Well, organized and informative non-fiction book would lend itself to a student led research report on this breed of dog.  The chapters are outlined with all of the classic information and each chapter is free of distractions such as captions, colors, graphs, etc.  The traditional format may work well with learners are need a straight forward focus.  This series has the typical glossary, and index.  The bold faced vocabulary words throughout the book were a bonus.  Included in this series is the website feature.  www.abdopublishing.com.  However, upon arriving at the website I could not locate the information about Cesky terriers.  I recommend reformatting the website with an obvious link at the top which allows the student to easy enter the name of the book and the suggested links will appear.  It’s a useless activity for children to follow the general information provided in the back of the book about going to the publishing website and looking for our Book Links page. This reviewer wasn’t able to locate it, I wouldn’t ask a student to do it.

Spiders  is one of 32 books in the Level 1: Emergent reader series Backyard Wildlife.

There are nine pages of simple text dealing with an amazing amount of good basic spider information. Each of these pages has two sentences in a large font. Opposite the text is a high definition photograph, often showing the great detail of the spider’s hairy legs or the patterning on the spider’s body.

The excellent glossary page includes: arachnids, fangs, insects, prey, and venom among 8 other words.

Includes: Glossary, To Learn More, On the Web (www.factsurfer.com), and Index.

Monster Trucks is one of 6 books in the Level 1: Emergent reader series Monster Machines.

There are nine pages of simple text. Each of these pages has two sentences in a large font. These trucks are definitely not your everyday variety of truck!  They’re huge. “Their tires are taller than a kid!” (page 8) . Their paint jobs, super-sized tires, and “super-charged engines” command attention. Opposite the text is a high definition photograph of a monster truck , usually in action during a rally. Young truck loving readers will enjoy this book.

Includes: Glossary, To Learn More, On the Web (www.factsurfer.com), and Index.

Baby Penguins is one of 13 books in the Level 1: Emergent reader series SUPER CUTE! of baby animals. This book lives up to the series title Super Cute!

There are nine pages of simple text dealing with hatching from an egg, covered in down, and being feed by the mother.Each of these pages has two sentences in a large font. Opposite the text is a high definition photograph of a baby penguin(s). Three of the nine photos may actually be life-size!

Includes: Glossary, To Learn More, On the Web (www.factsurfer.com), and Index.

I liked how this nonfiction book placed the vocabulary words at the BEGINNING of the book, instead of the end.  It’s after the fact at the end.  Appreciated is the no nonsense explanation of the antaomy, food, and lifecycle of fireflies.  The phones with the life cycle was an exceptional touch.  Missing is a geography page where we can locate these creatures on the planet.  Also a scale of size would be nice, how about a page comparing it to a common house fly, bee, robin, etc. so that the students could practice compare and contrast. Also, this reviewer wasn’t able to get to the suggested website, http://readysetflow.org/activitysheets/index.html.  Additional purchase

This is a charming beginning reader chapter book which is twisted continuation of Little Red Riding Hood.  The big bad wolf ends up in the emergency room because he is choking on something, as the nurse comforts the little girl who can’t find her grandmother, the doctor squeezes with all her might.  Grandmother is saved, after much suspense, and a happy ending is enjoyed by everyone-except the big bad wolf.  Unfortunately for him, it’s against the law to eat grandmothers and the police were called to take him away.  Charming pictures contribute to this quality book! Recommended.

This book is affiliated with Amnesty International, which is a global human rights organization.  This book explores the psychology behind soldiers fighting their “enemies” and what they might have in common.  In this story the soldier is told that the enemy is evil and as soon as he can kill him he can go home.  He endures much discomfort, fear and trauma before he learns that the enemy was also told the he was evil and as soon as “the enemy” could kill him, the enemy could go home.  In the end he realizes how much in common they have and the soldiers end with a truce.  Time to go back to their families.  A message delivered in a delicate manner, sure to solicit good discussion.

The Peculiars, by Maureen Doyle McQuerry, enters realms of steampunk fantasy with the search of 18 year old Lena Mattacascar to learn more about her father, Saul, who left her and her mother for the strange land of Scree, wherein live those whose characteristics (wings, goblin features, dwarfism and the like) make them not only different but undesirables and victims of oppression. Lena’s inheritance of the deed to her father’s mine in Scree begins her journey north, leading her to engage with friends and foes as she deals with her own goblinesque, hands and feet and the realization of her father’s uncontrolled tendencies to violence.

Themes of self-acceptance, discernment, trust and determination infuse McQuerry’s alternate late-1800s steam-powered world. Infused with facts and historic figures, readers enter Lena’s experiences as she discovers whether she is indeed “a Peculiar” in the face of societal condemnation and shame.  In so doing, she finds a new life, acceptance, a worthwhile career and the promise of love.

The author, who lives and teaches in southeastern Washington, specializes in young adult fiction.  With The Peculiars, she has created a worthwhile and thought-provoking look into a world filled with gears, pulleys, steam-driven flying machines, committed characters, and an indomitable spirit of self-discovery. Recommended.

Perfect is for a baseball fan.  Anyone one who has played the game will “see” a game from the descriptions of the writer and enjoy reading about some of the games special moments. Each perfect game is its own chapter; alike in that the reader knows how it will end, but different in how the end comes about. What James Buckley Jr. also provides in this book is a historical timeline because descriptions of how the game was played in the beginning to how the rules changed to the game we know now give readers a real sense of the evolution of America’s pastime.

Of course nothing can be perfect.  The book does not include the perfect games played last year, most notably, by this Mariner’s fan, that by Felix Hernandez.

The author does reference other books written about perfect games, each book about a single game and its impact upon the game, the season, the player the team and the fans.  This is most likely an additional purchase for schools and public libraries.

Theo’s classmates help him understand his feelings about becoming a big brother as they share their good moods/bad moods  for Monday morning’s Mood News.  Since each child has a different mood (proud, jealous, afraid, mad, confused, grateful, cheerful, etc.) , the story becomes a great introduction to a  rich vocabulary of “feelings” words.  I found the stylized  and  colorful illustrations quite engaging.  The main character was named after the author’s father, Theodore.  One classmate was named Ameen, which I took as an acknowledgment to our country’s cultural diversity.  After reading this book, I was feeling LUCKY to have found a story to help kids learn more  about moods and feeling vocabulary.