Orbis Pictus Honor

Year

Orbis Pictus Honor

2008

Fleischamn, John. (2007). Black and white airmen : their true history. Boston : Houghton Mifflin. 921 L4351f 

Mission briefing -- Old friends -- Schoolboys -- Volunteers -- Cadets -- Fighters -- Bombers -- The target for today -- V for victory -- Mission debriefing.

Sullivan, George. (2007). Helen Keller : her life in pictures. New York : Scholastic Nonfiction. 921 K295t 

The fascinating life of one of the most popular historical figures is told through images -- most rarely, if ever, seen -- from the American Foundation for the Blind and The Perkins School for the Blind. The images trace Keller’s life from birth, to childhood with Annie Sullivan in the cottage, to college, and on to her many years as a dedicated social activist and spokesperson.

Bishop, Nic. (2007). Spiders. New York : Scholastic Nonfiction. 595.4 B622s 

Text and photographs introduce readers to different types of spiders and their behavior.

Bausum, Ann. (2007). Muckrakers : how Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, and Lincoln Steffens helped expose scandal, inspire reform, and invent investigative journalism. Washington, D.C. : National Geographic.

Examines the birth of investigative journalism in America at the turn of the 20th century, discussing the work of the dedicated journalists who, through their exposés, forced responsible changes in the industrial practices and politics of that period.

Singer, Marilyn. (2007). Venom. Plain City, OH : Darby Creek Pub. 592.16 S6174v 

Learn about venom and the animals that produce it and use it to survive, including spiders, insects, snakes and other reptiles, frogs and toads, fish, and ocean invertebrates.

2007

Bardoe, Cheryl. (2006). Gregor Mendel : the friar who grew peas. (Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith). New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers. 921 M5373b

The son of poor farmers, Gregor Mendel became a friar. He pondered how parents can pass their traits along to offspring and noted that plants, animals, and people seemed to show similar variation patterns. Mendel devised a complicated experiment breeding peas to see if he could discover a pattern in this puzzle.

Freedman, Russell. (2006). Freedom walkers : the story of the Montgomery bus boycott. New York : Holiday House. 323.1196 F853f

Looks at the key personalities and events of the Montgomery bus boycott, a yearlong struggle in the civil rights movement.

Lasky, Kathryn. (2006). John Muir : America's first environmentalist. (Illustrated by Stan Fellows). Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press. 921 M9534L

The founder of the Sierra Club, whose efforts led to the creation of Yosemite National Park, was born in Scotland where he roamed the moors, studying wildlife there. The family moved to Wisconsin and Muir extended his study there. An accident caused temporary blindness. Sight restored, he began studying nature while walking from Indianapolis to Florida.

McClafferty, Clara Killough. (2006). Something out of nothing : Marie Curie and radium. New York : Farrar Straus Giroux. 921 C9754m

Meet Manya Sklodowska, better known today as Marie Curie, the co-discoverer of radium, who became the first woman awarded the Nobel prize for her work on the discovery. Learn what life was like for Marie, and the effect her discovery had on the world.

Thimmesh, Catherine. (2006). Team Moon : How 400,000 people landed Apollo 11 on the moon. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co. 629.45 T433t

The story of Apollo 11 is a story that belongs to the astronauts, but also to many other people. Seamstresses, engineers, camera designers, photo developers, Software experts, flight directors and many other people made the project happen successfully.

Jackson, Donna M. (2005). ER vets : life in an animal emergency room. Boston : Houghton Mifflin. 636.089 J12e

Witness the excitement and drama of life in an animal emergency room as the ER vets work to heal the creatures we consider part of our families.

Jurmain, Suzanne. (2005). The forbidden schoolhouse : the true and dramatic story of Prudence Crandall and her students. Boston : Houghton Mifflin. 921 C8912j

Prudence Crandall opened successful private girls' school in Canterbury, Connecticut in 1831. A year later, a young African American, Sarah Harris, asked permission to attend. Accepting the new student would sink the new school, but for a conscientious Quaker, it was the right thing to do.

Delano, Marfe Ferguson. (2005). Genius : a photobiography of Albert Einstein. Washington, D.C. : National Geographic Society. 921 E357d

Text and photographs tell the story of the man who changed the way we view the universe.

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. (2005). Hitler Youth : growing up in Hitler's shadow. New York : Scholastic Nonfiction. 943.086 B292h

The story of a generation of German young people who devoted all their energy to the Hitler Youth and the propaganda that brought Hitler his power, and the youths that resisted the Nazi movement. "I begin with the young. We older ones are used up. But my magnificent youngsters! Look at these men and boys! What material! With them, I can create a new world." Adolf Hitler, Nuremberg,1933. By the time Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, 3.5 million children belonged to the Hitler Youth. It would become the largest youth group in history. Susan Campbell Bartoletti explores how Hitler gained the loyalty, trust, and passion of so many of Germany's young people. Her research includes telling interviews with surviving Hitler Youth members.

Siy, Alexandra. (2005). Mosquito bite. (Illustrated by Dennis Kunkel). Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge. 595.77 S625m

A game of hide-and-seek forms the backdrop of a mosquito's life cycle. Micrographs show details of the mosquito and what she sees as she searches.

Jenkins, Steve. (2004). Actual size. Boston : Houghton Mifflin. 591.4 J52a

Discusses and gives examples of the size and weight of various animals and parts of animals.

2005

Hoose, Phillip M. (2004). The race to save the Lord God Bird. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 598.7 H789r

Tells the story of the ivory-billed woodpecker's extinction in the United States, describing the encounters between this species and humans, and discussing what these encounters have taught us about preserving endangered creatures.

Giblin, James. (2004). Secrets of the Sphinx. (Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline). New York : Scholastic Press. 932 G446s

Discusses some of Egypt's most famous artifacts and monuments, including the pyramids, the Rosetta Stone, and, especially, the Great Sphinx, presenting research and speculation about their origins and their future.

Burleigh, Robert. (2004). Seurat and La Grande Jatte : connecting the dots. New York : Harry N. Abrams in association with Art Institute of Chicago. 759.4 B961s

An analysis of Georges Seurat's famous painting, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, including where and when it was made, interesting details, and the techniques used to create a sense of stillness.

Freedman, Russell. (2004). The voice that challenged a nation : Marian Anderson and the struggle for equal rights. New York : Clarion Books. 921 A548f

Already acclaimed in the United States and abroad, in 1939, Marian Anderson was denied the opportunity to sing in Constitution Hall solely because of her race. Her response catapulted her into the center of the civil rights movement of her time and hastened the end of segregation and racial barriers in the arts.

Mann, Elizabeth. (2003). Empire State Building. (Illustrations by Alan Witschonke). New York : Mikaya Press. 974.71 M281e

Discusses the history, design, and construction of New York City's Empire State Building.

2004

Freedman, Russell. (2003). In defense of liberty : the story of America's Bill of Rights. New York : Holiday House. 342.73 F853i

Describes the origins, applications of, and challenges to the ten amendments to the United States Constitution that comprise the Bill of Rights.

Byrd, Robert. (2003). Leonardo, beautiful dreamer. New York : Dutton Children's Books. 709.2 B995L

Illustrations and text portray the life of Leonardo da Vinci, who gained fame as an artist through such works as the Mona Lisa, and as a scientist by studying various subjects including human anatomy and flight.

Lasky, Kathryn. (2003). The man who made time travel. (Pictures by Kevin Hawkes). New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 526.6 L345m

Describes the need for sailors to be able to determine their position at sea and the efforts of John Harrison, an eighteenth century man who spent his life refining instruments to enable them to do this.

Hopkinson, Deborah. (2003). Shutting out the sky : life in the tenements of New York, 1880-1924. New York : Orchard Books. 307.76 H797s

Photographs and text document the experiences of five individuals who came to live in the Lower East Side of New York City as children or young adults from Belarus, Italy, Lithuania, and Romania at the turn of the twentieth century.

2003

Freedman, Russell. (2002). Confucius : the golden rule. (Illustrated by Frédéric Clément). New York : Arthur A. Levine Books. 181.112 F853c

Presents the few facts we know about the man we call Confucius. Kong Qiu (or Kongfuzi, Master Kong) taught the Golden Rule and laid out the ideals on which democratic government is based more than 2500 years ago.

O'Connor, Jane. (2002). The emperor's silent army : terracotta warriors of Ancient China. New York : Viking. 931 O18e

Describes the archaeological discovery of thousands of life-sized terracotta warrior statues in northern China in 1974, and discusses the emperor who had them created and placed near his tomb.

Fleischman, John. (2002). Phineas Gage : a gruesome but true story about brain science. Boston : Houghton Mifflin. 362.1 F596p

Gage's head was pierced by an iron bar in an explosion. Instead of dying, he recovered his physical health but his personality changed radically. Studying him and people like him has brought doctors to a new realization of how the mind works.

Bial, Raymond. (2002). Tenement : immigrant life on the Lower East Side. Boston : Houghton Mifflin. 307.76 B576t

Presents a view of New York City's tenements during the peak years of foreign immigration, discussing living conditions, laws pertaining to tenements, and the occupations of their residents.

Old, Wendie C. (2002). To fly : The story of the Wright brothers. (Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker). New York : Clarion. 629.13 P44t

Traces the work that the two Wright brothers did together to develop the first machine-powered aircraft.

Kurlansky, Mark. (2001). The cod's tale. (Illustrated by S.D. Schindler). New York : Putnam's. 639.2 K96c

Describes the life and history of the cod fish. Interwoven is the role of the cod fish from Vikings to the present including a timeline and recipes.

Kerley, Barbara. (2001). The dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins : an illuminating history of Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, artist and lecturer. (Drawings by Brian Selznick, many of which are based on the original sketches of Mr. Hawkins). New York : Scholastic. 567.9 K39d

The true story of Victorian artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, who built life-sized models of dinosaurs in the hope of educating the world about what these awe-inspiring ancient animals and what they were like.

Rappaport, Doreen. (2001). Martin's big words : the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Illustrated by Brian Collier). New York : Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. 921 K535r

A picture of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. life and involvement in the Civil Rights movement with the policy of non-violence along with quotes from his life as a preacher and politician.

Giblin, James. (2000). The amazing life of Benjamin Franklin. (Illustrated by Michael Dooling). New York : Scholastic Press. 921 F8313g

A biography of the eighteenth-century printer, inventor, and statesman who played an influential role in the early history of the United States.

Adler, David A. (2000). America's champion swimmer : Gertrude Ederle. (Illustrated by Terry Widener). San Diego : Harcourt Brace. 921 E22a

Describes the life and accomplishments of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel and a figure in the early women's rights movement.

Stanley, Diane. (2000). Michelangelo. New York : HarperCollins. 921 M6235s

A biography of the Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, well known for his work on the Sistine Chapel in Rome's St. Peter's Cathedral.

Mays, Osceola. (2000). Osceola : memories of a sharecropper's daughter. (Collected and edited by Alan Govenar ; illustrated by Shane Evans). New York : Hyperion Books for Children. 976.4 M474o

A sharecropper's daughter describes her childhood in Texas in the early years of the twentieth century.

Arnosky, Jim. (2000). Wild and swampy. New York : HarperCollins Publishers. 591.768 A763w

Describes and portrays the birds, snakes, and other animals that can be seen in a swamp.

Myers, Walter Dean. (1999). At her majesty's request : an African princess in Victorian England. New York : Scholastic Press. 921 B721m

Biography of the African princess saved from execution and taken to England where Queen Victoria oversaw her upbringing and where she lived for a time before marrying an African missionary.

Reich, Susanna. (1999). Clara Schumann : piano virtuoso. New York : Clarion Books. 921 S3925r

Describes the life of the German pianist and composer who made her professional debut at age nine and who devoted her life to music and to her family.

Johnson, Sylvia A. (1999). Mapping the world. New York : Atheneum Books. 526 J69m

A history of mapmaking showing how maps both reflect and change people's view of the world.

Montgomery, Sy. (1999). The snake scientist. (Photographs by Nic Bishop). Boston : Houghton Mifflin. 597.96 M788s

Discusses the work of Bob Mason and his efforts to study and protect snakes, particularly red-sided garter snakes.

2000

Jenkins, Steve. (1999). The top of the world : climbing Mount Everest. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co. 796.52 J52to

Describes the conditions and terrain of Mount Everest, attempts that have been made to scale this peak, and general information about the equipment and techniques of mountain climbing.

Burleigh, Robert. (1998). Black whiteness : Admiral Byrd alone in the Antarctic. (Illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop). New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 921 B995b

An account of Admiral Richard Byrd's stay alone in a small shack during an Antarctic winter.

Holmes, Thom. (1998). Fossil feud : the rivalry of the first American dinosaur hunters. Parsippany, N.J. : J. Messner. 560.9 H753f

Relates the life stories of two nineteenth-century American dinosaur paleontologists and gives details of the bitter feud that existed between them.

Jenkins, Steve. (1998). Hottest, coldest, highest, deepest. Boston, Mass. : Houghton Mifflin. 910 J52h

Describes some of the remarkable places on earth, including the hottest, coldest, windiest, snowiest, highest, and deepest.

Lobel, Anita. (1998). No pretty pictures : a child of war. New York : Greenwillow Books. 921 L797L

The author, known as an illustrator of children's books, describes her experiences as a Polish Jew during World War II and for years in Sweden afterwards.

Wick, Walter. (1997). A drop of water : a book of science and wonder. New York : Scholastic. 546.22 W363d

Describes the origins, characteristics, and uses of water.

Dorros, Arthur. (1997). A tree is growing. (Illustrated by S.D. Schindler). New York : Scholastic Press. 582.16 D716t

Tells about the structure of trees and how they grow, as well as their uses.

Giblin, James. (1997). Charles A. Lindbergh : a human hero. New York : Clarion Books. 921 L742g

A biography of the pilot whose life was full of controversy and tragedy, but also fulfilling achievements.

Hampton, Wilborn. (1997). Kennedy assassinated! : the world mourns : a reporter's story. Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press. 364.1 H232k

Wilborn Hampton's account of his role in reporting the tragedy of the assassination of John F. Kennedy and a chronicle of of how the facts were reported.

Stanley, Jerry. (1997). Digger : the tragic fate of the California Indians from the missions to the gold rush. New York : Crown Publishers. 979.4 S788d

Chronicles the fate of California's native peoples and the terrible impact on them by the mission settlement and the gold rush.

Blumberg, Rhoda. (1996). Full steam ahead : the race to build a transcontinental railroad. Washington D.C. : National Geographic Society. 385 B658f

Captures the drama of Chinese immigrants who risked their lives building roads and tunnels in the Sierra Nevada and tells about railroad workers laboring across plains and deserts at breakneck speed.

Freedman, Russell. (1996). The life and death of Crazy Horse. (Drawings by Amos Bad Heart Bull). New York : Holiday House. 921 C9119f

A biography of the Oglala leader who relentlessly resisted the white man's attempt to take over Indian lands.

Osborne, Mary Pope. (1996). One world, many religions : the way we worship. New York : Knopf. 291 O81o

An illustrated introduction to comparative religion, discussing Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.

Pringle, Laurence P. (1995). Dolphin man : exploring the world of dolphins. (Photographs by Randall S. Wells and Dolphin Biology Research Institute). New York, N.Y. : Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 599.5 P957d

A biography of marine biologist Randall S. Wells and his studies of bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida.

Colman, Penny. (1995). Rosie the riveter : women working on the home front in World War II. New York : Crown Publishers. 331.4 C716r

Shows how millions of women responded to the need for workers during the Second World War and how they changed the course of history.

McKissack, Pat and Fredrick. (1994). Christmas in the big house, Christmas in the quarters. (Illustrated by John Thompson). New York : Scholastic. 975 M158c

Describes the customs, recipes, poems, and songs used to celebrate Christmas in the big plantation houses and in the slave quarters just before the Civil War.

Freedman, Russell. (1994). Kids at work : Lewis Hine and the crusade against child labor. (Photographs by Lewis Hine). New York, N.Y. : Clarion Books. 921 H6625f

The story of Lewis Hine, a man whose life work made significant differences in the lives of others, is interwoven with a vivid account of social reforms that were urgently needed as industrialization transformed American society.

Dewey, Jennifer. (1999, c1994). Wildlife rescue: the work of Dr. Kathleen Ramsay. (Photographs by Don MacCarter). Honesdale, PA : Boyds Mills Press. 639.95 D519w

How the Wildlife Center, based in Espanola, New Mexico, and headed by Dr. Kathleen Ramsay, nurtures sick and injured animals back to health.

Brooks, Bruce. (1993). Making sense : animal perception and communication. New York : Farrar Straus Giroux in association with Thirteen/WNET. 591.1 B873m

Discusses animals' six senses--seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and feeling--and how they use them to perceive and react to the world around them.

Brandenburg, Jim. (1993). To the top of the world : adventures with Arctic wolves. New York : Walker. 599.74 B817t

A wildlife photographer records in text and photographs two visits to Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories, where he filmed a pack of Arctic wolves over several months.

Cone, Molly. (1992). Come back, salmon : how a group of dedicated kids adopted Pigeon Creek and brought it back to life. (Photographs by Sidnee Wheelwright). San Francisco : Sierra Club Books for Children. 639.3 C747c

Describes the efforts of the Jackson Elementary School in Everett, Washington, to clean up a nearby stream, stock it with salmon, and preserve it as an unpolluted place where the salmon could return to spawn.

Cummings, Pat. (1992). Talking with artists : conversations with Victoria Chess, Pat Cummings, Leo and Diane Dillon, Richard Egielski, Lois Ehlert, Lisa Campbell Ernst, Tom Feelings, Steven Kellogg, Jerry Pinkney, Amy Schwartz, Lane Smith, Chris Van Allsburg, and David Wiesner. New York : Bradbury Press ; Toronto : Maxwell Macmillan Canada ; New York : Maxwell Macmillan International. 741.6 T146

Fourteen distinguished picture book artists talk about their early art experiences, answer questions most frequently asked by children, and offer encouragement to those who would like to become artists.

Myers, Walter Dean. (1991). Now is your time! : the African-American struggle for freedom. New York : HarperCollins. 973 M996n

A history of the African-American struggle for freedom and equality, beginning with the capture of Africans in 1619, continuing through the American Revolution, the Civil War, and into contemporary times.

Conrad, Pam. (1991). Prairie visions : the life and times of Solomon Butcher. New York, NY : HarperCollins. 921 B9834c

A collection of photos and stories about photographer Solomon Butcher and turn-of-the-century Nebraska.

Ekoomiak, Normee. (1990, c1988). Arctic memories. New York : Holt. 998 E36a

Text in both Inuktitut and English describes a now vanished way of life for the Inuit.

Lauber, Patricia. (1990). Seeing Earth from space. New York : Orchard Books.

Text and photographs taken from space depict the nature, evolution, and future of Earth.

Blumberg, Rhoda. (1989). The great American gold rush. New York : Bradbury Press. 979.4 B658g

Describes the emigration of people from the East Coast of the United States and from foreign countries to California to pursue the dream of discovering gold.

Lauber, Patricia. (1989). The news about dinosaurs. New York : Bradbury Press. 567.9 L366n

Discusses all the latest scientific thinking about dinosaurs, with illustrations keyed to major topics.