Bibliography

Theme 5: Heroes

The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.

Recommended Leveled Books for Independent Reading

Below Level

China's Bravest Girl by Charlie Chin
Children's 1997 (32p)
Hua Mu Lan persuades her father to let her go to war.
Multicultural

Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
Houghton 1992 (32p)
Martha, a dog who can speak, saves the day when a burglar shows up. Available in Spanish as Martha habla.

Home Run by Robert Burleigh
Harcourt 1998 (32p)
A poetic account of Babe Ruth preparing to hit a home run.

César Chávez: Labor Leader by Clara Sánchez de Morris
Modern Curriculm 1994 (28p)
Chávez brought improvements to the lives of migrant workers.
Multicultural

Dinner at Aunt Connie's House by Faith Ringgold
Hyperion 1996 (32p)
Melody discovers the portraits in Aunt Connie's house are of heroic African American women.
Multicultural

Fair Ball! by Jonah Winter
Scholastic 1999 (32p)
Stars of baseball's Negro Leagues profiled here include Cool Papa Bell and Josh Gibson.
Multicultural

* One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong by Don Brown
Houghton 1998 (32p)
Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon.

Maria's Comet by Deborah Hopkinson
Simon 1999 (32p)
A young girl fascinated by the stars becomes the first woman to discover a comet.

Marian Anderson: A Great Singer by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack
Enslow 1991 (32p)
Anderson overcame prejudice to become one of the greatest singers in the world.
Multicultural

The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford
Random House 1989 (48p)
Balto, a sled dog, saved Nome, Alaska, from diphtheria.
Social Studies

The Babe and I by David A. Adler
Harcourt 1999 (32p)
A young boy selling newspapers to help out his family gets some help from Babe Ruth himself.

On Level

Sisters in Strength by Yona Zeldis McDonough
Holt 2000 (48p)
Helen Keller, Harriet Tubman, and Amelia Earhart are among the eleven women profiled.
Multicultural

* Out of Darkness: A Story of Louis Braille by Russell Freedman
Clarion 1997 (81p)
A blind boy's experiments made it possible for the blind to read.

My Heroes, My People by Morgan Monceaux
Farrar 1999 (64p)
Painter/author Monceaux offers portraits of African Americans and Native Americans of the American West.
Multicultural

The Riches of Oseola McCarty by Evelyn Coleman
Whitman 1998 (48p)
McCarty never finished school, but after working hard all of her life and saving her money, she established college scholarships at age eighty-seven.
Multicultural

America's Champion Swimmer by David A. Adler
Harcourt 2000 (32p)
Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel.
Social Studies

Hugger to the Rescue by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Cobblehill 1994 (32p)
Hugger and other Newfoundland dogs are trained to search for and rescue people who are lost or hurt.
Social Studies

Seven Brave Women by Betsy Hearne
Greenwillow 1997 (48p)
Hearne relates the exploits of seven of her female ancestors.
Social Studies

Colin Powell: Straight to the Top by Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden
Millbrook 1997 (48p)
The authors examine the life of the former general who has become a hero to millions.
Multicultural

Heroes by Ken Mochizuki
Lee & Low 1995 (32p) also paper
A Japanese American boy learns the meaning of heroism.
Multicultural

Above Level

Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Scholastic 1999 (64p)
Ruby Bridges, who integrated the schools of New Orleans as a six-year-old in 1960, tells her story.
Multicultural

* Adventures of Greek Heroes by Mollie McLean
Houghton 1973 (192p)
The myths of Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, Orpheus, Meleager, and Jason are retold.