Bridges is a title in Scholastic’s Blastoff Readers’ new series, Everyday Engineering. The text takes us through what are bridges, types of bridges, and how bridges work in a very simplified manner. There is a glossary in the back of the text for bold words, but some more challenging words like cantilever are not defined. There are photographs of several bridges, but it does not always tell where the bridge is and for some of the pretty cool bridge construction I wanted to know more about them. They only name and give details for the Golden Gate Bridge.

At the back of the book there is a list of books for further reading. It also includes details for how to access factsurfer.com, which links you to sites for further information and videos on the topic.

The Water Cycle is a nonfiction book from the series Weather. This is one of the series in Abdo Publishing’s new Pop! Books. Several of the pages include QR codes with further information or activities. You can also access the activities, information, and teacher resources at popbookonline.com.

On each two page spread there are text and color photographs. Text features are on several pages including keywords, a diagram, text boxes, glossary, and index. At the end there is also a section on making connections (text to self, text to text, and text to world).

Toucans is a nonfiction book from the series Rain Forest Animals. On each two page spread there is text and color photographs. There are text features on several pages including keywords, a diagram, text boxes, glossary, and index. At the end there is also a section on making connections (text to self, text to text, and text to world). Several of the pages include QR codes with further information or activities. You can also access the activities, information, and teacher resources at popbookonline.com.

A Dog Named Doug by Karma Wilson is a fun, loosely rhyming read. There is some alliteration that can be a bit of a tongue twister. Matt Myers, the illustrator, is creative in tying his pictures into the words, but sometimes the illustrations impeded the text. It took me a bit to figure out that the mountains were standing in for the letter M for several words. As a read aloud, this would be a fun book, but as a book for beginning readers to check out, decoding the words that have pictures as the letter could be a challenge.

On his way home from band practice, Oliver missed the bus, people started screaming which confused Oliver. Then he discovered he was a werewolf. As he finds out all the wonderful thing he can do, he realizes his mom will be upset that he is late. Would his parents be mad for being late or would they be afraid of Oliver?

Knock Knock is a hilarious book about a bear getting ready to settle down for his yearly hibernation. His friends all dropped by and throw him an impromptu party but all Bear wants to do is sleep. The book is full of knock knock jokes that will entertain the audience.

At the town’s Valentine’s Day Bash, the monsters give Frankenstein a hard time for not being “monster” enough. At the bash, though, Frankenstein receives a secret valentine. Follow along to find out which monster likes Frankenstein just the way he is. It is well illustrated with bright colors. An easy reader with a subtle moral.

Jack B. Ninja is a new twist on the nursery rhyme Jack Be Nimble.  Using a ninja theme, Jack needs to find the treasure chest. There is a surprise ending. It rhymes and flows easily. I found it to be a good read aloud book.

With apologies to 12th century romantics Abelard and Helouise, Laura Creedle’s The Love Letters of Abelard and Lilly is a romantic story that skims the surface of complicated issues such as ADHD, Autism, divorce and possibly depression.  Unrealistically, Abelard and Lilly end up in the principal’s office after breaking into a classroom at their school.  After a passionate kiss while awaiting their detention sentence, the two students who have known each other since elementary school obviously are following their loins.  Eye-rolling high school aged drama slowly carries the story until Lily has to decide to have a surgery or run away from home with Abelard.  The mother’s decisions at the end are even more far-fetched and leave this reader wondering how an editor led the author down this path.  This story will be pulled because of its title but I’m don’t think teens will really enjoy it’s trite writing.