Bibliography-Books for Children

a.    Picture Books
Freeman, D. (1968). Corduroy. The Penguin Group: New York City, New York. For readers 2-5 years.
This picture book is written as a third person narrative, about a bear who wants someone to purchase him. The setting takes place at a large department store. One day a girl walks by the store where Corduroy the bear is sitting in the window. Before he can be taken to his new home, he must find a button so that his attire is complete and that he appears to be ‘new’. The bear, main character is complete personified. While there are many valuable themes to take away from this book, a focus seems to be that it is wrong to judge based on appearances.
 
b.    Poetry
Silverstein, S. (1996). Falling Up. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc: New York City, NY. Readers 4-8 years. This book of poetry includes 144 poems with illustrations created by the same person. Most of the writing used by Silverstein and his characters even in poetry are humors and portrayed as cartoons. He tried to give voice to children’s desire to be empowered. Every poem included is unique, but generally kept entertaining and light hearted for the reader.
 
c.    Traditional Literature
Galdone, P. (1990). Rumpelstiltskin. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: Boston, MA. Readers ages 3-6. This folktale classic story is about a poor young girl who is forced by her father to spin yarn. Father convinces the royal family that the daughter can spin straw into gold overnight. The king locks her away which is when a mysterious man comes to make this miracle happen for her. Now the girl is in a position where she must rely on the generosity of the man… but of course he has stipulations (such has taking away her first born child).
 
d.    Modern Fantasy
Dr. Seuss. (1972). The Lorax. Random House: New York City, NY. Readers ages 6-9 years. The Once-ler begins by expanding his factory business and to do so, cuts down all the trees. The Lorax is a creature who speaks on behalf of the trees. Once trees begin to disappear in a small town, a little boy seeks to find the Lorax to see what could be done. This book focuses on a lot of cause and effect surrounding environmental issues. The story’s theme seems to focus on the positive impact that just one individual can make.
 
e.    Realistic Fiction
Hoffman, M. & Binch, C. (1991). Amazing Grace. Dial Books: New York: NY. Readers ages 4-7 years. This realism text is about a young girl named Grace who loves stories and loves acting. She is known for acting out all her favorite plots from the stories she enjoys the most. When she finds out that her class will be performing Peter Pan, she decides that she wants to get the leading role. Grace is disheartened to find out that her classmates are not in agreement that she would be the best fit to play the role of Peter Pan. With the encouragement of her family, Grace strives to prove that she can play a character that doesn’t look like her.
 
f.     Historical Fiction
Reynold, A. & Cooper, F. (2010). Back of the Bus. Philomel Books: New York City, NY. Readers ages 6-8. This book takes place in Montgomery, Alabama during the winter in 1955. This story is uniquely told from the perspective a young boy who was on the back of the bus when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. The boy talks to his mother on the bus about Rosa and how he begins to feel that perhaps he belongs on the front of the bus too and is inspired by Rosa’s actions and bravery. The eyes of this child witness an experience that he will never forget and that helped to change the course of history forever.
 
g.    Biography
Meltzer, B. & Eliopoulos, C. (2014). I Am Amelia Earhart. Penguin Random House: New York City, NY.
Readers 5-8 years. The heavily illustrated book tells the real life of an ordinary person who one day changes the world. The book focuses on Amelia when she was in her youth, before she became the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean entirely on her own. The author and illustrator depict Amelia experiences as a young girl who refused to accept the limits of society or even gravity had placed on her and basis entire book on true events.
 
h.    Informational Books (Nonfiction)
Gibbons, G. (2009). Tornadoes! Holiday House: Ney York, NY. Readers 6-9 years.
This book describes various types of tornadoes, and provides fun facts to young readers about the make-up and effects of tornadoes. Gibbons explains how this natural phenomena forms and what to do to seek safety in case the reader should find themselves near one.
 
Literature for a Diverse Society (Multi-cultural) Thong, R. & Lin, G. (2000). Round is a Moon Cake. Chronical Books, LLC: San Francisco, CA.
This book is for readers Pre-K-2nd grade and is about a young Asian-American girl who notices shapes of objects in her neighborhood. Many of the objects are Asian in origin, while others are universal. The neighborhood becomes an educational playground showing how these shapes can link everyone together.