> Here is my original question. The HITS follow...
> QUESTION: I have grant money ($500.00) to order library books that
> will encourage
> boys to read more with the aim of improving reading achievement and
> interest in reading. I am thinking about high interest low reading
> level type books as well as books on general topics. (I know that I
> can't get much with that amount of money. I had asked for $1,000.) I
> want to purchase decent books but will probably be looking for drag
> racing books, too!
> I am planning to look at Kathleen Odean's Great books for boys : more
> than 600 books for boys 2 to 14 which is available at our public
> library.
> Does anyone have any other suggestions of places that might give me
> some good titles? Again, these books will be purchased to target boys
> in grades 3, 4 & 5 who have reading difficulties or lack of interest in
> reading.
> NonFiction suggestions only, please.
> Thanks,
> Deb Hendrickson
RESPONSES: I recommend you get the following books, possibly from
Permabound (1-800-551-1169), at about $11 each.
Those marked (FB) are available at Follett in Follett-Bound for $8 each
(888-511-5114):
--Random House's Step Into Reading, Step 3:
Babe Ruth Saves Baseball by Murphy (to be pub. in March) (FB)
Ice Mummy: The Discovery of a 5,000 Year-old Man by Dubowski (FB)
Pompeii...Buried Alive! by Kunhardt (FB)
Tut's Mummy, Lost...And Found by Donnelly
--Random House's Step Into Reading, Step 4:
Jackie Robinson and the Story of All-Black Baseball by O'Connor (might
be OP)
Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon by Donnelly
Sea of Ice: The Wreck of the Endurance by Kulling (Shackleton's
Antarctic adventure) (might be OP)
The Trail of Tears by Bruchac (how the Cherokees were force-marched
1200 miles to Oklahoma) (FB)
The Trojan Horse by Little (how the ancient Greeks won the city of
Troy) (FB)
--Scholastic's Hello Reader, Level 4:
Finding the Titanic by Ballard (This is a better account, written by
the one who found it, than Step Into Reading's Titanic by Donnelly.)
(FB)
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Be sure to check Jon Sciezcka's
http://www.guysread.com
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Have you considered doing a survey at your school to find out specific
topics of interest with your students - both boys and girls? They will
tell you things in surveys that are impersonal and nonjudgmental as
opposed to face to face questioning although that should be considered
as well. Your students may have unique interests based on town or
community factors. Many of my students participate in hunting
activities, rebuilding automobile engines, working on motorcycles, and
rodeos. Before ordering new books, I do interlibrary loan requests so
that the students can examine a book and give me feedback on it which
is extremely valuable. Some of these suggestions might be helpful.
Good luck.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
I do the NON-FICTION BOOKTALKER column for SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL.
Attached
is a list of books I have been recommending lately. I have read them
all
and they are all non-fiction.
Kathleen Baxter (you might want to contact Kathleen via LM_Net if you
want the bibliography. It was an attachment and I know that I cannot
paste it here.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
Hi. How about EyeWitness Books? There is an easy-to-read set (the
smaller size); many of them are about science (something my students
were interested in).
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---------------
Look at guysread.com by hosted by Jon Scieszka. I know it has a lot of
fiction and that's not what you asked for. Never the less, anyone who
is trying to promote reading among their boys should check out this
site.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------
I was just looking through a Capstone Press catalog yesterday at
school. They have several high interest/low reading level series
available such as military, extreme sports, sports cars, etc. We have
several of their books, and they spend very little time on the shelf. I
plan to order more.
Check out their Graphic Library (history in comic form), Edge books,
High Interest books, and Blazers. Most are written at grade level 3/4
but interest level grades 3-9. Hope this helps.
http://www.capstonepress.com/aspx/pIndex.aspx This is their online
catalog..
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Capstone Press has a nice series for Motor Sports and Exteme Sports.
Rosen Publishing also has an Extreme Sports series and Explore the
Outdoors.
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-----------------------------
I have been very successful with any of the Capstone series. They
have lots
of spider, snake and other creepy crawly type books not to mention the
drag racing, scateboarding extreme sports kindof books. My school is
at Title I school and we have over
90% free and reduced lunch. My boys tend to go for the creepy crawly
books and the shark books but the car books and weather disaster books
are equally appealing. Capstone
has a good assortment of books about those types of things with AR
levels that are suitable for that age student. My girls read them too!
The books have held up well with heavy circulation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
I just wrote a grant relating to this very topic. I recommend you
focus on:
- hi/lo nonfiction (Capstone has a great selection)
- TV/movie novelizations
- graphic novels and manga
- adventure, suspense and humorous novels
I would throw in a smattering of audiobooks too. They are very popular
at our school.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------
Have you looked at Jon Scieszka's web site called "Guys Read"? He has
book lists for younger, middle and older guys.
http:/www.guysread.com
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----------------
The april 2004 issue of School Library Journal had an
article called Why Johnny Won't Read. You really
should check it out. While it gives you some ideas of
books to use it also give you much to think about. .
Two websites are listed that are worth looking at.
http://guysread.com
http://www.geocities.com/talestoldtall (I can't seem
to get past the filter at our school right now on
this one. I have no idea why as our filter isn't set
at too high a level of blocking. You might want to try
it at home.)
Two books are also recommended:
Great Books for Boys by Kathleen O'Dean andConnecting
Boys with Books by Michael Sullivan.
LM_NET members might want like to hear what you
finally decided to do and what books were helpful.
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WHAT I DID: I used the following suggestions to select nonfiction books
(surveyed students for subjects of interest, did research and browsed
thru recommended websites and books.) Thanks once again to all who
responded. I did not identify anyone except for a Slj book reviewer who
provided me with a great bibliography. Unfortunately my funds are
limited, but I am going to keep all of the information (could have
spent the money 10X over) and hope for a windfall (or a very profitable
book fair!) Thanks again!
Deborah J. Hendrickson
Media Specialist/Technology Leader
Westernport Elementary School
172 Church Street
Westernport, MD 21562
DHendrickson@allconet.org (work e-mail)
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