Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons

Bone by Bone does a fine job of comparing the human skeletal structure to other animals and seeing the similarities and differences.  All vertebrates have a skull, ribs and a spine.  The differences come from the length or placement of our bones.  In thinking about the addition or removal of bones lets students picture different types of animals.  An interesting book with clear illustrations.

Some Magic Cuts Deep…Claws

This chapter books is steeped in fantasy and magic.  Our herione, Emma, is on a journey to find her abducted sister.  The family is worn from doing everything they possibly can to locate the sister that they are desperate to find. Emma finds herself in a fantastical world of cats, being the chose leader of the pride of cats.  As she can’t control her cat-like impulses, she gets expelled from her school and is forced to attend one that has dangerous creatures.  Magic, suspense, betrayal await her as she works to locate and rescue her older sister, who under a faeries spell, doesn’t wish to be found and returned to her home.  Every chaper has a CragWiki.org fact of the day.  This is areal and functioning website, which coordinates with the story.

Chicagoland Detective Agency, The Bark in Space

This is a graphic novel which is quirky, fantasy, humorous, and a touch manga, delivers information to the reader which engages them beyond just the plot of the story. The setting is the city of Chicago and the main characters are really quite innocent, which is refreshingly different than many of of past and current graphic novels.  The boy, Raf, is hoping to create an app which deciphers his dog’s language so they can communicate.  Space aliens, high-stakes dog show, scientists using animals as specimens,  visit to the animal shelter each have something to communicate to the reader.    I really liked the contemporary plot, and the illustrations were free from sexualizing the female characters.  Appropriate for elementary school aged readers.

Native Americans, Discover the History and Cultures of the First Americans

The Build it Yourself Series has great projects that students can create language, art, miniatures of transportation, etc.  The chapters are short, but full of information and laied out in an interesting format.  At the end, there is a project based on the culture represented in the chapter.  Cultures include: Arctic, PNW, Great Plains, Woodlands, Southwest tribes, etc. The hands-on activities are practical, do-able, and interesting.  I recommend this book for elementary level.

You Wouldn’t Want to be Sir Isaac Newton!

This nonfiction book has a sense of humor!  Which can be refreshing when reading a biography.  Cartoon captions are throughout the book with humorous references to difficulties or obstacles facing Sir Issac Newton.  Well done account of his youth and struggles in school and finally into world of science, even at the expense of contradicting his religious faith.  Accomplishments, discoveries, and honors are described in this intermediate, elementary level book.