Books by David Wiesner

Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

David Wiesner is one of my favorite authors and illustrators. His books are wonderful and inspire creative thinking. Flotsam is his newest book and the winner of the Caldecott Medal. This book is suggested for kindergarten through fourth grade but I use Wiesner's books with middle school students all the time. Since they are all pictures and no words, kids can be extremely creative and the stories they come up with are awesome. In this book, an old camera washes up on the beach and a young boy finds it. Through the pictures, he discovers all about life under the sea, around the world, and throughout time.

Wiesner, D. (1991). Tuesday. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

As a frog lover, this is my favorite Wiesner book. Tuesday is the wordless story of what happens on "Tuesday evening, about eight". Tuesday won the 1992 Caldecott Medal and was named as an ALA Notable Children's Book. Fat little frogs float up into the sky and begin to travel around time, causing trouble and having fun. The illustrations, as usual, are outstanding. This voyage really challenges a child's imagination. What else happens when we are sleeping?

Wiesner, D. (1992). June 29, 1999. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

This is a title I always use with middle school students when we are talking about the scientific method. It is always a big hit! We discuss if this is a science project gone wrong or gone right?? We also refer back to this book when we talk about Earth's atmosphere and space. When Holly sends her seeds into the air with weather balloons, she does not really know what to expect but she definitely does not expect what happens in this book. Another outstanding story with hilarious and vivid illustrations by David Wiesner.

Fairy tale favorites

Mayer, M. (1980). East of the Sun & West of the Moon. New York: Four Winds Press.

East of the Sun & West of the Moon is written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer. In this classic fairy tale, the Moon, Father Forest, Great Fish of the Sea, and North Wind help a maiden rescue her true love from a troll princess in a faraway kingdom. This is an outstanding book to use when teaching a fairy tale unit in elementary of middle school. The illustrations are georgeous! This is a favorite of mine to share with the students.

Jarrell, R. (1972). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

To many students, SnowWhite is a common story due to the Disney movie. I think it is great to share a book with them that will make the story more interesting and vivid. It gives them more space to use their imagination. The pictures in this book were done by Nancy Eckholm Burkert and they are really beautiful. I can remember looking at them constantly when I was younger. This book is also vital to a unit on fairy tales and really useful comparing it to movies they are familiar with as kids.

Other favorites by Janell Cannon

Cannon, J. (2000). Crickwing. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

In her tradition of bringing clarity to the mysterious lives of animals, Cannon has written Crickwing about insects. Crickwing is primarily about ants and cockroaches. This is an excellent book to teach students in elementary or middle school about insects or life chains and biomes. As usual, Cannon has included a few pages with science facts in the back of the book. Crickwing is a cockroach with a mild disability who loves to create fantastic food sculptures. Tired of being bullied by the other animals in the rainforest, he decides to turn the tables and pick on the ants. He learns a valuable lesson about ants and being a bully.

Cannon, J. (1997). Verdi. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company.

In this Cannon book, we learn about snakes. Continuing her tradition of educating us about "scary" animals, Cannon has written Verdi about snakes. In this book, the main character, a python is worried he will get old and sluggish like the other pythons in the forest. The illustrations by Cannon are fantastic as usual. This book could fit into the science standards in practically any of the middle and elementary grades. It is a fantastic example for teaching students to write stories that incorporate both fact and fiction.

Historical fiction

Sis, P. (2007). The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. New York: Frances Foster Books.

Peter Sis is one of my favorite artists and illustrators - I just love him. The Wall is a Caldecott Honor Book. It is a combination of a picture book and a historical novel. One of the other interesting things is that there is a journal of Sis' personal experience. This is a great book for all ages. I am going to use it in sixth grade Social Studies because we do a big Berlin Wall project when we study Europe.

Sis, P. (2003). The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin. New York: Frances Foster Books.

Another book by Peter Sis that is great to use with middle school students is The Tree of Life. Part of the Georgia Standards in seventh grade science include evolution and survival of the fittest. Using a picture book to help teach about Charles Darwin and his voyage. I would also use this book when teaching about scientists or important historical figures. This book contains lots of maps, sketches, and pictures. It tells the story of Darwin's life in a very kid-friendly way.

Non-fiction

Leventhal, J. (2000). Take Me Out to the Ballpark. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal.

Take Me Out to the Ballpark is an outstanding informational book that appeals to kids and adults alike. It covers all of the major league ballparks as well as many of the minor league parks and it contains lots of historical information. This book also contains lots of photographs and statistics. It also contains lots of interesting informaion on various athletes and ballpark foods. I ave found that middle school students really love this book - both boys and girls. One of the things I really like about Take Me Out to the Ballpark is that there is literally no age limit on this fun book - everyone likes it.

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Myers, W.D. (1988). Scorpions. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.

Walter Dean Myers is an outstanding and well-known author for young adults. This book, Scorpions, was a Newbery Honor Book. Scorpions is about two young boys, Jamal and Tito, who have trouble at school and with other kids. They do not want to be members of a gang but there is so much pressure from the members of the gang as well as Jamals brother, Randy, who is in prison. Their lives are tragically changed when they get a gun from one of the gang members. This book is excellent for middle school students - it could teach them about conflict resolution and peer pressure.

Farmer, N. (2002). The House of the Scorpion. New York: Antheum Books.

The House of the Scorpion has been awarded many numerous book awards including the Printz award, a Newbery Honor Book, and also the National Book Award Winner. This story takes place in the future and the primary character is a clone. Not only is he a clone, but a clone of El Patron the leader of a corrupt drug empire. At our school, we use this book as a novel study in seventh grade science and the kids love it. A modern science fiction tale, the scientific facts are mostly accurate and this book is an outstanding addition to the Life Science Curriculum.

Selznick, B. (2007). The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic.

Brian Selznick is one of my favorite authors and illustrators. His drawings are a integral part of the story. It combines a picture book with a novel about an orphan and thief, Hugo. Hugo lives an undercover life in a Paris train station. He meets a cast of mysterious characters and his life story takes an interesting turn. This book would be wonderful to open a unit on inventions or inventors. You could also use it to teach character education and learn more about orphans. This book is a 2008 Caldecott Medal Winner.

Non-fiction/biography

Brewster, H. (1996). Anastasia's Album. New York: Hyperion.

In sixth grade social studies, we learn about Europe and Russia and their monarchs and tsars. This is one of my student's favorite units of the year. During this unit, we learn about Tsar Nicholas II and his family, including his daughter Anastasia, and the mystery surrounding their disappearance and death. When we finish this unit, this book, Anastasia's Album, is checked out constantly by the students. They are mesmerized by the story. This book, complete with Anastasia's own words and family photographs tells her story from birth to death at the young age of 17. It also profiles Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be Anastasia. This story would also be great to teach students about mysteries or even about forensics.

Non-fiction/Biography

Demi. (2003). Muhammad. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

This is a biography of the Prophet Muhammad. Although many students are familiar with Christianity and Judaism, not many kids in the United States do not know a lot about Islam. The text and illustrations, both done by Demi, are based on traditional Islamic sources. The book tells the life story of Muhammad, woven into quotations from the Koran. This book is beautiful and outstanding. It is a wonderful book to teach middle school students about Islam when they are learning the three main religions of the world. It is also interesting to learn that in the Islamic tradition, the prophet Muhammad and his family can not be depicted so they are not featured in the book.

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Grimes, N. (2006). The Road to Paris. New York: Puffin Books.

The Road to Paris is a wonderful story of family and the meaning of home. It is a Coretta Scott King Honor book and also a Booklist editor's choice. It is a story about Paris, a young girl and her experiences in the foster care system. This is an outstanding book for a middle school classroom to learn about current issues in our society like foster care and biracial students. It would also be great for an older elementary student. It would apply to either boy or girl readers.

Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Morrow Junior Books.

Dear Mr. Henshaw is one of my favorite books and a timeless story. It was the winner of the Newbery Medal and was illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. This book is about a student and his effort to get to know his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. Leigh finally gets an answer from Mr. Henshaw and is really surprised. This book is for the elementary grades and is wonderful to teach students to write letters to authors and other famous people. This would be outstanding to use in an elementary or middle-school unit on letter writing.

Cooney, C.B. (1990). The Face on the Milk Carton. New York: Delacourte Press.

Caroline Cooney is a very well-known young adult author. She has written some of my favorite books such as Whatever Happened to Janie? and The Voice on the Radio. The Face on the Milk Carton is a timely story because we all hear about children disappearing and getting kidnapped and it intrigues us. This story tells about how Janie discovers she was kidnapped and how it effects her two "families". This book is great for middle school students and is also available in an audio book format.

A little bit of everything...

Haddix, M.P. (1995). Running Out of Time. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Running Out of Time is a book that could fall into several categories: science fiction, historical fiction, and contemporary realistic fiction. It is the story of thirteen-year-old Jessie. When an epidemic hits her tiny village in 1840, Jessie is concerned. She is really upset when she learns it is actually 1996 and the village is actually a science project being conducted by scientists. Jessie is determined to save the children of the village. This would be a great fiction book to suggest to students when learning about diseases in life science or historical epidemics in social studies. It is ideal for a middle school setting but would also be of interest to late elementary readers. This book is extremely interesting and entertaining and would lead to many class discussion about current issues.

Science Fiction

Wells, H.G. The War of the Worlds. New York: Baronet Books.

Since The War of the Worlds was originally published in 1898, it has been a very popular science fiction book. It has been made into a movie several different times. H. G. Wells is one of the most well-known authors of this genre. In this classic tale, the Earth is invaded by a ship from somewhere in outer space. The Earth is being quickly destroyed - is there any way we could fight back? This is an outstanding book to recommend to sixth grade students while studying space. They are really interested in outer space and aliens and this will really get their imaginations going!! It can also be used to learn about science fiction and may lead students to read even more books by H.G. Wells.

Science Fiction/Modern Fantasy

Colfer, E. (2004). The Supernaturalist. New York: Miramax Books.

Colfer, the author of The Supernaturalist, is also the author of the best-selling Artemis Fowl series which is popular with late elementary and middle school students. This book is set in the future where the main character must go to a school which is an orphanage of sorts. He escapes with the help of a group of kids called the Supernaturalists. All of the members of this group have special powers and are banded together trying to rid the city of Parasites that feed on humans. They get more than they bargained for. This book would be excellent when teaching about science fiction - it could also be used in a Life Science class to teach more about parasites. It can also be found as an audio book.

Modern Fantasy

D'Lacey, C. (2001). The Fire Within. New York: Orchard Books.

Do you believe in dragons? In this modern fantasy book, also part of a series, we get to know David. David is a college student who moves into a house owned by Liz and her daughter, Lucy. David is a writer and his dragon stories create a story-within-a-story atmosphere. This book is a great way to introduce creative writing or myths. It is perfect for middle school students and is recommended for grades five through eight.

Modern Fantasy

Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown, and Company.

Twilight is the first book in a series by Stephanie Meyer. This series is adored by middle and high school girls. It can best be described as part romance, part suspense. To the excitement of many, Twilight is also being made into a movie. The best thing about this vampire love story is that it is so believeable, which is why it is so popular. It could be used in the classroom when teaching fantasy, myths, or realistic fiction.

Traditional Literature

White, E.B. (1945). Stuart Little. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Stuart Little is one of my favorite books of all time. It is the story of the adventurous mouse, Stuart, and his family. This was E.B. White's first book and was illustrated by Garth Williams who went on to do the illustrations for White's second book, Charlotte's Web. Stuart Little has been made into a movie so it can be found on video, audio book, and has even been translated into Spanish. It can also be found as a digital book. This book is perfect for late elementary grades and can be incorporated into the curriculum in many ways.

Traditional literature

Verne, J. (1990). A Journey to the Center of the Earth. New York: Baronet Books.

A Journey to the Center of the Earth is a wonderful and fantastic tale of a team of scientists who travel to the center of the Earth. This is a fantastic book to use in sixth grade science when teaching the layers of the Earth. So many students ask questions about what is in there that this fantasy really makes them excited. This is a perfect book for any girls or boys who appreciate an adventure story. Children also love to hear about Jules Verne and how he got the ideas for his science fiction stories because it came from his sense of wonder just like them.

Traditional literature

Farley, W. (1941). The Black Stallion. New York: Random House.

The Black Stallion is a classic survival story about a boy and his horse, perfect for elementary or middle school students. The Black Stallion was also made into a movie which was one of my childhood favorites. If you like horses and the story of the Black Stallion, you are in luck because it is part of a series. Although the main character in this book is a young boy, both boys and girls alike will love the book and movie, The Black Stallion.

Historical fiction

Avi. (1990). The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. New York: Orchard Books.

In this Newbery Honor Book, a 13 year old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. The story is composed of a series of "confessions" from Charlotte which tell the story of her journey to America in 1832. Its representation of the 19th century is fantastic. This is a great historical novel and nautical adventure. This mysterious book is suggested for students age 9-12 and is perfect for late elementary and middle school kids. It integrates into the curriculum for most grades and is a fantastic read...especially for those kids who feel they have been "wrongly accused."

Picture books

Shannon, D. (1998). A Bad Case of Stripes. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

A Bad Case of Stripes is a hilarious story about what can happen when you care too much about what other people think. It is appropriate for elementary school and recommended for age 4-8 but also applies in middle school. I have used this book in the past when we were talking about medical mysteries or the scientific method. David Shannon is well-known for his award-winning books he has written and illustrated himself. The illustrations in this book are striking and will keep students laughing and thinking long after the story ends.

Cannon, J. (1993). Stellaluna. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Janell Cannon is one of my favorite writers and illustrators and I use her books frequently in my middle school science classes. The story is about a baby bat who accidentally falls into a bird'snest and is raised like a bird. Eventually, she is reunited with her mother. Cannon first wrote about bats to conquer her own fear and I think that is an outstanding lesson to teach children. It is also fantastic that she includes a couple of pages of actual science facts in the back of each book. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and Cannon's books are a hit with kids of all ages.

McDermott, Gerald. (1972). Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

In many traditional Ashanti tales from West Africa, we meet the folk hero Anansi the Spider. This story, retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, relates the tale of father Anansi and his six spider sons. Each son does one thing to help when their father sets out on a dangerous journey. All of their efforts together would contribute to saving their fathers life. Anansi finds a mysterious, beautiful globe of light in the forest, and decides to make it a gift of thanks to one of the sons. Which son should receive the prize? Nyame, the God of All Things, takes the great globe up into the sky, and that's where it has stayed ever since--the moon, for all to see. Anansi the Spider is a wonderful tale for all ages and is a Caldecott Honor Book.

Seuss-Geisel, T. (1971). The Lorax. New York, NY. Random House, Inc.

Even though it was originally published in 1971, The Lorax is an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth's environment. It is an outstanding example of human-environment interaction. The narrator, the Once-ler, very regretfully tells us the story of the animals that are now gone from the area. The Lorax repeatedly warns the Once-ler but it is no good and he eventually has to leave himself. Dr. Seuss teaches readers not to fool with Mother Nature. But all hope is not lost--the Once-ler has saved a single Truffula Tree seed! A child finds the final seed and the future is in their hands. I use this book all the time with middle school students to teach anything from ecology to commercialism. It is a fantastic lesson for kis of all ages.

Scieszka, J. (1991). The Frog Prince, Continued. New York: Puffin Books.

This fractured fairy tale teaches us what happens when the frog prince and the princess do not exactly live happily ever after. This book is recommended for elementary grades but can be used with middle school, or even high school students, when doing creative writing or writing their own fairy tales. The story is hilarious and the illustrations by Steve Johnson are an outstanding addition to this book.