In this graphic novel, there are three tales of famous war dogs from three different major wars. The first story takes place during World War I – Germany where Boots accompanies a medical assistant in the battle field. The second story takes place during World War II – Greenland where Loki helps a soldier get back to the air base when the soldier gets separated from his group during a mission. The last tale tells the story of Sheba, a war dog in Vietnam.

This book is very informational; the reader is able to learn historical facts about canine war dogs and how they were important during wartime. The creative writing style is continuous throughout the book. The artwork is realistic even though it is in comic book style form. Each story is fast-paced, getting to the point quickly but effectively. These stories are about war – death and blood are depicted. The stories are powerful and fascinating to read. I would recommend this book to mature readers who appreciate and understand the meaning of war. Dog lovers would also enjoy these tales.

— Kellyn S.

Here is a plotless book much like I SPY by Jean Marzolla. Curious George visits and explores 12 structures which are all jam packed with items a curious little monkey would love to touch and play with when left alone. As the reader turns each page of this 10.25″ X 10.25″ book, the top left corner shows a picture of the outside of the structure ( forest cabin, vacation trailer, desert adobe pueblo, tropical stilted bungalow, lighthouse, houseboat, medieval castle, zoo monkey house, high-rise skyscraper*, a tree house, a barn,  and the house were the man with the yellow hat lives) above its brief description told in rhyme, with 4 or 5 or 6 isolated pictures of items to find in the larger page and a half spread of the inside of that particular structure. Each rhyme ends with – “Where is George?”

Young readers will enjoy searching the pages of this book for George and the items!

Printed on heavy paper.

* Skyscraper is misspelled by omitting the second ‘s.

These are always fun book to look at, the pictures are really nice.  There is a little story that goes along with the pictures.  It is fun to try to find the pictures.

This book tells you a lot about a Hot Air balloon.  Even though it is very basic information it is very good information about hot air balloons.  The pictures are very colorful and go well with the text.

There is a table of context in the front and a glossary and “Further Reading”, a list of books and websites for more information.  There is also an index and a page of “fun facts” in the back also.

this is a cute story of a little girl, Zaira,  who has many imaginary friends.   The other children make fun of her.  One day Zaira’s  imaginary friends are gone and she is very sad, until she sees them again and is happy.

The pictures are colorful and interesting.  I like the name of the fairy “Take that”.  It is perfect when she takes the smiles of the faces of the children who are laughing at Zaira.

The cover offers: “Watching the Universe outside your window”, as a hook to catch your interest. I loved the images in this book: from NASA, The Hubble Telescope, constellation drawings, and so much more. The Contents are broken up into four sections ( with 9+ entries in each section) : Watching the night sky, Searching for the stars, Discovering amazing planets, and Galaxies and the Universe.

I did enjoy this book in small sections at a time. My finite mind would just begin to wrap itself around one three dimensional idea when another one was introduced into the equation of space. I found out quickly,  I am not ready to be an astronaut and travel off of this planet! I will need more than this book to help me remember and understand all of the wonderful celestial bodies in this book: nebula, quasars, nebula, globular cluster, black holes, blazar, cepheid , asterism, and more, which often we are made aware of in science fiction accounts, but in fact do exist.

The photos whether taken from space looking further into space or taken  from earth looking up into the night sky, they are breath taking!

Round star maps were presented from different locations on earth, not just from the northern hemisphere.  The constellations presented are viewed from flat star maps, viewed with the unaided eye from earth, viewed with telescopes in part and in whole, and small tidbits of their ancient names / origins.

Comes with a free digital book download.

Here is a book which will give intermediate grade students some of the background needed to better understand why the United States fought a civil war. There are 4 short chapters entitled: Seeds of Secession, The Birth of the Confederate States of America, The Confederate Government, and The  End of an Era. Each chapter is accompanied by historic photographs and lithographs.

From the very beginning of the United States there was lack of communication between towns and states. Each place created its own laws with little regard or effect on other places, but by the early 1800s this was changing. The U.S. government forced the Southern states to purchase Northern manufactured goods by placing tariffs on the cheaper imported goods. Slavery divided North and South even more, especially when new states or territories were added.  Southern states feared their control over the Supreme Court would lessen if A. Lincoln was elected president.  “Some states believed secession was the only way to preserve slavery against the threat of the abolitionists… the Confederacy was founded ‘upon the great truth that the Negro is not equal to the white man.’ ”  Southern states seceded after the election of A. Lincoln, but before he took office. They thought the war would end once Lincoln’s term of office was over, but he was re-elected.  And finally, the Confederate generals did not have the needed skills to compensate for each others short comings. “Jefferson Davis was known for being stubborn… [and] argued over how to proceed.”

This book never gives the reader a clear cut definition of what a dinosaur was, either in the front section entitled “What is a dinosaur?” or in the glossary. Though the book is divided into three sections: The world of the dinosaurs, Triassic and Jurassic, and Cretaceous dinosaurs each section is somewhat abstract / random  in delivery of the information, but intermediate aged readers will still be pleased. An example, on pages 40-41 it is stated that Compsognathus means “Elegant jaw”. The page shows the teeth of five different animals ( Megalosaurus, lion, Troodon, human, and T.rex)  but not the tooth of a Compsognathus.  Should the reader draw the conclusion that meat-eating teeth are all pointed, so the Compsognathus’ were, too?

On pages 16-17 it states, ” We know of about 540 kinds of dinosaurs, but as many as 900 kinds might have lived, or perhaps more.”  The words ‘may’, ‘might’, and ‘probably’ are found through this book.

On the plus side, this book does separate the Triassic and Jurassic from the Cretaceous periods in chronological order. It shows a wonderful two-page spread photo of the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. And it devotes 4 pages of photos mixed with text to SUE the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found.

The book’s text ends with, “Recent technology and new fossils are giving us fresh information all the time. What will we discover next?” (p 74-75)

Very little new information, if any, was found in this book, perhaps that was all saved for the ‘free digital book’ download.

Young readers, especially boys, will enjoy this rousing story of dinosaurs playing football. Its big and action packed!

The two top teams are playing in the Mega Bowl at the Lava Dome: the Greenblade Snackers verses the Redscales or the Green Bay Packers vs. the Red Skins or the herbivores vs. the carnivores. You take your pick.

Author Lisa Wheeler and illustrator Barry Gott have done their dinosaur homework in selecting the actual dinosaur names (46 in all) to play on these two DFL teams.

The rhyme flows quick and fast as the Greenblade Snackers play the Redscales in this evenly matched game. Which team will win? I won’t tell.

Arctic Ocean- if you are thinking ice, snow, and cold – you would be correct, but there is so much more! Intermediate grade students will be introduced to some of the wonders of this region in 6 short chapters.

Chapter 1  “The Ocean at the Top of the World”. Location is shown on a round map looking straight down towards the North Pole, truly giving the reader a feel for its relationship to North American, Europe, and Asia. The Arctic’s summer temperature is 29 F meaning the ocean water closest to land is thawed while ice still exists over the central portion.

Chapter 2 “Natural Resources” is broken down into three sections dealing with food , energy, and transportation. Food includes fish, seal, walrus, and whales. Energy includes oil and natural gas especially from Prudhoe Bay. Transportation includes two shipping routes which are difficult but shorter than other world transportation routes. And weather forecaster for Europe and Eastern United States.

Chapter3 “The Ocean Below” reveals the shallowness of this ocean, its wide continental shelf, and two mountain ranges.

Chapter 4 “Arctic Ocean Life” covers phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish (cod, halibut, capelin, & herring), whales, land mammals, and  invertebrates (clams, crab, worms). Food webs are mentioned.

Chapter 5 “Arctic Explorers” begins with “ancestors of the various Arctic peoples”;  Greeks – 300s B.C.; Vikings -A.D. 800s; Europeans- 1500s;  as well as, Nansen of Norway who studied the actual ocean, and later 20th century studies by the Soviet Union, Canada, and United States ( 1937, 1958, 1990s, 2001).

Chapter 6 “Current Issues in the Arctic” covers pollution from oil, chemicals, and nuclear waste; overfishing and hunting; loss of ozone layer; global warming; and all of these working together causing endangered species.