Dylan is fearless in sports, his favorite being ice hockey.  Just before school started, he fell while attempting a trick on his in-line skates and broke his wrist.  Ten weeks later, his cast is off but he has missed most of the practices.  He talks his coach into letting him play only to find his whole arm hurts when he tries to hit his power shots.  He is mad and sullen when the coach benches him.  Moping about not being to help his team, he is not sure why he should even suit up.  His friend, Nick, convinces him to watch the other team and give them advice on how to play better.  Dylan is surprised and grateful that he could help his team from the bench.  His observations pay off and his team wins.  Black and white illustrations support the story.  Includes glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, as well as extra paragraphs about hockey positions and famous people who play them.

Salamanders are described in meaningful detail.  The life cycle, from egg to adult, contains clear information.  Appropriate scientific language is used to explain each step.  Photos on every page are up-close and vibrant.  Food for salamanders are identified, as well as how and when they hunt and how prey is caught and swallowed.  Mating, which continues the life cycle, is briefly and suitably described.  A story diagram concludes and reviews the process.  Words in bold font are defined in the glossary.  Other books to read are written at a similar reading level.  Two websites and an index are included

Gordon Guinea Pig guides a potential owner through everything one should know before owning a guinea pig as a pet.  Beginning with types of guinea pigs and where to find them, one learns how to prepare a home for them.  A variety of correct foods and plenty of water keep them healthy.  Guinea pigs are active and need safe places to play and explore.  Signs that a guinea pig needs veterinary care are listed.  Extra facts and tips are given along with a glossary, index, websites, and additional books to read.  When considering purchasing a guinea pig for a pet, this book provides a good balance of fun and daily responsibilities.  Illustrations are a mixture of colorful cartoon images and photographs.  Photographs are carelessly “taped” to the page – possibly to add kid appeal.  All told, this is a useful resource for those interested in guinea pigs.

Beginning in her studio, Miss Sylvie teaches dance to youthful students – the best job in the world.  A young girl, Isabelle, peers around the studio door with a strong desire to become a ballerina.  Isabelle practices ballet long and hard, ignoring other dance forms.  Her friends eventually drop out, but Isabelle continues ballet and eventually joins a Dance Academy.  She improves until, at last, she becomes a prima ballerina.  After many years of dancing around the world, she decides to retire and come home.  Her first visit is with Miss Sylvie, ready to become a teacher.  Isabelle buys the studio from Miss Sylvie and settles into teaching dance, the best job in the world.  “And then one day, a young girl peers through the studio door…”  The rich, pastel watercolor illustrations on white pages beautifully depict the elation, hard work, and loveliness of the craft.  A tribute to those who find joy in dance and to those who teach and inspire others.

The author zeros in on the effect our hands have played in the development of the most useful tools we need to  function in our everyday lives.  For example, our hands were the first “handy” set of chipsticks for picking up foods…and a primitive visor before baseball caps were designed…and the first fan to keep ourselves cool.  Indeed, nature is the mother of much invention.  Written in rhyme that engages the ear…and fabulous photos that engages the eyes, this text begs to be read aloud to a small group of preschoolers.

With an Introduction by Ben Fogle who spent forty-nine days rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, as well as spending a year living on an unhabited island, plus an author who is a trekker and climber you can learn how to survive in the wilderness, whether it’s the arctic, the desert, the jungle, or your own backyard.  I commend the kid friendly, graphic design with colorful illustrations and photos.    Learn how to plot a map, make a waterproof shelter, navigate using the stars, leave tracking signals, and bake high energy survival snacks.  Each chapter includes hands-activities.  For example, the Desert Chapter ends with how to build a solar still, and a water filter from natural materials.  Also, each chapter ends with real survival stories that can be quite riveting.  The last chapter  includes Tips, Warnings, Trivia and a Survival Quiz.  If you only need one survival guide in your collection…this is the one!

Basic information about cape buffalo is presented in simple nonfiction text designed to engage beginning readers.  Facts about habitat, behavior, when and where they eat, and predators are accompanied by large, colorful photographs that reinforce the text.  This series, Animal Safari, contains 46 animals and are written at the Level 1: Emergent reading level.  Good introduction to nonfiction books for children.

Engaging photographs adorn every spread as beginning readers learn about cute baby otters.  They are totally dependent on their mothers until able to fend for themselves.  Information about habitat, behavior, and food is presented in large, simple text.  This series contains 19 baby animals and are written at the Level 1: Emergent reading level.  Good introduction to nonfiction books for young people.

Basic facts about the wild turkey are presented in plain nonfiction text designed for beginning readers.  Information about habitat, behavior, food, and other characteristics are accompanied by large, colorful photographs to reinforce the text.  This series of Backyard Wildlife contains 42 different animals and are written at the Level 1: Emergent reading level.  Good introduction to nonfiction books for young people.

Special Forces operators are a team of 12 highly trained United States Army soldiers who are supremely qualified to work in dangerous conditions.  Their missions take them around the world as well as protecting people at home.  Their training, special gear, and the variety of dangers in which they may encounter are mentioned.  Information  is brief.  Photographs show men performing their duties, handling equipment, and using weapons.  Glossary, index, books to read, and a website are provided.  This book is sure to raise questions and pique interest about these courageous people who risk all to protect their country.

In 1782, the bald eagle was chosen to be our national symbol.  As this remarkable bird is described, multiple reasons for the choice are revealed.  Simple paragraphs in large font are matched with excellent color photographs.  This book is small in size and uncluttered in presentation, yet contains an extraordinary amount of information and facts.  Historical events, physical traits, where and how the bald eagle symbol is used are all included.  A timeline, map, glossary, index and website conclude the book.  Engaging nonfiction for young readers.

Excellent photographs are paired with simple sentences to point out similarities and differences between frogs and toads.  While they share many characteristics, there are identifiable distinctions.  Appearance of eggs, the colors and texture of the skin, whether or not they have teeth, and how they move are some features used to determine if the amphibian is a frog or a toad.  Two craft projects include step-by-step instructions for making either a frog or a toad.  Also included is a glossary.

Make fun and tasty cupcakes to impress your friends!  The first 15 pages present necessary  information to help beginning cooks be prepared, understand terms, learn frosting tips, which supplies to have on hand, and ingredients common to many cupcakes.  Recipes include: Rainbow cupcakes with rainbow colored layers, Hot Chocolate Delights – baked right in the mug!, Rock ‘n’ Roll cupcakes with rock candy on the frosting, Ice Cream Cone cupcakes served in actual cones, Cupcake Poppers – lollipop style cupcakes, Watermelon cupcakes – pink cupcake, green frosting, and mini chocolate chip “seeds”, and S’more Surprise cupcakes – graham cracker crumbs in the batter, topped with chocolate squares and mini marshmallows.  Don’t they sound delicious!  Beginning bakers are encouraged to investigate other recipes and experiment with their own creations.  An ABDO website has additional recipes and ideas on their Book Links page under the arts and activities subject tab. Recipes are simple, yet complete.  Excellent photographs illustrate some steps and the finished product.

When a fox sneaks up to the coop at night, chickens Midge, Pip, and Dot have nothing to worry about because Rooster Sam is on duty.  Sam gets the credit for scaring the fox even though it is because he made lots of noise while running away.  It is Dot who is ultimately responsible for their safety.  A large, sleepy dog comes to hopefully help Sam keep an eye on the coop.  Again, it is Dot’s foresight that helps the inept Sam and the dozing dog scare the fox away.  Simple sentences, chapter headings, and large, funny illustrations make this a joy for beginning readers.  This is the fourth book in the series.

Who knew the hidden problems that come with NOT being afraid of monsters?  Monsters think the boy is one of them and will not leave him alone!  They eat his cereal, ruin his homework, and wear his favorite pajamas.  When he finally reaches his breaking point, the boy introduces the pesky monsters to his younger brother and walks away – monster free.  The pen and ink illustrations are large, colorful, and fun.  This could be paired with Mo Willem’s Leonardo, the Terrible Monster or Amanda Noll’s I Need My Monster.  What fun to think of how monsters can be funny and/or irritating rather than scary.

Any author that has the guts to use an opening line like “It’s midnight, it’s sweltering, and I might be high on Vicodin, but that guy — that guy right over there—that’s him” will get their reader hooked.  Thus was the case when reading Isla and the Happily Ever After.  The title gives it away, that there will be a happy ending but readers will not remember it for it’s ending — though that is fairytale-ish good too. No, it will be remembered for the intricacies of the characters Stephanie Perkins brings out.  Set at a private school in France, Isla is a junior who has kept to herself most of her freshman and sophomore year.  She is the highest ranking person in her class of only 24 elite students.  Both of the past two school years she has had a huge crush on Joshua Wasserstein.  In this opening scene, they are actually both back in New York City for the summer and Isla’s dental work has left her loopy with the confidence she’d never have had to talk to Josh. This chance and single meeting sets the spark for all of the stars to align.  The plot really picks up once they are back at school in the fall.  But it’s not all Josh and Isla.  Perkins creates a wonderful best friend companion of Isla in Kurt.  Kurt is has Asperger’s, the high functioning form of autism, that tells Isla how it is without the mush that best girl friends would have likely brought to the scenes.  Kurt is a guy who wants Isla’s attention because they’ve been friends since they were in diapers.  This creates tension, of course, but the maturity in which the characters all handle it is a lesson for all teens to learn from.  There’s passion that’s slightly graphic. But there’s drama without a lot of drama and the scenes clip along at a nice pace, especially as the main conflict begins to unfold.  For being a student who studies abroad, Isla’s insecurities don’t always ring true, but that could also be a reminder that even the most confident people on the outside have worries too.  There is the happily ever after, of course, so upper high school readers who like the Sarah Dessen, Deb Collasanti books will find another author right up their alley in Stephanie Perkins.

I have often told fifth graders I would not have been an explorer or a pioneer. This book confirms this statement. The graphics get the point across, but in an exaggerated cartoonish way. The graphics include  timeline, a map, a labeled cross-section of the ship, and a pictorial tool glossary. There are “Handy Hints” in the upper right side bar of each page turn, such as, “Try not to get sick. If you die on the ship your body will be thrown overboard!” (page 19)

The book’s content begins with English Separatists first emigrating to Holland before going back to England and finally to America. There were originally two ships for the voyage, but one was so unseaworthy it was left behind. The people still willing to go to America were all put onto a now very crowded Mayflower. Eighteen people did decide to stay in England. The trip itself was hard, but then” Your first sight of the new colony is a shock. There is nothing except trees and wilderness. This is the first time you understand how hard it will be to build a new life in America. At times you regret ever leaving England.” ( page 24) Plus, the women stayed on board the Mayflower tending the sick  for months until the 7 houses, 4 store-houses, and a “gun platform” are built.

Fast forward to the present, ” It is estimated that 35 million Americans-12 % of the total population- are direct descendants of the first Mayflower Pilgrims.” (p. 28) There is a replica in Plymouth of the Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower.

This is the Revised Edition.

Fourth grader, Jo Schmo, a superhero in a red cape with her dog, Raymond, are out and about once again to catch bad guys in this their fourth tongue-in-cheek adventure.

Dr. Dastardly and Numb Skull are escaping from prison using exploding macaroni and the elastic they’ve taken from the other prisoners’ underwear while working in the prison laundry. Along comes time-traveling pirate Captain Pinkbeard and his crew up to no good. Pinkbeard just happens to be drinking pink lemonade at the same place as Dr. Dastardly and Numb Skull. They join forces against Jo Schmo. The best way to capture a superhero is to take away what the superhero loves most, in this case, Jo’s dog Raymond and the three boys Jo’s fond of at school: Kevin, Mitch, and David. So,  they catch Raymond by having Pinkbeard dress up in a giant bacon suit (scented with bacon) to lure him out of the house in the middle of the night. Afterwards, Dr. Dastardly, Numb Skull and Pinkbeard kidnap the three boys and hold them hostage on Pinkbeard’s ship. “Mwah-ha-ha” (p. 76). The fight is on when Jo Schmo comes to rescue them all from the pirate ship. Raymond’s excessive amount of dog drool helps immensely in this fight as it causes pirates to slip right off of their ship and into San Francisco Bay. Good superheroes triumph over evil,  then the Coast Guard thanks Jo Schmo, and takes the pirates, Dr. Dastardly, Numb Skull and Pinkbeard away.

Oh, and did I mention that somewhere around chapter 6, Jo Schmo learns how to become invisible using the vague instructions from the Superhero Instruction Manual her Grandpa Joe keeps for her.

The illustrations by Frank W. Dormer are kid-like, similar in ways to Harold and George’s comic book creations in the Captain Underpant’s series. There at least a dozen full page and another dozen half page illustrations throughout the book.

One minor proofreading problem: the Contents page lists two chapter 18s, instead of one chapter 18 and one chapter 19.

The pressures of being the star football player is not a wholly original conflict for a novel. But with alternating chapters voiced by the two main characters Colby and Lauren, what could just be another run of the mill high school romance has a bit more clout in The Bridge from Me to You.  The author begins with Lauren’s voice, composed in free verse instead of prose.  She has been relocated to live with her aunt and uncle in a new small town.  There’s an air of mystery as to why she’s moved and author Lisa Schroeder lets it hang in the air for a good portion of the book.  Lauren wants to be back in her previous life but is seeing how family can genuinely love each other.  This love will also blossom with Colby.  Colby’s voice comes in prose.  He’s independent but is learning how to speak his own mind to the adults in his life.  There’s just enough side stories to weave a story that could be on the Hallmark channel.  Colby is a gentleman at heart and this book could span down into middle school libraries with no worries.  There are definitely girls in my library who will enjoy this story.

Another stunning, up-close look at an animal species…Nic Bishop, again, has impressed us with a well-organized, breath takingly photographed, award winning publication…this time on snakes.  The text is packed with astonishing facts that rivets the reader.  “It can take an hour or so for a python to devour a deer or a leopard (yes, a leopard.)  Even animals with horns get swallowed, although snakes have spiked themselves trying to eat really prickly things, such as porcupines.”   There are such unusual snake varieties, photographed in spectacular positions.  At first reading, one wonders how Nic Bishop could ever have gotten these photographs.  Thankfully, in the Back Matter, he explains exactly how he accomplished this feat.  Kudos to this acclaimed naturalist and photographer for bringing us such stellar books, time and time again.

A True Book introduction to the process of who can serve on a jury, how they are selected, hearing the case, and reaching a verdict. This subject may not appeal to adults, but young students are often highly interested in the drama of a court room. The information is concise and educational. The design is clean and bright, alternating between photos of current times, and illustrations depicting historical juries during the time of the ancient Greeks. Back Matter includes True Statistics, Resources, Important Words (also bolded in the text), and Index.  This would make an excellent addition to your civics collection.

Wood-cut block pictures in black & white, offset with one or two hues for contrast draw the eye in for a closer look.

Each letter of the alphabet has its own page with large illustration and one sentence in a large font.  These sentences usually deal with a location or habitat. There are 14 animals and 7 plants accompanied by their scientific names in parenthesis, and 5 curious features represented, they include: alpenglow, beaver, cougar, white-tailed deer, bald eagle, fox glove, mountain goat, great blue heron, Douglas iris, Utah juniper, kinnikinnik, Canada lynx, scribe moth, red-breasted nuthatch, spotted owl, prairie dog, California quail, rose, Douglas squirrel, trillium, umbrella, turkey vulture, waterfall, Xeriscape, yucca, Zigzag, OR.

Snap is a tale of childhood innocence, simple in its detail.  A little boy is afraid of monsters, when it is time to go to day care (or maybe preschool) he puts on a crocodile mask.  “  ‘Snap! I said when I left my house. ‘Snap!’ I said when I got in the car. “Snap!” I said when they left me there.”

The other children are all wearing mask, too. The little boy’s only word is “Snap!” until a smaller child sits near him. ”  ‘Go away,’ I snapped. ‘This is my log.’   ”  But she doesn’t go away. She begins to draw. Curiosity gets the better of him as he slowly moves closer to her to see what she is drawing. The monkey face mask is perfect. He wears the monkey mask the rest of the day, even to bed that night.

The moral to the story is- what may seem scary at first, time can change.

The layered paper cut-outs are charming, especially with the little children’s bodies jointed together with brads.

Seymour Hope lives with his parents Ignatius B. Grumply (I. B. Grumply) and Olive C. Spence (I love suspense), a ghost.  The three decide to make greeting cards and form the company, Greetings from the Graveyard.  This new venture is threatened by Grumply’s old girl friend Nadia Richenov (rich enough), who is threatening to publish Grumply’s 20 year old love letters.  At the same time, two escaped convicts, Liza Lott (lies a lot) and husband Rob Z. Lott (robs a lot) come and town to start a security business.  The story is told with letters, illustrations, newspaper clippings, advertisements, and transcripts.  The whole book is rife with puns: Judge Claire Voyant, butler T. Leeves, book representative Paige Turner, sheriff Mike Ondolences.  This is book 6 in the series.  It is a fun, quick read as well as a challenge to find all of the puns.

Quincy is a horse who lives near a southwestern desert in a barn and corral owned by Cam.  He dreamed of trail riding and hearing the crunch of sand, feeling the gentle breeze, and warm sun on his back.  However, scary surprises could happen out in the desert and Quincy was reluctant to venture outside the corral.  He conveyed his worries to his friend Beau, who told him he would never feel brave if he always stayed home.  One day, Cam saddled Quincy, and more experienced Buck, for a day of trail riding.  Quincy quickly discovered Buck did not want to be a friend on the trail so he kept his distance.  He focused on the trail and the beauty around them.  At one point, Quincy stumbled and Buck kicked out at him.  Riders Cam and Cathy calmed both horses then they continued on their way.  Then they heard a strange, loud noise.  A smelly dirt bike roared past them on the trail.  The noise scared Buck and he couldn’t move.  Quincy knew the noise could not hurt them and he led they way back.  Quincy was tired when they got home, but his rider Cam rewarded him with a carrot, telling him he would be a fine trail horse.  Illustrations are in vivid oil and are an excellent match to the scenic southwest and the beauty of the horses.  This is the third in a series of award winning Quincy the Horse books.