The Bumper Book of Crafty Activities, 100+ creative ideas for kids

Step by step instructions, with photos and templates.  This is a well organized and practical craft book for elementary and even middle school children.  The pictures are even in color, which will appeal to the reader.  Every project shows a picture of the final product, and a photo along with each new set of instructions.  . . . → Read More: The Bumper Book of Crafty Activities, 100+ creative ideas for kids

These Bees Count!

On a class field to the Busy Bee Farm, students learn  how bees work together to gather nectar, pollinate crops of our food, and make honey.  In a back and forth dialogue format, Farmer Ellen explains to the students the step by step process covering the interesting essentials as well as new vocabulary of bee . . . → Read More: These Bees Count!

Glitch

Glitch is book 7 in the Aldo Zelnick Comic Novel series.  Highly illustrated and comical, this story is set just before Christmas when Aldo is implementing his master plan to maximize his gift receiving.  “G” words are featured in the storyline and defined in a glossary at the back of the book.  Students enjoy this . . . → Read More: Glitch

Women Explorers

Women have long been overlooked or underrepresented in the history books.  This collection of biographies about female explorers is a positive step toward recognizing these courageous women and their contributions.  The ten women explorers who are featured, with four pages of text and illustrations each, include Louise Arner Boyd, Nellie Cashman, Ynes Mexia, Lucy Evelyn . . . → Read More: Women Explorers

Ancient China: Beyond the Great Wall

This beautiful book about Ancient China covers a variety of topics including the Silk Road and early trade, the early Yangshao and Longshan civilizations, Chinese philosophers, ruling dynasties and emperors.  The Great Wall of China is mentioned.  Chinese inventions and other achievements are outlined including the development of a writing system, bronze and iron for . . . → Read More: Ancient China: Beyond the Great Wall

Alligators

This is a non-fiction book about Alligators from a wonderful animal series that is packed full of interesting facts about habitat, diet, behavior, appearance, predators, characteristics, mating habits and raising the young.  Environmental and human hazards are also explored.  There is a habitat map as well as an index, glossary, quick facts page and a . . . → Read More: Alligators

Black Bears

This is a non-fiction book about Black Bears from a wonderful animal series that is packed full of facts about habitat, diet, behavior, appearance, predators, characteristics, mating habits and raising the young.  Environmental and human hazards are also explored.  There is a habitat map as well as an index, glossary and page for further resources.  . . . → Read More: Black Bears

Pirates

This was a great picture book all about the life of pirates.  The facts were interesting but not too scary for young readers and the illustrations were funny and full of rich detail and color.  There was a fold out page depicting a cut-away view of the interior of a pirate ship which students will . . . → Read More: Pirates

Gooney Bird on the Map

This chapter book for young readers (AR ATOS level 3.7) is about 2nd grader, Gooney Bird Greene who is quite an eccentric, confident and intelligent character.  She leads the class in a geography project before President’s Day vacation to explore the various travel plans of students in the class.  A few students who were bragging . . . → Read More: Gooney Bird on the Map

Chickens on the Family Farm

Young learners will enjoy seeing where eggs come from- the chickens and the farm. They will see: a side by side labeled diagram of a chicken (both hen and rooster), eggs naturally come in colors other than white, chickens raised for egg production and for meat, free range chickens with movable coop, different breeds of . . . → Read More: Chickens on the Family Farm

Scooby-Doo and the Night of the Undead!

This book contains two graphic novel episodes of Scooby-Doo and two one-page “Velma’s Monsters of the World”.

When college students begin to disappear,  Scooby and gang investigate the video tape of the fast acting super contagious Virus-Z. They figure out Virus-Z isn’t from a biology lab class, but from a film making class. Case solved.

. . . → Read More: Scooby-Doo and the Night of the Undead!

Amber Brown is Tickled Pink

Though Paula Danziger is no longer with us, her good friends Bruce Coville and Elizabeth Levy have brought her, Amber Brown, character back to life in this new book in the Amber Brown series.

“I, Amber Brown, have to spend a million dollars.” So begins this tale of a school project in Chapter One. “We . . . → Read More: Amber Brown is Tickled Pink

Sky Woman and the Big Turtle

This Iroquois creation myth is told using modern style artwork in graphic novel form, but with only one frame per page. The text box at the top of each page sits in a frame made of four bare bark tree branches stretching an animal hide. Sky Woman is wearing stylized pre-1492 Iroquois clothing.

Sky Woman . . . → Read More: Sky Woman and the Big Turtle

Glamorous Glasses

This darling picture book is about Joanie, a young girl who learns that she needs glasses.  She goes into town with her mother, aunt and cousin, Barbara Louise to pick them out.  The girls are dazzled by all the glamorous eye wear choices and Barbara Louise becomes quite jealous that she doesn’t need glasses.  She . . . → Read More: Glamorous Glasses

The Shepherd Girl of Bethlehem

This is a beautiful nativity story about a little shepherd girl who followed her father into the night and toward the stable where she discovered the baby Jesus.  Joining Mary, Joseph, the three kings, shepherds and stable animals, the girl meets Jesus, who enters her heart.  The illustrations are gorgeous watercolors, rich and detailed.  I’m . . . → Read More: The Shepherd Girl of Bethlehem

The Highway Rat

The Highway Rat is written by the creators of The Gruffalo and has the similar theme of a character who uses his/her clever wit to solve a problem.  In this case, Duck tricks the Highway Rat, stopping him from stealing everyone’s food.  The author and illustrator use rhyming, repeating text and engaging illustrations to create . . . → Read More: The Highway Rat

Dinosaurs

This fun dinosaur book is written in a bit of a story style.  It is full of questions to make the reader think.  The pictures are inviting and interesting.  At the end of the book are a variety of fun activities, a puppet making project, a quiz about the information in the book, and a . . . → Read More: Dinosaurs

Can we share the World with Tigers?

This book surprised me.  It looked like and started like a story book about a tiger family. The book ended up being a book about ecology.  It has a wide variety of information about our earth and how it has and is changing throughout it’s history.

It encourages us to be good to the earth . . . → Read More: Can we share the World with Tigers?

Parrots

“There are 418 different kinds of parrots and related species.”  This small  7″ X 6″ page book shows only a few of them, but these usually highly colorful birds pictured will elicit ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’.  Brief, simple, general information is given about parrot claws, coloring, size, hooked beaks, good memory and habitat are given.

Includes . . . → Read More: Parrots

Trees

The reader follows a chestnut tree through the changes of four seasons. Three of the six transparent pages reveal the inside and outside of a chestnut husk, above and below the ground of the tree, and before and after the tree bud opens. Then examples of five distinct deciduous tree shapes are illustrated, followed by . . . → Read More: Trees

Earth’s Surface, The

“What is geography for? To get to know what the surface of the Earth looks like.” So begins this First Discovery book for second through fourth graders. Illustrators Ute Fuhr and Raoul Sautai have created mountain, coastline, valley, plain, delta, river valley, the Grand Canyon, and volcanic island landscapes with distinct geographic features labeled. The . . . → Read More: Earth’s Surface, The

Boy with Pink Hair, The

This is a super story.  It shows the positive side of being different, and that our uniqueness can be a good thing to share with others.  It is positive and full of love and acceptance, and shows how those qualities can also have a positive effect on others.

It is a great lesson for kids.  . . . → Read More: Boy with Pink Hair, The

Box, The

This is a cute story about using your imagination.  Many children use boxes to play with and make many this from a box.  In this story a boy named Kenny has a box that becomes many different things.  Even better than a new bike.

A great story about using your imagination.

Tricky Tarantulas

Divided into 2 sections, this book on unusual pets begins with basic facts.  Because there are often laws about owning unusual pets, the reader is advised to check state laws.  Facts include details about preferred environments, food, and care.  The second section is atypical of most animal fact books.  This section is a rhyming short . . . → Read More: Tricky Tarantulas

Tales for Very Picky Eaters

What a fun book!  James is a very picky eater – most families have one.  Dad needs to get inventive to entice his son to try meals.  Divided into 5 chapters, in the first, James is encouraged to eat broccoli or choose between the finest dirt, walked on by only the best chefs wearing deluxe . . . → Read More: Tales for Very Picky Eaters