Literary Science 2: Reading Selections for Grades 6-12

Compiled by Megan Schliesman
© 2012 Cooperative Children's Book Center

The Next Generation Science Standards under development emphasize four broad areas of science education:

Life Science
Earth & Space Science
Physical Science

Engineering & Technology

This bibliography identifies children's and young adult literature across these four broad areas for grades 6-12.* The purpose is to suggest books that can engage students in science and technology subjects or research, or in critical thinking on ethical issues in science and technology. Some of these books may connect directly to what is being taught in the classroom, others invite students to make connections between the subject of the book and what they are learning in and beyond their science or technology classroom.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive or to incorporate every science/technology concept that is taught in middle and high school. Instead, it is meant to suggest ways of integrating high-quality children's and young adult literature with the science curriculum--books that can foster interest, invite discussion, and connect science and technology to literature and reading. Titles on the list include both fiction and non-fiction.

It should be noted that while the first two NGSS categories, Life Science and Earth & Space Science, offer many rich possibilities in children's and young adult literature, the other two categories, Physical Science and Engineering & Technology, present more of a challenge. Therefore, these two have been combined into a single category on this list.

See the CCBC bibliography 50 Books about Science and Scientists for additional science-related titles. Additionally, Wisconsin librarians and teachers looking for children's and young adult trade literature that connects to specific areas of the science curriculum can email the CCBC with your request. While there aren't always trade books to meet specific science curriculum need, we are happy to search and see if we can recommend, or at least suggest, some titles.

*This list specifically address the NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas (Dimension 3) of the standards. But the standards also articulate Practices (Dimension 1) and Crosscutting Concepts (Dimension 2). In order to facilitate students' learning, the three dimensions should be woven together--suggestions for ways to do so are beyond the scope of this bibliography. (Thank you to Kathy Huncosky, science resource teacher for the Madison Metropolitan School District, for her assistance in identifying and understanding dimensions of the NGSS standards and for her input on the scope of this project.)

Click on underlined book titles to see the CCBC review of the book, and/or the cover image.
Complete list of CCBC bibliographies

Life Science

Burns, Loree Griffin. The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe (Scientists in the Field) . Photographed by Ellen Harasimowicz. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 66 pages. Ages 10 - 15

Dendy, Leslie and Mel Boring . Guinea Pig Scientists : Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine. Illustrated by C.B. Mordan. Henry Holt, 2005. 213 pages. Ages 10-15

Heiligman, Deborah. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith. Henry Holt, 2009. 268 pages. Ages 14 and older

Hoose, Phillip. Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012. 148 pages. Age 11 and older

Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page . How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 9 - 13

Marrin, Albert. Little Monsters: The Creatures That Live on Us and in Us. Dutton, 2011. 152 pages. Ages 10–14

Martin, Russell and Lydia Nibley . The Mysteries of Beethoven's Hair. Charlesbridge, 2009. 120 pages. Ages 12 and older

Pearson, Mary E.. The Adoration of Jenna Fox. Henry Holt, 2008. 266 pages. Age 12 and older

Pringle, Laurence. Billions of Years, Amazing Changes: The Story of Evolution. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Boyds Mills Press, 2011. 102 pages. Ages 9-14

Sidman, Joyce. Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors. Illustrated by Beckie Prange. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 9-13

Sis, Peter. The Tree of Life: A Book Depicting the Life of Charles Darwin: Naturalist, Geologist, & Thinker. Frances Foster Books / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. 32 pages. Ages 10 - 16

Thompson, Kate. Fourth World (The Missing Link Trilogy: Book One). Bloomsbury, 2005. 316 pages. Ages 12-15

Turner, Pamela S.. A Life in the Wild: George Schaller’s Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts. Melanie Kroupa Books / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. 103 pages. Age 10 and older

Turner, Pamela S.. The Frog Scientist. Photographed by Andy Comins. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. 58 pages. Ages 10-15

Earth & Space Science

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Little, Brown and Company, 2010. 326 pages. Ages 13 and older

Bledsoe, Lucy Jane. How To Survive in Antarctica. Holiday House, 2006. 101 pages. Ages 9-14

Burns, Loree Griffin. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion (Scientists in the Field). Houghton MIfflin, 2007. 56 pages. Ages 8-12

Farr, Richard. Emperors of the Ice: A True Story of Disaster and Survival in the Antarctic, 1910-13 . Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. 217 pages. Ages 12 and older

Jackson, Ellen. The Mysterious Universe: Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes. (Scientists in the Field) . Houghton Mifflin, 2008. 60 pages. Ages 9-14

Mass, Wendy. Every Soul a Star. Little, Brown, 2008. 322 pages. Ages 10-14

Parker Rhodes, Jewell. Ninth Ward. Little, Brown, 2010. 224 pages. Ages 9 - 13

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life as We Knew It. Harcourt, 2006. 337 pages. Age 13 and older

Skurzynski, Gloria. Are We Alone? Scientists Search for Life in Space. National Geographic, 2004. 92 pages. Ages 9-14

Turner, Pamela. Life on Earth--and Beyond: An Astrobiologist's Quest. Charlesbridge, 2008. 109 pages. Ages 10 and older

Physical Science/Engineering & Technology

Anderson, M.T.. Feed. Candlewick Press, 2002. 237 pages. Ages 14 and older

Baillie, Allan. Little Brother. U.S. edition: Viking, 1992. 144 pages. Age 11 and older

Byrd, Robert. Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer. Dutton , 2003. 48 pages. Ages 10-14

Castellucci, Cecil. First Day on Earth. Scholastic Press, 2011. 160 pages. Age 13 and older

Delano, Marfé Ferguson. Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein. National Geographic, 2005. 63 pages. Ages 10-13

Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron (Incarceron, Book 1). U.S. edition: Dial, 2010. 442 pages. Ages 12 and older

Houtman, Jacqueline. The Reinvention of Edison Thomas. Front Street, 2010. 189 pages. Ages 9 - 13

Macaulay, David. Built to Last. Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 272 pages. Ages 10 and older

Mariz, Rae. The Unidentified. Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2010. 296 pages. Ages 13 and older

Sayre, April Pulley. Secrets of Sound: Studying the Calls and Songs of Whales, Elephants, and Birds. Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 64 pages. Ages 8 - 11

Smith, Lane. It’s a Book. Roaring Brook Press, 2010. 32 pages. Age 7 and older

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. Wendy Lamb Books / Random House, 2009. 208 pages. Ages 10 - 13

Thimmesh, Catherine. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 80 pages. Ages 10-15

This list may be reproduced and distributed by educational and/or nonprofit organizations so long as credit is given to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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	Awards & Best-of-the-Year Lists CCBC Bibliographies & Booklists Charlotte Zolotow Award CCBC Online Presentations CCBC Podcasts CCBC Specialized Information CCBC - Net Literary Science 2: Reading Selections for Grades 6-12 Compiled by Megan Schliesman © 2012 Cooperative Children's Book Center The Next Generation Science Standards under development emphasize four broad areas of science education: Life Science Earth & Space Science Physical Science Engineering & Technology This bibliography identifies children's and young adult literature across these four broad areas for grades 6-12.* The purpose is to suggest books that can engage students in science and technology subjects or research, or in critical thinking on ethical issues in science and technology. Some of these books may connect directly to what is being taught in the classroom, others invite students to make connections between the subject of the book and what they are learning in and beyond their science or technology classroom. This list is not meant to be exhaustive or to incorporate every science/technology concept that is taught in middle and high school. Instead, it is meant to suggest ways of integrating high-quality children's and young adult literature with the science curriculum--books that can foster interest, invite discussion, and connect science and technology to literature and reading. Titles on the list include both fiction and non-fiction. It should be noted that while the first two NGSS categories, Life Science and Earth & Space Science, offer many rich possibilities in children's and young adult literature, the other two categories, Physical Science and Engineering & Technology, present more of a challenge. Therefore, these two have been combined into a single category on this list. See the CCBC bibliography 50 Books about Science and Scientists for additional science-related titles. Additionally, Wisconsin librarians and teachers looking for children's and young adult trade literature that connects to specific areas of the science curriculum can email the CCBC with your request. While there aren't always trade books to meet specific science curriculum need, we are happy to search and see if we can recommend, or at least suggest, some titles. This list specifically address the NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas (Dimension 3) of the standards. But the standards also articulate Practices (Dimension 1) and Crosscutting Concepts (Dimension 2). In order to facilitate students' learning, the three dimensions should be woven together--suggestions for ways to do so are beyond the scope of this bibliography. (Thank you to Kathy Huncosky, science resource teacher for the Madison Metropolitan School District, for her assistance in identifying and understanding dimensions of the NGSS standards and for her input on the scope of this project.) Click on underlined book titles to see the CCBC review of the book, and/or the cover image. Complete list of CCBC bibliographies Life Science* Burns, Loree Griffin. The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe (Scientists in the Field) . Photographed by Ellen Harasimowicz. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 66 pages. Ages 10 - 15 Dendy, Leslie and Mel Boring . Guinea Pig Scientists : Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine. Illustrated by C.B. Mordan. Henry Holt, 2005. 213 pages. Ages 10-15 Heiligman, Deborah. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith. Henry Holt, 2009. 268 pages. Ages 14 and older Hoose, Phillip. Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012. 148 pages. Age 11 and older Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page . How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 9 - 13 Marrin, Albert. Little Monsters: The Creatures That Live on Us and in Us. Dutton, 2011. 152 pages. Ages 10–14 Martin, Russell and Lydia Nibley . The Mysteries of Beethoven's Hair. Charlesbridge, 2009. 120 pages. Ages 12 and older Pearson, Mary E.. The Adoration of Jenna Fox. Henry Holt, 2008. 266 pages. Age 12 and older Pringle, Laurence. Billions of Years, Amazing Changes: The Story of Evolution. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Boyds Mills Press, 2011. 102 pages. Ages 9-14 Sidman, Joyce. Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors. Illustrated by Beckie Prange. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 9-13 Sis, Peter. The Tree of Life: A Book Depicting the Life of Charles Darwin: Naturalist, Geologist, & Thinker. Frances Foster Books / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. 32 pages. Ages 10 - 16 Thompson, Kate. Fourth World (The Missing Link Trilogy: Book One). Bloomsbury, 2005. 316 pages. Ages 12-15 Turner, Pamela S.. A Life in the Wild: George Schaller’s Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts. Melanie Kroupa Books / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. 103 pages. Age 10 and older Turner, Pamela S.. The Frog Scientist. Photographed by Andy Comins. Houghton Mifflin / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. 58 pages. Ages 10-15 Earth & Space Science Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Little, Brown and Company, 2010. 326 pages. Ages 13 and older Bledsoe, Lucy Jane. How To Survive in Antarctica. Holiday House, 2006. 101 pages. Ages 9-14 Burns, Loree Griffin. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion (Scientists in the Field). Houghton MIfflin, 2007. 56 pages. Ages 8-12 Farr, Richard. Emperors of the Ice: A True Story of Disaster and Survival in the Antarctic, 1910-13 . Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. 217 pages. Ages 12 and older Jackson, Ellen. The Mysterious Universe: Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes. (Scientists in the Field) . Houghton Mifflin, 2008. 60 pages. Ages 9-14 Mass, Wendy. Every Soul a Star. Little, Brown, 2008. 322 pages. Ages 10-14 Parker Rhodes, Jewell. Ninth Ward. Little, Brown, 2010. 224 pages. Ages 9 - 13 Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Life as We Knew It. Harcourt, 2006. 337 pages. Age 13 and older Skurzynski, Gloria. Are We Alone? Scientists Search for Life in Space. National Geographic, 2004. 92 pages. Ages 9-14 Turner, Pamela. Life on Earth--and Beyond: An Astrobiologist's Quest. Charlesbridge, 2008. 109 pages. Ages 10 and older Physical Science/Engineering & Technology Anderson, M.T.. Feed. Candlewick Press, 2002. 237 pages. Ages 14 and older Baillie, Allan. Little Brother. U.S. edition: Viking, 1992. 144 pages. Age 11 and older Byrd, Robert. Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer. Dutton , 2003. 48 pages. Ages 10-14 Castellucci, Cecil. First Day on Earth. Scholastic Press, 2011. 160 pages. Age 13 and older Delano, Marfé Ferguson. Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein. National Geographic, 2005. 63 pages. Ages 10-13 Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron (Incarceron, Book 1). U.S. edition: Dial, 2010. 442 pages. Ages 12 and older Houtman, Jacqueline. The Reinvention of Edison Thomas. Front Street, 2010. 189 pages. Ages 9 - 13 Macaulay, David. Built to Last. Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 272 pages. Ages 10 and older Mariz, Rae. The Unidentified. Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2010. 296 pages. Ages 13 and older Sayre, April Pulley. Secrets of Sound: Studying the Calls and Songs of Whales, Elephants, and Birds. Houghton Mifflin, 2002. 64 pages. Ages 8 - 11 Smith, Lane. It’s a Book. Roaring Brook Press, 2010. 32 pages. Age 7 and older Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. Wendy Lamb Books / Random House, 2009. 208 pages. Ages 10 - 13 Thimmesh, Catherine. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 80 pages. Ages 10-15 This list may be reproduced and distributed by educational and/or nonprofit organizations so long as credit is given to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.