2015 National Reading Recovery & K-6 Classroom Literacy Conference
Top 40: Best New Books Grades 3-6
Dr. Lisa Patrick
Primary Trainer: The Ohio State University’s Literacy Collaborative
Email: [email protected]
Blog: www.underthecorktree.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lisadpatrick/
Twitter: @lisadpatrick
TOP 40 BOOKS
(* Top Ten Favorite Books)
BONUS BOOK
Cummings, E.E. I Carry Your Heart With Me. Mati McDonough, illus.
CHAPTER BOOKS
Early Chapter Books
Branford, Anna. Violet Mackerel’s Possible Friend.
DiCamillo, Kate. Leroy Ninker Saddles Up. Chris Van Dusen, illus. (Tales from Deckawoo Dr.)
* Hanlon, Abby. Dory Fantasmagory.
Graphic Literature
Hale, Nathan. Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood. (N. Hale’s Hazardous Tales Book 4)
Holm, Jennifer; Holm, Matthew; & Krosoczka, Jarrett (Eds.). Comics Squad: Recess!
Memoirs
Bell, Cece. El Deafo. (Graphic Memoir) (Charlotte Huck Honorable Mention)
(Newbery Honor)
Woodson, Jacqueline. Brown Girl Dreaming. (Verse Memoir) (National Book Award)
(Newbery Honor) (Coretta Scott King Author Award) (Sibert Honor)
Modern Fantasy Novels
Cohn, Edith. Spirit's Key.
Reeve, Philip. Oliver and the Seawigs. Sarah McIntyre, illus.
Schwab, Victoria. New Beginnings. (Everyday Angel Book 1)
Realistic Fiction Novels
Gantos, Jack. The Key That Swallowed Joey Pigza.
Gephart, Donna. Death by Toilet Paper.
Graff, Lisa. Absolutely Almost. (Charlotte Huck Honorable Mention)
* Levy, Dana Alison. The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher.
Martin, Ann M. Rain Reign. (Charlotte Huck Award Winner) (Schneider Family Award)
* Rundell, Katharine. Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms.
* Sovern, Megan Jean. The Meaning of Maggie. (Charlotte Huck Recommended Book)
1
Informational Books
Fleming, Canace. The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia.
(Orbis Pictus Award Winner) (Sibert Honor)
Markle, Sandra. A Scientific Mystery Series.
The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery
The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery
Roy, Katherine. Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California's
Farallon Islands. (Orbis Pictus Recommended) (Sibert Honor)
PICTUREBOOKS: FICTION
Determined Characters
Barnett, Mac. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Jon Klassen, illus. (Caldecott Honor)
* Davies, Nicola. The Promise.
Friendship
* Dubuc, Marianne. The Lion and the Bird.
Santat, Dan. The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. (Caldecott Medal)
Wordless Wonders
Colón, Raul. Draw! (Charlotte Huck Recommended Book)
Frazee, Marla. The Farmer and the Clown. (Charlotte Huck Honorable Mention)
Writing Mentors: All about Animals
Carle, Eric. What's Your Favorite Animal?
Trochatos, Litsa. Don’t. Virginia Johnson, illus.
PICTUREBOOKS: INFORMATIONAL
Animals
Cox, Lynne. Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas. Brian Floca, illus
* Gravel, Elise. Disgusting Critters Series: The Fly, The Rat, The Slug, The Worm.
* Judge, Lita. Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents.
Levine, Sara. Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons. T.S. Spookytooth, illus.
Biographies
* Bryant, Jen. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. Melissa Sweet, illus. (Caldecott
Honor) (Sibert Award Winner) (Orbis Pictus Honor)
MacLachlan, Patricia. The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse. Hadley
Hooper, illus.
Science
Burns, Loree Griffin. Handle With Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey. Ellen Harasimowicz,
photographer.
Davies, Nicola. Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes. Emily Sutton, illus.
2
PICTUREBOOKS: POETRY
* Janeczko, Paul (Ed.). Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems. Melissa Sweet, illus.
Muth, Jon J. Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons.
Sidman, Joyce. Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold. Rick Allen, illus.
VanHecke, Susan. Under the Freedom Tree. London Ladd, illus.
TEACHER RESOURCES
TOP TEN
1. Bryant, Jen. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. Melissa Sweet, illus.
2. Davies, Nicola. The Promise.
3. Dubuc, Marianne. The Lion and the Bird.
4. Gravel, Elise. Disgusting Critters Series: The Fly, The Rat, The Slug, The Worm.
5. Hanlon, Abby. Dory Fantasmagory.
6. Janeczko, Paul (Ed.). Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems, Melissa Sweet, illus.
7. Judge, Lita. Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents.
8. Levy, Dana Alison. The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher.
9. Rundell, Katharine. Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms.
10. Sovern, Megan Jean. The Meaning of Maggie.
TEACHER READERS
Informational Books
Jarrow, Gail. Red Madness: How a Medical Mystery Changed What We Eat.
Montgomery, Sy. Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa’s Fastest Cat. Nic Bishop,
photographer. (Orbis Pictus Recommended)
Nelson, S.D. Digging a Hole to Heaven: Coal Miner Boys.
Powell, Patricia Hruby. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. Christian Robinson,
illus. (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor) (Sibert Honor)
Rubin, Susan Goldman. Everybody Paints! The Lives and Art of the Wyeth Family.
Sheinkin, Steve. The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights.
Thomson, Ruth. Photos Framed: A Fresh Look at the World’s Most Memorable Photographs.
Memoirs
Ehlert, Lois. The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life. (Orbis Pictus Recommended)
Nelson, Marilyn. How I Discovered Poetry. Hadley Hooper, illus. (Coretta Scott King Author Honor)
Telegemeier, Raina. Sisters. (Graphic Memoir)
Novels
Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. (The Newbery Award) (Coretta Scott King Author Honor)
Doerr, Anthony. All the Light we Cannot See. (Alex Award)
Giles, Gail. Girls Like Us. (Schneider Family Award)
Graudin, Ryan. The Walled City: Run Fast. Trust No One. Always Carry Your Knife.
Malerman, Josh. Bird Box.
Nelson, Jandy. I’ll Give you the Sun. (Printz Award) (Stonewall Honor) (Fav. 2015)
Smith, Andrew. 100 Sideways Miles.
Smith, Andrew. Grasshopper Jungle. (Printz Honor)
Whaley, John Corey. Noggin.
3
HONORABLE MENTION
CHAPTER BOOKS
Early Chapter Books
Funke, Cornelia. Emma and the Blue Genie. Kerstin Meyer, illus.
Viorst, Judith. Lulu’s Mysterious Mission. (Kevin Cornell)
Modern Fantasy Novels
Foxlee, Karen. Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy.
Holm, Jennifer. The Fourteenth Goldfish.
Lloyd, Natalie. A Snicker of Magic. (Charlotte Huck Recommended Book)
Snyder, Laurel. Seven Stories Up.
Torday, Piers. The Last Wild.
Realistic Fiction Novels
Angleberger, Tom. Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus. (Origami Yoda Book 6)
Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Madman of Piney Woods. (Charlotte Huck Recommended)
Holczer, Tracy. The Secret Hum of a Daisy. (Charlotte Huck Recommended Book)
Keating, Jess. How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied.
Turnage, Sheila. The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing.
Wiles, Deborah. Revolution. (Historical Fiction) (Charlotte Huck Honorable Mention)
PICTUREBOOKS: FICTION
African American Ballerinas
Copeland, Misty. Firebird. Christopher Myers, illus. (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award)
Dempsey, Kristy. A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream. Floyd Cooper, illus.
Alphabet Play
Escoffier, Michaël. Take Away the A. Kris DiGiacomo, illus.
Jeffers, Oliver. Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for all the Letters.
Blue Books: Thematically and Visually
Daly, Cathleen. Emily's Blue Period. Lisa Brown, illus.
Haughton, Chris. Shh! We have a Plan.
Book Play
Byrne, Richard. This Book Just Ate my Dog!
McDonnell, Patrick. A Perfectly Messed-Up Story.
Brave Characters
Polacco, Patricia. Mr. Wayne’s Masterpiece.
Uegaki, Chieri. Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin. Qin Leng, illus.
Gender Nonconformists
Baldacchino, Christine. Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress. Isabelle Malenfant,
illus. (Stonewall Honor)
Hoffman, Sarah and Ian Hoffman. Jacob’s New Dress. Chris Case, illus.
4
Holocaust Historical Fiction
Dauvillier, Loic & Greg Salsedo. Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust. Marc Lizano,
illus. (Graphic Novel) (Batchelder Honor)
Elvgren, Jennifer Riesmeyer. The Whispering Town. Fabio Santomauro, illus.
Inventors
Spires, Ashley. The Most Magnificent Thing. (Charlotte Huck Recommended Book)
Yamada, Kobi. What do you do with an Idea? Mae Besom, illus.
Lyrical Language
Johnston, Tony. Sequoia. Wendell Minor, illus.
Johnston, Tony. Winter is Coming. Jim LaMarche, illus.
Math
Perrin, Clotilde. At the Same Moment, Around the World. (math: time zones)
Smith, David J. If…A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers. Steve
Adams, illus.
One of These Things is not Like the Other
DiPucchio, Kelly. Gaston. Christian Robinson, illus.
Merino, Gemma. The Crocodile Who Didn't like Water.
Wordless Wonders
Becker, Aaron. Quest (Sequel to Journey).
Camcam, Princesse. Fox’s Garden.
Writerly Advice
Gay, Marie-Louise. Any Questions? (answers questions about her writing process)
PICTUREBOOKS: INFORMATIONAL
Animal Photography
Harvey, Derek. Animal Antics: The Funny Things Animals Do. (DK Books)
Scott, Traer. Nocturne: Creatures of the Night.
Animals
Jenkins, Steve.
Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World. (Orbis Pictus Recommended)
Creature Features. Robin Page, illus.
Marsh, Laura. National Geographic Readers: Koalas, Manatees, Owls, and Sea Otters
Biographies
Davis, Kathryn Gibbs. Mr. Ferris and his Wheel. Gilbert Ford, illus. (Orbis Pictus Honor)
Kerley, Barbara. A Home for Mr. Emerson. Edwin Fotheringham, illus. (Orbis Pictus
Honor)
5
Rosenstock, Barb. The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art.
Mary GrandPré, illus. (Caldecott Honor)
Russell-Brown, Katheryn. Little Melba and her Big Trombone. Frank Morrison, illus.
(Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor) (Orbis Pictus Recommended)
Sisson, Stephanie Roth. Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos. (Orbis
Pictus Honor)
History
Applegate, Katherine. Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla.
G. Brian Karas, illus.
Fern, Tracey. Dare the Wind: The Record-Breaking Voyage of Eleanor Prentiss and the
Flying Cloud. Emily Arnold McCully, illus.
Hendrix, John. Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914.
Polacco, Patricia. Clara and Davie: The True Story of Young Clara Barton.
Tonatiuh, Duncan. Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez Her Family's Fight for
Desegregation. (Orbis Pictus Honor) (Sibert Honor) (Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor)
Memoir
Montalván, Luis Carlos, with Bret Witter. Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond Between a
Soldier and His Service Dog. Dan Dion, photographer.
Rabinowitz, Alan. A Boy and a Jaguar. Catia Chien, illus. (Schneider Family Award)
Science
Chin, Jason. Gravity.
Johnson, Rebecca. When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses.
PICTUREBOOKS: POETRY
Haitian Schoolchildren. Haiti: My Country. Rogé, illus.
Innu Schoolchildren. Mingan: My Village. Rogé, illus.
Lewis, J. Patrick & Douglas Florian. Poem-Mobiles: Crazy Car Poems.
6
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS & BOOK TRAILERS: VIDEO RESOURCES
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
Davies, Nicola. The Promise.
Nicola Davies discusses her picture book The Promise: Candlewick Press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjtaB2ij2PQ&index=61&list=PL6AB67CAF65080834
Roy, Katherine. Neighborhood Sharks.
Farallon Islands - Time Lapse Drawing Video - Neighborhood Sharks: KatherineRoyStudio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaRLg6S6U-4
Roy, Katherine. Neighborhood Sharks.
Shark Attacks Seal - Time Lapse Drawing Video - Neighborhood Sharks: KatherineRoyStudio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMxbMSMXQFI
Woodson, Jacqueline. Brown Girl Dreaming.
Jacqueline Woodson Brown Girl Dreaming Author Video: Penguin Middle School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2YJPGea94E
BOOK TRAILERS
Barnett, Mac. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. Jon Klassen, illus.
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole Official Book Trailer: Candlewick Press.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBJVZuMd6R8
Bryant, Jen. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. Melissa Sweet, illus.
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus [Book Trailer]: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z8VGJ0s3R
Reeve, Philip. Oliver and the Seawigs.
Oliver and the Seawigs – book trailer: Oxford Education
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbcOyYQzmtw
Rundell, Katherine. Carthwheeling in Thunderstorms.
Katherine Rundell on Carthwheeling in Thunderstorms: Simon & Schuster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rfQKeVDcQo
Santat, Dan. The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. (Best Book Trailer!)
Beekle: Dan Santat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iLWe7kS-5I
Sovern, Megan Jean. The Meaning of Maggie.
The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern: Chronicle Books
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxxRdVbByTE
VanHecke, Susan. Under the Freedom Tree. London Ladd, illus.
Under the Freedom Tree Trailer: Ryan Swenar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjlUGo40wPI
7
BOOK SOURCES
Book Awards
The American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards:
http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2015/02/american-library-association-announces2015-youth-media-award-winners
Book Blogs
100 Scope Notes
A Fuse #8 Production
Design of the Picture Book
The Dirigible Plum
Heavy Medal
The Horn Book: Calling Caldecott
Nerdy Book Club
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
There’s a Book for That
This Picture Book Life
Under the Cork Tree (Lisa Patrick’s blog!)
Waking Brain Cells
Book Review Journals
Booklist
The Hornbook Magazine
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Elizabeth Bluemle: Shelf Talker)
School Library Journal
Book Review Websites
Amazon: Best Books of the Month
Amazon: Best Books of 2014
Goodreads
8