HIT: MIDDLE-Reference Books

[Trish Feld <tfeldwtr@POP.K12.VT.US>]

Thanks to the 40 or so folks that suggested their favorite reference books
for our new middle school- FYI, the most oft-suggested book was Bartlett's

HIT--FAVORITE REFERENCE BOOKS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

GENERAL REFERENCE
Bartlett's (5 mentions)
A good thesaurus for students, not one designed for adults.
You will definitely need an almanac and I would recommend either The
National                 Geographic issue for the world or the Rand
McNally.
Kane's First Facts
Guiness Book of World Records
What to read when your book report was due yesterday- Libraries Unlimited?
Occupational Outlook Handbook (if you do career unit).
one of those paperback video books

CRITTERS
International Wildlife Encyclopedia  Marshall Cavendish New York (3 mentions)
National Geographic Book of Mammals
Also, animal encyclopedias -endangered
individual volumes on dogs, horses and cats

BIOGRAPHY
Current Biography is a reference that is issued annually and covers
biographical info on current individuals.  (3 mentions)
Biography Today from Omnigraphics. (3 mentions)
Extradordinary biographies (women, Black, Native americans etc.)
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography.  Expensive, but vital.
Authors & Artists for Young Adults
North American Biographies set from Grolier.  Each volume has biographical
entries  by field (Sports, Politics, Visual Arts).(2 mentions)
Contemporary Musicians
Kane's Facts about the Presidents
Index to collective Biographies for young readers  Karen Breen  Bowker  1988
Explorers and Discovers of the World  ed. Daniel Baker  Gale
World Explorers and Discovers  ed. Richard Bohlander  Macmillan

PLACES
Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations
Culturegrams
National Geographic Books on Countries, states  and geography
up-to-date atlas and globe and a good historical atlas
Lands and People Series
DK (Dorling Kindersley) World Reference Atlas

DICTIONARIES
Visual Dictionary that the kids and teachers use all the time.
        It is a huge book (normal ref size, many pages!).  Wish I could
remember
        the pub. NY Times? Webster?
a good unabridged dictionary as well as good abridged ones
rhyming dictionary
Biographical Dictionaries are also cool
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable..

ENCYCLOPEDIAS
Columbia desk encyclopedia
health encyclopedia (I like the one from Marshall Cavendish)
Also, animal encyclopedias -endangered

HEALTH
a medical encyclopedia (AMA comes to mind).
health encyclopedia (I like the one from Marshall Cavendish

SCIENCE
National Geographic books on astronomy
Famous First Facts- H.W. Wilson
The Elements (new set by Grolier)
Science & Technology Illus. (Britannica,  but may be out of print)
        (McGraw-Hill had a science set too.)
Science encyclopedias - Popular Science as well as a lower level one.
        ( Most of the good publishers have one of those)
A good science encyclopedia is put out by Raintree from Streck Vaughn.  It
was recently updated and covers a large number of science questions if your
curricuclum is heavy in the sciences.


Thanks again for all your help ! Now, if I can just get them ordered and on
the shelves before school opens in gasp! 26 days!
Trish Feld
Librarian
Crossett Brook Middle School
Duxbury, Vermont 05676
802 244 7195
tfeld@waterbury.k12.vt.us

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