WEEK 3 Booklist

WEEK 3 Booklist

The following list is divided by Reading Grade Level and includes Braille, Large Print, and Digital Books. Many of the books for advanced readers cross grade levels (example: “For junior and high school readers”), so be sure to look for those crossover books in “Grades 3-5”, “Grades 6-8” and “Grades 9-12”. This list is a small selection of titles on this topic.

You may request any of these titles by contacting WTBBL at 206-615-0400 or 1-800-542-0866. Some of the digital booksand all braille with BRC prefix are only available via download through the BARD download system (). If you would like additional titles or suggestions on this topic, please contact Mandy Gonnsen, Youth Services Librarian at 206-615-0400 or at

Preschool – Grade 2

Stellaluna

Cannon, Janell.

BRW 0887; DB 39478 [Audio download]

A baby bat and its mother are out looking for something to eat when they are attacked by an owl. The baby falls, landing headfirst in a nest of baby birds. Growing up with birds, the bat learns to eat bugs, sleep at night, and hang by her thumbs, until one day her mother finds her. Soon she learns to eat fruit, fly at night, and hang by her feet, but she is still friends with the birds. For preschool-grade 2. 1993.

Iktomi and the Boulder:A Plains Indian Story

Goble, Paul.

DB 30039 [Audio download]

Do you know why bats have flattened faces? Or why there are rocks scattered all over the Great Plains? It is because of Iktomi, a Plains Indian trickster who once tried to defeat a huge boulder with the help of some bats. For grades K-3. 1988.

Little Lost Bat

Markle, Sandra.

DB 64151 [Audio download]

Describes the early experiences of a baby bat that was born in a Texas cave. Discusses the ways his mother cares for him, the loss of his mother, and his adoption by another bat who keeps him safe. For grades K-3. 2006.

Amazing Bats

Simon, Seymour.

LP 24647

Level 3 Reader covers habitats, foods, size, migratory behavior, and other characteristics of several different kinds of bats. Also debunks several human misconceptions about bats. For grades K-3. 2005.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Rosen, Michael.

DB 34744 [Audio download]

Retelling of an action-packed chant that tells the story of a brave young family who set out to hunt a bear. They go through long grass--"swishy swashy!" And through a river--"splash splosh!" Through the mud--"squelch squerch!" And through the forest--"stumble trip!" Through a snowstorm--"hoooo woooo!" And into a long, narrow, gloomy cave. For preschool-grade 2. 1989.

Grade 3 – Grade 5

From Bat Sonar to Canes for the Blind

Allman, Toney.

BR 17431

Explains the echolocation skills used by bats that became the basis for designing a cane to permit people who are blind to have more freedom of movement. Discusses the UltraCane--a white cane fitted with transmitters to bounce signals off objects within ten feet. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 2006.

Shadows Of Night: The Hidden World Of The Little Brown Bat

Bash, Barbara.

BR 09500

Bats, who come out at night to hunt, are the only mammals that fly. There are nearly a thousand different kinds of bats. The author describes the physical characteristics, life cycle, and habits of the little brown bat, one of the most common species in North America. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 1993.

Silverwing [#1, Shade, The Bat series]

Oppel, Kenneth.

RC 46163

In the Silverwing bat colony, Shade -- the runt of the newborns -- has an enormous sense of curiosity that endangers the entire colony. When he is lost in a storm during a migration, his adventures in the larger world begin. Shade wants to learn about the disappearance of his father, why some bats have metal bands, and how to return to his mother in the colony. For grades 3-6. 1997.

Mountain Top Mystery [#9, Boxcar Children]

Warner, Gertrude Chandler.

BRC01135; DB 43509 [Braille download; Audio download]

The Alden children and their grandfather go for a day climb up Old Flat Top mountain. When a rock falls and cuts off their only way down, the family discovers the opening to a cave. After the Aldens are rescued, they help an elderly Indian woman retrieve a hidden treasure. For grades 3-6.1964.

Grade 6 – Grade 8

Extreme Scientists: Exploring Nature's Mysteries from Perilous Places

Jackson, Donna M.

DB 70072

Profiles the work and conditions of three extreme scientists: a meteorologist who flies into the eyes of hurricanes to gather data, a microbiologist who searches unexplored underground caves for microbes, and an ecologist who climbs giant redwoods to study the canopy. For grades 4-7. 2009.

Running Scared

Skurzynski, Gloria.

DB 56725 [Audio download]

Ashley and Jack Landon become lost in a cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Among their adventures they discover some robbers and find out why the bat population is dwindling, For grades 4-7. 2002.

Gregor the Overlander [#1, Underland Chronicles]

Collins, Suzanne.

DBW07791; BRW 1121; LP 23252

Complete series: DB 74333

When 11-year-old Gregor and his 2-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. Sasquatch and Young Readers Choice Award nominee. Grades 4-7. 2005.

The Bat Scientists

Carson, Mary Kay.

DB 72845

Follows a team of scientists who are studying bats in caves and under bridges to learn this winged mammal's secrets. Debunks myths--such as bats are flying mice--and presents facts about bat behavior and physical characteristics. Discusses echolocation, bat communication, and conservation efforts to preserve bat habitats. For grades 5-8. 2010.

Night Of The Bat

Zindel, Paul.

BR 14425

Teenage Jake flies to the Brazilian rain forest to join his father on an expedition to study bats. When a giant brain-eating bat menaces the project, Jake's worst nightmare seems to be coming true. For grades 6-9. 2001.

Wild Man Island

Hobbs, Will.

BR 14660; DB 55793 [Audio download]

Fourteen-year-old Andy slips away from his kayaking group in Alaska to visit the wilderness site where his archaeologist father died. Stranded on an island by a storm and injured, Andy is rescued by a Newfoundland dog and his owner--who live in a cave. For grades 6-9. 2002.

Grade 9 – Grade 12

Minerals: Gifts from the Earth

Casper, Julie Kerr.

DB 66687 [Audio download]
Examines how rocks and minerals form and how they are extracted from the earth. Discusses the critical role they play in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transportation, communication, art, science, human health, and daily activities. Emphasizes the importance of resource conservation. For junior and senior high readers. 2007.

Living Mountains: How and Why Volcanoes Erupt

Kornprobst, Jacques.

DB 63726 [Audio download]

Explains the history of volcanoes and the science of eruptions. Covers mechanical, physical, and chemical variables and facts scientists have learned about the depths of the earth. Discusses various kinds of lava and the causes of both volcanic explosions and gentler lava flows. For junior and senior high readers. 2006.

Underground

Ferris, Jean.

BR 17854

1839. Sixteen-year-old Charlotte Brown is sold as a maid to the owner of Mammoth Cave Hotel in Kentucky. She is attracted to another slave, eighteen-year-old Stephen, who is head tour guide, but can she trust him to help with the Underground Railroad? For junior and senior high readers. 2007.

1