Best Kept Secret, the third book in the series Family Tree by Ann M. Martin, begins in the year 1977. In Princeton, Dana’s daughter seven-year old Fancie is struggling to keep her dyslexia a secret from her teachers and her family.  Even the thought of high school and college is part of the remote and unattainable future.  Events in her family life include the divorce of her parents, the cancer death of her dear Aunt Adele, and eventually a household which includes her Down Syndrome 31 year old Uncle Peter.  Francie is supported by a number of really good friends and finds herself developing her talent as a writer.  At the end of the book she marries the brother of her best friend and leads the reader onto the fourth book in the series with her daughter Georgia.  Written on a fourth grade level I would recommend this book, and the entire series, to middle school girls because of the life circumstances presented.  The storyline is somewhat predictable having read Books One and Two, but enjoyable.

This is a typical Boxcar Children mystery, however, the illustrations are more contemporary and interesting.  In this episode, the Alden children are at a wild west town when mishaps begin to occur.  There is a stranger in town who wants to buy the town, but the children gather clues and find the culprit.  This story was a little too easy to solve and the story would be perfect for the minds of first and second graders who would be able to read it.  Maybe written at a third grade reading level it just doesn’t quite match up with age of student who’d be interested. Needs to be more of a story; good illustrations.

Who knew feet could be so interesting?  Arndt is both author and photographer in this compilation of the feet of various animals.  The feet are divided into groups according to how they move: walk, climb, swim or dig, an interesting approach.  Many of the photographs have captured the animal’s foot against a pure black background, the contrast making the textures stand out more noticeably.  No table of contents and the index is arranged by the various animals’ feet shown.

The unique quality of Barn Owls Nocturnal Hunters is the quality of the photography.  Owls have been captured in mid-flight, with their wings spread wide.  You can see the details in the nest of newly hatched pink owlets. The information is pretty much standard, however,  also included is information about owl pellets, the remnants of their meals which contain the fur, feathers and bones.  But the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words, is certainly true here.

Shaffer does an excellent job in describing the life cycle, habitats, behaviors, and threats of the different types of bearded dragons.  I actually learned a new word from the book, brumation, which is the precursor to hibernation when appetite decreases and body temp falls.  The photos are spectacular and show the textures of the dragons’ skin and nails.  This book would make an excellent resource for any research project and should be included in a library’s collection.

While spending a day at the beach with his family, a little boy builds the perfect sandcastle, and a dragon moves in.  The dragon is actually a pretty good companion and they have a great day together.  However, when the food disappears and he blames the dragon, his parents have had enough and the little boy kicks his dragon out until he learns some better manners.  The next day it starts all over….. This story is beautifully illustrated as well as beautifully told and would make an excellent first purchase for a library.

Teen girls looking for a light romance will enjoy Catch a Falling Star by Kim Culbertson.  Carter Moon is beginning to enjoy the summer between her junior and senior year when her small town of Little, California is no longer “little” with the likes of super teen throb Adam Jakes and his entourage beginning to shoot his movie there.  Carter is not the pop culture monger that her friend Chloe is.  She prefers a simple life where one can go out on the roof top at night and seek solice in the stars. Her aversion to that pop culture type of life is what makes her the perfect “character” for Carter’s manager to hire to be his new girlfriend – clean cut, earthy, non-drama queen and in need of some money to keep her brother who has a gambling addiction out of trouble.

At first both are a little stand-offish but Carter is a “tell it like it is” girl who decides to make the most of the new job.  She can’t share her secret about it being a “fake” relationship with any of her friends.  This is only one small emotional conflict though.  Of a larger scope is Carter’s decision to stop dancing the previous year.  This was an activity that could have taken her across the nation to an arts focused college but one dance teacher allowed her to drop her confidence in herself.  As Carter and Jake begin to learn more about each other, they begin to counsel one another in their issues such as Carter’s dancing future and the sparks begin to be set off onto a real romantic interest in one another.  Add in some additional words of wisdom from Carter’s best boyfriend, Alien Drake, nicknamed Alien because he too loves to study the stellar universe, and readers will be contemplating our social media driven world where no one is “…ever knows what’s real.”

Students trying to make decisions about their next step on the path after high school will relate to Carter’s crisis of her soul.  Those who pine for a soft touch romance will find it here.  Slightly “Hallmarkish”, Catch a Falling Star is an additional purchase for most libraries.

The grim realities of WWI are softened a bit by focusing on the true story of the relationship between Bunny, a magnificent, reddish-brown horse with long ears, and two brothers, Thomas and “Bud” Dundas.  All three were among those sent to Europe as part of the Canadian Field Artillery.  Bud rode Bunny as they helped deliver messages quickly, carry wounded soldiers to safety, pull ambulances and carts with supplies and food, and haul cannons and big guns to the battlefield.  They endured poisonous gas attacks, drenching rain, and exploding bombs and grenades.  Bunny showed courage and loyalty under challenging conditions.  When Bud was killed in battle, Tom rode Bunny until the end of the war.  Tom returned to Toronto, but by the time he raised enough money to ship Bunny back, Bunny had been sold and could not be found.  Red poppies fill the fields on the Western Front and are now a symbol commemorating soldiers who died.  The artwork is large and uncomplicated.  It is a good match with the accurate but brief descriptions of a dangerous time in history.

The Boston Tea Party was one of the turning points for unifying the Colonists’ stand for independence from King George and England.  Events leading up to the dumping of the tea are clearly and simply explained.  At the end of the brief chapter, two opposing actions are presented for discussion.  What the colonists chose to do is related on the next page.  What an engaging way to encourage thinking about the choices the colonists had to make at the time.  Includes captioned photographs, illustrations, fact boxes, a time line, glossary, and index.  A list of related additional books are written at a slightly higher reading level but aimed at intermediate readers.  Two internet sources provide excellent supplementary facts to help round out this period in history.  Could also be used to address Common Core standards.

Beginning with where to find Asia and its varied landscapes, the endangered animals are showcased.  Photos of animals from the various habitats accompany text that explains what the animal needs to survive and the reasons it is endangered.  Human interference is what has caused much of the problem.  That being said, several reserves are being created to help protect animals and a focus is switching to one that is more ecological and sensitive to the environment.  Included are: an extensive glossary, index, titles of two additional books on endangered animals written at a similar level, and an internet site provided by the publisher, which is more about all animals rather than endangered ones.

A collection of sly and witty poems that poke fun at the proper way to eat soup, burp, answer the phone, disagree with adults, go to sleep, kiss, send thank-you’s, etc.  My first question about this book is…Who is the intended audience?  Supposedly for 9-12 year olds, the picture book format may put off that older crowd.  However, the reader must understand sarcasm, to get the jokes.  Younger audiences (4-8 year olds) may be confused by the more sophisticated humor, at a time when they are just beginning to figure out proper etiquette.  Also the length of the poems better match an older readership.   The young ones, however, are sure to be drawn in by the whimsical and well-done illustrations.     All in all, it is a silly romp by the zany author called Miss Information.

In this third book of the trilogy, the fairy-tale adventure continues.  The cast of characters include: a castle librarian, a blacksmith, a king, a queen, a princess, a dragon, an elephant, a wizard, devious villains, use of p-mail (carrier pigeons), as well as an engaging vocabulary.  Phoebe, the castle librarian, and Sebastian, a young blacksmith with a tremendous vocabulary, are the adult children of the kingdom’s most infamous, now exiled, villains.  Phoebe’s father is the banished chief torturer to the evil ex-queen Olympia.  Sebastian’s father, also exiled, was the chief poisoner.  When Phoebe and Sebastian suspect the baby Princess Poppy is about to be kidnapped, they do not think people will believe them because of who their fathers are.  Phoebe and Sebastian pair up to find her, eventually meeting up with Princess Poppy’s parents, King Christian and Queen Marigold.  The trail becomes more and more complicated, involving characters from previous books as well as many interesting twists.  This tale is fast-paced, and humorous, including puns and word-plays, and a budding romance between Phoebe and Sebastian.  This is a fun conclusion to the adventures of Marigold.

We all are inspired by Movers and Shakers.  Here is a true story of Rosealeta Laurel, a feisty director of the oldest public library in Texas.  It’s October 2000 when, financially, people were not willing to pay for public improvements in their library.  However Rosealeta saw an important need to raise money to improve the children’s section of the public library.  She decided to do something dramatic.  She pitched a tent on the roof of the library for one week, until the town raisied enough money to make the necessary improvements.  She weathered an extreme storm, where townfolk feared for her life…but she stuck to her convition until she had $39,000 to make a kid-friendly, resourceful place for children  at the Eugene Clark Library.  Whimsical illustrations add a fun touch to this powerful story of community activism.

Just in time for Earth Day!  Here are many different ways we use energy and resources plus fun, kid-friendly ways to care for the earth.  Included are the effects of composting, worms, green gardens, fast/packaged foods vs. growing fresh foods, the 3 R’s in your garden, using trees, using rainwater and pesticides/herbicides.  Children hear the term…”Being Green” or “Going Green” but this book really explains what that means.  The Back Matter does not include an Index, but does include a Glossary from the bolded words in the text.

Beginning with a statement saying these evil creatures are found only in imaginations, Sautter goes on to describe size, habitat, diet, life cycle, physical features, and behaviors as if they did exist.  Individual creatures in the book include: pixies, nixies, sirens, hags, boggarts, gremlins, goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, black orcs, and troglodytes.  Their sizes range from 6 inches to 7 feet tall.  Most live in dark places and have dark brown or green skin, have greedy appetites, and like practical jokes.  Some have been described in fairy tales or legends throughout the world.  A map indicates where pixies, hags, sirens, and goblins appear in literature.  A quiz (with answers), a glossary, additional books, internet sites, and a glossary are included.  This is surely to find an audience among readers of unexplained fantasies.

Manning relates how Native Americans once constructed and used tepees in the Great Plains region of North America.  They provided shelter from wind, rain, and snow and were easily relocated.  Men hunted the buffalo.  Women cleaned, treated, sewed hides together and erected the tepee.  Used by single families or for ceremonies, the tepee was the center of many tribal activities.  Included are: a glossary, additional resources to read, websites, an index, as well as a few common core critical thinking questions.  Captioned photographs, a map, or illustrations are on every spread.  Additional fact boxes are on many pages.

This very complete book provides instructions for applique, embroidery, patchwork, and quilting projects.  Beginning with a definition of each craft, 24 projects provide practice and ideas for many creations.  Materials, equipment, tips, funky facts, and safety hints adorn the pages.  Each craft starts with techniques used with the projects.  Multiple photographs of examples, procedures, and steps are large, colorful, and provide excellent details of techniques.  Clear step-by-step instructions, complete with examples, guide one to a successful conclusion.  Each craft ends with a “What next?” – suggestions for design changes and additional uses.  Those who enjoy making things by hand will find this book a must.  Recommended for school and personal libraries.

Several interesting facts about 101 various animal babies engage readers of all ages.  The amphibian, axolotl, never develops beyond the larva stage.  The largemouth bass male digs a nest with his tail.  Dolphin calves have babysitters when Mom goes off to feed.  Baby elephants often suck the end of their trunks much like baby humans sucking their thumbs!  For each baby, there is one large and one small photograph.  The pages are colorful and appealing.  Readers will enjoy flipping from animal to animal, learning many fascinating facts about many cute babies.

This introductory text to the food group “meat and protein”  is quite basic for preschoolers.  It identifies meat, beans, fish, eggs and nuts as food that we eat to be protein healthy. After explaining where all of these come from, we are told that these foods can keep us healthy (especially our blood), help us grow, and give us energy.  Fat in some meat is to be avoided…(photo of a hamburger and fries).  The out-dated food pyramid is shown to inform kids to eat foods from each food group.  Each two page spread has a close-and-up-front photo with one sentence underneath each photo.  Information  seems almost  too elementary, even for preschoolers.  The notes to parents and teachers in the Back Matter help suggestions for discussions that I think could have been included in the book, itself…such as…”Discuss the fact that some people do not eat meat and fish…some people do not eat meat, fish,  eggs, or dairy.”   Also…”Some people do not eat certain types of meat, or only meat that has been prepared in a certain way because of their religious beliefs.”  Students these days seem to be more informed that these books assume.  My three year old granddaughter would maybe get only one new concept from this costly publication.  Picture Glossary (three words) and Index are included in the Back Matter.

Orq is a cave boy and he loves his pet wooly mammoth, Woma.  This mother does not.  He sheds, stinks, and is not housebroken.  Orq decides to teach Woma tricks to endear him to Mom.  Things to not go well and Mom is unimpressed.  One day, Orq is playing mighty hunter, only to find he was also being hunted – by a saber-tooth tiger!  Woma comes to the rescue and Mom gratefully welcomes Woma into the cave.  Elliott’s humorous, sparse cave talk is wonderfully paired with Nichols’s large, simple, lightly colored pencil drawings.  Orq’s love for Woma is shown by big red hearts.  Emotions are comically expressive.  In the background, a family of prehistoric birds share Orq’s love of Woma and add another dimension to this funny, enjoyable story.

We are off on a trip to the Serengeti Plain of Africa!

Irene Latham’s 15 poems of the African savanna accompanied by their 15 paragraphs of background information make this book a treasure for poets, adventurers, biologists, and  geographers with each turn of the page.

Anna Wadham’s colorful muted backgrounds make the often-time brown hues’ of the animals pop off of the pages.

Latham’s poems, most often written in couplets,  vividly describe the actions and behaviors of the animals. The poems come one to a page with its background piece on the opposite page just before the page turn. Topics include: the watering hole, impalas, a variety of snakes, meerkats, oxpeckers, giraffe, zebras, dung beetles, bush willow, wildebeest, rhino, lioness, nightjar, and a couple more.