Post on 15-Dec-2014
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Books and Brunch 2010Outstanding Children’s
Nonfiction Books 2009-2010Amanda Fensch, Children’s Assistant
M/RCPL
Biographies
Anne Frank: Her Life In Words and Pictures By Menno Metselaar
Unique biography on well-known figure
Features many unpublished photographs; photographs are accompanied by diary entries
Excellent biography for older elementary school students (grades 5 and up) packed with details about Anne’s life before, during, and after her capture by the Nazis
Also recommend to students who enjoy diary type literature
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, U.S. Marshall
By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson; Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie 2010 Coretta Scott King Author
Award Winner
Has many elements to capture the attention of students grades 3-6 who may not “cotton to” nonfiction: colorful vernacular of the Wild West, great artwork, an engaging hero, and the story reads like a picture book, not a biography
Nelson heavily researched the life of Reeves; while Bad News looks and reads like fiction, it is thoroughly cited and can be used by students for reports
Publisher’s website offers additional classroom resources, including a discussion guide
Black Elk’s Vision: A Lakota Story By S.D. Nelson
Excellent biography written in first-person, present tense
Historically accurate with a unique perspective on an important figure in Native American history
Author provides extensive bibliography, source notes, and personal note
Perfect for students seeking information on a historical figure for a research project or give to the student interested in history
Bylines: A Photobiography of Nellie Bly By Sue Macy
Fascinating look at a historical figure who isn’t often brought up in classrooms
Macy’s book thoroughly portrays Bly’s “stunt journalism” and her perseverance in a male-dominated field
Provides plenty of photos and other visual aids to accompany text on the 4th-6th grade reading level
Macy provides a fantastic index with every supporting “character” mentioned in the book
Lincoln Tells A Joke: How Laughter Saved The President (And The Country)
By Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer; Illustrated by Stacy Innerst
Great book to share out loud with a group of younger students (grades 1-4)—the text shows a lighter side of Lincoln that many students would be unaware of
Innerst’s illustrations add to the unique humor and zest of this book
Krull and Brewer gathered the quotes used from collections of Lincoln’s jokes and clever sayings, which were mostly compiled posthumously (many of them eyewitness accounts); a source list is included
Lost Boy: The Story of the Man Who Created Peter Pan
By Jane Yolen; Illustrated by Steve Adams Yolen and Adams capture J.M. Barrie’s
vast imagination and sense of adventure in this excellent biography aimed at children grades 3-5
Yolen focuses as much on Barrie’s childhood (the good and bad) as she does his adult life, which is important because it shows how what he experienced as a child shaped what he did as an adult
Adams’ illustrations portray Barrie’s unstoppable spirit and are paired with a quote carefully chosen from one of Barrie’s literary works
End notes include a list of Barrie’s writings and the actresses who have played Peter Pan
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth
By Kathleen Krull; Illustrated by Greg Couch
Capture the attention of 2-5th graders with the story of Philo Farnsworth—kids can’t imagine a world without television. Tell them the story of the boy who invented it.
Krull focuses on Farnsworth’s dream to become an inventor, doesn’t mention his struggles and depression later on in life except in the afterword
Couch’s beautiful illustrations accompany this well-written biography meant to inspire and inform
Sciences
A World of Colors: Seeing Colors in A New Way
By Marie Houblon An inviting book that asks
children grades K-3 to find colors in the world around them
Takes color beyond the “normal” and includes black, brown, gray and white and explains each of them
The photos in the book for each color are not discussed in detail (each photo may have an exotic location, person, or thing in it) and allows for open dialogue between you and your students
A variety of shades of colors are also displayed, which is typically not seen in color books
Bones: Skeletons and How They WorkBy Steve Jenkins
Jenkins’ (a Caldecott Honor Award Winner) distinctive artwork style makes bones come to life in this entertaining take on skeletal systems
Aimed at the 3rd-6th grade levels, the text is fluid and fun
Includes many life-size representations of skeletons (including a small python)
End notes include interesting tidbits on a variety of bone topics (human and non-human)
How To Clean A Hippopotamus: A Look At Unusual Animal Partnerships
By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Formatted in block comic book style, this book introduces symbiosis to kids at grade levels K-3
Husband and wife team Jenkins and Page showcase some of the more unknown pairings, like the goby and blind shrimp, or the coyote and badger
Like with Bones and other Jenkins books, the artwork is stunning and paired with engaging, accessible text that encourages learning and pleasure reading
In The Trees, Honeybees!By Lori Mortensen; Illustrated by Cris Arbo
A great read-aloud suited for grades PreK-3
Almost picture book in presentation, Mortensen’s text is simple and inviting (coupled with interesting facts about bees at the bottom of each page) while Arbo’s highly detailed illustrations are truly incredible
End notes offer great information on the lives and importance of bees along with resources
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot
By Sy Montgomery; Photographs by Nic Bishop
One of the strangest, most amazing birds ever found, the kakapo will certainly be a source of wonder for students once they discover it with the help of Montgomery’s superb book
Written with older students (grades 5 and up) in mind, this book details Montgomery and Bishop’s ten days with New Zealand’s National Kakapo Recovery Team, a group that works to restore the very limited kakapo population (current count is 122 of these beautiful birds)
This is a riveting book--filled with stunning photographs that accompany a story that is an emotional rollercoaster
Montgomery provides facts and history on the kakapo and then launches into the journey she and Bishop had while in New Zealand, observing rescue group members trying to save kakapo eggs and babies, being chased by a “famous” kakapo named Sirocco, and exploring Codfish Island (sometimes in gale force wind and rain), where the kakapo live
Nic Bishop MarsupialsBy Nic Bishop
Bishop adds to his repertoire of engaging nonfiction titles with Marsupials
Filled with photographs of high
quality that Bishop is known for (and that kids grades 2-5 will react to with open mouths and big eyes), Bishop adds facts, details, and fun information about each animal in straightforward language
Bishop also includes info on how he took each photo (most of the animals are nocturnal) and a handy index and glossary
The Buffalo Are BackBy Jean Craighead George; Illustrated by
Wendell Minor George blends nonfiction with a
touch of fiction to tell the story of the history of buffalo on the American plains to kids grade levels 2-5
George’s eloquent writing and Minor’s evocative watercolor paintings will transport kids to a different time and place, especially if the book is read aloud
George does not gloss over how the buffalo and the plains were almost obliterated by hunters, Westward expansion, and the American government
End notes list a few sources and several places that kids can visit to see buffalo in their natural habitat
The Frog ScientistBy Pamela S. Turner; Photographs by Andy Comins
An enthusiastic, inspiring look at a scientist and his work, presented with gorgeous photographs and straightforward storytelling
Tyrone Hayes, whose potential as a student was recognized and turned into a career by a professor who didn’t give up on him, is now “The Frog Scientist”, studying the effects of the chemical atrazine on amphibians
Give this book to a budding scientist or a kid that needs a little inspiration; Tyrone’s passion for his job and his crew (“The Frog Squad”) is evident throughout the book and is uplifting to read about; grades 5 and up
The Salmon Bears: Giants of the Great Bear Rainforest
By Ian McAllister and Nicholas Read; Photographs by Ian McAllister
A look at a lesser-known habitat presented in conversational text with fantastic photographs
Extensive data is presented on the different bears, their diets, habitat, family life (especially the bond between mother and cub)
Young researchers will find info on the Spirit Bears (white-furred black bears) especially fascinating
A great choice for school reports and browsers; ideal for grades 5 and up
Where Else in the Wild? More Camouflaged Creatures Concealed…and Revealed
Poems by David M. Schwartz and Yael Schy; Photographs by Dwight Kuhn
Follow-up to Where in the Wild?, this collaboration of poetry, facts, and photography is wholly unique and superbly constructed
Each two-page spread contains a poem about the camouflaged creature in the facing photograph; if you then lift the page with the photograph, you can read facts about the hidden animal/insect
Excellent for individual use or read-alouds with grades 2-5
Poetry
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the NightBy Joyce Sidman; Illustrated by Rick Allen
Sidman (Caldecott Honor winner) combines compelling poetry, Allen’s stunning artwork and science for a knockout combination, grades 3-6
Opposite page illustrations highlight Sidman’s vivid poetry; the poems are a mix of structures and don’t always rhyme, allowing students to be introduced to various poetic forms
Facts about each life form are placed on the page opposite the poem, giving kids a chance to explore further and/or do research
A glossary is provided with all the scientific vocabulary covered in the book
PoetreesBy Douglas Florian
Eloquent and enjoyable wordplay from a well-known children’s poet based around the magnificence and importance of trees
Each poem is printed on a two-page spread with artwork of the tree or tree part described
Florian’s poetry is graceful and full of excellent vocabulary-building words, great for reading aloud and group activities in grades 3-6
Includes a “Glossatree” in the back and an Author’s Note with resources
The MonsterologistBy Bobbi Katz; Illustrated by Adam McCauley
Designed to look like a scrapbook, this “volume” of monster poems will have kids giggling with delight as they read about trolls, vampires, goblins, and more
Katz’s rhymes are spectacular in form and the poems range from subtlety funny to downright hysterical (try reading the “Suds Surfing Sock Eater” without smiling)
McCauley’s illustrations are also a sight to behold and pull together the entire collection
Perfect for poetry enthusiasts and beginners, monster-story lovers, and those looking for a good laugh in grades 3-6
History of Exploration/Music/Social
Sciences
Cars on Mars: Roving the Red PlanetBy Alexandra Siy
Follows the journey of Spirit and Opportunity, the two rovers on Mars
Designed to only last 90 days, both rovers have been slowly working, gathering samples and collecting data, for over 5 years
The book is full of black and white photographic images of Mars and artistic renderings of the rovers and what the planet might look like in real life; also includes photos taken of the rovers and all their gear while on Earth with excellent details mapped out for curious students
Siy takes readers on a fantastic journey to a planet that holds a lot of interest for current and future space explorers
Learn to Speak Music: A Guide to Creating, Performing and Promoting Your Own Songs
By John Crossingham; Illustrated by Jeff Kulak
For the music lover or the true enthusiast looking for advice on how to write and create music
The author is a music professional who starts the book with simple lessons (beat, rhythm, melody, etc) and gradually steps up the advice as the book goes on
Crossingham has an easy, conversational tone to his writing that never feels forced or demanding, but rather encouraging, which is important for any kid
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting DownBy Andrea Pinkney; Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Pinkney uses powerful metaphors and repetitious phrasing to describe the focus of her book : in 1960, four African-American college students sat down at a N.C. Woolworth’s lunch counter that was for “whites only” and were refused service; they went back every day and were treated exactly the same way
Students grades 3-6 will understand what these young men (the Greensboro Four) were trying to accomplish through peaceful protests because of Pinkney’s effective word choices
Brian Pinkney’s illustrations also make a potent statement with mixes of thick and thin lines and patches of color
Civil rights timeline and update on what happened after the book ends are provided