Two of the coldest places on the planet are the north and south poles.  Polar bears have lived in the Arctic since the ice age.  Penguins have lived in the land that is now Antarctica for even longer.  This book is packed with fascinating information about these two animals living in extreme conditions.  Almost every sentence is a intriguing fact.  There is an activity for understanding the effectiveness of blubber, or a layer of fat, for conserving heat.  A list of resources used for writing the three chapters precedes the glossary, index, other books to read, and internet addresses.  Well researched resource for upper elementary and middle school libraries.

The Animal Safari series are written for emergent (level 1) readers.  Each page has one or two sentences describing what rhinoceroses look like, where they live, what they eat, and how they behave.  Large, colorful photos are well chosen to illustrate the text.  The layout is attractive.  Words to know are in bold font and defined in the glossary.  Other recommended books are written at a similar reading and interest level.  A young reader will likely need assistance using the factsurfer website.  An index ends the book.  This series is a good initial resource for those beginning research on animals.

In this series, mountains are the topic as one of the endangered biomes.  “A biome is a large natural area with a distinctive climate and geology”.  Plants and animals that live in mountains have adapted to their habitat.  The delicate balance within the ecosystems can be, and are, easily disrupted by nature and people.  Without people becoming more aware of conservation and preserving our biomes, the future of our mountain biomes is threatened.  Today, some plants and animals are rarely found and in danger of extinction.  The message of the book gives one pause to consider how to effectively safeguard our planet’s biomes.  Words to know are written in bold text and defined in a box on the page.  The glossary contains the same words.  Clear, colorful photographs are well-chosen and labeled.  Other books in the series are: Deciduous Forests, Coniferous Forests, Deserts, Grasslands and Savannas, Oceans, Tundra, and Rain Forests.  An index and extensive resource list are in the back.

Diana Cooper, known for her spiritual books, has written three books about Tara and her talking kitten, Ash-ting.  With the help of her kitten, Tara has made friends with angels and fairies.  In this book she meets a unicorn, who shows her another view of people she knows from school.  Sad Kevin, who is worried about his ill mother, is a victim of the school bully.  Rocky, the school bully, has problems of his own at home.  Her teacher, Mrs. Bright, is trying to figure out a way to raise money to have a community swimming pool built.  With the help of the unicorn and Ash-ting, Tara finds ways to bring about solutions to everyone’s problems.  She, in turn, learns about the importance of building friendships and how to curb her own temper.  On the last page are suggestions for discussions and activities.  Pen and ink illustrations complement the text.

Ten treatments for diseases throughout history are described. Initial procedures were far from perfect.  Lack of consistent success led to further study and new learning.  Illustrations and photographs are captioned.  Many pages include a box with additional information.  A timeline from 2000 BCE to present targets health concerns or people involved with medical advancements.  Includes a glossary, index, suggested books to read and websites to encourage further study.  One page suggests related topics and ideas for investigation.  This is an interesting book from start to finish.  Other books in the series discuss: Buildings and Structures, the Environment, Gadgets and Inventions, Military and Government Technology, and Transportation.  Recommended for junior and high school libraries.

Fourth grader, Daphne, is not especially interested in vampires but everyone else at school is.  When a costume day is announced, Daphne decides to go as a vampire so she will be one of the “cool” kids.  Of course it backfires, but with the help of her best friend, Kaylee, and her twin kindergarten brothers, Daphne is able to get the focus shifted away from herself.  This book is written in diary style on pink pages.  Readers will associate with the family and school dynamics.  Black ink illustrations go well with the hand-lettered text.  The final pages are filled with Daphne’s disaster doodles, complete with labels.  This book is a good transition for those readers moving from picture to chapter books.

If you are looking for an encyclopedia of little-known yet mostly true facts, Stink-o-Pedia is for you.  Only Stink Moody could have collected enough details on the wide variety of weird subjects from A to Z.  Side bars include even more “Did You Know?” facts.  Many entries were inspired by other Judy Moody and Stink books.  An extensive list of books and websites for more fun and information is included.  Megan McDonald intentionally misspelled 20 words within the book.  Answers to those and other codes, puzzles, and questions are also in the back of the book.  A must-read for all lovers of incidental facts and Stink books.