Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick (Scholastic, 1993) is a middle grade novel about two very opposite and different friends in middle school. Told from Max’s point of view, Freak the Mighty deals with concepts of a bullying for both Max, who is very large and struggles with learning difficulties, and for Kevin, nicknamed “the
The uniquely illustrated picture book A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer (illustrated by Robin Brickman; Simon & Schuster, 1997) shows the interconnectedness of ecosystems through the life of an oak tree. Three-dimensional collage illustrations bring the different creatures and textures to life in the illustrations. This picture book explains the cycle of decomposition with a
Young John Quincy by Cheryl Harkness (Bradbury Press, 1994) is a unique historical fiction story about John Quincy Adams in which events from his childhood during the Revolutionary era in America tell a story. Harkness provides age detailed illustrations and maps to accompany his story. Although the text is lengthy for young readers, Young John
The quirky picture book How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World by Faith McNulty (illustrated by Marc Simont; Harper Collins, 1990). This quirky book shares the (obviously) fictional story of a child who succeeds in digging through the Earth. The sites he sees on the way down are helpful for
From the fantastic Wells of Knowledge nonfiction picture book science series, What’s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells (Albert Whitman, 1995) teaches about microscopic creatures for young readers. Beginning with a small creature, this book encourages child readers to consider even smaller creatures, including bacteria and the size of an atoms. The
The nonfiction picture book Planet Earth Inside Out by Gail Gibbons (published 1995) provides a great overview of the planet. It covers a large range of subtopics, including the layers of the earth, the tectonic plates and Pangea, how plates interact, the results of earthquakes on land, and details about volcanoes, including seafloor spreading. It
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, 1991) is a detailed Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out book with details on how seeds grow into plants. It includes charts with the parts of the seeds details on how pollination occurs, and clear charts of the various stages of photosynthesis. The detail provides a nice full instruction in how
Dear Katie, The Volcano is a Girl by Jean Craighead George (illustrated by Daniel Powers; Hyperion, 1998) is the story about a grandmother and a granddaughter on vacation in Hawaii. They tour a volcano, and while Katie insists that the volcano is Pele (a goddess) her grandmother disagrees and explains how volcanoes form because cracks
How Mountains Are Made by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfelt (illustrated by James Graham Hale; Harper Collins, 1995) is a Lets-Read-and-Find-Out book (Level 2). The books in this picture book informational science series are sometimes uneven, but this one hits the mark for teaching many concepts with a friendly frame. In How Mountains Are Made, the facts
Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick (published by Mott Media, 1990) is titled to be a book telling a narrative story of the early patriarchs of the Earth, beginning with Adam and going through Abraham. Unfortunately, it really feels like a paraphrase retelling with very little narrative. It seems unfair to say: there was
With the story frame of a child growing a garden, Compost!: Growing Gardens From Your Garbage by Linda Glaser (illustrated by Anca Hariton; Millbrook Press, 1996) gives the startling claim that the garden is made from garbage! Throughout the book, the kid describes just what can be put in the compost pile. To make it
Adding plants to a city is a great way to bring neighbors together in the fictional picture book City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (HarperCollins, 1994). The author-illustrator’s pictures show a bleak looking spot next to Marcy’s apartment building. It is an empty lot where a different apartment building once stood. Along with Miss Rosa, Marcy
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