Books on Information Literacy

By Kaitlyn Spotts | March 27 2023 | GeneralEducation & Professional LearningComputer & Information Technology

Information literacy at an early age is essential when it comes to modern literacy learning. It is crucial that students develop critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate sources and grow comfortable with the notion that knowledge is never fixed and is always evolving.

NCTE has acknowledged the information literacy crisis in their Position Statement on the Role of Nonfiction (K-12) and states are beginning to develop and adopt information literacy curriculum standards in the classroom. At the beginning of this year New Jersey signed into law the nation’s first statewide information literacy requirement for schools.

The bill outlines that lessons on the topic must cover, at a minimum:

  • The research process and how information is created and produced.
  • Critical thinking and using information resources.
  • Research methods, including the difference between primary and secondary sources.
  • The difference between facts, points of view, and opinions.
  • Accessing peer-reviewed print and digital library resources.
  • The economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information.
  • The ethical production of information.

We’ve created a collection of titles to help secondary students and educators learn how to critically evaluate sources and safely navigate through the digital world.

Explore the information literacy collection

The Media and Me
A Guide to Critical Media Literacy for Young People
978-1-64421-196-0
From foundations in critical thinking skills to practical tools and real-life perspectives, this book empowers young adult readers to be independent media users.The Media and Me is a joint production of The Censored Press and Triangle Square Books for Young Readers.
$18.95 US
Dec 27, 2022
Paperback
272 Pages
Triangle Square

First Phone
A Child's Guide to Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Etiquette
978-0-593-53833-3
A fun and informative illustrated kids’ guide to safely and productively navigating the digital landscape.
$15.00 US
Jul 26, 2022
Paperback
144 Pages
TarcherPerigee

ReThink the Internet
How to Make the Digital World a Lot Less Sucky
978-0-593-35282-3
Stop hate. Promote Kindness. Be an Upstander.ReThink the Internet.
$17.99 US
May 31, 2022
Hardcover
176 Pages
Philomel Books

The Hype Machine
How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health--and How We Must Adapt
978-0-593-24040-3
Social media connected the world--and gave rise to fake news and increasing polarization. Now a leading researcher at MIT draws on 20 years of research to show how these trends threaten our political, economic, and emotional health in this eye-opening exploration of the dark side of technological progress.
$18.00 US
Sep 14, 2021
Paperback
416 Pages
Crown Currency

Lies, Incorporated
The World of Post-Truth Politics
978-0-307-27959-0
In today’s post-truth political landscape, there is a carefully concealed but ever-growing industry of organized misinformation that exists to create and disseminate lies in the service of political agendas. Ari Rabin-Havt and Media Matters for America present a revelatory history of this industry—which they've dubbed Lies, Incorporated—and show how it has crippled legislative progress on issues including tobacco regulation, public health care, climate change, gun control, immigration, abortion, and same-sex marriage. Eye-opening and indispensable, Lies, Incorporated takes an unflinching look at the powerful network of politicians and special interest groups that have launched coordinated assaults on the truth to shape American politics.
$17.00 US
Apr 19, 2016
Paperback
256 Pages
Anchor

Chasing the Truth: A Young Journalist's Guide to Investigative Reporting
She Said Young Readers Edition
978-0-593-32700-5
The perfect book for all student journalists, this young readers adaptation of the New York Times bestselling She Said by  Pulitzer Prize winning reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey will inspire a new generation of young journalists.  Soon to be a major motion picture!
$10.99 US
Sep 06, 2022
Paperback
272 Pages
Philomel Books

Behind Their Screens
What Teens Are Facing (and Adults Are Missing)
978-0-262-04735-7
How teens navigate a networked world and how adults can support them.
$27.95 US
Aug 16, 2022
Paperback
240 Pages
The MIT Press