CurriConnects Book List - Colorado
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Colorado
This thoughtfully organized collection presents books about Colorado across three age-appropriate reading levels, complete with Lexile measures to support the selection of books suitable for diverse learners. Each title features a concise description of its content, helping teachers, librarians, and families connect readers with compelling stories about Colorado's unique landscapes, wildlife, and communities.
Preschool and Picture Books
Bloomers on Pikes Peak: the story of Julia Archibald Holmes - Clarissa Willis, (978-1959548706), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: AD850L
Julia Archibald Holmes lived a life dedicated to social justice. Her journey began on Pikes Peak, where she was the first white woman to reach the summit in 1858.
C is for Centennial: A Colorado Alphabet - Louise Doak Whitney, (978-1585360581), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-3
This book features all of the things that make Colorado special.
Cheyenne Again: A Moving Historical Story About a Boy's Heritage and Identity at Boarding School for Kids - Eve Bunting, (978-0618194650), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 560
Young Bull is taken from his parents and sent to a boarding school to assimilate him into white culture.
For Spacious Skies - Nancy Churnin, (978-0807525302), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 790
After visiting Pikes Peak in 1893, Katharine Lee Bates was so moved by its beauty that she wrote the text of “America the Beautiful.”
High as a Hawk - T. A. Barron, (978-0399237041), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3
At eight years old, Harriet Peters and her father begin the trek to the summit of Longs Peak in Colorado. They set off on the journey to honor her mother, who did not live long enough to reach the summit herself.
My Water Comes from the Rocky Mountains - Tiffany Fourment`, (978-0981770000), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-3
The book teaches about the watershed in the Rocky Mountains.
The Twelve Days of Christmas in Colorado - Linda Ashman, (978-1402774638), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3
Sophie views all the marvelous things about the state of Colorado, using the format of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Middle Grade Books
Bear Dancer: The Story of a Ute Girl - Thelma Hatch Wyss, (978-1442421561), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7
This fascinating account tells the story of Ute Chief Ouray's sister, Elk Dress Girl, and her capture and return by her tribe's enemies.
Beardance - Will Hobbs, (978-0780746046), Fiction
Interest level: 5-8, Lexile: 890
Cloyd runs across two motherless grizzly bear cubs while on a mission with an older man and hopes to save them as well as complete his spiritual quest.
I Witness: Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859: A Tale of the Old West - Avi, (978-1423105190), Fiction
Interest level: 4-8, Lexile: 740
Early Wittcomb follows his uncle to the fields of gold in Colorado, hoping to help save his family's farm, but he encounters many challenges on the way.
Thanks to Nicki - Ann Howard Creel, (978-1593692902), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 740
While her mother is expecting twins, Nicki is training a guide dog for eventual placement away from her.
The Good Dog - Avi, (978-0689838255), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 560
Told from the dog's perspective, this book depicts the conflict between a Malmute pack leader who tries to keep the dogs focused on their tasks and the allure of running with a wolf who hovers on the periphery of the story.
The Prairie Thief - Melissa Wiley, (978-0375845543), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 880
Louisa Brody’s life on the prairie is hard. Her Pa is in jail, and she lives with the family that accused him of the crime. She comes across a secret tucked away in the hazel grove that might help her Pa and help her go home.
The Secret School - Avi, (978-0152046996), Fiction
Interest level: 2-6, Lexile: 610
Ida must become her rural school's teacher at age 14 to complete her education and keep the school in her small town open.
The White Gates - Bonnie Ramthun, (978-1442440579), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 790
Preteen Tor does not accept the town's belief in a curse from a Ute woman to explain the many mishaps in Snow Park, Colorado - the town where his mother has started working as a doctor.
Whistler in the Dark - Kathleen Ernst, (978-1607544326), Fiction
Interest level: 4-8, Lexile: 680
When Emma's mother tries to make a new start by creating a newspaper in their adopted Colorado town, at first they receive rejection and scary threats from the community.
Young Adult and Adult Books
Crazy Horse’s Girlfriend - Erika T. Wurth, (978-1940430430), Fiction
Interest level: YA
Margaritte is a pregnant indigenous teenager in a small Colorado town. She wants more for her life than the unemployment, drugs, and poverty that her hometown can give her.
Finding My Place - Traci Jones, (978-0374335731), Fiction
Interest level: 6-12, Lexile: 750
African American teen Tiphanie's loneliness is abated when she befriends another student who exists outside the normal social realm.
From Twinkle, With Love - Sandhya Menon, (978-1481495417), Fiction
Interest level: 6-12, Lexile: 690
Twinkle Mehra is a shy filmmaker who decides to make a movie for the town’s summer festival. She has the opportunity to talk to her crush, but decides she might be interested in his twin brother instead. She seeks advice from her favorite female filmmakers as she navigates life and her filmmaking career.
Lie Until It's True (Like Me Block You) - Jessie Weaver, (978-1368078412), Fiction
Interest level: 6-12
Amanda Pruitt is a true crime podcaster who wrongly turned in her sister for murder. She tries to redeem herself when her childhood best friend‘s mother is accused of murder and uses TikTok to clear her friend’s name.
Sadie - Courtney Summers, (978-1250267139), Fiction
Interest level: 6-12, Lexile: 750
A popular podcast host is asked to help find Sadie Hunter, a teenager who ran away after her younger sister was killed. Sadie is on the run looking for the man who killed her sister, and West is determined to find her both for podcast content and to help solve the mystery of her whereabouts.
Seven Percent of Ro Devereux - Ellen O’Clover, (978-0063255043), Fiction
Interest level: 6-12
Ro Devereux has created an app that can predict the future with 93% accuracy. She is shocked when it predicts a future with her estranged childhood best friend. She has to address years of hurt in the relationship, and the app begins to take on a life of its own.