Early Elementary:

Ablow, Gail. A Horse in the House: And Other Strange but True Animal Stories.
From a horse that lived in a house while its owners lived next door to an official spying cat wired for sound, this amazing collection of real-life stories, drawn from newspapers around the world, sheds new light on creatures big and small! Grades 1 – 5 J 590 ABL (880L) 40p.

Aliki. William Shakespeare & the Globe.
Tells the story of the well-known playwright, William Shakespeare, and of the famous Globe Theatre in which many of his works were performed. Grades 1-6 J 792.094 ALI (850L) 48p.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Thank You Sarah.
Relates how Sarah Hale, a magazine editor and author, persuaded President Lincoln to transform Thanksgiving Day into a national holiday. Grades K-5 E-B HALE (350L) 40p.

Barretta, Gene. Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin.
Presents the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin, one of the nation's most beloved figures, credited with introducing bifocals, daylight savings time, lightning rods, and the establishment of post offices.  Grades 1-4 J 609.2 BAR (910L) 40p.

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. The Flag Maker.
Relates events of the 1814 Battle of Baltimore as seen through the eyes of twelve-year-old Caroline Pickersgill, who had worked with her family and their servants to sew the enormous flag which waved over Fort McHenry. Grades 2 -5 J 929.9 BAR

Barton, Chris. The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors.
This glowing biography tells of two inventive brothers who worked together from a startling discovery in their basement to a lifetime creating fluorescent colors. Grades K-4  535.352 BAR (990L) 48p.

Bishop, Nic. Nic Bishop Lizards.
Using photographs so vivid and sharply focused that one can see a bit of dry scale on a glass lizard’s skin, Bishop treats readers to new appreciations of the lizard world. Grades K-4 J 595.7 BIS (880L) 48p.

Chin, Jason. Redwoods.
Jason imaginatively steps into his book about redwoods and embarks on an adventurous exploration climbing through the canopy of these giants. Grades K-4 J 582 CHI (1100L) 40p.

Christelow, Eileen. Vote!
Using a campaign for mayor as an example, shows the steps involved in an election, from the candidate's speeches and rallies, to the voting booth where every vote counts, to the announcement of the winner. Grades 2-6 E 324.9 CHR (420L) 48p.

Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane.
Another wacky field trip for Ms. Frizzle and her intrepid students-this time into the eye of a hurricane. The magic school bus changes into a weather balloon and then into an airplane as the class experiences the hurricane and a tornado firsthand. Grades 1-4 E 551.55 COL (500L) 48p.

Davies, Jacqueline. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon.
Relates how the self-taught painter and ornithologist combined his artistic talent and keen skills of observation to produce detailed, life-sized portraits of birds "alive and moving." Sweet's extensive research is evident in her carefully crafted, mixed-media artwork, which includes photos of found objects, re-created pages from a nature sketchbook, maps, and watercolor paintings of young Audubon in the rolling countryside. Grades 1-5 J-B AUDUBON (790L) 30p.

Eggers, David. Her Right Foot.
Shares engaging historical facts about America's emblematic Statue of Liberty, revealing how the story of the Statue's right foot has become representative of the country's foundations upon the principles of acceptance and diversity. Grades K-3 J 974.71 EGG (800L) 104p.

Farris, Christine King. My Brother Martin.
Looks at the early life of Martin Luther King, Jr., as seen through the eyes of his older sister. Grades K-6 E-B KING (970L) 40p.

Floca, Brian. Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11.
Forty years after the first and last humans (for now) stepped on the moon’s surface, a handsome, largely visual chronicle of that historic journey brings its majesty and mystery to young readers. Grades K-5 E 629.45 FLO (990L) 48p.

Gerstein, Mordecai. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.
A lyrical evocation of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers. Grades K-6 E-B PETIT (480L) 40p.

Gerstein, Mordecaie. What Charlie Heard.
Describes the life of American composer Charles Ives, who wrote music which expressed all the sounds he heard in the world, but which was not well received during his lifetime. Grades 2-6 E-B IVES (330L) 40p.

Jenkins, Martin. Can We Save the Tiger?
White’s cover illustration of a regal tiger pulls readers into a balanced discussion of human interaction with nature and how we affect endangered species. Handsome pencil illustrations make readers care about creatures large and small. Grades K-3 J 591.68 JEN (970L) 56p.

Jenkins, Steve. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest.
A portrait of the record-breaking champions of the animal kingdom combines a simple but informative text and introduces the world's smallest, largest, strongest, fastest, and slowest creatures, their characteristics, and behavior. Grades K-2 E 591 JEN (840L) 32p.

Jenkins, Steve. Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea.
This irresistible underwater exploration reveals the mysteries of the sea by going deeper and deeper and deeper from top to bottom, viewing little known creatures and encountering spaces where few have ever been. Grades K-5 J 591.77 JEN (1040L) 40p.

Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page. How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships.
Animal partnerships often defy explanation; Jenkins and Page explore and clarify these relationships in concise text and glorious torn-paper collage. Grades 1-5 J 591.52 JEN (950l) 32p.

Judge, Lita. How Big Were Dinosaurs?
With kid-friendly text and seriously silly illustrations, this fact-filled book puts dinosaurs next to modern animals so that you can see exactly how they size up. Grades 1-3 E 567.9 JUD (1040L) 31p.

Kalman, Maira. Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey.
A fireboat, launched in 1931, is retired after many years of fighting fires along the Hudson River, but is saved from being scrapped and then called into service again on September 11, 2001. Grades 1- 8 GOLDSTAR 973.931 KAL (280L) 48p.

Kamkwamba, William. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
This tale relates how an enterprising teenager in Malawi builds a windmill from scraps he finds around his village and brings electricity, and a future to his family. Grades K-3 J-B KAMKWAMBA (910L) 30p.

Kerley, Barbara. The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins.
A true dinosaur story in three ages. From a childhood love of art, to the monumental dinosaur sculptures at the Crystal Palace in England, to the thwarted work in New York's Central Park... It's all here!" Grades 2-6 J 567.9 KER (550L) 48p.

Kerley, Barbara. Those Rebels, John & Tom.
Biography and history create a portrait of 2 American colonists, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, different in many ways, but in agreement to join forces in the fight for our country's freedom from King George. A dual portrait of two American founding fathers shares introductions to the many ways they helped a young United States in spite of their disparate views, tracing how they overcame interpersonal differences at key points in the nation's early history. Grades 2-5 J 973.4 KER (960L) 48p.

Krull, Kathleen. Wilma Unlimited.
A biography of the African-American woman who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track in a single Olympics. Grades 2- 5 E-B RUDOLPH (730L) 48p.

Lyon, George Ella. All the Water in the World.
From deserts to the kitchen sink, the water cycle is lyrically yet economically described in Lyon’s poem emphasizing the importance of water conservation. Katherine Tillotson’s digital paintings splash, surge and drip off the page. Grades K-3 E 551.48 LYO (520L) 40p.

Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. Snowflake Bentley.
A biography of a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of individual snowflakes in order to study their unique formations. Grades 1-4 E-B BENTLEY (830L) 32p.

Nivola, Claire A. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai.
Watercolor illustrations and lyrical prose combine to tell the true story of Wangari Maathai, the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, who changed the fate of her village in the highlands of Kenya by teaching her people how to care for it. Grades K-3 E-B MAATHAI  (1030L) 32p.

Rosenstock, Barb. The Camping Trip that Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks.
Offers insight into the camping trip that President Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir took to the redwoods of Yosemite in 1903, during which the two men had experiences and conversations that eventually contributed to the establishment of national parks in the United States. Grades 1-4 E 979.4 ROS (740L) 32p.

Roth, Susan L. & Cindy Trumbore. The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families.
A cumulative verse, alternating with additional narrative, describes the ecological and social transformation resulting from the work of Dr. Gordon Sato, a Japanese American cell biologist who made saltwater and desert land productive through the planting of mangrove trees in the tiny African country of Eritrea. Grades 1-5 J 577.69 ROT (1190L) 40p.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. When Marian Sang.
An introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, extraordinary singer and civil rights activist, who was the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, whose life and career encouraged social change. Grades 2-6 E-B ANDERSON (780L) 40p.

Smith, Lane. John, Paul, George & Ben.
A humorous look at five of our country's founding fathers. Grades 1-4 GOLDSTAR SMI (660L) 40p.

St. George, Judith. So You Want to Be President?
Presents an assortment of facts about the qualifications and characteristics of U.S. presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton. Grades 2+ J 923.173 STG (730L) 56p.

St. George, Judith. Make Your Mark, Franklin Roosevelt!
Young Franklin Roosevelt moves beyond his spoiled childhood to a more mature resolve to pursue a life of service and action, like his cousin Theodore. Grades 2-5 J-B ROOSEVELT (690L) 48p.

Stockdale, Susan. Bring on the Birds.
Rhyming couplets and clear, identifiable illustrations remind readers that birds vary in many ways, but all have feathers and are hatched from eggs. Colorful acrylics help provide just the right of information for preschool ornithologists. Grades K-2 E 598 STO

Sweet, Melissa. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade.
Award-winning artist Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America--the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Grades K-3 E-B SARG (1000L) 40p.

Winter, Jeanette. The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps.
Describes the life of Jane Goodall, from her childhood in London watching a robin on her windowsill, to her years in the African forests of Gombe, Tanzania. Grades K-3 E-B GOODALL (820L) 48p.

Yezerski, Thomas F. Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story.
Presents the history of the Meadowlands, from its pristine state, to its gradual transformation by European settlers, to the pollution caused by industrialization, and the changes brought by environmental organizations striving to protect it. Grades 1-4 J 577.68 YEZ (1020L) 40p.

Older Readers:

Allen, Thomas & Roger MacBride Allen. Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons, and More to Win the Civil War.
Breaking new historical ground, this book explores how Lincoln came to understand, value, and use “modern” technology to assist the North and help win the Civil War. Grades 5+ J 973.7 ALL (1180 L) 144p.

Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World.
Describes the events of the 1914 Shackleton Antarctic expedition when, after being trapped in a frozen sea for nine months, their ship, Endurance, was finally crushed, forcing Shackleton and his men to make a very long and perilous journey across ice and stormy seas to reach inhabited land. Grades 4 – 6 J 998 ARM (1090L) 134p.

Beattie, Owen. Buried in Ice.
In 1845, Sir John Franklin and his two ships, Erebus and Terror, sailed from England to begin a search in icy Arctic waters for the fabled Northwest Passage. It was one of the most well-planned, well-supplied, and well-commanded expeditions of all times; yet it ended in disaster. Grades 5 – 8 J 998 BEA (1010L) 64p.

Beil, Karen. Fire in their Eyes: Wild Fires and The People Who Fight Them.
Depicts in text and photographs the training, equipment, and real-life experiences of people who risk their lives to battle wildfires, as well as people who use fire for ecological reasons. Grades 5 – 8 J 577.2 BEI (1010L) 64p.

Bredeson, Carmen. After the Last Dog Died: The True-Life, Hair-Raising Adventure of Douglas Mawson's 1912 Antarctic Expedition.
Survival against the odds, a clipper ship, Ernest Shackleton, the south magnetic pole, Antarctic science, a puppy named Blizzard, and a young woman named Paquita all play roles in this compelling profile of Australia’s famous Antarctic explorer. Grades 5 – 8 J 919.8 BRE (979L) 63p.

Brown, Don. America Is under Attack : September 11, 2001 : The Day the Towers Fell.
A straightforward account of the September 11th tragedy, Brown’s restrained watercolors and sensitive text focuses on small stories of those who were in the Towers and the people who responded. Grades 3-6 J 973.931 BRO (840 L) 60p.

Burns, Loree Griffin. The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe.
After beekeepers discover the strange abandonment of hundreds of hives, scientists seek to understand this catastrophic phenomenon. Grades 5-10 J 595.79 BUR (1120 L) 66p.

Calabro, Marian. The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party.
Uses materials from letters and diaries written by survivors of the Donner Party to relate the experiences of that ill-fated group as they endured horrific circumstances on their way to California in 1846-47. Grades 5 – 8 J 978.02 CAL (1020L) 192p.

Collard, Sneed B. The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America's Grasslands.
Join the scientists working in the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge as they work to rebuild the tallgrass prairie that once covered much of the Midwest and restore the native plants and animals to the region. Grades 4 – 8 J 577.4 COL (1090L) 66p.

Dandy, Leslie. Guinea Pig Scientists: Bold Self-Experiments in Science and Medicine.
A collection of ten stories explores how scientists throughout the years have discovered and found cures for various medical diseases and issues, including the cure for yellow fever and the development of the first heart catheter. Grades 5 – 8 J 616.027 DAN (1100L) 213p.

Fleischman, John. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story about Brain Science.
The incredible story of the railroad worker who, in 1848, survived the piercing blast of a 13-pound iron rod as it entered below his cheekbone and exited the front of his skull. Grades 5 – 8 J 612.8 FLE (1030L) 86p.

Fleming, Candace. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart.
Chapters of background information alternate with the chilling account of her final flight. Enhanced with maps, archival documents, news photos, and other contemporary sources. Grades 4-7 J-B EARHART (930L) 118p.

Freedman, Russell. The Adventures of Marco Polo.
Marco Polo shook Europe with descriptions of the world he'd seen on his epic journey to the court of Kublai Khan. But was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? Or was he a charlatan who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his inventive mind? Join Russell Freedman as he tackles a centuries-old mystery. Grades 5 – 8 J-B POLO (1270L) 63p.

Freedman, Russell. The Boston Tea Party.
Recounts the colonists' stand to control their own destinies, detailing the protest meetings at Old South Church, the defiant act of dumping the tea into the harbor, and the reaction from the British. Grades 3-6 J 973.3 FRE (850L) 39p.

Giblin, James C. Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth.
Actors Edwin and John Wilkes Booth each had a compelling stage presence and a fondness for alcohol, just like their famous father. Edwin spent his life perfecting his craft and building a reputation as the finest classical actor of his time. John was impulsive, popular with the ladies, and best known today as the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Grades 5 – 8 J-B BOOTH (1130L)244p.

Hawass, Zahi. Curse of the Pharaohs: My Adventures with Mummies.
The head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt tells true stories of archaeology and Egypt's treasures. Grades 4 – 7 J 932 HAW 144p.

Hodgman, Ann. The House of a Million Pets.
Ann Hodgman’s basement is home to three guinea pigs, a cage full of birds, a big gray rabbit, a prairie dog, a bulbul (look it up), two little rabbits, a hamster, and twenty-six pygmy mice. And that’s just the basement. Would your parents ever let you have that many pets at once? Grades 4 – 7 J 636.088 HOD (870L) 263p.

Hooks, Gwen. Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas. Overcoming prejudice, this technician pioneered the procedure used to treat ”blue” babies with a heart defect. Grades 3-6 J-B THOMAS (920L) 32p.

Igus, Toyomi. I See the Rhythm.
Chronicles and captures poetically the history, mood, and movement of African American music. Grades 4-8 J 780.89 IGU 32p.

Janeczko, Paul B. A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms.
A winning, picture-book poetry collaboration. Each poem represents a different poetic form, from the familiar to the more obscure. The excellent selection easily mixes works by Shakespeare and William Blake with entries from contemporary poets. Grades 5-8 J 808.1 JAN 61p.

Keenan, Sheila. Animals in the House: A History of Pets and People.
Beginning with statistics about pet ownership, the text goes on to describe how animals and humans came together (nicely delineated through the ages) and discusses how this relationship has changed and deepened. Grades 4 – 7 J 636.088 KEE (1000L) 112p.

Krull, Kathleen. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez.
A biography of Cesar Chavez, from age ten when he and his family lived happily on their Arizona ranch, to age thirty-eight when he led a peaceful protest against California migrant workers' miserable working conditions. Grades 3-6 J-B CHAVEZ (800L) 48p.

Marrin, Albert. Dr. Jenner and the Speckled Monster: The Search for the Smallpox Vaccine.
A fascinating, detailed history of the smallpox virus, beginning with its probable origins in a farm animal in Asia or the Middle East approximately 8000 years ago, continuing with its spread to Europe via trade routes, to the New World with the Spanish explorers, and concluding with the current concern that remaining stocks of variola may fall into the hands of terrorists intent on waging germ warfare. Grades 4 – 8 J 614.5 MAR (990L) 96p.

Marrin, Albert. Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl.
This ecological disaster created by human misdeed forces a grim choice upon the people of the plains during the depths of the Great Depression. Grades 4-8 J 978.032 MAR (1040L) 128p.

McWhorter, Diane. A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968.
An incisive and personal look at the American civil rights movement, honoring its heroes as well as the ordinary individuals behind it. Grades 5 – 9 J 323.1 MCW (1220L) 160p.

Montgomery, Sy. Encantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon.
Introduces the world of the freshwater dolphins called Encantados, or Enchanted, by the people who live nearby in the region of the Amazon & Orinoco rivers in South America. Grades 3 - 7 J 599.538 MON (874L) 73p.

Montgomery, Sy. Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot.
This book documents the successes and failures of a rescue effort in New Zealand dedicated to saving a species of flightless parrots numbering fewer than 100. Grades 4-8 J 639.9 MON (950L) 74p.

Montgomery, Sy. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea.
It looks like a bear, but it isn't one. It climbs trees as easily as a monkey -- but it isn't a monkey, either. It has a belly pocket like a kangaroo, but what's a kangaroo doing up in a tree? Meet the amazing Matschie's tree kangaroo. Grades 4 – 9 J 599.22 MON (830L) 79p.

Murphy, Jim. Blizzard: The Storm that Changed America.
Presents a history, based on personal accounts and newspaper articles, of the massive snowstorm that hit the Northeast in 1888, focusing on the events in New York City. Grades 4 – 7 J 551.5 MUR (1130L) 144p.

Murphy, Jim. The Great Fire.
For more than a century, poor Mrs. O'Leary and her cow have shouldered the blame for Chicago's infamous Great Fire of 1871. Now Murphy lays bare the facts concerning one of the biggest disasters in American history, in the process exculpating the maligned bovine and her owner. Grades 4 – 7 J 977.3 MUR (1130L) 144p.

Murphy, Jim. Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting.
In the middle of World War I, British and German forces quit fighting to celebrate Christmas together peacefully. First person details present the human side of this bloody war. Grades 4+ J 940.3 MUR (1160L) 144p.

Nelson, Kadir. Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans.
In just 100 pages, Nelson's narrator tells the story of American History through the eyes of African-Americans. 46 luminous oil paintings portray iconic and ordinary images and make the history accessible for younger students; older students will find it equally intriguing. Grades 4+ J 973.0496 NEL (1050L) 108p.

O'Connell, Caitlin and Donna M. Jackson. The Elephant Scientist.
Power-packed photos and prose transport readers to the dusty world of African elephants & a woman who studies them. Grades 5-8 J 599.67 OCO (1260L) 80p.

Partridge, Elizabeth. Marching For Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary.
Haunting illustrations and moving text tell the story of children leading the way on freedom marches, through voter registration drives, and even to jail during the quest for civil rights. Grades 5+ J 323.1 PAR (960L) 80p.

Pringle, Laurence. Billions of Years, Amazing Changes: The Story of Evolution.
Pringle looks at the evidence from geology, biology, botany and scientific reason to explain evolution. Readable text, pertinent illustrations by Steve Jenkins matter-of-factly clarify concepts and the meaning of theory. Grades 4-8 J 576.8 PRI (1000L) 102p.

Rusch, Elizabeth. The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity.
The story of the two robot vehicles that were sent to explore Mars, lasting far past their projected lives of 3 months and sending back invaluable images of the environmentally hostile planet. Grades 4-8 J 523.46 RUS (950L) 80p.

Sayre, April Pulley. The Slowest Book Ever.
Discover surprising facts about anything and everything slow. Grades 3-6 J 031.02 SAY (940L) 176p.

Schanzer, Rosalyn. George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides.
Explores how the characters and lives of King George III of England and George Washington affected the progress and outcome of the American Revolution. Grades 4 – 7 J 973.3 SCH (1120L) 64p.

Schanzer, Rosalyn. Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem.
With a powerful narrative, chilling primary source accounts, and stylized scratchboard illustrations of young girls having wild fits in the courtroom, witches flying overhead, and the Devil and his servants terrorizing the Puritans, this book will rivet readers. Grades 5+ J 133.4 SCH (1190L) 144p.

Sis, Peter. The Wall : Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. The author pairs his remarkable artistry with journal entries, historical context and photography to create a powerful account of his childhood in Cold War–era Prague. Grades 3 – 6 GOLDSTAR 943.7 SIS (760L) 56p.

Stone, Tanya Lee. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream.
In the early 1960s, 13 women endured rigorous testing and training for the space program, as well as prejudice. Numerous photographs and a revealing text chronicle their difficulties and achievements. Grades 5+ J 629.45 STO (980L) 144p.

Talbott, Hudson. River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River.
With illustrations that flow along with the text, this book celebrates the river that has played a key role in the settling of the New World, the outcome of the Revolutionary War, and the history of a state and a country. Grades 3-5 J 974.7  TAL (1050L) 40p.

Thomson, Ruth. Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust.
Secret diary entries, excerpts from memoirs, and inmate artwork illuminate the dark story of the Nazi' transit camp Terezin. Young readers will appreciate the oversized, magazine type layout. Grades 5+ J 940.5318 THO (980L) 64p.

Turner, Pamela S. The Frog Scientist.
Tyrone Hayes and his students work to understand frogs so they can save these amphibians from the pesticides that are slowly killing off creatures older than dinosaurs. Grades 5-8 J 597.8 TUR (950L) 64p.

Walker, Sally M. Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917.
Clear and compelling description and analysis of scientific evidence and historic events brings this little-known tragedy to life, a history made personal by its focus on five families, some who survived, some who perished. Grades 4-8 J 971.6 WAL (1100L) 160p.

Walker, Sally M. Secrets of a Civil War Submarine : Solving the Mysteries of the H. L. Hunley.
Presents the history of this submarine including the construction, mysterious sinking, recovery & restoration. Grades 5+ J 973.757 WAL (1060L) 112p.

Webb, Sophie. Looking for Seabirds: Journal from an Alaskan Voyage.
A journal of the author's observations and adventures while working on a research vessel counting seabirds through Alaska's Aleutian Island chain. Grades 4 – 6 J 598.47 WEB (1020L) 48p.

Wick, Walter. A Drop of Water.
As you're admiring the "crown" created by a water drop splashing into a pool, or how many water droplets can fit on the head of a pin (the smallest droplet on the pin contains more than three trillion water molecules), you'll learn about evaporation, condensation, snowflakes, how clouds form, and more water tricks. Grades 3-6 J 546 WIC (870L)40p.

Suggested Lexiles by Grade Level:

Grade 3: 520-820L                  Grade 4: 740-940L
Grade 5: 830-1010L                Grade 6: 925L-1070L