2005 Fall Non-Fiction

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Nancy's picks for the best non-fiction of fall 2005 and ideas for using them in the classroom. Compiled by Nancy Polette © 2005.

Atkins, Jeannine. HOW HIGH CAN WE CLIMB? Farrar, 2005. Grades 4-6
The stories of twelve women explorers with lively text. Line drawings by Dusan Petricic.

Bauer, Marion Dane. A BEAR NAMED TROUBLE. Clarion, 2005. Grades 2-4
A boy and a bear part ways when the bear kills the zoo's Mama Goose. A story told from two points of view.

Berkes, Marianne. OVER IN THE OCEAN. Illustrated by Jeanette Canyon. Dawn Publications, 2004. Grades K-2
Marine life introduced with music, math and colorful art.

Chambers, Veronica. CELIA CRUZ QUEEN OF SALSA. Illustrated by Julie Maren. Dial, 2005. Grades 2-4.
A lively picture book biography of the singer who rose from humble beginnings to world wide fame.

Clements, Andrew. LUNCH MONEY. Simon & Schuster, 2005. Grades 4-6
Greg figures that by writing and selling his own comic books he can capture the extra quarters students are given for lunch money. A timely novel by the author of Frindle.

Cooling, Wendy. D IS FOR DAHL. Illustrated by Quentin Blake. Viking, 2005. Grades 3-6
A clever ABC approach to describing Dahl and his work.

Crew, Gary. PIG ON THE TITANIC. Illustrated by Bruce Whatley. HarperCollins, 2005. Gr1-3
The true story of how a small musical pig calmed the fears of children in a lifeboat after the sinking of the Titanic.

Kelly, Irene. A SMALL DOG'S BIG LIFE. Holiday House, 2005. Grades K-3
The true story of the stray dog, Owney, who became a world traveler.

Krull, Kathleen. HOUDINI. Walker, 2005. Grades 3-6
Krull gives her usual fine writing to telling the story of t he famed magician.

Fradin, Dennis Brindell. LET IT BEGIN HERE! LEXINGTON AND CONCORD. Walker, 2005. Grades 3-5
The story of the first battle of the Amerian Revolution told with dramatic illustrations.

Friedman, Robin. THE SILENT WITNESS. Illustrated by Claire Nivola. Houghton-Mifflin, 2005. Grades 1-3
A true account of a family who saw the Civil War unfold in their home.

Giovanni, Mikki. ROSA. Illustrated by BryanCollier. Holt, 2005. Grades 2-4
A beautifully illustrated biography of Rosa Parks.

McDonald, Megan. SAVING THE LIBERTY BELL. Illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington. Atheneum, 2005. Grades 2-4
A lively telling of the hiding of the Liberty Bell under church floorboards when the Redcoats were coming.

Murphy, Claire Rudolf. I AM SACAJAWEA, I AM YORK. Illustrated by Higgins Bond. Walker, 2005. Grades 3-5
Neither Sacajawea or the slave, York, had any choice about making the journey with Lewis and Clark. Yet, both were invaluable members of the expedition.

Prince, April. TWENTY ONE ELEPHANTS Illustrated by Francois Rcoa. Houghton Mifflin 2003 Grades 2-4
Free verse tells the bilding of the Brooklyn Bridge and the testing of its strengh by P.T. Barnum's circus elephants.

Shaughnessy, Dan. THE LEGEND OF THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO. Illustrated by C.F. Payne. Simon & Schuster, 2005. Grades 3-5.
Did Babe Ruth really put a curse of bad luck on the Boston Red Sox in 1920 when the Red Sox traded him to the Yankees?

Shea, Pegi. LIBERTY RISING Illustrated by Wade Zahares. Henty Holt, 2005. Grades 2-5
The story of the Statue of Liberty told with magnificent, bold illustrations.

Shetterly, Robert. AMERICANS WHO TELL THE TRUTH. Dutton, 2005. Grades 5-8
Portraits of 50 famous Americans with quotes and short biographies.

Sills, Leslie. FROM RAGS TO RICHES. Holiday House, 2005. Grades 2-4
An illustrated history of girls' clothing in America.

Stowell, Penelope. THE GREATEST POTATOES. Illustrated by Sharon Watts. Hyperion, 2005. Grades K-3
The true story of how French fries came about. Lively illustrations.

St. George, Judith. THE ONE AND ONLY DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Philomel, 2005. Grades 2-4.
The true story of the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

Sturges, Philemon. DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS. Illustrated by Giles Laroche. Putnam, 2005. Grades 3-6.
Many kinds of ships as well as Magellan's voyage described with poetry and vivid illustrations.

Usher, M. D. WISE GUY. Illustrated by William Bramhall. Farrar, 2005. Grades 3-5
A lively account of the life and times of Socrates.

White, Linda Arms. I COULD DO THAT!! Farrar, 2005. Grades 2-4
The story of Esther Morris who was determined to get the vote for Wyoming women and became the first woman in the country to hold public office.

Williams, Mary. BROTHERS IN HOPE; THE STORY OF THE LOST BOYS OF SUDAN. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Lee & Low Books, 2005. Grades 3-5
When villages are destroyed by war, thousands of lost boys face hardship and danger in finding a place of refuge.