February, 2009
IB MYP Recommended Reading List
Compiled February 2009
Picture Books
Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler
Little, Brown, c2004., RL 2.8, 32p
After a variety of animals get stuck one by one in bubble gum melting in the road, they must survive encounters with a big blue truck and a burly black bear.
How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz
Farrar Straus Giroux, c2008., RL 2.7, 32p
As he spends hours studying his father's world map, a young boy escapes the hunger and misery of refugee life. Based on the author's childhood in Kazakhstan, where he lived as a Polish refugee during World War II.
We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs
Barefoot Books, c2003., RL 4.4, 32p
Arusha, Mosi, Tumpe and their friends embark on an exciting counting adventure through the grasslands of Tanzania, discovering all different kinds of African animals as they count from one to ten. Includes facts about Tanzania and information about each animal, the Masai people and the Swahili language.
Fiction
Ask Me No Questions by Marina Tamar Budhos
Simon Pulse, 2007, c2006., 162p., RL YA
Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring fear, frustration, and sorrow for the whole family.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Publishers Group West, c2006, c2000., RL 6, 170p
Because the Taliban rulers of Kabul, Afghanistan, impose strict limitations on women's freedom and behavior, eleven-year-old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy so that her family can survive after her father's arrest.
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett B.
Scholastic Press, c2004., RL 5.4, 254p
When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Elijah of Buxton by – Christopher Paul Curtis
Scholastic, c2007., RL 5.6, 341p
Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American South in 1859, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family's freedom.
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway
Kids Can Press, c2008., RL 4.9, 32p
Kojo, a poor boy in Ghana, finds a way out of poverty and helps others do the same after he is given a small loan and buys a hen.
Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis
Publishers Group West, c2002., RL 6.3, 199p
With Kabul in ruins from the Taliban's control, Parvana dresses as a boy and sets out to leave Afghanistan in search of her family.
The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake
Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, 2007, c1998., RL 5, 171p
Thirteen-year-old Maleeka Madison, insecure about her very dark skin, rejects the support of a new teacher, Miss Saunders, whose skin looks blotched because of a rare medical condition--but soon Maleeka begins to see that Miss Saunders could be a role model, and that she must learn to love herself and accept love from others.
Non-Fiction
Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational Story by Jodee Blanco
Adams Media, c2003., 276p
The author, a victim of bullying, provides an account of her miserable school career, telling how her experiences as an outcast affected her life, and sharing her perspective on the events as an adult.
Teens in Brazil by Caryn Jones
Compass Point Books, c2007., RL 8.9, 96p
Examines the experience of teens in Brazil, looking at a typical day, what happens in school, family life, holidays, work, and entertainment. Includes photographs, a glossary, and a historical time line.
Teens in Canada by Kitty Shea
Compass Point Books, c2008., 96p
Photographs, maps, and diagrams describe the challenges, pastimes, and customs of teenagers who live in Canada.
Teens in China by Karen Elizabeth Conyers
Compass Point Books, c2007., RL 6.9, 96p
Examines the experience of teens in China, looking at a typical day, what happens in school, family life, holidays, work, and entertainment. Includes photographs, a glossary, and a historical timeline.
Teens in Japan by Sandra Donovan
Compass Point Books, c2007., RL 7.3, 96p
Examines the experience of teens in Japan, looking at a typical day, what happens in school, family life, holidays, work, and entertainment. Includes photographs, a glossary, and a historical timeline.
Material World: A Global Family Portrait by Peter Menzel
Sierra Club Books, c1995., 255p
A photo-journey through the homes and lives of 30 families, revealing culture and economic levels around the world.
Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and the Three Cups of Tea
by Greg Mortenson,
Dial Books for Young Readers, c2009., RL 3, 32p
A children's book that tells the story of Dr. Greg Mortenson's promise to build a school in a remote Himalayan village after the villagers saved his life.
Three Cups of Tea by Sarah Thomson
Puffin Books, c2009., RL 5.6, 209p
Adapts for young readers Greg Mortenson's novel in which he recounts the experiences he had while trying to help impoverished villages in Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya build schools for their children.
Homes Around the World by Bobbie Kalman
Crabtree Pub. Co., c1994., RL 3.9, 32p
Looks at various kinds of dwellings, including arctic homes, homes on stilts, homes on boats, and desert homes.
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World
by Selby Beeler
Houghton Mifflin, c1998., RL 1.8, 32p
Consists of brief statements relating what children from around the world do with a tooth that has fallen out. Includes facts about teeth.
The Good Lion by Don (Donald) Brown
Houghton Mifflin, c2005., RL 4.2, 32p
Presents the author's first-hand account of her childhood in Kenya when she was attacked by a lion that her neighbors kept as a pet.
The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli
Tilbury House, c2004., RL 5.2, 32p
Tells the story of an elderly French-Canadian woman who lived in Massachusetts and raised goats to provide milk for people who needed it.
Amazing Pop-Up Picture Atlas by Andrea Pinnington
DK, 2008., RL 3.9, 33p
A picture atlas featuring a pop-up map with pull tabs, as well as geographical and political maps that provide information about the world and its cultures.
Hiroshima No Pika by Toshi Maruki
Lee & Shepard Lothrop c1980., RL 4.8, 48p
A retelling of a mother's account of what happened to her family during the "Flash" that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.
Toilets of the World by Morna Gregory
Merrell, c2000., 256p
Canadian authors Morna E. Gregory and Sian James have traveled the world to compile this astonishing book, which is divided into chapters featuring toilets of North America, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Asia. TOILETS OF THE WORLD travels from miniature log cabins set in the Canadian wilderness to state-of-the-art cubicles in Japan, and from Caribbean huts precariously placed on stilts to eco-friendly solar-powered toilets in New Zealand.
Happy Birthday, Everywhere! By Arlene Erlbach, Arlene
Millbrook Press, c1997., RL 6.2, 48p
Describes birthday greetings and celebration customs from nineteen countries with complete how-to-do-it descriptions of food, games, and crafts.