I loved this book of fishy/water poems!  The pictures are wonderfully funny and cute.

The poems are creative and teach about many water dwelling animals.  The large font is easy to read.

What a fun book!

This is a funny story about a zombie child, his mother, and his struggle to go to sleep at night.

For kids who enjoy zombie stories, this would be a fun read.  The pictures are simple and fun.

The story is written as a rhyme.

I liked it.  O think kids who like monsters will like it too.

This is a fun kids cook book, full of yummy things kids would enjoy making and eating.

The interesting science facts with each recipe is a great way to teach applied science, and helps kid see science is around them in everything.

The glossary in the back explains terms new cooks may not be familiar with.  The colored pictures of how to-do-it

This story is full of funny words to familiar tunes.  Kids would probably think they are funny.

The story was just ok.  The sibling bugs have a poor relationship with each other, which never quite gets resolved.

The font is easy to read.  The vocabulary is beyond beginner.  It was just OK.

This is a nonfiction book with a very conventional, traditional format.  There are occasional captions which offer explanation of photos.  Along with this are the Fun Fact! captions which include something interesting in one sentence.  It is a good addition to the dry text.  The glossary (Words to Know) are in red, which is nice feature throughout the book.  There are also pronunciation cues in the back of the book.  Also included is a Habitat Map, located in the back of the book.  I’d like to see it in the front of the book, but am impressed that they have included it at all, since too many nonfiction books do not include this crucial information.  The size scale, comparing humans to zebras, was a perfect compare and contrast skill.

Find Out More, which gives titles of books and the www.factsfornow.scholastic.com website offers additional resources.  The website’s face is beautifully simple (less is better) and it offers a Grolier encyclopedia article.  The best feature is the simple search engine, but the articles are more dry text.  I like the fact hound site better, where there is a variety of vetted websites, some including games and fun activities and variety of resources.

Well, organized and informative non-fiction book would lend itself to a student led research report on this breed of dog.  The chapters are outlined with all of the classic information and each chapter is free of distractions such as captions, colors, graphs, etc.  The traditional format may work well with learners are need a straight forward focus.  This series has the typical glossary, and index.  The bold faced vocabulary words throughout the book were a bonus.  Included in this series is the website feature.  www.abdopublishing.com.  However, upon arriving at the website I could not locate the information about Cesky terriers.  I recommend reformatting the website with an obvious link at the top which allows the student to easy enter the name of the book and the suggested links will appear.  It’s a useless activity for children to follow the general information provided in the back of the book about going to the publishing website and looking for our Book Links page. This reviewer wasn’t able to locate it, I wouldn’t ask a student to do it.

Spiders  is one of 32 books in the Level 1: Emergent reader series Backyard Wildlife.

There are nine pages of simple text dealing with an amazing amount of good basic spider information. Each of these pages has two sentences in a large font. Opposite the text is a high definition photograph, often showing the great detail of the spider’s hairy legs or the patterning on the spider’s body.

The excellent glossary page includes: arachnids, fangs, insects, prey, and venom among 8 other words.

Includes: Glossary, To Learn More, On the Web (www.factsurfer.com), and Index.

Monster Trucks is one of 6 books in the Level 1: Emergent reader series Monster Machines.

There are nine pages of simple text. Each of these pages has two sentences in a large font. These trucks are definitely not your everyday variety of truck!  They’re huge. “Their tires are taller than a kid!” (page 8) . Their paint jobs, super-sized tires, and “super-charged engines” command attention. Opposite the text is a high definition photograph of a monster truck , usually in action during a rally. Young truck loving readers will enjoy this book.

Includes: Glossary, To Learn More, On the Web (www.factsurfer.com), and Index.

Baby Penguins is one of 13 books in the Level 1: Emergent reader series SUPER CUTE! of baby animals. This book lives up to the series title Super Cute!

There are nine pages of simple text dealing with hatching from an egg, covered in down, and being feed by the mother.Each of these pages has two sentences in a large font. Opposite the text is a high definition photograph of a baby penguin(s). Three of the nine photos may actually be life-size!

Includes: Glossary, To Learn More, On the Web (www.factsurfer.com), and Index.

I liked how this nonfiction book placed the vocabulary words at the BEGINNING of the book, instead of the end.  It’s after the fact at the end.  Appreciated is the no nonsense explanation of the antaomy, food, and lifecycle of fireflies.  The phones with the life cycle was an exceptional touch.  Missing is a geography page where we can locate these creatures on the planet.  Also a scale of size would be nice, how about a page comparing it to a common house fly, bee, robin, etc. so that the students could practice compare and contrast. Also, this reviewer wasn’t able to get to the suggested website, http://readysetflow.org/activitysheets/index.html.  Additional purchase

This is a charming beginning reader chapter book which is twisted continuation of Little Red Riding Hood.  The big bad wolf ends up in the emergency room because he is choking on something, as the nurse comforts the little girl who can’t find her grandmother, the doctor squeezes with all her might.  Grandmother is saved, after much suspense, and a happy ending is enjoyed by everyone-except the big bad wolf.  Unfortunately for him, it’s against the law to eat grandmothers and the police were called to take him away.  Charming pictures contribute to this quality book! Recommended.

This book is affiliated with Amnesty International, which is a global human rights organization.  This book explores the psychology behind soldiers fighting their “enemies” and what they might have in common.  In this story the soldier is told that the enemy is evil and as soon as he can kill him he can go home.  He endures much discomfort, fear and trauma before he learns that the enemy was also told the he was evil and as soon as “the enemy” could kill him, the enemy could go home.  In the end he realizes how much in common they have and the soldiers end with a truce.  Time to go back to their families.  A message delivered in a delicate manner, sure to solicit good discussion.

The Peculiars, by Maureen Doyle McQuerry, enters realms of steampunk fantasy with the search of 18 year old Lena Mattacascar to learn more about her father, Saul, who left her and her mother for the strange land of Scree, wherein live those whose characteristics (wings, goblin features, dwarfism and the like) make them not only different but undesirables and victims of oppression. Lena’s inheritance of the deed to her father’s mine in Scree begins her journey north, leading her to engage with friends and foes as she deals with her own goblinesque, hands and feet and the realization of her father’s uncontrolled tendencies to violence.

Themes of self-acceptance, discernment, trust and determination infuse McQuerry’s alternate late-1800s steam-powered world. Infused with facts and historic figures, readers enter Lena’s experiences as she discovers whether she is indeed “a Peculiar” in the face of societal condemnation and shame.  In so doing, she finds a new life, acceptance, a worthwhile career and the promise of love.

The author, who lives and teaches in southeastern Washington, specializes in young adult fiction.  With The Peculiars, she has created a worthwhile and thought-provoking look into a world filled with gears, pulleys, steam-driven flying machines, committed characters, and an indomitable spirit of self-discovery. Recommended.

Perfect is for a baseball fan.  Anyone one who has played the game will “see” a game from the descriptions of the writer and enjoy reading about some of the games special moments. Each perfect game is its own chapter; alike in that the reader knows how it will end, but different in how the end comes about. What James Buckley Jr. also provides in this book is a historical timeline because descriptions of how the game was played in the beginning to how the rules changed to the game we know now give readers a real sense of the evolution of America’s pastime.

Of course nothing can be perfect.  The book does not include the perfect games played last year, most notably, by this Mariner’s fan, that by Felix Hernandez.

The author does reference other books written about perfect games, each book about a single game and its impact upon the game, the season, the player the team and the fans.  This is most likely an additional purchase for schools and public libraries.

Theo’s classmates help him understand his feelings about becoming a big brother as they share their good moods/bad moods  for Monday morning’s Mood News.  Since each child has a different mood (proud, jealous, afraid, mad, confused, grateful, cheerful, etc.) , the story becomes a great introduction to a  rich vocabulary of “feelings” words.  I found the stylized  and  colorful illustrations quite engaging.  The main character was named after the author’s father, Theodore.  One classmate was named Ameen, which I took as an acknowledgment to our country’s cultural diversity.  After reading this book, I was feeling LUCKY to have found a story to help kids learn more  about moods and feeling vocabulary.

Max and Zoe are schoolmates looking for a really cool science fair project.  Max comes up with an idea that includes his love of dogs.  He decides  to do tests on his own dog, Buddy, plus neighbor dogs, to prove that dogs understand facial expressions.  They used staring, frowning and  smiling…recording each dog’s reponse.  The dogs acted very differently to a frown vs a smile, proving his hypothesis.  What a delightful Early Reader…perfect for those late first and second grade readers.  Characters show persistence,  collaboration, and cooperation.  The book is brightly illustrated in primary colors and  sweet cartoon-like drawings.  Large print text  shares the page equally with the fun illustrations.  Back Matter includes author/illustrator information, Glossary, three Discussion Questions, Writing Prompts, and a recipe for Dog Treats.

As the sun comes up, birds awake.  This beautiful picture features a different bird on each spread, using spare text and focusing on each bird’s call.  Each page is large and the background colors get progressively lighter and lighter, along with the imagined sky.  Crisp illustrations of each bird jump off each page.  Because, like all of Genechten’s work, this was published in Dutch originally, some of the sounds the birds make do not conform to American norms.  This does not bring down the quality of the book, however, as each type of bird is so specific.  The spare text, large clear illustrations and font choices, as well as the focus on animal sounds, will make this a lovely choice for group sharing, and children will enjoy pouring over the beautiful illustrations at a more individual pace as well.

Shortly after Abraham Lincoln died, a group of forgers got the idea to attempt to steal the former president’s body.  This is their story.  Narrative nonfiction for youth is an art form.  This title brilliantly takes an intriguing subject that not many heard about in their history classes and connects it to topics that are more familiar.  Many people have heard the story of how Lincoln was assassinated from an early age.  But they generally don’t know much about the context in which the assassination occurred.  Here, we learn about forgery, body snatching, medical research, the early days of the secret service, and undercover spying.  Sheinkin has made a living of telling stories from history in an engaging way to children and teens, and this book is no exception to that track record.

Trixie has always felt like an outsider.  So, in some ways, it isn’t that big of a surprise when she’s invited to join a circus which travels from planet to planet through space.  There’s just that niggling worry about the creepy guy in the mask who keeps turning up.  In this bizarre setting, Fagan takes on talent, rivalry, finding your place, and being a good friend.  Trixie must decide what she wants to do in the circus, and the ring master has more than a few secrets.  The plot of this book is more complicated than it seems at first, even though it revolves around familiar themes.  This is playful science fiction with a unique setting and will be a winner with the right crowd.

Pirate treasure, art forgery, and the Peruvian mob, oh my!  When Tom spends a week with his Uncle Harvey, he finds himself on a quest to find a hidden stash of ancient gold!  Along the way, Tom and Harvey follow clues, dodge bullets, and jump off of boats.  It’s an adventure in the tradition of Indiana Jones and Tintin with a dash of history to top it off.  Tom is an approachable, trouble-seeking everykid, and Uncle Harvey is as believable as a well-meaning white-collar criminal can be.  The story is packaged in a flashy, pulpy way, fitting the mood.  This will attract reluctant readers and fans of video games and is a great addition to the world of tween adventure fiction.

You have NEVER stayed at a hotel like this!  Leo is the son of the janitor at the most amazing hotel in the world.  Each room has a theme – for instance, there’s the room dedicated to pinball, which turns into a giant game of – yes, pinball!  When the owner of this fantastic place disappears and the hotel starts to show signs of sabotage, Leo finds himself uniquely qualified to protect his beloved hotel. Carman’s Whippet Hotel fits comfortably beside the likes of Roald Dahl’s Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and Jody Feldman’s Golly Toy & Game Company.  Although Carman inserts a cast of wacky characters and an intriguing mystery into this book, the world-building is the real appeal.  Each room is vivid and exciting, and kids will enjoy exploring the entire hotel as Leo solves problems and mysteries throughout the plot.  Children who enjoy solving puzzles and exploring new places will love this book.

National Parks have not been around forever.  There were many steps required to create a protected lands system in the United States.  Theodore Roosevelt played a pivotal role during one of those important points in history.  This book tells the story of one camping trip which influenced Roosevelt’s passionate advocacy.  In the middle of a busy trip across the states, President Roosevelt spent several days with the naturalist John Muir, camping in the land which would become Yosemite National Park.  This is an approachable piece of a much larger story, told in simple, concrete terms.  The men are referred to using their childhood nicknames, and the story is told chronologically, with short paragraphs on nearly every page.  The text is complimented by full color illustrations, which are surrounded by white space until the men enter the wild land, and which then engulf the pages.  Mordicai Gerstein’s depictions of redwood forests and Yosemite Valley are particularly stunning.  This is a lovely story spotlighting a little-known piece of history in a way that will be approachable to young and old alike. 

Boxers, long johns, trunks, and underpants!  The rhymes in this book describe the undergarment preferences of the occupants of a zoo obsessed with underthings.  The animals are illustrated in goofy bright colors, and depicted in semi-realistic zoo settings.  While some of the rhymes are clumsy and there are better examples of adjacent themes, the illustrations are engaging and silly and will pull in readers.  Librarians and teachers will likely choose other titles for group sharing, but this title will attract individuals who enjoy giggling at ridiculous pictures of animals in underwear.

My kids grew up with Franklin, and he was one of their best friends.  Franklin had fears just like all kids and learned how to deal with it, and in doing so, taught other kids how, also.  This book has beautiful, fresh illustrations.  Also included is a copy of Paulette’s first manuscript, a copy of Brenda’s storyboard, and some history of the series.  It’s a beautifully bound book perfect for the younger kiddos in the library.

I began taking my children to museums when they were young, because I believed it helped their creativity, imagination, and understanding of the world.  I wish I had this book during that time, because it explains so nicely how the museum works.  Did You Know factoids appear in colored bubbles on every other page.  In the back, the book mentions how to make a museum of your own, explaining who you are.  I guess that how I can explain the boxes of stuff I’ve kept for each of my children.