Transcript 2000-2004 Award-Winning Nonfiction Children’s Literature for PK – 2nd Grades Presenters Jeanne Swafford Mississippi State University Amma Akrofi Texas Tech Universitiy Emily Mulhollen Mississippi College.

2000-2004
Award-Winning Nonfiction
Children’s Literature for
PK – 2nd Grades
Presenters
Jeanne Swafford
Mississippi State University
Amma Akrofi
Texas Tech Universitiy
Emily Mulhollen
Mississippi College
Purpose
Identify award-winning
nonfiction literature published
between 2000 – 2004,
appropriate for PK - 2 grades
Awards Lists
 Outstanding Science Trade Books (NSTA)
 Notable Social Studies Trade Books (NCSS)
 American Library Association (ALA)
Caldecott Award & Honor Books
Newbery Award and Honor Books
Coretta Scott King Awards & Honor Books
Belpre Award featuring Latino/a books
ALA Best Books
ALA Notable Books
 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
& Honor books
 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for
children’s fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.
 School Library Journal Best Books
 Orbis Pictus Award for outstanding
nonfiction (NCTE)
 Teachers’ Choices (IRA). Fiction and
nonfiction titles are included.
 Children’s Choices (IRA) Fiction and
nonfiction titles are included.
• National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA):
Children’s Category
• New York Times Best Illustrated Award.
• Notable Books for a Global Society for
Outstanding K-12 Multicultural Literature
(sponsored by the Children’s and Reading SIG
(IRA).
• Also check the Language Arts journal
published by the National Council of Teachers
of English for reviews of children’s literature
Trends
 Few books appropriate for PK-K students have won
awards
 Most award-winning nonfiction books were
appropriate for 2nd grade and above
 Most nonfiction books would be most appropriate
for read alouds within the context of a study of a
particular topic so that children were familiar with
specific vocabulary and had a schema for the topic
Use of Books
 Most books were appropriate for read alouds
to primary grade students.
 Content-specific vocabulary and unfamiliar
concepts may hinder comprehension of read
alouds.
 However, read alouds of nonfiction books
are most appropriate when studying a
particular topic.
Teacher’s Comment
Bats: Strange and Wonderful
Laurence Pringle
2nd graders
This book was understandable to my students.
We have previously
participated in a thematic
study of bats, and the
reading of familiar material
to them was enjoyable.
During the read aloud I
was able to see how much
knowledge they had
retained.
Teacher Recommendations
 This is a great read aloud if you are studying bats or
if you had already studied bats.
 For an every day read aloud, I think that it is a bit
long. I believe that students would appreciate this
book more with a background for the knowledge
that is within.
Student Recommendation: Anyone who wants
to learn about bats or those who might have a
fear or prejudice against these creatures should
read this book.
*Two students wanted their mothers to read the
book.
Students’ Favorite Part: They thought that it
was so cool that mother bats can find their own
baby in Bracken Cave among millions of other
babies.
Teacher’s Comment
Through My Eyes
Ruby Bridges
This is a good read
aloud for 2nd graders.
This is a powerful story
they can relate too.
Certain parts, such as
those that relate to the
legislation, should be
summarized.
Teacher’s Comments: I LOVE THIS
STORY!! The students, whether they are
African American, Hispanic, or White, can
relate and have something to share about their
life that is pertinent to this story.
Students’responses: All my students love this
book. Their reaction is one of amazement. They
are amazed that this story actually took place.
They are intrigued that it happened to a little
girl not much younger than they. They can’t
believe that there is such a thing as segregation.
They also love to see the actual photographs.
Teacher’s Recommendation
 This book presents great opportunities for
writing. Each student has something that
they would like to share. Instead, have them
write their thoughts, to share later. This
book generates powerful discussions among
the students and is a great teaching tool.
Teacher’s Comment
So You Want to Be
President
Judith St. George
This is an easily
understood book for
2nd graders, regardless
of their background
knowledge about
presidents.
Students’ Favorite Part: My students loved this book for
several reasons. First, they were amused by the pictures. We
talked about caricatures and my students were able to
recognize the most famous of the presidents. We laughed
together as a class throughout the reading of this book. They
thought the use of sarcasm and humor on such pages as
President Taft being put into the tub by a crane, and others
was hilarious.
They loved the page on President Taft and the bathtub and
they enjoyed that President Roosevelt’s son brought the pony
into the White House. The students LOVED this book.
Students’ Recommendation: They recommend it for other
2nd graders and one young man recommended it for his
mother.
Favorite Parts: I LOVE THIS STORY!! The students,
whether they are African American, Hispanic, or White, can
relate and have something to share about their life that is
pertinent to this story.
• All my students love this book. Their reaction is one of
amazement. They are amazed that this story actually took
place to a little girl not much younger than they are intrigues
them.
• They can’t believe that there is such a thing as segregation.
• They also love to see the actual photographs.
Teacher Recommendation: This book presents great
opportunities for writing. Each student has something that they
would like to share. Instead of sharing orally, each child can
write their thoughts to share later. This book generates powerful
discussions among the students and is a great teaching tool.
Teacher’s Comment
Hello, Fish
Sylvia A. Earle
2nd grade
Understandable: 10 +!
Favorite parts:
Students enjoyed the
photographs and the
easy-to-read text. It
includes many facts but
is written in a
conversational way.
Teacher’s comment: I loved the gorgeous
photographs of sea creatures and the interesting
facts/text about each creature.
Students’ response: Their favorite animals were
the “stargazer” and the “silvertip shanks”.
Students’ Recommendation: We recommend
Hello, Fish to 2nd through 4th graders. Students
told other students that the spotted moray is very
odd-looking!
Teacher’s Comments
My Rows and Piles of
Coins
Tololwa M. Mollel
2nd grade
This book was was easy
for my students to
understand. They
enjoyed the book.
Teacher’s Recommendation: This was
really an excellent read-aloud and it tied in
well with my unit study on Africa. It gave
the children a better insight into the African
culture.
Students’ Favorite Parts: Students liked
the part when the boy’s friend gave him the
bike. They told other students that a boy
saved his money to buy a bike to help his
mom carry things to the market.
Teacher’s Comments
Brilliant Bees
Linda Glaser
1st Grade
This book would be
wonderful when a class is
studying about bees.
Students’ Favorite Part: Information about bees
guarding the hive.
Teacher’s Favorite Part: I liked how the book
illustrates the daily activities of honeybees and
the question/answer section in the back of the
book.
Teacher’s Recommendation: 1st – 3rd or 4th
graders
Teacher’s Comments
About Arachnids
Cathryn Sills
Kindergarteners
Students who had some
background knowledge
about spiders had no
trouble understanding this
book. I explained a few
words like predator,
pincers, & scorpions.
Students’ comment: Students loved the book
because they love spiders! Several students
made personal connections and had many
stories to tell about their experiences with
spiders.
Teacher’s comment : The illustrations were
wonderful. It was short and had just enough
information for students in kindergarten.
Teacher’s Recommendation: K – 1st grade
Teacher’s Comment
Benjamin Banneker:
Pioneering Scientist
George Wadsworth
2nd grade
This book is long so needs
to be read in sections.
Students made connections
with this book and Martin’s
Big Words.
Students’ Comments
 Student Recommendation: “Anyone that likes to
read [will like this book] because once you start
reading it you want to find out what will happen next.”
 Favorite Part: “I liked how Benjamin never gave up
and he was always learning something.”
Teacher’s Comment
A Child’s Calendar
John Updike
2nd grade
My students understood
the poems well. The girls
liked the way the text
rhymed, the pictures,
and the words in the
poems.
Students’ Comments
 Girl’s Comment: “I like the way it teaches
you a lot of stuff about life.”
 Girls’ Recommendation: The girls
recommended this book for all of the other
second grade classes to read. They said that
first and third graders would also like to read
and listen to this book as a read aloud.
 Boys’ Comments: The boys said their moms
would like the book. They did not like the
poems or the subject of the months.
Teacher’s Comment
Martin’s Big Words
Doreen Rappaport
2nd grade
Give students a little
background information
before reading the book
aloud.
I asked them to think about
how they would feel if
black people and white
people had separate
schools. I also asked what
they might do to help black
and white people go to one
school?
Students’ Comments
 2nd grade girl: “It was an American Story
about a hero that help[ed] join the blacks and
the whites.”
 2nd grade boy: “We [are] always talking about
helping other people and Martin Luther really
did help a lot of people.”
 2nd grade girl like the book because:
“Martin said fight with love not fists; I hate
fighting.”
Teacher’s Comment
The Man Who Walked
Between the Towers
Mordicai Gerstein
2nd grade
Students understood all
parts of this book. They
never took their eyes off the
book during the entire read
aloud.
Students’ Comments
I liked the book because:
 “He followed his dream no matter what might
happen to him.”
 “It was about the twin towers and they
remembered September 11th.”
 “He had the courage to walk on the cable
between the two towers.”
 “Philippe did what he wanted to do, knowing
that he would be arrested.”
Why Read Nonfiction Books
to Pk-2 Students?
 Kids love them!
 Nonfiction books help build background
knowledge and content-specific vocabulary.
 Students learn new science, social studies,
and math concepts.
 Students enjoy learning about new things
and relating ideas their lives.
 Students learn to recognize and
understand expository text structures.
 Students learn to navigate nonlinear text.
 They learn from visual aspects of the
books.
 They enjoy beautifully illustrated books.
 Students enjoy examining photographs.
 Carefully chosen nonfiction texts are upto-date and written by experts.
 Most state tests require students to understand
expository texts
AND
 You’ll meet the Language Arts Standards
Acknowledgements
Thanks to teachers who read books to their
students:
 Lani Jackson, Kindergarten, MS
 Kristin Kling, 1st grade, MS
 LoriBeth Marchbanks, 2nd grade, LA
 Sandra Sconiers, 2nd Grade, TX
 Judy Rogers, 2nd Graders, TX
 April Medina, 2nd Grade, TX (arranged by Macy
Satterwhite)