William and Alice, two children from two very different families and lifestyles, make friends with each other on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. William’s family has a luxurious suite and has access to many wonderful parts of the ship, while Alice is in third class berthing with her mother and must stay in certain areas. While exploring where she shouldn’t, Alice and William become friends and that friendship opens up access to William’s world onboard. We know what eventually will happen and when the ship hits the iceberg, William bravely runs to find his friend and she and her mother join his family in a lifeboat. Interspersed within the story are boxes with text and photos with information about the ship and its eventual discovery in 1985. A timeline rounds out this nice little book about a very big ship. Highly recommended.

Any joke is a great joke to the young crowd, but many of these jokes will have the them laughing out loud. Jokes are arranged in boxes – darker colored box is the question and lighter colored box is the punch line, which makes it nice for young comedians to know when to pause for the greatest laugh. Illustrations are simple, but effective companions to the jokes and kids will enjoy comparing the joke to the picture. My only complaint is that the jokes are about all manner of sports, many of which children may not understand – everything from golf to wrestling. But, that should encourage some discussion about the sports or even further reading!

Nelson Mandela presents an accessible biography of one our current history’s important figures. Information is presented in one to two sentences per page with large, crisp photos to accompany them. ‘Key Dates’ and ‘Quick Stats’ pull together a great deal of information in just two pages near the end. And the glossary tackles tough words like ‘activist’ and ‘apartheid’ quite well. The content is quite suitable for younger readers, yet does tell of his long jail time and introduce the words noted above in a way that children will understand.
Recommended

This biography is a great place to start for young readers interested in history. With a few sentences per page and bright, appealing illustrations, the life of Benjamin Franklin is succinctly described. “Quick Stats” and “Key Dates” give the information necessary for beginning reports. The glossary, index and table of contents reinforce good non-fiction elements. Recommended

Four girls dream up a wonderful surprise for their moms, but first they have to prepare…and hats are a big part of the plan! Emily, Ashley, Kaitlyn and Claire visit the local street fair to see the hats at Chez Chapeaux and have the most wonderful time trying on hats, hats and more hats. They finally choose rather plain ones to take with them and we wonder why…The end of the story shows their wonderful creations that they have made to present to their mothers at their mother-daughter tea. Fans of Fancy Nancy will love this book. And, it may just encourage some creative play along the way.
Recommended.

Who doesn’t love duct tape? And, who doesn’t long to make a duct tape top hat or a knight’s shield with it? Well, look no further for the directions. They are right here in this book! It begins with an introduction and history of this versatile material and gives directions for nine different costume pieces. Pictures are clear and numbered to correspond to the steps of the directions. There are also additional books and websites listed for more fun. The activities are age appropriate and may encourage some great creativity along the way. Recommended.

Readers will love the information in this book, because the ‘gross-out factor’ is extremely high. Read about the various uses for poop and pee (animal and human) in the attempted cure of many ailments in history. The beauty of this book, though, is that the reader learns some really relevant and interesting medical stuff along the way. Medicines in different cultures used over hundreds of years have a great impact today to scientists and doctors in their study. Great stuff mixed in with the gross tidbits.

Simple introduction to the lives and work of Lewis and Clark with a few sentences per page and associated illustrations. Bright, clean mixture of text, artwork and photos present the points necessary to give the reader a foundation of information. “Quick Stats” and “Key Dates” are great for report writing. A good starting point for young readers.

A basic introduction to temperature with a sentence or two on each page with accompanying photos arranged between two bright lines that travel through the pages. Boys and girls of different ethnicities illustrate the concepts presented. the book begins and ends with a question and gives the reader some history about temperature measurement. This is a solid, basic book that will introduce temperature to the younger crowd.

Car enthusiasts will enjoy the information in this book, part of a series about fourteen high powered autos. the history of the car, explanation of its name, design and cool technology. An information box with Shelby GT350 specifications is a nice addition. Nonfiction features include a table of contents, index and glossary. Add this to your collection if you want to update your transportation section.

One book in a series of six about important women and their contributions. Jane Goodall details her life in simple text with accompanying photos, many in color. There are two pages of “Quick Stats” and “Key Dates” as well as a link to a publisher’s webpage with more details. This is a very nice beginning biography about a female leader in science, which might lead to further study. Recommended.

This book starts with a high energy anecdote about the player’s prowess on the court. It then goes back to the beginning of his life and career, moving through the years. A timeline and ‘Fast Facts’ throughout the book add to the information presented in just 32 pages. Nonfiction elements such as table of contents, index and glossary are included.
This will be a hit with the avid sports fans in your library.

Kids can learn about farms, their residents and their ‘food chain’. Dr. Temple Grandin, an important farm animal advocate is highlighted and one of the six projects showcases one of her important contributions (Cow Hug Machine) to animal welfare.
Materials lists and clear directions with photos make this a fun and educational book for children wishing to know more about farms. A great addition to your library!

Significant, but overlooked, pilots of World War II are showcased in this important book by Shannon Baker Moore. We learn about women who were ahead of their times, wanting to do more than society was ready for them to do. American women fought battles here on our soil to gain acceptance for their passion for flying and their relevance to the war effort. In addition to American pilots, the author describes Soviet and British females who took to the sky. Their work was hard and they fought prejudice along the way, but these strong women wanted nothing more than to be in the air with the ground below them, doing their part for their countries. A chapter on female pioneers before the war years gives the reader a starting point for the women that followed.
Historical photos, a timeline and additional resources enrich the material presented in the book. My only complaint is the that the sidebars and text boxes scattered throughout are in a pale color and the white text tends to blend in too much. They also make the pages rather drab, since most of the photos are black and white. A more colorful choice might have enlivened the appearance of the pages. A recommended choice.

Ragdoll Cats is part of Cats: Set 2 by Abdo for the K-2 crowd. The book gives a description of the cat and its personality, as well as their grooming needs. Text is accompanied by large photos that are well-done and clear. The book has a table of contents, glossary, index and code that can be used to access videos, games and fun (printables and links to feline organizations).
My only complaint is that the two pictures that include humans are only young girls. Boys like cats, too! Pet books tend to be big sellers in the library and this one, even though it is specific to a particular breed, should be popular.

Dr. Seuss is a slim, easy-to-read biography that imparts the necessary facts about a great author/illustrator in just 24 pages. While a few of the pictures are very loosely related to the text (ex. a picture of what must be the current Springfield, Illinois, the associated text says he was born there in 1904. I doubt the high rises were built at that time), the text and most of the pictures give the reader a pretty good idea of the special man that he was.
There is a nice “Quick Stats” page as well as a “Key Dates” page, which bullets his life clearly. Non-fiction features are present: Table of contents, glossary, index.
Buy if you need to update your Seuss biography.

This is a book to share between kids and adults. There is a note to adult helpers at the beginning, discussing the possible need for adult help while encouraging the child to do as much as possible independently. The book has a nice introduction to woodworking techniques and tools. Then, it describes five projects with varying degrees of difficulty (noted). Each project has a materials list, concise instructions and photos to illustrate the steps.
Typical non-fiction elements are present: Table of contents, glossary, index and websites for further consideration.
This is part of a series introducing the industrial arts to elementary students and should be a big hit in your library. It’s all about the hands-on experiences! This will be a great addition.

What a gem! This book will fly off the shelf when students find it!
Written in an accessible language, each fact encompasses a two page spread, with pictures, human/dinosaur size comparison and sidebar “Dino File” with diet, height, weight and pronunciation guide. A dinosaur timeline and activity round out this wonderful book. Included also are non-fiction features like table of contents, glossary (for bolded words within the text), and index.
Buy this book as well as others in the series and you will have a collection of books that you will never see – they will be constantly checked out! Highly recommended.

This is a great book for budding origami enthusiasts. It starts off with materials needed, tips and tricks, and some basic folds and bases, which it refers back to when the reader moves into the projects. The individual projects appear to be organized from easy to more difficult as the book progresses. There is a table of contents and glossary.
It is part of series that should provide hours of creative entertainment for the younger set.

June and her dog Sammy are best friends, which is helped by their ability to communicate with each other! June lives with her mom, dad and teenage sister. June would really like a best friend that is human, though, and she is excited when a new girl moves in across the street. Unfortunately, the mean girl at school, April, gets to Mae first, which makes it difficult for June.
June’s grandma sends her a Wonder Wheel with instructions to spin it each day and follow the directions. Those directions lead to some interesting moments with her classmates and help to encourage a friendship between June and Mae.
This book is appropriate for newly minted chapter book readers. The ending leads one to believe there might be more.

The Icarus Show, by Sally Christie, is a tender and insightful examination of strategies used to cope with uncomfortable situations and how they can interfere with living a full life.  Alex has devised the perfect coping strategy for his first year in secondary school: no matter what happens, do not react in any way.  David, the boy who lives next door, does react when Alan, the class bully, trips him on the first day of school.  This reaction earns him a very insulting nickname.  Then a mysterious note appears in Alex’s bag.  Alex is amazed to find that the note announces a coming event where a boy will fly.  Is Alex the only one to receive such a note, or did others receive one also, and is it only a hoax?  Subsequent notes and objects make it clear that there is such an event planned and the planner is known only as Icarus.  Alex is frantic to solve the mystery so he enlists the assistance of Maisie, who once lived in the house where Alex lives and her son Donald.  Alex also begins to make friends with David and his perfect coping strategy slips enough to make him very uncomfortable.  Alex, Maisie, and Donald  must unravel the mystery before the event occurs because a boy cannot fly, or can he?  The situation appears farfetched, but as the story unfolds, the reader learns that what is really happening is not at all unusual, and learns how coping strategies can restrict our lives.  With constantly mounting tension, clever plot twists, believable characters, and a real cliff hanger ending, The Icarus Show is a very enjoyable read.  Highly recommended.

Sadie is one unlucky girl. And in a town like Fortune Falls, luck means everything. This town is loaded with superstition and magic. If you step on a crack, your mother really does break her back. And, don’t even think of breaking a mirror – you will probably die! Sadie must turn her unlucky life around soon or she will be sent away with the other “Unluckies” in order to protect the other folks in town. Unfortunately, luck is hard to find, even with the help of her friend, Cooper. But, through a series of events that include a black cat and some people that care about her very much, Sadie turns around her luck in the nick of time.
there are dark elements to the story, including Sadie’s guilt over her dad’s death and her mom’s worry about their future, which looks pretty bleak. But, the ending makes up for it.
A fine read for those students that enjoy a bit of magic and a strong female main character.

Inge Maria arrives on a boat to the island of Bornholm in Sweden to live with her grandmother in 1911. Her mother has died and brave Inge has left everything she knew (color, laughter, music, art, the city and her mother) to come to a seemingly stern grandma on a rather gray, cold island inhabited by people who live by a rather austere code of conduct and just don’t seem to have fun.
Inge tries to fit in, but mischief follows her wherever she goes, beginning with her arrival, when a goat chews off one of her braids. There are incidents at school (a terrible place, where girls cannot play the fun games at recess with the boys and music is not allowed) and with friends, but slowly Inge begins to realize that her grandma is also grieving the loss of Inge’s mother (her daughter) and they begin to share a bond of mutual loss.
Change occurs and Inge and her grandma grow closer and Inge’s penchant for mischief brings the island’s residents some new fun, laughter and love. A classmate, who is also experiencing some difficulties in life, becomes a part of Inge’s life and new family.
This is a gentle story set in a time long ago, but the pacing of the story makes the reader want to know what will happen next to Inge in her new life with grandma. This is a wonderful book that is reminiscent of Ann of Green Gables.

Basketball Time! is an introduction to the game, court and vocabulary. Accompanying pictures of boys and girls of different ethnicity add to the currency of the book, showing that everyone can enjoy this fun game.
Good examples of nonfiction elements – table of contents, index, picture glossary and a nice labeled diagram of a basketball court.
Simple sentences and the occasional question to encourage discussion.
This would be a nice, simple introduction for the younger readers.

Set on an island off the South Carolina coast, Illusion is the third book in the Heirs of Watson Island series.  Southern Gothic fiction steeped in mysticism and spirits with strange disappearances and characters who live for centuries, readers who pick up this book without having read the first two will have a difficult time keeping track of the characters even with the family tree that is presented in the first pages. The story revolves around three families with adjoining plantations including waterfront property who have existed on the island for centuries. Barrie Watson is trying to heal the wounds of these families who have grown to distrust each other while still keeping the essence of all that is Waston’s Landing.  The writing is descriptive with easy visualization and moves along at a good pace.  This will force our library to attain the 1st two books as well.