Text Set
Emily Swope
National Music Standard
MU:Cr1.1.PKa With substantial guidance, explore and
experience a variety of music.
The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra
!
Ganeri, A., & Kingsley, B. (1996). The Young
Person's Guide to the Orchestra. San Diego:
Harcourt Brace.
Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 57.1 (
Suitability: Grade 4-7
This is a picture book introducing the
various sections and instruments of an
orchestra. It includes a narrated CD and
some musical tracks (including the piece
from which the book gets its name) to
demonstrate the sounds of each instrument.
This book also explores some concepts about
running an orchestra, as well as world music.
Some of the reviews were less than positive,
but I feel this could be used well in the right
hands.
Fat Kid Rules the World
!
Going, K. (2004). Fat Kid Rules the Word.
London: Speak Publishing.
Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 86.7
Suitability: Grades 7-12
This book is about a boy named Troy, who is
overweight, unhappy, and very selfconscious. He is about to commit suicide
when he meets Curt, a drug-addicted, semihomeless musician who dropped out of his
high school. The boys become unlikely
friends and Curt convinces Troy to learn the
drums to join his band. Troy learns a lot
about himself, becomes more confident,
reconnects with his family, and even saves
Curts life, all through learning how to drum
with Curt.
When the Beat was Born
!
Hill, L., & Taylor, T. (n.d.). When the beat was
born: DJ Kool Herc and the creation of hip hop.
Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 77.4
Suitability: Grades 3-6
I chose this book to appeal to students who
may not like classical music, as this picture
book tells the story of the invention of hip
hop. The book, besides just talking about hip
hop, tells the biography of the man who is
credited with creating hip hop. This book won
a Coretta Scott King Award, given to AfricanAmerican authors and illustrators, so this
book would be a great way to bring diversity
and representation into the texts used in the
classroom.
I See the Rhythm
!
Igus, T., & Wood, M. (1998). I see the rhythm. San
Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.
Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 87.4 (AGL 5.2)
Suitability: Grades 2-5
This is another book that helps bring better
representation into the music classroom. This is a
picture book that describes the history of African
music, all the way from its beginnings in Africa to
modern styles like hip hop. It encompasses many
genres and historical periods, explaining the
African-American history of styles like jazz. This
book would be a good tie-in to the previous book,
as both are about African-American music, and
both won Coretta Scott King Awards.
Harmonic Feedback
! Kelly, T. (2010). Harmonic feedback. New York:
Henry Holt.
! Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 79.3
! Suitability: Grades 8-12 (due to length and
subject matter)
! This is a high school-level young adult fiction
about a girl named Drea, who is obsessed with
music and sound design. She is an outsider at
school (and has Aspergers) but eventually meets
and befriends two other students. They form a
band and bond over music, allowing Drea to have
a lot of personal growth and discovery, and, of
course, some drama ensues.
Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times
(and What the Neighbors Thought)
!
Krull, K., & Hewitt, K. (1993). Lives of the
musicians: Good times, bad times (and what the
neighbors thought). San Diego: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich.
Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 64.1
Suitability: 4-8
This book is primarily text, although it does
incorporate some pictures. This tells interesting
and often obscure facts and stories about
famous composers, bringing an additional
sense of realism and relevance to students. It is
also humorous, which can engage students in
learning musical history more. Importantly, this
covers a variety of composers and time periods,
exposing students to a large variety of music.
Dayenu! A Favorite Passover Song
! Latimer, M. (2012). Dayenu!: A favorite
Passover song. New York: Scholastic.
! Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 92.2
! Suitability: Grades kindergarten-2
! This book is very simple, with bright
pictures and not much text. The text
references the words to a traditional
Hebrew Passover song and tells the story
behind Passover. This is another book for
bringing representation into the
classroom and can be used to introduce
the song it references.
Moses Goes to a Concert
!
Millman, I. (1998). Moses goes to a concert. New
York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 93.3
Suitability: Kindergarten-3
This book has the potential to teach the most to
students it is a picture book about deaf children
going to a concert. It discusses a little about people
who are deaf, such as the use of American Sign
Language, as well as how to work around the
disability to give students the best learning
experience you can. Once again, this book offers
representation, especially for a group that isnt
often discussed in conversations about
representation. This book also include words in
ASL, so this can help teach students about people
not like themselves.
African Playground
! Putumayo Presents. (2003). African
Playground. [CD]. Putumayo World Music.
! Readability: N/A
! Suitability: N/A
! This is a CD containing recordings of
traditional African songs. Exposing students
to a variety of music outside Western music is
important, and this CD is an excellent way to
broaden their horizons. The variety of songs
and styles on this CD can also be used to
learn about history and culture.
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
!
Sonnenblick, J. (2005). Drums, girls, & dangerous pie.
New York: Scholastic Press.
Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 83
Suitability: Grades 6-8 (due to content)
This is a middle school-level fiction book, although
some of the themes may be too heavy for some
children. The story is about a boy, Steven, who
loves music and is a typical kid until his little
brother is diagnosed with leukemia. Stevens
schoolwork suffers but he throws himself into
music to help cope with the stress of the situation.
The musical element of this book would appeal to
some kids, although the subject matter may be too
heavy for others.
