The Robert
F. Sibert Informational Book Medal honors the most
distinguished informational book published in English in the preceding year for
its significant contribution to children’s literature.
2014
Honor
Floca, B. (2013). Locomotive. New York, NY: Atheneum Books.
Follow two children as they head west with their
mother from Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California to join their father in a
new life. It is the summer of 1869 as
they travel on America’s first
transcontinental railroad. The poetic
text and vivid illustrations provide factual information about early train travel
while causing the readers to feel as if they are along for the ride as they
encounter the brakemen, fireman, engineer, and conductor. The pages come to life with details of the
trip, the speed and strength of the powerful locomotives, and the thrills,
dangers, and hardships of train travel.
NOTE: This book also won
the 2014 Caldecott medal.
Follow-up:
Click on the link to find a downloadable curriculum
guide to Locomotive by Simon &
Schuster. The guide includes discussion
questions/activities, key ideas and details, craft & structure, and useful
Web sites.
Students can see what it’s like to visit a
train. Click on the link to download “Ride
This Train!” – A PDF
from Trains Magazine
listing railroad destinations across the United States.
2014
Honor
Greenberg, J. (2013). The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius. New York, NY:
Roaring Brook Press.
The story of eccentric George Ohr, creator of
strangely crafted pots and vases, is told through quotes and photos of his
pottery and his work place. Ohr
discovered his passion for pottery and focused on developing his skill by
studying the work of others and trying it himself. He became a tourist attraction in Biloxi
where he established a studio. He took
his thousands of unique pieces to fairs and art shows, but nobody seemed interested
in buying his odd pottery with ruffled vases, undulating pitchers, and other
curious shapes. He eventually retired
and hid hundreds of his ceramics. When
George Ohr’s collection was discovered in 1967, years after his death, his gift
was realized. As Ohr had bragged, his
work became priceless and is now displayed in museums.
Follow-up:
Students can visit the George Ohr website: http://georgeohr.org/. This website has pictures of Ohr’s pottery,
as well as family pictures and biographical information.
Follow this link to the author, Jan Greenberg’s
website: http://jangreenbergsandrajordan.com/
An
online publication of the Mississippi Historical Society provides a lesson plan
to complement the book. It can be found
at: http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/index.php?id=31.
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