Tuesday, May 10, 2011

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.