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GREAT BOOKS ABOUT THINGS KIDS LOVE click
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A sample of books from "Great Books about Things Kids Love"
Arranged by age
Gigantic! How Big were the Dinosaurs? by Patrick O'Brien.
Ages 2-8
Each wide double-page spread features a colorful painting of a dinosaur
or other ancient beast juxtaposed against a more modern object.
For example, the triceratops looms over a knight in armor on horseback,
with the simple text, "This mighty giant's massive head was
a dangerous weapon." The pictures carry most of the information,
while an appendix adds a bit more about each creature. Informational
and amusing.
Sophie Skates by Rachel Isadora. Ages
3-8
Eight-year-old Sophie takes lessons five mornings a week at five
a.m. and three afternoons after school. A double-page spread shows
her clothing and equipment, then book shows and describes different
moves and jumps on the ice. One section compares movements from
ballet, which Sophie also studies, with movements in skating. The
illustrations add an unusual amount of information to this short,
attractive book.
I Love Guinea Pigs by Dick King-Smith. Illustrated by Anita
Jeram. Ages 3-8
King-Smith's love of guinea pigs suffuses this charming book. In
simple words with a personal touch, the text tells about the history
and characteristics of guinea pigs, with an emphasis on why they
are so lovable. It gives tips for keeping guinea pigs as pets and
how to make them happy. Irresistible illustrations show the bright-eyed
animals eating, exploring, and being cuddled. Likely to make the
reader rush out to get a guinea pig.
Ghosts! Ghostly Tales from Folklore by Alvin Schwartz. Ages
5-9
This "I Can Read" book is perfect for beginning readers
who like ghost stories. In simple language, the tales tell about
a haunted house, a ghost cat, a nasty ghost girl, and more. The
final chapter offers advice on scaring away ghosts. While not terribly
scary, the collection is a good starting point for a lifetime of
suspenseful reading. The color illustrations, which show suitably
strange characters with a haunted air, also add a note of humor.
The Mystery of UFOs by Judith Herbst. Ages
6-10
This short illustrated book provides a lot of information about
UFOs. The author, who is open to the idea that some UFOs are genuine,
reviews the major "sightings" in the United States, starting
with the incident that introduced the term "flying saucer."
The account discusses reported appearances around Roswell, New Mexico,
and the government's reactions to them. Maps add information, but
most of the other illustrations have a light-hearted spirit. An
upbeat introduction to a high interest topic.
Sukey and the Mermaid by Robert D. San Souci. Illustrated
by Brian Pinkney. Ages 6-11
Delicately colored scratchboard illustrations set this folktale
on the South Carolina shore, where a girl named Sukey lives with
her mother and harsh stepfather. When she can get away from her
chores, Sukey goes to the beach where she one day meets "a
beautiful, brown-skinned, black-eyed mermaid." The encounter
improves Sukey's life, takes her on a strange adventure, and finally
leads her to happiness. An unusual, haunting mermaid tale from the
African-American tradition.
Owen Foote, Soccer Star by Stephanie Greene. Ages
7-10
Second-grader Owen, who is finally old enough to join the town soccer
league, has persuaded his best friend Joseph to join, too. But a
few kids in the league are bigger and better at soccer than Owen,
and not always too friendly. Joseph, not a strong player, needs
Owen's encouragement and understanding, another challenge for Owen.
All comes out right in the end, though, in this warm soccer tale.
One in a delightful series.
Angela's Top-Secret Computer Club by Holly Keller. Ages
7-10
Who has infiltrated the computer system at Angela's school and messed
up the report cards? It's the last day of school, and Angela vows
that she and her computer club friends will solve the mystery before
the summer is over. When her friend Albert starts getting mysterious
e-mail messages, the club realizes they are clues and eventually
Angela puts together the pieces of the puzzle. Large print and occasional
pictures makes this lively computer mystery accessible to younger
readers.
Dolphins: What They Can Teach Us by Mary M. Cerullo. Ages
8-12
The many sparkling color photographs in this book will delight dolphin
enthusiasts. The well-organized text supplies facts and stories
in a readable fashion with details that children will appreciate.
Six chapters explore what we know about dolphins, how they survive
in the sea, how they communicate, their family life, and how dolphins
and humans help each other. A clear, appealing introduction to a
fascinating sea mammal. Also see Cerullo's books on octopus, sharks
and other see animals.
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. Ages
8-12
Seven-year-old Omakayas lives with her family on an island in Lake
Superior, in the year 1847. This novel, full of descriptions of
the traditional Ojibwa life, follows Omakayas through a year of
learning and heartbreak. The family builds their summer birchbark
house, plants and harvests corn, gathers wild rice, and moves to
town for a tragic winter. A slow-paced but satisfying long novel.
Cat's Cradle, Owl's Eyes: A Book of String Games by Camilla
Gryski. Ages 8-12
This careful guide explains how to play string games and form string
figures through step-by-step directions. After a useful introduction
about terminology and basic positions, it goes on to describe forty
figures or games, some for two people, each depicted in detail with
diagrams of the movements. Seventeen pages are devoted to the complicated
game Cat's Cradle. A brief note with each game tells what it is
called and where it originated. For more string games, try Gryski's
other books.
Walter Wick's Optical Tricks by Walter Wick. Ages
8-14
Be prepared to study the photographs in this visually challenging
book from the photographer of the I Spy series. Each page illustrates
an optical trick in a colorful photo, with comments and questions
on the facing page to make you think what you are seeing. An appendix
supplies more information about the optical principals. This fine
set of sharp photos offers an effective, enjoyable way for children
to sharpen their powers of observation and thinking.
Unbroken: A Novel by Jessie Haas. Ages
9-13
After her mother dies in a horse accident, Harriet's only hope for
the future is her unbroken Morgan colt. The thirteen-year-old orphan
must live with her mild uncle Clayton and her aunt Sarah, a woman
with a powerful personality who despised Harriet's mother. Harriet's
dream to continue her education depends on training the colt, a
task she has never tried before. Despite her hardships, she copes
with her fate in a realistic way that will win the reader's sympathy.
Set in 1910 in rural Vermont, this is a beautifully written novel.
Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones. Ages
9-13
Larwood House seems like a modern school, but in this fictional
England, witches exist. Since witches come into their powers around
adolescence, several students are starting to realize what they
can do: make themselves invisible, make wishes come true, and fly
on broomsticks. Their new powers are exhilarating but dangerous
because witches are burned. When an inquisitor comes to the school,
five young witches run away, with only a strange spell to bring
them to safety. A clever fantasy, with moments of absurd humor.
Highly recommended.
A Kids' Guide to Building Forts by Tom Birdseye. Ages
9-13
This wonderful guide gives detailed directions for sixteen different
outdoor, snow, and indoor forts. They range from simple structures
that do not require much work or equipment to more complicated ones
that involve thatching walls and lashing together many poles. Four
of the five indoor forts are especially easy to construct. With
black-and-white drawings that are both decorative and useful, this
is written in a friendly, casual way. Highly recommended and sure
to satisfy.
Basher Five-Two: The True Story of F-16 Fighter Pilot Captain
Scott O'Grady by Captain Scott O'Grady, with Michael French.
Ages 9-14
What would it be like to be shot down behind enemy lines, not knowing
if you will be rescued or die? In 1995, while he was flying an F-16
over Bosnia, the author's plane was shot and destroyed. Only his
training and an ejector seat kept him alive. This exciting story
takes the reader along on his dangerous journey to survive, occasionally
backtracking to explain how O'Grady became a fighter pilot. A suspenseful
true account, this is hard to put down.
Tunnels, Tracks, and Trains: Building a Subway by Joan Hewett.
Ages 10-12
How does a subway get built today under a large city? This photo-essay
gives some answers to that complicated question by looking at the
construction of the Los Angeles subway, which will take twenty years
to complete. After a short overview, the book introduces the chief
engineer and his current project, one of the subway stations. The
most intriguing photographs and descriptions show the sixty-foot-deep,
sixty-foot-wide cut; the huge machine that bores tunnels; and various
workers underground. Short profiles portray the project manager,
the station designer, a miner, an artist, and a driver. Readers
will only wish the book were longer.
Take a Look Around: Photography Activities for Young People
by Jim Varriale. Ages 10-13
Of interest to younger children. This book's thoughtful approach
reflects the author's experience teaching children photography.
After an introduction about camera parts and film developing, the
book is organized by principles of photography such as "Shadow
and Light," "Camera Angle," "Composition,"
and more. Each topic covered has a brief general paragraph, then
several specific activities for beginning photographers, illustrated
with a black-and-white photograph taken by a child. The projects
are right on target for kids. Highly recommended.
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© 2003, Kathleen Odean, all rights reserved.
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