Orbis Pictus Award
for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
located in the Curriculum Lab
| 2004 2005 2006 2007 | Description of the Award |
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What is the Orbis Pictus Award? The Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children was established in 1989 to promote and recognize excellence in nonfiction writing for children. One award winner and up to five honor books are named.
Who decides the winner? Nominations may be from NCTE members or the educational community. The title must have informational literature as is central purpose. Included are biographies; excluded are textbooks, historical fiction, folklore or poetry. The award is presented at the Books for Children Luncheon at the Annual NCTE Convention, usually held in November.
When did the award begin? In 1987, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) established the Orbis Pictus Award. Sylvia Vardell built a case for celebrating nonfiction, described the new award, and outlined four features of outstanding books--accuracy, organization, design and style.
What special criteria are used to select this award? Nominated books must be published in the United States in the previous calendar year, be useful in classroom teaching grades k-8, and meet the criteria listed below. Accuracy–facts current and complete, balance of fact and theory, varying point of view, stereotypes avoided, author's qualifications adequate, appropriate scope, authenticity of detail Organization–logical development, clear sequence, interrelationships indicated, patterns provided (general-to-specific, simple-to-complex, etc.) Design–attractive, readable, illustrations complement text, placement of illustrative material appropriate and complementary, appropriate media, format, type Style–writing is interesting, stimulating, reveals author's enthusiasm for subject; curiosity and wonder encouraged, appropriate terminology, rich language
Why is it called the Orbis Pictus Award? The award's name commemorates Johannes Amos Comenius's (1657) work Orbis Pictus (The World in Pictures,) considered to be the first book actually intended for children.
What does the award look like? The circular award is a seal from the title page of Orbis Pictus that features a scene surrounded by Latin phrase. Surrounding this seal is the phrase, "National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children."
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| YEAR | AUTHOR | TITLE (Curriculum Lab Call Number) |
| 2007 | Montgomery, Sy | QUEST FOR THE TREE KANGAROO: AN EXPEDITION TO THE CLOUD FOREST OF NEW GUINEA (YP 599.2 M788qu) |
| Bardoe, Cheryl | GREGOR MENDEL: THE FRIAR WHO GREW PEAS (J 92 M537ba) | |
| Freedman, Russell | FREEDOM WALKERS: THE STORY OF THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT (YP 323.1 F853fr) | |
| Lasky, Kathryn | JOHN MUIR: AMERICA'S FIRST ENVIRONMENTALIST (J 92 M953la) | |
| McClafferty, Carla Killough | SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING: MARIE CURIE AND RADIUM (YP 92 C975me) | |
| Thimmesh, Catherine | TEAM MOON: HOW 400,000 PEOPLE LANDED APOLLO 11 ON THE MOON | |
| Recommended | Aston, Diane Hutts | AN EGG IS QUIET (J 591.4 A856eg) |
| Recommended | Bausum, Ann | FREEDOM RIDERS: JOHN LEWIS AND JIM ZWERG ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (YP 323.1 B351fr) |
| Recommended | Hatkoff, Isabella | OWEN & MZEE: THE TRUE STORY OF A REMARKABLE FRIENDSHIP (J 599.635 H364ow) |
| Recommended | Johnson, Delores | ONWARD: A PHOTOBIOGRAPY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN POLAR EXPLORER MATTHEW HENSON |
| Recommended | Markely, Sandra | RESCUES |
| Recommended | Marrin, Albert | SAVING THE BUFFALO (YP 599.643 M359sa) |
| Recommended | Rubin, Susan Goldman | CAT WITH THE YELLOW STAR: COMING OF AGE IN TEREZIN |
| Recommended | Hudson, Cheryl Willis | CONSTRUCTION ZONE (J 690 H885co) |
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| 2006 | Freedman, russell | CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION (YP 973.91 F853ch) |
| Jackson, Donna | ER VETS: LIFE IN AN ANIMAL EMERGENCY ROOM | |
| Jurmain, Suzanne | FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE: THE TRUE AND DRAMATIC STORY OF PRUDENCE CRANDALL AND HER STUDENTS | |
| Delano, Marfe ferguson | GENIUS: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALBERT EINSTEIN (YP 92 E35de) | |
| Bartoletti, Susan Campbell | HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER'S SHADOW (YP 943.086 B292hi) | |
| Siy, Alexandra and Dennis Kunkel | MOSQUITO BITE | |
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| 2005 | Blumberg, Rhoda | YORK'S ADVENTURES WITH LEWIS AND CLARK: AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN'S PART IN THE GREAT EXPEDITION (YP 917.8 B658yo) |
| Jenkins, Steve | ACTUAL SIZE | |
| Hoose, Phillip | THE RACE TO SAVE THE LORD GOD BIRD (YP 598.72 H789ra) | |
| Giblin, James Cross | SECRETS OF THE SPHINX (YP 932 G446se | |
| Burleigh, Robert | SEURAT AND LA GRANDE JATTE: CONNECTING THE DOTS | |
| Freeman, Russell | VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION: MARIAN ANDERSON AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS (YP 92 A549fr) | |
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| 2004 | Murphy, Jim | AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793 (YP 614.541 M978am |
| Mann, Elizabeth | EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: WHEN NEW YORK REACHED FOR THE SKIES (YP 690.52 M281em) | |
| Byrd, Robert | LEONARDO: BEAUTIFUL DREAMER (J 92 L581by) | |
| Lasky, Kathryn | MAN WHO MADE TIME TRAVEL (J 681 L345ma | |
| Hopkinson, Deborah | SHUTTING OUT THE SKY: LIFE IN THE TENEMENTS OF NEW YORK, 1880-1924 | |
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| 2003 | Ryan, Pam Munoz | WHEN MARIAN SANG: THE TRUE RECITAL OF MARIAN ANDERSON: THE VOICE OF A CENTURY (J 92 A548ry) |
| Freedman, Russell | CONFUCIUS: THE GOLDEN RULE (J 92 C748fr) | |
| O'Connor, Jane | EMPEROR'S SILENT ARMY: TERRACOTTA WARRIORS OF ANCIENT CHINA | |
| Fleischman, John | PHINEAS GAGE: A GRUESOME BUT TRUE STORY ABOUT BRAIN SCIENCE | |
| Bial, Raymond | TENEMENT: IMMIGRANT LIFE ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE | |
| Old, Wendie C. | TO FLY: THE STORY OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS (J 92 W954ol) | |
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| 2002 | Bartoletti, Susan Campbell | BLACK POTATOES: THE STORY OF THE GREAT IRISH FAMINE, 1845-1850 (YP 941.5 B292bl) |
| Kurlansky, Mark | THE COD'S TALE | |
| Kerley, Barbara | THE DINOSAURS OF WATERHOUSE HAWKINS (J567.9 K39di) | |
| Rappaport, Doreen | MARTIN'S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (J 92 K53ra) | |
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| 2001 | Stanley, Jerry | HURRY FREEDOM: AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE GOLD RUSH CALIFORNIA |
| Giblin, James Cross | THE AMAZING LIFE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (J 92 F831gi) | |
| Adler, David A. | AMERICA'S CHAMPION SWIMMER: GERTRUDE EDERLE (J 92 E22ad) | |
| Stanley, Daine | MICHELANGELO | |
| Govenar, Alan B. | OSCEOLA: MEMORIES OF A SHARECROPPER'S DAUGHTER | |
| Arnosky, Jim | WILD & SWAMPY | |
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| 2000 | Bridges, Ruby | THROUGH MY EYES (YP 379.263 B851th) |
| Myers, Walter Dean | AT HER MAJESTY'S REQUEST: AN AFRICAN PRINCESS IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND (YP 92 B712my) | |
| Reich, Susanna | CLARA SCHUMANN: PIANO VIRTUOSO | |
| Johnson, Sylvia | MAPPING THE WORLD | |
| Montgomery, Sy | THE SNAKE SCIENTIST | |
| Jenkins, Steve | THE TOP OF THE WORLD | |
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| 1999 | Armstrong, Jennifer | SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD: THE EXTRAORDINARY TRUE STORY OF SHACKLETON AND THE ENDURANCE |
| Burleigh, Robert | BLACK WHITENESS: ADMIRAL BYRD ALONE IN THE ANTARCTIC | |
| Holmes, Thom | FOSSIL FEUD: THE RIVALRY OF THE FIRST AMERICAN DINOSAUR HUNTERS | |
| Jenkins, Steve | HOTTEST, COLDEST, HIGHEST, DEEPEST | |
| Lobel, Alita | NO PRETTY PICTURES: A CHILD OF WAR (CCSU Polish Collection DS135 P63 L63) | |
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| 1998 | Pringle, Laurence | AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE: THE STORY OF A MONARCH BUTTERFLY |
| Dorros, Arthur | A TREE IS GROWING | |
| Giblin, James Cross | CHARLES LINDBERGH: A HUMAN HERO (YP 92 L742gi) | |
| Hampton, Wilborn | KENNEDY ASSASSINATED! THE WORLD MOURNS: A REPORTER'S STORY | |
| Stanley, Jerry | DIGGER: THE TRAGIC FATE OF THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS FROM THE MISSIONS TO THE GOLD RUSH | |
| Wick, Walter | A DROP OF WATER: A BOOK OF SCIENCE AND WONDER (J 546.22 W636dr) | |
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| 1997 | Stanley, Diane | LEONARDO DA VINCI (YP 92 L581st) |
| Blumberg, Rhoda | FULL STEAM AHEAD: THE RACE TO BUILD A TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD | |
| Freedman, Russel | THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CRAZY HORSE (YP 92 C911fr) | |
| Osborne, Mary Pope | ONE WORLD, MANY RELIGIONS | |
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| 1996 | Murphy, Jim | THE GREAT FIRE(YP 977.3 M978gr) |
| Coleman, Penny | ROSIE THE RIVETER: WOMEN WORKING ON THE HOME FRONT (YP 331.4 C716wo) | |
| Pringle, Laurence | DOLPHIN MAN: EXPLORING THE WORLD OF DOLPHINS | |
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| 1995 | Swanson, Diane | SAFARI BENEARTH THE SEA: THE WONDER WORLD OF THE NORTH PACIFIC COAST |
| Dewey, Jennifer Owings | WILDLIFE RESCUE: THE WORK OF DR. KATHLEEN RAMSAY | |
| Freedman, Russell | KIDS AT WORK: LEWIS HINE AND THE CRUSADE AGAINST CHILD LABOR | |
| McKissack, Patricia C. | CHIRSTMAS IN THE BIG HOUSE, CHRISTMAS IN THE QUARTERS | |
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| 1994 | Murphy, Jim | ACROSS AMERICA ON AN EMIGRANT TRAIN (YP 828.803 M978ac) |
| Brandenburg, Jim | TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD: ADVENTURES WITH ARCTIC WOLVES (J 599.74 B817to) | |
| Brooks, Bruce | MAKING SENSE: ANIMAL PERCEPTION AND COMMUNICATION (YP 591.1 B873ma) | |
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| 1993 | Stanley, Jerry | CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP |
| Cone, Molly | COME BACK, SALMON: HOW A GROUP OF DEDICATED KIDS ADOPTED PIGEON CREEK AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO LIFE | |
| Cummings, Pat | TALKING WITH ARTISTS (YP 741.642 T146) | |
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| 1992 | Burleigh, Robert | FLIGHT: THE JOURNEY OF CHARLES LINDBERGH (J 92 L742bu) |
| Conrad, Pam | PRAIRIE VISIONS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SOLOMON BUTCHER | |
| Myers, Walter Dean | NOW IS YOUR TIME! THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM (YP 973.0496 M996no) | |
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| 1991 | Freedman, Russell | FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT |
| Ekoomiak, Normee | ARCTIC MEMORIES (JPB Ekoomiak) | |
| Lauber, Patricia | SEEING EARTH FROM SPACE (J 525 L366) | |
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| 1990 | Fritz, Jean | THE GREAT LITTLE MADISON (J 92 M182fr) |
| Blumberg, Rhoda | THE GREAT AMERICAN GOLD RUSH (J 979.4 B658gr) | |
| Lauber, Patricia | THE NEWS ABOUT DINOSAURS (J 567.91 L366ne) | |
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Connect to the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Site.
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