Quick Reference for Teachers on Nonfiction

Choosing high quality and current texts to incorporate into the classroom.

Jamie Ridgely, Grade 2 TeacherWilliam Winchester Elementaryjlridg2@carrollk12.eduAugust xx, 2009

Table of Contents

Choosing Quality Nonfiction .....................pg 1

Top 10 Nonfiction Texts…………………..pg 3

Highly Recommended…………………….pg 5

Top Intermediate Texts…….……………..pg 11

Teacher Guides……………....……………pg 13

Choosing Quality Nonfiction

ResearchI chose titles by authors who were actively engaged in their projects. These authors provided detailed notes in the back , describing their research methods and identifying their reliable, up-to-date sources.

Photographs/IllustrationsWhen a picture book has just a few lines of text, the photographs or illustrations need to help tell the story. Large bright photographs engage students, especially visual learners who may not retain all the information provided orally.

WritingWhile previewing, make sure that vocabulary is age appropriate. The amount of information in the book should be well explained so that a particular age can understand it. To make the subject relatable to the students, look for texts that build connections between the reader and the book.

Read AloudAfter determining that a book has reliable information, with high quality writing and photographs, read a few pages out loud to see if the writing flows. Select titles that primary students would enjoy hearing.

LayoutStruggling readers can be overwhelmed with a busy page that includes tables, charts and bubbles. Examine the page layout; look at the placement of the text and the photographs. The information should be presented simply and clearly.

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This list includes 2008-2009 titles. To create it, I read the newest editions of the Horn Book Guide and Booklist. I examined titles from the 2009 ALSC Notable Children’s Books, Coretta Scott King and Pura Belpré, Sibert, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus. I also looked for books that had outstanding: (1) research notes, (2) illustrations, (3) writing, (4) page layout, and (5) were fun to read aloud.

Four author/illustrators—Nic Bishop, Sy Montgomery, Steve Jenkins, and Gail Gibbons—extensively research, write for the young reader, use stunning illustrations, and design an enticing page layout..

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Nic BishopNic Bishop is my favorite author/photographer of nonfiction. He is so passionate about his photography that he brings small creatures home to get that rare shot. Nic Bishop often works with Sy Montgomery. They are enthusiastic about nature and science which comes through in their books. Bishop’s photography should be in every classroom.

Sy MontgomeryFrom gorillas in Zaire, vampire bats in Costa Rica, snakes in Manitoba and tarantulas in French Guiana, Sy Montgomery has traveled the world to research the subjects of her books. Sometimes Montgomery’s writing is sophisticated, but learners will be intrigued.

Steve JenkinsSteve Jenkins offers children straightforward explanations. He graduated with a graphics degree and does all his own illustrations. Jenkins uses a unique way of layering paper to create the animals he writes about. Often collaborating with his wife, Robin Page, Jenkins says he is inspired by questions children ask.

Gail GibbonsGail Gibbons also likes hearing the questions children ask and uses them as inspirations for the books she writes and illustrates. Gibbons enjoys the researching process and travels to the places she writes about to get a first hand experience. She strives to make nonfiction visually pleasing with bright colors. Gibbons does not talk down to children, but chooses to let her pictures tell most of the story.

Top 10 Nonfiction Texts of 2008/2009Grades K-3

Bishop, Nic. Frogs. New York: Scholastic, 2008.Grade K: Life Cycle of a FrogEven the tiniest of frogs are captured in these fascinating up-close photos. Children will be eager to explore rainforest frogs from the tiny dart frog to the giant mammoth bullfrog.

Jenkins, Steve. Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2009.Grade 3: Researching AnimalsTake a journey 35,838 feet down inside the deepest spot in the ocean. Meet chilling creatures from the deep. Observe how they survive in the dark ocean and how they lure their prey.

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. How many Ways Can you Catch a Fly? Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.Grade 1: Researching AnimalsFlies have compound eyes which make them difficult to catch. So how do animals catch flies to eat? Find out how animals are able to use their instincts to catch this elusive prey.

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. Sisters and Brothers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.Grade 1: Researching AnimalsSome families grow up taking care of each other such as the naked mole rats. Other siblings are not so friendly—hyena brothers will fight to the death.

Nelson, Kadier. We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. New York: Hyperion, 2008.Grade 3: Informational TextsThe narrator examines the racial barrier and hardships for the first players of the Negro League. Writing is sophisticated but baseball lovers won’t mind. Stunning illustrations will engage readers.

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Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. When the Wolves Returned. New York: Walker, 2008.Grade 3: Researching AnimalsOut of fear that the wolves were killing all the elk and deer, park rangers had the wolves destroyed. Soon after, Yellowstone’s natural wonders were thrown off balance. Outstanding photographs show readers the beauty of nature in Yellowstone’s National Park.

Rappaport, Doreen. Lady Liberty: A Biography. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2008.Grade 2: American SymbolsShe stands tall and proud in the harbor of New York City, welcoming newcomers to America. She is our Statue of Liberty. The working class of New York and the citizens of France helped bring this symbol of freedom to America.

Sandler, Martin. W. Lincoln Through the Lens. New York: Walker, 2008.Grade 3: Informational TextsThe history of photography is intertwined with the humble beginnings of Abraham Lincoln. With detailed accounts of the major battles of the Civil War to the death of a president, this book provides a glimpse of America during the 1860s.

Tanaka, Shelley. Amelia Earhart: The Legend of the Lost Aviator. New York: Madison Press, 2008.Grade 3: Informational TextsAs a young woman, Amelia took flying lessons. She eventually became famous for her long flights, some across oceans. During her adventure that would take her around the world, Amelia disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

Weatherford, Carole Boston. I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer. New York: Walker, 2008.Grade 3: Informational TextsRobert Peary and Matthew Henson wanted to be the first explorers to make it to the North Pole. Through several hardships, Matthew overcame the prejudice of the people who believed he couldn’t do it.

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Animals

Arnold, Caroline. A Kangaroo’s World. Minneapolis, MN: Window Books, 2008.Grade 1: Researching AnimalsChildren can follow the life of a baby kangaroo from his first days in his mother’s pouch up to his first year of life. The book explains how kangaroos use their tail for balance and move about their environment.

Fox, Mem. Hello Baby! New York: Beach Lane, 2009.Grade K: Researching AnimalsThis rhyming book introduces readers to a variety of baby animals in the wild. See the connection between baby animals and their parent who takes care of them.

Highly Recommended

George, Jean Craighead. The Wolves are Back. New York: Dutton, 2008.Grade 3: Life cyclesIn the 1920s people decided only animals who were not fierce hunters could stay in Yellowstone. All the wolves were murdered. With the wolves gone, the ecosystem was thrown off balance. Discover how the park is restored when the wolves returned.

Gibbons, Gail. Dinosaurs! New York: Holiday House, 2008.Grade 1: Informational TextsPrehistoric beasts ruled the Earth millions of years ago. Gibbons teaches young readers about their size, where they lived, and how they survived. She includes theories of what happened to make the dinosaurs go extinct.

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Guiberson, Brenda Z. Ice Bears. New York: Henry Holt, 2008.Grade 1: Researching AnimalsLife in the Arctic is not easy, even for a polar bear. Global warming is making it even more difficult for these magnificent creatures. Guiberson explains how a mother polar bear protects her two cubs while trying to teach them to feed and survive.

Markle, Sandra. Animal Heroes. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press, 2009.Grade 2: Weather/ Informational TextsAfter feeling a large rumble at the World Trade Center, a Seeing Eye dog led his master down some 70 flights of stairs to safety. Read about other animals who became heroes after rescuing their human companions.

Markle, Sandra. Finding Home. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2008.Grade 1: Researching AnimalsAfter surviving a devastating brush fire, a mother Koala bear and her joey must find a place to live. She travels twelve miles, across a major highway and into a neighborhood. With the help of her new human neighbors, she and her joey safely make their way home.

Sayre, April Pulley. Trout Are Made of Trees. Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge, 2008.Grade 4: Food ChainTrout, along with shrimp, salmon, bears and humans are made of trees. They all eat the creatures that eat the moss created by leaves that have died and fallen into the stream. This easy introduction to nature’s food chains in nature is a delightful read aloud.

Schulman, Janet. Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City. New York: Knopf, 2008.Grade 2: Informational TextsThe residents of New York City are diverse. Meet a hawk who has decided to trade in the rural scene for the city life. Pale Male and his mate return every year to the Fifth Avenue apartment building to raise their young. Tourists from all over come to see this famous New Yorker; but can they help change the minds of some residents who want the birds gone?

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Singer, Marilyn. Eggs. New York: Holiday House, 2008. Grade K-1: Researching AnimalsEggs are just as diverse as the creatures who lay them. Eggs serve many functions; they are a home until the baby is ready to hatch, and to some animals, they are food.

Biography

Bryant, Jen. A River of Words. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books, 2008.Grade 2: PoetryWilliam Carlos Williams was always outside and rushing around. All that changed when he read his first poem. He loved the way the words flowed from the pages. Williams went on to become a doctor, but he never forgot his love for writing poems.

Capaldi, Gina. A Boy Named Beckoning. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, 2008.Grade 3: Informational TextsAt five-years-old, Wassaja, a young Native American boy, was captured and sold as a slave. A religious Irish man, Carlo, purchased him and raised Wassaja as a son. Wassaja, who was renamed Carlos, worked hard in school to became a doctor.

Fradin, Dennis Breindell. Duel! Burr and Hamilton’s Deadly War of Words. New York: Walker, 2008.Grade 3: Informational TextsDuels had been outlawed in the United States but two famous men, Alexander Hamilton (secretary of the treasury) and Aaron Burr (vice-president) decided that was the only way to settle their differences. With neither party willing to discuss their issues, both men ended up destroying their lives.

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Greenberg, Jan. Sandra Jordan. Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2008.Grade 3: Informational TextsChristo and Jeanne-Claude have different views of art than most people. The duo has built temporary large scale works of art between the Colorado Mountains and several miles through New York’s Central Park.

Kerley Barbara. What to Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.Grade 2: Informational TextsAlice insists on enjoying life to the fullest. She likes to dance all night, sleep until noon, and accept extravagant gifts. Her father, Theodore Roosevelt—the president of the United States—has a lot of responsibilities. Can he run the country and manage Alice?

Stone, Tanya Lee. Sandy’s Circus: A Story About Alexander Calder. New York: Viking, 2008.Grade 2: Informational TextsLions, tigers and… wire? Alexander Calder chose to view the circus in a very unique way. An engineer from Paris, he built many structures of wire. One day, after watching the circus that came to town, he made a single figure of wire. In no time at all, he made an entire miniaturized moving circus of wire. He took his circus on the road to share his creation with others.

Insects and Arachnids

Bishop, Nic. Butterflies and Moths. New York: Scholastic, 2009.Grade 2: InsectsFrom the largest butterfly to the smallest moth in the world, discover the diversity of these two amazing insects. Through Bishop’s stunning photographs, see how they survive and grow. There are fold out pages that show several snap-shots of a butterfly in flight.

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Bishop, Nic. Spiders. New York: Scholastic Inc, 2007. Grade 2: Informational TextsThere are over 38,000 different types of spiders. Discover many rare spiders such as the Gothic Bird-Eating spider which is eleven inches long. Bishop pairs fascinating spider facts with glorious photographs.

Markle, Sandra. Praying Mantis. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner, 2008.Grade 2: InsectsMeet one of the most feared predators of the insect world. A praying mantis may look peaceful, but it’s standing still, waiting for an unsuspecting victim to wander along. A mantis will eat anything smaller than itself, even another mantis!

Markle, Sandra. Sneaky, Spinning Baby Spiders. New York: Walker, 2008.Grade 2: Informational TextsInvestigate what happens when spider eggs hatch. Some immediately make a balloon of their silk and blow off into the wind to find a home of their own. Other spiders stay on their mother’s backs until they are ready to care for themselves.

MathematicsLeedy, Loreen. Missing Math. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2008.Grade 1 and 2: Number SenseWhat would a world without numbers be like? Not only would people be unable to add and subtract, but there would also be no sports, no money, no president, no TV! Food wouldn’t taste quite the same because cookbooks would have no quantities. Say goodbye to birthday parties because there would be no calendars to keep the dates.

Tang, Greg. Math Fables Too. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007.Grade K-1: Basic Number ConceptsThese fun animal fables help young students with the concept of addition. The book also emphasizes groups of to help students develop a sold understanding of number concepts. In addition to mathematics, the book has science facts about animals and nature.

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NatureArnosky, Jim. The Brook Book. New York: Dutton, 2008. Grade K-1: Plants and AnimalsTake a closer look inside small streams; they are full of life! Crayfish, salamanders and even catfish can be found in these small bodies of flowing water. The simple language and inviting photographs makes this the perfect book to read aloud.

Haskins, Jim. Kathleen Benson. Count Your Way through Zimbabwe. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook, 2007.Grade 2: World CulturesStudents will learn how to count from one to ten in the most commonly used African language. Each page shows the natural beauty of Zimbabwe’s landscapes and cultures.

Space and Weather

McCarthy, Meghan. Astronaut Handbook. New York: Knopf, 2008.Grade 2: Informational TextsYou think you’d like to be an astronaut? Astronauts need to work and study hard while in school. Aside from studying math and science, astronauts also need to learn how to speak Russian. Find out how astronauts eat, work, and go to the bathroom in space.

Gibbons, Gail. Tornadoes! New York: Holiday House, 2009.Grade 2: WeatherTornadoes are funnel-shaped wind storms that can be very destructive. Learn the scale used by scientists to classify the level of danger and what to do in case one should be near you.

Rey, H. A. Find the Constellations. Boston, MA : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008.Grade 3: SpaceSome clusters of stars create pictures like a dipper or a bear. These are called constellations and they can help you find your way if you are ever lost. This book shows how to find all the constellations on a clear night.

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Top Intermediate Texts

Brown, Don. Let it Begin Here: The Day the American Revolution Began. New York: Flash Point, 2008.Grade 5: RevolutionDiscover how the American Revolution began. The photos show a disturbing yet realistic side to war. It’s not all glory; some deaths are described in detail, acknowledging the major sacrifices for our nation.

Bolden, Tonya. George Washington Carver. New York: Abrams, 2008.Grade 5: BiographyBorn into slavery, George knew he was meant for more. The compassionate couple who purchased George sent him to school where he quickly discovered a love of plants. He then went on to college and became a famous scientist.

Freedman, Russell. Washington at Valley Forge. New York: Holiday House, 2008.Grade 5: RevolutionThe American Revolution is one of the most important historical events for our nation. During the winter of 1777, George Washington and his men almost died while camped at Valley Forge. This account of the harsh winter without warm clothing or food shows just how important freedom was to our ancestors.

Simon, Seymour. The Human Body. New York: HarperCollins, 2008.Grade 5: HealthWith remarkable photographs and informative texts, students will enjoy seeing pictures of the skull, blood vessels, and organs.

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Fleming, Candace. The Lincolns: A Scrapbook look at Abraham and Mary. New York: Schwartz & Wade, 2008.Grades 5: BiographyThis book takes an eclectic look at the Lincoln couple. Compiling documents, photographs, political cartoons and news articles make a scrapbook of the Lincolns. The book is loaded with historical information about both of these historical figures and includes the challenges faced after being elected president.

Macaulay, David. The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Grade 5: HealthLearn how the human body works and functions. The illustrations provide a nice aid to the text. Chemical bonds are made easy to understand with excellent comparisons to things children can understand.

Fleischman, Sid. The Trouble Begins At 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West. New York: HarperCollins, 2008.Grade 5: Famous AmericansIn search of riches, Samuel Clemens hopped on a buggy and headed west in search of gold. He never found that gold, but in San Francisco he began using the pseudonym Mark Twain to sign his work. He would go on to write some of America’s greatest literature.

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Teacher Guides

Here is a sampling of preferred lesson ideas to use with my favorite nonfiction authors. These lessons can be modified to fit the desired grade level. Many of the activities provide external links to enhance student learning.

Gail Gibbons

Explore the World of Science with Gail GibbonsGibbons provides a year worth of activities to use her books (PDF format).http://www.gailgibbons.com/teachers_guide.html

WebQuestStudents are guided through researching biographical information of Gail Gibbons.http://www.modelschools.org/mspelemn/Authors/gibbons/gibbons.html

Across the Curriculum with Gail GibbonsView sample lesson plans for 20 books by Gibbons. Included in the document are culminating and assessment activities (PDF format)http://warehouse.tecknoquest.com/samples/BKRr/tcr0455s.pdf

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Steve Jenkins

Bridging Literature and Mathematics by Visualizing Mathematical ConceptsStudents identify and analyze elements of Jenkins craft in conveying mathematical information.http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view_printer_friendly.asp?id=822

Measuring Animal SizesThis lesson is based on the book, Actual Size, by Steve Jenkins, which depicts 18 animals and insects, or a part of their body, in actual size.http://nortellearnit.org/lessons/Science/lessonplans_Measuring_Animal_Sizes/

Learning VerbsMove, by Jenkins and his wife, Robin Page, can be used as an introduction to verbs. This site provides several links to activities on Move and verbs. http://suzyred.com/pbks2008move.html

What Do You Do With a Tale Like This?Reading activities to use with What Do You Do With a Tale Like This along with links to sites to use as an extension.http://ux1.eiu.edu/~psstorm/Monarch07/What.html

Nic Bishop/ Sy Montgomery

Teaching OrganizationUsing Red Eyed Tree Frog, students learn the use of sequencing words such as first, then, later, and the end.http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3750252

Picture a TarantulaStudents draw a picture of a tarantula after listening to the descriptive words used during the read-aloud. Teachers can discuss how detailed descriptions can paint vivid pictures in a reader's mind.http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/05-1/lesson016.shtml

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