Children's Literature at the Education & Social Science Library

The Environment and Global Warming

The state of the earth's environment is of increasing concern. Daily news reports describe the effects of global warming. Fortunately, a wide variety of environmental literature is available for curious kids. From informative books about climate change to fun magazines about wildlife, the following list will keep kids entertained during the hot summer months.

Nonfiction

Barr, Gary
Climate change: Is the World in Danger? 2007.
Explores the scientific facts about climate change and the debates over the cause.
[Education S Collection: S.551.6 B271c]

Burns, Loree Griffin
Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion. 2007.
Describes the work of a man who tracks trash as it travels great distances by way of ocean currents.
[Education S Collection: Q.S.551.462 B937t]

Cone, Molly
Come Back, Salmon. 1992.
Describes the efforts of the Jackson Elementary School in Everett, Washington, to clean up a nearby stream, stock it with salmon, and preserve it as an unpolluted place where the salmon could return to spawn.
[Education Storage: S. 639.3755 C756C]

Gore, Albert
An Inconvenient Truth: the Crisis of Global Warming. 2007.
In this juvenile companion to the acclaimed documentary, Gore documents the steeply rising carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere, and links that to accelerating changes in temperature and precipitation patterns worldwide. Using easy-to-grasp graphics and revealing before-and-after photos, he shows how glaciers and ice shelves are disappearing all over the globe with alarming speed, pointing to profound climate changes and increased danger from rising sea levels in the near future.
[Education S Collection: S.363.73874 G66a]

Maze, Stephanie
I Want To Be an Environmentalist. 2000.
Describes career opportunities within the field of environmentalism and suggests ways to pursue such a career.
[Education S Collection: S.363.70023 M456i]

Pringle, Laurence P.
The Environmental Movement: From Its Roots to the Challenges of a New Century. 2000.
Chronicles the history, key players, and future challenges of the environmental movement.
[Education S Collection: S.363.7052509 P936e]

Rockwell, Anne
Why Are the Ice Caps Melting?: the Dangers of Global Warming. 2006.
Tells about the greenhouse effect, recycling, and what you can do to help fight global warming.
[Center for Children's Books: Q.S. 363.738 R593w]

Taylor, Barbara
How to Save the Planet. 2001.
Discusses such environmental concerns as depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, air and water pollution, recycling, wildlife conservation, and more.
[Education S-Collection: S.363.7 T212h]

Fiction

Cherry, Lynne
The Great Kapok Tree: a Tale of the Amazon Rainforest. 1990.
The many different animals that live in a great kapok tree in the Brazilian rainforest try to convince a man with an ax of the importance of not cutting down their home.
[Education S-Collection: Q.SE. C424G]

Child, Lauren
What Planet are You From Clarice Bean? 2002.
When Clarice has to do a school project on the environment, she and her family become eco-warriors in an attempt to save a tree on their street.
[Education S-Collection: S.C437w]

Cooper, Susan
Green Boy. 2002.
Twelve-year-old Trey and his seven-year-old brother Lou, who does not speak, cross the barrier between two worlds, that of their island in the Bahamas, and a land called Pangaia, and play a mysterious role in restoring the natural environment in both places.
[Education Storage: S.C787gre]

George, Jean Craighead
Case of the Missing Cutthroats: an Ecological Mystery. 1996.
After Spinner Shafter catches a cutthroat trout in the Snake River, she and her cousin Alligator search the nearby mountains to determine where the endangered fish came from and how it survived.
[Education Storage: S. G292CA]

Hiaasen, Carl
Flush. 2005.
With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home.
[Center for Children's Books: S. H52f]

Van Allsburg, Chris
Just a Dream. 1990.
When he has a dream about a future Earth devastated by pollution, Walter begins to understand the importance of taking care of the environment.
[Education S-Collection: Q.S. V263J]

Magazines

Envirokids
Published by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, this magazine for children promotes environmental awareness. Each issue is organized around a theme and includes brightly illustrated articles, activities, puzzles and more.
[Education S-Collection non-circulating: Q.S. 333.7205 ENVI]

Ranger Rick
Published by the National Wildlife Foundation for children ages 7 and up, this magazine features colorful photos, funny drawings, and exciting stories about wildlife and nature.
[Education S-Collection non-circulating: S.505 RAR1]

On the Web

The EPA Climate Change Kids Site Includes easy to understand definitions and background on climate change as well as games.

The Lorax's Save the Trees Game Based on the classic Dr. Seuss book, this simple game requires players to catch the truffula seeds and replant the forest.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Kids' Pages Includes games, fact sheets, coloring pages, stories, puzzles, and quotations.

Baseball anyone?!

Baseball is often called America's pastime. For over one hundred years, people of all ages have enjoyed this popular team sport. With all of its popularity it isn't surprising to find a large number of books for youth that chronicle its history, players, and rules. In the selections below you will also find books that incorporate fantasy and fiction about the game. Fairies, werewolves, and time travel offer a slightly different approach to baseball that still respects its reputation for fair play. Enjoy some summer time reading about baseball that provides information, biographies, and a little fun. Batter up!

Fiction:

Chabon, Michael.
Summerland. 2002.
Ethan Feld, the worst baseball player in the history of the game, finds himself recruited by a 100-year-old scout to help a band of fairies triumph over an ancient enemy.
[Education S-Collection: S.C342s]

Garfield, Henry.
Tartabull's Throw. 2001.
In 1967 an encounter with a mysterious young woman from Maine involves a nineteen-year-old baseball player in an investigation of a vicious, murderous werewolf. This book blends fantasy and baseball for older teens.
[Education Storage: S.G18t]

Gutman, Dan.
Honus & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure. 1997.
Joey, who loves baseball but is not very good at it, finds a valuable 1909 Honus Wagner card and travels back in time to meet Honus.
[Education Storage: S.G985h]

Lupica, Mike.
Heat. 2006.
Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.
[Education S-Collection: S. L973h]

Ritter, John H.
The Boy Who Saved Baseball. 2003.
The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato.
[Education S-Collection: S.R514b]

Shannon, David.
How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball. 1994.
After Boss outlaws baseball in America, spring stops coming--until a young boy beats the tyrant at his own game.
[Education Storage: SE. SH194H]

Biographies:

Adler, David A.
Satchel Paige: don't look back. 2007.
Satchel Paige was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. Take a look at his life and his struggle to be accepted into the major league.
[Education S-Collection: Q.SB.P143a]

Hopkinson, Deborah.
Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings. 2003.
In the early 1900s, Alta Weiss, a young woman who knows from an early age that she loves baseball, finds a way to show that she can play, even though she is a girl.
[Center for Children's Books: Q. SE. H777g]

McDonough, Yona Zeldis.
Hammerin' Hank: The Life of Hank Greenberg. 2006.
Meet one of America's earliest Jewish-American heroes. The 1930s were a time when "outsiders" were not welcome in Major League Baseball. Henry Benjamin Greenberg began as one of those outsiders, but went on to become one of baseball's greatest right-handed batters.
[Education S-Collection: SB. G798m]

Wise, Bill.
Louis Sockalexis: Native American Baseball Pioneer. 2007.
A biography of Penobscot Indian Louis Sockalexis, who pursued his childhood love of baseball and eventually joined the Major Leagues, where he faced racism and discrimination with humility and courage as the first Native American to play professional baseball.
[Education S-Collection: SB. S6789w]

Winter, Jonah
Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates. 2005.
Spare, evocative language -- and magnificent illustrations -- tell the story of a great athlete and even greater man who rose through the ranks of baseball to become one of the most admired players of all time.
[Education S-Collection: Q. SB. C626wi]

General Nonfiction:

Cho, Alan
World Series. 2008.
This book includes important highlights of the World Series and information on aspects of the game such as the design of the playing field and the equipment used in baseball.
[Education S Collection: S.796.357646 C451w]

Curlee, Lynn.
Ballpark: The Story of America's Baseball Fields. 2005.
From the first ballpark converted from an ice rink in 1862 to the space-aged Houston Astrodome to the league's newest state-of-the-art stadiums, this book tells the history of baseball through its ballparks.
[Center for Children's Books: Q. S.796.357 C928b]

Gibbons, Gail
My Baseball Book. 2000.
An introduction to baseball, describing the equipment, playing field, rules, players, and process of the game that is aimed at younger children.
[Education Storage: S.796.357 G352m]

Kelley, James
Baseball. 2000.
Text and detailed photographs present the history, techniques, and interesting facts of baseball. Part of the DK Eyewitness Books Series.
[Education S-Collection: Q. S.796.357 K287b]

Macy, Sue
A Whole New Ballgame: The Story of the all-American Girls Professional Baseball League. 1993.
Describes the activities of the members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the women's professional baseball league that existed between 1943 and 1954.
[Education Storage: S.796.357 M259W]

Rosenthal, Paul.
America at Bat: Baseball Stuff & Stories. 2002.
Examines how the game of baseball has evolved over the years and become woven into American culture and traditions, highlights baseball heroes, and presents trivia questions.
[Education S-Collection: S.796.357 R727a]

Weatherford, Carole Boston.
A Negro League Scrapbook. 2005.
A history of the Negro Leagues which includes brief biographical sketches of notable players. With numerous photographs.
[Education S-Collection: Q. S.796.357 W378n]

On the Web:

Major League Baseball
The official site of Major League Baseball includes links to team websites, the current schedule, audio, video, and much more.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Includes photographs and video biographies on hall of famers, video highlights of important moments in baseball, and online museum exhibits.

Baseball-Reference
Contains historical and current statistics on players, teams, managers, and games. A comprehensive and through source.

Holocaust-themed Fiction for Youth

This year Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) falls on May 2nd. Yom Hashoah is the 27th day of the Jewish month Nissan and was chosen by the Israeli Parliament in the 1950s to remember the tragedy of the Holocaust. Today this holiday is observed worldwide.

Children's literature is an excellent way to introduce the facts of the Holocaust to young readers. Fictionalized accounts can "personalize" the experience in ways that non-fiction can not by focusing on the emotional experiences of the protagonists. Readers can emphasize and identify with the children in these stories. The following books can be used to convey the horror of the Holocaust and the importance of remembering.

Picture Books:

Adler, David
One Yellow Daffodil. 1995.
During Hanukkah two children help a Holocaust survivor to once again embrace his religious traditions.
[Education Storage: SE. AD59O]

Feder, Paula Kurzband
The Feather-Bed Journey. 1995.
As she tries to repair a torn feather pillow, Grandma tells about her childhood in Poland, about the Nazi persecution of Jews during World War II, and about the origin of this special pillow.
[Education Storage: SE. F3171F]

Oppenheim, Shulamith Levy
The Lily Cupboard. 1992.
Miriam, a young Jewish girl, is forced to leave her parents and hide with strangers in the country during the German occupation of Holland.
[Education Storage: SE. OP5L]

For Middle Grades:

Hesse, Karen
The Cats in Krasinski Square. 2004.
Two Jewish sisters, escapees of the infamous Warsaw ghetto, devise a plan to thwart an attempt by the Gestapo to intercept food bound for starving people behind the dark Wall.
[Education S Collection: Q. S. H463c]

Johnston, Tony
The Harmonica. 2004.
Separated from his parents in Poland during World War II, a young Jewish boy enslaved in a concentration camp, keeps hope alive while playing Schubert on his harmonica whenever the camp's commandant orders him to play.
[Education Storage: Q. S.J648h]

Matas, Carol
Daniel's Story. 1993.
Daniel, whose family suffers as the Nazis rise to power in Germany, describes his imprisonment in a concentration camp and his eventual liberation.
[Education Storage: S. M413D]

McDonough, Yona Zeldis
The Doll With the Yellow Star. 2005.
When France falls to Germany at the start of World War II, nine-year-old Claudine must leave her beloved parents and friends to stay with relatives in America, accompanied by her doll, Violette.
[Education S Collection: S. M147d]

Vos, Ida
The Key is Lost. 2000.
When the Germans occupy Holland in 1940 and begin to persecute the Jews there, twelve-year-old Eva and her family assume false names and move from one hiding place to another.
[Education Storage: S. V92k:E]

Williams, Laura E.
Behind the Bedroom Wall. 1996.
Thirteen-year-old Korinna must decide whether to report her parents to her Hitler youth group when she discovers that they are hiding Jews in a secret space behind Korinna's bedroom wall.
[Education S Collection: S. W6734B]

Wolf, Joan M.
Someone Named Eva. 2007.
From her home in Lidice, Czechoslovakia, in 1942, eleven-year-old Milada is taken with other blond, blue-eyed children to a school in Poland to be trained as "proper Germans" for adoption by German families, but all the while she remembers her true name and history.
[Education S Collection: S. W831s]

Yolen, Jane
The Devil's Arithmetic. 1988.
Hannah resents the traditions of her Jewish heritage until time travel places her in the middle of a small Jewish village in Nazi-occupied Poland.
[Center For Children's Books: S. Y78de]

For Young Adults:

Croci, Pascal
Auschwitz. 2003.
The horrors and brutality of the Holocaust are captured in this gripping graphic novel, which follows the story of a couple, Kazik and Cessia, who lose a daughter at Auschwitz and barely survive the concentration camp themselves, in a historical saga based on the reminiscences of actual concentration-camp survivors (Description from NoveList).
[Undergrad: Q.741.5944 C872a]

Napoli, Donna Jo
Stones in the Water. 1997.
After being taken by German soldiers from a local movie theater along with other Italian boys including his Jewish friend, Roberto is forced to work in Germany, escapes into the Ukrainian winter, before desperately trying to make his way back home to Venice.
[Education Storage: S. N162st]

Spinelli, Jerry
Milkweed. 2003
This book captures the hardships and cruelty of life in the ghettos of Warsaw during the Nazi occupation of World War II, through the eyes of a Jewish orphan who must use all his wits and courage to survive unimaginable events and circumstances. (Description from NoveList)
[Education S Collection: S. Sp465m]

Zusak, Markus
The Book Thief. 2006.
Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.
[Education S Collection: S. Z89b]

Reference Books:

Sullivan, Edward T.
The Holocaust in Literature For Youth: a Guide and Resource Book. 1999.
[Education Juvenile Reference: S. 016.9405318 Su53h]

Web Resources:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The museum has developed a comprehensive guide of topics of study for students.

Anne Frank House Amsterdam
This site includes a timeline of Anne Frank's life and digitized photographs from the Anne Frank House Museum.

Jewish Virtual Library's Holocaust Wing
The Holocaust Wing of the Jewish Virtual Library contains articles, original documents, a holocaust glossary, and a bibliography all written at level that can be understood by older students.

Graphic novels

Graphic novels have exploded in popularity in recent years. But what exactly is a graphic novel? The precise definition can be difficult to pinpoint. Usually, a graphic novel is published in book format and has a complete story line. Zahra Baird writes, "A successful graphic novel starts with a stellar story told with words and pictures that augment the story, providing insight that text alone cannot do."* Graphic novels cross numerous genres and include adventure stories, science fiction, historical fiction, retellings of classic literature and biography. While graphic novels usually appeal to teenagers and middle school students, there are many books appropriate for younger children. The following is a selection of graphic novels that showcase the variety available.

* Baird, Z. M., & Jackson, T. (2007). Got Graphic Novels? More Than Just Superheroes In Tights! Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 5(1), 4-7.

Debon, Nicholas
The Strongest Man in the World: Louis Cyr. 2007.
Louis Cyr astounded audiences throughout North America and Europe with his amazing feats and mammoth proportions. Discover the life and times of this extraordinary hero in this biography in the graphic novel format.
[Education S Collection: SB. C997d]

Eisner, Will
Fagin the Jew. 2003.
A retelling of the classic novel Oliver Twist from the perspective of the villain, Fagin.
[Undergrad: 741.5973 Ei87f]

Holm, Jennifer
Babymouse: Queen of the World. 2005.
An imaginative mouse dreams of being queen of the world, but will settle for an invitation to the most popular girl's slumber party. Appropriate for younger children.
[Center for Children's Books: S. H73b]

Masters, Anthony
Horror of the Heights. 2006.
Dean Lambert suffers from a fear of heights--a big deal if your brother is a diving champion and your father runs the Wave Crest Health Club. Someone is out to sabotage the diving board that Dean fears. He needs to expose the saboteur for everyone's sake.
[Education S Collection: S. M393h]

Medley, Linda
Castle Waiting. 2006.
A collection of tales tell the story of an abandoned castle and the humorous fairy tale characters living there.
[Undergrad: 741.59 M469c]

McLeod, Bob
SuperHero ABC. 2006.
Humorous SuperHeroes such as Goo Girl and The Volcano represent the letters of the alphabet from A to Z. For younger children.
[Education S Collection: Q. SE. M225s]

O'Brien, Anne Sibley.
Legend of Hong Kil Dong. 2006.
Graphic novel treatment of the life and career Hong Kil Dong, the Korean equivalent of Robin Hood.
[Education S Collection: Q.S.741.5 Ob62l]

Pilkey, Dave
The Adventures of Captain Underpants: an Epic Novel. 1997.
When George and Harold hypnotize their principal into thinking that he is the superhero Captain Underpants, he leads them to the lair of the nefarious Dr. Diaper, where they must defeat his evil robot henchmen. Appropriate for younger children.
[Education S Collection: S.P644a]

Schwarz, Viviane
Shark and Lobster's Amazing Undersea Adventure. 2006.
Follows the humorous attempts of Shark and Lobster to conquer their fear of tigers. Appropriate for younger children.
[Education S Collection: S.741.5 Sch966s]

Sfar, Joann
Little Vampire Goes to School. 2003.
A lonely little vampire, yearning for a friend, gets permission from the other monsters to go to school and makes the acquaintance of a boy who does not believe that vampires are real. Appropriate for younger children.
[Education S Collection: Q. S. Sf16l]

Shanower, Eric
Age of Bronze: a Thousand Ships. 2001.
The first part in a projected series about the Trojan War.
[Undergrad: 741.5973Sh198a]

Siegel, Siena Cherson (artwork by Mark Siegel)
To Dance: a Memoir. 2006.
The author describes how she first decided she wanted to be a ballerina at the age of six, and how that dream carried her from her home in Puerto Rico to dance class in Boston to performing with the New York City Ballet. Appropriate for younger children.
[Education S Collection: SB. S571s]

Smith, Jeff.
Bone. 2005.
The adventure starts when cousins Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone are run out of Boneville and later get separated and lost in the wilderness, meeting monsters and making friends as they attempt to return home. (Description from NoveList.)
[Education S Collection: S.741.5973 Sm613bo]

Spiegelman, Art and Mouly, Francoise (editors)
Little Lit: Strange Stories for Strange Kids. 2001.
A collection of bizarre stories, comics, and features depicting a fantastical world where nothing is what it seems offers contributions from such authors as Maurice Sendak, David Sedaris, Posy Simmonds, Ian Falconer, and Kim Deitch. (Description from NoveList.)
[Education Storage: Q.S.741.5973 L721]

Stamaty, Mark Alan
Too Many Time Machines: Or, the Incredible Story of How I Went Back In Time, Met Babe Ruth, and Discovered the Secret of Home Run Hitting. 1999.
Roger uses his time machine to visit Babe Ruth and learn some of the secrets of The Babe's success, enabling Roger's team to win the championship.
[Education Storage: S.St21t]

Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics From an Unpleasant Age. 2007.
The hardships, dramas, and joys of seventh and eighth grade are presented in a collection of tales, illustrated by an array of graphic novelists, including Daniel Clowes and Ariel Schrag.(Description from NoveList.)
[Education S Collection: Q. S.741.5St937s]

Tan, Shaun.
The Arrival. 2007.
In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.
[Education S Collection: Q. S.741.595 T153a]

Varon, Sara
Robot Dreams. 2007.
The enduring friendship between a dog and a robot is portrayed in this wordless graphic novel.
[Center for Children's Books: S.741.59 V434r]

Further resources for choosing and using graphic novels:

Weiner, Stephen
The 101 Best Graphic Novels. 2005.
[Undergrad: 016.74159 W431o2005]

Miller, Steve
Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections. 2005.
[Library and Information Science Library: 025.289 M618d]

Lyga, Allyson A.W.
Graphic Novels in Your Media Center. 2004.
[Education Curriculum Collection: CURR.025.56LIBUN2004]

Mysteries: Daring Detectives and Puzzling Plots

Ever since the days of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, children have enjoyed mystery stories. Mysteries can help develop problem solving skills and critical thinking. The wide variety of stories possible, from historical tales to gritty crime narratives, can entice even the most reluctant readers.

Note: Books with an * before them are part of a series.

Easy Readers and Picture Books

Adler, David
*Young Cam Jansen and the Lions' Lunch Mystery. 2007.
On a field trip to the zoo, Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to help solve what happened to Danny's lunch.
[Education S-Collection: S. Ad593yl]

Cushman, Doug
*The Mystery of King Karfu. 1996.
The great detective Seymour Sleuth and his assistant Muggs journey to Egypt to search for a missing stone chicken, an important clue to the location of the Lost Treasure of King Karfu.
[Education Storage: Q.SE. C959MY]

Gosling, Gabby
The Top Secret Files of Mother Goose. 2004.
When "Mother Goose" tracks down the thief who stole the queen's tarts, she runs into several nursery rhyme characters.
[Education S-Collection: Q. SE. G693t]

Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman
*Nate the Great, San Francisco Detective. 2000.
Nate the Great goes to San Francisco to solve a mystery with his cousin, Olivia Sharp, who is also a detective.
[Education S-Collection: S.Sh23na]

Wisniewski, David
Tough Cookie. 1999.
When his friend Chips is snatched and chewed, Tough Cookie sets out to stop Fingers. A parody of hard-boiled detective stories.
[Education Storage: Q. SE. W762t]

Yolen, Jane
Piggins. 1987.
During a dinner party, the lights go out and Mrs. Reynard's beautiful diamond necklace is stolen, but Piggins the butler quickly discovers the real thief.
[Education Storage: SE. Y78P]

Middle Grade Level

Balliett, Blue
*Chasing Vermeer. 2004.
When strange and seemingly unrelated events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
[Center for Children's Books: S. B213c]

Broach, Elise
Shakespeare's Secret. 2005.
Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school.
[Education S-Collection: S. B781s]

Sobol, Donald J.
*Encyclopedia Brown and the case of the jumping frogs. 2003.
Encyclopedia Brown, boy detective extraordinaire, solves ten new cases, including "The Case of the Miracle Pill," "The Case of Nemo's Tuba," "The Case of the Lawn Mower Races," and "The Case of the Air Guitar." Solutions provided at the end of each chapter.
[Education S-Collection: S. So12ej]

Springer, Nancy.
*The Case of the Missing Marquess : an Enola Holmes mystery. 2006.
Enola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother.
[Education S-Collection: S. Sp83ca]

Van Draanen, Wendelin
*Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief. 1998.
Thirteen-year-old Sammy's penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the "seedy" hotel across the street from the seniors' building where she is living with her grandmother.
[Center for Children's Books: S.D78sam]

Young Adult

Brooks, Kevin
The Road of the Dead. 2006.
Two brothers, sons of an incarcerated gypsy, leave London traveling to an isolated and desolate village, in search of the brutal killer of their sister.
[Center for Children's Books: S. B791r]

Ferguson, Alane
*The Christopher killer: a forensic mystery. 2006.
On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger.
[Education S-Collection: S. F381c]

Hoobler, Dorothy.
*The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn. 1999.
While attempting to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel, Seikei, a merchant's son who longs to be a samurai, joins a group of kabuki actors in eighteenth-century Japan.
[Education Storage: S. H762g]

Nixon, Joan Lowery
Nightmare. 2003.
Emily is sent to a camp for underachievers where she discovers a murderer on the staff who might provide an explanation for her recurring nightmares.
[Education Storage: S.N654ni]

Plum-Ucci, Carol
The Body of Christopher Creed. 2000.
Torey Adams, a high school junior with a seemingly perfect life, struggles with doubts and questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the class outcast.
[Education Storage: S.P739b]

Sorrells, Walter
Fake ID. 2005.
After a lifetime of moving and assuming new identities, sixteen-year-old Chass begins to piece together the disturbing past that haunts her and her mother and which involves a mysterious tape, a deceased popular singer, and the secrets of several people in a small Alabama town.
[Education S-Collection: S. So695f]

Looking for more mysteries? Use the subject headings "mystery and detective stories" and "juvenile fiction" together in the online catalog.

African American Children’s Writers

In honor of Black History Month, the S-Collection presents selected books by notable African American authors. In the U.S., early children's literature often presented stereotypes of African Americans in books written by white authors. By the mid-20th century, a growing number of African American writers sought to present positive images of Black life and culture. African American authors can offer insight into the Black experience in ways writers of other races can not, as African American author Jacqueline Woodson writes, "I realized that no one but me can tell my story."*

*Woodson, J. (1998). Who Can Tell My Story [white authors writing about people of color]. The Horn Book Magazine, 74, 34-38.

African American Authors and Selected Works

Curtis, Christopher Paul

Bud, Not Buddy. 1999.
Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids. A Newberry Medal Winner.
[Education S Collection: S.C941b]

The Watsons Go to Birmingham. 1995.
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
[Education S Collection: S. C941W]

Visit the publisher's website for Christopher Paul Curtis.

Hamilton, Virginia (1936-2002)

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush. 1982.
Fourteen-year-old Tree, resentful of her working mother who leaves her in charge of a retarded younger brother, encounters the ghost of her dead uncle and comes to a deeper understanding of her family's problems. This book won numerous awards including a Newbery Honor Medal.
[Education S Collection: S. H18S]

Zeely. 1967.
Geeder's summer at her uncle's farm is made special because of her friendship with a very tall, composed woman who raises hogs and who closely resembles the magazine photograph of a Watutsi queen.
[Education Storage: S. H18Z1986]

Visit Virginia Hamilton's Website (This site is not actively updated).

Lester, Julius

Ackamarackus: Julius Lester's Sumptuously Silly Fantastically Funny Fables. 2001.
A collection of six original fables with morals both silly and serious.
[Education S Collection: Q.S.398.2 L567a]

Black Cowboy, Wild Horses: a True Story. 1998.
A black cowboy is so in tune with wild mustangs that they accept him into the herd, thus enabling him singlehandedly to take them to the corral.
[Education Storage: Q. SE. L5674b]

Sam and the Tigers: a New Telling of Little Black Sambo. 1996.
Follows the adventures of a little boy named Sam when he matches wits with several tigers that want to eat him.
[Education Storage: SE. L5674S]

Visit Julius Lester's Website

McKissack, Patricia

Black Hands, White Sails: the Story of African-American Whalers.1999.
A history of African-American whalers between 1730 and 1880, describing their contributions to the whaling industry and their role in the abolitionist movement.
[Education Storage: S.639.28 M217b]

The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural. 1992.
A collection of ghost stories with African American themes, designed to be told during the Dark Thirty--the half hour before sunset--when ghosts seem all too believable.
[Education S Collection: S. M217D]

Mirandy and Brother Wind. 1988.
To win first prize in the Junior Cakewalk, Mirandy tries to capture the wind for her partner. Caldecott honor book.
[Education Storage: Q.SE. M217M]

Learn more about Patricia McKissack

Myers, Walter Dean

Shooter. 2004.
Written in the form of interviews, reports, and journal entries, the story of three troubled teenagers ends in a tragic school shooting.
[Education S Collection: S.M992s]

145th Street : Short Stories. 2000.
Ten stories portray life on a block in Harlem.
[Education S Collection: S.M992o]

Visit Walter Dean Myers's Website

Ringgold, Faith

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad In The Sky. 1992.
With Harriet Tubman as her guide, Cassie retraces the steps escaping slaves took on the Underground Railroad in order to reunite with her younger brother.
[Education S Collection: Q.SE. R473A]

Dinner at Aunt Connies's House. 1993.
Dinner at Aunt Connie's is even more special than usual when Melody meets not only her new adopted cousin but twelve inspiring African-American women, who step out of their portraits and join the family for dinner.
[Education S Collection: SE. R473D]

Tar Beach. 1991.
A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. Based on the author's quilt painting of the same name, this is a Caldecott Honor Book.
[Education S Collection: Q.SE. R473T)

Visit Faith Ringgold's Website

Taylor, Mildred D.

The Road to Memphis. 1990.
Sadistically teased by two white boys in 1940s rural Mississippi, a black youth severely injures one of the boys with a tire iron and enlists Cassie's help in trying to flee the state. This is part 3 of the Logan Family series.
[Education Storage: S. T216RO]

The Well: David's Story. 1995.
In Mississippi in the early 1900s ten-year-old David Logan's family generously shares their well water with both white and black neighbors in an atmosphere of potential racial violence.
[Education S Collection: S.T216w 1998]

Visit Penguin Publisher's website on Mildred Taylor.

Looking for more information on African-American authors and their books? Try these sources:

Many Peoples, One Land: a Guide to New Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. 2001.
[Education Juvenile Reference [non-circulating]: S.016.8108H366m]

Black Authors and Illustrators of Books for Children and Young Adults. (4th ed.), 2007.
[Education Juvenile Reference [non-circulating]: S.011.62R658b2007]

The All-White World of Children's Books and African American Children's Literature. 1995.
[Main Stacks: 810.9 AL58]

The Coretta Scott King Awards, 1970-2004. (3rd ed.), 2004.
[Education Juvenile Reference [non-circulating]: S.016.8108 C812]

Beating the Winter Blues: Stories of Adventure and Survival

"It was too cold to go out; it was too wet to play..."

These familiar opening words of Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat highlight the winter woes that descend this time of year. Tempers and daylight hours are short, temperatures and moods are low, and everyone seems to be catching a case of cabin fever. While the relief of a madcap talking cat bursting through the front door is unlikely, a wealth of adventure and survival tales are available to whisk young readers into far-off places, daring quests, and heart-pounding escapes. The books on this selected list of survival and adventure titles can be found in the Education and Social Science Library S-Collection. Additional titles in this genre can be located by entering "adventure and adventurers - - juvenile fiction" or "survival - - juvenile fiction" into a subject search in the UIUC online catalog.

Stewart, Paul
Beyond the Deepwoods (Edge Chronicles Book 1). 2004.
Young Twig lives in the Deepwoods, among the Woodtrolls, but he isn't one of them. In a brave attempt to find out where he belongs, Twig wanders into the mysterious, dangerous world beyond the deepwoods.
[Education S Collection: S.St497b]

Lisle, Janet Taylor
Black Duck. 2006.
Years afterwards, Ruben Hart tells the story of how, in 1929 Newport, Rhode Island, his family and his best friend's family were caught up in the violent competition among groups trying to control the local rum-smuggling trade.
[Education S-Collection: S.L689b]

Mason, Prue
Camel Rider. 2007.
Two expatriates living in a Middle Eastern country, twelve-year-old Adam from Australia and Walid from Bangladesh, must rely on one another when war breaks out and they find themselves in the desert, both trying to reach the same city with no water, little food, and no common language.
[Education S-Collection: S.M381ca]

Hausman, Gerald
Escape from Botany Bay: The True Story of Mary Bryant. 2003.
In 1791, after being transported to Australia in the first shipment of convicts, Mary Bryant, her husband, two children, and seven other convicts, unable to endure the terrible conditions of the penal colony, organize a daring escape in an open boat.
[Education S-Collection: S.H295es]

Stewart, Paul
Fergus Crane (Far-Flung Adventures Book 1). 2004.
Nine-year-old Fergus Crane's life is filled with classes on the school ship Betty Jeanne, interesting neighbors, and helping with his mother's work until a mysterious box flies into his window and leads him toward adventure.
[Education S Collection: S.St497fe]

Williams, Suzanne.
Flight of the Silver Turtle. 2006.
Ben, Zara, Sam, and Marcia begin their summer vacation by helping Professor Ampersand and a new friend build the Silver Turtle, a futuristic airplane, but on the day the first test flight is planned, a strange woman steals the airplane with the children inside.
[Education S-Collection: S.F222f]

Hopkinson, Deborah.
Into the Firestorm: A Novel of San Francisco. 2006.
Days after arriving in San Francisco from Texas, eleven-year-old orphan Nicholas Dray tries to help his new neighbors survive the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the subsequent fires.
[Education S-Collection: S.H77f]

Morpurgo, Michael
Kensuke's Kingdom. 2003.
When Michael is swept off his family's yacht, he washes up on a desert island, where he struggles to survive--until he finds he is not alone.
[Education Storage: S.M829k]

Fleischman, Sid
Midnight Horse. 1990.
Touch enlists the help of The Great Chaffalo, a ghostly magician, to thwart his great-uncle's plans to put Touch into the orphan house and swindle The Red Raven Inn away from Miss Sally.
[Education Storage: S.F62MI]

Collison, Linda
Star-Crossed. 2006.
Having been discovered as a stowaway as she tries to reach Barbados in 1760 to claim her father's estate, teenaged English orphan Patricia Kelley struggles to survive by learning to be a ship's doctor and by disguising herself as a man when necessary.
[Education S-Collection: S.C697s]

Turner, Megan Whalen
The Thief. 1996.
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.
[Education S Collection: S.T855T]

Avi
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. 1990.
As the lone "young lady" on a transatlantic voyage in 1832, Charlotte learns that the captain is murderous and the crew rebellious.
[Education S Collection: S.AV51T]

McCaughrean, Geraldine
The White Darkness. 2007.
Taken to Antarctica by the man she thinks of as her uncle for what she believes to be a vacation, Symone--a troubled fourteen year old--discovers that he is dangerously obsessed with seeking Symme's Hole, an opening that supposedly leads into the center of a hollow Earth.
[Education S-Collection: S.M459w]

Cabin Fever Cures on the Web
More fun ideas are waiting on the web! Check out the following sites for games, crafts, snow sports and more:

Coping With Cabin Fever
Lists suggestions for fun activities broken down by age group.

Beating the Bug: Defeat Cabin Fever With Creative Play
This article by Brenda Nixon offers a variety of imaginative ways to combat boredom.

Winter-Break Fun
Offers printable games and coloring pages, craft ideas, movie suggestions and many other ideas and activities.

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You...But First, Check Your Bookshelf!

The holiday season often includes the release of heavily marketed, family-friendly films, many of which are based on popular and award-winning juvenile and young adult fiction. The movie version of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass grabs the spotlight for the month of December, but the coming year will bring a number of film adaptations of children's stories. The translation from page to screen is tricky, and can draw gasps of delight or spark angry outcries from loyal fans. Even the best adaptation often cannot encompass all of the magic of its print counterpart.

So before you head to the theater, grab a blanket and a bowl of popcorn and curl up with a copy of the original story. The Education and Social Science Library's School Collection includes copies of most of the juvenile and young adult books being made into films next year, and all of the titles can be found within the University of Illinois library system.

Now Playing (2007 film adaptations)

Blood and Chocolate
Klause, Annette Curtis
Having fallen for a human boy, a beautiful teenage werewolf must battle both her packmates and the fear of the townspeople to decide where she belongs and with whom.
[Education S-Collection: S.K668B]

Bridge to Terabithia
Paterson, Katherine.
Ten-year-old Jesse Aarons, who has lived all his life on a farm in Virginia, becomes friends with Leslie Burke, a "city girl" who has moved into a farmhouse down the road and opens doors to culture and imaginative play. But then tragedy strikes (Novelist).
[Education S-Collection: S.P273B]

Nancy Drew
Keene, Carolyn
Follow the adventures of the popular young sleuth as she cracks case after case. The first four books of the original series are listed here, and others may be found by conducting an author search in the UIUC online catalog.
The Secret of the Old Clock [Center for Children's Books: S.K251so1987]
The Hidden Staircase [Education Storage: S.K251hi1930]
The Bungalow Mystery [Education Storage: S.K251B]
The Mystery at Lilac Inn [Education Storage: S.K251ml]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is complicated by persecution from a nefarious witch from the Ministry of Magic, Hagrid's unexplained absence, and an inexplicable and frightening link to Voldemort.
[Education S-Collection: S.R797ho]

Stardust
Gaiman, Neil
In the tranquil fields and meadows of long-ago England, there is a small hamlet that has stood on a jut of granite for 600 years. Just to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here, in the hamlet of Wall, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. And here, one crisp October eve, Tristran makes his love a promise -- an impetuous vow that will send him through the only breach in the wall, across the pasture...and into the most exhilarating adventure of his life.
[University High School: Fiction G141st2000]

The Dark is Rising
Cooper, Susan
On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.
[Education S-Collection: S.C787DA]

Coming Soon (Late 2007-2008 film adaptations)

The Golden Compass
Pullman, Philip
Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.
[Education S-Collection: S.P967n2006]

Persepolis
Satrapi, Marjane
The great-granddaughter of Iran's last emperor and the daughter of ardent Marxists describes growing up in Tehran in a country plagued by political upheaval and vast contradictions between public and private life (Novelist).
[University High School: GN Sa83p]

The Spiderwick Chronicles
DiTerlizzi, Tony and Holly Black
When the Grace children go to stay at their Great Aunt Lucinda's worn Victorian house, they discover a field guide to fairies and other creatures and begin to have some unusual experiences.
The Field Guide (Bk. 1) [Center for Children's Books: S.D634f]
The Seeing Stone (Bk. 2) [Center for Children's Books: S.D634s]
Lucinda's Secret (Bk. 3) [Education S-Collection: S.D634l]
The Ironwood Tree (Bk. 4) [Education S-Collection: S.D634i]

Horton Hears a Who
Seuss, Dr.
A city of Whos on a speck of dust are threatened with destruction until the smallest Who of all helps convince Horton's friends that Whos really exist.
[Education Storage: Q.SE.G27ho]

Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
Lewis, C.S.
Four children help Prince Caspian and his army of Talking Beasts to free Narnia from evil.
[Education Storage: S.L584PR]

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2)
Brashares, Ann
With a bit of last summer's sand in the pockets, the Traveling Pants and the Sisterhood that wears them embark on their 16th summer. Bridget: Impulsively sets off for Alabama, wanting to both confront her demons about her family and avoid them all at once. Lena: Spends a blissful week with Kostos, making the unexplainable silence that follows his visit even more painful. Carmen: Is concerned that her mother is making a fool of herself over a man. When she discovers that her mother borrowed the Pants to wear on a date, she's certain of it. Tibby: Not about to spend another summer working at Wallman's, she takes a film course only to find it's what happens off-camera that teaches her the most.
[Education S-Collection: S.B736se]

Inkheart
Funke, Cornelia
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can "read" fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel "Inkheart" years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story.
[Education S-Collection: S.F964i]

City of Ember
DuPrau, Jeanne
In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.
[Education S-Collection: S.D928c]

Where the Wild Things Are
Sendak, Maurice
A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king.
[Education S-Collection: SE.SE5W]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince brings us Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as Lord Voldemort becomes ever more powerful with his followers increasing day by day in this continuing battle between good and evil. Harry searches for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort, and thereby finds what may be his only vulnerability.
[Education S-Collection: S.R797hh]

Tale of Despereaux
DiCamillo, Kate
The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
[Education S-Collection: S.D547t]

A Note to Eager Fans:
More information about the film versions of these stories, including release dates, cast, trivia, trailers, photos, and more can be found by searching the Internet Movie Database

Thanksgiving Books for Children

As Thanksgiving approaches, many children, teachers, and caregivers will begin searching for books about this popular American holiday. Because the tradition has its origins in the early encounters between European colonists and Native Americans, selection of quality books that are also culturally sensitive and historically accurate can be a delicate task.

The list below contains a sample of the many Thanksgiving-themed books found in the Education and Social Science Library's School Collection. Items were selected based on recommendations from the 8th edition of Best Books for Children, and were checked against the 'Books to Avoid' About Thanksgiving list on the Oyate website. The non-fiction titles provide information on the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as background information about the peoples involved and the environment in which the first Thanksgiving was held. Fiction titles can be found towards the bottom of the list.

Additional books about Thanksgiving can be found by entering "Thanksgiving Day" into a subject search in the UIUC Online Catalog. Additional resources for locating books about Native American peoples can be found on the S-Collection's "Native American Young Adult and Children's Literature" page.

References:
Barr, Catherine, and John T. Gillespie. Best Books for Children: Preschool Through Grade 6.
(8th ed.) Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
[Education Juvenile Reference: S.011.62 B271b2006]

"'Books to Avoid' About Thanksgiving." Oyate Website. Accessed 10/28/2007.

Non-Fiction Titles

Discovery and Settlement: Europe Meets the New World, 1490-1700. (1993).
Brown, Gene.
Presents primary source materials related to the discovery and settlement of America and daily life in the colonies, including the experiences of Native Americans, African Americans, and women.
Call No.: S.973.2 B813

The Mayflower Compact. (2003).
Carter, E.J.
Discusses the history of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts, the early government of the Plymouth Colony, and the document known as the Mayflower Compact.
Call No.: S.974.4 C245m

Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony, 1636. (2001).
Erickson, Paul.
Text, drawings, photographs, and maps describe how the Pilgrims lived at the Plymouth colony in 1636.*
Call No.: Q.S.974.48202 Er44da

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving. (2001).
Grace, Catherine O'Neill.
This appealing and informative photoessay presents the historically correct story of the first Thanksgiving as reenacted at the Plimoth Plantation.*
Call No.: S.394.2649 G753s

A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841.
Greenwood, Barbara.
This book about a family's Thanksgiving celebration in 1841 includes recipes, craft projects, and games.*
Call No.: S.394.2649 G856p

Four Seasons of Corn: A Winnebago Tradition. (1997).
Hunter, Sally M.
Twelve-year-old Russell learns how to grow and dry corn from his Winnebago grandfather.
Call No.: S.394.1089975 H919f

Thanksgiving Day. (1997)
MacMillan, Dianne M.
Describes the history of Thanksgiving Day, how it came to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, and the traditions associated with this holiday.
Call No.: S.394.1649 M228T

Thanksgiving. (1998).
Miller, Marilyn.
Examines the traditions and celebrations associated with the holiday of Thanksgiving.
Call No.: S.394.2649 M616t

Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition. (1992).
Peters, Russell M.
Steven Peters, a twelve-year-old Wampanoag Indian in Massachusetts, learns from his grandfather how to prepare a clambake in the tradition of his people.
Call No.: S.974.482 P442C

Pilgrim Voices: Our First Year in the New World. (1995).
Using first-person sources, the experiences of the Pilgrims from their sea journey to the first Thanksgiving are re-created.*
Call No.: S.974.48202 P643

Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage. (2003).
Plimoth Plantation Inc.
Contains a photographed reenactment of the voyage and landing of the Mayflower with text covering the perspectives of both the Native Americans and the English.
Call No.: Q.S.974.4 M453

The Wigwam and the Longhouse. (2000).
Yue, Charlotte.
Describes the history, customs, religion, government, homes, and present-day status of the various native peoples that inhabited the eastern woodlands since before the coming of the Europeans.
Call No.: S.973.04973 Y9w

Fiction Titles

A Turkey For Thanksgiving. (1991)
Bunting, Eve.
Mr. and Mrs. Moose try to invite a turkey to their Thanksgiving feast.
Call No.: SE.B886TU

Minnie and Moo and the Thanksgiving Tree. (2000).
Cazet, Denys.
All the animals in the barnyard ask the cows Minnie and Moo to hide them so that they will not become Thanksgiving dinner.
Call No.: SE. C319m

We Gather Together - Now Please Get Lost! (2001).
De Groat, Diane
Gilbert the opossum gets stuck with a tattletale "buddy" on a class trip to Pilgrim Town.
Call No.: S.D365w

Thanksgiving at the Tappleton's. (1992).
Spinelli, Eileen.
When calamity stalks every step of the preparations for the Tappleton's Thanksgiving dinner, they realize that there is more to Thanksgiving than turkey and trimmings.
Call No.: Q.SE.Sp46t

The Know-Nothings Talk Turkey. (2000).
Spirn, Michele.
Four friends celebrate Thanksgiving in their own silly way.
Call No.: SE.Sp48knt

Thanksgiving With Me. (1998).
Willey, Margaret.
As a young girl waits for her six uncles to arrive for Thanksgiving, she asks her mother to describe life with these brothers on past Thanksgivings.
Call No.: Q.SE.W669t

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving. (1993).
Alcott, Louisa May.
Follows the activities of seven children in nineteenth-century New England as they prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday while Mother is away caring for Grandmother.
Call No.: Q.S. AL19OL1995

The Perfect Thanksgiving. (2003).
Spinelli, Eileen.
Two families - one that is perfect and one that is far from it - celebrate Thanksgiving in their own loving ways.
Call No.: Q.SE.Sp46p

*annotation from Best Books for Children.

Not Just for the Little Ones: Teen Reads in the S-Collection

While thoughts of the S-Collection may conjure up images of picture books and beginning readers, there are also a large number of young adult materials on the shelves. Books are usually classified as young adult or teen based on their theme and the age of their main characters and target audience. It is also not uncommon to find a considerable amount of cross-over between young adult literature and material that is marketed towards adults. The S-Collection has many titles from popular and award winning young adult authors including Walter Dean Myers, Laurie Anderson, Robert Cormier, Chris Crutcher, and Sarah Dessen.

Finding YA Books in the S-Collection

A subject search in the online catalog using the terms "young adult literature" and "young adult fiction" will provide some titles, but these results are only a handful of the many young adult materials in the UIUC library system, which are often indexed under the same subject headings as adult fiction and literature.

If you do not have a particular author or title in mind, Novelist or the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database will allow you to search for topics and narrow the results by recommended reading age. Titles can then be entered into the online catalog to see if they are part of the UIUC collection. Please note that these resources are available to UIUC affiliates only, but your local library may have access as well. UIUC affiliates will need to authenticate through the proxy server if trying to obtain access from off campus.

In addition to the S-Collection, young adult materials can be found in the collections at the Undergraduate Library, the Residence Hall libraries, the Center for Children's Books, and the University Laboratory High School Library. The UIUC online catalog will provide information about the location of specific titles.

Teen Read Week 2007 (October 14-20)

Every year during the third week in October, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) sponsors Teen Read Week to encourage teens to read for pleasure. The theme for this year's celebration is "LOL @ Your Library," featuring recommended lists of humorous books. [LOL = Laugh Out Loud]

More information can be found at the Teen Read Week website. Some highlights include:
What Makes Authors LOL and Books To Make You LOL @ Your Library.

More recommended reads and award winners from YALSA can be found at the Website.

S-Collection Books to Make You LOL

Here are just a few of the titles from Teen Read Week suggested reading list that can be found in the S-Collection:

Yee, Lisa.
Millicent Min, Girl Genius. 2003.
In a series of journal entries, eleven-year-old child prodigy Millicent Min records her struggles to learn to play volleyball, tutor her enemy, deal with her grandmother's departure, and make friends over the course of a tumultuous summer.
[S.Y352m]

Bagdasarian, Adam.
First French Kiss and Other Traumas. 2002.
The author recounts humorous, sad, traumatic, romantic, and confusing episodes from his childhood.
[S.B1463fi]

Cabot, Meg.
All-American Girl. 2003.
A sophomore girl stops a presidential assassination attempt, is appointed Teen Ambassador to the United Nations, and catches the eye of the very cute First Son.
[S.C1125a]

Howe, Norma.
Adventures of Blue Avenger. 2000.
On his sixteenth birthday, David Schumacher changes his name to Blue Avenger. . . And things start to happen. To find out more about life and death, romance, gun control, lemon meringue pie, and world peace, you'll have to read this book. The decision is yours. Or is it?
[S.H8382a]

Rennison, Louise.
Angus, Thongs, & Full-Frontal Snogging. 2000.
Presents the humorous journal of a year in the life of a fourteen-year-old British girl who tries to reduce the size of her nose, stop her mad cat from terrorizing the neighborhood animals, and win the love of handsome hunk Robbie.
[S.R2952a 2000]

Goldschmidt, Judy.
The Secret Blog of Raisin Rodriguez. 2006.
In a weblog she sends to her best friends back in Berkeley, seventh-grader Raisin Rodriguez chronicles her successes and her more frequent humiliating failures as she attempts to make friends at her new Philadelphia school.
[S.G572s]

Limb, Sue.
Girl, 15, Charming but Insane. 2005.
Fifteen-year-old Jess, living with her mum, separated from her father in Cornwall, and with a best friend who seems to do everything perfectly, finds her own assets through humor.
[S.L629g]

Shusterman, Neil.
The Schwa Was Here. 2006.
A Brooklyn eighth-grader, Anthony, nicknamed Antsy, befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone. Antsy is fascinated by "The Schwa Effect" - the fact that no one ever sees Calvin Schwa. Even when acting weird and dressed like a total freak, The Schwa is only barely noticed. The two boys form a partnership and get away with all kinds of mischief, from conducting experiments at school to confounding opponents on the basketball court.
[S.Sh93sc]

Vizzini, Ned.
Be More Chill. 2005.
Badly in need of self-confidence and a change of image, high school nerd Jeremy Heere swallows a pill-sized super computer that is supposed to help him get whatever he wants.
[S.V839b]

Jack Prelutsky -- The First Children's Poet Laureate

This month, children's author and poet Jack Prelutsky will celebrate his 67th birthday. He will also mark the halfway point in his two year tenure as the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate. Newly created by the Poetry Foundation in 2006, the Children's Poet Laureate award "aims to raise awareness that children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them."* Prelutsky was awarded the honor last year in recognition of over 40 years of delighting young and older readers with his witty, wacky rhymes on everything from nightmares to noses (and some very unusual creatures in between). His works have been translated into several languages and sold millions of copies worldwide.

*[Poetry Foundation]

Want to know more?
Visit the author's website for poems, photos, and answers to frequently asked questions

View a 15 minute interview with Jack at the Reading Rockets website

Jack Prelutsky in the Education S-Collection.
The following list is a selection of Prelutsky's award winning works, and some of his most recent offerings. For a complete list of the UIUC library's holdings, enter the terms "Prelutsky, Jack" into an author search in the online catalog.

Awful Ogre's Awful Day. 2001.
In a series of poems, Awful Ogre rises, grooms himself, dances, pens a letter, and goes through other activities as the day passes.
[Education Storage: Q.S.811 P915a]

Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant: And Other Poems. 2006
An illustrated collection of humorous poems on a variety of topics.
[Education S-Collection: Q.S.811 P915b]

Beneath a Blue Umbrella: Rhymes. 1987.
A collection of short humorous poems in which a hungry hippo raids a melon stand, a butterfly tickles a girl's nose, and children frolic in a Mardi Gras parade.
[Education Storage: S.811 P915b]

The Dragons are Singing Tonight. 1993.
A collection of poems about dragons, including "I'm an Amiable Dragon," "If You Don't Believe in Dragons," and "A Dragon is My Computer."
[Education Storage: Q.S. 811 P915D]

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders: Rhymes. 2002.
Here are poems about people and animals, set in such far-flung places as Minot, Minneapolis, Tuscaloosa, Tucumcari, and the Grand Canyon.
[Education S-Collection: Q.S.811 P915f]

The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep. 1980.
Presents 12 scary poems.
[Education Storage: S.811 P915h]

If Not For the Cat: Haiku. 2004.
Haiku-like poems describe a variety of animals.
[Education S-Collection: S.811 P915i]

It's Raining Pigs & Noodles: Poems. 2000.
A collection of humorous poems such as "The Dancing Hippopotami," "You Can't Make Me Eat That," "My Father's Name is Sasquatch," and "Dear Wumbledeedumble."
[Education S-Collection: S.811 P915itr2000]

The New Kid on the Block: Poems. 1984.
Humorous poems about such strange creatures and people as Baloney Belly Billy and the Gloopy Gloopers.
[Education Storage: S.811 P915ne]

Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep. 1976.
Twelve poems featuring a vampire, werewolf, ghoul, and other monsters.
[Education Storage: S.811 P915N]

The Snopp on the Sidewalk, and Other Poems. 1977.
Twelve poems about snopps, grobbles, flonsters, and other fantastic creatures.
[Education Storage: S.811 P915S]

Something Big Has Been Here. 1990.
An illustrated collection of humorous poems on a variety of topics.
[Education Storage: S.811 P915so]

Wild Witches' Ball. 2004.
A tall witch, a round witch, a silly witch too. Some are spooky, some are cute, and one wears go-go boots! They have gathered for their ball. Why not try to count them all?
[Education S-Collection: SE.P91w]

Now What? Reading After Harry Potter

You've turned the final page, perhaps wiped away a tear or two, and now find yourself facing the dreaded question, "what do I read now that Harry Potter has come to an end?" Fortunately, there are many other doors to the world of witches, wizards, dragons, spells, and monstrous, mysterious creatures. These series, available from the Education S-Collection, will get you on your way to your next magical adventure.

Alexander, Lloyd The Prydian Chronicles
Follow the adventures of Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran and his quest to save the kingdom of Prydain from the forces of evil.
The Book of Three [Center for Children's Books: S.AL27B]
The Black Cauldron [Education Remote Storage: S.AL27BL]
The Castle of Llyr [Education S-Collection: S.AL27CA]
Taran Wanderer [Education Storage: S.AL27T]
The High King [Main Stacks: 813 Al273h]
The Foundling, and Other Tales of Prydian [Education Storage: S.AL27F]

Cooper, Susan The Dark Is Rising Sequence
Four children, one of whom has a powerful destiny, must seek magical artifacts to aid the forces of The Light in defeating the forces of The Dark.
Over Sea, Under Stone [Education S-Collection: S.C787O]
The Dark is Rising [Education S-Collection: S.C787DA]
Greenwitch [Education S-Collection: S.C787G]
The Grey King [Education Storage: S.C787GR]
Silver on the Tree [Education Storage: S.C787S]

Colfer, Eoin Artemis Fowl
Teenage genius and criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl infiltrates the modern, hidden world of fairies in his quest to restore his family fortunes.
Artemis Fowl [Education S-Collection: S.C68a]
The Arctic Incident [Education S-Collection: S.C68ai]
The Eternity Code [Education S-Collection: S.C68ar]
The Opal Deception [Education S-Collection: S.C68ao]
The Lost Colony [Education S-Collection: S.C68al]
Artemis Fowl Files [Education S-Collection: S.C68af]

Pullman, Philip His Dark Materials
In an alternate universe, young Lyra Belacqua is drawn into a struggle between the forces of the Authority and those who hope to end its power.
The Golden Compass [Education Storage: S.P967N1996]
The Subtle Knife [Education S-Collection: S.P967th]
The Amber Spyglass [Education S-Collection: S.P967a]

Riordan, Rick Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Perseus "Percy" Jackson learns that he is the son of the sea god Poseidon and is whisked away from his home in Manhattan to spend the summer at Camp Half-Blood along with other demigods.
The Lightning Thief [Education S-Collection: S.R479p]
The Sea of Monsters [Education S-Collection: S.R479s]
The Titan's Curse [Education S-Collection: S.R479t]

Sage, Angie Septimus Heap
Aided by the Extraordinary Wizard and a young soldier known only as Boy 412, the "magykal" Heap family must find a way to protect their foundling daughter from an evil necromancer.
Magyk [Education S-Collection: S.Sa18s]
Flyte [available through I-Share]
Physik [available through I-Share]

Stroud, Jonathan Bartimaeus Trilogy
Set in modern London, this trilogy follows the adventures of Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice and Bartimaeus, the djinn whom he summons to help him.
The Amulet of Samarkand [Education S-Collection: S.St892b]
The Golem's Eye [Education S-Collection: S.St892g]
Ptolemy's Gate [Education S-Collection: S.St892p2005]

Other Authors to check out:

Roald Dahl
Brian Jacques
C.S. Lewis
D.J. McHale
Robin McKinley
Tamora Pierce
Patricia Wrede
Jane Yolen

Still can't get enough fantasy? The Education and Social Science Library has a number of guides to children's fantasy literature available on our website.

Coming to America

Turn on the television or pick up a newspaper or magazine these days, and you are likely to encounter something about immigration. The often heated debate about immigration reform is likely to raise questions with older and even some young children. Beyond current political trends, many children also have questions about their family history and where they came from. With notable exceptions, the majority of people in the United States can trace their ancestry back to some individual or individuals who made the difficult journey to a new country. The immigration experience is a part of American heritage.

The Education and Social Science Library has many fiction and non-fiction resources for further exploration of immigration history, or the experiences of a particular ethnic group.

Young Adult Fiction

Gallo, Donald R.
First Crossing: Stories About Teen Immigrants. 2004.
Stories of recent Mexican, Venezuelan, Kazakh, Chinese, Romanian, Palestinian, Swedish, Korean, Haitian, and Cambodian immigrants reveal what it is like to face prejudice, language barriers, and homesickness along with common teenage feelings and needs.
[Education S-Collection: S.F519]

Carlson, Lori M.
American Eyes: New Asian-American Short Stories for Young Adults. 1994.
These ten stories reflect the conflict Asian Americans face in balancing an ancient heritage and an unknown future.
[Education S-Collection: S. AM353]

Giff, Patricia Reilly.
Maggie's Door. 2003.
In the mid-1800s, Nory and her neighbor and friend, Sean, set out separately on a dangerous journey from famine-plagued Ireland, hoping to reach a better life in America.
[Education Storage: S.G366m]

Juvenile Fiction

Lombard, Jenny.
Drita, My Homegirl. 2006.
When ten-year-old Drita and her family, refugees from Kosovo, move to New York, Drita is teased about not speaking English well, but after a popular student named Maxie is forced to learn about Kosovo as a punishment for teasing Drita, the two girls soon bond.
[Education S Collection: S. L838d]

Glaser, Linda.
Bridge to America: Based on a True Story. 2005.
Eight-year-old Fivel narrates the story of his family's Atlantic Ocean crossing to reunite with their father in the United States, from its desperate beginning in a shtetl in Poland in 1920 to his stirrings of identity as an American boy.
[Education S Collection: S. G462b]

Perez, Amada Irma.
My Diary From Here to There = Mi diario de aqui hasta. 2002.
A young girl describes her feelings when her father decides to leave their home in Mexico to look for work in the United States.
[Education S Collection: S.P4152my]

Giff, Patricia Reilly.
A House of Tailors. 2004.
When thirteen-year-old Dina emigrates from Germany to America in 1871, her only wish is to return home as soon as she can, but as the months pass and she survives a multitude of hardships living with her uncle and his young wife and baby, she finds herself thinking of Brooklyn as her home.
[Education S Collection: S. G366h]

Aliki.
Marianthe's Story One: Painted Words; Marianthe's Story Two: Spoken Memories. 1998.
Two separate stories in one book, the first telling of Mari's starting school in a new land, and the second describing village life in her country before she and her family left in search of a better life.
[Education Storage: Q. S.Al44m]

Picture Books

Recorvits, Helen.
My Name is Yoon. 2003.
Disliking her name as written in English, Korean-born Yoon, or "shining wisdom," refers to herself as "cat," "bird," and "cupcake," as a way to feel more comfortable in her new school and new country.
[Education S Collection: SE. R2453m]

Patridge, Elizabeth.
Oranges on Golden Mountain. 2001.
When hard times fall on his family, Jo Lee is sent from China to San Francisco, where he helps his uncle fish and dreams of being reunited with his mother and sister.
[Education Storage: Q. SE. P2581o]

Bunting, Eve.
A Picnic in October. 1999.
A boy finally comes to understand why his grandmother insists that the family come to Ellis Island each year to celebrate Lady Liberty's birthday.
[Education Storage: Q. SE. B886pi]

Mak, Kam.
My Chinatown: One Year in Poems. 2002.
A boy adjusts to life away from his home in Hong Kong, in the Chinatown of his new American city.
[Education S Collection: SE. M2891m]

Non-Fiction

Schaefer, Adam.
Modern Immigration and Expansion. 2007.
A history of U.S. immigration from the 19th century through September 11th.
[Education S Collection: S.304.873 Sch131m]

Sandler, Martin W.
Island of Hope: The Story of Ellis Island and the Journey to America. 2004.
Relates the story of immigration to America through the voices and stories of those who passed through Ellis Island, from its opening in 1892 to the release of the last detainee in 1954.
[Education S Collection: S.304.8 Sa569i]

Teichmann, Iris.
Immigration & Asylum. 2003.
Examines the history, causes and current state of immigration and immigrants.
[Education S Collection: S.304.8 T233i]

Hoobler, Dorothy.
We Are Americans: Voices of the Immigrant Experience. 2003.
A history of immigration to America, from speculation about the earliest immigrants to the present day.
[Education S Collection: S.304.8 H76w]

Whitman, Sylvia.
Immigrant Children. 2000.
Describes the flood of immigration into the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, focusing on the experiences of the youngest immigrants, both on their journeys and in their new country.
[Education S Collection: S.305.230973 W595i]

We Are America Series focuses on the experiences of a dozen different ethnic groups, from Irish to Cuban to Pakistani. Enter "We Are America" into a Series search in the UIUC Online Catalog. Or, browse the call number S.973 in the Education S-Collection.

]]> Searching the UIUC Online catalog

Quick Search (subject search)
Emigration and Immigration -- Fiction (look for the option listed as "LC Subject Headings for Children")
United States -- Emigration and Immigration -- Juvenile Literature
United States -- Emigration and Immigration -- History -- Juvenile Literature

Advanced Search (subject search)
Immigration AND Juvenile Literature

Browsing (non-fiction only)
304.8 books about the subject of immigration
973 books about specific immigrant groups in the United States

Immigration on the Web

The following websites will prove useful in helping children and families investigate their history.

Ellis Island
Explore the history of Ellis Island and American immigration, search a registry of immigrants and view the actual passenger manifests

Angel Island
Although it was billed as the "Ellis Island of the West," the facility was constructed primarily to serve as a detention center to curb the flow of Asian immigration during the early 20th century. Explore the islands history, and view updates of the ongoing renovation project. Additional history and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation

Immigration Records at the National Archives & Records Administration
Explore Immigration records at the National Archives website. View sample documents, such as the list of Titanic survivors and get links to other genealogy websites.

Are We There Yet???

Summer's here, school is out, and for many families, vacation is right around the corner. The Travel Industry Association is predicting that Americans will make 330 million trips of 50 miles or more this summer.* Summer travel is the source of great memories for many people, but it can also be a challenge for families with young children, some of whom may be making their first long-distance trek away from home.

The Education and Social Science Library's School Collection of children's books has a number of resources for parents looking to help kids gear up for their summer trip, or combat boredom on the road.

* Source: www.tia.org

Books About Travel

Wilson, Karma.
Dinos On The Go! 2004.
Dinosaurs ride everything from bicycles to airplanes as they travel around the world.
[Education S-Collection: Q.SE.W694d]

Neitzel, Shirley.
The Bag I'm Taking to Grandma's. 1998.
In cumulative verses and rebuses a young boy and his mother have different views on how to pack a bag for a trip to Grandma's.
[Education Storage: SE.N319b1998]

Rey, H.A.
How Do You Get There? 1997.
The author of Curious George invites the reader to guess the best mode of transportation for different places and destinations.
[Education Storage: SE.R328h1997]

Stephas, Kristi.
Flying Solo. 2005.
Six-year-old Ellie is flying alone for the first time, taking an airplane from Chicago to see her aunt in San Diego.
[Education S-Collection: Q.SE.St435f]

Moss, Marissa.
Amelia's Are-We-There-Yet, Longest Ever Car Trip. 2006.
Ten-year-old Amelia keeps a journal of the summer car trip she takes with her mother and sister to Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and their California home town to visit Amelia's best friend.
[Education S-Collection: S.M855ama]
**NOTE: an earlier edition, published under the title Amelia Hits the Road (1999) is also available in Education Storage (Call Numer S.M855ah1999)

Manzano, Sonia.
No Dogs Allowed! 2004.
When Iris, her family, and the neighbors take a trip to Enchanted Lake, everyone brings what they think is needed, but the family dog turns out to present a problem.
[Education S-Collection: SE.M319n]

Balan, Bruce.
Cows Going Past. 2005.
A family sees many different kinds of cows from the window of their car while on a trip.
[Education S-Collection: SE.B182c]

Walters, Virginia.
Are We There Yet Daddy? 1999.
A young boy describes the trip he and his father make to Grandma's house, measuring how many miles are left at various points on the trip.
[Education S-Collection: Q.SE.w1715a]

Kotzwinkle, William.
Walter the Farting Dog Goes on a Cruise. 2006.
Because his farts create unpleasantness for everyone on a cruise ship, Walter the dog continues the journey in a lifeboat, but when the ship's computer crashes, causing the liner to drift, Walter again proves himself a hero.
[Education S-Collection: Q.SE.K849wa]

Ricciuti, Edward R.
America's Top 10 Natural Wonders. 1998.
Introduces ten unique natural formations in the United States, including the Grand Canyon, Devil's Tower, and Niagara Falls.
[Education Storage: Q.S. 557.3 R359A]

Boredom Busters

Boatness, Marie.
Travel Games for the Family. 1993.
100 ideas for games and entertaining kids while on the road.
[Education Storage: S.794 B63T]

Treat, Lawrence.
Get a Clue 1: 25 Picture Mysteries. 1997.
Readers must solve a short mystery by looking for clues in the accompanying illustration. Answers are included.
[Education S-Collection: S.793.73 T71G]

Treat, Lawrence.
Get a Clue 2: 25 More Picture Mysteries. 1997.
More mysteries with clues in the illustrations. Answers are included.
[Education Storage: S.793.73 T71GE]

Gardner, Martin.
Classic Brainteasers. 1994.
A collection of over 70 classic brainteasers including problematic puns, word games, and optical tricks.
[Education S-Collection: S.793.73 G175C]

The Kid's Book of the 50 Great States: A State-By-State Scrapbook Filled with Facts, Maps, Puzzles, Poems, Photos and More! 1998.
[Education Storage: S.917.3 K541 1998]

Pilkey, Dav.
The All New Captain Underpants Extra-Crunch Book o' Fun 2. 2002.
Learn how to draw your favorite characters, tell cheesy jokes, and even make your own silly Captain Underpants story. Also includes a comic-book adventure starring Captain Underpants, Super Diaper Baby, and the amazing Diaper Dog.
[Education S-Collection: S.790.1 P639a]

Wise, Lenny.
The Way Cool License Plate Book. 2002
Offers license plate facts and trivia, vanity plate puzzles, and a wide range of license plate games.
[Education S-Collection: Q.S.793.7 W754w]

Wick, Walter.
Can You See What I See? Cool Collections: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve. 2004.
Readers search for objects hidden in photographs of buttons, dinosaurs, robots, shells, cars, animals, leaves, beads, game pieces, and the contents of a junk drawer.
[Education S-Collection: S.793.73 W632ca]

Boredom Busters on the Web

The following sites offer printable activities and games including road trip bingo, connect the dots, scavenger hunts, songs, string games, and more!

Puzzles & Games: Travel Games & Games for the Car

101 Car Travel Games & Ideas for Kids

Family Travel Games for the Road

High Interest Low Vocabulary Books

Finding age appropriate material for struggling readers has been a topic of concern for decades. The first bibliographies of books for struggling readers appeared in the late 1940s and efforts to adapt literary classics and create series of books for struggling older readers can be seen as far back as the mid 1930s (Mason, 1981). The use of the term "high interest/low vocabulary" to refer to such books was coined with the publication of Durrell and Sullivan's High Interest-Low Vocabulary Book List in 1950 (Mason, 1981). This term is still in use today, although it is common to find it shortened to "hi/lo books." The popularity and belief in the effectiveness of such books fell off during the 1990s, but efforts to improve reading have lead to a resurgence of interest in these types of materials in the last few years (Graves and Philippot, 2002).

Advocates of high interest/low vocabulary books argue that getting reluctant or struggling readers to practice reading is essential for the continued development of reading skill, and that the best way to do so is to provide them with materials that match their interests as well as their current reading level. In creating such materials careful attention must be paid to constructing a work that will not only keep the readers interests (and not appear too babyish) but also present the material in a format that will not further frustrate or confuse a struggling reader. Kenneth Schatmeyer has compiled the following list of essential characteristics of a good high interest/low vocabulary book (Schatmeyer, 2007):

- Compelling storyline and credible characters
- Topics and issues with which readers can make personal or emotional connections
- Supportive formatting that includes illustrations and appropriate text placement on the page
- Careful introduction and reinforcement of difficult vocabulary and concepts
- Straightforward plot development
- Simple sentence structures

References:

Graves, Michael F. and Raymond Philippot. (2002) "High Interest Easy Reading: An Important Resource for Struggling Readers." Preventing School Failure, 46(2), pp179-182.

Mason, George E. (1980) "High Interest-Low Vocabulary Books: Their Past and Future." Journal of Reading, 24(7), pp603-607.

Schatmeyer, Kenneth. (2007) "Hooking Struggling Readers: Using Books They Can and Want to Read." Illinois Reading Council Journal, 35(1), pp7-13.

Locating High Interest Low Vocabulary Books

Series

You can find series of books from a single publisher that focus on hi/lo reading. Below are just two examples that may be found in the UIUC Library's collections.

Orca Soundings (Orca Publishers) Reading level Gr 2-4, Interest level age 10-14
Keystone Books (Capstone Press) Reading level Gr 2-3, Interest level age 10-14

Bibliographies

The sources below will assist you in locating additional books and Web sites related to hi/lo reading materials.

LiBretto, Ellen V.
High/Low Handbook: Best Books and Web Sites for Reluctant Teen Readers. (2002)
[Education S-Collection S.016.027 L616h]

Committee to Revise High Interest Easy Reading (National Council of Teachers of English)
High Interest Easy Reading: An Annotated Booklist for Middle and Senior High School. (1996)
[Education Juvenile Reference: S.026.81 E53h1996]

Ammon, Bette DeBruyne
More Rip-Roaring Reads for Reluctant Teen Readers. (1999)
[Education: 016.8108092 Am64m]

UIUC Online Catalog

In a subject heading search, enter the following phrase:

High interest low vocabulary books

]]> Hi/Lo Books at UIUC

The following is a sample of the high interest low vocabulary books that can be found in the Education and Social Science Library's S-Collection. Reading levels and recommended ages are drawn from the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database.

Jimenez, Francisco.
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child (1997).
A collection of stories about the life of a migrant family.
Reading Level (5.1)
Interest Level (Age 10+)
[Education S-Collection: S.J564c]

Shan, Darren
Cirque du Freak. 2001.
Two boys who are best friends visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices.
Reading Level (4.8)
Interest Level (Age 10+)
[Education S-Collection: S.Sh181c2001]

Woods, Brenda
Emako Blue. 2004.
Monterey, Savannah, Jamal, and Eddie have never had much to do with each other until Emako Blue shows up at chorus practice, but just as the lives of the five Los Angeles high school students become intertwined, tragedy tears them apart.
Reading Level (3.5)
Interest Level (Age 12+)
[Education Storage: S.W861e]

Johnson, Angela
First Part Last. 2003.
Bobby's carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter.
Reading Level (4.7)
Interest Level (Age 12+)
[Education S-Collection: S.J632f]

Yep, Laurence
Hiroshima. 1995.
Describes the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, particularly as it affects Sachi, who becomes one of the Hiroshima Maidens.
Reading Level (4.9)
Interest Level (Age 9+)
[Education S-Collection: S.Y43H]

Foon, Dennis
Skud. 2003.
Will Shane, who is a gangsta, help Andy "act tough" when Andy gets a part in a gangster film?
Reading Level (3.4)
Interest Level (Age 14+)
[Education S-Collection: S.F739s]

Trueman, Terry
Stuck in Neutral. 2005.
Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function fully, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him.
Reading Level (5.7)
Interest Level (Age 12+)
[Education S-Collection: S.T768s]

Janeczko, Paul
Stone Bench in an Empty Park. 2000.
An anthology of haiku accompanied by photographs reflects nature in the city.
Reading Level (3.2)
Interest Level (Age 8+)
[Education Storage: S.811 St72]

Mac, Carrie
Crush. 2006.
Exiled to New York City with her obnoxious older sister while their hippie parents visit Thailand, seventeen-year-old Hope lands a babysitting job with a lesbian couple. She starts to question her sexuality when romance blooms with a nineteen-year-old biker chick (summary from Horn Book Guide Spring 2007)
Reading Level (3.9)
Interest Level (Age 12+)
[Education S-Collection: S.M115c]

Henry, April.
Shock Point. 2006.
Fifteen-year-old Cassie Streng is determined to expose her stepfather after learning that he is giving a dangerous experimental drug to his teenaged psychiatric patients, but he sends her to a boot camp for troubled teens in Mexico in order to keep her quiet.
Reading Level (5.2)
Interest Level (Age 12+)
[Education S-Collection: S. H396sh]