School Corps > Services & programs > Curriculum Support > Booklists
School Corps Booklists
School Corps creates lists of Multnomah County Library materials for Multnomah County educators. Our most popular booklists for various grade levels are listed below.
Each list contains no more than 30 items and includes author, title, publisher and call number information. Items on the lists are chosen based on a number of criteria, including quality, suitability to age level and classroom use, distinctiveness, currency, and number of copies owned by the library. The lists are updated annually.
If the PDF document does not open immediately, you will need to download or update Adobe's Acrobat® Reader® software.
What booklists do you have?
Kindergarten-3rd grade
- Ants (grade 2)
- Communities and Neighborhoods (grades K-2)*
- Environmental Protection (grades K-3)*
- Farms and Farm Animals (grades K-2)*
- The Five Senses (grades K-2)*
- Food and Nutrition (grades K-2)*
- Growing Things (grades 1-3)*
- Habitats (grade 2)
- Insects and Spiders (grades K-2)*
- Oceans and Ocean Life (grades K-2)*
- Penguins (grade 1)
- Portland (grade 3)
- Rain Forests (grade 3)
- Salmon (grade 3)
- Starting School and Making Friends (grade 1)
- Weather (grades K-2)
4th-5th grade
- African American History (grades 5-8)*
- Astronomy (grades 4-5)
- Biomes and Ecosystems (grades 5-8)*
- Body Systems (grades 4-5)
- Branches of Government (grades 4-5)
- Colonial America (grades 5-6)*
- Elections and Voting (grades 4-5)
- Environmental Protection (grades 4-7)*
- Explorers of the Americas (grades 5-6)*
- Fiction about Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt (grades 5-6)
- Graphic Novels (grades 5-8)
- Immigration (grade 5)
- Landforms (grades 4-5)
- Lewis and Clark Expedition (grades 4-7)*
- Native Americans (grades 4-7)*
- Oregon Trail (grades 4-5)*
- Pacific Northwest Native Americans (grades 4-7)*
- The Solar System and Space (grades 4-5)*
- States (grade 5)
- Volcanoes (grade 5)
6th-8th grade
- African American History (grades 5-8)*
- Ancient China (grade 6)
- Ancient China and India (grades 6-8)*
- Ancient Egypt (grades 6-8)*
- Ancient Greece and Rome (grades 6-8)*
- Ancient India (grade 6)
- Ancient Mesopotamia (grades 6-8)
- Aztec, Inca and Maya (grades 6-8)*
- Biomes and Ecosystems (grades 5-8)*
- Colonial America (grades 5-6)*
- Controversial Topics (grades 8-12)*
- Declaration of Independence (grades 6-12)
- Environmental Protection (grades 4-7)*
- Explorers of the Americas (grades 5-6)*
- Fiction about Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt (grades 5-6)
- Fiction about Ancient Mesopotamia (grades 6-8)
- Fiction and Folklore about China from Ancient Times to the Fifteenth Century (grade 6)
- Fiction about Colonial America and the Revolutionary War (grade 8)
- Fiction about Prehistoric Times (grade 6)
- Fiction about the Aztec, Inca and Maya (grade 6)
- Fiction about the Middle Ages and Renaissance (grades 6-8)
- Genetics and DNA (grades 7-10)*
- Graphic Novels (grades 5-8)
- Lewis and Clark Expedition (grades 4-7)*
- The Middle Ages and the Renaissance (grades 6-8)*
- Native Americans (grades 4-7)*
- Pacific Northwest Native Americans (grades 4-7)*
- Watersheds (grades 6-8)
9th-12th grade
- Biomes (grade 9)
- Coming of Age Short Story Collections (grade 9)
- Controversial Topics (grades 8-12)*
- Declaration of Independence (grades 6-12)
- Genetics and DNA (grades 7-10)*
- High Interest Books for Students Reading Below Grade Level (grades 9-12)
*The library has already-prepared Buckets of Books on these topics that you can check out. The Buckets contain books similar to those on the list (though not every title is exactly the same) plus a teacher's guide.
How can I get copies of the books on the lists?
If you have a recent version of Adobe's Acrobat® Reader® software, you will notice that the title of each item on the booklist is a link directly to that item in the library's catalog. To request the item, simply follow the link. Then click on the Place Hold button and follow the on-screen instructions, using your library card. You'll be able to choose at which library location you want to pick up the item. If a copy of the item is checked in, it will about 5-7 days for it to arrive.
If you have an older version of the Acrobat® Reader® software, you won't be able to use the links. You can either update the software, or you can print out a copy of the list and look up each item individually in the Library Catalog. Using your library card, you can place a hold on each item and have it sent to the location of your choice. If you haven't ever done this before, these instructions will show you how. If a copy of the book is checked in, it takes about 5-7 days for it to arrive.
Is this the same thing as the Bucket of Books service?
No, Buckets of Books are tubs for educators to check out. Each tub contains 24-30 books plus a teacher's guide. The teacher's guide includes an annotated list of age-appropriate websites on the topic, a pathfinder for doing research on the topic at Multnomah County Library, and instructions on how to obtain additional copies of the books. Some buckets also contain an Internet scavenger hunt for students. The Bucket of Books website has more information about the topics and instructions on how to get a bucket.
What if I need a list on another topic?
Need a list on another topic? If you teach in a Multnomah County school, School Corps can create a bibliography just for you. To request a bibliography, visit our Assignment Alert page. This service takes three weeks.
For more information about the School Corps booklists, contact the School Corps Lead Worker at 503.988.6004
or
lib.school.corps@multcolib.org.