Hey Fightin' Bookworms, after many hours of research and
consideration, Laura has provided the basis for  the
Ultimate Fightin' Bookworm Reading List. We'll start it off,
but we need you to recommend other titles you love in the
comments section.

But first, a few guidelines. We're limiting this list to
books published since 1985. We're not saying books published
before 1985 aren't worth reading (Where the Wild Things Are,
Charlotte's Web and The Outsiders being a few examples of
essential classics for every writer's bookshelf), but since
this list is intended to be educational, it needs to reflect
the best examples of what publishers are looking for today.
Writing styles and formats are very different now than they
were 30 or 40 years ago. Plus, we have to draw the line
somewhere.

Also, this needs to be a very writer-friendly list. We'd
like you to be able to scan the list and easily find titles
that match the type of book you want to write. So, when
you're recommending titles, please include the following key
words:

Age range (This is often printed on the back of the book, or
inside the jacket. Or, you can find the age range in the
publisher's catalog or on Amazon.com.)

Main character (boy, girl, adult, talking animal, etc.)

Point of view (first or third person)

A few words to describe the genre (For fiction: humorous
school story; mystery; historical WWII fiction; adventure;
modern-day multicultural, science fiction, fantasy, etc. For
nonfiction: biography; American history; humorous self-help;
nature book with activities; ocean life; technology, etc.)

Thanks for your input!




The Ultimate Fightin'  Bookworm Reading List (updated May
15, 2009)


Board books (ages 0-3)

Bam Bam Bam by Eve Merriam, illustrated by Don Yaccarino
(rhyming, third person, active, sensory text)

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox,
illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (rhyming, third person,
concept book, multicultural)

Five Spring Fairies by Joan Holub, illustrated by Kathy
Couri (third person rhyming counting book with flaps and
pop-ups)

Snuggle Puppy! (a love song) written and illustrated by
Sandra Boynton (first person animal narrator, rhyming
bedtime story)

Max's Birthday written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells
(third person animal character, story with simple concepts)

Where is Baby's Belly Button? written and illustrated by
Karen Katz (third person, lift the flap)

Peek-A Who? written and illustrated by Nina Laden (rhyming
text matches character with the sounds they make)

My Big Animal Book words and photos by Roger Priddy (first-
person riddles help children identify animals; illustrated
with photographs)

I Stink! by Kate and Jim McMullan (first person garbage
truck narrator, combines a guessing game with ABCs)


Picture books, fiction and nonfiction (ages 3-6)

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! written and illustrated
by Mo Willems (animal character talks directly to reader,
humorous)

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin,
illustrated by Betsy Lewin (third person, animal characters,
humorous)

Olivia written and illustrated by Ian Falconer (third
person, spirited animal character, humorous)

Mama, Do You Love Me? By Barbara Joosse, illustrated by
Lavallee (third person child and mother, highlights animals
and Inuit people of Alaska)

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated
by Beth Krommes (third person, lyrical bedtime story)

The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, illustrated by
Chris Raschka (first person, girl narrator, visits with
grandparents)

Oodles of Animals written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert
(third person humorous rhymes offer clues to identifying
animals)

Not a Box written and illustrated by Antionette Portis
(unusual perspective of author speaking directly to animal
character in series of questions and answers about the
imaginative uses for a box)

First the Egg written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro
Seeger (nonfiction, nature)


Picture books, fiction and nonfiction (all are ages 4-8
unless noted)

Ish written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (boy
character, third person, contemporary story about the
definition of art)

Officer Buckle and Gloria written and illustrated by Peggy
Rathmann (third person, policeman character, humorous)

Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jackie Davis (third person,
girl character, contemporary story)

Chrysanthemum written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes (third
person, girl mouse character, starting school and fitting
in)

The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer,
illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli (third person, girl
protagonist, fantasy that pulls reader into the story)

Maxwell's Magic Mix-Up by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Regan
Dunnick (first person, humorous rhyming birthday story)

Splat the Cat written and illustrated by Rob Scotton (third
person, cat character who has humorous kid-like problems)

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever written and
illustrated by Marla Frazee (third person, boy characters,
summer fun with grandparents)

Eloise Takes a Bawth by Kay Thompson, illustrated by Hilary
Knight (new first-person story about the beloved spirited
girl who lives in the Plaza hotel in New York)

Imogene's Antlers written and illustrated by David Small
(third person girl character, humor)

Too Many Toys written and illustrated by David Shannon
(third person boy character, humorous realistic situation)

Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald
Himler (first person girl narrator, historical fiction).
Ages 5-9.

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School written and
illustrated by Mark Teague (letters written by a dog to
owner while away at obedience school)

The Umbrella Queen by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by
Taeeun Yoo (third person, girl character, story set in
Thailand with universal themes)

Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, illustrated by
Julie Vivas (third person boy character, spare text, conveys
abstract concept in concrete way for young audience)

Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Conner, illustrated by Robin Preiss
Glasser (first person, girl narrator, contemporary story)

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small
(first person girl narrator, historical fiction told through
girl's letters)

Listen to the Wind by Greg Mortenson, illustrated by Susan
Roth (nonfiction, first person plural, multicultural)

How I Learned Geography written and illustrated by Uri
Shulevitz (first person, boy narrator, historical fiction)

And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends by
Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (first
person, rhyming, siblings)

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and
Robin Page (nonfiction, animals)

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated
by Mary Azarian (nonfiction, biography and science)

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers written and
illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein (nonfiction, historical
event, third person)

Wild Tracks! A Guide to Nature's Footprints written and
illustrated by Jim Arnosky (nonfiction field guide to animal
tracks). Ages 5-9.

I Could Do That! Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda
Arms White, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (third person,
biography/women's history). Ages 5-9.

Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City by Janet Schulman,
illustrated by Meilo So (third person true story of a red-
tailed hawk who built a nest on New York's Fifth Avenue).
Ages 5-10.

Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson
Talbott (third person account of author's family tree from
slavery to today). Ages 6-10.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by
Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (biography of the
poet). Ages 6-10.


Longer nonfiction picture books for ages 8-12

So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George,
illustrated by David Small (humorous look at the quirky
habits of US Presidents)

What to Do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules,
Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! by
Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
(entertaining text and unusual subject). Ages 7-12.

Farmer George Plants a Nation by Peggy Thomas, illustrated
by Layne Johnson (George Washington's role as a lifelong
farmer)

It's Disgusting and We Ate It! True Food Facts from Around
the World and Throughout History by James Solheim,
illustrated by Eric Brace (humorous look at people's eating
habits through history, with interesting visual layout)

Arctic Thaw by Peter Lourie (a look at how climate change is
affecting the culture of the Inupiaq whale hunters on
Alaska's North Slope)

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler
Nobleman, illustrated by Ross MacDonald (part historical
account, part graphic novel)


Easy readers and early chapter books, fiction and
nonfiction, for ages 5-9

The Elephant and Piggie series, written and illustrated by
Mo Willems (animal characters, humor)

Drip Drop by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Jane Manning (third
person animal character, very simple text)

Space Cat written and illustrated by Doug Cushman (third
person, humorous animal character, very simple text)

Harry's Pony by Barbara Ann Porte, illustrated by Yossi
Abolafia (First person boy narrator, imaginative
contemporary stories. See other “Harry” books.)

Grandma's Trick-or-Treat written and illustrated by Emily
Arnold McCully (third person, girl protagonist, short
chapters, Halloween story)

Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish and Herman Parish
(Third person, adult protagonist who takes everything
literally. Though the series began in the 1960's, new books
are still being published.)

The Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by
Carolyn Bracken (third person, a boy and his very large dog)

The High Rise Private Eyes series by Cynthia Rylant,
illustrated by G. Brian Karas (third person, animal
detectives, short chapters, simple sentences)

The Ready, Freddy! series by Abby Klein, illustrated by John
McKinley (first person first grade boy narrator, humorous
school and everyday situations. Chapters.) Ages 6-8.

The My Weird School series by Dan Gutman, illustrated by Jim
Paillot (first person second grade boy narrator, funny
school stories.) Chapter book for ages 6-9.

Nate the Great series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat,
illustrated by Marc Simont (third person, boy detective).
Chapter book ages 6-9.

Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie
Blackall (third person, funny contemporary stories featuring
two second grade girls). Chapter book ages 6-9.

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne (third person,
boy and girl character, time travel), Ages 6-9.

Amazing Tigers by Sarah L. Thomson (simple text,
photographs)

Snap! A Book about Alligators and Crocodiles by Melvin and
Gilda Berger (nonfiction, very short chapters, the authors
involve the reader in the facts)

Hurricanes! by Lorraine J. Hopping, illustrated by Jody
Wheeler (short chapters, simple sentences, draws reader into
information)

Buddy, the First Seeing Eye Dog by Eva Moore, illustrated by
Don Bolognese (upbeat text, anecdotes, chapters). Ages 6-9.


Chapter books for ages 7-10

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (first person
12-year-old girl narrator, set on the Midwestern plains in
1870's)

The Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey (third person,
part humorous school stories, part comic book)

The Adventures of Archie Featherspoon by Cathy Stefanec
Ogren, illustrated by Jack E. Davis (third person, boy
character, humorous tall tale adventure)

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (first person boy narrator
who learns how to write poetry. Written in unrhymed verse)

The Amber Brown series by Paula Danziger (first person girl
narrator, third and fourth grades, funny contemporary
stories, realistic situations)

The Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka (first person boy
narrator; three boys time travel to differetn place in each
book, very funny)

Cam Jansen Mysteries series by David Adler (third person,
girl detective with photographic memory)

Oh No, It's Robert! by Barbara Seuling (Third person,
contemporary boy protagonist who isn't good at math. See
also other “Robert” books.)

Math Rashes and Other Classroom Tales by Douglas Evans
(third person, third grade characters, classroom stories
that mix fantasy, humor and reality)

Cockroach Cooties by Lawrence Yep (first person 9-year-old
boy narrator, set in modern-day Chinatown in San Francisco)

The Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton (adventure
stories told by a “newsmouse” reporter for The Rodent's
Gazette)


Middle grade fiction (novels) and nonfiction (longer than
picture book format) for ages 8-12

The Dragon in the Sock Drawer (Dragon Keepers Series, Book
1) by Kate Klimo (boy protagonist with girl cousin who also
figures prominently in the book, third person, humorous
fantasy)

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (first person 10-
year-old African American orphan boy narrator, set in
Depression-era Michigan)

The Middle of Somewhere by J.B. Cheaney (12-year-old girl
protagonist on a road trip with her father and younger
brother who has severe ADHD)

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo (third person, sixth
grade boy protagonist who finds a caged tiger in the woods
behind the hotel where he lives with his father after his
mother dies. Contemporary, emotionally rich.)

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series by Meg Cabot (first
person, 9-year-old girl narrator, funny, light contemporary
stories)

Darby by Jonathon Scott Fuqua (9-year-old Darby writes
stories for the local newspaper in 1926 South Carolina and
stirs up issues she doesn't understand when she urges whites
to treat blacks as equals)

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a
Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo
(third person, animal characters, fairy tale-like story)

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (10-year-old girl
protagonist, third person, set in Nazi-occupied Denmark in
1943)

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor (first person girl
narrator who lives in a car with her family)

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (Modern-day folk story about
homeless boy who confronted racism in a small town. Third
person.)

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt (animal characters, survival
story laced with bayou magic)

The Steps by Rachel Cohn (first person 12-year-old girl
narrator from New York who travels to Australia to meet her
new step-siblings)

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball written
and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (nonfiction narrated by a
fictional first person storyteller)

Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty by Joy
Masoff, illustrated by Terry Sirrell


Upper middle grade fiction and nonfiction for ages 10-14

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (first person sixth
grade boy narrator, diary format with sketches throughout.
Very funny.)

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass (first
person 13-year-old boy narrator, mystery/adventure story of
boy who receives a locked box for his birthday from a father
who has been dead for five years)

Ever After by Rachel Vail (first person girl narrator,
contemporary setting, typical middle grade issues)

Scat by Carl Hiaasen (third person boy protagonist, modern
mystery set in Florida Everglades)

Holes by Louis Sachar (third person 12-year-old boy
protagonist, mixes modern story and legend; quirky, humorous
and sometimes profound)

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban (11-year-old girl
narrator must adjust her dream of being a concert pianist
when her father purchases the Perfectone D-60 organ)

Savvy by Ingrid Law (first person girl narrator who must
learn to control her “savvy” or inherited supernatural
powers, when she turns 13)

My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath (12-year-old girl
narrator, contemporary story, quirky characters and humor)

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (first person
12-year-old boy narrator, set on Alcatraz Island in 1935)

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan (13-year-old girl
protagonist, third person, who moves from Mexico to
California during the Depression)

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (and other Joey Pigza books) by
Jack Gantos (first person 10-year-old boy narrator with
ADHD)

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (Third person, 13-year-old boy
character who must survive in Canadian wilderness after his
plane crashes. Adventure/survival story.)

All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall (first person 13-year-old
boy narrator whose father is an Elvis impersonator)

The On the Run or Kidnapped series by Gordon Korman (fast-
paced third person thrillers featuring siblings — a boy and
a girl)

The Five Ancestors series by Jeff Stone (third person action
mystery series set in ancient China, starring five young
kung fu masters)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
(first person 12-year-old boy narrator, humorous
action/adventure, combines modern society and Greek
mythology)

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate:
Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming by Lynne Cherry
and Gary Braasch (environmental issues, includes opinions of
many scientists)

Lincoln Shot: A President's Life Remembered by Barry
Denenberg, illustrated by Christopher Bing (designed to look
like a 19th century newspaper one year after Lincoln's
assassination)

Washington at Valley Forge by Russell Freedman (an in-depth
look at one winter in our nation's history)

The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild,
Wild West by Sid Fleishcman (biography of Twain written in
the humorous, rambunctious style of Twain's own work)


Young adult fiction and nonfiction for ages 12 and up

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (first person teen girl
narrator, story of a slave girl in New York city in 1776)

Beastly by Alex Flinn (first person high school boy
protagonist; modern, privileged boy in New York is turned
into a beast by a witch. Based on the Beauty and the Beast
fairy tale.)

Geography Club by Brent Hartinger (first person high school
boy narrator, revolves around a school club formed by gay
and lesbian students). Ages 14 and up.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (first person teen boy
narrator, techno-thriller set in near future)

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher (first person high school boy
narrator, sports themes, complex characters)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Narrative switches
between a high school boy and recordings by a female
classmate who killed herself before the book began. This
book takes a close look at teen relationships and personal
responsibility, and it's nearly as depressing as it sounds.)

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell (15-year-old
female protagonist, noir-style mystery set in 1947 Florida)

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (first person high school girl
narrator, explores modern situations and relationships)

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray (16-year-old female
narrator, Gothic supernatural mystery set in Victorian
girls' boarding school)

Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film About the Grapes
of Wrath by Steven Goldman (first person high school boy
narrator, funny situations about a geeky kid)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (16-year-old female
first person narrator, gripping story set in post-
apocalyptic world)

The Twilight Saga series by Stephanie Meyer (first person
teenage girl narrator, romance/thriller/vampires)

His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman (epic
fantasy/adventure about a parallel world. Combines fantasy
and sci-fi in dense, complex story lines. Girl protagonist,
third person.)

Internet Girls series by Lauren Myracle (follows three high
school girls in contemporary situations; text is made up
almost entirely of instant text messages and emails)

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd (boy first person
narraror, mystery set in modern London where two siblings
combine their unusual talents to find a missing cousin)

The Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld (16-year-old female
protagonist, third person, thriller/action series set in
future where everyone is given operation to become
physically perfect)

What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio, photographs by Peter
Menzel (looks at what 25 families in 21 countries eat in a
week)

The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan
McClelland (first person female narrator, autobiographical
account of suffering at the hands of soldiers in Sierra
Leone)

No Choirboy: Murder, Violence and Teenagers on Death Row by
Susan Kuklin (eye-opening interviews with teens on death
row, and a look at how they got there). Ages 14 and up.


Books on Writing

Writing for Children and Teens: A Crash Course by Cynthia
Liu

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by
Harold Underdown, 3rd Edition

How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense
Guide to Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey