A COMPREHENSIVE

CHILDRENS
LITERATURE
BIBLIOGRAPHY

BY: SHANNON A. WOOD

SLM 503
February 2015
Table of Contents
Freedom to Read Statement.

Letter to Students..

Picture Books...

Fiction

Books13

Nonfiction

Books.19

Magazines

.25

Diversity- Poverty

27

Notes

29
2
 Freedom to Read
As your School Library Media
Specialist
I will provide you with the opportunity to
read, enjoy, and learn from a wide variety
of books in various formats.

I will allow you to choose your books based

on what you like to read. However, I do reserve
the right to recommend a good book to you! : )

I will provide you with help in finding your

just right book when you need it.

I will provide you with a comfortable,

peaceful, and quiet space to read.
3
 I will listen to suggestions from you for
books that you would like to see added to
our library.

I will show you how to use all of the latest

technology and listen to your suggestions
on the topics you want to learn about.

For my friends who say they dont like to

read:
I promise to always be here to help you
find that ONE special book that will make
you fall in love with reading.

Dear Students,

I want you to have a wonderful

experience in the library. Reading is one of
my favorite things to do and I hope you
will feel the same way. This bibliography is
a list of books that I have created with you
in mind. I have traveled all over the world
and met many amazing animals and
people in these books! Please tell me what
you think of these books and feel free to
give me suggestions to add to the list.
Enjoy your reading!
Sincerely,

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Mrs. Wood

5
Picture Books

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Barnett, Mac. Extra Yarn. New York: Balzer &
Bray, 2012.

Annabelle lives in a cold, DARK, little town.

Everyone and everything is either white like
the snow or black like chimney soot. Until the
day Annabelle finds a box full of colorful yarn
and knits a beautiful sweater for herself to
wear. Since she still has extra yarn, she knits
her dog one as well. The yarn never seems to
run out, and soon she knits something for the
whole town! When someone wants to buy her
special box of yarn, will Annabelle give it up?

Brown, Monica. Marisol McDonald Doesnt

Match. New York: Childrens Book Press,
2011.

From her nut-brown skin and bright red hair,

to her green polka dot shirt and purple striped
pants, Marisol McDonald doesnt match. At
least that is what people tell her! What is
wrong with peanut butter and jelly on a
tortilla? Or a pirate that likes to play soccer?
Nothing of course! But it takes Marisol a day
of matching to prove to herself that she fine
just the way she is!

Cannon, A.E. Sophies Fish. New York:

Viking, 2012.

Sophie asks Jake to babysit her fish, Yo-Yo,

while she is away. Okay, says Jake, How
hard can it be to babysit a fish? But as he is
waiting for Sophie to bring Yo-Yo over to him,
Jake starts to worry. What if Yo-Yo wants a
snack, or wants to play a game, or gets sick?
Jakes imagination runs wild and he decides
he cant watch Yo-Yo until Sophie arrives with
her bright smile and all of his doubts seem
silly.

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Dacosta, Barbara. Nighttime Ninja. New
York: Little, Brown, 2012.

It is midnight. The house is dark and quiet.

Everyone is fast asleep, as the black ninja
creeps down the hallway. He stops and
listens, waiting until it is safe. Wait! He sees
what he came for and takes his tools out to
finish his mission when suddenly bright
lights flood the room! Will the nighttime ninja
finish his mission?

Daywalt, Drew. The Day the Crayons Quit.

New York: Philomel Books, 2013.

What would you do if one day you opened

your crayon box to discover that all your
crayons quit? Thats what happens to
Duncan. It never occurred to him that crayons
have feelings too. Poor red is overworked,
beige is tired of being overlooked, black is
never more than an outline, and poor blue is
nothing but a little stub! How will Duncan
make it up to all of his crayon friends so he
can finally draw his picture?

Henkes, Kevin. Kittens First Full Moon.

New York: Greenvillow Books, 2004.

Little Kitten sees her first full moon and

believes there is a bowl of milk in the sky and
boy, does she want it! Kitten goes off on
adventure to get her bowl of milk but only
ends up with a bug on her tongue, bumps and
bruises, wet fur and a tired little body. Poor
kitten thinks her adventure was a waste of
time, until she gets home and finds a
wonderful surprise!

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Hodgkinson, Leigh. Goldilocks and Just One
Bear. New York: Nosy Crow, 2012.

Baby Bear is all grown up and he is LOST!

Poor baby bear wanders out of the woods into
the big city where it is too bright, too loud,
and too scary! So he decides to find a nice
apartment to take a little rest in. While there
he tries to have a snack, find a comfy seat,
and take a nap. Once he finds the bed that is
just right, Baby Bear wakes up to a very big
surprise!

Hood, Susan. Spike, the Mixed-up

Monster. New York: Simon & Schuster Books
for Young Children, 2012.

Introducing the scariest, meanest, and

cutest little monster, Spike! Spike is a tiny,
axolotl salamander that wants to be scary,
but is sadly, only the size of a lily pad. The
other animals call him adorable and
funny. When he bares his teeth, they tell
him he has a cute smile. This makes Spike
sad because he wants to be a scary monster.
Until one day, a REAL scary monster shows up
and Spike discovers that fear might not be
the best way to make new friends!

Jeffers, Oliver. Stuck. New York: Philomel

Books, 2011.

What is a boy to do when his kite gets stuck

in a tree? Well, of course he will throw his
favorite shoe into the tree to knock it down!
How will he get his kite and his shoe out of
the tree? Throw his other shoe, obviously!
There has to be something he can use to get
his kite unstuck! His cat, the front door, the
next door neighbor, and a boat. How far will
he have to go before his kite finally comes
down? And how is he going to get all the

10
other things back he threw in the tree?

11
Juster, Norton. The Hello, Goodbye
Window. New York: Hyperion Books for
Children, 2005.

There is a special window at Nanna and

Poppys house. Its called the Hello, goodbye
window and it is very important! You can
scare people, make faces, blow kisses, and
say good-night to the stars, and so much
more! This special story is about a little girl
and her love for her Nanna and Poppy. Do you
have a hello, goodbye window in your
house?

Kimmel, Eric. A. Simon and the Bear, a

Hanukkah Tale. New York: Hyperion Books
for Children, 2014.

Simon sets sail for America right before

Hanukkah begins. He has promised his family
that no matter where he may be, he will light
the menorah to celebrate Hanukkah and give
him hope. On the first night of Hanukkah, the
boat Simon is traveling on sinks and he is left
alone on an iceberg in the middle of the
water. True to his word, he lights the menorah
and hopes for a miracle. A miracle does
appear that night and for six nights after. Will
Simon get an extra miracle on the eighth
night and get rescued?

Klassen, Jon. This Is Not My Hat.

Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2012.

A little fish steals a hat from a VERY big fish.

The little fish does not think that the big fish
will wake up for a while and even if he does
he wont notice the missing hat. Even if he
DID notice, how would the big fish know
where the little fish was going? He knows it is
wrong to steal a hat, but it just fits him so
much better! So he will go hide in the tall

12
grasses and no one will ever find him. Will the
little fish get to keep his hat and have a
happy ending?

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Knudsen, Michelle. Argus. Massachusetts:
Candlewick Press, 2011.

When Sallys class is given eggs to hatch as a

science experiment, her egg looks very
different from the other childrens eggs. Once
her chick is born, she soon realizes just how
different HER baby is from the other baby
chicks in the room. Argus grows bigger and
wants to eat the other chicks (instead of
playing with them.) Sally is sad that he is not
like the others. Would she be better off
without him?

Metzger, Steve. Detective Little Boy Blue.

New York: Orchard Books, 2011.

Little Boy Blue is all grown up and now known

as Detective Blue. His day starts like any
other until Little Miss Muffet goes missing
and he has to find her! As he searches the
town for the missing Miss Muffet, he runs into
many of his nursery rhyme friends. Little Bo
Beep has lost her sheep, Humpty Dumpty
takes a fall, and many others help Detective
Blue on his search to find the missing girl!

Polacco, Patricia. Just in time Abraham

Lincoln. New York: G.P. Putnams Sons, 2011.

Have you ever wanted to step into the video

game you are playing? Join Michael and Derek
while they play a game that takes them
back to the Civil War. While on a visit to
Harpers Ferry, VA, the boys visit a Civil War
museum. The museum keeper invites them to
play a game which sends them back to
1863, a battlefield, and even a visit with
Abraham Lincoln! But will they ever make it
home?

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Reynolds, Aaron. Creepy Carrots. New York:
Scholastic, 2012.

Jasper loves the carrots at Crackenhopper

Field. He loves them so much that every time
he passes by, he grabs a handful and gobbles
them up. He eats so many of them that he
begins to imagine that the carrots are
following him. Jasper starts to see and the
creepy carrots everywhere. Is it just his
imagination or are his favorite treats out to
get him?

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the 3

Little Pigs. New York: Viking, 1991.

From his jail cell, Mr. A. Wolf is finally getting a

chance to tell the true story of what
happened that day with the three little pigs.
His story includes a terrible cold, a cup of
sugar, and his dear grannys birthday cake.
He is sticking to this story that he was framed
and that all that huffing and puffing was
greatly exaggerated! Who will you believe?

Shannon, David. Bugs in my Hair. New

York: Scholastic, Inc., 2013.

Run for your lives! LICE-A-PALOOZA,

BUGZILLA are coming! Once upon a time a
little boys head was very, very itchy. He
quickly discovers he has LICE in his hair.
Where did these nasty creatures come from?
How will the boy get rid of them? If he and his
mother dont hurry and defeat the evil
creatures they might conquer the world.
Will he and his mother be able to defeat the
lice in time? WARNING: This book really will
make you itch!

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Stead, Philip Christian. A Sick Day for Amos
McGee. New York: Roaring Book Press, 2010.

Everyday Amos McGee wakes up early, puts

on a clean uniform, and heats up water for his
breakfast and tea. He catches the 6 a.m. city
bus to the zoo, where before doing his daily
duties, he makes sure to ALWAYS take care of
his friends. When Amos is too sick to get out
of bed one day, his friends worry when he
does not arrive at work. What will they do
without their friend for the day?

Willems, Mo. Leonardo the Terrible

Monster. New York: Hyperion Books for
Children, 2005.

RAWR! AGHHH! BOO! Leonardo is a terrible

monster. Actually Leonardo is terrible at being
a SCARY monster. No matter how hard he
tries, Poor Leonardo cant seem to scare
anyone! With a little training and some
research he discovers the perfect boy to scare
the tuna-salad out of. Only, he discovers that
maybe he doesnt like being a scary monster!
So what will Leonardo become instead?

Woodson, Jacqueline. Each Kindness. New

York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2012.

A new girl named Maya arrives at school on a

cold, snowy day. She is dressed in clothes that
were old, used, and not very nice. She tries to
make friends with Chloe and her friends. She
smiles at everyone every day and offers to
share her toys at recess. As the months go by
and the air gets warmer, Maya stops trying to
make friends and then one day she is gone.
Chloes teacher does a lesson on kindness
and how each kindness makes the world a
little bit better. Chloe realizes just how badly
she treated Maya. Is there still time to make

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 things right?

Fiction
Books

18
Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only
Ivan. New York: Harper Collins, 2012.

Meet Ivana silverback gorilla that has been

in captivity for 27 years. Ivan survives his life
in a small glass enclosure with the help of his
friends: Stella, an old elephant, a tiny stray
dog named Bob, his old television, and his
drawing. One day a wild, baby elephant
named Ruby is brought to the shopping mall
where they live. When Ivan makes a very
important promise to a dear friend, he is
forced to actually look at the life he and his
loved ones lead. Will he be able to keep the
promise he made to his friend?

DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn-Dixie.

DVD. Directed by Wayne Wang. Burbank, CA:
20th Century Fox, 2005.

The summer Opal and her father move to

Naomi, Florida, Opal walks into a Winn-Dixie
supermarket and walks out with a dog. She of
course names him Winn-Dixie! Opals life
begins to change when she meets this big,
smiling dog. Her father starts to tell her about
the mother that left her seven years before,
and Opal gets to know some of the unusual
residents of the small town. Opal even starts
to learn how to find some joy in her sadness
about her missing mother.

Farmer, Nancy. The Sea of Trolls. New York:

Atheneum Books for Young Children, 2004.

It is the year A.D. 793 and 11-year old Jack

and his 5-year- old sister Lucy are kidnapped
and made into slaves by a group of Vikings.
When Jack makes a mistake, the Vikings half-
troll queen orders Jack on a dangerous quest
to fix what he has done. This journey is full of

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many dangers, and it quickly changes the
way Jack views the world and himself.

Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. New

York: Harper Collins, 2008.

The knife had done almost everything it was

brought to the house to dothat only left the
little one, a baby barely a toddler to take care
of. And so, the story of Nobody Owens
begins. Nobody, or Bod escaped a horrible
fate the night his family was killed. Just a
baby, he wandered out of the house and into
a graveyard, where a guardian that was not
alive or dead raised him among the ghosts.

Grabenstein, Chris. Escape from Mr.

Lemoncellos Library. New York: Random
House, Inc., 2013.

Imagine if a world famous game-maker builds

the most amazing library in the world, IN
YOUR TOWN! Picture the ultimate of new
technology (holographic librarians, anyone?),
life-size board games, puzzles, and of course,
books galore! Twelve lucky kids will get picked
to spend the night in Mr. Lemoncellos library.
Once they are inside, what surprises will the
eccentric game-maker have in store for them?

Jinks, Catherine. How to Catch a Bogle.

New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.

Birdie McAdam is a ten-year old orphan who is

very proud of her job as a boglers
apprentice! Birdie sings the monsters out of
their dark and scary hideaways and Alfred
kills them before they can kill her. Of course,

20
this is a very dangerous job, but much safer
than other jobs an orphan girl would have in
Victorian England. At least it is until other
orphans start to disappear. Will Birdie be next
to go missing?

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Houghton

Mifflin, 1993.

Wouldnt you love to live in a perfect world,

where there is no war, no disease, and no
suffering? 12- year old Jonas lives in this
perfect community. Spouses and jobs are
chosen and emotions are suppressed.
Memories of the past are removed from each
person, except for the person chosen to be
the Receiver of Memories. Jonas is given
this new job on his 12th birthday and the view
of his perfect world is shattered forever.

Northrop, Michael. Tombquest: Book of the

Dead. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2015.

The doctors all say that there is nothing that

can save Alex Sennefers life, but his mother
knows that there is something that CAN bring
him back. The Lost Spells in the Egyptian
Book of the Dead can heal Alex, but at what
price? When his mother uses the lost spells to
bring Alex back, she disappears and five
ancient evils called, The Death Walkers are
released. They bring with them mummies,
scorpions, and the thirst for revenge!

Palacio, R.J. Wonder. New York: Alfred

A.Knopf, 2012.

Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman was born with a

facial deformity that causes people to be

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scared of him. He has spent his whole life
having surgeries to help make his life easier.
Because of this, he has always been home-
schooled. In his 5th grade year, his mom and
dad decide it is time for him to go to school.
How will Auggie and his family handle this
new phase of his life?

Parker-Rhodes, Jewell. Sugar. New York: Little,

Brown & Company, 2013.

It is 1870 and big changes are coming to the

Louisiana sugar plantation where ten-year-old
Sugar lives. She and the other workers might
not be slaves anymore, but poor Sugar
doesnt feel like she will ever be truly free.
One day, Chinese workers are brought on to
help with the harvest. As Sugar begins to
explore new friendships she brings the
community together and changes her life!

Patterson, James. I Funny: A Middle School

Story. New York: Little, Brown & Company,
2013.

Poor Jaime Grimm is stuck in a new town with

his aunt, uncle, and nasty cousin (who is also
the school bully), Stevie. Jamie doesnt let
that, or his wheelchair, get him down, though!
He uses humor to keep him going and Jamie
Grimm is a funny guy. At least that is what
everyone tells him. When he hears about a
contest for the Planets Funniest Kid Comic,
he decides he has to enter! Does Jamie win
the contest? Will he ever share what he is
hiding behind his comedy act?

22
Sachar, Louis. Holes. DVD. Directed by Mike
Medavoy. Burbank, CA: Walt Disney Home
Entertainment, 2003.

Stanley Yelnats family has been under a

curse of bad luck for generations and its all
thanks to his no good-dirty-rotten-pig-
stealing-great-great-grandfather. Because of
this curse, Stanley gets sent to Camp Green
Lake for something he did not do. Once there
he spends his days digging holes for the
warden, with the other boys. While he is
there, he becomes friends with a boy known
as Zero, and this friendship is going to
change BOTH of their lives!

Stephens, John. The Emerald Atlas.

Narrator: Jim Dale. New York: Random House,
Inc., 2011. Audiobook.

Ever since their parents disappeared ten

years ago, poor Kate, Michael, and Emma
have lived in one orphanage after another.
They finally end up in a secluded, small town
orphanage. The odd thing? They are the ONLY
children at this orphanage! As they explore
their new house, they stumble onto an old
green book. This book isnt just any book; it
allows them to travel through time by using
photos! Will this book help them find their
parents or put their lives in danger?

Peterson-Haddix, Margaret. Among the

Hidden. New York: Simon & Schuster Books
for Young Readers, 1998.

It is the future and a law has been put into

place that families may only have two

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 children. This is monitored by the Population
Police. Luke is a third that has spent his
entire twelve years hidden in his familys
farm. He lives a life of fear, until the day he
sees what he believes is another third. Is
there another illegal child hiding? Will Luke be
brave enough to venture out to meet another
like him?

Tarshis, Lauren. I Survived the Nazi

Invasion, 1944. New York: Scholastic, Inc.,
2014.

Eastern Poland. 1944. A Jewish ghetto. Max

and Zena have lost everything: their home,
their family, and their freedom. The family is
placed in a Jewish ghetto until a chance
sighting of a little robin leads them to a
dangerous escape from the Nazis. A kind
farmer keeps them safe until they can make
their way to a safe camp. Will they survive
the Nazi invasion of their hideaway?

Nonfiction
Books
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25
Allen, Kathy. Sea Turtles Race to the Sea:
A Cause and Effect Investigation.
Mankoto, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2011.

Did you know that adult sea turtles have very

few predators, or that each year hundreds of
tiny sea turtles will make their way into the
ocean? But because of human actions and the
threat we pose to them, these amazing
animals are becoming endangered. Learn
about sea turtles and how we can help save
them.

Applegate, Katherine. Ivan: The

Remarkable True Story of the Shopping
Mall Gorilla. New York: Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt, 2014.

Meet Ivan: a gorilla captured by poachers as a

baby, brought up as human child until he was
too big, and housed, alone, in a small glass
cage for 27-years. This is the true story of
how a lonely gorilla became a symbol of
freedom to captive wild animals everywhere.

Bishop, Nick. Marsupials. New York:

Scholastic, 2009.

How much do you know about marsupials?

Many people know a great deal about
kangaroos and koala bears, because they are
the most well-known marsupials, but have
you ever heard of boodies and bilbies? Did
you know that a koalas pouch is on its back,
or that baby marsupials are the size of a
jellybean? Join Nic Bishop on his amazing
journey to show you the wonderful world of
these amazing animals!

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27
Hoberman, Mary Ann. You Read to Me, Ill
Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to
Read Together. New York: Little, Brown and
Company, 2007.

Do you like your mind all jumpy? Do you like

your skin all bumpy? If you do, then take a
look, at the stories in this book! These short
stories are better read with a partner, so find
a friend and settle in to read these creepy
tales. Take a turn and you each will learn to
become even better readers!

Kerby, Mona. Owney: The Mail-Pouch

Pooch. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux,
2008.

On a cold and rainy night in 1888, a stray dog

found a slightly opened door at the local post
office in Albany, New York and squeezed
inside. So begins the story of Owney, the mail
pouch dog. Owney spent nine years guarding
not only the Albany mail, but also the mail on
mail trains all over the country! This true
story takes us on this amazing dogs journey
around the United States.

Leyson, Leon. The Boy on the Wooden

Box: How the Impossible became
Possible...on Schindlers List. New York:
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013.

Leon Leyson was only ten years old when the

Nazis invaded Poland and his life was forever
changed. Leon and his Jewish family survived
the many horrors of WWII because of their
determination, their love for one another, and
because of one man. This is the story of the
youngest survivor from Oskar Schindlers list.

28
Markle, Sandra. What If You Had Animal
Teeth? New York: Scholastic, 2013.

Which animals teeth would you want? How

about an elephants tusks to pick up the car?
Perhaps a beavers teeth to chew on all the
trees? Maybe you would like a hippos teeth
so you never had to brush again? Learn fun
facts about teeth and imagine them in your
own mouth!

Osborne, Mary Pope. Kate and the

Beanstalk. New York: Atheneum Books for
Young Readers, 2000.

When Kate is sent out to sell the family cow,

an old beggar woman tricks poor Kate into
trading her cow for a handful of magic beans.
When her mother throws them out the
window, a giant beanstalk grows overnight!
Kate climbs to the top where she finds a
giant, a giantess, and an adventure that could
change her whole life!

Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Dogs on Duty:

Soldiers Best Friend on the Battlefield
and Beyond. New York: Walker Publishing
Company, Inc., 2012.

Jumping from airplanes, searching for

enemies, and sniffing out bombs. These are
just a few of the things that MWDs (Military
Working Dogs) do to serve our country. These
dogs have been an important part of military
life since WWI. They are highly trained and
deeply loved by the handlers that work with
them in many dangerous situations.

29
Pattison, Darcy. Abayomi, The Brazilian
Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned
Cub. Little Rock, AR: Mims House, 2014.

In the crowded country of Brazil, a mother

puma, walked abroad at night on silent
paws, to hunt for her cub. She and her cub
are too close to the city and hunting is hard,
until the night she finds some easy prey:
chickens. When the farmer catches the mama
puma, the hunt is on to find the orphaned
cub. Will they find him before his time runs
out?

Rappaport, Doreen. Helens Big World. New

York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2012.

As a baby, Helen Keller lost her voice, sight,

and hearing from an illness. That living word
awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy,
and set it free. These are Helen Kellers
words to describe what her teacher, Annie,
was showing her. It took an amazing teacher
and friend to help bring Helen out of her dark
and silent world and become the amazing
woman she was meant to be.

Rusch, Elizabeth. Eruption! : Volcanoes

and the Science of Saving Lives. New
York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children,
2013.

Volcanoes are dormant for many years until

suddenly with an explosion of ash and fire
they erupt and lives are destroyed. How can
scientists predict these eruptions and help
save lives? A small group of scientists travel
the world to try and find the answer.

30
Scieszka, Jon. Knucklehead: Tall Tales and
Mostly True Stories About Growing Up
Scieszka. New York: Viking, 2008.

How did one of Americas favorite authors get

so funny? It could have been the five, crazy
brothers he grew up with, the jokes from mom
and dad at the family dinner table, or the
adventures in watching his younger
brothers, and boy, WHAT he watched them
do!

Singer, Marilyn. Mirror, Mirror: A Book of

Reversible Verse. New York: Penguin Group,
2010.

Join Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and

the Beast, and so many more as they tell us
their story in reversible verse! They say there
are two sides to every story, and in this fun
fairy tale, you can read each verse from top
to bottom and then reverse the lines to read
from bottom to top to hear what the other
side says.

Sweet, Melissa. Balloons over Broadway:

the True Story of the Puppeteer of
Macys Parade. New York: Houghton Mifflin
Books for Children, 2011.

Whats the best thing about Thanksgiving

besides the turkey and the pumpkin pie?
Whythe Macys Parade of course! Did you
ever look at those giant puppets floating
through the air and wonder how it all started?
In 1928, Macys employee Tony Sarg
introduced his helium-filled balloons to the
city of New York. This is his story.

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32
Magazines

33
AppleSeeds. http://www.appleseeds.com-
sub.biz/

If you love learning and reading stories about

culture, then this is the magazine for you.
With amazing photographs and fun activities
you will not want to put this down.

Boys Life. http://www.boyslife.org

You might think most magazines are just for

girls, but I can promise this will make you
think again! This is full of fun articles, comics,
contests, DIY instructions, and pictures that
boys will love!

Dig Into History

http://www.cricketmag.com/DIG-DIG-
Magazine-for-Kids-ages-9-14

Do you love digging in the dirt to find

artifacts? Join real archaeologists as they take
you around the world to real life digs and
learn all about history and events in our
amazing world!

Discovery Girls.
http://www.discoverygirls.com/

This is a magazine that is made for girls, by

girls. You could even have a chance to be a
part of the magazine. Discovery Girls has a lot
of bright and beautiful images on their
website. There are fun contests and great
stories to enjoy in this wonderful magazine.

National Geographic Kids.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com

The photos in National Geographic Kids are

amazing! With this magazine, you can learn
about many types of animals, how you can
help our environment, and many other natural
wonders of the world.

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 Diversity-
Poverty &
Homelessness
I put together this short list of books on kids that
are homeless for you to read. I chose this topic for my
graduate class because I wanted my students (you!) to
understand a little more about what goes on around us
every day. Sometimes it is secret; sometimes it is in
plain sight.
As a child that has a house and plenty of food and
clothes, this might seem like an odd topic to you and
hard to understand. As a child that lives like the ones
in these books every day, it might be hard to explain to
others. When I chose these books, I chose the ones
that touched me and made me feel as if I could
understand a little more about BOTH sides of the story.
I hope you will read these books and think about the
lives these characters live. As you read and move on to

35
Bauer, Joan. Almost Home. New York: Viking,
2012.

When Sugar and her mother lose their home in

Missouri, they decide to move to Chicago for a
fresh start. However, once they are there they
realize a fresh start is hard when you are homeless.
It will take the love of a rescue dog and a caring
teacher to help Sugar come to terms with her new
life.

Jacobson, Jennifer Richards. Paper Things.

Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2015.

As their mama was dying, Gage and Ari made two

promises to her: to stay together and for Ari to go
to a special school. When Gage leaves their
guardian, Ari goes with him, even though they
dont have a place to live. How will Ari be able to
keep the second promise to mama if they cant
even find a home?

OConnor, Barbara. How to Steal a Dog: A

novel. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2007.

When Georginas father leaves her family alone

and penniless, they must live in the family car.
Determined to make their situation better,
Georgina comes up with a crazy scheme that
involves stealing a dog and the reward money they
will get for the lost dogs safe return. Will this plan
work and save her family?
Phillips, Gin. The Hidden Summer. New York: Dial
Books, 2013.

Nell and Lydia have been told by their feuding and

neglectful mothers that they cannot see each other
for the whole summer. So every day they go to an
abandoned golf course to meet. While they are
hiding out they meet a homeless family that will
change both their lives forever.

Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee: A Novel. New York:

Little, Brown, and Company, 1990.

36
 After a freak accident kills Jeffery Lionel Maniac
Magees parents, he goes to live with some very
unhappy relatives. Eight years later he decides to
runhe runs all the way to a small town where he
changes everything for everyone, but becomes
homeless in the process.

Notes
Book, movie, and magazine images: Cecil County Public Library.
Cecil County Public Library. Web. 20 January 2015.
<http://www.cecil.ebranch.info/>.

Clip art images: Clip Art. Kids Book Clip Art. Web. 28 February
2015.
<http://www.pixshark.com/kids-books-clipart.htm >.

ALSC Childrens Notable List Every year the Association for

Library Service to Children (ALSC)
compiles a list of the best
childrens books, recordings and
videos.

The Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
List
The Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
is a childrens choice award. This
award is given to authors and
illustrators of outstanding books.
Maryland students choose the
authors and illustrators for this
award.

The Caldecott Award List The Caldecott Medal is awarded

every year to the artist of the
most distinguished American

37
picture book for children. The
Association for Library Service to
Children gives the award.

38
The Coretta Scott King Book The Coretta Scott King Book
Award List Award is given annually to African
American authors and illustrators
that show an appreciation of
African American culture in books
written for children and young
adults.

The Geisel Award List Every year The Geisel Award is

given to the author and illustrator
of the most distinguished
American book for beginning
readers published in the previous
year.

The Newbery Award List The Newbery Medal is awarded

every year to the author of the
most distinguished American
picture book for children. The
Association for Library Service to
Children gives the award.

The Parents Choice Award This award is meant to help

Winners: Magazines parents and educators make
informed decisions about the
magazines they choose to use
with their students. The awards
are given annually.

Wilsons Childrens Core The Wilsons Childrens Core

Collections Collection provides a list of
thousands of highly
recommended titles for childrens
literature.

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