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[CCBC-Net] History through Nonfiction: Biography
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From: Deborah Hopkinson <hopkinda>
Date: Wed, 01 Nov 2000 13:38:45 -0800
It's so flattering to have my books on Robin's list. But I want to be sure folks know that my books are historical fiction, not biography. Even though there may be a factual note I always make sure kids understand the difference when I present in schools, too.
I've been very interested recently in a fascinating 19th century educator named Lucy Maynard Salmon, who taught at Vassar, who advocated using primary sources, along with literature and geography, to introduce history and biography to elementary students. Anyone know of her?
Deborah Hopkinson Whitman College hopkinda at whitman.edu
Jill and Megan bring up such good questions. I teach young children (grade 2) and we study many famous people. There are so many fine biographies around for new readers. Some that I read and discuss with my students have to do with people of courage. I think the following books strike a nice balance between factual accounts, interesting personal details and historical setting. I want the books to be factually correct, but do not want unnecessary personal details. (For instance, I would have a really hard time discussion Helen Keller's communism with 7 and 8 year olds. It is enough to know that some of her ideas were unpopular in her time. I do not think JFK's infidelity needs to be discussed in a biography for the very young reader.) I like biographies to allow the children to look beyond the current eight years (their lifetimes) and connect them to other times, other places and other ways of thinking. I teach in a school which lakes ethnic and economic diversity and books are a way to move outside the children's lives. I think Jill will notice that we read many, many books about less famous people, people more like us. (The * ones are pretty recently published.) I look for those biographies all the time.
Birdie's Lighthouse by Deborah Hopkinson
*A Band of Angels by Deborah Hopkinson
*Maria's Comet by Deborah Hopkinson Snowflake Bentley Jacqueline Briggs Martin Teammates by Golenbock
*Molly Bannaky by Alice McGill More than Anything Else by Marie Bradby A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express by Margaret Wetterer Heroes by Ken Mochizuki Just a few Words, Mr. Lincoln by Jean Fritz
*Our Neighbor is a Strange, Strange Man by Tres Seymour Starry Messenger by Peter Sis
*Satchel Paige by Lisa Cline-Ransome
Robin Smith Nashville, TN
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Received on Wed 01 Nov 2000 03:38:45 PM CST
Date: Wed, 01 Nov 2000 13:38:45 -0800
It's so flattering to have my books on Robin's list. But I want to be sure folks know that my books are historical fiction, not biography. Even though there may be a factual note I always make sure kids understand the difference when I present in schools, too.
I've been very interested recently in a fascinating 19th century educator named Lucy Maynard Salmon, who taught at Vassar, who advocated using primary sources, along with literature and geography, to introduce history and biography to elementary students. Anyone know of her?
Deborah Hopkinson Whitman College hopkinda at whitman.edu
Jill and Megan bring up such good questions. I teach young children (grade 2) and we study many famous people. There are so many fine biographies around for new readers. Some that I read and discuss with my students have to do with people of courage. I think the following books strike a nice balance between factual accounts, interesting personal details and historical setting. I want the books to be factually correct, but do not want unnecessary personal details. (For instance, I would have a really hard time discussion Helen Keller's communism with 7 and 8 year olds. It is enough to know that some of her ideas were unpopular in her time. I do not think JFK's infidelity needs to be discussed in a biography for the very young reader.) I like biographies to allow the children to look beyond the current eight years (their lifetimes) and connect them to other times, other places and other ways of thinking. I teach in a school which lakes ethnic and economic diversity and books are a way to move outside the children's lives. I think Jill will notice that we read many, many books about less famous people, people more like us. (The * ones are pretty recently published.) I look for those biographies all the time.
Birdie's Lighthouse by Deborah Hopkinson
*A Band of Angels by Deborah Hopkinson
*Maria's Comet by Deborah Hopkinson Snowflake Bentley Jacqueline Briggs Martin Teammates by Golenbock
*Molly Bannaky by Alice McGill More than Anything Else by Marie Bradby A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express by Margaret Wetterer Heroes by Ken Mochizuki Just a few Words, Mr. Lincoln by Jean Fritz
*Our Neighbor is a Strange, Strange Man by Tres Seymour Starry Messenger by Peter Sis
*Satchel Paige by Lisa Cline-Ransome
Robin Smith Nashville, TN
To remove your address from the mailing list, send a message with the header...
To: listserv at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
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Received on Wed 01 Nov 2000 03:38:45 PM CST
