Andie Townhouse 

Dr. Wyatt 
LIS 773-01 
November 15th, 2019  
 
This collection development project aims to build out our historical fiction and non-fiction 
materials, namely our 977.3 section and FIC -- The History of Chicago -- available in our 
media center at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. The school serves grades N-8th.  
 
Our non-fiction sources are excellent teaching resources for exploring informational text 
features, from the table of contents, index, and bold headings to image captions, title pages, 
glossary, and maps. These “parts of a book” become the basis for preparing students to learn 
effective note-taking, study skills, and MLA citation throughout the course of the year. 
 
These materials will be used for kindergarten students who study the Chicago skyline (pictures 
captions, charts, graphs, and maps to be used within 3-6 non-fiction materials); in the middle 
of the year, third and fourth grade students take a turn at studying the history of Chicago by 
choosing a part of the flag they wish to focus on: the Great Chicago Fire, the Century of 
Progress, Fort Dearborn, or the World’s Columbian Exposition. From these texts, students 
utilize evidence, generate original bibliographies, and work together in groups to decipher 
between main ideas and supporting details. According to CCS.ELA--ReadingRI2., third and 
fourth graders should be able to “determine the main idea of a text, recount key details, and 
explain how they support the main idea” (Common Core State Standards). 
Later, students are grouped together to “teach” their findings to three kindergarten classes in 
a culminating lecture that bridges student-led curiosity throughout the grade levels. 
Additionally, third and fourth grade students tour the Chicago History Museum to round out 
their research projects, and listen in as docents help deepen their findings. 
 
These curated materials will be shared between kindergartners, third and fourth graders, as 
well as their teachers throughout this social studies unit. It must also be noted that this 
collection is an invaluable curriculum piece, for there isn’t a school in Illinois that doesn’t study 
Chicago’s complex history.  
 
Selection Process: 
 
Books were reviewed to meet a wide range of student needs, from physical copies to 
playaways, audiobooks, and eBooks. A keyword search was first performed in the Chicago 
Public Library database, then subject strings were utilized to narrow down the search results 
to “juvenile literature.” Beginning with the Chicago Public Library holdings was a necessary 
step for generating ideas at the local level. Our current collection was assessed in Destiny for 
damaged and outdated copyright dates, then those titles were updated and/or replaced. 
Amazon and Titlewave were consulted throughout. Common Core State Standards posit that 
learners, when working with informational texts, should be able to “integrate information from 
two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably;” (RI.9) 
thus, multiple titles across grades were explored with careful attention to reading levels. 
Additionally, multiple copies are needed for classroom and library use amongst SK, 3-4 classes 
simultaneously. DVDs will be reference-based, and not circulated amongst students in the 
library. Multi-use eBooks were also included.  
 
 
 
 
Annotated Bibliography: 
 
This annotated bibliography was generated using Follett Titlewave:  
 
 
Chicago By Boat: The New River Tour -- DVD  
{YA, 917.73} -- Windows to the World Communication, 2005, 120 min.  
Explores the neighborhoods of Chicago by boat.  
$19.96  
 
Chicago (We Built This City) --- Orr, Tamara.  
{3-6, 977.3} -- Purple Toad Publishing, 2019 RL 6.0, 32 p.  
An overview of how everyday people from all over the world helped build the “City of 
the Big Shoulders” -- from parks, museums, sports complexes, and skyscrapers -- and 
how they are all connected by “L” trains.  
$22.63 x 3 = $67.89 
 
Emmi in the City : a Great Chicago Fire Survival Story (Girls Survive series) -- Salima, Alikhan.  
{3-6, FIC} Stone Arch Books, 2019 RL 4.1, 104 p.  
Part historical fiction, part adventure story, Girls Survive shows how girls fought for 
their survival during times of both tragedy and triumph during the Chicago Fire, 
drawing readers in with strong characters and gripping action. 
$7.95 x 3 = $23.85 
 
 
Fire, Chicago, 1871 -- Duey, Kathleen.   
{3-6, FIC} Aladdin, 2014 RL 6.0, 154 p.  
A historical fiction book exploring what happens when the Chicago fire of 1871 cuts off 
all means of escape, and twelve-year-old Nate attempts to save a wealthy young girl 
and to return home safely. 
$14.64 x 3 = $43.92 
 
 
Surviving the Great Chicago Fire -- Cleland, Joann (mulit-use eBook) 
{5-8, 977.3} Rourke Publishing, 2010 RL 4.1, 32 p.  
Provides, through the story of a firefighter and his family, a brief description of the 
1871 Chicago fire that killed over three hundred people and left over one hundred 
thousand people homeless, and its aftermath. 
​$29.95  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Great Chicago Fire, 1871 (I Survived, Book II) -- Tarshis, Lauren.   
{​3-6​, FIC​} -- Scholastic, Inc., 2015 RL 3.4, 96 p.  
Transports kids back to survival stories of how other amazing children weathered the 
Chicago Fire.   
$11.21 x 3 = $33.63 
 
 
The Great Chicago Fire, 1871 -- (Playaway) -- Tarshis, Lauren.   
{3-6, FIC} -- Findaway World, LLC., 2017 RL 3-6 1 hr., 28 min.  
Transports kids back to survival stories of how other amazing children weathered the 
Chicago Fire in playaway form.  
$54.99 x 3 = $164.97 
 
 
The Great Chicago Fire: Rising from the Ashes -- Graudins, Alex.   
{Int Lvl: 3-6 , 977.3} -- FirstSecond, 2020 RL: Item scheduled for release, June 2020 
In this travel-back-in time volume of comics, a deadly blaze engulfs Chicago for two terrifying 
days! A brother, a sister, and a helpless puppy must race through the city to stay one step 
ahead of the devilish inferno. 
$17.99 x 3 = $53.97 
 
 
The Great Chicago Fire : a cause-and-effect investigation -- Regan, Michael.  
{3-6, 977.3} -- Lerner Publications, 2017 RL 6.8, 40 p.  
From the Cause-And-Effect Disasters series, an investigation into the Chicago Fire  
disaster from multiple perspectives.  
$23.04 x 3 = $69.12 
 
 
Replacement Copies (lost, worn, damaged, older): 
 
 
Chicago History For Kids: Triumphs and Tragedies of the Windy City -- Hurd, Owen.   
{5-8, 977.3} -- Chicago Review Press, 2007 RL 7.7, 182 p.  
A comprehensive and exciting history of how Chicago became the third largest city in the 
U.S.  
 
$14.61 x 3 = $43.83 

Total Number of Materials: 26 Total Money Spent: $551.09