Multiple Copy Collection for Classroom/Group Discussion
Annotated List of Titles
Approximately 30 copies of most of these titles are available at the
Brown County Central Library – Youth Services Department
515 Pine Street, Green Bay, WI 54301 – 920.448.5846
bc_library_children@browncountywi.gov
For more information about how our Multiple Copy Collection for Classrooms, see the User Guidelines for Multiple Copy Collection linked here: browncountylibrary.org/educators
Lexile=Lexile reading level GRL=Guided Reading Level DRA=Developmental Reading Assessment
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Grades 8-12
The story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Realistic Fiction
Subject: race relations, coming of age, friendship, understanding self and others, school life
Awards: National Book Award for Young People’s Literature
Lexile: 600
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (Definitive Edition) Grades 8-12
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has since become a world classic — a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annex” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
Nonfiction
Subject: World War II, Holocaust, tolerance and acceptance
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 1080 GRL: Y DRA: 60
Barbed Wire Baseball by Marissa Moss Grades 3-5
A true story set in a Japanese-American internment camp in World War II. As a young boy, Kenichi Zenimura (Zeni) wanted to be a baseball player, even though everyone told him he was too small. He grew up to become a successful athlete, playing with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. But when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Zeni and his family were sent to one of several internment camps established in the U.S. for people of Japanese ancestry. Zeni brought the game of baseball to the camp, along with a sense of hope, and became known as the “Father of Japanese-American Baseball.” Nonfiction
Subject: World War II, baseball, Japanese Americans, American History
Awards: 2013 California Book Award Winner – Juvenile Category
Notable Children’s Books from ALSC 2014
Lexile: 800
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo Grade3-5
The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace. They meet Gloria Dump, who is nearly blind but sees with her heart, and Otis, an ex-con who sets the animals in his pet shop loose after hours, then lulls them with his guitar. Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends, and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship-and forgiveness-can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Friends, single parents, understanding self and others
Awards: Newbery Honor Book
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 610 GRL: R DRA: 40
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich Grades 4-6 Nineteenth-century American pioneer life was introduced to thousands of young readers by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House books. In The Birchbark House by award-winning author Louise Erdrich, this same slice of history is seen through the eyes of the spirited, 7-year-old Ojibwa girl Omakayas, or Little Frog, so named because her first step was a hop. The sole survivor of a smallpox epidemic on Spirit Island, Omakayas, then only a baby girl, was rescued by a fearless woman named Tallow and welcomed into an Ojibwa family on Lake Superior’s Madeline Island, the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker. We follow Omakayas and her adopted family through a cycle of four seasons in 1847, including the winter, when a historically documented outbreak of smallpox overtook the island. Historical Fiction
Subject: Native Americans, ceremony and tradition, American History
Awards: National Book Award Finalist
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 970 GRL: T DRA: 50
Book Thief by Markus Zusak Grades 9-12
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery…Set during World War II in Germany, this is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.Historical Fiction
Subject: Holocaust, World War II, friends and friendship, compassion
Awards: Printz Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 730 GRL: Z DRA: 70
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti Grades 7-12
When 16-year-old Helmut Hubner listens to the BBC news on an illegal short-wave radio, he quickly discovers Germany is lying to the people. But when he tries to expose the truth with leaflets, he’s tried for treason. Sentenced to death and waiting in a jail cell, Helmut’s story emerges in a series of flashbacks that show his growth from a naive child caught up in the patriotism of the times, to a sensitive and mature young man who thinks for himself. Based on a true story, Bartoletti has taken one episode from her Newbery Honor Book, Hitler Youth, and fleshed it out into a novel. Historical Fiction
Subject: Holocaust, World War II, social issues
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 760 GRL: Y DRA: 60
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson Grades 4-7
All summer, Jess pushed himself to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade, knowing when the year’s first school-yard race was run, he was going to win. But his victory is stolen by a newcomer, by a girl, one who didn’t even know enough to stay on the girls’ side of the playground. Then, unexpectedly, Jess finds himself sticking up for Leslie, for the girl who breaks rules and wins races. The friendship between the two grows as Jess guides the city girl through the pitfalls of rural life, and Leslie draws him into the world of imagination, magic and ceremony called Terabithia. Here, Leslie and Jess rule supreme among the oaks and evergreens, safe from the bullies and ridicule of the mundane world. Safe until an unforeseen tragedy forces Jess to reign in Terabithia alone, and both worlds are forever changed. Realistic Fiction
Subject: grief, loss, death, friends and friendship
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 810 GRL: T DRA: 44-50
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson Grades 4-7
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become. Nonfiction in Verse
Subject: African Americans, African American History, Civil Rights movement, poetry
Awards: National Book Award, Newbery Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 990
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis Grades 3-6
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. Historical Fiction
Subject: African Americans, Family, childhood and education, American History
Awards: Newbery Award, Coretta Scott King Award
Lexile: 950 GRL: T DRA: 44
Bull Run by Paul Fleischman Grades 5-8
This brilliant fictional story by Newbery Award-winning author, Paul Fleischman tells of Northerners, Southerners, generals, couriers, dreaming boys, worried sisters, Blacks and whites describing the glory, the horror, the thrill, and the disillusionment of the first battle of the Civil War.
In this brilliant fictional tour de force, which the New York Times called “a deft, poignant novel,” Newbery Medal-winning author Paul Fleischman re-creates the first great battle of the Civil War from the points of view of sixteen participants.
Northern and Southern, male and female, white and Black. Here are voices that tell of the dreams of glory, the grim reality, the hopes, horror, and folly of a nation discovering the true nature of war.
Historical Fiction
Subject: slavery, Civil War, American History
Awards: Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction for Children
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 810
Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop Grades 4-6
William has just received the best present of his life. It’s an old, realistic model of a castle, with a drawbridge, moat, and a finger-high knight to guard the gates. It’s the mysterious castle his housekeeper has told him about, and even though William is sad she’s leaving, now the castle is his! William is certain there’s something magical about the castle. And sure enough, when he picks up the tiny silver knight, it comes alive in his hand! Sir Simon tells William a mighty story of wild sorcery, wizards, and magic. And suddenly William is off on a fantastic quest to another land and another time–where a fiery dragon and an evil wizard are waiting to do battle. Fantasy
Subject: Castles, knights and knighthood, magic, social issues
Awards: California Young Reader’s Medal
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 750
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Grades 3-5
“A pig’s life is hanging by a thread…” Wilbur, a lovable pig, is rescued from a cruel fate by a beautiful and intelligent spider named Charlotte. This story is told with delicacy, humor, and wisdom…a perfect blend of fantasy and realism. Classic Fiction
Subject: compassion and honesty, determination and perseverance, loyalty
Awards: Newbery Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 680 GRL: R DRA: 40
Cricket in Times Square by George Selden Grades 3-5 Tucker is a streetwise city mouse. He thought he’d seen it all. But he’s never met a cricket before, which really isn’t surprising, because, along with his friend Harry Cat, Tucker lives in the very heart of New York City—the Times Square subway station. Chester Cricket never intended to leave his Connecticut meadow. He’d be there still if he hadn’t followed the entrancing aroma of liverwurst right into someone’s picnic basket. Now, like any tourist in the city, he wants to look around. And he could not have found two better guides—and friends—than Tucker and Harry. Classic Fiction
Subject: animals, insects, understanding self and others, friends and friendship
Awards: Newbery Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 780 GRL: S DRA: 44-50
Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson Grades 5-8
A riveting adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won’t hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness. Perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen.
McKenna Barney is trying to hide her worsening eyesight and has been isolating herself for the last year. But at the request of her little sister, she signs up for a commemorative mail run race in the Canadian wilderness – a race she doesn’t know if she can even see to run. Winning would mean getting her disease – and her sister’s – national media coverage, but it would also pit McKenna and her team of eight sled dogs against racers from across the globe for three days of shifting lake ice, sudden owl attacks, snow squalls, and bitterly cold nights.
A pause-resisting adventure about living with disability and surviving the wilderness, Dog Driven is the story of one girl’s self-determination and the courage it takes to trust in others. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Adventure, survival, animals, disabilities, courage, determination and perseverance
Lexile: HL640
El Deafo by Cece Bell Grade 3-6
Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends. Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school–in the hallway…in the teacher’s lounge…in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different… and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend? Graphic Novel Memoir
Subject: Hearing impaired, disabilities, understanding self and others, friendships, school life,
Awards: Newbery Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 420
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Grades 9-12
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. Not only is Hazel trying to live the normal life of a 16-year-old girl, but she is also struggling with what it will be like for her parents after she dies. While Hazel attends a church support group for cancer survivors, she meets a boy that is one year older than her, Augustus Waters. While Augustus had a type of cancer that causes him to lose his leg and wear a prosthetic, it also has a survival rate that is much higher than Hazel’s death sentence. After meeting Augustus, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Realistic Fiction
Subject: confronting and resolving fears, understanding self and others, grief, loss, death, friends and friendship
Lexile: 850
The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley Grades 9-12
As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in—both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother’s hockey team.
After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known? Realistic Fiction Mystery
Subject: Native Americans, understanding self and others, social issues, ceremony and tradition
Awards: Edgar Award for Best Young Adult, Michael L. Printz Award, American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Young Adult Book (Honor Book)
Lexile: HL720
Freak the Mighty by Rodney Philbrick Grades 5 +
At the beginning of eighth grade, learning-disabled Max and his new friend Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces they make a powerful team. Max compensated for Freak’s small body while Freak compensates for Max’s small brain. Together they form a unique and empowering friendship and become, “Freak the Mighty.” Realistic Fiction
Subject: confronting and resolving fears, school life, understanding self and others
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 1000 GRL: W DRA: 60
Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell Grade 5+
Shocked by the teenage violence she witnessed during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, Erin Gruwell became a teacher at a high school rampant with hostility and racial intolerance. For many of these students–whose ranks included substance abusers, gang members, the homeless, and victims of abuse–Gruwell was the first person to treat them with dignity, to believe in their potential and help them see it themselves. Soon, their loyalty towards their teacher and burning enthusiasm to help end violence and intolerance became a force of its own. Inspired by reading The Diary of Anne Frank and meeting Zlata Filipovic (the eleven-year old girl who wrote of her life in Sarajevo during the civil war), the students began a joint diary of their inner-city upbringings. Told through anonymous entries to protect their identities and allow for complete candor, The Freedom Writers Diary is filled with astounding vignettes from 150 students who, like civil rights activist Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders, heard society tell them where to go–and refused to listen.Nonfiction
Subject: Multicultural education, philosophy and social aspects, teenagers
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 900
El Diario de los Escritores de la Libertad (SPANISH) by Erin Gruwell
See Freedom Writers Diary
4 Copies Available
Frindle by Andrew Clements Grades 3-5
Nick Allen isn’t actually a troublemaker, he really just likes to liven things up at school — and he’s always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he’s got the inspiration for his best plan ever…the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn’t belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there’s nothing Nick can do to stop it. Realistic Fiction
Subject: vocabulary, school life
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 830 GRL: R DRA: 40
Front Desk by Kelly Yang Grades 4-6
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they’ve been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia’s courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams? Historical Fiction
Subject: immigration, Chinese Americans, exploitation, friends and friendship, self-confidence, hotels/motels
Awards: Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 640L GRL: V
The Giver by Lois Lowry Grades 5-8
Set in a futuristic society, this Newbery winner tells the story of Jonas. Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each twelve-year-old receives a life assignment determined by the Elders. Jonas watches his friend Fiona named Caretaker of the Old and his cheerful pal Asher labeled the Assistant Director of Recreation. But Jonas has been chosen for something special. When his selection leads him to an unnamed man-the man called only the Giver-he begins to sense the dark secrets that underlie the fragile perfection of his world.
Science Fiction
Subject: life experiences and relationships, dystopia
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 760 GRL: Y DRA: 60
The Great Fire by Jim Murphy Grades 3-6
The Great Fire of 1871 was one of most colossal disasters in American history. Overnight, the flourshing city of Chicago was transformed into a smoldering wasteland. The damage was so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again.
Weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with the carefully researched history of Chicago and the disaster, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting narrative that recreates the event with drama and immediacy. And finally, he reveals how, even in a time of deepest despair, the human spirit triumphed, as the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again.
Contains historic photos, engravings and newspaper clippings on nearly every page. Especially helpful are maps placed at intervals throughout the book that represent the progress of the fire. Nonfiction
Subject: American history, cities and states, courage, honor, determination and perseverance, city life.
Awards: Newbery Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 1130 GRL: R DRA: 40
Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent by Thomas B Allen Grades 4-6
It’s 1863. Harriet Tubman is facing one of the biggest—and most dangerous— challenges of her life. She has survived her master’s lash, escaped from slavery, and risked her life countless times to lead runaway slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Now she has a new role—that of Union spy! The outcome of a secret night raid deep into Confederate territory depends on the accuracy of the intelligence she and other black spies have gathered. Success will mean freedom for hundreds of slaves. Failure will mean death by hanging. You are about to enter the undercover world of African-American spies—enslaved and free—risking everything in the name of freedom. How were the Underground Railroad and slave songs used to pass secret messages? What were “contrabands” and “Black Dispatches?” What did Harriet have in common with the Secret Six and a maidservant in the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis? You’ll discover these answers and more as the action unfolds.
Nonfiction
Subject: Enslaved people, Underground Railroad, African Americans
Lexile: 1120
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling Grades 4 +
In this first book in the deservedly popular series, Harry is rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle and leaves his miserable existence in the “Muggle” world to begin his education in wizardry at Hogwarts. Orphaned as a baby, Harry Potter has spent 11 awful years living with his mean aunt, uncle, and cousin Dudley. But everything changes for Harry when an owl delivers a mysterious letter inviting him to attend a school for wizards. At this special school, Harry finds friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, as well as a great destiny that’s been waiting for him…if Harry can survive the encounter.
Fantasy
Subject: Friends and friendship, courage, adventure
Awards: England’s National Book Award, Smarties Prize
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 880 GRL: V DRA: 44-50
Harry Potter YLA Piedra Filosofal (SPANISH) by J.K. Rowling
See Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
15 copies available.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Grades 4-8
13-year-old Brian is on his way to Canada to visit his estranged father when the pilot of his small prop plane suffers a heart attack. Brian is forced to crash-land the plane in a lake–and finds himself stranded in the remote Canadian wilderness with only his clothing and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present before his departure. He had been distraught over his parents’ impending divorce and the secret he carries about his mother, but now he is truly desolate and alone. Exhausted, terrified, and hungry, he struggles to find food and make a shelter for himself. With no special knowledge of the woods, he must find a new kind of awareness and patience as he meets each day’s challenges. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Survival, courage, changes, new environments, families
Awards: Newbery Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 1020 GRL: R DRA: 40
El Hatcha (SPANISH) by Gary Paulsen
See Hatchet
5 Copies Available
Lexile: 1130
Holes by Louis Sachar Grade 5 +
As further evidence of his family’s bad fortune, which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish boys’ juvenile detention center in the Texas desert. As punishment, the boys here must each dig a hole every day, five feet deep and five feet across. Ultimately, Stanley “digs up the truth” — and through his experience, finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself. Here is a wildly inventive, darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment — and redemption. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Changes, new experiences, understanding self and others, extended families
Awards: Newbery Award, National Book Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 660 GRL: V DRA: 44-50
Hoyos (SPANISH) by Louis Sachar
See Holes.
15 copies available.
The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick Grade 2-5
Victor is forever trying to escape from locked trunks, to walk through walls, and to perform any number of Houdini’s astonishing magic tricks…without success. Then — amazingly — he meets his idol and begs Houdini to explain himself. A mysterious, locked box is the only answer, and Victor is left to wonder: Does the box contain the secrets of the most famous magic tricks ever performed? From the creator of the Caldecott Medal-winning bestseller The Invention of Hugo Cabret comes this magical storybook that combines captivating mystery with mesmerizing historical fiction. Now, as a bonus at the end of the book, you will find a biographical note about Houdini, an illustrated magic trick, never-before-seen sketches by Brian Selznick, and more. The Houdini Box conjures up the pure pleasure of an old-time magic show. Historical Fiction
Subject: American History, cleverness, creativity and imagination
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 840
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Grades 7-12
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games,” a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. Science Fiction
Subject: Survival, dystopia, courage, determination
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 810
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai Grades 9-12
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. Nonfiction
Subject: Young women, education, children’s rights, Pakistan
Lexile: 1000
I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day Grades 4-7
This middle grade novel inspired by author’s Christine Day’s family’s history tells the story of a girl who uncovers her family’s secrets’ and finds her own Native American identity.
All her life, Edie has known that her mom was adopted by a white couple. So, no matter how curious she might be about her Native American heritage, Edie is sure her family doesn’t have any answers. adv
Until the day when she and her friends discover a box hidden in the attic, full of letters signed ‘Love, Edith,” and photos of a woman who looks just like her.
Suddenly, Edie has a flurry of new questions about this woman who shares her name. Could she belong to the Native family that Edie never knew about? But if her mom and dad have kept this secret from her all her life, how can she trust them to tell her the truth now? Realistic Fiction
Subject: Native Americans, family, understanding of self and others
Lexile: HL610
If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution by Kay Moore Grades 3-5
Starting with the front cover showing mixed reactions to the toppling of King George’s statue, this lively book about Patriots and Loyalists gives middle readers a more balanced look than usual at people who lived during the American Revolution. Answers to pertinent questions take the inquiring mind through the daily lives, dwellings, clothing, and political opinions of colonial Americans, with care to present information about the Loyalists, who comprised approximately one-third of the colonists. Readers can discover, among much else, what it was like to attend school during the war, the chances of seeing a battle, how one could identify Patriots and Loyalists, and how families obtained food and clothing. Nonfiction
Subject: American History, civics and government, communities and ways of life
Lexile: 860 GRL: Q DRA: 40
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Grades 4-7
When James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it’s as big as a house. When James discovers a secret entranceway into the fruit and crawls inside, he meets wonderful new friends–the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the dainty Ladybug, and the Centipede of the multiple boots. After years of feeling like an outsider in his aunts’ house, James finally found a place where he belongs. With a snip of the stem, the peach household starts rolling away–and the adventure begins! Fantasy
Subject: Travel, extended family, adventure, insects
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 870 GRL: Q DRA: 40
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos Grades 4-7
To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, hyperactive Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription meds wear off and he starts feeling wired. One mishap after another leads Joey, first from his regular classroom to special education classes and then, to a special education school. Finally, with medication, counseling, and positive reinforcement, Joey triumphs, in this comic, compassionate, and compelling tale. Realistic Fiction
Subject: School life, mental health, understanding self and others, Neurodivergence
Awards: National Book Award Finalist
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 970 GRL: T DRA: 44-50
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Grade 4-6
Narnia, the land beyond the wardrobe door, a secret place frozen in eternal winter, a magical country waiting to be set free.
Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don’t believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Lion Aslan, they realize they’ve been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch’s sinister spell. This allegorical novel has long been a classic read. Fantasy
Subject: Cleverness, creativity, imagination, courage and honor, Christianity, siblings
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 940 GRL: T DRA: 44-50
Loser by Jerry Spinelli Grade 4+
Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like “Jabip.” Other kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it. He doesn’t know he’s not like everyone else. And one winter night, Zinkoff’s differences show that any name can someday become “hero.” Realistic Fiction
Subject: Pride and self-esteem, life experiences and relationships, school life, Neurodiversity
Awards: Publisher Weekly’s Best Book
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 650
Mai Ya’s Long Journey by Sheila Cohen Grade 3+
The story of Mai Ya Xiong and her family and their journey from the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand to a new life in Madison, Wisconsin, is extraordinary. Yet it is typical of the stories of the 200,000 Hmong people who now live in the United States and who struggle to adjust to American society while maintaining their own culture as a free people. Mai Ya’s Long Journey follows Mai Ya Xiong, a young Hmong woman, from her childhood in Thailand’s Ban Vinai Refugee Camp to her current home in Wisconsin. Mai Ya’s parents fled Laos during the Vietnam War and were refugees in Thailand for several years before reaching the United States. But the story does not end there. Students will read the challenges Mai Ya faces in balancing her Hmong heritage and her adopted American culture as she grows into adulthood.
Nonfiction
Subject: Ethnic differences, Hmong culture, immigrants
Awards: 2005 Winner in the Juvenile Non-fiction Category from the Council for Wisconsin Writers
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Grade 4-7
He wasn’t born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park “frog” homer; how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Prejudice and tolerance, understanding self and others, extended family
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 820 GRL: W DRA: 60
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline Grade 8-12
Humanity has nearly destroyed its world through global warming, but now an even greater evil lurks. The indigenous people of North America are being hunted and harvested for their bone marrow, which carries the key to recovering something the rest of the population has lost: the ability to dream. In this dark world, Frenchie and his companions struggle to survive as they make their way up north to the old lands. For now, survival means staying hidden – but what they don’t know is that one of them holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves. Science Fiction
Subject: Dystopia, Native Americans, survival
Lexile: HL810
Night by Elie Wiesel Grade 9-12
“Night” is a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant account of Elie Wiesel’s survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man’s capacity for inhumanity to man. Nonfiction Memoir
Subject: World War II, Holocaust, European history
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 590 GRL: Z DRA: 70-80
Nothing But the Truth by Avi Grade 8-10
Ninth grader Philip Malloy is forbidden to join the track team because of his failing grades in English class. Convinced that the teacher just doesn’t like him, Philip concocts a plan to get transferred into a different homeroom. Instead of standing silently during the national anthem, he hums along; and ends up on trial. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Fairness and justice, challenging behaviors, special needs, emotional and social development
Awards: Newbery Honor
Teacher Guide Available
GRL: M
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry Grade 4-7
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It’s now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are “relocated,” Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen’s life. Historical Fiction
Subject: Prejudice and tolerance, World War II, Holocaust, European History,
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 670
Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom Grade 5+
So begins this unforgettable true story of a young boy’s remarkable journey: from civil war in east Africa to a refugee camp in Sudan, to a childhood on welfare in an affluent American suburb, and eventually to a full-tuition scholarship at Harvard University. Following his father’s advice to “treat all people — even the most unsightly beetles — as though they were angels sent from heaven,” Mawi overcomes the challenges of racial prejudice, language barriers, and financial disadvantage to build a fulfilling, successful life for himself in his new home. Of Beetles and Angels is at once a compelling survival story and an inspiring model for anyone hoping to experience the American dream. Nonfiction Memoir
Subject: Immigrants, refugee children, Ethiopian Americans
Teacher Guide Available
Once by Morris Gleitzman Grade 7-9
Felix, a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942, is hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. The only problem is that he doesn’t know anything about the war and thinks he’s only in the orphanage while his parents travel and try to salvage their bookselling business. And when he thinks his parents are in danger, Felix sets off to warn them–straight into the heart of Nazi-occupied Poland. To Felix, everything is a story: Why did he get a whole carrot in his soup? It must be sign that his parents are coming to get him. Why are the Nazis burning books? They must be foreign librarians sent to clean out the orphanage’s outdated library. But as Felix’s journey gets increasingly dangerous, he begins to see horrors that not even stories can explain.
Despite his grim surroundings, Felix never loses hope. Morris Gleitzman takes a painful subject and expertly turns it into a story filled with love, friendship, and even humor. Historical Fiction
Subject: World War II, Holocaust, European History,
Lexile: 640
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper Grade 4-6
Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow. In this breakthrough story—reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly—from multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winner Sharon Draper, readers will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a disability. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Disabilities, special needs, prejudice and tolerance
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 700
Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Grade 7 +
In Ponyboy’s world there are two types of people. There are the Socs, the rich society kids who get away with anything. Then there are the greasers, like Ponyboy, who aren’t so lucky. Ponyboy has a few things he can count on: his older brothers, his friends, and trouble with the Socs, whose idea of a good time is beating up greasers. At least he knows what to expect — until the night things go too far. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Coping with death, grief, loss, siblings, bullying
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 750 GRL: Z DRA: 70-80
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco Grades 4-7
Drawing from the rich store of Civil War reminiscences handed down in her family, acclaimed author/illustrator Polacco tells the true story of a remarkable wartime friendship between a young white Union soldier and a young black Union soldier who are captured by Confederate soldiers and sent to Andersonville Prison. This picture book is a moving story that will encourage discussion of historical and current themes. Historical Fiction
Subject: African Americans, Civil War
Awards: 1995 Abby Nominee
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 590 GRL: S DRA: 44-50
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin Grades 4-7
Rose Howard has Asperger’s syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Rain was a lost dog Rose’s father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home alone, as Rose’s father spends most evenings at a bar, and doesn’t have much patience for his special-needs daughter.
Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. Rose will find Rain, but so will Rain’s original owners. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Autism, families, Neurodivergence
Awards: 2015 ALA Notable Children’s Book
Lexile: 720
Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane Grades 8-12
Published thirty years after the Civil War, this “impressionistic” American classic tells a war story in a thoroughly modern way – without a trace of romanticizing. Through the eyes of ordinary soldier Henry Fleming, we follow his psychological turmoil, from the excitement of patriotism to the bloody realities of battle and his flight from it. In the end, he overcomes his fear and disillusionment, and fights with courage. Historical Fiction
Subject: Civil War, American History, war stories
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 900
Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney Grades 4-7
Life in Amira’s peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when Janjaweed attackers arrive, unleashing unspeakable horrors. After losing nearly everything, Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey on foot to safety at a refugee camp. She begins to lose hope, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind – and all kinds of possibilities. Historical Fiction and Novel in Verse
Subject: War stories, Homelessness and Poverty, African History, refugee children
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: HL620
Refugee by Alan Gratz Grades 5-8
JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . .
ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . .
MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . .
All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers — from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end. This action-packed novel tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home. Historical Fiction
Subject: War stories, immigrants, refugee children, World War II, Holocaust, European history, American History
Lexile: 800
Sarah, Plain & Tall by Patricia MacLachlan Grades 3-4
A heartwarming story about two children, Anna and Caleb, whose lives are changed forever when their widowed papa advertises for a mail-order bride. Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton from Maine answers the ad and agrees to come for a month. Sarah brings gifts from the sea, a cat named Seal, and singing and laughter to the quiet house. But will she like it enough to stay? Anna and Caleb wait and wonder — and hope. Historical Fiction
Subject: Westward expansion, women’s history, coping with death, grief, families, social structures, parents
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide and Literature Guide Available
Lexile: 560 GRL: R DRA: 40
Sarah, Sencill Y Alta (SPANISH) by Patricia MacLachlan
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Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman Grades 7-9
A vacant lot, rat-infested and filled with garbage, looked like no place for a garden. Especially to a neighborhood of strangers where no one seems to care. Until one day, a young girl clears a small space and digs into the hard-packed soil to plant her precious bean seeds. Suddenly, the soil holds promise: To Curtis, who believes he can win back Lateesha’s heart with a harvest of tomatoes; to Virgil’s dad, who sees a fortune to be made from growing lettuce; and even to Maricela, sixteen and pregnant, wishing she were dead. Thirteen very different voices — old, young, Haitian, Hispanic, tough, haunted, and hopeful — tell one amazing story about a garden that transforms a neighborhood. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Community
Lexile: 710 GRL: S DRA: 50
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Grades 3-6
Eleven-year-old Marty Preston loves to spend time up in the hills behind his home near Friendly, West Virginia. Sometimes he takes his .22 rifle to see what he can shoot, like some cans lined up on a rail fence. Other times he goes up early in the morning just to sit and watch the fox and deer. But one summer Sunday, Marty comes across something different on the road just past the old Shiloh schoolhouses—a young beagle—and the trouble begins. What do you do when a dog you suspect is being mistreated runs away and comes to you? When it is someone else’s dog? When the man who owns him has a gun? This is Marty’s problem, and he finds it is one he has to face alone. When his solution gets too big for him to handle, things become more frightening still. Marty puts his courage on the line, and discovers in the process that it is not always easy to separate right from wrong. Sometimes, however, you do almost anything to save a dog.
Realistic Fiction
Subject: Character and values, equality, fairness and justice, courage and honor
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 890 GRL: R DRA: 40
Smile by Raina Telgemeier Grades 5-8
Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly. Graphic Novel
Subject: Understanding self and others, friendship, school life
Awards: Eisner Award
Lexile: 410
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Grades 9-12
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, and people she doesn’t even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that’s not safe. Because there’s something she’s trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth.
Realistic Fiction
Subject: Sexual abuse, social issues, coping with traumatic experiences
Awards: Printz Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 690
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli Grades 6 +
Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don’t stand out–under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes–for Leo and for the entire school. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Individuality, popularity, social issues, school and education
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 590
Swindle by Gordon Korman Grades 3-7
After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle’s compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way — a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their inability to drive — but Griffin and his team are going to get back what’s rightfully his . . . even if hijinks ensue. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Adventure, friendship
Lexile: 710
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo Grades 3-5
Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other’s lives. And what happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: “Reader, it is your destiny to find out.” Fantasy
Subject: Courage and honor, honesty, pride and self-esteem
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 670 GRL: U DRA: 50
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Grades 8-12
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker – his classmate and crush – who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Teen suicide, depression, understanding self and others
Lexile: HL550
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson Grades 3-8
Scheduled to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic, a topic that continues to haunt and thrill readers to this day, this book by critically acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson weaves together the voices and stories of real Titanic survivors and witnesses to the disaster — from the stewardess Violet Jessop to Captain Arthur Rostron of the Carpathia, who came to the rescue of the sinking ship. Packed with heart-stopping action, devastating drama, fascinating historical details, loads of archival photographs on almost every page, and quotes from primary sources, this gripping story, which follows the Titanic and its passengers from the ship’s celebrated launch at Belfast to her cataclysmic icy end, is sure to thrill and move readers. Nonfiction
Subject: History, heroism, survival, helping others
Awards: Sibert Honor Book
Lexile: 1040 GRL: Y DRA: 60
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Grades 9 +
At the age of eight, Scout Finch is an entrenched free-thinker. She can accept her father’s warning that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, because mockingbirds harm no one and give great pleasure. But the benefits said to be gained from going to school and keeping her temper elude her. The place of this enchanting, intensely moving story is Maycomb, Alabama. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a Great Depression era South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime. Classic Fiction
Subject: Prejudice, African Americans, race relations, siblings, families, friends and friendship
Awards: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 870 GRL: Z DRA: 70-80
Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt Grades 7-10
Henry Smith’s father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you. But Trouble comes careening down the road one night in the form of a pickup truck that strikes Henry’s older brother, Franklin. In the truck is Chay Chouan, a young Cambodian from Franklin’s preparatory school, and the accident sparks racial tensions in the school-and in the well-established town where Henry’s family has lived for generations. Caught between anger and grief, Henry sets out to do the only thing he can think of: climb Mt. Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine, which he and Franklin were going to climb together. Along with Black Dog, whom Henry has rescued from drowning, and a friend, Henry leaves without his parents’ knowledge. The journey, both exhilarating and dangerous, turns into an odyssey of discovery about himself, his older sister, Louisa, his ancestry, and why one can never escape from Trouble. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Coping with death, grief and loss, prejudice, families, friends and friendships
Lexile: 930
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi Grades 4-8
In 1832, Charlotte Doyle, a thirteen-year-old school girl, is returning to her family in America from her school in England. Charlotte’s voyage takes place on the Seahawk, a seedy ship headed by a murderously cruel captain and sailed by a mutinous crew. Charlotte gets caught up in the bitter feud between captain and crew, which eventually leads to her being found guilty of a murder. Historical Fiction
Subject: Characters and values, courage and honor, equality, fairness and justice, understanding self and others
Awards: Newbery Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 740 GRL: V DRA: 44-50
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit Grades 4-7
Doomed to-or blessed with-eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Fantasy
Subject: Courage and honor, changes and new experiences, confronting and resolving fears, social structures
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 770
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg Grades 5-7
It was a surprise to a lot of people when Mrs. Olinski’s team won the sixth-grade Academic Bowl contest at Epiphany Middle School. It was an even bigger surprise when they beat the seventh grade and the eighth grade, too. And when they went on to even greater victories, everyone began to ask: How did it happen? It happened at least partly because Noah had been the best man (quite by accident) at the wedding of Ethan’s grandmother and Nadia’s grandfather. It happened because Nadia discovered that she could not let a lot of baby turtles die. It happened when Ethan could not let Julian face disaster alone. And it happened because Julian valued something important in him and saw in the other three something he also valued. Mrs. Olinski, returning to teaching after having been injured in an automobile accident, found that her Academic Bowl team became her answer to finding confidence and success. What she did not know, at least at first, was that her team knew more than she did the answer to why they had been chosen. This is a tale about a team, a class, a school, a series of contests and, set in the midst of this, four jewel-like short stories — one for each of the team members — that ask questions and demonstrate surprising answers. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Disabilities, challenging behaviors and special needs, understanding self and others, friends and friendships
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 870 GRL: U DRA: 44-50
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech Grade 7-9
The struggle of thirteen year old Salamance (Sal) to understand and deal with her mother’s disappearance unfolds while on a cross-country trip with her eccentric grandparents. Sal tells them the story of her friend, Phoebe, whose mother has also left home, but in reality, it is her own story. Realistic Fiction
Subject: coping with death, grief and loss, extended family, travel
Awards: Newbery Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 770
The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis Grades 4-8
Humor and drama light up history as the Weird Watsons, an African-American family from Flint, Michigan, seek to rehabilitate Byron, who is thirteen and an “official juvenile delinquent,” by taking him “down South.” The book is seen through the eyes of his ten-year-old brother, Kenny, who admires and is terrified by his brother’s daring exploits and chooses a comic voice to tell about these adventures. The characters are so real that they propel you through the story. They compel you to laugh when Bryon kisses a mirror in Michigan’s freezing temperatures and gets his lips stuck to the glass, to feel an overpowering horror as Kenny is nearly drowned in a whirlpool and to fear when youngest sister Joetta just escapes the Birmingham bombings. The ups and downs of the story’s mood lend a feeling of real life to these real characters that make the Civil Rights Era seem very real. Historical Fiction
Subject: African American History, American History, Civil Rights Movement, changes and new experiences, families
Awards: Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 1000 GRL: U DRA: 44-60
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt Grades 6-8
Holling Hoodhood is really in for it. He’s just started seventh grade with Mrs. Baker, a teacher he knows is out to get him. Why else would she make him read Shakespeare…outside of class? The year is 1967, and everyone has bigger things than homework to worry about. There’s Vietnam for one thing, and then there’s the family business. As far as Holling’s father is concerned, nothing is more important than the family business. In fact, all of the Hoodhoods must be on their best behavior at all times. The success of Hoodhood and Associates depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has Mrs. Baker to contend with?
Historical Fiction
Subject: Understanding self and others, achievement and success, family, coming of age
Awards: Newbery Honor
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 990
When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin Grades 5-8
Ben Coffin has never been one for making friends. As a former foster kid, he knows people can up and leave without so much as a goodbye. Ben prefers to spend his time with the characters in his favorite sci-fi books…until he rescues an abandoned mutt from the alley next-door to the Coney Island Library. Scruffy little Flip leads Ben to befriend a fellow book-lover named Halley—yes, like the comet—a girl unlike anyone he has ever met. Ben begins thinking of her as “Rainbow Girl” because of her crazy-colored clothes and her laugh, pure magic, the kind that makes you smile away the stormiest day. Rainbow Girl convinces Ben to write a novel with her. But as their story unfolds Ben’s life begins to unravel, and Ben must discover for himself the truth about friendship and the meaning of home. Realistic Fiction
Subject: Understanding self and others, achievement and success, family, grief and loss
Lexile: 590
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Grades 5-8
A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart’s desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters. A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country. Old Dan had the brawn, Little Ann had the brains — and Billy had the will to train them to be the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. And close by was the strange and wonderful power that’s only found…
Realistic Fiction
Subject: Animals, confronting and resolving fears, coping with death, grief and loss, determination
Teacher Guide Available
Lexile: 700
Wonder by R.J. Palacio Grades 5-7
August Pullman is not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. Sure, he’s a huge Star Wars fan, he loves his dog, and he’s got a pretty good sense of humor. But August was born with a craniofacial abnormality — a genetic defect that caused his facial features to be severely deformed. His life has never been “normal.” Despite his differences, August and his parents decide to transition him from home school to private school now that he’s entering fifth grade. It’s the start of middle school, they reason, so everyone will be new. But August has to deal with so much more than just being new. Will he make friends? Will he decide to stay at the school? And can the people around him learn to see past his appearance? This brilliant, sensitive story — narrated not only by August, but also by his older sister, his classmates, and other kids in his life — takes an insightful look at how one person’s differences can affect the lives of so many others.
Realistic Fiction
Subject: Disabilities, friends and friendship, tolerance and acceptance
Lexile: 790 GRL: U DRA: 50
You Choose: Civil Rights Movement by Heather Adamson Grades 3-7
The Civil Rights Movement has begun. Both black and white Americans are fighting for equality in schools, jobs and public places. What role will you play? Will you: Help desegregate bus lines as a Freedom Rider? Participate in the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas? Get involved in the Project C protests in Birmingham, Alabama? Everything in this book happened to real people, and you choose what you do next!
Nonfiction
Subject: African American History, Civil Rights Movement, American History
Lexile: 680
You Choose: Civil War by Matt Doeden Grades 3-7
It’s 1863, and the Civil War has torn apart the United States. For two years, the Confederacy and the Union have battled over slavery and states’ rights. Will you: Fight for the Union at the Battle of Gettysburg? Serve with Stonewall Jackson as a Confederate soldier at the Battle of Chancellorsville? Try to survive the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, as a civilian? Everything in this book happened to real people, and you choose what you do next!
Nonfiction
Subject: Civil War, American History
Lexile: 650
You Choose: Ellis Island by Michael Burgan Grades 3-7
You’re one of millions of immigrants leaving your home in the early 1900s to move to the United States. You’re searching for a better life. Ellis Island, near New York City, is your first stop in your search for opportunity and freedom. Officials on the island have been processing immigrants there for decades, but not everyone gets through. If you pass the tests, you’re on your way to a new life in the United States. If you don’t, you may find yourself being sent back to your homeland. What path will you take? Will you: Be a Jewish youth leaving the violence of Russia in hopes of a better life in America? Be an Italian teen who lands at Ellis Island during World War I? A German immigrant who faces deportation? Everything in this book happened to real people, and you choose what you do next! The choices you make could lead you to opportunity, to wealth, to poverty, or even to death.
Nonfiction
Subject: Immigration, American History
Lexile: 600