Horse lovers will enjoy reading about this original American horse breed.  Known for their calm temperament, strength, speed and endurance, these horses descended from a horse owned by Justin Morgan in the 1790s.  The book tells of a variety of places where owners are proud to show their Morgans.  Full color photographs are pleasingly placed within the text.  Small additional information sections are included on almost every page.  A glossary, suggested books for further reading, a factsurfer internet site, and an index are located in the back.  A good additional resource to add to one’s collection.

Pythons are constrictors and can be among the largest of all snakes.  This book shares where they are commonly found, their physical features, their preferred habitat, and how they locate prey.  Eating, moving, and reproduction are discussed next.  Finally, one can read information about pros and cons of choosing a python for a pet.  Problems can occur when people release pythons when they are no longer desired as pets.  Pythons are protected as thousands are illegally trapped for their skins or to be sold as pets.  They are important to the ecosystem as they help control rodents.  This book is visually appealing and the photographs are large and well chosen to accompany the text.  One interesting feature of this series is that the vocabulary found in the glossary is also defined on the page where it is first  used.  The glossary repeats the word but also includes the pronunciation.  Related books, a facthound internet site, and a glossary are included in the back.  This is a good resource for all elementary libraries.

Charlie needs to do a report and chooses to do it on a kiwi.  His classmates laugh and tease so Charlie does more research.  His kiwi stuffed animal encourages him to seek help from his great, great… Grandpa Charles (Darwin).  In the kiwi’s box, they zoom into the past to 1860.  Grandpa Charles explains why kiwis don’t fly, have whiskers, and are active at night.  They decide to go further into the past (30 million years ago) to see how kiwis adapted to the life they lead today.  But, to find out how birds first came to be, they travel even further into the past (150 million years ago) to discover how birds developed from the dinosaurs. Terrific resource for younger readers to go with units on evolution.

There is an excellent link (address on back jacket flap for an online exhibit) which gives other resources and information, interactive games, and an animated version of the story.  Unfortunately, if the jacket is missing, there is no other reference to this site.   nysci.org/explore/ontour/charlieandkiwi

South Africa — next to the United States, it probably has the biggest mix of people than any other country.  As pointed out, there are 11 official languages, nine of which are African, at least seven different tribes, a variety of racial backgrounds, resulting in a variety of spiritual beliefs, forms of art, food, music, dance, and traditions, earning it the nickname, the “rainbow nation.”  Even the government is structured in a variety of ways, with three levels of government, national, provincial, and local, and elections are held for offices at each level.  I’m glad to have such a current book on a country which has seen a lot of change over the years, as citizens stood up against the Whites who controlled their government for so many years, and peacefully took control over their own country.

During the Depression, Hannah’s family moved to a small mining town in northern Minnesota to find work.  Her class at school was having a picnic on Saturday, but being Jewish, Hannah was not allowed to travel on the Sabbath, the Orthodox Jewish day of rest.  Being new, Hannah did not know how, or who, to tell she could not go.  When Hannah finally confided her dilemma to her teacher, she was heartened to find every classmate agreed to walk to the picnic with her.  This story was inspired by an account author Linda Glaser read about Minnesota history.  Adam Gustavson’s detailed oil paintings beautifully depict this time in history as well as fashions and styles in a rural mid-west town.  This is a touching story about unexpected kindness as well as a snapshot of life during a difficult era.

Jacob’s older brother, Nathan, is autistic and his continual repetitions and sometimes unusual behaviors irritate Jacob.  When new neighbors move in, Jacob looks forward to making a new friend.  As Jacob’s family begins to celebrate Hanukkah, he is embarrassed when Nathan blows out the candles.  But when his new friend teases about Nathan, Jacob quickly comes to his defense.  This story is less about the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah than it is about how the caring adults support a child with autism.  The illustrations are large and colorful.  The story does not say so, but Jeremy Tugeau’s paintings indicate both families are Jewish.  The reader learns about both the Jewish traditional celebration as well as characteristics of autism.  There is one typo (You’re brother…) which may go unnoticed, but was a surprise to see.

As three young trees grow, each has dreams for its future.  One dreams to be a chest to hold the finest treasure, one wishes to be a ship that will carry a mighty king, and the last hopes to just remain and point the way to heaven.  The one who dreamed to be a chest became a straw trough that held a newborn babe.  The tree that wished to become a ship became a fishing boat that carried a man who calmed the sea.  The third tree was forgotten until quickly gathered to make a cross.  Some will recognize the story of Jesus although it is not expressly mentioned.  The title states it is a traditional folktale but there is no reference as to its origin.  The book is beautifully illustrated by Sophie Windham.

“Rain” is a visually appealing book.  The photographs beautifully illustrate the text.  Erin Edison describes the water cycle in simple sentences for young readers.  The vocabulary includes specific terms related to the water cycle – evaporation, condensation, precipitation – with which young readers may need support.  The book goes on to explain floods and droughts.  Information is complete and supports national science standards for earth sciences at a level beginning readers can understand.  Also included are a glossary, index, a Facthound internet site, and books for further reading.  The listed books are written for young readers as well.  This is a good resource for this nonfiction topic.

The Deadlies, a family of brown recluse spiders, have found a home in the rare book section of the Boston Public Library.  Kathryn Lasky is known for her series about owls, Guardians of Ga’Hoole, her series about wolves, Wolves of Beyond, and her contributions to the Dear America series with biographies of people in history.  She has expanded her research to begin a new fiction series including facts about spiders.

Buster, a brown walnut spider, meets Jo Bell and her brown recluse family.  Tom, the human curator, welcomes them because he knows they eat silverfish, cockroaches, and other bugs that damage books.  Jo Bell and Buster discover thieves cutting pages from the rare books.  With the family, they weave a plan to inform Tom so he can stop the destruction.  Readers will learn about spiders as well as a bit about the Dewey decimal system.  Kathryn Lasky includes pages of notes in the back about things that are true, things that are not, and things in-between.  One is a warning about handling brown recluse spiders.

In this informative book about ogres, Rachel Lynette begins with a German fairy tale.  The origin of the word “ogre” is unknown, but can be found in tales dating back to Beowulf.  What they look like, where they live, what they eat, and intelligence/behavior vary from story to story although the one thing in common is the desire for human flesh.  Lynette mentions several fairy and folk tales from around the world in which ogres can be found and provides a short summary of the tale.  The book concludes with information about the transition of ogres from a written tale to film.  Computer generated animation allows designers free-reign over their creations.  Each chapter has notes naming resources and tales mentioned.  Also in the back is a glossary, books for further reading, websites and an extensive index.  This would be a good addition to elementary libraries.