Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation

Pinkney, A.D., Pinkney, B. (2008). Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation. Greenwillow Books.

Boycott Blues is a story of Rosa Parks told in a bluesy, jazzy narration.  In the background of the illustrations the reader can find a hound dog strumming his old guitar and imagine the sound of him telling this story in a sing-songing voice.  The story is inspirational and relays the struggles of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as they lead African Americans in a fight for equal laws and treatment against the Jim Crow laws.  Imagine yourself reading this story out loud and you might best picture yourself standing on stage with a guitar and jazz band behind you as you read the rythmic lyrics.  Some of you readers out there, if you're brave like Rosa Parks, might make a podcast for the rest of us to enjoy!

The Firefly Letters

Engle, M. (2010). The Firefly Letters. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 

This book peeks in the lives of four young people in mid-nineteenth century Cuba.  The bulk of the story revolves around Cecilia, a young slave who was sold by her father for a stolen cow.  Fredrika is a young Swedish suffragette who travels to Cuba to exercise her freedom as a woman and demonstrates how much a woman can do when she steps outside the expected societal path.  Fredrika and Cecilia, while living difficult lives, appeal to Elena who is young, pampered and wealthy.  But when Cecilia is pregnant and due to have a baby born into slavery, what can be done about it? (Grades 5 and up). 

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors

Sidman, J. (2010). Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

This book is half poems, half informational essays.  The poetry is flowing and rythmic, making the book easy to read and share with youngsters.  The informational sections are full of facts and details about life forms which have survived the enormous changes brought about since the beginning of life.  The illustrations are beautiful, spreading across pages and allowing the poems to flow through them.  The book is created with sparks of information for all readers from the very young who will appreciate the colors and rhythmic poem to the older learners who will appreciate the immense amounts of information about life that has beat the odds.  (Grade 3 and up).

Inside Out and Back Again

Lai, Thanhha. (2011). Inside Out and Back Again.  New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books.  

A National Book Award Winner, this books introduces a topic rare to American literature.  Set in the aftermath of the Vietnam war in Vietnam, a young girl adjusts to life without a father and in increasing poverty.  The story travels to Atlanta where the family attempts to settle into a new way of life.  She and her brothers find their way, keeping their interests ranging from kung-fu to medical sciences intact along the way.  Written in poetic prose, the author tells a story of struggle and conquest through illuminating language. (Grade 3 and up).

We Are in a Book!

Willems, M. (2010). We Are in a Book!  New York: Hyperion Books for Children. 

This silly story is about a pig and an elephant who realize they are being read in a book.   The content is lighthearted and humorous for all young readers and humorous enough that struggling readers will enjoy reading the story again and again. (Kindergarten and up).  

Mercy Watson

DiCamillo, K. (2008). Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. 

The illustrations in this early reader, by Chris Van Dusen, are bright, colorful and entertaining.  Another book in the series won the Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Book Award.  The story is full of silly characters like Mr. and Mrs. Watson who are Mercy’s proud and doting “parents,” and who like to make her toast.  Mercy is a hopelessly hungry pig and will do anything, including joining tea parties for the reward of food.  The writing is humorous, the illustrations vibrant, it is sure to capture the attention of all readers.  (Grade 1 and up). 

Bink & Gollie

DiCamillo, K., McGhee, A. (2010). Bink & Gollie. New York: Candlewick Press. 

Bink and Gollie are two young girls who have a similar relationship with each other that Frog and Toad share in Arnold Lobel’s series.  The wonderful thing about Bink and Gollie is that they are illustrated in an attractive and modern fashion which will no doubt draw young girls to the series.  The other great thing about this easy reader book is that it includes some high-level vocabulary words.  The combined use of humor in the writing, bright and fun illustrations, and intelligent vocabulary make this book a wonderful read for that upper level early reader.  

Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey From Darkness Into Light

Tingle, T. (2010). Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey From Darkness Into Light. El, Paso, Texas: Cinco Puntos Press.

This non-fiction book written by a Choctaw member about his grandmother portrays a modern Native American family.  The title “Saltypie,” compromises the pain and turmoil usually accompanied by discrimination when the boys grandmother teaches him how to use it to ease difficult situations.  The boy is also surprised to learn of his grandmother’s blindness and learns of a subtle method she uses to cope with the disability.  The book is honest and pleasant to read.  (Grade 2 and up).

January's Sparrow

Polacco, P. (2009). January’s Sparrow. New York: Penguin Group. 

This is heart-wringing story of a young girl’s family as they travel the Underground Railroad.  It begins with a slave named January who carves a sparrow for the young girl, named Sadie.  Readers may be appalled to read and see what happens to January through the text and illustrations.  When Sadie’s family begins their journey the wooden sparrow is left behind.  This story is written in the dialect of the slave families and the content of the story is emotional and best shared with older elementary or middle school students. (Grade 5 and up).  

Black Elk's Vision

Nelson, S.D. (2010). Black Elk’s Vision: A Lakota Story. New York: Abrams.

Black Elk has a vision at an early age that he is unable to understand, process, or share with his tribe.  He keeps it to himself until it becomes clear that the people need to hear his vision as it contains words of inspiration and wisdom which could be light in a moment of dark peril.  The book contains several photographs which document the era and bring the book to live while grounding it in history.  Black Elk becomes a member of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and travels to New York City and abroad until he returns home a few years later.  As he ages and matures his message finally resonates with him and becomes the motto for how he lives his life.  Highly informative and told from the perspective of a Native American at a time when Native Americans were gathered onto reservations against their will, this book is sure to captivate readers of all ages.  (Grades 3 and up). 

Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space

Pilkey, D. (1999). Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space. New York: Scholastic, Inc. 

A combination of comic strips, illustrated picture book, and novel this book reaches out to those youngsters with adventurous imaginations and a wonderful sense of humor.  This episode of Captain Underpants revolves around the conquest of alien invaders by the school troublemakers.  George and Harold demonstrate their cleverness and trickery early in the novel but by the end, readers may be sucked into liking them and perhaps even adoring them as we see exactly how far they will go to save them world.  This is a great book for the lacksadaisical reader. (Grade 3 and up).

Big Nate Strikes Again

Peirce, L. (2010). Big Nate Strikes Again. New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books. 

Nate is an adorable and ambitious boy with passions for excitement and sports.  He has a couple of best friends and together the boys harangue each other in good humor while going through typical school days filled with boring lectures, assignments, and stinky cafeteria food.  In this novel Nate is assigned a research project with the detestable Gina about Benjamin Franklin.  Nate accidently begins his research project and finds Benjamin Franklin to be a fascinating subject and with Nate’s creativity and enthusiasm he creates an awesome comic book.  However, Gina disagrees with the format and the two remain unresolved.  Read the book to find out what happens!  Nate is hilarious and readers are sure to enjoy the cartoons embedded in the text.  (Grades 2 and up).  

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Hachette Book Group. 

Arnold Spirit, or preferably Junior, is a courageous young teenager who takes the advice of a teacher to leave the reservation for his education.  This decision results in a lot of beef for a kid who is used to fist fights, including the abandonment of his best friend, Rowdy.  Junior plows his way into the school for white kids, 22 miles off the reservation, a distance he occasionally has to walk due to circumstances revolving around extreme poverty.  A cartoonist, Junior, understands everything about the world in pictures and does an incredible job narrating the story of his year of transition from the school on the reservation to the white kids' school.  After his move, he realizes he belongs neither here nor there and as certain events begin to spiral out of control, Junior makes sweeping discoveries about his heritage and his chosen path in life.  An excellent read and highly recommended for readers 5th grade and up.

How to Clean a Hippopotamus

Jenkins, S., Page, R. (2010). How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 

This delightful book is a colorful depiction of an ordinarily dry subject.  Teaching children about symbiosis between unlikely animals, the comic strip design makes information much easier to absorb and the illustrations are smooth and easy to enjoy.  Readers of all ages are sure to enjoy the informational content of this book in it’s concise and perfunctory manner.  This is a great resource for children doing research on symbiosis or animal relationships and the back of the book includes an appendix full of facts and details about each animal introduced in the book.  A great read and highly recommended! (Grade 3 and up). 

Babymouse: Beach Babe

Holm, J., Holm, M. (2006). Babymouse: Beach Babe.  New York: Random House. 

This pink book, and I mean in the way that every page including the front and back cover are shades of pink, is designed for the young feminine reader.  She is an endearing heroine who daydreams and fantasizes about things like surfing and mermaids and then she actually gets to try surfing.  Her visit to the beach includes the typical sunbathing, sand-castle building, and searching for seashells with a tag-along little brother.  The book unfolds the relationship between the siblings and the resolution is sweet. (Grade 1 and up).

The Storm in the Barn

Phelan, M. (2009). The Storm in the Barn. Boston, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

The Storm in the Barn is a graphic novel providing another story of the dust bowl in the mid-west in the early 20th century.  Eleven-year-old Jack is trying to find a way to fit in, to be helpful, a place to belong but he is the outcast among friends and even deemed useless by his father.  His sister Dorothy has dust pneumonia and people in town say Jack has a dementia caused by the dust.  Jack sees mud in a barn amidst miles of dust and confronts his suspicions.  He comes face to face with Rain and in a battle for life, power, and rain, Jack faces his fears in the old barn. (Grades 2 and up).

American Born Chinese

Yang, G.L. (2006). American Born Chinese. New York: First Second.

A National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Winner, this graphic novel portrays some difficult issues for Chinese Americans growing up in an American school system.  It is very well written and illustrated with three separate stories finally converging into one at the end.  Readers will most likely empathize with Jin Wang and his perspective on trying to fit in.  The stories about Danny and the Monkey King seem largely symbolical until it all comes together at the end.  Can Jin Wang find a way to fit in and even more important, will Jin Wang ever learn to accept himself for who he is?  Find out while reading this very entertaining, brightly illustrated graphic novel.  (Grade 7 and up). 

Trickster: Native American Tales

Dembicki, M. (2010). Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Books. 

Matt Dembicki, editor of Trickster, began researching the graphic novels available for Native Americans and found a nearly non-existent selection.  He then compiled storytellers and allowed them to select from a pool of illustrators and together these artists were able to document and forever preserve a collection of Native American tales.  This is a collection of 21 stories, each uniquely illustrated and told.  Each story is a quick and easy read.  The storytellers include James and Joseph Bruchac among other popular artists.  (Grade 7 and up).

Ghandi: A Manga Biography

Ebine, Kazuki. (2010). Gandhi: A Manga Biography. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

This is a graphic novel of Gandhi's influential life.  Beginning with Gandhi as a young boy this book portrays all of Gandhi's emotional evolution as he learns to be selfless and speak in front of huge crowds using Indian teachings that are thousands of years old.  His non-violent methods created waves of movement first in South Africa and then in India.  By telling Gandhi's story through a graphic novel this valuable lesson in history becomes available to many more readers.  Unfortunately, several spelling errors, one even in Gandhi's name may deter readers, but the series by Penguin is one to watch in order to provide this information to reluctant readers. (Grades 5 and up).

Moon Over Manifest

Vanderpool, C. (2010). Moon Over Manifest. New York: Random House Books.

Moon Over Manifest is the 2011 Newbery Award Winner.  It is about Abilene, who is a wandering girl left behind by her wandering father, whom she refers to as Gideon Tucker throughout the entire novel.  The story unwraps the mystery of Manifest, the town where Gideon sends his daughter to be looked after by Shady, a preacher who wears many hats for the town of Manifest.  Abilene meets a diviner and spends her summer working for Sadie.  Miss Sadie tells Abilene stories that help to open up the past and bring together the stories and the people of Manifest, eventually helping Abilene to see where she fits in the puzzle.  The story is tender, tough, and based on true events.  The author includes historical notes for readers to pore over after finishing the 300+ page novel and believe me, readers will gladly do so.  (Grades 4 and up).

Around the World

Phelan, M. (2011). Around the World. Boston, Massachussets: Candlewick Press. 

A Scott O'Dell winner for historical fiction, this book is a fantastic graphic novel.  It begins with the introduction of men sitting around a card table discussing the amazing feats of man and one man dares to challenge the others that he can circle the globe in eight days or less.  This is the beginning of a novel that inspires the three following short stories: Thomas Stevens, a former miner, who circled the globe on one of the earliest bicycle designs, Nellie Bly, female reporter, and Joshua Slocum, a retired captain mourning the death of his first wife.  The stories are extremely inspirational and attract enthusiasm and a desire for more information.  (Grades 2 and up).

Ninth Ward

Parker Rhodes, J. (2010). Ninth Ward. New York: Little, Brown And Company. 

This wonderful story tells of a young girl’s experience during hurricane Katrina.  Only, she is not just any young girl - she has “the sight” which enables her to see ghosts, including her own mother who lays on the bed upstairs.  The story tells of a young girl’s loss, triumph, and growth in the midst of a horrible natural disaster and provides the perspective that may be misunderstood by others of those who could not evacuate.  Ninth Ward is written in the dialect of those from the ninth ward in New Orleans and demonstrates how far a mother and guardian will go for the child they love.  (Grade 4 and up).

Turtle in Paradise

Holm, J. (2010). Turtle in Paradise. New York: Random House. 

Set during the depression, a story about a young girl, named Turtle, who is sent to live with her aunt in the Florida keys.  Throughout the story Turtle is insistent that kids are worse than adults, kids are no-good and don’t get what they deserve.  However, through Holm’s writing, it is clear that it is the adults in the story who aren’t always what they seem and perhaps could do with a little more kindness.  This is a story about growing up during the depression and being willing to do just about anything to make a nickel, including a band of boys who run the diaper club and Turtle who finds work on a sponging boat.  The story evolves into an adventure, resulting in Turtle’s questioning all she knows and loves and making a strengthening conclusion.  (Grade 3 and up).

Dead End in Norvelt

Gantos, J. (2011). Dead End In Norvelt. Harrisonburg, VA: RR Donnelley & Sons Company.

Set in the 1960s, in the midst of the communist war, a boy, Jack Gantos, is learning how to survive life in his parents house.  His mother prefers to barter for everything and his father believes in the value of cash. Caught in-between the arguments of his parents and having made one big mistake, Jack gets grounded for the summer.  Instead of baseball and hanging out with friends, Jack helps his neighbor, an elderly obituary columnist, Miss Volker.  Miss Volker is an original Norvelter and is tracking the deaths of the others, planning on being the last one standing.  This summer though, things speed up and the deaths seem to come unnaturally rapidly.  Miss Volker is the target of accusatory fingers, but did she really do it? This book is the 2011 Newbery Award Winner.  The way Jack Gantos weaves historical fiction with wild fiction is phenomenal and makes for a thoroughly entertaining read.  Just make sure you aren’t a nose-bleeder.  (Grade 3 and up).

90 Miles to Havana

Flores-Galbis, Enrique. (2010). 90 Miles to Havana. New York, New York: Roaring Brook Press.

     

      Julian is a young boy swept up in a Cuban Revolution and sent by his parents to Miami, Florida,  where the government officials cannot touch him.  Here he is placed in a camp ruled over by a child-dictator, which calls for a mini-revolution carried out by the children.  In this way Julian learns about revolution and dictatorship first-hand and understands the implications of a democratic society.  Julian runs away from the camp and also learns what it means to live an unsheltered life while retaining his superior moral character.  Julian meets Tomas who is fixing up a boat to help reunite more families in Miami.  Can Julian help Tomas and will he find his family again?  After this experience, will Julian ever be able to be a boy again and will his family accept him for who he really is?  This is an excellent book and provides invaluable insight to a little known historical event. (Grades 5 and up).

A Time of Miracles

Bondoux, Anne-Laure. (2009). A Time of Miracles. New York: NY, Delacorte Press.

      A mother goes to extremes to keep her child safe.  Gloria is raising Blaise and tells him the story of how she rescued him from a derailed train.  In the story his mother is carted away but we never know what becomes of her and Blaise is raised by Gloria in the midst of the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Throughout the collapse is severe political unrest and Gloria and Blaise flee the civic chaos.  Gloria heads toward France but when the path becomes too dangerous she finds passage for Blaise and is left behind.  As Blaise grows up he struggles to understand his identity and searches relentlessly for his mother, but when that search proves fruitless he realizes he must find Gloria.  This story is heartbreaking and extremely insightful.  (5th grade and up).

Chains

Anderson, L.H. (2008). Chains. New York: Athenum.

Chains is a National Book Award finalist and winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction and rightfully so.  Narrated from the perspective of Isabel, named Sal by her master, the story tells of how she is passed from hand to hand due to her master's death and the sale of her body.  Even though she should have been set free, the will was ignored in a man's drive for riches.  Isabel and her young sister, Ruth, are sold to a Loyalist family, the Locktons and mistreated by "Madam." Madam maintains rigorous demands on her child slaves and ignores many of the necessities of being human in the place of housework and cooking.  When Ruth is sold, Isabel is inconsolable and the events result in her branding and a metaphorical infestation of bees.  Isabel tells her story through love and her "remembery" in a way that every reader can connect and sincerely empathize with her story.  Readers will not be able to put the book down as Isabel seeks her River Jordan.  (Grade 5 and up).

Countdown

Wiles, D. (2010). Countdown. New York: Scholastic Press.

Countdown is a fabulous book because of the inserted documentary photographs, newspaper clippings, and illustrations of the 1960s.  The illustrations bring the reader directly into the era and immerse readers into the turmoiled emotions of the characters who were constantly threatened by atomic bombs and simultaneously put enormous faith in their president, John F. Kennedy.  The book explains many of the details of the Cold War and the Bay of Pigs Invasion and while telling a story about a young girl trying to fit in with her family and friends, teaches readers about a fascinating bit of history. (Grade 5 and up).

Heart of a Samurai

Preus, M. (2010). Heart of a Samurai. New York: Amulet Books. 

This Newbery Honor Book, which is also a historical fiction book with an informative historical note following the epilogue, is spellbounding.  A story about a boy who leaves home one day in hopes of earning his keep and doesn’t return for fourteen years.  The last line of the book says it all: “Within him, Manjiro knew, beat a heart soured by sand, pounded by waves, burned by sun, and polished by rain and wind.  It would always be the simple heart of a fisherman, but perhaps it had also become the mighty heart of a samurai” (p.274).  The writing is beautiful, infused with illustrations that enhance the text.  Manjiro grows from a boy, knowing many kinds of people and learns from those he befriends that he can help the change in the world.  This is a story of how a boy, through adventure and ceaseless questioning, becomes a man. (Grades 5 and up). 

Our Only May Amelia

Holm, J.(1999). Our Only May Amelia. New York: Harper Collins Children’s Books.

A Newbery Honor Book, this story is told from the perspective of a twelve year old girl, the author uses a writing style that transcends dialogue and absolves the need for quotation marks altogether.  This method brings the reader directly into the world of May Amelia and her life as the only daughter on the Nasel.  The story is about coming of age in a harsh pioneering world on the west coast in the late nineteenth century.  May Amelia learns about love and loss and acceptance and how to live life with or without it.  This wonderful story is a tear-jerker and is bound to touch readers of all ages making it a timeless classic meant to be read and reread again.  (Grades 5 and up).

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

Philbrick, R. (2009). The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. New York: Blue Sky Press.

By weaving fiction in with historical fiction the story becomes more believable and emotionally tied to the reader.  Homer P. Figg is an endearing boy who believes himself a liar when really he is a practically a saint.  He is a lovable character who is attempting to understand the world during a time when the country is divided.  Homer meets some interesting characters who are entirely embedded in historical events such as the Underground Railroad, the Quakers, illegal enlistments of soldiers during the Civil War, marching on the lines, and the illegal activities of those selling magical elixirs. These underlying themes and Philbrick’s character development make for a great story. (Grades 3 and up).

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years

Field, R. (1929). Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Hitty begins her memoir after finding herself in a museum and having access to a quill with which she knows how to write.  Her story begins from creation by an Old Peddler who gives Hitty to a little girl named Phoebe Preble.  Phoebe cares for Hitty in only a way that an eighteenth century girl can including sewing her clothing and stitching the name Hitty into her skirt. Phoebe cares very well for Hitty and when Phoebe heads to sea with her father, captain of a whaling ship, so does Hitty.  Hitty learns the way of sailors and whaling when suddenly disaster strikes.  The ship catches on fire and Hitty is abandoned to the flames as she watches her family row away in a lifeboat.  From here, Hitty’s amazing adventures begin and she finds herself in precarious situations with difficult people and surrounded by languages and customs she does not recognize, but accepts nevertheless.  Hitty’s story is one that should be read by every little girl coming of age as she is repeatedly abandoned and found and cared for by many small children.  It is a story of wisdom and patience and well-worth the read. (Grade 5 and up).

Books to read...

Yolen, J. (2011). Snow in Summer: Fairest of Them All. Philomel. (bibliographies by Andrew Borman)

This novel is a retelling of the classic Snow White. While it doesn't feature a princess, it does feature a girl, named Snow in Summer, who's mother has passed away suddenly, and a father who, despite grieving for years, is suddenly struck with love for a mysterious lady. This lady, eventually known as stepmother as she marries Summer's father, brings with her evil cauldrons and chemicals, and a mysterious mirror that answers questions. When Summer realizes that Stepmother is sucking the life from her father, and that she is next, she decides to run for her life, in turn finding a small cabin in the woods that houses some dwarves that would go on to save her life.

This books is a great retelling of Snow White that takes place in the early 1900's in West Virginia. Both boys and girls alike will love this story, and the mystery that unfolds before them. (6th grade & up)

Spinelli, J. (2004). Stargirl. Laurel Leaf. Stargirl is the new girl in class. Wearing weird cloths and acting strangely, the other kids aren't really sure

how to act around her, and they begin to create stranger and stranger theories about her life. Although initially popular due to her exciting and unique behaviors, Stargirl's aura begins to fade, as the others start to get annoyed by some of her actions, like cheering for both teams. As kids begin to transition from children to young adults, the issue of personal identity starts to become more and more apparent, and this book is great at dealing with the issue and helping other see that it is okay to be different.

Anderson, L.H.  - Speak, Fever 1793, Forge