The Children's Core Collection (21st Edition, 2014) is a guide of approximately 12,000 books, covering fiction and nonfiction works, story collections, picture books, graphic novels and magazines recommended for readers from preschool through grade six. It is a comprehensive list of recommended books for children, together with review sources and other professional aids for librarians and school media specialists.

The collection is a valuable tool for collection development and maintenance. Richly enhanced records provide a wealth of useful information. All entries include:

Complete bibliographic data
Subject headings, annotations, grade level, Dewey classification and cover art
Quotations from select reviews