Romans in Britain books (for Middle Schoolers)

Historical Fiction:
Rosemary Sutcliff
The Silver Branch
The Eagle of the Ninth
The Lantern Bearers

Non-fiction:
Anthony Richard Birley Life in Roman Britain
Ruth Brocklehurst Roman Britain (Usborne History of Britain)
Felicity Hebditch Roman Britain (Britain Through the Ages)
Jane Renfrew Food & Cooking in Roman Britain

Adult Books:
Guy De la Bédoyère Roman Britain: A New History
Rebecca Fraser The Story of Britain from the Romans to the Present
Peter Salway The Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain

Mysteries with techie appeal

Mysteries with a techie theme (compiled by MSLA members):

The Secret Agent Jack Stalwart series by Elizabeth Singer Hunt

Dan Gutman's Qwerty Stevens Back in Time mysteries

Room One by Andrew Clements

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett

Edgar Allan's Official Crime Investigation Notebook by Mary Amato

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz (note: graphic novel version of Storm Breaker is a lower reading level than the books)

The 39 Clues series

"Cyberia" by Chris Lynch

Warner, Gertrude Chandler, 1890-1979. The mystery in the computer game. Morton Grove, IL : A. Whitman & Comany, c2000, 2003.
The Aldens, while testing the latest version of their favorite computer game, are surprised to find messages directed specifically at them.

Brezenoff, Steven. The painting that wasn't there. Minneapolis, Minn. : Stone Arch Books, c2010.
James "Gum" Shoo goes to the museum with his art class, and while everybody has been learning about forged art, they are surprised to find a fake in the gallery, and James and his friends attempt to solve the mystery.

Cheshire, Simon. The treasure of Dead Man's Lane : and other case files. 1st American ed. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2009, c2008.
Saxby Smart, a young detective who solves cases from a tool shed, deals with a case of stolen comics as well as neighborhood intruders while sharing clues to allow the reader to help solve the mysteries.

Kelly, David A. (David Andrew), 1964-. The Fenway foul-up. 1st ed. New York : Random House, c2011.
Cousins Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins are watching batting practice at Fenway Park when Red Sox slugger Big D's lucky bat is stolen, and with Big D in a slump, Mike and Kate rush to find the bat before the Sox lose the game.

Montgomery, Lewis B. The case of the haunted haunted house. New York : Kane Press, 2009.
Amateur detectives Milo and Jazz try to figure out if the haunted house they are building for the school fair has a real ghost.

Robbins, Trina. Chicagoland Detective Agency. Minneapolis : Graphic Universe, c2010.
Megan Yamamura, who has a knack for investigation, tries to stop the students at a summer preparatory school from being turned into mindless automatons by the principal, the cafeteria lady, and the school psychiatrist.

Tracker by Patrick Carman.--embedded video and secret codes

Anything by Vivian van Velde

Swindle by Gordon Korman

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Books about Being Tall

(or books for the tallest boy in the class)

Tall Story by Candy Goulet

Cosmic by Frank Cotrell Boyce

Short: Walking Tall When You're Not Tall at All by John Schwartz

Publishers of Hi-Lo books

High Interest/Low Reading level

Publishers of Hi-Lo Resources for Children and Young Adults

Heinemann-Raintree (http://heinemannlibrary.com): Both publishers offer hi-lo series and lines, which can be found by browsing the "Brands" (choose "Product" from the horizontal tab menu, then "Brands") tab from the home page or by searching for series and titles using the company's "Dynamic Leveling" tool (choose "Tools" from the horizontal tab menu, then "Leveling"). Some "brands" to try: Raintree Fusion; Raintree Freestyle Express; Sci-Hi; Raintree Atomic

Gareth Stevens Publishing (http://www.garethstevens.com): Find high interest easy to read nonfiction by choosing "Hi-Lo Must Reads" from the left-hand menu. Among this publisher's hi-lo offerings are biographies, science, and social studies titles.

Capstone (http://www.capstonepub.com): Find hi-lo nonfiction titles by choosing "Products" from the horizontal menu at the top of the page, then by choosing "Nonfiction." The page that opens includes a left-hand menu, from which the choice of "Reader Types" allows a searcher to select "Hi-Lo" and opens a list of the publishers' hi-lo titles.

Bearport (http://www.bearportpublishing.com): The publisher of nonfiction material offers a choice of "High Interest Nonfiction," browse-able by selecting that category from the left-hand menu on the home page.

Hampton Brown (http://www.ngsp.com): A partner of National Geographic, Hampton Brown publishes high interest easy to read nonfiction for young people. Select "Product" from the horizontal menu, then "Leveled Readers" from the drop-down menu to facilitate a search for these items.

Books about Children's Literature

This is a little academic, but could be useful/helpful all the same. Here is a list of readings that we used in my Children's Literature Class in the spring of 2011.


Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books by Kathleen Horning (1997).

Children's Books: A Practical Guide to Selection by Phyllis J. Van Orden and Sunny Strong (2007).

The Pleasures of Children's Literature by Perry Nodleman and Mavis Reimer (2002).

Checking out Non-fiction K-8: Good Choices for Best Learning by Rosemary A. Bamford and Janice V. Kristo (2000)

7th/8th Grade Book Club

This is an alphabetical list by title of librarian recommended books for a 7th/8th grade book club. If the title is followed by a date in parenthesis that book was actually selected and read for the book club that I participated in.

After Ever After by Sonnenblick
American Born Chinese (Graphic Novel)
Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories by Chris Crutcher
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
The Boneshaker by Milford (Steampunk)
Brain Camp by Susan Kim (graphic novel)
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (1/12)
Dark Lord of Dirkholm by Dianne Winn Jones
Death Benefits by Sarah Harvey (5/12)
Down the Rabbit Hole (An Echo Falls Mystery) by Peter Abrahams
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Hawksong by A. Atwater-Rhodes
If I Stay by Gayle Foreman (2/12)
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey (11/12)
Marcello in the Real World by Francisco Stork(10/11)
Many Stones by C. Coman
Notes from the Midnight Driver by Sonnenblick
Pirates! by Celia Rees (1/13)
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo (11/11)
Seventeen Against the Dealer by Cynthia Voigt
Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
Shipbreaker by by Paola Bacigalupi
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements (9/11)
Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (12/12)
What I saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell (3/12)
Yummy the Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri
Z is for Zacariah by R. C. O'Brien (2/12)

Simmons Professor's Independent Reader Author List

Amy Pattee's list of...

Recommended Authors of Children’s Books for Independent Reading

Avi
Bellairs, John
Blume, Judy
Cleary, Beverly (Ramona Quimby books)
Cooper, Susan
Estes, Eleanor
Fritz, Jean
Hamilton, Virginia
Hoff, Syd (easy reading books)
Howe, James (“Bunnicula” books)
Gantos, Jack (Joey Pigza and “Jack” books)
Jacques, Brian
Konigsburg, E.L.
L’Engle, Madeleine
Levine, Gail Carson
Lewis, C.S.
Lobel, Arnold (“Frog and Toad” books)
Look, Lenore (Alvin Ho and Ruby Lu books)
Lowry, Lois (“Anastasia” books and “The Giver” books)
Myers, Walter Dean
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds (“Shiloh” books and the Alice McKinley books)
Parish, Peggy (Amelia Bedelia books)
Patterson, Katherine
Paulsen, Gary (“Hatchet” books)
Peck, Richard
Perkins, Mitali
Pilkey, Dav (“Captain Underpants” books)
Pinkwater, Daniel
Raskin, Ellen
Sachar, Louis (“Wayside School” books and Holes)
Schusterman, Neal
Spinelli, Jerry
Taylor, Mildred D. (“Roll of Thunder” books)
Voigt, Cynthia (Dicey Tillerman books)
Warner, Gertrude Chandler (“Boxcar Children” books)
White, E.B.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls (“Little House” books)

Simmons Professor's Children's Picture Book List

This is a list that Amy Pattee, my Children's Literature professor at Simmons GSLIS put together. It isn't a "perfect" list, but it is a helpful point of reference.

Recommended Picture Book Reading

Bang, M. (1999). When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry. NY: Blue Sky Press.

Bemelmans, L. (1967). Madeline. NY: Viking Press.

Burton, V.L. (1939). Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Burton, V.L. (1942). The Little House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Brown, M.W. and Hurd, C. (1942). The Runaway Bunny. NY: Harper.

Brown, M.W. and Hurd, C. (1947). Good-Night Moon. NY: Harper and Brothers.

Brown, M.W. and Charlip, R. (1958). The Dead Bird. NY: W.R. Scott.

Browne, A. (1981). Hansel and Gretel. NY: Julia McRae Books.

Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the Park. NY: DK Publishing.

Clifton, L. and Grifalconi, A. (1983). Everett Anderson’s Goodbye. NY: Holt, Rinehart and Wilson.

Clifton, L. and Grifalconi, A. (1992). Everett Anderson’s Year. NY: Henry Holt.

Cooney, B. (1982). Miss Rumphius. NY: Viking Press.

Crews, D. (1992). Shortcut. NY: Greenwillow.

Crews, D. (1978). Freight Train. NY: Greenwillow.

Falconer, I. (2000). Olivia. NY: Atheneum.

Feelings, T. (1995). The Middle Passage. NY: Dial.

Gag, W. (1928). Millions of Cats. NY: Coward-McCann.

Gravett, E. (2006). Wolves. NY: Simon and Schuster.

Grimm, J. and Hyman, T.S. (1974). Snow White. Boston: Little Brown.

Henkes, K. (2004). Kitten’s First Full Moon. NY: Greenwillow.

Henkes, K. (2000). Wemberly Worried. NY: Greenwillow.

Hoban, L. and Hoban, R. (1964). Bread and Jam for Frances. NY: Scholastic.

Hutchins, P. (1968). Rosie’s Walk. NY: Macmillan.

Keats, E. J. (1962). The Snowy Day. NY: Viking Press.

Keats, E. J. (1969). Goggles. NY: Macmillan.

Macaulay, D. (1990). Black and White. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

McClosky, R. (1948). Blueberries for Sal. NY: Viking.

McCully, E. A. (1992). Mirette on the High Wire. NY: G.P. Putnum’s Sons.

Merriem, E. and Smith, L. (1987). Halloween A B C. NY: Macmillan.

Pinkney, A. D. and Pinkney, J. B. (1998). Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra. NY: Hyperion.

Raschka, C. (1998). Arlene Sardine. NY: Orchard Books.

Rathmann, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. NY: Putnum.

Rey, H.A. (1941). Curious George. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Ringgold, F. (1991). Tar Beach. NY: Crown Publishers.

Ringgold, F. (1995). My Dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. NY: Crown Publishers.

Say, A. (1993). Grandfather’s Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Say, A. (2000). The Sign Painter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Sciezka, J. and Smith, L. (1992). The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. NY: Viking.

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the Wild Things Are. NY: Harper and Row.

Steptoe, J. (1969). Stevie. NY: Harper and Row.

Steptoe, J. (1987). Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. NY: Lothrup, Lee and Shepard.

Tabak, S. (1999). Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. NY: Viking.

Tan, S. (2007). The Arrival. NY: Arthur A. Levine Books.

Van Allsburg, C. (1984). The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Zion. G. and Graham, M.B. (1956). Harry the Dirty Dog. NY: Harper.

Books about the loss of a pet

This can be a tough topic for children, but here are a few books that could help start a discussion about how it feels to lose a pet... and how grateful we are that they were part of our life for a time.

Desser the best ever cat by Maggie Smith
The tenth good thing about barney by Judith Viorst