in the catalog and feature big green dots on their spines for shelf browsing.
E FIC (Easy Fiction)
- Picture books that don’t fall into one of the other special categories.
- Wide variety of topics, themes, styles, word counts and reading levels.
- Some picture books are great for older youth, teens and adults.
E NONFIC (Easy Nonfiction)
- The easiest of our nonfiction books; fewer words and pages, with a variety of subjects.
- Classified as grades K-3.
- Includes many folk and fairy tales (398) that might otherwise be considered fiction.
- Easy Reader nonfiction titles are interfiled here.
E Talking Books
- Audiobooks with an integrated player since the pictures are so inherent to the story. Picture book and audio in one.
- Advanced Search designates them as “Preloaded Audiobook” and “Playaway Audiobook.”
E DVD (Easy DVDs)
- DVDs rated G.
- Preschool-aimed content (Nickelodeon and similar)
- Generally animated.
E Blue Bag Kits
- Blue bags that hang on the wall with a “6 by 6: Books to Go” label.
- Each kit includes five books in the bag plus a Talking Book or CD/DVD/ECDAUDIO, and a one-page activity sheet, all on a single theme.
- Laminated activity sheets have songs, rhymes and other suggested books that fit the theme.
- Curated to support 6 by 6 skills.
J FIC (Juvenile Fiction)
- Soon to be degenrefied; for now, it is followed by a tiny J Sci-Fi section and a small J Mystery section.
- Includes easy chapter books.
- Roughly for independent readers in elementary school; second through seventh grades.
J Graphic
- Graphic novels up to sixth grade. There is no Teen Graphic section, so this covers a wide range before jumping to Adult.
- Includes Nonfiction.
- Includes: J Graphic ER.
- Materials are often found by series/character, rather than author, though it’s all there in the mix.
J NONFIC (Juvenile Nonfiction)
- Classified as third through eighth grades.
- Publishers don’t offer a lot of Teen Nonfiction, so some of these are quite advanced and appropriate for older students also.
J CDAUDIO (Juvenile Audio CDs)
- Audiobook productions of J Fiction and J Nonfiction.
- A shrinking collection, as newer titles are often released exclusively in digital format, but still available.
J DVD (Juvenile DVDs)
- DVDs intended for a young audience.
- Family movies, Disney, Nickelodeon and similar. Rated PG with exceptions.
- A mix of animated and live action.
Youth CDs
- Music for kids.
- A shrinking collection that will be gone before we know it but still exists.
Awards are tagged as follows in our locations, and can be found here in the Web Catalog.
- Caldecott winners: yellow C on the spine
- Newbery winners: yellow N
- Printz winners: yellow P
- William Allen White: yellow W
- William Allen white nominees: orange dot
Advanced Search Tips
Beneath the search bar in our Web Catalog, you can click on Advanced Search.
- When browsing the Web Catalog, “Reading Level” is one of the filters available on the left hand side. It limits results by Lexile score. This is used by educators and is how the catalog supports searching by reading/grade level.
- Understanding Lexile & Quantile Measures: A Guide for Educators
- Find a Book Lexile search tool
- “Category 1” filter is a list of cataloging abbreviations (EFIC, J FIC, etc). It takes a bit of practice but is the best way to limit search results to a specific collection.
- Using the “Audience” = “Children” filter includes both E and J results, so “Category 1” is the best way to limit results to just one or the other.
