Combine bully Troy Perkins as he transforms into the evil Pape3rcut, nerdy Chip Stone and his superhero alter ego Rockhead, his nerd friend Spencer with his secret sidekick identity as Scissorlegz in a graphic novel format and the reader has a recipe for comic book escapism. All puns are intended as super villain and superhero (plus sidekick) duel at Banner Elementary School in a classic game of ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors.’

Includes: glossary, 3 fictitious full-page “Advertisements” ( pg. 15, 29, 36) , and questions and prompts.

Lexile: GN 240 L

The 8″ x 7″ size of this book fits nicely into small elementary hands. The top 2/3 of each page is a full color, close-up photo of the active bug being described in the one sentence  below the photo.

“Most bugs get their food from plants.” (p. 6) while others suck blood, “eat poo”, or eat other insects / bugs.

Includes the “How Big?” page showing actual size of 4 different bugs.

Lexile: 430 L

Hans Solo and his first mate Chewbacca, hired by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker to take them to Princess Leia, recently apprehended by Darth Vader.  Princess Leia is transporting the Emperor’s secret plans for the Death Star to rebel leaders.  Content and vocabulary target an older audience (Grades 4 and 5), when in fact the Star Wars fans at my school hover around the first and second grades.  Illustrations of characters resemble the movie actors which is helpful to the comprehension in moving the plot forward.  Sophisticated language is used which makes this not necessarily a selection for reluctant or struggling readers.  The detailed illustrations can clutter the page at times, therefore the reader requires a more familiarity with graphic novels and dialogue format in order to navigate through the text.  Some comic violence appears in the form of generic gun zapping.  Best that this title is a hardback, as multiple circulations are predicted even with the described drawbacks.

In this Rookie Reader, a small girl goes fishing with her grandfather. After trying three different kinds of bait she concedes and goes home having simply caught a cold.

Lexile: 160 L

NASA photos (along with other photos from Photo Researchers, Inc.)  give added visual understanding to the 2 or 3 sentences per page on size, shape, location, surface, and chemical composition of asteroids.

Includes: glossary and index.

Lexile: 590 L

Every now and then a book comes along whose message transcends beyond the text and illustrations.   A book that is more than the sum of its parts.  Liz Garton Scanlon’s rhyming couplets and Marla Frazee’s pencil and water color tackles the impossible job of capturing the sense of wonder and mystery about hour human existence on the planet. Through these pictures and vignettes, we follow a multicultural family from a summer morning, to the end of the day and a quiet night at home.  What a heartwarming celebration of our interconnectedness  in a world that provides us everything.  After reading this simple, exquisite book, I was compelled, once again, to live each day in gratitude.

The ‘who, what where, and when’  information of centuries past Ninja is revealed through large action packed illustrations and photos in combination with 3  to 4 sentences per page.

WHO: special families / both male and female

WHAT: spies and assasins

WHERE: Japan

WHEN: 1400s – 1600s

Ninja trained from a young age in secret villages the arts of invisiblity through disguise, moving silently, and blending into their surroundings, fighting and killing

Lexile:  NC 700 L

This book, written and published in Canada, tells how to recognize, share, and enjoy public spaces.  Because it’s a book for young people, it addresses the need kids have for spaces to hang out, visit friends, ride bikes, and play Frisbee.

The author admits that kids who are “just hanging out” aren’t always popular in cities or parks, and often for good reason.  Her tips for becoming good neighbors include getting in touch with local government to learn the rules for a park or plaza, and how to advocate for change if you feel that the rules aren’t fair.  Some examples of successful projects, like a skateboard park, are included.

From city planners to “guerrilla gardeners,” to examples of notable public areas in other countries, there is a lot of information in the book’s 80 pages.  A glossary helps to understand unfamiliar words, and Marc Ngui’s realistic drawings throughout are exceptional.

Wow!  Labrador Retrievers are the most popular dogs, the easiest to train, smart, most loyal, and hardest working dogs.  Traditionally a dog for hunters, Labs would retrieve the animal or bird shot.  Labs make excellent pets for children as they won’t bite, and can be trained as service/guide dogs as well as for other jobs.  It’s interesting to be able to compare a Lab to other breeds.  All breeds have something worthwhile, but also something you have to learn to either love or put up with.  Labs seem to be well-suited for just about any situation, just be prepared to take care of it, and they will be your best friend for life.

Yorkshire Terriers, originally from Yorkshire, England, are dogs with attitude.  Small dogs, they think they’re actually big dogs.  They are difficult to train and patience is required in teaching them appropriate behavior.  But once learned, Yorkies are loyal companions.  Yorkies are hypoallergenic but need daily grooming to keep their hair manageable.  Photos are terrific.