Simple in formatting and color choices, the series Buddy Books First Biographies by Abdo Publishing offers Walt Disney as one of seven American who might be of interest to children.  Name recognition alone will probably carry children over the bland color pallet of stark white with minimalistic blue and red accents.  Maps of the U.S. are helpful to give student perspective of places where Disney lived.  Pictures are both black and white as well as color, some of which take up a full page.  Large simple font make this the classic 2nd grade biography book.  An additional purchase at best.  Could be purchased for ELL students at upper grades because the name recognition will draw interest.

Secret Saturdays takes place in the Red Hook Projects of Brooklyn,  New York,  the home neighborhood of the author, Torrey Maldonado.  His intimate familiarity with the location resonates throughout the book.  The language of the book  has a genuine, honest quality that will appeal to readers looking to understanding of the pressures of teenagers growing  up and the challenge of maintaining a friendship when trust is broken.

The main character, Justin, is best friends with the coolest guy in school, Sean.  Sean the Man is mad popular with his ability to rap the best  “dissing”.  The best disser is king of the hill and is respected and not hassled.  Sean and Justin share a talent for rapping as a way to express feelings and ideas.  But their friendship is tested as Sean hides where he goes on Saturdays, which is to visit his father in jail.

Maldonado’s language choice is true to the setting of the book and the age of the characters.  Even though the age of the boys is 12, the voice will ring true to older students.  It is lively and colorful, interspersed with rapping and jive talk.  The desire to be successful in school and to have a close relationship with their moms is an uplifting aspect to the book. Introspective dialogue about the  difficulty for young men to be emotionally sensitive gives the book a dimension beyond the story line.

Middle school and high school students will relate to the language of this book  as well as a  compassion for the challenges that face young people today.  Recommended for middle and high school and public libraries.

Ethan Zohn and David Rosenburg have an amazing book series on their hands if they continue the journey to other countries in Soccer World.  Soccer is a world-wide sport that can open conversations to learn about a country’s culture.Rosenburg’s beautifully formatted, full color cartoon-like drawings work very well with Zohn’s 1st person narrative as he takes the reader on a visit to South Africa.  Both make this non-fiction text much more interesting than the standard non-fiction texts.   Beginning with the flight, readers’s arrive with Ethan in South Africa.  Chapter by chapter they see people, places, geography and animal life.  Step by step art and science projects draw more interest into the country.  Every chapter also has words2know which are then in bold when used in context.  80% country study to 20% soccer, this book will sell itself to soccer lovers who will find themselves reading for pleasure while learning about the country at the same time.  The only downfall is that chapters are only numbered in the table of contents.  In the text itself, numbers are not used – only the chapter title runs across the top of the right hand page in the header.  With a portion of every book sale going to Zohn’s Grass Roots Soccer Organization and to the Craig Willinger Foundation, which works like the Make-a Wish organization, this book will be an excellent addition to any school  or public library.

First the bad news.  There are ugly diseases, from Ebola virus to bubonic plague, still lurking in many parts of the world.  The good news is that the hard work of “disease detectives” can keep most of us safe from microbial invasion most of the time.   But don’t expect to be reading lists of facts and studying graphs and charts in this book.  Rather, you’ll read of the race against death in the middle of winter that was the first Iditarod sled dog race.  Or the chilling tale of a Zaire school teacher whose night sweats and rash were the beginning of a horrifying death by Ebola virus. 

Whether this book is used for reference, health class instruction, as a guide to a career in science, or just to read, it has riviting stories.  But be warned, the descriptions of the diseases are graphic, and there is a text box that tells exactly how to prevent HIV infection.  Though young readers would love the Iditarod story, the HIV information, deatils of bubonic plague, Ebola virus, the black death, and other diseases are frightening.  But from the introduction, with homeless men turning blue on the streets of New York, to the chapter on bioterrorism, Outbreak is never dull.

This short biography tells the story of Stephenie Meyer, the shy Arizona housewife who wrote Twilight and became an international celebrity author in a matter of months.  Meyer’s life is a great example for kids.  Her parents read to their children.  She worked hard, got good grades in school, and earned a scholarship to Brigham Young University.  While there, she read lots and lots of books and earned a degree in English with an emphasis on literature.

From writing the books to making the movies, this biography gives Twilight  fans a look into the author’s life, thoughts, and ideas.  The most gratifying part of her whole experience, Meyer says, is that her books are helping so many young readers discover that reading is fun.

From the Xtreme Sports  series, this book is all about base jumping. The book discusses BASE jumping. BASE stands for the places where a person may jump (building, antenna, span or earth). The book then goes into detail about the four places to jump with accompanying pictures of each place. The book also discusses the history, gear, worldwide jumps and the discussion of whether it is a sport or a stunt. The book has nice photographs, easy to read text and a nice layout. The giant red headings are interesting. All in all a decent book.

From the Blastoff! Readers series, this book is from Learning About the Earth series and focuses on coral reefs. The book explains what coral reefs are, how they are built, the types of reefs and about them being alive. The book also has a glossary, learn more and index at the end. This book has bright, vibrant pictures. I really like these Blastoff! Readers books. I always feel they have high quality photos, nice thick pages and are written well. This is another good one.

Loxton is the editor of a children’s science magazine, The Skeptic. Although I’ve never heard of nor seen  this magazine, this book, Evolution, has caused me to want to search out this magazine and read more articles written by Loxton.  His writing style makes this book and this subject easy to understand.  Every adult whose gone through school is familiar with Charles Darwin and ‘the survival of the fittest’.  But Loxton not only explains how Darwin came up with this theory(or decided to borrow), but compares it side-by-side with everyday common, familiar creatures so that we can apply it to our lives.  With each turn of the page comes another clarifying bit of information, an answer to a question.  All schools should have this book in their library so that children can understand how things are always changing.

This story is almost pun-ishment to read. The characters are tempra painted punctuation marks:

Penny on the school safety patrol is a period, Elsie the cheerleader is an exclamation mark, and Quentin is a question mark.

Some schools have Spelling Bees, but this school has a punctuation bee/contest. The students who uses his own punctuation mark correctly the most times will be the winner.

Could be a fun book to share with a class using a document camera for an introduction or a review of end punctuation marks.

Multi-layered cut paper pictures help give examples of the various rules for making plural words, from singular words –

” One snake pushes a block.

Three snakes push three blocks.”  (‘s’ unlined)

Graphic examples of 8 plural forms:

singular noun plus the letter -s,

add -es when nouns end in -ch, -sh, -x, or -z…

vowel +y add -s,

consonant + y, change y to i and add -es,

words ending in -o,

words ending in -f or -fe,

rule breakers.

The children in Mrs. Feeny’s primary grade class are telling about their parents’ jobs for Career Day: astronomer, a jeweler, a NASCAR driver, and a dad who changes light bulbs.

“Anthony Swister said, ‘Booooooring!’ and laughed…” Then the student continues ( for 14 pages) describing how the light bulb is on top of the antenna on top of the Empire State Building.

This is a superb resource for students grades 7 – 12.  Excellent organization and layout makes for easy use.  Primary source text is in bold font and illustrations are outline in bold color.  Maps, charts, time line, glossary, bibliographic sources and index support the text.  For studens who seek additional information, they can also make use of the resources given in the chapter notes.  This book, or any lone chapter from it, would partner well with the novel or film The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  Both touch the soul in making individual victims come to life for today’s youth who are so distant from this historic period.  They will readily see that such horrible events could happen to them, to us, to all–even today.  This is perfect for any student who needs help to use primary sources in a paper or presentation.

A wonderful addition to her Young Royals series, Carolyn Meyer reveals a new tender side to Marie-Antoinette in The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette.  Once Austrian Princess Antonia Hapsberg, she was the 12th child of a commanding mother who arranged her marriage to Louis-Auguste Bourbon, the process of which changes her name.  Meyer presents the voice of a 12 year old child, forced to dental extractions, French lessons and rules of etiquette from her mother that become the foreshadow-laden chapter titles in the book.  France is already physically and mentally deteriorating when she arrives to marry the shy, fat Dauphin.  While she is given beautiful things to wear and attends outlandish parties, the marriage leaves Marie-Antoinette confused more than satisfied as neither Marie or Louis know how to make a baby — the purpose of the marriage.  Most readers will probably like how Meyers paints Marie as a true companion to Louis, as she works to build the relationship by learning how to ride horses so she can accompany him on hunting trips — the only passion in his life.  In this light, one sees that this loyalty to Louis is the shining jewel in her crown, even when she had the chance to love another man passionately and also escape France with her children and her life.  Instead the rules for Marie switch to “Instructions for Madame Royale”, as Marie gives instructions to her daughter and the voice switches to Marie-Therese-Charlotte de France to finish her mother’s story to the guillotine.   Historical references such as visits from Ben Franklin add to this more positive account of the French Queen, despite the title’s implications and her lavish lifestyle.  This is highly recommended for both public and high school libraries.

What’s to be worried about when you’re starting middle school?  Lots, according to Claudia, who volunteers to escort her readers as they begin the perilous journey.  Dress comfortably; don’t be afraid to ask teachers for help; go over your notes before tests; you don’t have to be “popular”…Claudia’s advice is good, and covers just about every situation.

It’s nice to see suggestions for kids who don’t make the team.  Claudia makes dog walks sound fun, or dancing to your favorite tunes, even when you’re all alone.  Considering how few kids are sports stars or cheerleaders, it’s smart to consider alternatives, like writing for the school newspaper.

Important words are highlighted, and small drawings bring attention to important people, like the principal, or things, like the ham and cheese sandwich you can bring for lunch.  And Claudia admits she’s lucky to have been in school with the same friends since first grade.  Lots of real-world kids would find that enviable.

So take it from Claudia, pay attention, be kind, try hard.  Her book also has a glossary to explain the big words, discussion questions, a writing activity, tips from other teens, and the names of some more good books.

Rhyming text tells kids about the chincoteague ponies and the firemen who caretake these wild animals.  The language is simple and is aimed at the younger set of picture book readers, though the illustrations can tend to be abstract and may be difficult for younger children to interpret.

Cat lovers, here is a book for you.  That is, if you’re a fancier of feral cats.  Naturalist Jean Craighead George’s interest in cats began years ago when her daughter’s cat presented her kittens, rather formally, to the family.  For years, Ms. George has read about and observed feral cats.  This book, about a boy’s efforts to befriend a feral cat, is the result.

With life-like illustrations to make the cats seem real, I was fascinated by this disparate group of cats who had gathered around a railroad station where an elderly lady fed them.  I spied on their sunning spots, their hunting grounds, and their uncanny ways of sensing where to find shelter and food.

However, when the cats gather in Mrs. Dibber’s basement to ride out a snowstorm, I was rooting for the cats, but couldn’t keep from thinking how terrible that poor woman’s basement must have smelled by the time the cats moved on.  That’s one detail Ms. Craighead George didn’t mention.

Cute story about a class trying to raise money to go to a theme park.  Fun way to learn about addition and subtraction and working as a team.

The Spanish Missions of California by Megan Gendell is the most detailed of the 3 books in A True Book series I’ve read.   Focused more on the who, what, why, when, and how of the people living and working in the mission than the political ties to them, 6 of the 21 Californian missions are given a page each with a picture and text to highlight the differences in architecture between them.  The “Find the Truth” critical thinking questions presented before the table of contents both focus and bring wonder to the topic.  Answers are given at the end of the text along side other statistics. Unlike another book in this set titled Spanish Missions, this book does a great job providing maps of the locations of the missions. Full color with pictures on each page, the resources, glossary, and index pages complete this book that is recommended for upper elementary or ELL students.

With an elementary audience in mind, Spanish Missions by John Perritano would work well in secondary libraries for ELL and struggling readers.  Perritano’s 3 -4 page chapters cover the beginning of missions, Texas missions, California missions and the closing of missions.  The influences on Native American culture is discussed presenting both sides in a positive light.  No primary source material except the full color pictures  on each page.  A map indicating where each mission is located would have been useful.  The pronunciation of Spanish names and words is provided which will help readers unfamiliar with Spanish.  The “Find the Truth” critical thinking questions presented before the table of contents both focus and bring wonder to the topic.  Answers are given at the end of the text along side other statistics.  Resources, glossary, and index complete this recommended book.

A very good elementary resource and usable at any level for ELL students, Teresa Domnauer’s Westward Expansion is intended for upper elementary audiences.  Covering the entire movement across the United States, from Beyond the Appalachians to Pathway to the Pacific, this 48 page history lesson is brief yet succinct.  The highlight is its bright color graphics throughout.  Additionally, important vocabulary is in bold and referenced in the glossary, following a resources page.  Another plus for this book is the critical thinking question given for each chapter that encourages the reader to read for “the truth” about the particular topic. Recommended for elementary libraries, additional purchase for secondary libraries.

This book comes from a Kid Racer series. This book is all about snowmobiling, racing and all that goes into it. Upon looking at the table of contents, I found it to be a bit overwhelming! There are 20 chapters! I have to say that I enjoyed reading this book and really think that the average 4th or 5th grade boy will get enjoyment out of it. It does have a lot of information, but also has great photos and extra information boxes that will hold the reader’s interest. The book starts out talking about racing, snowmobile history and  different manufacturers. The book also discusses the different kinds of machines, how they are built and raced, safety, some well known names in the industry and how this can be a family sport. With appealing photos and set up, this is a great addition for some of those reluctant boy readers.

This book is from the Blastoff Readers! in the life cycle series. This book follows ladybugs as they transform from eggs to adults. Start with an explanation of ladybugs, it then explains the egg, larva, pupa and adult stage. With easy to read and understand text and amazing photographs, this is a great book. I guess I had never thought about how a ladybug becomes a ladybug and this book does a great job teaching the life cycle.

The story of Mathew Brady’s life is an important addition to school libraries because photographs taken by Brady and his staff are history’s major record of the Civil War.  This biography, by Don Nardo, is full of photos, from the Lincoln portrait that is the model for the Lincoln penny, to his battlefield photos of the dead at Antietam used by Ken Burns in his Civil War series.

This is a great biography for middle school students as there’s plenty of action in Brady’s life.  Filled with new shops, new ideas, and fast-paced life, New York City was as young and ambitious as Brady when he moved there around 1839.  He opened a business making cases for surgical instruments, but found out that his cases worked well for photographic equipment, and he soon became interested in this new art.

By 1861, his studio was swamped with Union soldiers having their portrait taken before heading to the battlefields of the Civil War. Seeing an opportunity, Brady put darkrooms on wheels, and he and his assistants were off to follow the action.

As an old man, Brady observed that he’d been in the right place at the right time, and with stories from that of the falling skylight that barely missed General U.S. Grant as Brady was making his portrait, to the insider’s view of Brady’s battlefield darkroom, this is a well-told story of a memorable life.

A chronology, chapter notes, further reading, and internet addresses will help serious researchers.  The web sites include many of Brady’s  photos.

Geared for middle school students, these books in the Amazing Decades in Photos series would be fine for upper elementary as well as useful for ELL high school students.  Each book authored by Jim Corrigan has identical formats, providing highlights for each decade: world, national, and cultural happenings.  Though extremely brief, enough information is provided to give an overview of the particular who, what, when, where and why of each topic.  Colored illustrations with captions appropriately placed balance the text on each page.  A chronology, glossary, and bibliographic references, along with and index, are provided.  Additional purchase for most school libraries.

Geared for middle school students, these books in the Amazing Decades in Photos series would be fine for upper elementary as well as useful for ELL high school students.  Each book authored by Jim Corrigan has identical formats, providing highlights for each decade: world, national, and cultural happenings.  Though extremely brief, enough information is provided to give an overview of the particular who, what, when, where and why of each topic.  Colored illustrations with captions appropriately placed balance the text on each page.  A chronology, glossary, and bibliographic references, along with and index, are provided.  Additional purchase for most school libraries.