Contemporary Titles:
Brown,
D. (2004). Odd boy out: young Albert Einstein. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co..
Readability: Unknown Lexile
Audience Level: Grades 3 - 5
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud or Independent Read
Summary: When he was born, Albert was a peculiar, fat baby with an unusually big and misshaped head. When he was older, he hit his sister, bothered his teachers, and didn’t have many friends. But in the midst of all of this, Albert was fascinated with solving puzzles and fixing scientific problems. The ideas Albert Einstein came up with during his childhood as an odd boy out were destined to change the way we know and understand the world around us. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Prior to reading, have students create a KWL on Albert Einstein. After reading, discuss how the students' prior knowledge matched up to Odd Boy Out. (E)
- Read a biography on Albert Einstein which covers his whole life. Create a Venn diagram comparing the information in the two texts. (E)
-What do you think was Einstein's greatest contribution to society? Why? (A)
Readability: Unknown Lexile
Audience Level: Grades 3 - 5
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud or Independent Read
Summary: When he was born, Albert was a peculiar, fat baby with an unusually big and misshaped head. When he was older, he hit his sister, bothered his teachers, and didn’t have many friends. But in the midst of all of this, Albert was fascinated with solving puzzles and fixing scientific problems. The ideas Albert Einstein came up with during his childhood as an odd boy out were destined to change the way we know and understand the world around us. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Prior to reading, have students create a KWL on Albert Einstein. After reading, discuss how the students' prior knowledge matched up to Odd Boy Out. (E)
- Read a biography on Albert Einstein which covers his whole life. Create a Venn diagram comparing the information in the two texts. (E)
-What do you think was Einstein's greatest contribution to society? Why? (A)
Keating,
F. A., & Wimmer, M. (2006). Theodore. New York: Simon & Schuster
Books for Young Readers.
Readability: 720 L
Audience Level: Grades 2 - 4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud or Independent Read
Summary: His name was Theodore, but he is remembered as Teddy. As a young boy, he was a dreamer and a reader and had a curiosity about life he could never satisfy. As the youngest man to ever be president, he led a nation to greatness and he made every day count.
Frank Keating's telling of incidents in Roosevelt's rich and varied life reminds readers how one person can make a difference. Mike Wimmer's exuberant paintings make Roosevelt come to life a century after his presidency. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Theodore Roosevelt was inspired by reading about people from history. Who do you admire from history and why? (A)
- Theodore Roosevelt said, "I am happiest with books all around me." When are you happiest? (A)
- Theodore Roosevelt said, "It's always better to be an original than an imitation." What did he mean by that. Use examples from the story to support your answer. (E)
Readability: 720 L
Audience Level: Grades 2 - 4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud or Independent Read
Summary: His name was Theodore, but he is remembered as Teddy. As a young boy, he was a dreamer and a reader and had a curiosity about life he could never satisfy. As the youngest man to ever be president, he led a nation to greatness and he made every day count.
Frank Keating's telling of incidents in Roosevelt's rich and varied life reminds readers how one person can make a difference. Mike Wimmer's exuberant paintings make Roosevelt come to life a century after his presidency. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Theodore Roosevelt was inspired by reading about people from history. Who do you admire from history and why? (A)
- Theodore Roosevelt said, "I am happiest with books all around me." When are you happiest? (A)
- Theodore Roosevelt said, "It's always better to be an original than an imitation." What did he mean by that. Use examples from the story to support your answer. (E)
Krull,
K., & Couch, G. (2009). The boy who invented TV: the story of Philo
Farnsworth. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Readability: 860L
Audience Level: Grades 2 - 4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud
Summary: Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to “make pictures fly through the air.” This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world’s first television image. This fascinating picture-book biography of Philo Farnsworth covers his early interest in machines and electricity, leading up to how he put it all together in one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. The author’s afterword discusses the lawsuit Farnsworth waged and won against RCA when his high school science teacher testified that Philo’s invention of television was years before RCA’s. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- How can Philo Farnsworth's story teach someone about perseverance? (E)
- Make a timeline noting the important steps that lead up to Philo's television success. (E)
- Brainstorm a list of problems you currently have at school or home. Which problems can be solved with a new invention? Come up with a plan to create a new innovation. (A)
Readability: 860L
Audience Level: Grades 2 - 4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud
Summary: Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old farm boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to “make pictures fly through the air.” This boy was not a magician; he was a scientific genius and just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality by transmitting the world’s first television image. This fascinating picture-book biography of Philo Farnsworth covers his early interest in machines and electricity, leading up to how he put it all together in one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. The author’s afterword discusses the lawsuit Farnsworth waged and won against RCA when his high school science teacher testified that Philo’s invention of television was years before RCA’s. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- How can Philo Farnsworth's story teach someone about perseverance? (E)
- Make a timeline noting the important steps that lead up to Philo's television success. (E)
- Brainstorm a list of problems you currently have at school or home. Which problems can be solved with a new invention? Come up with a plan to create a new innovation. (A)
Classic Titles:
Readability: 550L
Audience Level: Grades 3 - 5
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud or Independent Read
Summary: George Frideric Handel was not your everyday eighteenth-century composer. And in a manner befitting its subject, this witty, rigorously researched, and accessible biography captures Handel's essential spirit — from a child who smuggled a clavichord into the attic to make music against his father's orders to a young man who imported forty-five pounds of mountain snow to chill wine for a gala. Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner M. T. Anderson depicts not only Handel's triumphs but also his struggles, chronicling the illness, ill fortune, and despair that led to his greatest achievement, the Messiah. With impeccable detail and a wink at the reader, Kevin Hawkes illustrates this singular story of Handel and the music through which he lives on. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Handel and his friend, Mattheson attempted to settle one of their disputes with a duel. Make a list of better ways to solve a problem with a friend. (A)
- Which events led up to Handel wanting to give up on his career? (E)
- Create a dictionary of the musical terms from the story. Illustrate and use each word correctly in a sentence.
Rappaport, D.,
& Collier, B. (2000). Freedom river. New York: Jump at the
Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.
Readability: 330L
Audience Level: Grades 3 - 5
Suggested Delivery: Group Read
Summary: One thousand feet across the Ohio River lay Ripley, Ohio—and freedom. Before the Civil War, Kentucky was a slave state, while Ohio remained free. Time and time again, John Parker, an ex-slave who had bought his own freedom, led Kentucky slaves across a thin stretch of river to Ohio, and safety. These dangerous journeys demanded a tremendous amount of courage, planning, and faith. Freedom River is based on a true story of one man’s determination to help an African American family escape from slavery along the legendary Underground Railroad. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Before reading, ask students to create a list of things that a river can provide. After reading, ask the students what else they can add (freedom) to their list. (E)
- Draw a diagram with events from the story explaining its cyclical pattern . (E)
- Make a Wordle or Taxedo with words African Americans may have been feeling when they were attempting to escape to freedom. (A)
Audience Level: Grades 3 - 5
Suggested Delivery: Group Read
Summary: One thousand feet across the Ohio River lay Ripley, Ohio—and freedom. Before the Civil War, Kentucky was a slave state, while Ohio remained free. Time and time again, John Parker, an ex-slave who had bought his own freedom, led Kentucky slaves across a thin stretch of river to Ohio, and safety. These dangerous journeys demanded a tremendous amount of courage, planning, and faith. Freedom River is based on a true story of one man’s determination to help an African American family escape from slavery along the legendary Underground Railroad. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Before reading, ask students to create a list of things that a river can provide. After reading, ask the students what else they can add (freedom) to their list. (E)
- Draw a diagram with events from the story explaining its cyclical pattern . (E)
- Make a Wordle or Taxedo with words African Americans may have been feeling when they were attempting to escape to freedom. (A)
Rappaport, D.,
& Collier, B. (2001). Martin's big words: the life of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
Readability: AD410L
Audience Level: Grades 2 - 4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud
Summary: This picture-book biography is an excellent and accessible introduction for young readers to learn about one of the world’s most influential leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Doreen Rappaport weaves the immortal words of Dr. King into a captivating narrative to tell the story of his life. With stunning art by acclaimed illustrator Bryan Collier, Martin’s Big Words is an unforgettable portrait of a man whose dream changed America—and the world—forever. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Prior to reading the text, divide the class into two groups - either by gender, hair color, eye color, etc. Provide one group with special priveledges throughout the day and deny the other group with basic rights. Have both groups discuss how they feel about the way they were treated and why? (A)
- Martin Luther King Jr. had a number of words and phrases he lived by. Have students create a poster collage of quotes they use to live by. (A)
- Martin's Big Words taught the reader about African Americans' need to "wait". Make a list of things they had to wait for. (E)
Audience Level: Grades 2 - 4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud
Summary: Sojourner Truth traveled the country in the latter half of the 19th century, speaking out against slavery. She told of a slave girl who was sold three times by age 13, who was beaten for not understanding her master's orders, who watched her parents die of cold and hunger when they could no longer work for their keep. Sojourner's simple yet powerful words helped people to understand the hideous truth about slavery. The story she told was her own. Only Passing Through is the inspiring story of how a woman, born a slave with no status or dignity, transformed herself into one of the most powerful voices of the abolitionist movement. Anne Rockwell combines her lifelong love of history with her well-known skill as a storyteller to create this simple, affecting portrait of an American icon. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:- Write a diary entry in Sojourner Truth's point of view. Focus on her early years in slavery. (A/E)
- How did Sojourner Truth get her name? (E)
- What does it mean to be courageous? Give examples of ways that Sojourner Truth demonstrated courage from the biography. (A/E)
Readability: AD410L
Audience Level: Grades 2 - 4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud
Summary: This picture-book biography is an excellent and accessible introduction for young readers to learn about one of the world’s most influential leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Doreen Rappaport weaves the immortal words of Dr. King into a captivating narrative to tell the story of his life. With stunning art by acclaimed illustrator Bryan Collier, Martin’s Big Words is an unforgettable portrait of a man whose dream changed America—and the world—forever. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:
- Prior to reading the text, divide the class into two groups - either by gender, hair color, eye color, etc. Provide one group with special priveledges throughout the day and deny the other group with basic rights. Have both groups discuss how they feel about the way they were treated and why? (A)
- Martin Luther King Jr. had a number of words and phrases he lived by. Have students create a poster collage of quotes they use to live by. (A)
- Martin's Big Words taught the reader about African Americans' need to "wait". Make a list of things they had to wait for. (E)
Rockwell,
A. F., & Christie, R. G. (2000). Only passing through: the story of
Sojourner Truth. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Audience Level: Grades 2 - 4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud
Summary: Sojourner Truth traveled the country in the latter half of the 19th century, speaking out against slavery. She told of a slave girl who was sold three times by age 13, who was beaten for not understanding her master's orders, who watched her parents die of cold and hunger when they could no longer work for their keep. Sojourner's simple yet powerful words helped people to understand the hideous truth about slavery. The story she told was her own. Only Passing Through is the inspiring story of how a woman, born a slave with no status or dignity, transformed herself into one of the most powerful voices of the abolitionist movement. Anne Rockwell combines her lifelong love of history with her well-known skill as a storyteller to create this simple, affecting portrait of an American icon. (Amazon Book Description)
Curriculum Integration:- Write a diary entry in Sojourner Truth's point of view. Focus on her early years in slavery. (A/E)
- How did Sojourner Truth get her name? (E)
- What does it mean to be courageous? Give examples of ways that Sojourner Truth demonstrated courage from the biography. (A/E)
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