Daniel Thibodeaux

4th-8th grade Bibliography

Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de. The Little Prince. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
2000
The Little Prince is one of the most beloved children’s books of all time. It is the story
about a prince from a tiny planet who travels the galaxy. He tells of how he visited many
planets, each with a single adult. Each adult is narrow-minded and helps to represent
different aspects of society, such as a king who no subjects and a businessman obsessed
with owning the world he doesn’t notice the beauty of the stars. The story is great for 6th
to 8th graders and I have even read it to 3rd and 4th graders before as a guided reading. It
is a great introduction of allegory for children. Antoine de Saint-Exupery is most famous
for The Little Prince, but was also well regarded for many of his works of non-fiction. He
won many book awards including France’s highest literary honor.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012

The Hobbit is another classic children’s novel. It is a story of a young hobbit who gets a
sudden call to adventure when a wizard and a gang of dwarves invite him to steal the
treasure of a dragon. It is a story of adventure and friendship great for student’s 6th-8th
grade in a group reading or literary group. The chapters are laid out pretty clearly, with
each one telling a different episode of the tale. This makes it easy for students to break
down the plot into different points. Tolkien is the author of an entire universe of stories
taking place in Middle Earth. He is seen as the father of modern fantasy literature
having written The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings series, and several connected works.

Harrison, Vashti. Little Dreamers: Visionary Women around the World. Little, Brown
and Company, 2018
This book is a collection of entries, an encyclopedia of sorts, about different women
around the world and the impact they have made on societies. It includes more notable
and famous names, such as Marie Curie and Frida Kahlo, as well as lesser known names
like Vera Rubin and Esther Afua Ocloo. One of the amazing parts of the books is its
representation of women from all cultures around the world. Mexico, Ghana, South
Africa, Japan and Iran just to name a few. I would use this book in a 5th-8th grade
classroom. Hopefully getting a class set and having students pick one woman and delve
deeper into who they were or the society they are from. Vashti Harrison is a film maker
and author. There are other books in the Little Leaders series that include profiles of
African American women.
Gaiman, Neil. Coraline. HarperCollins, 2002
Coraline is a modern fantasy novel aimed at young people. It won the 2003 Hugo and
Nebula Awards for Best Novella. It is the story of a little girl who feels neglected and
overlooked by her family. She finds a way into another world with another family that
appreciates her more. However, it soon becomes obvious this family is not what they
seem and are actually evil. It does a good job of representing the isolation and fear a
child can face in their families. I would use it as a group read or a literary group. Neil
Gaiman is the author of one of the greatest comic series, Sandman, as well as several
award winning fantasy books.

L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1962.

A Wrinkle in Time is another beloved children’s book, having won the Newberry Medal
and recently being made into a popular Disney film. It is the story of three children who
embark on a fantasy adventure to save their dad from an evil force. It is a deep allegory
with religious as well as moral themes of good and evil. It promotes non-conformity,
individuality, and portrays positive female role models. It is a great book to teach
starting in the 6th grade. I would use it as a group read or perhaps a literary circle.
L’Engle is the author of many beloved children’s novels including a series of sequels to a
Wrinkle in Time.