This is one of the Pebble Plus over sized nonfiction books from Capstone Press. This book is all about the current President of the United States, Barack Obama. This is a great book for the younger grades. Simple text explains the life of Barack Obama starting with his birth and childhood working up through his adult life, political background and finally presidency. Each set of pages has a text information page and then a photo on the facing page. Each page also has a timeline that keeps adding information about Obama as the book goes along.  At the end of the book, there is a fact page about our President, a list of Presidents of the US, glossary, read more, internet sites and index.

This is a cute, picture style book that looks at being president of the United States through the eyes of a child. In the book, the main character is a child that talks about all things he would do if he were president. “If I were the president, I would travel in my own airplane. I would zoom to different countries to meet people from around the world. I would try to make sure we all got along.” This book is classified under nonfiction because it also gives facts about presidency. It has informational boxes throughout the book that give additional information about things like the president’s airplane, Air Force One. At the end of the book, there is a page explaining how one becomes president, a glossary, learn more section and index. I liked the simple, easy to read and understand format, along with the clean, attractive illustrations.

This is a fun alphabet book with a theme of pirates. Each letter has its own page with a pirate scene depicting the letter. The illustrations remind me of the Rugrats characters. I like how each letter is in its own box since there is a lot going on in the pictures! The letter has a rhyme to go with it and the letter, word and following words with the showcased letter bolded. “H is for hunting for gold and buried treasure, ship ahoy, me hearties! We’ll plunder at our leisure.” At the end of the book, there is an I Spy type set up. Each letter has a list of things to find on that letter page that starts with the letter A for example. I really liked this! There is also a glossary of words that students may not be familiar with.

It is important that students, today, understand the natural world.  They will inherit and care for it in the future.   If they understand how it works, and appreciate what it provides for us, they will feel more inclined to protect it.  Seed Soil Sun gives an amazing overview of the cycle of growth and the ingredients for earth’s recipe for food…seed, soil, sun, rain, and air.  Each ingredient in the recipe is clearly explained.  Using the corn plant as an example, the author describes germination and growth of the seed into the giant plant.  The makeup of soil is explained…”Each handful of soil contains more living things than all the human beings on Earth.  Microscopic one-celled bacteria that munch away on dead leaves and insects in the soil are so minute that it would take a thousand of them lined up in a row to reach across the head of a pin.”  (Photo of a pin with a head shares that page.)  Exquisite photographs of multicultural kids in a farm setting or close up photos of compost, worms, sprouts, etc., provide emphasis for the well written, easy to comprehend text.  If you could only have one book on this subject, this is the one!

The husband and wife team , Caralyn and Mark Buehner sure know how to capture a child’s imagination and put it in a book!  How many kids have wished their snowman, a creation of grunting sweat, ingenuity, and maybe some collaboration and teamwork, would last longer than a day or two?  (At least, NW coast kids.)  This story in rhyme chronicles a year with a magically preserved snowman who is the quintessential companion for fun and adventure…flying kites, going to the zoo, riding a roller coaster and trick-or treating.  Of course, the brilliant and dazzling illustrations cause one to pause and jump into each picture!  My favorite, of which, is the snowman sailing off the diving board heading for a humongous splash in the pool.  Yes, in keeping with the I Spy aspect of the other books, in this book there are two ducks, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a rabbit, a cat and at least one hidden snowman in each painting.  Fun, fun, fun!!

Packed with gems of wisdom about plants, and the interconnectedness of nature, the reader is taken back to the days of George Washington Carver.  Told from the point of view of an elementary school aged girl, Sally, this fictionalized account of the famous plant scientist’s visit to her school unfolds, carrying you along with the story without realizing how much you are learning about the natural world.  Concepts such as how plants will tell you want they need if you listen and observe, how you never change or destroy something until you “understand why it exists and its relationship with the rest of nature”, how plants, like people, need nutritious food (in the soil) to help them grow, and how re-using cast off treasures is a sustainable practice.  (He made test tubes, lamps and tools for his laboratory, gleened from the dump.)  On weekends, Dr, Carver used an old wagon pulled by a mule to teach folks in the Alabama countryside.  His “moveable school” idea was adapted in places as far away as China and India.  Enlivened by  bright, friendly watercolor illustrations, the story will be enjoyed by young and old alike.  Dr. Carver is an inspirational and important figure in America’s scientific history.  I’m grateful this book made it’s way to my library!

Author, Ouisie Shapiro, has gathered 13 stories ( 8 from boys and 5 from girls) of schoolyard bullying. The stories convey the message to students that they are not alone in being bullied.

There are no real solutions given because there isn’t any ONE cure all for bullying.  While this may be true,” Dorothy Espelage [who] is a professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign… and has appeared on TV as a bullying expert” gives her input on each of the thirteen individual stories.

6 Tips on dealing with Bullies are included at the end of the book.

In this sequel to the graphic novel series – Princess Candy- Sugar Hero*, Halo once again transforms into Princess Halo – Super Hero to help her classmate, Doozie Hiss, escape from the SuperVillain Green Queen’s revenge for Doozie’s littering.

Don’t miss at the back of the book:

1) Green Queen Super Villain information card,

2) Aunt Pandora’s Princess Puzzlers mini-quiz,

3) Discussion questions, and

4) Writing prompts

* For better understanding read Princess Candy – Sugar Hero first

As Halo NIghtly rides in her Grandmother’s taxi cab she is given a mysterious 11th birthday gift from her Aunt Pandora.  Bottles of candy pills : “fuego” and “agua” to name just two which transform Halo into Princess Halo – SUPER HERO!

Don’t miss the added features at the back of this book:

1) Doozie Hiss Super Villain information card,

2) Aunt Pandora’s Princess Puzzlers mini-quizz,

3) Discussion questions, and

4) Writing prompts.

Gavin does not like his school bus or the boy, Max, who bullies him on it daily. Things change for Gavin after “Max had a bike accident.” (pg 16) Max’s days as a bully end once Gavin visits Max at his house because Max has been telling people Gavin is his “best friend.”

As a part of the new series – My 1st Graphic Novel, this book contains large illustrations and opens with “How to Read a Graphic Novel”,  a  page of instructions and diagrams for people, like me, who did not grow up reading comic books.