Hello Listserv Members-
I apologize for the delay in posting. I was lucky enough to be able to attend my
state library and technology conference, and our district was lucky enough to be
able to make the move to Destiny. So needless to say, I have been very busy! I
really appreciate those of you who took the time to give me some suggestions, and I
hope some of you also find this information helpful! If anybody else has some
specific nonfiction titles that are popular with your students, please feel free to
send me any additional titles. THANK YOU!
Original Post:
"Last year, I walked into a library with a great fiction collection, fairly updated
and well-circulated. The nonfiction collection, on the other hand, was and is a
wreck: old, out-dated, and un-circulated. I am in the process of an intensive
weeding (following many of the guidelines you have suggested in past targets), and
I have placed orders for new, well-reviewed nonfiction that I believe matches
teacher curricular needs and student interests. I am also in the process of
developing a survey for my students and teachers to see what kinds of nonfiction
they would want to see in the library.
My target is this: what nonfiction books and/or series are the favorites in your
middle school library (grades 6 through 8)? I am particularly interested in what
nonfiction titles are in demand from your students.
I hope that developing this part of my collection will help match students that
were previously under-served with books that match their needs and interests. I
really appreciate your input and will post a hit if I get enough responses."
Most of the replies that I got gave general categories (animals, Ancient Egypt,
Greece, Rome; mythology from all lands, NF with offbeat themes, World wars and
conflict, Ghosts or anything supernatural, Military services and military
equipment, Foreign languages, Wild animals, Cook Books, Pets, Crafts, Drawing,
Jokes/Riddles, Sports of all kinds, including NASCAR in our area, and don't forget
hunting & fishing, Poetry, etc.)
Here are the more specific replies that I received:
any book published by DK
My students really enjoy the 24/7 Science Behind the Scenes collections from
Scholastic:http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/24-7.htm
They also like the Blue Banner Biographies from Mitchell
Lane:http://www.mitchelllane.com/ml/bbb/bbb4.php
Phineas Gage
Culture Grams is a must
My middle school boys always like the sports books. I have an nice set of the MLB,
NFL & NBA teams that get check out (and looked at in-house) often.
As for biographies. They all hate the 'series' type biographies "Women in Science"
"African American Inventors" that type of thing with the formula fact fact fact
quote. They MUCH prefer single titles that are well written. Jack Gantos' Hole in
My Life. The National Geographic biographies are well done too. They are
series-type, but well written.
My books on movies like "The Art of The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the
Ring" and the like are popular. So are books on spies or monsters (Loch ness,
sasquatch, ufo's etc.)
First 1000 words in French (also Spanish, German, Japanese)
I have the Ames "Draw 50" series
Learning About Dogs series by Charlotte Wilcox
All About Wild Animals series, Gareth Stevensn publishers
The Hip-Hop series, Mason Crest publishers
The Unexplained series, Lerner publishers
Monsterology
Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology
Graphic novels (Bone by Smith is particularly popular
How to draw
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul
Shel Silverstein poetry
supernatural such as UFO's, hauntings, ghosts
Guinness World records and Ripley's Believe it or Not
card and magic tricks
teen issues like sex, sexual transmitted disease, abuse. Note these rarely get
checked out but these sections are always in disarray so I know they are looking at
them
Wizardology
My books on movies like "The Art of The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the
Ring" and the like are popular. So are books on spies or monsters (Loch ness,
sasquatch, ufo's etc.)
Jack Gantos' Hole in My Life. The National Geographic biographies are well done
too. They are series-type, but well written.
My middle school boys always like the sports books. I have an nice set of the MLB,
NFL & NBA teams that get check out (and looked at in-house) often.
Definitely the 24/7 Science Behind the Scenes published by Franklin Watts.
I like Rosen Central's Unsolved Mysteries: The Secret Files series and Lucent
Books' The Mystery Library
Rosen Central's The Library of Emergency Preparedness and Enslow's American
Disasters go over well.
Animals, especially dogs, snakes and lizards. Again, Rosen's good for this, as is
Discovery School Channel. I also have Capstone's Learning about Dogs series - my
kids love it.
Capstone's Wild Rides! (BMX bikes, dragsters, etc.), Tradition Books' The World of
NASCAR
Creative Education's NFL Today, The History of (insert name of pro baseball team
here), their History of the different pro basketball teams, and Child's World
Inside the NFL.
More scary stories to tell in the dark Schwartz, Alvin.
Scary stories 3 : more tales to chill your bones Schwartz, Alvin.
The New England Patriots Stewart, Mark, 2
Paintball Sievert, Terri.
Tom Brady : never-quit quarterback Gatto, Kimberly.
Optical illusions : the science of visual perceptionSeckel, Al 1 17
Fruits basket. vol. 1. Takaya, Natsuki
ASPCA complete dog care manual Fogle, Bruce. 2
A child called it : one child's courage to survive
Eye-popping optical illusions Dispezio, Michael A.
Scary stories treasury : three books to chill yourbones Schwartz, Alvin 1 14
Star wars, attack of the clones : incredible cross-sections Saxton, Curtis 1 14
Encyclopedia horrifica : the terrifying truth! about vampires, ghosts, monsters,
and more Gee, Joshua 1 13
Hauntings & horrors : the ultimate guide to spookyAmerica Cohen, Daniel 2 13
The art of optical illusions Seckel, Al 1
A guide to the elements Stwertka, Albert 2
Manga mania villains : how to draw the dastardlycharacters of Japanese comics Hart,
Christopher. 2 13
Extreme pets Harrington, Jane 2 12
Cartoon cool : how to draw new retro-stylecharacters Hart, Christopher 1 12
v.3 Warcraft, Ghostlands 1 12
All Hallows' Eve : 13 stories Vande Velde, Vivian
Guts : The true stories behind Hatchet and the Brian booksPaulsen, Gary 2 12
Ancient Rome James, Simon.
Tales of the cryptids : mysterious creatures thatmay or may not exist Halls, Kelly
Milner 1 11
ER vets : life in an animal emergency roomJackson, Donna M 1 11
Ten days in the dirt : the spectacle of off-road motorcycling Rohrer, Russ 1 11
The haunting hour : chills in the dead of night Stine, R. L.
World War I Adams, Simon, 1 11
Super sandwiches : wrap 'em, stack 'em, stuff 'emDunnington, Rose.
Manga mania : how to draw Japanese comics Hart, Christopher. 2 10
Lynn Slowiak
Library Media Specialist
John Long Middle School
700 Hickory Street
Grafton, WI 53024
262-376-5809
lslowiak@grafton.k12.wi.us
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