- Children's and Adolescent Literature - Annotated Bibliography Example

Reading List for Children 3-6 Years Old: An Annotated Bibliography Arnosky, Jim. Thunder Birds: Natures Flying Predators. New York: Sterling, 2011. Print I read that Arnosky is a naturalist and this fact made perfect sense when looking at the pictures in this book. The book is filled with drawings that are so real that the birds look like they could fly off the page. The author gives many short stories about the birds, and interesting facts. It is written in language that children understand and can read on their own. Some of the pages fold out and the book is categorized by the families of birds. All the birds are raptors which makes the drawings more majestic. Children will love to read this book more than once. Cardillo, Margaret. Just Being Audrey. New York: Balzer & Bray, 2011. Print. When I first looked at this book, I did not know it was about Audrey Hepburn. I like her movies, and this book tells more about her life outside the movies. Although many children will be familiar with her, they will understand that the books is about a girl who overcame many challenges to become a great actor. The book shows the costumes of her movies and tells more about her life and how she became a star. For children, the book introduces them to the world of acting and what it is like to climb to stardom. Deedy, Carmen Agra and Randall Wright. The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale. Georgia: Peachtree, 2011. Print. This story reminded me of an old cartoon where a cat makes friends with mice who agree that they will let him catch them when people were around. This is the theme of this book. The main character, Skilley, is a cat and wants to live a the Cheshire Cheese Inn. He makes friends with the mice in the Inn so that he can live there as the mouser. The mice work out a deal where the cat gets cheese from the mice, in exchange for their protection from the inn keeper. There are several interesting characters in the book that makes it interesting for young children. The reason the book has Charles Dickens in the title, is because he is an author who visits the inn on a daily basis, to write his novel. Although the book is fiction, it has many references and puns that readers will understand if they have read Dickens. Durango, Julia. 2010. Under the Mambo Moon. MA: Charlesbridge, 2010. Print. For teachers and parents who are looking for books on diversity, this book may be a good choice. The book is about Latino music and describes the experience of Marisol, who works her father’s music store during the summer. The book is a book of poems written about the characters who come into the shop. There are both short and long poems. Some of the poems are written as though Marisol is writing them and others are longer and about different types of music. There is a lyrical sound to the poems that children will enjoy. Each illustration is an album cover. The poems give the readers a small look at Latino culture. Fleming, Candace. Clever Jack Takes the Cake. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2010. Print. The book is a very good story whose moral might be, “the best laid plans”. Jack receives an invitation to the princesses’ birthday party, but he is poor and has nothing to give her. He decides to bake her a cake. He creatively gathers the ingredients for the cake, bakes it, and goes on a journey to the palace. The problem is that the cake is eaten by other hungry characters as he moves toward the palace. He gets to the palace with the story about what happened to the cake, rather than the cake. The princess likes the story so well that she lets Jack cut the royal cake. The illustrations are not bright and cheery, so children could create their own stories about the activities in the book, as they read it or have it read to them. Hatke, Ben. Zita the Spacegirl. New York: First Second, 2010. Print. If a teacher or parent is looking for pure fantasty, Zital will take children to a wonderful fantasy land. The premise of the story is that Zita finds an object with a button on it, and she pushes the button. The book is a graphic novel with excellent illustrations that will keep young children interested as they read. It is also an adventure story that takes the reader along Zita’s adventure. The book has lots of things that children like – aliens, robots, spiders, and a giant rat as examples. Zita’s friend Joseph was abducted by the aliens, and Zita must find him while facing unknown challenges. This is a story of courage and friendship that young children can relate to easily. Jonell, Lynne. Hamster Magic. New York: Random House, 2010. Print. Moving from one house to another is difficult for everyone, but a move can be particularly difficult for children. This book takes children on a journey of what can happen if they had a talking hamster that could grant wishes. In this tale, the youngest of three children, wishes that her talking hamster was bigger and that he would also make her bigger. The only problem is that instead of being turned into a bigger girl, she is turned into a big hamster. The book sends the little girl on an adventure and eventually she has to decide whether she wants to stay a hamster or be turned back into a girl. Kennedy, Kim. Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates. New York: Amulet Books, 2010. Print. Harry Potter fans will probably enjoy this book because it is full of ghosts and interesting characters. Misty is a young girl who lives in a town with many ghosts. Her parents own the “Dearly Departed Antique Store”. Misty is tired of dealing with dead things, until she reads a diary of Ashcrumb, someone who used to live in the town and who was noted as the wealthiest person in town. The diary sends Misty on a quest to find three golden Greek statues before an evil group of ghosts finds them and turns the world into chaos. The action in the book is fast paced and will provide children with a fun adventure. Lupica, Mike. Hero. New York: Puffin, 2011. Print. (Reprint Edition). Sometimes children need to learn about death and loss and this topic is addressed easily in Hero. The book is entertaining and although it is a fantasy, many children will be able to relate to the topic. The main character is Zach, a teenage boy who loses his father in a car accident. Zach decides that there is something more to his father’s death, and he sets out to find out more information. Along the way, Zach finds out that he has super powers – he can become invisible and he can fly. He also finds out that he can move very fast and he has super strength. All of these superhero powers help Zach come to terms with his father’s death. The book also uses modern terms that children understand. As an example, Zach “texts” himself to all the places he goes and he “deletes” the bad people in the book. There are also historical references to real events, scattered throughout the book. McElligott, Matthew and Larry Tuxbury. Benjamin Franklinstein Lives! New York: G.P. Putnams Sons, 2010. Print. What would happen if Ben Franklin was still living today? This is the premise of this book. The author has provided many different facts about Ben Franklin so children learn about him as the story unfolds. Victor, the main character, finds Ben in the basement of his house. He finds out that been has been in suspended animation for 200 years. He was put there by the “Modern Order of Prometheus”, a secret society that Victor belonged to when he was living in his time. Victor must not only help Ben adjust to the new day, but he must keep him safe when he turns into a monster who needs to use electricity to stay alive. Victor and Ben have many adventures while trying to find the Prometheans. This is a great way for children to learn about electricity and about Ben Franklin’s contributions. Ramsey, Calvin A. Ruth and the Green Book. MN: Carolrhoda Books, 2010. Print. This is another book about historical events that will be a very good read for children. The author creates history in a way that children can relate to it. The story revolves around Ruth and her family who decide to visit relatives in Alabama, in the 1950s. This is a time when Jim Crow laws were enforced and the book provides a good understanding of how these laws affected families and individuals. Many children reading the book will have more questions. The Green Book tells the family where to go to receive assistance while in the South. The story is told from Ruth’s point of view, which makes the store more interesting. Selznick, Brian. Wonderstruck. New York: Scholastic Press, 2011. Print. Teachers and parents who want a story that shows diversity should consider this book. The story is about two deaf children (Rose is totally deaf, Ben is deaf in one ear) who want their lives to be different. Rose wants to find an actress that she knows because of the scrapbook she has created for her, and Ben wants to have a father. Both children receive clues to the live they want to lead and set out to follow these clues. There are two stories going on simultaneously, but it works as they are weaved together towards the end. Also, the stories are 50 years apart and Rose “writes” in pictures, while Ben writes in prose. Smith, Clete Barrett. Aliens on Vacation. New York: Disney Hyperion Books, 2011. Print. Space aliens are a common theme for children and this book is one of the better ones. Scrub, the main character, is helping his grandmother for the summer, working in the “Intergalactic Bread and Breakfast” (B&B) that his grandmother owns. Scrub finds out that each tourist that comes to the B&B has an interesting story to tell. Scrub learns how to run the B&B, and learns some interesting ways to help the tourists conceal their identities as aliens, so they will not alarm the townspeople. The tourists come from all over the galaxy and they arrive at the B&B through one of the closets, that acts as a transporter. The story unfolds as townspeople become suspicious of what his happening at the B&B. This book helps the young reader learn about bravery, honesty, accepting differences and provides a new way to look at diversity. Sternberg, Julie. Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie. New York: Amulet Books, 2011. Print. Pickle juice on a cookie does not sound very appetizing to adults, but it is a weird enough title to make children pick up the book. The story is both a tale about loss as it is a tale about new beginnings. Eleanor is a young child who will begin third grade soon. The challenge for her is that Bibi, her babysitter, is gone and the new babysitter is very different. Eleanor has to deal with this change, and she must deal with a new baby in the house, a new neighbor, and many other changes that take her out of her comfort zone. This is a great book because it is a coming of age story, and it is about an ordinary girl dealing with everyday challenges. Swaim, Jessica. Scarum Fair. PA: Wordsong, 2010. Print. This is a delightful book that is both entertaining and disgusting in a good way. Children who watch the cartoon “Monsters, Inc.” may enjoy this book. The book is about a Scarum Fair where ghosts, monsters, and other creep characters as they attempt to scare people who come to the fair . There are many creepy, crawly, poems that can be read during Halloween or throughout the year. There are 29 poems in all, and it is fun to see how the writer weaves rhyme into the scary themes. The rhymes are lyrical and interesting and children will probably want to read the book more than once. Sylver, Adrienne. 2010. Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog. New York: Dutton Childrens Books, 2010. Print. Hotdogs are some of the best foods for children because they can be eaten in several different ways, and they are fast to prepare; you can also have them in many different ways. Most of us do not think about where our food comes from and sometimes we may not want to know. Children will love the facts in this book about hotdogs and how they came into being. The book provides a historical look at hotdogs from the Roman sausage to the veggie hotdogs we have today. There are many short trivia facts about hotdogs throughout the book, and the illustrations will make the reader want a hotdog now! It is a great book to read before or after a lunch or dinner of hotdogs. Taback, Simms. Postcards from Camp. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2011. Print. This is a story about trying something new. Michael was sent to summer camp to gain an understanding of what it is like to be away from home for a short time. Like many children, being away from home for the first time can be a very frightening experience for him. In a panic, he writes to his dad and asks to come home. He is miserable because he does not like his counselor, the other kids pick on him, and it is raining all the time. The book uses homemade postcards that Michael makes and short letters from him to his dad. His father sends postcards and letters back to him to keep him focused on fun and encourages him to stay. This is a funny book and one that children and adults can relate to if they have ever gone to camp. Warner, Sally. EllRay Jakes is Not a Chicken. Illustrated by Jamie Harper. New York: Viking, 2011. Print. Many writers provide books that can be used as talking points with children. This is what Sally Warner has done. EllRay is the type of child who can be a target for bullying because he is smaller than other children. In the story, he is picked on by one particular student who never gets into trouble when he picks on EllRay; instead, EllRay gets into trouble. The story escalates into a final fight between the bully and EllRay, but EllRay finds a way to win the fight. The author puts a lot of detail into the book about EllRay, his family, and other children. EllRay must stay out of trouble in school, or he will not get to go to Disneyland. The ending of the story was somewhat unrealistic, but can be a way for parents to talk about bullying and how their children can approach a bully if it happens. Weinstein, Muriel Harris. Play, Louis, Play: The True Story of a Boy and His Horn. New York: Bloomsbury, 2011. Print. Louis Armstrong is the topic of this very interesting book, told from the point of view of his trumpet (horn). Children learn about jazz and about Armstrong’s life. They learn that he was very poor, had little opportunity for education, and lived with his grandmother. By learning to play the trumpet, he was able to make music throughout his life. In fact, Armstrong became a legend of his time. Armstrong’s first horn was bought from a pawn shop for five dollars and he kept the trumpet all his life (though he was able to purchase more expensive horns as he become more known). Yohalem, Eve. Escape Under the Forever Sky. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2009. Print. This book is definitely for older young readers because of its theme. Lucy is the central character and her father is the Ambassador to Ethiopia. Lucy is overly protected by her mother (Lucy’s point of view) and she longs to go to the city. Lucy decides to leave her home and go to the city with a friend, only to be kidnapped by drug smugglers. While staying with her captors, Lucy must rely on her own abilities in the wild, and her knowledge of the world around her. The book includes flashbacks about what her life was like before she was kidnapped, which adds to the suspense and the intrigue of the story. Read More