Kathleen Odean
November/December 2010
EMPOWERING GIRLS THROUGH BOOKS (Grades K-8)
2009/2010 plus 10 Favorites from Great Books for Girls
CELEBRATING DIFFERENCES: NOT ALL SUGAR AND SPICE
Bottner, Barbara. Illus. by Michael Emberley. Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I
Don't). 32pp (Gr. K-2)
Yolen, Jane, and Heidi Stemple. Illus. by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin. Not All Princesses
Dress in Pink. 32pp (Gr. K-2)
Sharpe, Leah. Illus. by Jane Marinsky. The Goat-Faced Girl: A Classic Italian
Folktale. 32pp (Gr. 2-4)
Duffey, Betsy. The Gadget War. 80pp (Gr. 2-4) Great Books for Girls
Young, Karen Romano. Doodlebug: A Novel in Doodles. unpaged (Gr. 4-7) Lots of
doodling advice at www.karenromanoyoung.com
Lairamore, Dawn. Ivy's Ever After. 311pp (Gr. 4-8)
Cushman, Karen. Alchemy and Meggy Swann. 176pp (Gr. 5-8)
Draper, Sharon M. Out of My Mind. 304pp (Gr. 5-8)
ADVENTUROUS GIRLS AND WOMEN
Brown, Don. Ruth Law Thrills a Nation. 32pp (Gr. K-2) Great Books for Girls
Moss, Marissa. Illus. by Carl Angel. Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee. 32pp
(Gr. 2-5)
1
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Emily's Fortune. 147pp (Gr. 3-5)
Root, Phyllis. Illus. by Rob Shepperson. Lilly and the Pirates. 116pp (Gr. 3-5)
Wood, Maryrose. The Mysterious Howling. 267pp (Gr. 4-7) Book trailer at
www.awesomeadventurebooks.com/incorrigible/
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Running out of Time. 184pp (Gr. 5-8) Great Books for
Girls
Taylor, Sarah Stewart, and Ben Towle. Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean. 78pp
(Gr. 5-8)
Reit, Seymour. Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil
War Spy. 130pp (Gr. 5-8) Great Books for Girls
Stone, Tanya Lee. Almost Astronauts: The True Story of The "Mercury 13"
Women. (6 up) More information at www.tanyaleestone.come.
FREE TO BE STRONG
Howe, James. Illus. by Randy Cecil. Brontorina. 32pp (Gr. K-2)
Martin, Bill, Jr., and Michael Sampson. Illus. by Michael Chesworth. Swish! 69 pp
(Gr. K-2) Great Books for Girls
Pinkney, Brian. Jojo's Flying Side Kick. 32pp (Gr. K-2) Great Books for Girls
Rosenstock, Barbara. Illus. by Scott Dawson. Fearless: The Story of Racing Legend
Louise Smith. (Gr. 2-4)
Greenberg, Jan, and Sandra Jordan. Illus. by Brian Floca. Ballet for Martha. 48pp
(Gr. 2-6)
Montalbano, Andrea. Breakaway. 200pp (5-8)
2
George-Warren, Holly. The Cowgirl Way: Hats Off to America's Women of the
West. 112pp (Gr. 5-8)
Yolen, Jane. Foiled. Artwork by Mike Callavaro. 160pp (Gr. 6 and up)
LIFE IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Pomerantz, Charlotte. Illus. by Jennifer Plecas. The Outside Dog. 64pp (Gr. K-2)
Great Books for Girls
Lipp, Frederick. Illus. by Jason Gaillard. Running Shoes. 24pp (1-3)
Addasi, Maha. Illus. by Ned Gannon. Time to Pray. 32pp (Gr. 1-4)
Engle, Marguerite. Illus. by Julie Paschkis. Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria
Merian. 32pp (Gr. 1-4)
Nivola, Claire A. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. 32pp
(2-4)
Russell, Ching Yeung. Tofu Quilt. 118pp (4-6)
Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. The Red Umbrella. 284pp (5-8)
SMART & SAVVY
Klise, Kate, and M. Sarah Klise. Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real
Giant. 32pp (Gr. K-3)
Vernick, Audrey. Illus. by Don Tate. She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story.
32pp (Gr. K-3)
Stanley, Diane. Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. 32pp (Gr. 1-4) Great Books for Girls
3
Brown, Monica. Illus. by Joe Cepeda. Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and
Cesar Chavez / Lado a Lado: La Historia De Dolores Huerta Y César Chávez. 32pp
(Gr. 2-5) Pair with Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull.
Graff, Lisa. Sophie Simon Solves Them All. 103pp (Gr. 3-5)
Wrede, Patricia C. Dealing with Dragons. 240pp (Gr. 4-8) Great Books for Girls
First in 4 book series.
Pratchett, Terry. I Shall Wear Midnight. 386pp (Gr. 5-9) Series began with Wee
Free Men.
Atkins, Jeannine. Borrowed Names: Poems About Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.
J. Walker, Marie Curie, and Their Daughters. 224pp (Gr. 6-9)
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Lin, Grace. Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! 43pp (Gr. K-2)
DiCamillo, Kate, and Alison McGhee. Illus. by Tony Fucile. Bink and Gollie. 82pp
(Gr. 1-3)
Springstubb, Tricia. What Happened on Fox Street. 224pp (Gr. 3-6)
Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer. 215pp (Gr. 4-7)
Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Ninth Ward. 217pp (5-7)
Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody. The Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt. 248pp (Gr. 5-7)
Johnson, Angela. Toning the Sweep. 118pp (Gr. 7-10) Great Books for Girls
4
THE BEST NEW YOUNG ADULT BOOKS (Grades 6-12)
CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC FICTION
Appelt, Kathi. Keeper. 416pp (M)
Carbone, Elisa Lynn. Jump. 258pp (J S)
Deuker, Carl. Payback Time. 304pp (J S)
Donnelly, Jennifer. Revolution. 496pp (J S)
Flake, Sharon G. You Don't Even Know Me. 195pp (J S)
Gephart, Donna. How to Survive Middle School. 247pp (M)
Fleischman, Sid. Sir Charlie Chaplin: The Funniest Man in the World. 288pp (M J
S)
Grant, Vicki. Comeback. 132pp (M J S)
Green, John and David Levithan. Will Grayson, Will Grayson. 313pp (S)
Koertge, Ronald. Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs. 170pp (M J)
Mazer, Anne, and Ellen Potter. Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook. 275pp
(M)
Peirce, Lincoln. Big Nate: In a Class by Himself. 214pp (M)
Perkins, Lynne Rae. As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth. 352pp (J S)
Resau, Laura. Star in the Forest. 160pp (M)
5
Stanley, Diane. Saving Sky. 208pp (M J)
Stratton, Allan. Borderline. 320pp (J S)
FANTASY
Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. 323pp (J S)
Black, Holly. The White Cat. 310pp (J S)
Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. 388pp (M J S)
Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. 442pp (J S)
Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall. 470pp (S)
Renier, Aaron. The Unsinkable Walker Bean. 208pp (M)
Riordan, Rick. The Red Pyramid. 516pp (M J)
TenNapel. Ghostopolis. 267pp (M J)
Ward, Rachel. Num8ers. 325pp (J S)
Wood, Maryrose. The Mysterious Howling. 267pp (M)
HISTORICAL FICTION
Bolden, Tonya. Finding Family. 192pp (M)
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an
American Terrorist Group. 172pp (J S)
6
Dogar, Sharon. Annexed. 352pp (J S)
Levy, Debbie. The Year of Goodbyes: A True Story of Friendship, Family and
Farewells. 136pp (M J)
Hemphill, Stephanie. Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials. 416pp (J S)
Kadohata, Cynthia. A Million Shades of Gray. 216pp (M J)
Park, Linda Sue. A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story. 128pp (M J)
Preus, Margi. Heart of a Samurai: Based on the True Story of Nakahama Manjiro.
301pp (M J S)
Richards, Jame. Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood. 293pp (J
S)
Sedgwick, Marcus. Revolver. 160pp (J S)
Wiles, Deborah. Countdown. 385pp (M J)
POETRY
Mora, Pat. Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems About Love. 164pp (M J S)
Nye, Naomi Shihab. Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets under 25. 225pp (J S)
Sidman, Joyce. Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors. 32pp (M)
Singer, Marilyn. Illus. by Josée Massee. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse.
32pp (M)
7
RESOURCES FOR PROMOTING BOOKS
1. Alex Sanchez’s Great Gay Teen Books
alexsanchez.com/gay_teen_books.htm
A list of fiction and some nonfiction with substantial annotations compiled by the author
of books that feature gay characters.
2. Amelia Bloomer Project www.libr.org/ftf/bloomer
Annual list of children’s books with strong female characters.
3. Animoto for Educators animoto.com/education/
Make videos online for free, then post or download them.
4. Bulwer-Lytton Contest for Worst Opening Line of Novel bulwer-lytton.com
Funny, sometimes racy opening lines for a novel that will never be written.
5. Glogster for Educators www.edu.glogster.com
Make posters online for free with words, images, videos, music, and links.
6. Library of Congress – Read.gov read.gov/booklists
Section for young people at Library of Congress website, including booklists on
curricular topics and links to American Memory.
7. Making Books www.makingbooks.com Many ideas for making books with children.
8. Microchip Recording Cards www.iltsource.com
Independent Living Technologies – sells cards with recording chips for short booktalks
9. Origami Cups - www.origami-instructions.com/origami-cup
Use for Poem in Your Pocket Day.
10. Prezi for Educators
edu.prezi.com
Free website with a presentation tool.
11. Reading 2.0 readingtech.wikispaces.com
Good resource created by librarians that suggests ways to promote books using
technology. Has links to YA Author Blogs and playlists generated for books by YA
authors. Check out directions for using Wordle to promote books.
12. Series Books at Bettendorf Public Library
bettendorflibrary.com/bpl-bin/series.pl
A website that give teen series books in their order.
13. Slide.com slide.com
Free website for easily creating slide shows with pictures and music.
14. Teachingbooks.net Book guides, audio excerpts, author name pronunciation
guide, and more. By subscription
8
15. Teen Video Book Trailers (Pima County (AZ) Public Library)
www.library.pima.gov/teenzone/trailers/2007.cfm Twilight, Dreamland, The Giver &
more made by teens
16. Trading Card ” http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/deck.php
Create a book trading card online.
17. Wallwisher www.wallwisher.com
Free website where you can put up “post-its” as lists, ideas, or book descriptions in 160
characters each.
18. Wordle www.wordle.com
Free website for easily making word clouds. Just plug in lots of words, adjust the colors
and font. Use to promote books.
PSYCHIC BOOK REPORT
•
Read the opening of a book.
•
Speculate in writing on what the rest of the book will be like.
•
Tie your ideas to the actual text.
•
Compare with the report of someone who has read the book.
•
Make it more dramatic by acting like a fortune teller with a crystal ball, eerie
music, and the like.
MY SPACE/FACEBOOK CHARACTER PROFILE
•
NCTE Profile Publisher (readwritethink.org/materials)
•
Name/Nickname/Picture if possible/avatar
•
About Me section (# of paragraphs)
•
Blog – entries with character’s opinions about something that happened in book
•
Friends/Comments from character’s friends
•
“Likes” section: music, books, hobbies, playlist
•
Examples at Auburn (NY) High School website:
http://hs.auburn.cnyric.org/teachers/Allison_Fennessy/Students
9
POETRY RESOURCES
Poets.org – website of the Academy of American Poets
- 30 ideas for celebrating National Poetry Month
- listen to poems spoken by poets/ iPod download
- search by poem, poet, subject, format
- lesson plans at Online Poetry Classroom
- Sponsor of April as Poetry Month
Poem in Your Pocket Day (Date in April 2011 to be announced)
- Poems in your pocket to print out
- Give friends poems to carry around
- Make mini-books with poems for your pocket
Book Spine Poems – Look at “gallery” at the blog www.100ScopeNotes.com (search
on line for “book spine poems”).
Poetry for Children Blog by Professor Sylvia Vardell
poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/
Excellent blog that reviews poetry books, including YA, interviews poets, and more.
Vardell, Sylvia M. Poetry Aloud Here! Sharing Poetry with Children in the Library. ALA,
2006. A professional book full of useful advice and ideas.
Wolf, Allan. Immersed in Verse: An Informative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally
Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet's Life. Lark Books. 112 pp. For teens but also for
adults working with teens.
“A Simile is Like a Song” - author unknown
A simile is like a song;
It’s as easy to remember.
A metaphor makes soft white snow
Sifted sugar in December.
A little alliteration
Lets the lesson lilt and linger.
A rake that’s been personified
Slips and hurts its finger.
Hyperbole exaggerates:
“Her crying caused a flood.”
Onomatopoeia imitates:
“KaBOOM! KerPLUNK! Ka THUD!”
In Immersed in Verse, p. 19
10
How to Create a Biopoem:
Line 1: Character’s first name
Line 2: 4 adjectives to describe character
Line 3: relative/brother or sister of.../friend of…
Line 4: loves...(three ideas or people)
Line 5: needs...(thre ideas)
Line 6: fears...(three ideas)
Line 7: gives…(three ideas)
Line 8: resident of
Line 9: Character’s last name
Alter as desired.
JO
warm-hearted, loyal, impetuous, stubborn
sister of Meg, Beth, Amy
loves words, truth, apples
needs to write, walk, live large
fears restrictions, the War, her hot temper
gives her whole heart to those she loves
resident of New England
MARCH
SPEED BOOKING
From the article “Speed Booking”by Christine Moen in Book Links May 2007.
- Students bring in a book they read and liked
- Each writes an overview of their book
- Each brainstorms in writing questions and answers about it
- Students are assigned an even or odd number (you could use two colors instead)
- An odd and even sit across from each other
- The teacher times 90 second intervals
- 90 seconds: One of them describes their book and/or answers questions about it.
- Next 90 seconds: Students stay in same place and switch roles to describe/question..
- Odd numbered students shift over one chair, start again
- Start with ten minutes or 15 minutes, then the book browse.
- Have a “Book Browse” – a chance to look at the books again and ask more questions
- Give students a “Make a Date with a Book” sheet to jot down titles
11
PREVIEW FILE FOLDERS
To assemble:
1. Choose books you’d like to highlight to teens
2. Scan, photocopy, or download a picture of the dust jacket
3. Scan, photocopy or download the blurb describing the book
4. Scan, photocopy or download the first page, back cover, table of contents, or short
excerpt that might catch a reader’s interest
5. Scan or download some reviews of the book or
6. Have students write reviews
7. Paste the book cover to the front page of a colorful file folder
8. Paste the other material inside the file folder and, if you have enough, on its back
cover
9. Write the book title on the file folder tab for easy storage
10. Laminate the file folder if you like
11. Some people color-code the folders by genre
(Note: To answer concerns about copyright issues and dust jackets, see “Carrie on
Copyright” in School Library Journal, January 2002, p. 41.)
Uses:

Librarians can leave preview folders behind after booktalking the books to a class

Teachers can use them for display purposes – to highlight books in their classroom
collection or in the library

Librarians can also use them for display purposes, for bulletin boards, or if the book
is checked out but can be reserved

Coordinate folders with curriculum units such as genre units, historical periods, etc.
Other thoughts:

Have students create a folder for a book they have read, to be kept in the
classroom

Have student helpers assemble folders

Store them easily in file cabinets

Don’t limit this to new books – remind readers about great books from previous
years
12
BOOKS FOR STRUGGLING READERS
Resources:
World's Best Thin Books: Or What to Read When Your Book Report is Due
Tomorrow rev. ed. Scarecrow, 2000.
Sullivan, Edward T. Reaching Reluctant Young Adult Readers: A Handbook for
Librarians and Teachers. Scarecrow, 2002.
Orca Books www.orcabook.com
Orca Soundings series – geared at high schoolers who are not strong readers
Orca Currents series – for middle schoolers who are not strong readers
Orca Sports series – for high schoolers, written at about a 4th grade level
-- teaching guides available for some of the books
Townsend Press Bluford series www.townsendpress.com
– very popular, not very demanding books for teens
– 15 paperback books for $15.00 - teachers’ guides available for series
– Popular nonfiction: Bullying in Schools: What You Need to Know by Paul Langan
– Your school/library can get two free sets of the Bluford series at Embracing the
Child (www.embracingthechild.org/bluford. ). This was true as of Nov. 2010.
Tumblebooks.com Reasonably priced website with electronic versions of books. See
the TumbleReadables online collection of read-along titles for middle and high school
which has adjustable text and complete audio narration. Sentences are highlighted as
they are being read and pages turn automatically.
Try poetry and/or verse novels.
Short books appeal to reluctant readers. They are not necessarily easier to read but
they don’t last as long or look as intimidating.
Short stories are appealing for the same reason.
Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, an annual list from YALSA of high-interest fiction
and nonfiction books for teens.
Magazines are also high-interest, and vary in difficulty.
Audiobooks are also accessible to some teens who are not strong readers. YALSA
compiles a list of recommended audiobooks each year. See previous years’ lists at
ala.org/yalsa.
13
STRONG WOMEN IN HISTORY
Picture Book Biographies published since 2002
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Illus. by Matt Faulkner. Independent Dames: What You
Never Knew About the Women and Girls of the American Revolution. 2008. The
roles of girls and women during the American Revolution went well beyond supporting
their men. They organized boycotts, disguised themselves as men to serve as soldiers,
raised money, and more. A broad rather than deep approach to the subject,
accompanied by humorous pictures.
Barasch, Lynne. Hiromi's Hands. 2007. Traditionally only men become sushi chefs in
Japan. Here's the true story of a girl whose Japanese father opened a sushi restaurant
in New York and taught his daughter his trade. Simple text and pictures tell how she
became one of the first female sushi chefs.
Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta. Illus. by Courtney A. Martin. Ballots for Belva: The True
Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency. 2008. Even though it was before the
time when women could vote, attorney Belva Lockwood ran for President in 1884.
Readers not only learn Lockwood's story but also get a sense of the limitations on
women in law and politics of the time.
Christensen, Bonnie. The Daring Nellie Bly: America's Star Reporter. 2003.
Elizabeth Jane Cochran, who become the world famous Nellie Bly, broke barriers in
more than one field and became an international star during her trip around the world.
Corey, Shana. Illus. by Ed Fotheringham. Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True
Story of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune, & Swimsuit
History! 2009. Annette Kellerman, an Australian, defied convention in the late 1800s by
becoming a world-famous swimmer and introducing a less cumbersome bathing suit for
women. Wonderful stylized illustrations add details about time and place.
Dray, Philip. Illus. by Stephen Alcorn. Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells: The Daring
Life of a Crusading Journalist. 2008. Ida B. Wells is best known for her powerful
campaign as a journalist against lynching, but this biography also tells of her childhood,
born into slavery, her stint as a teacher, and her other roles as a reformer.
Hopkinson, Deborah. Illus. by Terry Widener. Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine
Innings. 2003. Retro illustrations bring alive the story of a female baseball player pro in
the early 1900s in a semi-pro league. Told with some fictionalization and splendid
illustrations.
Kay, Verla. Illus. by Adam Gustavson. Rough, Tough Charley. 2007. How could a
woman vote before it became legal? Charley Parkhurst managed it by disguising
herself as a man in mid-1800s California. This adventurous woman drove a stagecoach
for years and lived her life as a man, captured in this fast-paced picture book biography.
14
Love, D. Anne. Illus. by Pamela Paparone. Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of
Hypatia. 2006. In fourth-century Egypt, Hypatia was blessed with an enlightened father,
a professor who taught her academics as well as fishing and horseback riding, leading
Hypatia to her roles as mathematician and philosopher.
McCully, Emily Arnold. Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an
Inventor. 2006. A large, attractive picture book biography of Margaret Knight, who
invented a machine for making paper bags, among other inventions, and pursued
patents despite bias against women. Illustrated by McCully's characteristic watercolors.
Mora, Pat. Illus. by Beatriz Vidal. A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Inés.
2002. Seventeenth-century Mexican poet Sor Juana pursued reading and writing, and
proved her scholarship to surprised male scholars, a feat conveyed in this elegant
picture book biography.
Moss, Marissa. Illus. by C.F. Payne. Mighty Jackie: The Strike out Queen. 2004.
Who knew that a female pitcher once took on Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig? Learn about
18-year-old Jackie Mitchell through bold pictures and a lively text.
Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Illus. by J. Brian Pinkney. Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp
Stride. 2009. The talented husband-wife team once again brings a figure from history to
life in this energetic biography of Sojourner Truth, who spent her life speaking out for
causes of justice for African-Americans and women.
Rappaport, Doreen. Illus. by Gary Kelley. Eleanor, Quiet No More: The Life of
Eleanor Roosevelt. 2009. An elegant, oversized picture book biography of Eleanor
Roosevelt, which emphasizes how she found the courage to speak out on important
issues and encouraged others to do so as well.
Shea, Pegi Deitz and Bethanne Andersen. Patience Wright: America's First
Sculptor, and Revolutionary Spy. 2007. Patience Wright not only ran a successful
business as a sculpture during Colonial times. She also served as a spy during the
American Revolution.
Stone, Tanya Lee. Illus. by Rebecca Gibbon. Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth
Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote. 2008. This is an excellent introduction for
younger children to one of the figures in the fight to win women the vote. The daughter
of a lawyer, she was outraged to learn about the limits on women and fought to change
them. Portrayed in engaging text and pictures.
Whitaker, Suzanne. Illus. by Catherine Stock. The Daring Miss Quimby. 2009. Here's
the story in watercolors and honed-down text of a little known female aviator, Harriet
Quimby, who was the first woman to gain a pilot's license as well as the first woman to
fly across the English Channel.
15
GIRLS SOLVE MYSTERIES
Listed from younger to older
Cushman, Doug. Aunt Eater's Mystery Vacation. (Gr. K-3) Aunt Eater the anteater
loves to read mystery novels and to solve real mysteries. In this "I Can Read" book,
with its four short chapters, she encounters four mysteries while on vacation, simple but
enjoyable puzzles the reader can try to solve along with Aunt Eater.
Adler, David A. Cam Jansen and the Mystery at the Haunted House. (Gr. 1-3) The
girl detective in this series earned her nickname "Cam" from her photographic memory.
She can memorize any scene she sees and recall it later in detail. Here is one in a very
long, popular series about everyday mysteries she solves.
Landon, Lucinda. Meg Mackintosh and the Mystery at the Medieval Castle: A SolveIt-Yourself Mystery. (Gr. 2-4) In this popular series, the reader can search for clues in
the pictures in order to solve the mystery along with Meg Mackintosh. This one takes
place on a school field trip and involves a missing artifact. Keen-eyed readers will keep
pace with Meg.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Sly the Sleuth and the Pet Mysteries. (Gr. 2-4) In this gentle first
entry in the series, Sly opens her business as a detective, Sleuth for Hire, and solves
three mysteries concerning pets in the neighborhood.
Riddell, Chris. Ottoline and the Yellow Cat. (Gr. 2-4) An eccentric girl with an even
more eccentric sidekick (who resembles Cousin Itt from the Adams family) searches for
missing dogs and catches a mysterious cat in a story told as much in pictures as text.
Johns, Linda. Hannah West on Millionaire's Row: A Mystery. (Gr. 4-7) When Hannah
and her mother are housesitting in an expensive Seattle neighborhood, Hannah's
detective skills are needed to figure out the break-ins in the area. Fourth in a series, not
all of which are still in print.
Bailey, Linda. How Come the Best Clues Are Always in the Garbage? (Gr. 4-7) The
first of a series, this fast-moving story centers around environmental issues. Sixth
grader Stevie's first case starts when a thousand dollars are stolen from her mother,
and continues with lots of action and some humor.
Abrahams, Peter. Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery. (Gr. 5-8) When
thirteen-year-old Ingrid leaves her soccer shoes at the house of a woman who is later
murdered, she worries about being accused of wrongdoing and decides to solve the
murder mystery on her own.
Allison, Jennifer. Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator. (Gr. 5-8) Restless during the
summer before ninth grade, Gilda Joyce wrangles an invitation to visit a distant cousin
16
in San Francisco and his teenage daughter, Juliet. Her plans to become a detective or
a psychic inspire her to solve the mystery behind the death of Juliet's aunt years earlier.
Beil, Michael D. The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour. (Gr. 5-8) Seventh
grade girls at a Catholic Manhattan school get caught up in a mystery that dates back
twenty years as they try to recover an artifact for a wealthy old woman. The personable
girls and plentiful action make this an entertaining read.
Byars, Betsy. The Dark Stairs: A Herculeah Jones Mystery. (Gr. 5-8) Herculeah
Jones' mother is a private detective and her father is a police officer, so solving
mysteries comes naturally to her. Big and strong as her name suggests, Herculeah and
her male sidekick get involved in a mystery concerning an old house and a strange
client of her mother's.
Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery.
(Gr. 5-8) In this series, it turns out that Sherlock Holmes had a younger sister, Enola
Holmes, with similar detective talents. Her first case concerns the disappearance of her
own mother.
Van Draanen, Wendelin. Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief. (Gr. 5-8) In the first in a
series, Sammy Keyes starts watching her neighborhood through binoculars and sees a
man in the hotel across the street who is wearing black gloves and digging through a
purse. Worse than that, he sees her, prompting Sammy to try to solve the mystery.
Thurlo, Aimee & David. The Spirit Line. (Gr. 6-9) In a mystery set in Navajo country, a
teenage girl is weaving a blanket for her coming-of-age ceremony. When it is stolen,
she tracks down clues related to several possible suspects in a mystery that also
involves some romance.
Henderson, Lauren. Kiss Me Kill Me. (Gr. 8-11) Sixteen-year-old Scarlett is surprised
but thrilled to be asked to a popular girl's party. But when she kisses a boy she hoped
to charm, he falls dead in her lap! Labeled the "Kiss of Death girl," Scarlett must find
out the truth to clear her name. An entertaining British mystery.
Jaffe, Michele. Bad Kitty. (Gr. 8-11) In this lighthearted caper, Jasmine, 17, gets caught
up in a mystery about a celebrity in Las Vegas. Full of snappy narrative and dialogue,
fashion and flair.
Madison, Bennett. Lulu Dark Can See through Walls. (Gr. 8-11) Chick lit meets Nancy
Drew in this stylish mystery set in Halo City, which looks a lot like Manhattan. Despite
vowing not to do anything as corny as investigating, private school urbanite Lulu Dark
can't resist trying to find out who stole her purse.
Sorrells, Walter. Fake ID: A Novel. (Gr. 8-11) Chass has been moving around with her
mother all her life. Now in a small Alabama town, when her mother disappears, the
sixteen-year-old starts to piece together the mystery of her past and her father's identity.
17
TERRIFIC NONFICTION
Compiled by Kathleen Odean Updated 2010
Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True
Story of Shackleton and the Endurance. 1999. 128p. Shackleton’s 1914 expedition to
Antarctica survived against all odds, an amazing story with stunning photographs.
Beals, Melba Pattillo. Warriors Don't Cry. 1995 abridged ed. When the author was
15, she was one of nine students to integrate Little Rock High School, putting her whole
family in grave danger, a courageous story told bluntly and without bitterness.
Bradley, James, and Ron Powers. Adapted by Michael French. Flags of Our Fathers:
Heroes of Iwo Jima. 2001. 210p. This shorter version is terrific World War II reading
about the battle and the four men in the famous flag-raising photo of Iwo Jima.
Caputo, Philip. Ten Thousand Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War. 2006.
128p. A photohistory of the war by a journalist who was there.
Capuzzo, Michael. Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916. 2002. 140p.
In 1916, a “rogue” white shark killed 4 people off the East coast. Suspense builds in
this historical account of an event that inspired the novel and movie, Jaws.
Collins, Michael. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story. 1994 rev. ed. 162p.
While Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, Collins piloted the command module around
the dark side of the moon. His career makes a remarkable memoir.
Crowe, Chris. Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case.
2003. 128p. In 1955, black teenager Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi.
This detailed chronicle explains that a jury of white men acquitted the white murderers,
who later talked openly about their vicious crime.
Drez, Ronald. Remember D-Day. 2004. 64p. Excellent black-and-white historical
photographs combined with quotes from young men who were there bring the dangers
and heroism of D-Day alive.
Gantos, Jack. Hole in My Life. 2002. 200p. Popular author grabs readers in this
account of his troubled teenage years, including prison time for drug smuggling.
Greenberg, Jan, and Sandra Jordan. Vincent Van Gogh: Portrait of an Artist. 2001.
114p. We know he painted and, they say, cut off his ear. This vibrant biography
reveals the rest of his tragic life as well, drawing on Van Gogh’s hundreds of letters.
Haney, Eric L. Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterrorist Unit.
2006. 246p. Gripping true story of one of the first members of Delta Force and how he
learned to fight terrorists.
18
Hart, Christopher. Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain: How to Come up with Jokes
for Cartoons and Comic Strips. 1998. 160p. For the aspiring cartoonist , this practical
introduction demonstrates skills, including drawing and joke writing.
Jackson, Donna. Bone Detectives: How Forensic Anthropologists Solve Crimes and
Uncover Mysteries of the Dead. 1996. 48p. From the skulls on the cover to the artist
who reconstructs faces from skulls, this is full of gruesome, irresistible details about
scientists digging up crimes from the past.
Kuklin, Susan. Trial: The Inside Story. 2000. 160p. Take part day-by-day in a New
York City jury trial for kidnapping in an account that quotes from transcripts, testimony,
and interviews, and only reveals the verdict at the end.
Mallory, Kenneth. Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks. 2001. 48p. Excellent color
photos and a lively text show what it’s like to study sharks in the ocean and the lab.
Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever
Epidemic of 1793. 2003. 165p. This gripping award-winning book takes readers to
Philadelphia in 1793 when a deadly epidemic swept through the city.
Myers, Walter Dean. Bad Boy: A Memoir. 2001. 224p. The popular author draws a
picture of growing up poor, smart, and angry in New York City.
Nelson, Pete. Left for Dead A Young Man's Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis.
2003. 224p. This page-turner reconstructs a World War II naval disaster during which
hundreds of sailors died, and a teenager’s pursuit of justice fifty years later.
O'Grady, Captain Scott, with Michael French. Basher Five-Two: The True Story of F-16
Fighter Pilot Captain Scott O'Grady. 1997. 134p. In 1995, O’Grady was shot down
behind enemy lines in Bosnia. Here’s his gripping survival story.
Philbrick, Nathaniel. The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World. 2008. 352p. A
brilliant recounting of the fifty years after the Mayflower arrived, including King Philip’s
War. Adapted gracefully from bestselling adult version.
Smithson, Ryan. Ghosts of War: My Tour of Duty. 2009. 320pp A powerful memoir by
an upstate New York teenager who went to Iraq with the National Guard.
Swanson, James L. Chasing Lincoln's Killer. 2009. 208pp The quick-moving story of
Lincoln’s assassin and his pursuit by authorities.
Treaster, Joseph B. Hurricane Force: Tracking America’s Killer Storms. 2007. 128p.
Fascinating text, dramatic photographs, and visual aids on the history, impact, and
science of hurricanes.
19
HISTORICAL FICTION FOR HIGH SCHOOL READERS
Compiled by Kathleen Odean 2010
Anderson, M. T. The Pox Party: Vol. 1 of the Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor
to the Nation. 2006. Winner of the National Book Award, this complex novel creates a
remarkable, original character, Octavian, a young slave who is the subject of a bizarre
experiment near colonial Boston. He comes of age as the Revolutionary War begins, raising
issues about liberty, slavery, and justice.
Carbone, Elisa Lynn. Last Dance on Holladay Street. 2005. Raised by black parents on a
Colorado farm, 13-year-old Eva seeks out her birth mother after her parents die. She finds her
mother, who is white, working at a Denver bordello. With her black birth father long gone, Eva
must scheme and fight to avoid her mother's fate and find another way to survive in 1878 in a
West largely hostile to women.
Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. 2003. This novel combines a mystery with a coming-ofage story about a 16-year-old farm girl who longs to go to college. Working at a resort hotel in
1906, she gets pulled into helping solve a famous murder.
Dowd, Siobhan. Bog Child. 2008. Living near the North-South border in 1981 Ireland, Fergus,
18, longs to escape the political violence that pervades his life. His brother, an IRA member
now in prison, joins a hunger strike. Meanwhile, Fergus discovers a bog mummy of a child in
the nearby hills, the victim of earlier violence.
Draper, Sharon M. Copper Sun. 2006. In this powerful page-turner, an Ashanti teenage girl
sees her family murdered before she is kidnapped to be a slave in the American colonies. Her
story of courage, friendship and brutal treatment including rape, alternates at points in the book
with that of a white indentured girl on the same plantation.
Eagland, Jane. Wildthorn. 2010. Louisa Cosgrove, 17, who is too smart and ambitious for her
staid Victorian family, is stunned and confused to find herself sent to an insane asylum after she
reveals her hopes of going to medical school. Despite grim conditions, she finds love with a
woman she meets there in this suspenseful historical novel.
Frost, Helen. Crossing Stones. 2009. In this verse novel, Frost brings World War One to life
through the voices of four teenagers from a small Michigan town. The boys end up in the
gruesome death-infested trenches of Europe while their sisters encounter feminism, influenza,
and uncertain futures.
Gardner, Sally. The Red Necklace. 2008. During the French Revolution, an orphaned Gypsy
boy named Yann, who has the ability to hear people’s thoughts, escapes death from an evil
count with the help of Sido, the teenage daughter of a French aristocrat. When the Revolution
threatens Sido’s life, Yann hopes to rescue her from the vicious mobs in Paris.
Hearn, Julie. Ivy. 2008. This lush, romantic story of Ivy, a girl who models for pre-Raphaelite
painters, has a Dickensian feel. Orphan Ivy lives in poverty with callous relatives, falls in with
thieves, acquires a laudanum habit, and is discovered by a painter. Will she ever have a
chance to choose the life she wants?
20
Hobbs, Valerie. Sonny's War. 2002. Corin has a huge crush on her history teacher, who is
vocal in his opposition to the Vietnam War. But since Corin's beloved, only brother is fighting in
Vietnam, she is as divided as the troubled nation around her in 1967 and 1968.
Hoffman, Mary. The Falconer's Knot : A Story of Friars, Flirtation and Foul Play. 2007.
Nobleman Silvano, 16, wrongfully accused of murder, flees to a friary but violence follows him.
At the convent next door, Chiara, a novice only because her family can't afford a marriage
dowry, gets drawn into the intrigue and into a budding romance with Silvano in 14th century
Umbria.
Ingold, Jeanette. Hitch. 2005. Teenager Moss Trulawany leaves home during the Great
Depression, hoping to earn money to send to his mother after his father deserted them. He
ends up working for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Montana in this heart-warming story of
friendship, romance, and growing up in hard times.
McKernan, Victoria. The Devil's Paintbox. 2009. In elementary school history studies, a
wagon train sounds like a grand adventure. But when orphaned teenager Aidan and his
younger sister escape near starvation and join a wagon train West, they encounter danger,
drudgery and worse in this vivid historical adventure.
Moran, Katy. Bloodline. 2009. Seemingly abandoned by his father, Essa gets caught up in
tribal wars, serving as a spy, tearing across 17th century England on horseback, and finally
coming to understand his ancestry that has put him in mortal danger.
Sedgwick, Marcus. The Foreshadowing. 2006. Alexandra, 17, gets disturbing glimpses of the
future and sometimes of deaths about to happen. When her brother joins the British army to
fight in World War I, she resolves to find him and save him from dying in the trenches.
Spillebeen, Geert and Terese Edelstein. Kipling's Choice. 2005. Writer Rudyard Kipling used
his influence to get his son John, whose eyesight had kept him out of the military, into the army
during World War I. Little did he know John wouldn't even survive his first battle, powerfully
described here along with flashbacks of John growing up and hoping to do great things.
Tingle, Rebecca. The Edge on the Sword. 2001. In the 9th century, the daughter of an
English king studies swordplay and horsemanship as well as Latin and literature. She needs
her physical skills on her journey to marry a man she's never met.
Tingle, Rebecca. Far Traveler. 2005. AElfwyn, 17, daughter of a powerful woman in 10th
century England, prefers books and a quiet life. But events force her to disguise herself as a
male and fight to stay free and alive.
Wolf, Allan. New Found Land. 2004. Thirteen voices convey the excitement and danger of the
Lewis and Clark expedition in this long, readable verse novel. From the expedition leaders to
York, Clark's slave, to Sacajawea to other expedition members including a dog, the characters
come to life in distinct ways on the journey.
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. 2006. An expansive tribute to the power of books and words,
this deeply felt historical novel steeps the reader in the life of a girl growing up in Nazi Germany,
witnessing pain and courage, and suffering inevitable losses herself. Death itself narrates this
powerful Printz Honor Book.
21