Motivating Males to Read

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Motivating Males to Read
Alice Mikos, Lisa Smith, Shelley Collins
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The Literacy ProblemOHSD Boys Lag Behind Girls

• 4th grade boys lag 6 behind girls
• 7th grade boys lag 7.6 behind girls
• 10th grade boys lag 3.9 behind girls
• -OSPI School Report Card for OHSD 2005
• http//reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/WASLCurrent....

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PIRLS 2001Progress in International Reading
Literacy Study

• Internationally, boys lag behind girls in
  reading.
• 30 countries surveyed
• 4th grade girls scored significantly higher in
  all
• -http//www.reading.org/publications/reading_today
  /samples/RTY-0408-boys.html

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National Assessment of Educational Progress
2003Reading Scores

• In 2003, girls scored higher on average than boys
  by 7 points at grade 4 and by 11 points at grade
  8.
• 2002-2003, no significant change was detected in
  score gaps.
• 4th and 8th grade score gaps are consistent
  overall since 1992.
• NAEP, 2003 Reading Assessments
• Knowles, Elizabeth and Martha Smith. Boys and
  Literacy. Westport, CT Libraries Unlimited,
  2005.

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How Boys and Girls Brains Differ

• BOYS BRAINS
• Larger
• More developed right hemisphere
• Better spatial relationships
• Activate for a specific task
• Resist interruption
• Work best in short bursts
• Need a break at the end of a task

• GIRLS BRAINS
• Larger corpus callosum connecting right and left
  hemispheres
• More cross-communication between right/left
  spheres results in stronger reading
• Simultaneous use of both sides almost all the
  time
• Designed to be more verbal

Gurian, Michael. The Wonder of Boys. New York
Jeremy Tarcher/Penguin, 1997.
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Approaches to Teaching

• BOYS
• More active
• More breaks
• Listen less
• More competition
• Task orientation
• Problem-solving focus

• GIRLS
• More verbal
• Sit longer
• Listen longer
• More emotional expression
• Relationship focus

Gurian, Michael. The Wonder of Boys.
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Biological Determinism orSocial Constructionism?

• Harmful boy code governs male behavior through
  culturally created myths of masculinity
  (Pollack, W. Real Boys)
• Teachers see many different expressions of
  masculinity. (Culturally relevant)
• Society must interrogate and redefine
  masculinity. (Smith and Wilhelm, Reading Dont
  Fix No Chevys, p. 6)

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Is Testosterone Evil?
Are Boys Defective Girls?
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Boys and Literacy

• If boys see literacy as feminized
• And boys define their maleness as not female,
• Then boys must reject literacy.
• Martino, W. Boys and Literacy Exploring the
  Construction of Hegemonic Masculinities and the
  Formation of Literate Capacities for Boys in the
  English Classroom, English in Australia, 1995.

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Boys Reading Achievement

• Boys take longer to learn to read than girls.
• Boys read less than girls read.
• Girls comprehend narrative texts most
  expository text better than boys.
• Boys tend to be better at info retrieval and
  work-related literacy tasks than girls.
• Smith and Wilhelm. Reading Dont Fix No Chevys,
  p. 10

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Boys Attitudes Toward Reading

• Boys estimate their reading ability as lower than
  girls.
• Boys value reading as an activity less.
• Boys have less interest in leisure reading and
  tend to read for utilitarian purposes.
• More boys consider themselves nonreaders.
• Boys spend less time reading.
• Smith and Wilhelm, Reading Dont Fix No Chevys,
  p. 10.

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Boys Reading Choices

• Informational text
• Magazines and newspapers
• Graphic novels and comic books
• Male lead characters
• Hobbies, sports, activities
• Less fiction and less poetry
• Escapism and humor sci fi and fantasy
• Smith and Wilhelm, Reading Dont Fix No Chevys,
  p. 11

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Boys Response to Reading

• Appearance and cover of book important
• Not as likely to talk about books or overtly
  respond to a book as girls
• Prefer active responses to reading by acting out,
  doing or making something
• Boys are more criticized for weak reading
• Boys require more teacher time
• Smith and Wilhelm, Reading Dont Fix No Chevys,
  p. 11.

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Boys Can Succeed!Teachers Can Help!

• Match teaching styles to learning needs
• Match books to reading levels
• Match books/media to interest levels
• Expand our understanding of literacy
• Revise our reading lists of required reading
• Provide more personal choice in reading
• Provide TIME for reading!

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Biography

• George Washington, Spymaster How the Americans
  Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary
  War
• Allen, Thomas B.

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Graphic Biography

• Alexander the Great the Life of a King and
  Conqueror
• Shone, Rob

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Autobiography

• Hole in my Life
• Gantos, Jack.

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Autobiography

• Caught by the Sea My Life on Boats
• Paulsen, Gary

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Autobiography

• Guts the True Stories Behind Hatchet and the
  Brian Books
• Paulsen, Gary.

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Autobiography

• Woodsong
• Paulsen, Gary

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Non-Fiction

• Flags of Our Fathers Heroes of Iwo Jima
• Bradley, James

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Non-Fiction

• Geeks How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out
  of Idaho
• Katz, Jon.

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Non-Fiction

• Longitude the True Story of a Lone Genius Who
  Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His
  Time
• Sobel, Dava

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Non-Fiction

• Friday Night Lights A Town, a Team, and a Dream
  
• Bissinger, H. G.

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Non-Fiction

• Life in Prison
• Williams, Stanley Tookie

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Non-Fiction

• Secrets of a Civil War Submarine Solving the
  Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley
• Walker, Sally M.

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Non-Fiction

• The Hobbit Companion
• Day, David

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Non-Fiction

• Trial by Ice A Photobiography of Sir Ernest
  Shackleton
• Kostyal, K. M

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Non-Fiction

• Mystery on Everest A Photobiography of George
  Mallory
• Salkeld, Audrey

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Non-Fiction

• The Ultimate Unauthorized Eragon Guide the
  Hidden Facts Behind the World of Alagaesia
• Gresh, Lois H.

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Non-Fiction

• The Sorcerer's Companion A Guide to the Magical
  World of Harry Potter
• Kronzek, Allan Zola

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Non-Fiction

• Lest We Forget The Passage from Africa to
  Slavery and Emancipation
• Thomas, Velma Maia

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Poetry

• Jump ball a basketball season in poems
• Glenn, Mel

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Poetry

• A Poke in the I A Collection of Concrete Poems
• Selected by
• Paul Janeczko

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Poetry

• I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You Paired Poems
  by Men Women
• Naomi Shihab Nye and Paul B. Janeczko, editors

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Poetry

• 19 Varieties of Gazelle Poems of the Middle
  East
• Nye, Naomi Shihab

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Novel in Verse

• Worlds Afire
• Janeczko, Paul B.

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Short Stories

• Athletic Shorts Six Short Stories
• Crutcher, Chris

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Short Stories

• Guys Write for Guys Read
• edited by Jon Scieszka

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Fiction

• Stuck in Neutral
• Trueman, Terry

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Fiction

• The Boxes
• Sleator, William

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Fiction

• Code Talker A Novel about the Navajo Marines of
  World War Two
• Bruchac, Joseph,

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War Stories (PNW) - NF

• Fighting for Honor Japanese Americans and World
  War II
• Cooper, Michael L

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War Stories - NF

• Born to Fly the Heroic Story of Downed U.S.
  Navy Pilot Lt. Shane Osborn
• Osborn, Shane

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War Stories - NF

• Billy Yank Johnny Reb Soldiering in the Civil
  War
• Beller, Susan Provost

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War Stories - NF

• Black Hawk Down --A Story of Modern War
• Bowden, Mark

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War Stories - NF

• Basher Five-two The True Story of F-16 Fighter
  Pilot Captain Scott O'Grady
• O'Grady, Scott

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War Stories - NF

• Abandon Ship The Saga of the U. S. S.
  Indianapolis, the Navy's Greatest Sea Disaster
• Newcomb, Richard

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War Stories - NF

• Left for Dead A Young Man's Search for Justice
  for the USS Indianapolis
• Nelson, Peter

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True Life Adventure - NF

• Seabiscuit An American Legend
• Hillenbrand, Laura.

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True Life Adventure - NF

• The Perfect Storm A True Story of Men Against
  the Sea
• Junger, Sebastian

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True Life Adventure - NF

• Within Reach My Everest Story
• Pfetzer, Mark

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True Life Adventure - NF

• Three Among the Wolves A Couple and Their Dog
  Live a Year with Wolves in the Wild
• Thayer, Helen

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True Life Adventure - NF

• Into the Wild
• Krakauer, Jon

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The Greats - NF

• Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini
• Fleischman, Sid

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The Greats - NF

• Sundiata Lion King of Mali
• Wisniewski, David

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The Greats - NF

• Crispus Attucks Hero of the Boston Massacre
• Beier, Anne.

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The Greats - NF

• The Revolutionary John Adams
• by Harness, Cheryl

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The Greats - Biography

• Al-Khwarizmi The Inventor of Algebra
• Brezina, Corona

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The Greats - Biography

• Isaac Newton
• Allan, Tony

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Graphic Non-Fiction

• Spartacus The Life of a Roman gladiator
• by Shone, Rob

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Adolescent Male Social Issues - NF

• You Ought to Know A Guy's Guide to Sex
• Kelly, Bill

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Adolescent Male Social Issues - NF

• Chillin' A Guy's Guide to Friendship
• Sommers, Michael

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Adolescent Male Social Issues - NF

• Child Abuse Why Do My Parents Hit Me?
• by Havelin, Kate,

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Adolescent Male Social Issues - NF

• Teen fathers today
• by Gottfried, Ted

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Adolescent Male Social IssuesFiction

• Hanging on to Max
• by Bechard, Margaret

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Science All Around - NF

• The Day the Earth Stood Still
• Thomas, Isabel

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Science All Around - NF

• What's Living in Your Bedroom?
• by Solway, Andrew

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Science All Around - NF

• Swimming with Hammerhead Sharks
• Mallory, Kenneth.

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Science All Around - NF

• The Woods Scientist
• Swinburne, Stephen

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Science All Around - NF

• Fire in Their Eyes Wildfires and the People Who
  Fight Them
• Beil, Karen Magnuson

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Science Fiction (not Sci Fi)

• The Killing Sea
• Lewis, Richard

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Recreational Reading - NF

• Phineas Gage A Gruesome But True Story About
  Brain Science
• Fleischman, John.

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Recreational Reading - NF
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Recreational Reading - NF

• Star Wars, attack of the clones the visual
  dictionary
• Reynolds, David West

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Sports - NF

• Rippin' Ramps A Skateboarder's Guide to Riding
  Half-pipes
• Hocking, Justin.

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Recreational Reading - NF

• Indy 500 The Inside Track
• Pimm, Nancy Roe

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Poetry

• Becoming Joe DiMaggio
• Testa, Maria

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Poetry

• Technically, It's Not My Fault Concrete Poems
• Grandits, John.

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Short Story - Fiction

• Shelf life Stories by the Book
• Paulsen, Gary

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History - NF

• The Real Revolution The Global Story of
  American Independence
• Aronson, Marc

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History - NF

• Miracle The True Story of the Wreck of the Sea
  Venture
• Karwoski, Gail

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PNW History - NF

• The Great Canoes Reviving a Northwest Coast
  Tradition
• Neel, David

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PNW History - Poetry

• The Elders Are Watching
• Bouchard, Dave

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History - NF

• Revenge of the Whale The True Story of the
  Whaleship Essex
• Philbrick, Nathaniel

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History - NF

• You Wouldn't Want to Sail on a 19th-Century
  Whaling Ship! Grisly Tasks You'd Rather Not Do
• Cook, Peter

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History - NF

• Civil War Ghosts
• Cohen, Daniel

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Pair History NF and Hist. Fiction
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Historical Fiction Quite Real

• Castle Diary The Journal of Tobias Burgess,
  Page
• Platt, Richard

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Ancient Writing - NF

• Writing in Ancient Egypt
• Fine, Jil

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Art and Artists - NF

• Vincent Van Gogh
• by Green, Jen

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Art and Artists - NF

• Leonardo da Vinci
• Stanley, Diane

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Art and Artists - NF

• Marc Chagall
• by Mason, Antony

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Graphic Mythology - NF

• Mesoamerican Myths
• West, David

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Graphic Mythology - NF

• Egyptian Myths
• Jeffrey, Gary

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Civil War Historical Fiction

• The Last Brother a Civil War Tale
• Noble, Trinka Hakes.

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Humor!

• Squids Will Be Squids Fresh Morals, Beastly
  Fables
• Scieszka, Jon

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Caldecott Winner 2006

• Flotsam
• Wiesner, David

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Fantasy Series
By Chris DLacy
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Fantasy Series
By Jenny Nimmo
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Fantasy Series
By Hilari Bell
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More Fantasy!
T. A. Barron
Lloyd Alexander
Diane Duane
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Shadow Children Series

• Among the Hidden
• Haddix, Margaret Peterson

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Fantasy

• The City of Ember
• DuPrau, Jeanne

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Humor!

• The Legend of Spud Murphy
• Colfer, Eoin

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Survival Story

• Kensukes Kingdom
• Morpugo, Michael

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Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

• Wolf Brother
• Paver, Michelle

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A Supernatural Story

• Clockwork
• Pullman, Philip

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Would you believeWolf School?

• Little Wolfs Book of Badness
• Whybrow, Ian

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Computer as Discipline?

• Doing Time Online
• Siebold, Jan

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Humor and Recreation

• Roller Coasters, or I Had So Much Fun I Almost
  Puked
• Cook, Nick

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Series Books

• Tintin
• Herge

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Tucket Adventure Series
By Gary Paulsen
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Jack Henry Series
By Jack Gantos
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Tom and Liz Austen Series
By Eric Wilson
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Historical Narratives
By Jim Murphy
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Russell FreedmanHistory
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Science Connections

• Turn It Loose The Scientist in Absolutely
  Everybody
• Swanson, Diane

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Science Connections

• Eureka! Great Inventions and How They Happened
• Platt, Richard

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