Illustrations that Amaze

Picture books are worth your time, even as middle school students! These books can help you build background knowledge in a fun and enjoyable way. Many times picture books get overlooked in our library, so I would like to highlight a few that you really shouldn't miss.

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh

Picture an all black background with incredible pictures of space filling the pages. These photographs along with actual photos of Mission Control tell the story of man's first step on the moon. You may know a bit about the astronauts' experience, but this book tells the story of the people behind the scenes who made the mission possible. For instance, the astronauts depended on the space suits made by a team of seamstresses who had to stitch, glue and cement material together to create the suit. I was surprised to learn that cement was used! This book won the 2007 Robert F. Siebert Award.

Triumph on Everest: A Photobiography of Sir Edmund Hillary by Broughton Coburn

Have you ever thought about how tough a climb it would be to get to the summit of Mount Everest? If you have a difficult time picturing this, check out this book. Broughton Coburn shows us what an incredible feat this was in 1953, as well as describes Sir Edmund Hillary's humanitarian acts. Sir Edmund Hillary came to love the Sherpa people who helped him achieve his goal of scaling Mount Everest. He used his fame to raise money for schools for the Sherpas.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures by Brian Selznick

Don't be put off by the size of this book - over 150 pages are pictures. This award winning novel is dependent on the pictures and you will marvel at the intricacies of the black and white pencil drawings. If you enjoy mysteries, this 2008 Caldecott winner should be a definite pick for you.