The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose (nonfiction, 5-8)
Even young people can do big things to make a difference! Knud, his family, and his friends lived in Denmark during World War II. When Germany took Denmark over, Knud and some of his friends, were disgusted that their country did not do anything to try to stop Germany. They decided to form their own resistance club to try to foil the Germans. Frequently, the teenage members set fire to German vehicles, stole weapons, and even blew up buildings and train cars. They were eventually caught and handed various sentences but while in prison, others around their country decided to continue the mission of the club. This book is a combination of the author's words as well as Knud Pedersen's own words as told to the author through various interviews. The book contains many photographs and an extensive epilogue that details what happened to the members after the war. I love how this book talks about a lesser known part of the war. Students interested in World War II or interested in books where teenagers are making a real difference would appreciate this book.
The William Hoy Story by Nancy Churnin (picture book biography, K-3)
Are you a baseball fan? Have you heard of William Hoy? William Hoy loved baseball! He practiced hard and even though he was small, his strong arm and fast base running led him to a career in the major leagues. Being deaf, William soon learned how difficult it was to not be able to hear the umpire calls. Instead of giving up, William created a plan for the umpires to use hand signals for their different calls and the umpires agreed. Now, not only did William find out what the umpire calls were, but so did the audience members who usually couldn't hear the umpires above all of the noise. This is a great biography picture book that highlights perseverance and rising above a disability. The William Hoy Story is on the 2018 Monarch Award list.
The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea by Brenda Z. Guiberson (nonfiction picture book, K-3)
Who is the most amazing creature in the sea? After reading this book, you get to decide! On each page, a different sea animal gives several interesting facts about itself and says that it is the most amazing creature in the sea. Some of the animals presented are the box jellyfish, the vampire squid, the anglerfish, and the whale shark. This book has large pictures in muted watercolors and children will love the interesting facts about the various animals. After reading this book, students could research their own animal and present several interesting facts to tell why it is so amazing. The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea is on the 2018 Bluestem Award list.
