Center for Civic Education Rhode Island

Foundations of Democracy

Center for Civic Education Rhode Island

Responsibility Bibliography

Adamson, Heather, 1974-. A Day in the Life of a Dentist.Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press, c2004.
Follows a dentist through a typical day, and answers questions children often have about the work of dentists.617.6 ADA
Adamson, Heather, 1974-. A Day in the Life of a Farmer.Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press, c2004.
Follows a farmer through a typical day, and answers questions children often have about the work of farmers.630 ADA
Adamson, Heather, 1974-. A Day in the Life of a Firefighter.Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press, c2004.
Follows a firefighter through a typical day, and answers questions children often have about the work of firefighters.628.9 ADA
Adamson, Heather, 1974-. A Day in the Life of a Police Officer.Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press, c2004.
Follows a police officer through a topical day, and answers questions children often have about the work of police officers. 363.2 ADA
Adamson, Heather, 1974-. A Day in the Life of a Teacher.Mankato, MN : Capstone Press, c2004.
Depicts how Mrs. Chan spends her day teaching her class, correcting homework, and helping her students. 372.11 ADA
Adamson, Heather, 1974-. A Day in the Life of a Veterinarian.Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press, c2004.
Follows a veterinarian through a typical day, and answers questions children often have about the work of veterinarians.636.089 ADA
Amato, Mary. The Naked Mole-Rat Letters.New York:Holiday House, c2005.
Twelve-year-old Frankie sends fabricated e-mail letters in an attempt to end her widowed father's long-distance romance with a Washington, D.C., zookeeper. FIC AMA
Avi, 1937-. Nothing But the Truth : a Documentary Novel.New York:Avon Books, [1993], c1991.
A ninth-grader's suspension for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story, and leads to him and his teacher both leaving the school. FICAVI
Berry, Joy Wilt. Every Kid's Guide to Family Rules and Responsibilities.Chicago: Childrens Press, c1987.
Explains what family rules and responsibilities are and the consequences of breaking rules. 306.8 BER
Berry, Joy Wilt. Mine and Yours : a Children's Book About Rights and Responsibilities.Chicago: Childrens Press, 1982, c1978.
Lists the rights that children automatically have and explains the responsibilities that accompany these rights.305.2 WIL
Bratman, Fred. Becoming a Citizen : Adopting a New Home.Austin, TX : Raintree/Steck Vaughn, c1993.
Examines the origins of citizenship and the role of the citizen and discusses immigration, illegal aliens, political asylum, the slave trade, becoming a citizen, and other related topics.323.6 BRA
Brown, Marc Tolon. Arthur's Computer Disaster.. Boston: Little, Brown, c1997.
Arthur disobeys his mother by playing his favorite game on her computer, which leads to a lesson in taking responsibility for one's actions.E BRO
Brown, Marc Tolon. Arthur's New Puppy. 1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown, c1993.
Arthur's new puppy causes problems when it tears the living room apart, wets on everything, and refuses to wear a leash; and later, Buster wonders if he has made an archaeological discovery when he finds a very interesting bone.E BRO
Brown, Marc Tolon. Arthur's Pet Business. 1st ed. Boston: Little Brown, c1990.
Arthur's determination to prove he is responsible enough to have a puppy brings him a menagerie of animals to care for. E BRO
Brown, Marc Tolon. Arthur's Science Fair Trouble. 1st ed. New York: Random House, c2003.
Unable to think of an idea for a science fair project, Arthur borrows a model his father made in third grade but feels bad about it even before he gets into trouble. E BRO
Bunting, Eve, 1928-. Our Sixth-Grade Sugar Babies. 1st Harper Trophy ed. New York: HarperTrophy, 1992, c1990.
Vicki and her best friend fear that their sixth grade project, carrying around five-pound bags of sugar to learn about parental responsibility, will make them look ridiculous in the eyes of the seventh grade boy they both love. FIC BUN
Byars, Betsy Cromer. Wanted-- Mud Blossom.New York, N.Y.: Delacorte Press, 1991.
Convinced that Mud is responsible for the disappearance of the school hamster that was his responsibility for the weekend, Junior Blossom is determined that the dog should be tried for his "crime.".FIC BYA
Carlson, Nancy. It's Not My Fault!. Minneapolis, MN : Carolrhoda Books, c2003.
When he is called to the principal's office, George hurries to explain that other people were to blame
for the many things that went wrong during the day, from his late arrival to the escape of some mice. E CAR
Catalano, Angela. Community Spirit : Symbols of Citizenship in Communities. 1st ed. New York: PowerKids Press, 2005.
Symbols of citizenship -- Community symbols -- Community spirit -- Fairs -- National holidays -- The American community -- The American flag -- The national anthem -- The Declaration of Independence -- Proud communities. Explains how symbols strengthen small and large communities and presents examples of symbols, including holidays, fairs, flags, songs, and documents such as the Declaration of Independence. 323.6 CAT
Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild : an Environmental History.San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Co., c1992.
An environmental history of the Nashua River, from its discovery by Indians through the polluting years of the Industrial Revolution to the ambitious clean-up that revitalized it. 974.4 CHE
Child, Lauren. What planet are you from, Clarice Bean? Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2002. When Clarice has to do a school project on the environment, she and her family become eco-warriors in an attempt to save a tree on their street. E CHI
Clements, Andrew, 1949-. The Landry News : a Brand New School Story. 1st Aladdin Paperbacks ed. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2000, c1999.
A fifth-grader starts a newspaper with an editorial that prompts her burnt-out classroom teacher to really begin teaching again, but he is later threatened with disciplinary action as a result. FICCLE
Cooney, Barbara, 1917-. Miss Rumphius.New York: Viking Press, 1982.
After making her girlhood dreams of world travel and living by the sea come true, a retired librarian follows her grandfather's old advice of doing something to make the world more beautiful, and then passes that wisdom on to her grandniece.E COO
Cooper, Helen. Pumpkin Soup. 1st American ed. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1999, c1998.
The Cat and the Squirrel come to blows with the Duck in arguing about who will perform what duty in preparing their pumpkin soup, and they almost lose the Duck's friendship when he decides to leave them.E COO
De Paola, Tomie. Now One Foot, Now the Other. Sandcastle ed. New York: Putnam, 1991, c1980.
When his grandfather suffers a stroke, Bobby teaches him to walk, just as his grandfather had once taught him. E DEP
De Paola, Tomie. Strega Nona : An old Tale Retold.Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall, [1975].
When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.398.2 DEP
Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Stella Louella's Runaway Book. 1st ed. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1998.
As she tries to find the book that she must return to the library that day, Stella gathers a growing group of people who have all enjoyed reading the book.E ERN
Fox, Mem, 1946-. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. 1st American ed. Brooklyn, NY: Kane/Miller, 1985.
A small boy tries to discover the meaning of "memory" so he can restore that of an elderly friend. E FOX
Garay, Luis. Pedrito's Day. 1st American ed. New York: Orchard Books, 1997.
When Pedrito replaces, from his own earnings, money he has lost, his mother decides that he is finally big enough for some of his father's earnings to be used towards buying him a bicycle. E GAR
Gardiner, John Reynolds. Stone Fox. 1st HarperTrophy ed. New York: HarperTrophy, 1983, c1980.
Little Willy hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters. FIC GAR
George, Jean Craighead, 1919-. Everglades. 1st ed. [New York]: HarperCollinsPublishers, c1995.
Describes the Florida Everglades, the evolution of this unique area, and the impact humans have had on its once-abundant life forms.975.9 GEO
Graves, Keith. Pet Boy.San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books, c2001.
After having been kidnapped and taken into space to become a pet for an alien creature, Stuart finally learns to be responsible for his many pets at home.E GRA
Grifalconi, Ann. Flyaway Girl. 1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown, c1991.
Sent by her mother to the edge of the Niger to gather rushes for the Ceremony of Beginnings, Nsia encounters many distractions, until the ancestors' spirits guide her on her way to becoming a wise little woman.EGRI
Harper, Charise Mericle. Just Grace Walks the Dog. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
Eight-year-old Just Grace and her best friend Mimi embark on a campaign to convince Grace's
parents that they are responsible and dependable enough to get a dog. FIC HAR
Havill, Juanita. Jamaica's Find.Boston : Houghton Mifflin, c1986.
A little girl finds a stuffed dog in the park and decides to take it home.E HAV
Hendershot, Judith. In Coal Country.New York: Knopf :, c1987.
A child growing up in a coal mining community finds both excitement and hard work, in a life deeply affected by the local industry. E HEN
Patricia Hermes. Emma Dilemma and the New Nanny. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, c2006.
Emma tries to help her parents understand that, although their beloved new nanny has made a few
mistakes, no one can behave perfectly responsibly all the time. FIC HER
Hines, Gary. Midnight Forests : a Story of Gifford Pinchot and Our National Forests. 1st ed. Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds Mills Press, 2005.
Presents a brief biography of early twentieth-century conservationist, Gifford Pinchot, who is largely responsible for introducing methods to preserve the nation's forests and helping to designate large areas as public lands. 333.75 HIN
Hopkinson, Deborah. From Slave to Soldier : Based on a True Civil War Story. 1st ed. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2005.
A boy who hates being a slave joins the Union Army to fight for freedom, and proves himself brave and capable of handling a mule team when the need arises. FIC HOP
Joy, N. The Secret Olivia Told Me.East Orange, NJ: Just Us Books, c2007.
Two friends learn an important lesson about telling and keeping secrets.E JOY
Kalman, Maira. Fireboat : the Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey.New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2002.
A fireboat, launched in 1931, is retired after many years of fighting fires along the Hudson River, but is saved from being scrapped and then called into service again on September 11, 2001. 974.7 KAL
Krensky, Stephen. Arthur and the Double Dare. 1st ed. Boston [Mass.]: Little, Brown, c2002.
Unhappy about how much homework they have to do, Arthur and his friends dare each other to skip school, but their plans go wrong, leaving Francine to suffer the consequences. FIC KRE
Levete, Sarah. Looking After Myself.Brookfield, Conn.: Copper Beech Books, 1998.
Discusses aspects of health and safety such as keeping safe while playing, healthy eating, and dealing with emotional problems.613.6 LEV
Loewen, Nancy, 1964-. Do I Have To?: Kids Talk About Responsibility.Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window Books, c2003.
Uses an advice-column format to define responsibility as a character value and demonstrate how it can be used in daily situations. 177 LOE
Loewen, Nancy, 1964-. We Live Here Too! : Kids Talk About Good Citizenship.Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window Books, c2003.
Uses an advice-column format to define citizenship and explain how it can be demonstrated or used in daily situations. 323.6 LOE
Lowry, Lois. Anastasia, Absolutely.Boston: Houghton Mifflin, c1995.
Presents more adventures of thirteen-year-old Anastasia Krupnick as she tries to deal with a new dog, her school values class, and a personal moral dilemma. FICLOW
Lowry, Lois. The Giver.Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives. FICLOW
Madden, Don, 1927-. The Wartville Wizard. 1st Aladdin Books ed. New York : Aladdin Books ;, 1993.
An old man fights a town of litterbugs by magically sending each piece of trash back to the person who dropped it. E MAD
McDonald, Megan. Judy Moody Declares Independence. 1st ed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2005.
After learning about the American Revolution on a family trip to Boston, Judy Moody makes her own Declaration of Independence and tries to prove that she is responsible enough to have more freedoms, such as a larger allowance and her own bathroom. FICMCD
Milton, Joyce. Marching to Freedom : the Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.New York:Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, c1987.
A biography of the Baptist minister and civil rights leader whose philosophy and practice of nonviolent civil disobedience helped African-Americans win many battles for equal rights. 92 KIN
Mosel, Arlene. Tikki Tikki Tembo.New York: Holt, c1968.
When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names. 398.27 MOS
Nettleton, Pamela Hill. Is that True? : Kids Talk About Honesty.Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window, 2005.
Frank B. Wize answers letters from children with questions about what it means to be honest and why it is important. Includes a short quiz and a brief biography of an "honest" hero, Rachel Carson. 179 NET
Nettleton, Pamela Hill. Pitch In! : Kids Talk About Cooperation.Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window Books, c2005.
Presents a children's book about cooperation and helping one another through a series of letters to thirteen-year-old Frank B. Wise who gives advice to kids about working together to accomplish a task. 179 NET
Olson, Arielle North. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter. 1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown, c1987.
When her father's return to a Maine lighthouse is delayed by a severe storm, Miranda must keep the light going despite brutal weather and her own illness.E OLS
Park, Barbara. Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants.New York: Random House Children's Books, c2003.
When her father will not let her stay up late to do her homework, first grader Junie B. copies a classmate's paper.FICPAR
Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia.New York: HarperCollins, c1977.
The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm. FIC PAT
Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet.New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1987.
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce. FICPAU
Peters, Stephanie. All Keyed Up . Boston, MA: Little, Brown, c2002
When his soccer teammate and new friend Stookie asks him to take care of his
gerbils while he is on vacation, Jerry is happy to agree, but then disaster strikes. FIC Pet
Polacco, Patricia. Chicken Sunday.New York : Philomel Books, c1992.
To thank Miss Eula for her wonderful Sunday chicken dinners, three children sell decorated eggs to buy her a beautiful Easter hat. E POL
Polacco, Patricia. Just Plain Fancy.New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, [1994], c1990.
Naomi, an Amish girl whose elders have impressed upon her the importance of adhering to the simple ways of her people, is horrified when one of her hen eggs hatches into an extremely fancy bird. E POL
Robb, Don. Hail to the Chief : the American Presidency.Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge, c2000.
Primary text describes the powers and duties of the presidency while subtext highlights the accomplishments of individual presidents. Includes a time line.973 ROB
Rubinstein, Jonathan. On the Job with a Police Officer: Protector of the Peace. 1st ed. for the U.S. and Canada. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 2001.
An illustrated description of how police do their work.363.2 RUB
Sachar, Louis, 1954-. Marvin Redpost : Alone in His Teacher's House.New York: Random House, c1994.
Marvin is pleased when his teacher asks him to take care of her dog while she's away, but he soon finds that there's more pressure involved than he likes. FIC SAC
Salzmann, Mary Elizabeth, 1968-. I Am a Good Citizen.Edina, Minn.: Abdo Pub., c2003.
Describes some of the many ways of being a good citizen, including following the rules, being friendly to others, and taking care of the Earth.323.6 SAL
Salzmann, Mary Elizabeth, 1968-. I Am Responsible.Edina, Minn.: ABDO Pub., c2003.
Defines responsibility as doing what one is supposed to do and provides some examples, such as self-care, caring for others, and following rules. 179 SAL
Scher, Linda. The vote : Making Your Voice Heard.Austin, TX: Raintree/Steck Vaughn, c1993.
Discusses who can vote, how and where to vote, who votes and who does not, and how to vote wisely. 324.973 SCH
Schnitzlein, Danny. The Monster Who Did My Math. 1st ed.Atlanta: Peachtree, c2007.
A monster offers to help a boy who is afraid of numbers do his math homework; but the first time the boy is asked to solve a problem in class and cannot, he realizes he has gotten no bargain. E SCH
Schuette, Sarah L., 1976-. I Am Responsible.Mankato, Minn.: Pebble Books, c2003.
Simple text and photographs show various ways children can be responsible.179 SCH
Seuss, Dr. Horton Hatches the Egg.New York: Random House, c1968.
When a lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the elephant, to sit on her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would. E SEU
Seuss, Dr. Horton Hears a Who!New York: Random House, c1982.
Horton the elephant goes to great trouble to protect some very small creatures who make their home on a speck of dust. E SEU
Seuss, Dr. The Lorax.New York: Random House, c1971.
The Once-ler describes the results of the local pollution problem. E SEU
Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman. A Big Eat Enormous Lie. 1st ed. New York: Dutton, c1978.
A child's simple lie grows to enormous proportions. E SHA
Sharpe, Susan. Waterman's Boy. 1st ed. New York: Bradbury Press, c1990.
Two boys from a small town on the Chesapeake Bay help a scientist interested in cleaning up the water for the benefit of animals, plants, and people, while risking parental disapproval of people with too much education and of outsiders' interference in their means of earning a living. FIC SHA
Shuker-Haines, Frances. Rights and Responsibilities: Using Your Freedom.Austin, TX: Raintree/Steck Vaughn, c1993.
Examines the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen, discussing such topics as free speech, interest groups, voting, taxes, jury duty, and running for office.320.473 SHU
Singer, Isaac Bashevis, 1904-. Why Noah Chose the Dove.New York: Farrar, 1986, c1974.
As each animal boasts of the qualities he feels make him especially worthy to go on Noah's ark, Noah takes a particular liking to the dove. E SIN
Soto, Gary. The Skirt.New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, [1994], c1992.
When Miata leaves her skirt that she is to wear in a dance performance on the school bus, she needs all her wits to get it back without her parents' finding out that she has again lost something. FIC SOT
Soto, Gary. Too Many Tamales.New York: Putnam, c1993.
Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together. Panic ensues when hours later, she realizes the ring is missing. E SOT
Steig, William, 1907-. Brave Irene. 1st ed. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1986.Plucky Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, braves a fierce snowstorm to deliver a new gown to the duchess in time for the ball. E STE
Stier, Catherine. If I Were President.Morton Grove, Ill.: A. Whitman, 1999.
A simple description of the duties, responsibilities, and traditions of the office of president. 352.23 STI
Strazzabosco, Jeanne. Learning About Responsibility from the Life of Colin Powell. 1st ed. New York: PowerKids Press, 1996.
Teaches the value of responsibility by taking examples from the life of the African-American general Colin Powell. 92 POW
Strazzabosco, Jeanne. Learning About the Work Ethic From the Life of Cal Ripken, Jr. 1st ed. New York: The Rosen Pub. Group's/PowerKids Press, 1996.
A brief biography of the short stop for the Baltimore Orioles, focusing on the hard work that he has put into his baseball career. 92 RIP
Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. 25th anniversary ed. New York: Phyllis Fogelman Books, [2001], c1976.
An African-American family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand. FICTAY
Van Allsburg, Chris. Jumanji.Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., c1981.
Left on their own for an afternoon, two bored and restless children find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and mystical jungle adventure board game. E VAN
Van Allsburg, Chris. Just a Dream.Boston: Houghton Mifflin, c1990.
When he has a dream about a future Earth devastated by pollution, Walter begins to understand the importance of taking care of the environment.FIC VAN
White, E. B. (Elwyn Brooks), 1899-. Charlotte's Web. [Large print ed.]. Los Angeles, CA: LRS, [1999], c1980.
Presents a large-print edition of the story in which Wilbur the pig, desolate after learning that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner, receives some very special help from his spider friend, Charlotte. FICWHI

Bibliography compiled by Barbara A. Ashby, MLS