Annotated Bibliography

Childrens Novels
Book 1
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Laura Ingles Wilder

On the Banks of Plum Creek
1937 Harper and Brothers
Historical Fiction
3rd
Laura and her family have just moved from Kansas to Minnesota where her father has
just bought land. Here Laura and her sister Mary are able to get to school for the first
time, I think this is interesting to show children that when this book was placed not all
children had the opportunity to go to school. The big problem in this book arises when
locusts get into their crop and destroy it for the next two seasons, forcing her father to
leave home and find work elsewhere.
7. Anything especially noteworthy: I think that this book is noteworthy because it gives a
good description of what families were going through at this time. People in this story
talk about their plans to move west, which was one of the main goals for poor families at
this time.
Book 2
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Beverly Cleary
Ramona the Pest
1968 William Morrow
Realistic Fiction
Probably read to students in Kindergarten
Ramona is starting her first year in Kindergarten and the book goes through the trouble
that she gets herself into. You get to meet the other students in her class, one being Susan
who has curls in her hair and Ramona wants nothing but to pull them. One day when
Susan calls Ramona a pest Ramona pulls Susans curl and gets sent home by her
teacher. Ramona then refuses to go back to school until her teacher writes her a letter and
signs it love and kisses so Ramona thinks she is again welcome at school.
7. I think that this book would be interesting to read to a kindergarten class, especially at the
end of the day. Ramona works on keeping her eyes on her own paper, which is an
important skill for students to be exposed to and see that though you might be tempted it
is not the right thing to do.

Book 3
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Roald Dahl
Matilda
1988 by Jonathan Cape
Fantasy Novel
4th grade
The novel is about a girl named Matilda, she comes from a family that does not
appreciate her which leads her to pranking her family to get back at them. When
Matilda attends school her teacher, Miss. Honey recognizes Matildas intelligence and
they become good friends. Matilda continues her pranking at school because her head
mistress is very mean. In the end Miss. Honey becomes head of the school and
Matildas family packs up and leaves her so Matilda asks if she can move in with Miss.
Honey, she does and they live happily ever after.
7. I think that this book is noteworthy because students, both boys and girls would find
Matildas pranks humorous. The prank and magic portion of this story is what will keep
the students interested, which is always important when encouraging students to read.
Book 4
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Edith Nesbit
The Railway Children
1906 Wells Gardner, Darton
Realistic/ Historical Fiction
4th grade
The story is about a family that moves to a new house near a railway. The father is
imprisoned because he is falsely accused of spying. The children befriend an elderly man
who takes the train by their house every day. In the end this man is able to help prove
their fathers innocence to the court allowing their father to return home.
7. This story is interesting because it is not necessarily historical fiction, but it has elements
in it that were present throughout history including an innocent man being wrongly
accused and put into jail.
Book 5
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Janet Walsh
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
1990 Avon Books
Historical Fiction
5th grade
The story takes place is 1832 when Charlotte Doyle begins her voyage from Liverpool to
Providence, Rohde Island. Charlotte comes from a very wealthy background so she goes

through a little bit of culture shock when she is on a boat with all men. As time
progresses Charlotte is slowly able to adjust to her new living conditions and actually
becomes a helpful member on the ship. When one of the men on ship is murdered,
Charlotte is accused of it. After trail they figure out that it was Jaggery that killed Mr.
Hollybrass because he was a spy. Charlotte becomes the new captain of the boat and
when they arrive in RI she realizes her old stiff life is not for her anymore. Because of
this Charlotte sneaks out of the house and returns back to the ship.
7. This novel has won several awards including the Newbery Honor.
Book 6
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Pam Muoz Ryan

Esperanza Rising
2000 Scholastic
Multicultural Fiction
4th grade
This story takes place at the height of the Great Depression in Southern California and
Mexico. Esperanza and her family lives in Mexico where they are very wealthy. Her
father is mysteriously killed and the money they thought was being left to them by their
father did not come to them. Esperanza and her mother move from Mexico to Southern
California where they are forced to live under harsh conditions that face Mexican
farmworkers.
7. This story is important because the issues that Esperanza and her mother encounter are
the same issues that Immigrants still encounter today including racism and classism.
Book 7
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Tonya Bolden
Finding Family
2010 Bloomsbury
Historical/ Multicultural Fiction
4th grade
This novel follows an African- American family living in Charleston, West Virginia in
1905. Delana is the narrator of this story and she lives with her grandfather and her great
aunt Tilley. Delana wants to feel a connection to her family so she looks through their
family albums. Much to her surprise she sees the harsh reality of being African
American. She sees the struggles that her grandfather has gone through to secure his
freedom, and relates that to her own quest to find herself.
7. The best part about this book is the photographs that are posted in the chapters. It is
interesting to see what Delana is looking at when she is trying to connect with her family
through old photographs.

Book 8
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Mary Norton
The Borrowers
1953 Harcourt
Fantasy
5th grade
The story is about a family of tiny people that live inside the walls of a house in England
where they survive off of taking stuff from the big people. But one day when a boy
who was sent from India to live with the big people sees Homily and therefore the
family brings in a cat. On one of their borrowing trips, Arriety wonders off and meets the
little boy and begins to develop a friendship with him. Arrietys family is not happy with
this because they think that the little boy will harm them, but in the end the little boy ends
up them doll house furniture. Mrs. Driver, the owner of the house, begins to notice that
things are missing. She decides to stay up late to see who is stealing from her, she sees
the little boy taking cheese to his friends and she locks the borrowers up in the nursery
and the boy is sent back to India
7. In 1952 it won the Carnegie Medal from the Library Association.
Book 9
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Bruce Coville
Aliens Ate My Homework
1993 Aladdin
Sci-fi
5th grade
This book is about a sixth-grader named Rod who is picked up by an alien spaceship that
crashes into his room. Rod joins the aliens that are trying to capture BKR who is an
interstellar criminal. BKRs goal is to cause as much pain and misery as he can. Rod and
his alien crew work hard to defeat BKR and they do. At the end of the story Rod returns
home to await his next adventure.
7. This is the first in a series of books which students usually tend to like because they can
connect better with the characters. Though I am not a huge fan of science fiction this
book had good reviews and I thought it would be valuable for me to have some
experience when it comes to this genre.
Book 10
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Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
2007 Amulet Books
Comedy

5. 4th grade
6. This is the first book in the series about a middle-schooler, Greg Heffley, who is starting
a new school year where he has to deal with bullies and older kids. Gregs best friend is
Rowley, but Rowley begins moving up on the social latter which Greg tries to use to his
advantage to climb the social latter as well. The story brings you through their comedic
adventures that test their friendship, but in the end they make it out as friends.
7. I think that these books are great for students that claim they dont like to read. The fact
that they are set up as comics not only makes them fun to read, but easy to read. Again I
think that the students like the fact that this is a serious of books and if I say a student in
my class finishing this serious I might lead them to read a more advanced, but still funny
book.
Picture Books
Book1
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Eric Carle
Pancakes, Pancakes
1990 Simon & Schuster
Fiction
Kindergarten
Jack wakes up and really wants a pancake but his mom send him to get all of the
ingredients for a pancake.
7. Eric Carles illustrations are always fantastic and I like the way that this book lays out
what the boy needs to find, like a check list.
Book 2
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Janell Cannon
Stellaluna
1993 Harcourt
Fiction
1st grade
Stellaluna and her mother are attacked by an owl and Stellaluna falls into a birds nest
where she is taken in as part of the bird family. When the birds learn to fly Stellaluna
leans with them. One night when the birds fly home when it gets dark Stellaluna stays
out and ends up becoming reunited with her mom.
7. This is a good book to read when talking about nocturnal animals.
Book 3
1. Eric Litwin
2. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

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2008 HarperColins
Fiction
Kindergarten
This is a story about Pete the Cat who is walking along and he keeps stepping in all
different things turning his shoes all different colors, but no matter what color they turn
he just continues to walk along.
7. This is a really fun story because there is a song that goes with it. Also it has a great
moral about just keeping at it no matter what life throws at you.
Book 4
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Brian Floca
Locomotive
2013 Atheneum
Historical Fiction
3rd grade
This book tells the story of an American family traveling on the transcontinental railroad
in 1869. The mother and her two children are on their way to Califrnia. This book
allows you to see things taking place from the engine to the caboose.
7. This was the 2014 Caldecott winner. I think that it is interesting because while it is very
well illustrated it also provides a lot of historical facts as well.
Book 5
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Priscilla Cummings
Chadwick the Crab
1986 Tidewater Publishers
Fiction
3rd grade
Chadwick is a blue crab living in the Chesapeake Bay. He has friends that are oysters,
geese, and sea gulls. Chadwick wants nothing more than to be a star at the Aquarium in
Baltimore. So he sets out on adventure, but when he hits the land he realizes it is not for
him so he has to rely on his friends to get him back home.
7. Though this is not a realistic book it has important elements about the Chesapeake bay
and the animals that live there which would come in handy during a science class.
Nonfiction Books
Book 1
1. Meet Nancy Bird Walton
2. Grace Atwood
3. 2014 Random House

4. Historical nonfiction
5. 3rd grade
6. This tells the story of Nancy Bird Walton who was alive during the 1930s and she began
flying plains at the age of 17. This is important because most women at this time did not
partake in these sorts of activities, but Nancy did and she inspired others to do so as well.
7. This is a valuable book because it is not only nonfiction but it is also beautifully
illustrated.
Book 2
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Lisa Holzl
Found and Made: The Art of Upcycling
2014 Walker Books
Any elementary
Nonfiction
This book teaches kids not how to recycle, but upcycle, which means that they are
reusing these items to make something else. This book also contains a lot of ideas of
things you can make including making an art box, a musical instrument, or your own box
of secret things.
7. Not only is this a great resource for children there are also ideas for teachers in her which
would be a fun way to teach how to not only recycle but also reuse.
Book 3
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Sarah Albee
Bugged: How Insects Changed History
2014 Bloomsbury
4th
Historical nonfiction
This book incorporates events throughout history and displays them key figure with a bug
on it. Not only does the book tell factual information but it also gives fun facts that you
would not find in your average history book.
7. I like this book because it is a fun way to get students interested in history. History can
be very interesting to students, but sometimes it will be the weird facts they have never
heard before that catch their attention.
Book 4
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Mark Wilson
The Afghanistan Pup
2014 Lothian Childrens Books
6th
Historical Nonfiction

6. This is a story about a little girl, Kinah finds a little lost pup. One day when Kinah is at
school her school is bombed during the war in Afghanistan and the dog is left alone.
Until an Australian soldier rescues the dog after the school bombing. The soldier ends up
bringing the girl and the dog together so then they have each other and are not so scared
to be on the war front.
7. This is a great book because it shows the brutality of war, while also ending on
something happy. This might be a hard book for students to read, but I think that it could
be good for students to know what children in other countries are going through.
Book 5
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Gail Gibbons
The Vegetables We Eat
2007 Holiday House
Nonfiction
Kindergarten
This book describes the needs for good nutrition. There are plenty of illustrations and
diagrams which make this book very informative.
7. I like how this book has so much information in it. I also like how it has a glossary
because one of the Kindergarten SOLs includes knowing how to use a glossary.
Poetry Books
Book 1
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Shel Silverstein
A Light in the Attic
1981 Harper & Row
Poetry
Any grade
These poems are very funny, some rhyme, others do not. Some are short which makes
them easy for new readers to read.
7. I like Silversteins poems because they get children interested in poems which is
important because children for the most part hate poetry.
Book 2
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Michael Rosen
Bananas in My Ears
2012 Candlewick
Poetry
1st grade
These poems are funny and have to do with everyday activities, but in a funny way.

7. The illustrations in this book are also very over the top which makes the poems come
alive even more.
Book 3
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Nancy Larrick
Piping Down the Valley Winds
1999 Yearling
Poetry
4th grade
This is a collection of classic poetry from Emily Dickenson to Robert Frost.
I like this because this is an easy way to introduce your students to classic poetry without
focusing on one particular author.

Book 4
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Roald Dahl
Dirty Beats
2002 Puffin
Poetry
Kindergarten
This features multiple poems about both imaginative and real animals.
I like how this book features a lot of animals which would make it appealing to lots of
students.

Book 5
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Helen Ferris
Favorite Poems Old and New
1957 Doubleday
Poetry
1st grade
This has a selection of funny, serious, story poems and many other kinds. They are both
classics and newer poems.
7. This is a great classroom resource because virtually every student will be able to find
something that interests them in this book.

Christina Morris
Annotated Bibliography
Criteria for Excellence
Poetry:

Uses describing words to paint a picture

Rhymes, or flows well
Silly to the point where it is unrealistic

Picture Books:

The illustrations help the reader through the story

There is a lesson to be learned
You can take a picture walk and know what the story is about before reading any words.

Novels:

Books in a series help students connect with characters

The characters are relatable
In historical fiction, the facts surrounding the character are historically correct
Fantasy novels allow for an escape

Non-Fiction

The facts given are interesting for students

The information is present in an easy to understand manor
The photographs or illustrations guide the reader along the text