What drew me to this book was the glossy, vivid colors of each page. Daniel and his dad are on their way to see the Christmas play, The Nutcracker, when they run into his friend Owl. Owl is afraid to go in because he is afraid of all the people and the dark. Daniel convinces Owl it’s safe and gets him into the auditorium. This series is inspired by the television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and you can see the similarities. Both deal with problems of children and solve them in a calm manner. This story would be great for little kids with similar issues. I would recommend this book as a personal purchase, but because of the weak binding, not for a school.
Author Archives: SSBRC Former Member
Use Your Words, Sophie!
Rosemary Wells is a genius at picture books for young children, and this one is no different. Sophie is trying to get attention after her new baby sister has been brought home. When her antics set off her baby sister, she is the only one who can quiet her down. Kids who do have a baby brother or sister will love this story as it shows how important it is to be a big sister/brother. The illustrations are beautiful. The only drawback is that it is geared towards such a small audience group.
U.S. Independence: A Primary Source History
A Primary Source History of U.S. Independence uses newspaper articles, photographs, painting, speeches, maps and other primary documents to tell the story of the fight for U.S. Independence through the eyes of those who lived it. Primary source quotations are cited in red italic font throughout the text. There is also a selected bibliography with a number of titles, several website referrals, a glossary, and an index.
Living on a Mountain
Intended for primary students, this non-fiction text defines what mountains are, how they are formed, and discusses life on a mountain. Included are chapters on the people who live in mountainous regions, their clothing and shelter, farming and transportation in the mountains, what school and work is like, fun things to do in the mountains, as well as mountains of the past and the future. The book includes fun facts, a quiz, glossary, index, and references to additional sources.
With colorful photos on every page, this colorful book would be a good addition to the non-fiction section of an elementary school collection.
Other books in this series include Living Beside a River, Living Beside the Ocean, Living in a City, Living in a Desert, and Living in a valley.
Farm Machines
Farm Machines by Kathry Clay is a non-fiction book in the Wild About Wheels series geared towards pre-school – 2nd grade. Colorful pictures and large font text describe the various machines used on farms, including tractors, plows, seed drills, cultivators, combines, and balers. One photo shows a young woman driving a tractor, which is good role modeling for girls.
The book includes a glossary, an index, internet and printed text sources for more information, and Common Core questions (Key Ideas and Details, and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas).
Other books in this Wild About Wheels series include Construction Vehicles, Emergency Vehicles, and Military Vehicles. Kids love books about vehicles, and these would make good additions to the elementary school library.
Animals Helping to Detect Diseases
Susan H. Gray, a zoologist, has written over 140 reference books for children, and enjoys writing about animals and topics that engage children. Animals Helping to Detect Disease is one that will be of interest to kids. It is full of photos of animals being used to detect diseases, such as dogs using their keen sense of smell volatile organic compounds (VOCc) from diseased tissues, and rats smelling samples to detect TB.
The book includes a history of medical diagnosis, how dogs have been used in other helpful ways (searching for lost people), and the technology being tested for ‘electronic noses’ to sniff out disease.
There is a glossary and index, as well as resources for further study.
Australia: A Benjamin Blog and his Inquisitive Dog Guide
Australia is part of the Benjamin Blog and his Inquisitive Dog series, which also include guides on Canada, England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and the United States of America.
Each book contains maps, labels, captions, a glossary, bullets, table of contents, an index, experiments and activities, and fact boxes. The colorful photos and easy to read text features make these books interesting to young readers.
Benjamin Blog and his do, Barko Polo, travel through all of Australia, from the reefs of the coasts, to the opal mines, to visits with indigenous peoples, and into the big cities. History, geography, native animals, sports and recreation are all covered.
This is a fun, easy to read book.
SSBRC donation
How Effective is Recycling?
How Effective is Recycling? is part of the Earth Debates series which also includes Are Humans Damaging the Atmosphere?, Can we Protect People from Natural Disasters?, and How harmful are Fossil Fuel?
Chapters look at the recycling of plastics, hazardous materials, metals, tires, packaging, building materials, water, and food. Color photos illustrate the vast quantities of garbage that would end up in the landfill or worse, in waterways, if not for recycling. There is also a chapter on reuse of materials.
The book includes a quiz, glossary, index, table of contents, and a “Find Out More” section which provides websites, print resources, and places to visit, such as the Museum of Science and Industry.
SSRBC donation
Malala Yousafzai
This book is a biography of Malala Yousafzai with an emphasis on her activism. It gives background information on Pakistan and the rise of the Pakistani Taliban, so it is accessible to entry-level readers unfamiliar with the issue. Malala is accurately portrayed as an active player in her own story and not as a helpless victim, with the assassination attempt on her being only one part of her extensive history of activism instead of being falsely portrayed as her sole achievement.
The back contains a glossary, an index, a short reference list for further reading, a link to the Scholastic website, and a ‘True Statistic’s list of key biographical information like Malala’s birth date and the names of her family members.
A Violin for Elva
This is a story about a girl who wants more than anything to play the violin. However, Elva has to pretend, since her parents do not approve. Elva rehearses for make believe recitals in lieu of brushing her teeth, going to bed or learning her subtraction. The music stays in her head as she imagines being able to travel the world playing her violin. Many years go by as Elva grows up and her life fills with other jobs and satisfactions, but she remains true to her dream, takes a deep breath and follows that childhood dream.