Maria Mitchell's Birthday (August
1,1818)
- Maria's Comet, by Deborah Hopkinson, illus. by Deborah Lanino. Grades K-2.
- In this fictionalized first-person account, America's first woman astronomer, Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), dreams of becoming an astronomer like her father and discovering a comet.
- Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart, by Vera B. Williams. Grades 1-5.
- The joys and sorrows of two young sisters who must depend on each other because they often have no one else. Their mother works long hours; their father is in jail. Although food and other comforts are often scarce, they share love in abundance.
- A Baby Sister for Frances, by Russell Hoban, illus. by Lillian Hoban. Picture Book.
- Feeling unloved and neglected with the arrival of her baby sister, Frances the badger runs away, hiding under the dining-room table.
- Buttons, by Brock Cole. Grades 1-4.
- When their father's buttons pop off his pants into the fire, three sisters go to humorous lengths to find him replacement buttons. As with most good folktales, nothing goes quite as planned. In the end, however, the three adventurous sisters find buttons, as well as true love.
- Zelda and Ivy, by Laura McGee Kvasnosky. Preschool-Grade 2.
- The rivalry and bond between siblings are perfectly captured in three vignettes featuring the two fox sisters.
Gertrude Ederle Swims the English Channel (August
6, 1926)
- America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle, by David A. Adler, illus. by Terry Widener. Grades K-4.
- In 1926, Gertrude Ederle took the world by storm when she successfully swam the 21 miles across the English Channel and broke the men's record by two hours.
Annie Oakley's Birthday (August 13,
1860)
- Bull's-Eye: A Photobiography of Annie Oakley, by Sue Macy. Grades 3-6.
- Annie Oakley honed her sharp-shooting skills as a young girl, not for pleasure, but out of dire necessity. It was her skill as a hunter that kept her extremely impoverished Quaker family feed. This well-researched biography is based on Oakley's unpublished autobiography, as well as stories from family members.
National Friendship Week (August
13-18, 2007)
- About Face, by June Rae Wood. Grades 6-8.
- As they struggle toward friendship, two unhappy 13-year-olds from very different backgrounds gain new insight into themselves, their families, and what's really important.
- Fiddle Fever, by Sharon Arms Doucet. Grades 4-8.
- Weaving themes of responsibility, obedience, loyalty, friendship, and Cajun values, this boy's coming-of-age story, set in the Louisiana bayous during the early days of WWI, is also a tribute to the power of music in people's lives.
- The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story, retold by Joseph Bruchac, illus. by Anna Vojtech. Picture Book.
- The legend of why strawberries remind the Cherokee people to be "kind to each other; to remember that friendship and respect are as sweet as the taste of ripe red berries."
- Gossie & Gertie, by Olivier Dunrea. Preschool-Grade K.
- Gossie and Gertie are friends. Gertie loves following Gossie and doing everything she does. Then, Gertie decides to take off on her own, hurting Gossie's feelings. Friendship prevails between the two goslings when Gossie follows Gertie to the food bowl and they share a bite to eat.
- Heaven Eyes, by David Almond. Grades 5-8.
- A multilayered tale of three orphans who run away from their orphanage and begin a new life with the mysterious web-toed and web-fingered Heaven Eyes and the man she calls Grandpa. A lyrical novel about love, loss, and the true meaning of friendship and family.
- Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers, by Cynthia Rylant, illus. by Suçie Stevenson. Preschool-Grade 3.
- After Henry buys a spy kit, he and his enormous dog Mudge take up sleuthing. One day Henry finds a coded message, which results in a budding friendship with another young sleuth and his dog.
- Holes, by Louis Sachar. Grades 5-8.
- Stanley Yelnats IV is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is sent to the Camp Green Lake detention home for bad boys for a crime he didn't commit. Sentenced to dig meaningless holes under the merciless Texas sun, Stanley discovers friendship, buried treasure, and breaks the family bad-luck curse while gaining wisdom and inner strength.
- Horace and Morris But Mostly Dolores, by James Howe, illus. by Amy Walrod. Grades K-3.
- The friendship of three young mice is put to the test when the two boy mice join a boys-only club. In retaliation, Dolores joins a girls-only club. When the three friends finally admit they were much happier together, they establish their own club, based on interests, not gender.
- One of Each, by Mary Ann Hoberman, illus. by Marjorie Priceman. Grades K-2.
- Delighted because he has "one of each" of everything he needs, Oliver Tolliver the dog thinks his life is perfect until he invites Peggoty Small the cat over. She is not impressed and Oliver realizes that having only one leaves you with nothing to share. A joyful book about friendship and sharing.
- Pinky and Rex and the School Play, by James Howe, illus. by Melissa Sweet. Grades K-3.
- Pinky dreams of being an actor and wants to try out for the school play. Although Rex isn't the least bit interested, she goes to the try-outs to lend Pinky moral support and winds up with the lead! Will this be the end of their friendship?
- Up on Cloud Nine, by Anne Fine. Grades 4-7.
- Practical Ian sits next to the hospital bedside of his wildly imaginative friend Stol, who lies in a coma after falling out of a third-story window. As Ian reviews Stol's life, including his distant, career-driven parents and the boys' long friendship, he searches for clues as to whether the fall was an accident or intentional. A poignant novel of friendship and the fragility of life, whose memorable characters will stay with the reader long after the last page has been read.
- Very Best (Almost) Friends: Poems of Friendship, by Paul B. Janeczko Editor, illustrator. by Christine Davenier. Grades 2-4.
- In this slight volume, twenty-three popular children's writers express the joys and sorrows of friendship.
- When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, by Kimberly Willis Holt. Grades 5-8.
- In a small Texas town where nothing much ever happens, 13-year-old Toby, his buddy Cal, and other curious townspeople line up to see Zachary Beaver, who, at 643 pounds, is billed as the fattest boy in the world. When Zachary's guardian disappears, Toby and Cal befriend the boy.
Orville Wright's Birthday (August 19,
1871)
- To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers, by Wendie Old, illus. by Robert Andrew Parker. Grades 3-5.
- An excellent biography of the Wright brothers and how they--two bicycle repairmen—-managed to solve problems which the day's leading scientists couldn't. The book also shows how well the two brothers worked together and how their strengths and differences complemented each other.
- The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane, by Russell Freedman. Grades 3 up.
- Contributions and accomplishments of the legendary inventors, Orville and Wilbur Wright. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs by Wilbur and Orville Wright and others.
Allan Pinkerton's Birthday (August 25,
1819)
- Allan Pinkerton: The Original Private Eye, by Judith Pinkerton Josephson. Grades 6-9.
- The founder of America's most famous detective agency, Pinkerton used simple but groundbreaking techniques to solve many of the most celebrated crimes of the mid-1800s. This fine biography discusses both his career and his private life.
Anniversary of the March on Washington
(August 28, 1963)
- I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther Jr. King. Grades K up.
- Fifteen award-winning artists illustrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s classic speech, which he delivered on August 28, 1963 at the March on Washington. Includes a foreword by Coretta Scott King and a biographical sketch of his life.
The librarian of each library participating in the BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program selects the books her library will receive from a booklist provided by the Foundation. The 700-plus fiction and nonfiction titles on the list reflect the very best of children's literature published within the last three years, as well as a selection of classic favorites. Although the complete booklist is for the sole use of libraries participating in the BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program, the website features an ever-changing selection of books from current and past booklists.
August Birthdays - Authors and Illustrators | Fundraising Ideas | Grant Recipients | Links to Related Sites | More Books & Birthdays