CurriConnects Book List - What Do You Do?
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What Do You Do?
Books about people in different and widely varied careers, including non-traditional ones and lesser-known ones.
Preschool and Picture Books
He Bear, She Bear - Stan Berenstain, (978-0394929972), Fiction
Interest level: 1-4, Lexile: 470
The Berenstain brother and sister imagine what jobs their future might hold.
A Job for Wittilda - Caralyn Buehner, (978-0803711495), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 550
What else can a witch do for work with her flying broom but deliver pizza for a pizza shop?
Ella Takes the Cake - Carmela D'Amico, (978-0439627948), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 520
Ella wants to help her mother with her work in the bakery, but she's not sure about what she can do.
How Santa Got His Job - Stephen Krensky, (978-0689806971), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 380
Santa searches for an unusual job, something that will fit him to a T.
Early Elementary Books
Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin - Gene Barretta, (978-0805079173), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-8, Lexile: 910
Call Me Marianne - Jen Bryant, (978-0802852427), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-3
A fictional Marianne Moore, the poet, teaches a young boy about the craft of writing poetry when they run into each other at a zoo.
Girls: A to Z - Eve Bunting, (978-1563971471), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-2
Careers for girls from A to Z appear in this picture book.
The Poet Upstairs - Judith Ortiz Cofer, (978-1558857049), Fiction
Interest level: K-3
A poet moves to an upstairs apartment, and Juliana starts to write with her after they meet.
Stanza - Jill Esbaum, (152-059989), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 830
Although Stanza and his brothers are fellow juvenile delinquent dogs, at night Stanza pursues his avocation, poetry writing.
Emily and Carlo - Marty Rhodes Figley, (978-1580892742), Fiction
Interest level: K-2
Emily Dickinson's dog is her constant companion after her siblings leave home, and it is part of some of her writings.
Buzby - Julia Hoban, (978-0606073295), Fiction
Interest level: 1-3, Lexile: 300
A cat learns what special job he can do after getting hired as a hotel busboy and creating chaos.
The Singing Man: Adapted from a West African Folktale - Angela Medearis, (978-0823411030), Fiction
Interest level: 1-3, Lexile: 660
One African brother disregards his family's advice and becomes a musician, despite the loftier ambitions of his brothers; his return in later years affirms his job selection.
A Bird about to Sing - Laura Nyman Montenegro, (618-188657), Fiction
Interest level: K-3
Natalie, a young poet, must overcome her fear of reading in front of people as she realizes the importance of reading poetry aloud.
Mommy Works, Daddy Works - Marika Pederson, (978-1550376579), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 270
Many mothers and fathers both work in different occupations; find out what they do and what kind of transportation they use.
Visiting Langston - Willie Perdomo, (978-0805078817), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-4
This poem is all about the life of Langston Hughes, its message aided by wonderful photographic-like graphics.
What Presidents Are Made Of - Hanoch Piven, (978-1442444331), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-6, Lexile: 980
This book explores the personalities of the men who grew to lead our country as President.
Career Day - Anne Rockwell, (978-0060275655), Fiction
Interest level: 1-4, Lexile: 430
Mrs. Madoff's class enjoys hearing about a variety of professions from visitors to their elementary class.
Your Job is Easy - Carl Sommer, (978-1575370187), Fiction
Interest level: 1-3, Lexile: 420
What happens when a farm father and mother exchange jobs for a day?
Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers - Gloria Whelan, (978-1585363520), Fiction
Interest level: K-4
Yuki writes poetry as she travels with her governor father and an enormous retinue along the famous Tokaido Road on the way to the capital Edo.
Upper Elementary to Middle School Books
Jack Plank Tells Tales - Natalie Babbitt, (978-0545004961), Fiction
Interest level: 3-6, Lexile: 860
Jack unhappily searches for another profession after deciding piracy isn't for him, but he is unable to find something perfect.
Shoeshine Girl - Clyde Bulla, (978-0064402286), Fiction
Interest level: 2-5, Lexile: 330
Sarah gets an early start on a career when she becomes a shoe shine girl to help earn much-needed dollars.
Love That Dog - Sharon Creech, (978-0060292874), Fiction
Interest level: 2-8, Lexile: 1010
A young boy, who loves poetry, writes his own poem after meeting writer Walter Dean Myers.
Bradley and the Billboard - Mame Farrell, (978-0374309497), Fiction
Interest level: 3-6, Lexile: 650
A baseball hero must adjust his idea of real masculinity when he finds a job as a model.
My Uncle Emily - Marty Rhodes Figley, (978-0399240058), Fiction
Interest level: K-5, Lexile: 770
Gilbert is in awe of his aunt, poet Emily Dickinson, who is also his next-door neighbor.
Sky Sweeper - Phillis Gershator, (978-0374370077), Fiction
Interest level: 4-7, Lexile: 810
Takiboki revels in his job of straightening the stones, sweeping the flower petals, and creating lines in the temple gardens in Japan.
Paper Boy - Isabelle Holland, (978-0823414222), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 590
A teen-aged Irish immigrant tries to help support his family when his father falls ill; he gets a job as a newspaper courier but runs into difficulties when someone steals from the company.
The Top Job - Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, (978-0525477891), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 880
One girl proudly shares her father's lofty occupation of changing lightbulbs for the Empire State Building.
Anastasia's Chosen Career - Lois Lowry, (978-0395425060), Fiction
Interest level: 2-8, Lexile: 730
Anastasia is at it again, this time on her way to a modeling job in Boston; she learns about the career of being a bookseller at the same time.
Zooman Sam - Lois Lowry, (978-0440416760), Fiction
Interest level: 3-6, Lexile: 620
Sam learns to read as he prepares to dress as a zoo employee for his school's career day.
Bachelor Girl - Roger Macbride, (978-0064406918), Fiction
Interest level: 4-8, Lexile: 780
Rose of Little House fame moves to San Francisco as a teenager to become a telegraph operator and learn to be independent in the 1800's.
Langston Hughes - Arnold/ Langston Rampersad, ed/ Hughes, (978-1402718458), Non-fiction
Interest level: 4-12
This book contains poems by Langston Hughes that appeal to children as well as some biographical information about the great poet.
So You Want to Be President? - Judith St. George, (978-0399234071), Non-fiction
Interest level: 1-12, Lexile: 730
This book discusses the characteristics of former U.S. Presidents as well as the requirements for having the job.
Voices of Ancient Egypt - Kay Winters, (978-0792275602), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 780
Workers in Ancient Egypt describe their very different occupations: scribe, farmer, pyramid builder, carpenter, artisan, herdsman, bird netter , clothes washer, weaver , goldsmith,, and even embalmer .
Middle School to Young Adult Books
Girls Who Looked Under Rocks: The Lives of Six Pioneering Naturalists - Jeannine Atkins, (1584690119), Non-fiction
Interest level: 5-8, Lexile: 990
This book tells how 6 famous women scientists, including biologist Jane Goodall and conservationist Rachel Carson, achieved great things despite traditional barriers and various obstacles.
Scrib - David Ives, (978-0060598419), Fiction
Interest level: 5-10, Lexile: 930
Sixteen-year-old Scrib has many adventures delivering mail in the American West, some involving great danger.