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By providing a wide selection of high-quality materials that will grab the attention of individual readers, school libraries can play an integral part in initiating and supporting student agency and a student-centered approach to learning. Such materials should not only address and expand upon what kids are learning in the classroom, but also allow them to explore an array of personal interests, tastes, and passions. Every student has his or her own way of acquiring and processing factual content, and books presented in different formats nurture a variety of learning styles and specific preferences. This article highlights books with a focus on science and can be used to supplement classroom materials and traditional narrative nonfiction. Ranging from profusely illustrated graphic novels to captivating fiction series, these titles will appeal to a spectrum of tastes, learning styles, and interests. The titles featured here are a small sampling of the wide range of offerings that can be used to explore and expand upon science curriculums, and a similar spectrum of selections for other subject areas should also be made available. These materials can be identified by consulting professional review sources, library catalogs, and readers' advisory resources such as CLCD (Children's Literature Comprehensive Database) or EBSCO's NoveList.

Research indicates that history-based curricula--specifically textbooks and trade books--about Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) are problematic and limited. If race relations are arguably America's long, unsettled tension, then Dr. King was one of its most impactful figures. Using the relevant historical research as a framework and the theoretical concepts of Master Narratives, anti-racism, and non-racism, the authors explored how trade books depict Dr. King's experiences and accomplishments. Qualitative content analysis research methods were used to answer two questions. First, how do non-fiction trade books historically represent Dr. King? Second, how does the grade level of the intended reader impact the books' historical representations? The grade ranges of Primary (K-2), Intermediate (3-5), and Middle Level (6-8) were used to provide distinction for students' disparate schemas and classroom experiences. The randomly selected data sample included only non-fiction trade books centering on Dr. King. When viewed cumulatively, trade books constructed a simplistic, sanitized narrative about a man who challenged social segregation, faced resistance from government, and was celebrated after death with near-unanimity. Most books about Dr. King engaged in fable-making. Most were non-racist--as opposed to anti-racist--as they relegated Dr. King and his legacy to the turbulent 1960s, even though it is rooted in slavery a century prior and reverberations emerge today. While Dr. King was a decidedly exceptional citizen worthy of special distinction, all the books can be viewed as constructing a Master Narrative about Dr. King. This does not mean the books should not be used in the classroom. Teachers, though, should be aware of what is included, how it is included, and what is omitted in order to plan purposefully.

Children's picture book biographies on composers and musicians can prompt powerful music learning experiences. Biography breaks are the reading aloud of a picture book biography and the questions or activities the teacher engages students in while and after reading the book. In the music classroom, biography breaks can be used with children of all ages to introduce students to composers, musicians, music elements and concepts, music vocabulary, music genres and styles. Biography breaks provide a groundwork for discussing the historical, social, and cultural context of music, as well as a catalyst for engaging students in meaningful music experiences creating, performing, responding to, and connecting with music.

The purpose of this study was to determine if young adults have access through school libraries to LGBTQ-themed literature. The library collections in 125 high schools in one Southern U.S. state were examined for the inclusion of LGBTQ-themed fiction, nonfiction, and biographies, including a core collection of 21 recommended titles. Results showed that, in general, the school libraries were under-collecting LGBTQ-themed titles. Although LGBTQ teens are estimated to make up 5.9 percent of the students in American high schools, the average number of LGBTQ-themed titles held by these school libraries was 0.4 percent. Suggestions for further study are included. (Contains 3 tables, 4 figures, and 1 footnote.)

A balanced literacy program provides students with opportunities to interact with texts from a variety of genres. The dawn of the New York State Common Core Learning Standards has paved a natural gateway for students and teachers to regularly engage in reading, discussing, and writing nonfiction. This shift in the standards has inspired educators to design and teach co-curricular lessons and activities, connecting multiple content and special areas. Reading books about artists, musicians and inventors, as well as social, cultural, and political icons, expands the depth and breadth of one's understanding for how their contributions have shaped history. Infusing supplementary nonfiction texts into the curricula also presents students with other perspectives to consider. This takes them beyond the bare bones offered in traditional textbooks. Having access to a diverse selection of nonfiction resources is a critical component of inquiry-based learning. These texts serve to bridge what is being taught in the classroom with real-world experiences and applications. Nonfiction is written and published in numerous formats that appeal to students who possess a wide range of interests and reading abilities.

This article considers our experiences teaching a hybrid literature/creative writing subject called "Life Writing." We consider the value of literature students engaging in creative writing practice--in this instance, the nonfiction subgenre of life writing--as part of their critical literary studies. We argue that in practicing life writing, our literature students are exposed to and gain wider perspective on the practical, critical, creative, and ethical issues that arise from working with literary texts. Such an approach is not with risk. As we discuss in this article, life writing texts can often narrate difficult or traumatic material. However, we want to show how life writing, with its particular focus on actual lives and lived experience, creates a particularly conducive ethical, intellectual, and creative space for learning about and practicing writing.

With the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the most troops overseas since Richard Nixon's presidency, President-elect Barack Obama will certainly have his work cut out for him. But at least Obama is a reader (and a writer), and there is no better antidote to the stress of the present than an hour or so lost in a good book. This article presents this year's selection of great reads--for President Obama as well as for everybody--which was created to help everybody better understand the past, the present, the brave new future.

Of the more than 5000 books reviewed in "School Library Journal's" ("SLJ's") pages in 2008, the 67 books listed in this article stood out as having distinctive voices, singular vision, and/or innovative approaches. They include books for toddlers and preschoolers, terrific picture books and easy readers, and some highly original novels. Fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, humor, mystery, affecting family stories, and adventure all make an appearance. It was an amazingly strong year for YA novels, several with hard-hitting, powerful themes. There's also some spectacular science and history. Deciding among all of the books about Lincoln published this year was not easy; the authors selected two that they felt were the most unusual and creative. The arts fared well also, with lively titles about Alexander Calder, Mark Twain, Billie Holiday, and William Carlos Williams.

This article offers a savvy guide to the best graphic nonfiction books for middle schoolers. These include: "Ronald Reagan: A Graphic Biography" by Andrew Hefler; "Clan Apis" by Jay Hosler; and "Corpses and Skeletons: The Science of Forensic Anthropology" by Rob Shone.

Four years after the 9/11 attack on the United States, the country continues to be in considerable turmoil. Children have lived through the devastation of the September 11th attacks, the panic over the anthrax mailings, the hunt for terrorists in Afghanistan, elevated homeland security threat levels, the war in Iraq, the tsunami disaster, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Not surprisingly, many children feel anxious and afraid, and some have personally experienced the death of a loved one due to these events. In her 1977 book, Bernstein stated that reading books as a form of therapy (bibliotherapy) gives children the opportunity to identify with others undergoing the same problems, helps them realize that they are not alone, provides catharsis, and facilitates the process of sharing their problems with others. In this article, which gives detailed descriptions of books written about the September 11th attacks, the Iraq War, and other disastrous events, the author shows how children's literature can be used effectively to help students understand and deal with world crises. (Contains 3 tables.)

This annotated bibliography of nonfiction books on the integration of baseball focuses on the Negro leagues, books for young readers, individual teams, autobiographies and biographies of the pioneers, and autobiographies and biographies of the African American major leaguers. (SM)

Presents a bibliography of sources to help children understand slavery and the Underground Railroad and recommends a combination of fiction and nonfiction for a better understanding. Includes picture books, biographies of people who played prominent roles during the time of slavery, nonfiction books for older readers, and videotape. (LRW)

Describes 33 books that give children insight into living in the great Midwest and into westward expansion, including books by and about Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the nature of the prairie, famous figures of the Midwest, picture books, and novels. (SR)

Each April issue of the Journal "Social Education" contains an annotated bibliography of notable children's trade books in the field of social studies, evaluated and selected by the Book Review Subcommittee of the National Council for the Social Studies-Children's Book Council Joint Committee. This compilation represents a five-year cumulation (1979-1983) of this journal feature. The books listed emphasize human relations, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, and are highly readable. They are primarily for students in kindergarten through grade eight with suggested reading levels indicated for each book. The categories under which the books are listed are: (1) American history, culture, and heritage; (2) Native Americans; (3) world history and culture; (4) biographies and autobiographies; (5) folktales, legends, traditions, and religions; (6) contemporary interests and controversies; (7) understanding oneself and others; and (8) language, arts, and crafts. (EM)

Discussion of adolescent readers and adolescent literature focuses on adult books for adolescent readers. Topics include historical views; promoting free reading for teenagers; nonfiction, biographies, and interviews with real teens; and the need for lists of appropriate and popular adult books for teenagers. (LRW)

Presents descriptions of (1) the 1997 winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children ("An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly"); (2) the 5 Orbis Pictus Honor Books; and (3) 12 other outstanding nonfiction titles selected by the award committee, 6 dealing with history and biography and 6 dealing with the natural world. (SR)

Presents brief annotations of 31 books (published in 1997) for children and young readers (of which libraries and schools might want multiple copies), grouped in the following categories: books with lessons for young writers; picture books packed with information; appreciating memoirs and biographies; for the poetry shelves; and books for the youngest readers. (SR)

Summarizes Suzanne Newton's children's book, "I Will Call It Georgie's Blues." Includes discussion questions about the book, and a list of activities. Provides an annotated bibliography of fiction, picture books, nonfiction, and biography titles about jazz and jazz musicians. (AEF)

Describes 14 Internet sites on popular entertainment subjects that provide information on books and book reviews, celebrities, movies, and restaurants. These were selected because they provide a great deal of authoritative information that is easy to find. A brief summary describes the contents of each site. (Author)

This article lists 30 titles, published between September 2007 and November 2008 (with reviews published in 2008), which the "School Library Journal's" ("SLJ's") Adult Books for High School Students Committee decided to recognize as the best for high school readers. The list includes realistic and historical novels as well as some genre-blending titles. Biography, history, and books about the environment are well represented. Outstanding graphic novels and nonfiction also appear.