Books of Common Thread Project
by Jessica Durham

Common Thread:

Sub-Category 1: Mammals

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Stellaluna	Jannell Cannon	Ages 4-8	March 1993/ Harcourt	Stellaluna is a confused little bat. Separated from her real mother when and owl attacks them. She comes to live in a nest of birds. Her new mother feeds her bugs, which is really strange to her. When he tries to get the baby birds to sleep upside down she makes her act like a bird. When Stellaluna is reunited with her mom, she shows her new friends what is like as a bat. Will they accept like her? Read and see.
	The Kissing Hand	Audrey Penn/Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak	Ages 4-8	December 1993/ Child Welfare League of America	Chester Raccoon is scared to go to school. His mother reassures him that he will have a blast and then she tells him a secret. She kisses the palm of his hand. She tells him whenever he misses her to put his palm to his cheek and it will make him not so blue.
	The Best Book of Whales and Dolphins	Christiane Gunzi	Ages 4-8	September 2001/ Larousse Kingfisher Chambers	This book introduces these wonderful animals that are often conceived as fish as mammals. It gives the characteristics of whales and dolphins as smart and beautiful. This is a great information book.
	Large Mammals	Barbara Taylor, Rhonda Klevansky, Michael Bright, and Robin Kerrod	Ages 9-12	May 2001/ Southwater Publishing	This is an encyclopedia filled with photographs and interesting facts about the world's large mammals.
	I'm a Manatee	John Lithgow/ Ard Hoyt	Ages 4-8	September 2003/ Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing	Join a little boy as he imagines that he is a manatee. This book shows manatees can be heroes and that they are unjustly labeled “sea cow.”

Sub-Category 2: Fish

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Hello, Fish	Sylvia A. Earle/Wolcott Henry	Ages 4-8	November 2001/ National Geographic	This colorful book takes you under the sea to visit the fish that make their homes there. Vivid photos show you their homes and make children feel like they are under the sea.
	A Fish Out of Water	Helen Palmer/ P.D. Eastman	Ages 4-8	August 1961/ Random House	This book talks about what happens when you feed a fish too much. The young boy tries to find a place for his rapidly growing fish when he out grows his fish bowl. Where will he put him when he can't fit in the bath tub?
	What Do Sharks Eat For Dinner	Melvin and Gilda Berger/ John Rice	Ages 4-8	September 2001/ Scholastic Reference	Children have all kinds of questions about scary animals. This book answers some questions about the scariest one under the sea, sharks. This is a great information book on sharks and their characteristics.
	Salmon Stream	Carroll Reed-Jones/ Michael S. Maydak	Ages 9-12	March 2001/ Dawn Publishing	This is an information book that talks about the life cycle of salmon. The beautiful artwork brings the book to life.
	Eyewitness: Fish	Steve Parker/Colin Keates and Dave King	Ages 9-12	July 2000/ DK Publishing	This book is full of information on a fish. From how they breathe to what they eat and child is bound to find the answer to any questions they have on fish.

Sub-Category 3: Amphibians

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Frogs, Toads, and Turtles	Diane L. Burns/Linda Garrow	Ages 9-12	May 1997/ Northwood Press	This book is a field guide to the curious student who wants to learn more about frogs and toads, or turtles. This book has 30 different types of amphibians and discusses their characteristics to be able to recognize them in nature.
	Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs	Douglas Florian	Ages 4-8	April 2001/ Harcourt Press	This book has poems about all sorts of amphibians, such as the the glass frog, the wood frog and the polliwogs.
	What is an Amphibian?	Bobbie Kalman and Jacqueline Langille	Ages 9-12	October 1999/ Crabtree Publishing Company	This is an easy to read information book that will keep children occupied for hours. The pages are sprinkled with elaborate photographs.
	Eyewitness: Amphibians	Barry Clarke/ Frank Greenaway and Geoff Brightling	Ages 9-12	July 2000/ DK Publishing
	What the Difference? Amphibians	Stephen Savage	Ages 4-8	January 2000/ Raintree/ Steck Vaughn	This book talks about the characteristics of amphibians and different characteristics among the species.

Sub-Category 4: Reptiles

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Verdi	Janell Cannon	Ages 4-8	April 1996/ Harcourt	Verdi loves his yellow color and doesn't want to change to the green that his family has warned him he will turn. The green snakes in the jungle are slow and lazy. Why would he want to become like them? When he is saved by the older green snakes and hears the stories of their youth he decides that being green isn't that bad.
	The Mixed-Up Chamaleon	Eric Carle	Ages 4-8	July 1984/ Harper Collins Children's Books	A chamaleon's visit to the zoo makes him want to become something different. He wishes to be an elephant. a giraffe, and a bird. He finally decides that he wants to be himself.
	The Yucky Reptile Alphabet Book	Jerry Pallotta/ Ralph Masiello	Ages 4-6	November 1990/ Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.	This alphabet book has different reptiles for every letter with interesting facts about each of them.
	Crictor	Tomi Ungerer	Ages 9-12	June 1958/ Harper Collins	This is a story about a woman and her very friendly pet boa. The French village where they live loves the boa, who gets in so many predicaments that it will keep any child's interest.
	Eyewitness: Reptiles	Colin McCarthy/Kim Taylor and Colin Keates	Ages 9-12	July 2000/DK Publishing, Inc.	Anybody can learn about reptiles in this book of photographs and text.  This book will keep you flipping and wanting to learn more.

Sub-Category 5: Birds

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Hoot	Carl Hiaasen	Ages 9-12	September 2002/ Knopf	Roy is starting a new school in Florida. He doesn't fit in very well. He is scared of the bully Dana Matherson, but then he meets the Beatrice who protects him. Through Beatrice he discovers burrowing owls that are living near a construction sight. Can he save the owls in time?
	Eyewitness: Birds	David Burnie/ Kim Taylor and Peter Chadwick	Ages 9-12	July 2000/ DK Publishing, Inc.	This colorful book is full of pictures and text with all sorts of information on birds and their habitats and habits.
	The Wheel on the School	Meindert DeJong/ Maurice Sendak	Ages 9-12	April 1972/ Harper Trophy	The storks no longer nest in Shora, a little fishing village in Holland. Lina sets out to find the answer and bring the birds back to nest. What starts as a classroom endeavor becomes a village helping.
	Birds, Nests and Eggs	Mel Boring/ Linda Garrow	Ages 4-8	April 1998/ Creative Publishing International, Incorporated	This information book groups birds according to their location. There are city birds and country birds. Birds from the woods, and birds from the plains.
	A Mountain that Loved a Bird	Alice McLerran/ Eric Carle	Ages 4-8	March 2000/ Aladdin Library	A lonely mountain finds a new friend in a bird named Joy that visits it everyday. It grows to love the bird and begs her not to go. She promises the mountain that every spring one of her kin will come visit him. This promise and the birds love bring about a remarkable change in the mountain.

Sub-Category 6: Insects

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Eyewitness: Insects	L.A. Mound/ Colin Keates and Frank Greenway	Ages 9-12	July 2000/ DK Publishing, Inc.	This information book as colorful text and photographs displaying all sorts of insects and their charecteristics. This book is bound to answer anyone's questions about insects.
	Crickwing	Janell Cannon	Ages 4-8	August 2000/ Harcourt	Crickwing is a cockroach who has a crooked wing. Instead of eating his food as soon as he gets it, he plays with it and makes art. He is not a bully, but tries to be by picking on the leafcutter ants. When the queen finds out, she becomes enraged and swears that Crick Wing will pay. What will Crickwing do?
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