2000-2004 Award-Winning Nonfiction Children’s Literature for PK – 2nd Grades

2000-2004Award-Winning NonfictionChildren’s Literature forPK – 2nd Grades

Presenters Jeanne Swafford Mississippi State University Amma Akrofi Texas Tech Universitiy Emily Mulhollen Mississippi College

Purpose Identify award-winning nonfiction literature published between 2000 – 2004, appropriate for PK - 2 grades

Outstanding Science Trade Books (NSTA) Notable Social Studies Trade Books (NCSS) American Library Association (ALA) Caldecott Award & Honor Books Newbery Award and Honor Books Coretta Scott King Awards & Honor Books Belpre Award featuring Latino/a books ALA Best Books ALA Notable Books Awards Lists

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award & Honor books Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for children’s fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. School Library Journal Best Books Orbis Pictus Award for outstanding nonfiction (NCTE) Teachers’ Choices (IRA). Fiction and nonfiction titles are included. Children’s Choices (IRA) Fiction and nonfiction titles are included.

National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA): Children’s Category • New York Times Best Illustrated Award. • Notable Books for a Global Society for Outstanding K-12 Multicultural Literature (sponsored by the Children’s and Reading SIG (IRA). • Also check the Language Arts journal published by the National Council of Teachers of English for reviews of children’s literature

Trends • Few books appropriate for PK-K students have won awards • Most award-winning nonfiction books were appropriate for 2nd grade and above • Most nonfiction books would be most appropriate for read alouds within the context of a study of a particular topic so that children were familiar with specific vocabulary and had a schema for the topic

Most books were appropriate for read alouds to primary grade students. Content-specific vocabulary and unfamiliar concepts may hinder comprehension of read alouds. However, read alouds of nonfiction books are most appropriate when studying a particular topic. Useof Books

Teacher’s Comment Bats: Strange and Wonderful Laurence Pringle 2nd graders This book was under-standable to my students. We have previously participated in a thematic study of bats, and the reading of familiar material to them was enjoyable. During the read aloud I was able to see how much knowledge they had retained.

Teacher Recommendations • This is a great read aloud if you are studying bats or if you had already studied bats. • For an every day read aloud, I think that it is a bit long. I believe that students would appreciate this book more with a background for the knowledge that is within.

Student Recommendation: Anyone who wants to learn about bats or those who might have a fear or prejudice against these creatures should read this book. *Two students wanted their mothers to read the book. Students’ Favorite Part: They thought that it was so cool that mother bats can find their own baby in Bracken Cave among millions of other babies.

Teacher’s Comment Through My Eyes Ruby Bridges This is a good read aloud for 2nd graders. This is a powerful story they can relate too. Certain parts, such as those that relate to the legislation, should be summarized.

Teacher’s Comments: I LOVE THIS STORY!! The students, whether they are African American, Hispanic, or White, can relate and have something to share about their life that is pertinent to this story. Students’responses: All my students love this book. Their reaction is one of amazement. They are amazed that this story actually took place. They are intrigued that it happened to a little girl not much younger than they. They can’t believe that there is such a thing as segregation. They also love to see the actual photographs.

Teacher’s Recommendation • This book presents great opportunities for writing. Each student has something that they would like to share. Instead, have them write their thoughts, to share later. This book generates powerful discussions among the students and is a great teaching tool.

Teacher’s Comment So You Want to Be President Judith St. George This is an easily understood book for 2nd graders, regardless of their background knowledge about presidents.

Students’ Favorite Part: My students loved this book for several reasons. First, they were amused by the pictures. We talked about caricatures and my students were able to recognize the most famous of the presidents. We laughed together as a class throughout the reading of this book. They thought the use of sarcasm and humor on such pages as President Taft being put into the tub by a crane, and others was hilarious. They loved the page on President Taft and the bathtub and they enjoyed that President Roosevelt’s son brought the pony into the White House. The students LOVED this book. Students’ Recommendation: They recommend it for other 2nd graders and one young man recommended it for his mother.

Favorite Parts: I LOVE THIS STORY!! The students, whether they are African American, Hispanic, or White, can relate and have something to share about their life that is pertinent to this story. • All my students love this book. Their reaction is one of amazement. They are amazed that this story actually took place to a little girl not much younger than they are intrigues them. • They can’t believe that there is such a thing as segregation. • They also love to see the actual photographs. • Teacher Recommendation: This book presents great opportunities for writing. Each student has something that they would like to share. Instead of sharing orally, each child can write their thoughts to share later. This book generates powerful discussions among the students and is a great teaching tool.

Teacher’s Comment Hello, Fish Sylvia A. Earle 2nd grade Understandable: 10 +! Favorite parts: Students enjoyed the photographs and the easy-to-read text. It includes many facts but is written in a conversational way.

Teacher’s comment: I loved the gorgeous photographs of sea creatures and the interesting facts/text about each creature. Students’ response: Their favorite animals were the “stargazer” and the “silvertip shanks”. Students’ Recommendation: We recommend Hello, Fish to 2nd through 4th graders. Students told other students that the spotted moray is very odd-looking!

Teacher’s Comments My Rows and Piles of Coins Tololwa M. Mollel 2nd grade This book was was easy for my students to understand. They enjoyed the book.

Teacher’s Recommendation: This was really an excellent read-aloud and it tied in well with my unit study on Africa. It gave the children a better insight into the African culture. Students’ Favorite Parts: Students liked the part when the boy’s friend gave him the bike. They told other students that a boy saved his money to buy a bike to help his mom carry things to the market.

Teacher’s Comments Brilliant Bees Linda Glaser 1st Grade This book would be wonderful when a class is studying about bees.

Students’ Favorite Part: Information about bees guarding the hive. Teacher’s Favorite Part: I liked how the book illustrates the daily activities of honeybees and the question/answer section in the back of the book. Teacher’s Recommendation: 1st – 3rd or 4th graders

Teacher’sComments About Arachnids Cathryn Sills Kindergarteners Students who had some background knowledge about spiders had no trouble understanding this book. I explained a few words like predator, pincers, & scorpions.

Students’ comment: Students loved the book because they love spiders! Several students made personal connections and had many stories to tell about their experiences with spiders. Teacher’s comment : The illustrations were wonderful. It was short and had just enough information for students in kindergarten. Teacher’s Recommendation: K – 1st grade

Teacher’s Comment Benjamin Banneker: Pioneering Scientist George Wadsworth 2nd grade This book is long so needs to be read in sections. Students made connections with this book and Martin’s Big Words.

Students’ Comments • Student Recommendation: “Anyone that likes to read [will like this book] because once you start reading it you want to find out what will happen next.” • Favorite Part: “I liked how Benjamin never gave up and he was always learning something.”

Teacher’s Comment A Child’s Calendar John Updike 2nd grade My students understood the poems well. The girls liked the way the text rhymed, the pictures, and the words in the poems.

Students’ Comments Girl’s Comment: “I like the way it teaches you a lot of stuff about life.” Girls’ Recommendation: The girls recommended this book for all of the other second grade classes to read. They said that first and third graders would also like to read and listen to this book as a read aloud. Boys’ Comments: The boys said their moms would like the book. They did not like the poems or the subject of the months.

Teacher’sComment Martin’s Big Words Doreen Rappaport 2nd grade Give students a little background information before reading the book aloud. I asked them to think about how they would feel if black people and white people had separate schools. I also asked what they might do to help black and white people go to one school?

Students’ Comments 2nd grade girl: “It was an American Story about a hero that help[ed] join the blacks and the whites.” 2nd grade boy: “We [are] always talking about helping other people and Martin Luther really did help a lot of people.” 2nd grade girl like the book because: “Martin said fight with love not fists; I hate fighting.”

Teacher’s Comment The Man Who Walked Between the Towers Mordicai Gerstein 2nd grade Students understood all parts of this book. They never took their eyes off the book during the entire read aloud.

Students’ Comments I liked the book because: • “He followed his dream no matter what might happen to him.” • “It was about the twin towers and they remembered September 11th.” • “He had the courage to walk on the cable between the two towers.” • “Philippe did what he wanted to do, knowing that he would be arrested.”

Why Read Nonfiction Books to Pk-2 Students? • Kids love them! • Nonfiction books help build background knowledge and content-specific vocabulary. • Students learn new science, social studies, and math concepts. • Students enjoy learning about new things and relating ideas their lives.

Students learn to recognize and understand expository text structures. Students learn to navigate nonlinear text. They learn from visual aspects of the books. They enjoy beautifully illustrated books. Students enjoy examining photographs. Carefully chosen nonfiction texts are up-to-date and written by experts.

Most state tests require students to understand expository texts AND You’ll meet the Language Arts Standards

Acknowledgements Thanks to teachers who read books to their students: • Lani Jackson, Kindergarten, MS • Kristin Kling, 1st grade, MS • LoriBeth Marchbanks, 2nd grade, LA • Sandra Sconiers, 2nd Grade, TX • Judy Rogers, 2nd Graders, TX • April Medina, 2nd Grade, TX (arranged by Macy Satterwhite)

2000-2004 Award-Winning Nonfiction Children’s Literature for PK – 2nd Grades