Looking for some book recommendations...

[jpveedubs]

As I'm building both a personal lesson-related and a classroom library, I'm looking into some books that fill some certain criteria:

1. Children's (picture) books about social issues - For example, there are a lot of African-American Civil Rights-related picture books (ie, The Story of Ruby Bridges), but what about other, similar or related historical events and movements? Others that come to mind include Irish Troubles, Italians in New Orleans, and Apartheid South Africa, among many others. Anybody know of picture books that are related to these topics?

2. Girls' teen romance novels - This is a touchy one; I work at an independent bookstore on the side, and many parents bemoan the sexual content - vague or not - of books that are labeled "young adult romance". So, instead, I've been steering kids and their parents to YA books that I know contain "romantic elements" in them, but where it's not the primary focus. Any good ones that come to mind?

3. Young boys' non-series fiction novels - Series books are of course a big hit for boys and girls alike at young ages, but what about the odd novel here and there? I've spoken to several students who simply don't pick up even the popular series books because they don't want to commit to two, three, five, or more books that might follow the first.

4. Short history/history-related books for young adults - I've found a few gems (such as "Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London" that I picked up a reader's copy of this afternoon), and I think that these could even provide great in-class excerpts to use for lessons that may tie in to social studies/history classes in middle and high school. I'm aiming for stuff around/under 100(ish) pages; what comes to mind?

...there's more I'm looking for, but this'll do for now. :)

[Buh4Bee]

Here are some children's books (third grade reading level) that may be of some interest:

BLOOMERS!
Blumberg, Rhoda
The "new-fashioned" outfit helps spread the word about women's rights. J 305.42 B

THE COURAGE OF SARAH NOBLE
Dalgliesh, Alice
A little girl and her father are among the first to settle in Connecticut in 1707. J B NOBLE D

DEAR BENJAMIN BANNEKER
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Biography of the African American astronomer who wrote to Thomas Jefferson about slavery. J B BANNEKER P

THE DRINKING GOURD
Monjo, F. N.
Tommy discovers his house is a station on the Underground Railroad in this beginning reader. J FIC M

THE GOLD CADILLAC
Taylor, Mildred D.
Two black girls living in the North are proud of their family's beautiful new Cadillac until they take it on a visit to the South and encounter racial prejudice for the first time. J FIC T

MOLLY'S PILGRIM
Barbara, Cohen
Molly's Thanksgiving doll, made by her Russian immigrant mother, looks different from others in her class. J FIC C

NETTIE'S TRIP SOUTH
Turner, Ann
A ten-year-old northern girl encounters the ugly realities of slavery when she visits Richmond, Virginia, and sees a slave auction. J FIC T

WILMA UNLIMITED : HOW WILMA RUDOLPH BECAME THE WORLD'S FASTEST WOMAN.
Krull, Kathleen
She defeated polio to become the first woman to win three gold medals in the Olympics. A picture book biography. J B RUDOLPH K

[tonywalt]

Children Enclyclopedia of American History - David King

The above is excellent. They use it in some of the better US schools in Cayman and is well written and alot of pictures to keep their interest.

[Oniw17]

The Giver by Lois Lowry is something I liked in 4th grade, but I heard that it's geared towards teens. Everything else I read that wasn't way above my recommended reading level in my preteen/early teen years doesn't meet your criteria. However, I could list books that are part of a series for days. I used to think that I could read every trilogy ever written.

[Intuition]

Animal Farm by Orwell, the kids will never notice!

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Here's some that I think have literary merit (not that the ones listed above don't).

I think most boys would like Call of the Wild and/or White Fang by Jack London. For some sci-fi, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Farenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke, and I'll second The Giver (this one is good for girls, too, though).

For something comical, but with good lessons, I'd also suggest The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexis.

My Side of the Mountain was also a favorite of mine in grade school.

[cl154576]

I am in eighth grade ... I'll just name some random books we read in class the last few years that roughly fit into one category or another:

- A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry (picture books)
- The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss (picture books)
- An Enemy Among Them by Deborah H. Deford and Harry S. Stout (historical with a bit of romance)
- The River Between Us by Richard Peck (historical)
- The Giver by Lois Lowry (boys', social)
- Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (historical)
- Tangerine by Edward Bloor (boys')
- December Stillness by Mary Downing Hahn (historical)
- All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (historical, boys')
- Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch (historical)
- Swallowing Stones by Joyce McDonald (boys')
- A Separate Peace by John Knowles (historical, boys')
- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (boys')

Just a random list. If you like the suggestions I can add.

[Calidore]

I'll second Tangerine by Bloor--fabulous book, though it depends how young the young boys you mentioned are. For older young boys, I would also highly recommend I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier.

A few classics I read and loved back in fourth grade were Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (first in a series, but only in the sense of recurring characters--all books are completely self-contained and independent), and The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary.

[sulrey]

I suggest Hiroshima for the social studies section.