Award-winning titles, recommended reading, and popular children's books for kids of all ages.
Award-Winning and Classic Children's Books
1997 Newbery Honorees
(for outstanding children's fiction)
Medalist
Konigsburg, E.L. The View from Saturday. A special bond develops among four sixth graders who, along with their teacher/coach, Mrs. Qlinski, comprise a surprisingly -- in fact amazingly -- successful Academic Bowl team.
Honor Books
Farmer, Nancy. A Girl Named Disaster. When 11-year-old Nhamo (Disaster) flees her native village in Mozambique to search for her father in Zimbabwe, she is lost on the vast Lake Cabora Bassa, and survives harsh weather, wild animals and near starvation.
McGraw, Eloise. Moorchild. Moorchild Moql becomes the changeling Saaski - half-human, half-Folk - an outcast in both worlds. The reader is drawn into the lives of the moorfolk who fear Saaski and into all those who have contact with her, defending her from superstitious villagers.
Whalen Turner, Megan. The Thief. Freed from the royal dungeons and commanded to steal an ancient talisman from supernatural guardians, boastful young Gen pulls off an astonishing scam, and in the process rescues his own small country from a threatened invasion.
White, Ruth. Belle Prater's Boy. Gypsy's cousin Woodrow comes to live next door in Coal Station, Virginia, bringing with him the mystery of his mother's curious disappearance and, somehow, the key to a secret that Gypsy keeps from herself.
For current winners and more detailed information, visit the Newberry Medal Homepage.
1997 Caldecott Honorees
(for outstanding illustrated books)
Medalist
Wisniewski, David. Golem. Golem, a soulless day giant who was created to protect Jews in 16th-century Prague, comes to find that life is precious in this touching story with universal themes of power and redemption.
Honor Books
Meade, Holly. Hush! A Thai Lullaby. A mother warns a crying mosquito, a leaping frog, and a swinging monkey not to wake her sleeping child in this gentle, cumulative bedtime story.
Pelletier, David. The Graphic Alphabet. The traditional form of the alphabet book is reinvented using sophisti-cated computer imagery laced with wit and humor.
Pilkey, Day. The Paperboy. A boy wakes in the darkness, bundles his newspapers, and accompanied by his faithful dog, delivers the daily papers to the still dark houses before returning home to his warm bed.
Sis, Peter. Starry Messenger. An insightful, multi-layered picture book biography of astronomer Galileo Galilei, illustrated in a style that evokes Renaissance art, architec-ture, and cartography.
For current winners and more detailed information, visit the Caldecott Medal Homepage.
Popular Children's Books
Recommended Titles: Grades K-3
Kasza, Keiko. The Wolf's Chicken Stew. A delightful new twist on an old, formerly predatory relationship. It gives insight into the unexpected potential of relationships, and makes the reader smile in the process.
Spedden, Daisy Corning Stone. Polar, the Titanic Bear. Told by a boy's toy bear, this book describes an American family's travels, culminating with their voyage on the doomed Titanic. It presents actual photos and has wonderful historical information and perspective.
Tan, Amy. The Moon Lady. An excerpt from the author's highly acclaimed book "The Joy Luck Club," this is a story set in China which lends itself to a beautiful children's book.
Uchida, Yoshiko. The Bracelet. A poignant story of a young Japanese-American girl who has to leave her best friend when the family is moved out of their home and shipped to an internment camp during World War II. A bracelet is all she has to remember her friend by ... or is it?
Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! By A. Wolf. A new perspective on the story of the three pigs as told by the big bad wolf. It gives a very humorous insight into rumor and reputation.
McCaulay, David. Black and White. (Caldecott Medalist) This is a cleverly presented book of one story or four, depending on how it is read. It is about trains, cows, parents and many other things.
Jeffers, Susan. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky. (ABBY award winner, Book of the Year) This beautifully illustrated book presents an important environmental message, attributed to the great Chief Seattle.
Ventura, Piero. Michelangelo's World. Told as the person of Michelangelo himself, this charmingly illustrated book describes his life and his work in 16th century Italy.
Brown, Ruth. The World That Jack Built. A take-off on the nursery rhyme "This is the House that Jack Built," this book has a powerful environmental message and matching illustrations.
Fox, Mem. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. A truly charming story of aging and memory loss and childhood and memory sharing.
Johnston, Johanna. They Led the Way: 14 American Women. This book includes easily read, short biographical sketches of Anne Hutchinson, Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley, Emma Willard, Ernestine Rose, Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Victoria Woodhull and others.
Winter, Jeanette. Diego. Written in both English and Spanish, this book presents the life of famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.
Mahy, Margaret. 17 Kings and 42 Elephants. A lyrical story which plays with language in delightful and instructive ways.
Cooney, Barbara. Mrs. Rumphius. This book is about making a difference and enjoying the beauty of life.
Siegel, Robert. Whalesong. A beautifully written, poignant story told through the eyes of these captivating creatures.
Yolen, Jane. Encounter. Another different historical perspective, this book is told through the eyes of a young Taino boy as three amazing ships land in the harbor of his island village, marking the arrival of Columbus and its aftermath for the native peoples of this hemisphere
More Books for a Summer Elementary Reading Program
Recommended Titles: Grades 3-6
Everett, Gwen. John Brown: One Man Against Slavery. This powerful but simply written book presents a some-what different picture of John Brown than the usual history book. Beautifully illustrated by the famous painter Jacob Lawrence, it gives an important perspective into history.
Petschek, Joyce. The Silver Bird: A Tale for Those Who Dream. This is a book for children of every age, including adults, who relish dreams, fantasy, truth, paradox, and eternal childlikeness. It comes with beautiful illustrations.
Kids Explore America's Hispanic Heritage: Westridge Young Writers Workshop. This book holds a wealth of information on history, culture, food, celebrations, adivinanzas, folk art projects, and many other topics central to the Hispanic heritage of our continent.
The Big Book for Peace. By many different authors, this book is filled with stories, pictures, poems and even a song about many different kinds of peace. It can be enjoyed, reflected upon, and shared widely.
Uchida, Yoshiko. Journey to Topaz. This is a compelling story told through the eyes of a young Japanese-American girl as she is uprooted from her life and sent with her family to an internment camp in the Nevada desert during WWII.
Hooks, Wuliam H. The Ballad of Belle Dorcas. Set in the time of slavery, this is a powerful and eerie retelling of a classic conjure tale of love, injustice, and magic. Beautifully illustrated.
Schroeder, Alan. Ragtime Tumpie. This stirring account of the great Josephine Baker's childhood in an urban Black community inspires children to hold on to their hopes and dreams.
Kesey, Ken. The Sea Lion. Best known for his adult books such as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" this author has presented a compelling children's story, drawn from the images and tradition of the Pacific Northwest Indians and having as its theme the intricate connection between humankind and nature.
Richter, Hans Peter. Friedrich. (Mildred E. Batchelder Award). This is a short but very powerful book about a young Jewish boy in Germany in the 1930's and what changes occur in his life as Hitler comes to power.
Teenager Books to Inspire and Enchant
Recommended Titles: Grades 7-9
Guy, Rosa. Edith Jackson. (ALA Best Book for Young Adults) The story of seventeen-year-old Edith's struggle to make a home and a life for herself and her three orphaned sisters in Harlem; a compelling coming-of-age novel.
Sills, Leslie. Inspirations: Stories About Women Artists. This book includes inspiring stories of Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Alice Ned, and Faith Ringgold.
Yep, Laurence. Dragonwings. (Newbery Honor Book) An eight-year-old boy has his life turned upside down as he moves from a small village in China to join a father he has never met in America. As he and his father build a flying machine, it is a bit of fantasy, a bit of adventure, and a tribute to Chinese-American courage and industry.
Avi. The Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. (Newbery Award Winner) The incredible journey of a young English lady unescorted on a journey across the ocean with a rough ship's crew. Her transformation from a helpless girl to a most competent young person is believable and inspiring.
Taylor, Mildred D. Road to Memphis. (Coretta Scott King Award) Set in 1941, Cassie has just graduated from a Mississippi high school and is dreaming of college and law school. But amid the rumblings of war in Europe and the Pacific, she becomes embroiled in her own drama of love, violence, rage, and racism and, as a result of her experiences, is catapulted into adulthood.
LaFarge, Oliver. Laughing Boy. Set on the Navajo Reservation, this is the story of a young man and his struggle for love and cultural identity.
Hamilton, Virginia. M.C. Higgins the Great. (Newbery Medalist, ALA Notable Book, National Book Award) The story of a young boy's struggle to come to grips with the changes necessary in his life and his family, as his understanding of freedom and escaping the poverty and racism in his life come together.
Houston, Jeanne Wakatsuki & James. Farewell to Manzanar. Frequently compared to The Diary of Anne Frank, this is the touching story of a Japanese-American family interned during World War II. This is a true story, experienced by the author when she was seventeen.
Recommended Titles: Grades 9-12
Kingsolver, Barbara. The Bean Trees. A young woman sets out on a journey from Kentucky to reinvent her and finds herself in Tucson, Arizona, as the caretaker of a Native American baby and the reluctant assistant to the Sanctuary movement. She encounters many people who cause her to realize the injustice and evil many people experience, as well as the compassion and humanity found in the world.
Rylant, Cynthia. I Had Seen Castles. Another fine book from this author, the story is of a young man's struggle with his feeling about entering into the war as a teen in 1941 and his conflicting feelings as he falls in love with a young woman opposed to all wars. Fifty years later the main character continues to be haunted by the effects of the war.
Cooper, I. California. Family. This novel about slavery is vividly personal and intense, celebrating the indomitability of the human spirit in the face of the most tragic of human experiences.
Giardina, Denise. Storming Heaven. A riveting book, told from several characters' points of view, and based on historical incidents from the coal mine wars of the 1920's. We see the richness of life before the coming of the mines and the struggle to survive once they have arrived.
Wharton, William. A Midnight Clear. Told through the eyes of a young man not quite old enough to legitimately be a soldier, this is the story of 'X'WII and an encounter between German and American troops, which illuminates both the hope for humanity and the tragedy of war.
Lee, Gus. Honor and Duty. West Point cadet Kai Ting had a great opportunity to honor his Chinese heritage while becoming the best possible American. However, in the 1960s, as the Vietnam war escalated, preconceptions about Asians and involvement in a cheating scandal turn his dream into a crisis where his very survival is threatened. This is compelling, sometimes humorous, and consistently well written.