Curiosity Book List--P2 Character Trait

The character trait this week in the Positivity Project calendar is curiosity. As you may have guessed from the title of this post. I like to give these little spoilers. 

For whatever reason, I had a bit of trouble with this trait. I know there are books about being curious, but I was drawing a blank. So a lot of these are ones I haven't read and others are ones that are more for inspiring curiosity than celebrating curiosity. I happen to think inspiring curiosity is almost as important as celebrating curiosity, so I am okay with that. 

A quote I came across in an Amazon review about curiosity--

"I think at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity." 

                                                                   --Eleanor Roosevelt

Stella, Queen of the Snow

by Marie Louise Gay

This was the first book that popped into my head for curious. Stella's little brother Sam is the most asking-est kid I ever met. He wants to know the why of everything. 

Ada Twist, Scientist 

by Andrea Beaty

Scientists are the most curious among us, and this book brings that home with our quirky, curious heroine! 

The Curious Kid's Science Book

by Asia Citro

For the curious scientists among us. 

Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover 

by Markus Motum

This one celebrates the human curiosity about our universe. What is out there? What is it like out there. Nonfiction. I really want to read this one!

Plus, the name. It demanded to be included.

The Watcher 

by Jeanette Winter

Jane Goodall was a curious child who grew up to be a curious adult. Watching, noticing, and learning. 

Little Kids First Big Book of Why

by Amy Shields 

Pretty sure I would have devoured this love song to children's curiosity as a kid. I sort of want to devour it now as an adult. The curious mind just needs to KNOW WHY.

5,000 Awesome Facts

by National Geographic Kids

Just because we were already talking about National Geographic and... if this book doesn't make you curious about something, I just don't know. 

The Way Things Work 

by David Macaulay

The original answer book for the questions of my childhood

A Most Curious Girl

by John R. Simanowitz Jr.

I am not crazy about the cover, but this looks like a great book following a curious girl and her adventures.

What Do You Do With an Idea?

by Kobi Yamada

 A book discussing how the curious mind work, particularly a timid, curious mind. You have an idea, but should you act on it? 

Atlas Ocscura Explorers Guide: The World's Most Adventurous Kid

by Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco

I WANT THIS BOOK. It tells of obscure, interesting, real life places in the world.

Explorer

by DK Eyewitness Books

Going along with the Atlas Obscura, being an explorer is really the result of curiosity. If people hadn't been curious about what was over that mountain or across that ocean, we really wouldn't have covered the globe with humanity. 

Interestingly, there are no recent picture books about explorers. The picture book biography has taken off of late with an explosion of great authors and illustrators teaming up to tell us about influential people. But so far, no one has done an explorer. Maybe that is because explorers had their moment in the sun during the past century when they were often revered. Or possibly it is because of the difficult topics like imperialism, manifest destiny, etc. Anyway, explorers are a great "curious" group, but the books you will find about them are wordy, staff-author-written, books from the mid 1990's. 

Unless you know of good, recent explorer books--in that case, let me know!!

Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey

by Nick Bertozzi

I did come across a few by Nick Bertozzi though! This is a graphic novel story of Shackleton's adventure. 

And you can always count on the What was...? and Who was...? series 

What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? 

by Judith St. George

I am Amelia Earhart 

by Brad Meltzer

Amelia Earhart was a curious person--wanting to see how far she could fly in different planes, but also, what happened to her was curious. She disappeared without trace. That has made people curious for a few decades. Although scientists seem to think they have found her remains 

John Deere, That's Who!

by Tracy Nelson Maurer

Just read this one to my kids--an easy to read book about John Deere moving west and inventing a better plow. Both the moving west and the inventing were both signs of a curious nature. 

Inky's Amazing Escape 

by Sy Montgomery

And here is the story of an exploring octopus who was curious enough about things to escape his life in a marine center and get back to his home in the ocean. Based on a true story, which makes it that much more interesting!!

Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin

by Gene Baretta

Inventors--those tinker what-if-ers. Curiosity is needed in large doses to be an inventor! 

Curious George

by H.A. Rey

For little kids, this is a great intro to curiosity. "George was always curious." I read this today with Pre-K and interestingly, George smokes a pipe. And then, there is the whole, kidnapping a monkey and insinuating he would be happier/better off in a zoo than in the wild. So you might be happier with a different Curious George book. 

Explorers of the Wild

by Cale Atkinson

These two adventurers need to dig to find their bravery. Curiosity generally leads to exploration. So being curious often means you are an explorer. 0

Snowflake Bentley

by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Bentley was so curious about snowflakes, he spent a good part of his life studying and taking pictures of them. 

Books for Other People Matter

Our school has implemented the Positivity Project this school year. Have you heard of P2? Basically it is the idea of encouraging resiliency and empathy in students by helping them see the strengths in themselves and identify the character areas they need to work on. I am skeptical about projects like this--can you TEACH kids to be decent human beings if they don't want to change or their homelife teaches them something completely different? I don't know. But being a teacher in a public school has shown me time and again that something needs to change. We need to TRY. 

Do all the good you can

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can, 

In all the places you can, 

To all the people you can, 

As long as ever you can.

                                        --John Wesley

As librarian, I will be putting together lists of books that go along with the 24 character strengths. And as a blogger, I will be forcing my lists upon you. Yay!

At school this week, before we begin highlighting the various character strengths, we will be talking about the Other People Matter mindset. 

I am sorting these books by intended audience, but I totally believe that lower elementary books can spark a conversation in high school! 

Lower Elementary

We don't eat our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

I am looking forward to reading this one about a dinosaur who has a hard time not eating her human classmates. 

Horrible Bear! By Amy Dyckman

Runaway temper, self-absorbed and careless of other people's feelings, this red headed heroine learns to think before acting. 

That Neighbor Kid by Daniel Miyares

The importance of friendship and how other people can make our world brighter

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller

As the title implies, this book explores the ways in which you can be kind and how kindness affects others

The Wolf, The Duck, & The Mouse by Mac Barnett

A wolf learns consideration after swallowing small animals

A Perfect Day by Lane Smith

Animals teach us how our actions and viewpoint affects other people

A Chair for my Mother by Vera Williams

After a fire, Rosa, her mother, and her grandmother work hard to save up money for the perfect chair to rest in

I Walk with Vanessa  by Karascoet

A new student is bullied, but finds a friend who will stand (or walk!) by her side. 

A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts

Asks students to look at the familiar through the eyes of an immigrant family

Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka

A new kid in the neighborhood finds a friend--The importance of friends

Peace is an Offering by Annette Le Box

What peace can be and what peace can do

Pass it On by Sophy Henn

Shows students the ripple effect of a kind act

Brave Like Me by Barbara Kerley

Some kids live without their parents so that everyone can live a little safer--perfect other people matter material! 

Upper Elementary

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

A repeatedly missed opportunity for kindness asks students if it is ever too late to be kind. 

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

A classic bullying story gives students the chance to think about being a bystander--could I or should I do more to help others? 

Brave Girl by Michelle Markel

Wanting to make things better for her fellow shirtwaist makers, Clara Lemlich creates a union despite enormous obstacles. 

Tucky Jo and Little Heart by Patricia Palacco

Based on true events, a Vietnam soldier extends kindness to a local girl and finds his actions coming back to help him years later. 

14 Cows For America by Carmen Agra Deedy

After 9/11, the Maasai people of Africa choose 14 of their precious cows to send to America to help America heal from the pain of 9/11. 

Middle/High School

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Police brutality asks a community to think about how they interact and view each other

The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers

Kammie tries to join the popular girl crowd, but that leads to being stuck in a well, so... maybe the popular girls are not the best friends. 

A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Setting out to avenge his brother's death, our hero is confronted with the perspectives of those whose lives have been lost in similar ways. 

Patina by Jason Reynolds

A middle school girl does everything she can to help her sister, her aunt, her friends--when the unexpected happens, can Patina learn to let other people help her?