Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Trisha Speed Shaskan Illustrator: Robert Meganck Series: Musical Families Publisher: Picture Window Books / Capstone ISBN: 978-1-4048-6041-4 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: 1-3 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Trisha Speed Shaskan
- Grade Level: 1-3
- Illustrator: Robert Meganck
- ISBN: 978-1-4048-6041-4
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Picture Window Books / Capstone
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Series: Musical Families
- Year Published: 2011
The illustrations seem a little quirky, and personifying the instruments didn’t seem necessary, but the information seemed clear and pertinent. I don’t know much about musical instruments, but I learned some basics from this book. It seems like an adequate book.
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Robin Nelson Illustrator: Series: Discovering Nature's Cycles Publisher: Lerner Publications Company ISBN: 978-0-7613-4581-7 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: K-2 Rating: Recommended
- Author: Robin Nelson
- Grade Level: K-2
- ISBN: 978-0-7613-4581-7
- Length: 23 p.
- Publisher: Lerner Publications Company
- Rating: Recommended
- Series: Discovering Nature's Cycles
- Year Published: 2011
I liked this one. Usually I don’t have much use for these early-reader non-fiction books, because they generally lack any real substance to the information they provide. This one just had a sentence or two per page, but it managed to clearly convey all the necessary components to understanding the water cycle. The text was . . . → Read More: Earth’s Water Cycle
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Amanda Doering Tourville Illustrator: Zachary Trover Series: Mighty Machines Publisher: Magic Wagon ISBN: 978-1-60270-623-1 Year Published: 2009 Price: Grade Level: 1-3 Rating: Not Recommended
- Author: Amanda Doering Tourville
- Grade Level: 1-3
- Illustrator: Zachary Trover
- ISBN: 978-1-60270-623-1
- Length: 32 p.
- Publisher: Magic Wagon
- Rating: Not Recommended
- Series: Mighty Machines
- Year Published: 2009
It’s badly written — highly repetitive and redundant. It saved the interesting stuff for the last page instead of including it throughout.
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Angela Royston Illustrator: Christian Slade Series: Disgusting Body Facts Publisher: Raintree / Heinemann ISBN: 978-1-4109-3745-2 Year Published: 2010 Price: Grade Level: 2-4 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Angela Royston
- Grade Level: 2-4
- Illustrator: Christian Slade
- ISBN: 978-1-4109-3745-2
- Length: 32 p.
- Publisher: Raintree / Heinemann
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Series: Disgusting Body Facts
- Year Published: 2010
It certainly lived up to the title of the series. There wasn’t a whole lot connecting the different facts included other than that they are all things that make people itch. The photos and illustrations, combined with the information to give me the heebie-jeebies. Yuck. A little more substance/organization might have brought it up to . . . → Read More: Itches and Scratches
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Deborah Hodge Illustrator: Series: Publisher: Kids Can Press ISBN: 978-1-55453-618-4 Year Published: 2011 Price: $16.95 Grade Level: K-5 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Deborah Hodge
- Grade Level: K-5
- ISBN: 978-1-55453-618-4
- Length: 32 p.
- Price: $16.95
- Publisher: Kids Can Press
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Year Published: 2011
I get the feeling this book isn’t really meant for the audience it’s claiming to be for — I don’t think it’s so much a kids’ book as it is a book for parents who want to raise eco-friendly kids. Kids who are interested in gardening in the city are going to be more interested . . . → Read More: Watch Me Grow! A downt-to-Earth look at grwoing food in the city
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Sarah L. Schuette Illustrator: Series: Shapes Publisher: Capstone Press ISBN: 978-1-4296-4589-8 Year Published: 2010 Price: Grade Level: K-2 Rating: Not Recommended
- Author: Sarah L. Schuette
- Grade Level: K-2
- ISBN: 978-1-4296-4589-8
- Length: 32 p.
- Publisher: Capstone Press
- Rating: Not Recommended
- Series: Shapes
- Year Published: 2010
This one is just basically a waste of paper. It doesn’t seem to have anything consistent about it. I can’t tell what it’s purpose is. It seems to be a book about finding shapes around us in our daily lives, but most of the text is random information about things that happen to be triangles, . . . → Read More: Triangulos / Triangles
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Carmen Bredeson Illustrator: Series: I Like Weird Animals! Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-7660-3124-1 Year Published: 2009 Price: $15.95 Grade Level: K-2 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Carmen Bredeson
- Grade Level: K-2
- ISBN: 978-0-7660-3124-1
- Length: 24 p.
- Price: $15.95
- Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Series: I Like Weird Animals!
- Year Published: 2009
I almost gave this one a “Recommended.” It’s got more information that a lot of the non-fiction for early readers. It does have some interesting facts about some interesting birds. The piece it doesn’t have that I really wish it did is information about where these different birds can be found, whether in the text . . . → Read More: Weird Birds
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Mari Schuh Illustrator: Series: Gardens Publisher: Capstone Press ISBN: 978-1-4296-3984-2 Year Published: 2010 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Mari Schuh
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-1-4296-3984-2
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Capstone Press
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Reading level: K-1
- Series: Gardens
- Year Published: 2010
It’s yet another early reader text with simple sentences accompanying color photos, and including all the typical non-fiction text features. It’s shiny, and it’s got a sturdy binding, and it’s just fine for what it is, but I don’t usually invest a lot of my library dollars in this type of thing — long on . . . → Read More: Growing a Garden
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Sheila Anderson Illustrator: Series: Animal Adaptations Publisher: Lerner Publications Company ISBN: 978-0-7613-4571-8 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Sheila Anderson
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-0-7613-4571-8
- Length: 23 p.
- Publisher: Lerner Publications Company
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Series: Animal Adaptations
- Year Published: 2011
Intended for emergent readers, one to two sentences per page accompany color photos, listing different adaptations that forest animals use to either help them hide or help them access food. It’s small in size for the small hands of the intended audience. The binding is shiny and strong. It’s good for what it is, though . . . → Read More: What Can Live in a Forest?
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Nancy Dickmann Illustrator: Series: World of Farming Publisher: Heinemann ISBN: 978-1-4329-3939-7 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Nancy Dickmann
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-1-4329-3939-7
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Heinemann
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Reading level: H
- Series: World of Farming
- Year Published: 2011
Eh. It’s fine I guess. Nothing really to get excited about, but nothing really to complain about — except maybe that it over generalizes, saying “In fall, plants are ready to be picked.” I don’t claim to be a farming expert, but I believe there are some crops that are picked at different times of . . . → Read More: Seasons on a Farm
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Charlotte Guillain Illustrator: Series: Our Bodies Publisher: Heinemann ISBN: 978-1-4329-3595-5 Year Published: 2010 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Not Recommended
- Author: Charlotte Guillain
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-1-4329-3595-5
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Heinemann
- Rating: Not Recommended
- Reading level: H/1
- Series: Our Bodies
- Year Published: 2010
It almost earned an “additional purchase,” but it poked one of my review buttons: even when writing for young children, I think it’s important not to talk down to them. On p. 12 it states, “Your blood moves around your body in tubes.” If they’d only added, “called veins and arteries,” I’d be happy. Instead, . . . → Read More: Our Blood
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Dana Meachen Rau Illustrator: Series: Earth Matters Publisher: Marshall Cavendish ISBN: 978-0-7614-3048-3 Year Published: 2009 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Not Recommended
- Author: Dana Meachen Rau
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-0-7614-3048-3
- Length: 31 p.
- Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
- Rating: Not Recommended
- Series: Earth Matters
- Year Published: 2009
I thought about giving this book an “additional purchase” rating — it’s got an adequate, if not substantial, amount of information; it’s clearly organized, and written in text that is comprehensible to it’s young audience, without being overwhelming (not too much per page), etc. But there’s one sentence in it that I’m struggling with the . . . → Read More: Oceans
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Rebecca Rissman Illustrator: Series: The Five Senses Publisher: Heinemann ISBN: 978-1-4329-3680-8 Year Published: 2010 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Rebecca Rissman
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-1-4329-3680-8
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Heinemann
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Reading level: H/1
- Series: The Five Senses
- Year Published: 2010
Minimal information, but sturdy binding, colorful photos, all the necessary text features for teaching non-fiction literacy skills. More useful for the classroom than for the library.
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Julia Vogel Illustrator: Hazel Adams Series: Fascinating Food Chains Publisher: Magic Wagon / ABDO Publishing ISBN: 978-1-60270-796-2 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: K-3 Rating: Recommended
- Author: Julia Vogel
- Grade Level: K-3
- Illustrator: Hazel Adams
- ISBN: 978-1-60270-796-2
- Length: 32 p.
- Publisher: Magic Wagon / ABDO Publishing
- Rating: Recommended
- Series: Fascinating Food Chains
- Year Published: 2011
A lot of significant vocabulary and complex science presented in clear text and supportive illustrations to make it comprehensible to young students. I like this book because it targets young readers without losing substance.
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Charlotte Guillain Illustrator: Series: Comparing Bugs Publisher: Heinemann ISBN: 978-1-4329-3567-2 Year Published: 2010 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Charlotte Guillain
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-1-4329-3567-2
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Heinemann
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Reading level: H/1
- Series: Comparing Bugs
- Year Published: 2010
The information is limited, but the detail in the clear, up-close photographs is fabulous. Intended more as a literacy tool for emergent readers, the information is weak, but definitely about a topic of interest to many students. It includes photographs and statements about many different kinds of critters, likely to spur curiosity rather than satisfy . . . → Read More: Bugs on the Move
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Lori Mortensen Illustrator: Jeffrey Thompson Series: First Graphics / My Community Publisher: Capstone Press ISBN: 978-1-4296-4509-6 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: PreK-2 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Lori Mortensen
- Grade Level: PreK-2
- Illustrator: Jeffrey Thompson
- ISBN: 978-1-4296-4509-6
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Capstone Press
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Reading level: 1-2
- Series: First Graphics / My Community
- Year Published: 2011
Bright, bold illustrations and simple text introduce young readers to the graphic novel format while also explaining the role of Veterinarians in our community, outlining the different reasons people may take their pets to see a vet, and what is likely to happen when they visit.
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Jane Katirgis Illustrator: Series: All About Baby Animals Publisher: Bailey Books / Enslow Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-7660-3796-0 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Jane Katirgis
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-0-7660-3796-0
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Bailey Books / Enslow Publishers, Inc.
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Reading level: B
- Series: All About Baby Animals
- Year Published: 2011
This is not a book of information, so much as a literacy development tool for very emergent readers. There is only one sentence per page, and it is pretty much the same sentence on every page, with just the verb changing: “A baby _____ at the zoo.” Even the verbs repeat sometimes, so that multiple . . . → Read More: Baby Zoo Animals
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Rebecca Rissman Illustrator: Series: The Five Senses Publisher: Heinemann ISBN: 978-1-4329-3682-2 Year Published: 2010 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Rebecca Rissman
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- ISBN: 978-1-4329-3682-2
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Heinemann
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Reading level: H/1
- Series: The Five Senses
- Year Published: 2010
It’s got a good, sturdy binding, large color photos to support the text, lots of text features for teaching about non-fiction, large font, and simple text (using lots of repeating vocabulary) to present the basic scientific information about the sense of touch. It’s light on information, useful more as a literacy tool than as an . . . → Read More: Touching
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 31st, 2011 Author: Dave Crawley Illustrator: Liz Callen Series: Publisher: Wordsong ISBN: 978-1-59078-565-2 Year Published: 2010 Price: $17.95 Grade Level: K-5 Rating: Recommended
- Author: Dave Crawley
- Grade Level: K-5
- Illustrator: Liz Callen
- ISBN: 978-1-59078-565-2
- Length: 31 p.
- Price: $17.95
- Publisher: Wordsong
- Rating: Recommended
- Year Published: 2010
A fun collection of poems all created around a theme of school, with such such topics as yucky cafeteria food, writing sentences as punishment, substitutes, etc. Kids will enjoy and relate and laugh.
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 30th, 2011 Author: Monica Carretero Illustrator: Monica Carretero Series: Publisher: Cuento de Luz ISBN: 978-8493781491 Year Published: 2010 Price: $14.95 Grade Level: 1-5 Rating: Recommended
- Author: Monica Carretero
- Grade Level: 1-5
- Illustrator: Monica Carretero
- ISBN: 978-8493781491
- Price: $14.95
- Publisher: Cuento de Luz
- Rating: Recommended
- Year Published: 2010
This is a fun book, full of cheerful illustrations describing this author’s imaginings of what the world of fairies is like: it declares that fairies were created from the love of girls and butterflies, and goes on to describe them in different types of settings, with different kinds of wings, and different purposes. The illustrations . . . → Read More: Fairy Handbook
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 30th, 2011 Author: Melanie Watt Illustrator: Melanie Watt Series: Scaredy Squirrel Publisher: Kids Can Press ISBN: 978-1-55453-468-5 Year Published: 2011 Price: $16.95 Grade Level: K-3 Rating: Recommended
- Author: Melanie Watt
- Grade Level: K-3
- Illustrator: Melanie Watt
- ISBN: 978-1-55453-468-5
- Price: $16.95
- Publisher: Kids Can Press
- Rating: Recommended
- Series: Scaredy Squirrel
- Year Published: 2011
In true Scaredy Squirrel fashion, Scaredy Squirrel is petrified of having a party for his birthday, for a whole host of reasons which he carefully outlines. He then sets forth elaborate plans to have a safe party, protected from all his possible fears. Of course his plans go awry, but it turns out okay after . . . → Read More: Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 30th, 2011 Author: Ross Collins Illustrator: Ross Collins Series: Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0-8075-1683-6 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: K-3 Rating: Recomended
- Author: Ross Collins
- Grade Level: K-3
- Illustrator: Ross Collins
- ISBN: 978-0-8075-1683-6
- Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
- Rating: Recomended
- Year Published: 2011
A really fun story about the disaster that strikes when young Harvey dismisses his mother’s instructions about how important it is that no one draws on Doodle Day. When mom goes off to the market Harvey decides to go ahead and draw anyway, only to find that everything he draws comes to life in giant . . . → Read More: Doodleday
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 30th, 2011 Author: Mary Ann Fraser Illustrator: Mary Ann Fraser Series: Publisher: Boyds Mills Press ISBN: 978-1-59078-619-2 Year Published: 2010 Price: $16.95 Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Additional Purchase
- Author: Mary Ann Fraser
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- Illustrator: Mary Ann Fraser
- ISBN: 978-1-59078-619-2
- Price: $16.95
- Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
- Rating: Additional Purchase
- Year Published: 2010
When no one is coming in the pet store, the pets decide to put on a circus, complete with costumes they’ve made themselves, and then all sorts of people come in the store. There are just a few words per page. The pictures are fun and cute, but there’s not a whole lot to the . . . → Read More: Pet Shop Follies
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 30th, 2011 Author: Shelley Marshall Illustrator: Ben Mahan Series: Character Education Super Ben and Molly the Great Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-7660-3520-1 Year Published: 2010 Price: Grade Level: PreK-1 Rating: Not Recommended
- Author: Shelley Marshall
- Grade Level: PreK-1
- Illustrator: Ben Mahan
- ISBN: 978-0-7660-3520-1
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
- Rating: Not Recommended
- Series: Character Education Super Ben and Molly the Great
- Year Published: 2010
Ugh. This is the third one of these I’ve gotten myself stuck with, and I haven’t liked any of them. They have a noble purpose, to create stories that teach valued characteristics, but this needs to be done in such a way that does not talk down to students. There are much better stories that . . . → Read More: Molly the Great Tells the Truth
Reviewed by Courtney Morgan, on December 30th, 2011 Author: Shelly Lyons Illustrator: Ronnie Rooney Series: Dream Big Publisher: Picture Window Books / Capstone ISBN: 978-1-4048-6162-6 Year Published: 2011 Price: Grade Level: K-3 Rating: Not Recommended
- Author: Shelly Lyons
- Grade Level: K-3
- Illustrator: Ronnie Rooney
- ISBN: 978-1-4048-6162-6
- Length: 24 p.
- Publisher: Picture Window Books / Capstone
- Rating: Not Recommended
- Series: Dream Big
- Year Published: 2011
It presents itself as non-fiction, but it makes some assumptions in its description of what life would be like as a movie star, glamorizing a career children already have glamorized visions of. I can’t find a purpose to this book.
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