What a fun, fabulous book!  Fifteen different fairy tales have each inspired two poems, representing different points of view, focusing on different elements of the story.  For example Cinderella laments in one poems about how much smarter it would have been to wear more comfortable shoes, while her step-sisters brag in the other about how they taught her everything they knew.  A variety of poetic forms are used, and paragraphs in the back provide background on the different variations in these familiar folk tales. This would be a great tool for helping teach students not only about poetry, but about point of view and expanding on familiar tales.  It’s sure to inspire some fabulous creations by the children who enjoy it.

The whole premise behind this book is completely lame.  It doesn’t describe any of the adaptations these animals make that allow them to survive extreme cold.  It’s simply an illustrated list of animals who do live in cold climates.  But the format in which it is presented borders on false: each page simply states an animal that can survive at a given temperature and then asks the question whether any animal exists in colder climate (the first page starts with an Arctic bumblebee that survives 40 degrees — even us wimpy humans in our mild Pacific Northwest climate survive colder than that every winter).  As you turn the page, the pictured thermometer drops a few more degrees, and another animal is declared to survive even that temperature.  The polar bear is described as surviving -34 degrees — you’re telling me if the temperature drops to -35 degrees all the polar bears drop down dead?  Given that many of the animals listed live in the same geographical areas, I’m guessing they must survive together.  After the last animal listed (the Siberian husky at -75 degrees), the repeated question as to whether any animal can exist in a colder climate is answered with, “Perhaps. Who knows what could exist in colder climates?”  I’m thinking man’s study of the temperature ranges in different parts of our world, and the animals who live in those regions is pretty vast, do data probably does exist as to what is the coldest part of the planet and what kind of animals live there.  The whole thing is just bad science, badly written.  The illustrations are nice, but they’re not enough to rescue the poor text. Don’t buy it.

I love this pair’s work, and this one does not disappoint.  The illustrations are fabulous and draw the eye, and the text is simple yet fascinating.  We all have the understanding of what little humans are able to do on their first day of life (and just in case young readers aren’t sure, the first page reminds us).  Each page in this book is dedicated to a different animal describing it’s first day.  The selected animals are wide-ranging, from the familiar to the exotic, from those born helpless to those who are independent from the start.  Though the few sentences on each page are just enough to tantalize, detailed paragraphs in the back of the book offer more detailed information on each animal, including what part of the world it inhabits, and it’s typical birth size and weight.

A clever little story about a pig and an alligator who share the same birthday.  When they stumble upon each other, the alligator captures the pig and thinks it’s his lucky day, as he ponders the birthday feast the pig will provide.  But the clever piglet outsmarts the alligator at every turn, manipulating events so that all the alligator’s plans turn in his own favor.  A twist at the end lets us know that the clever pig has been plotting all along, as a true trickster character.  A delight.

It’s beautiful and it’s sentimental and sweet, without being cotton candy sweet.  The text declares Christmas to be a quiet time, and then goes on to list a variety holiday situation that bring on different kinds of quiet, from the sneaky quiet of not wanting to get caught looking for presents, to the chastised quiet when you’re in time out after getting caught, to the quiet awe of lighting up the tree.  The illustrations are soft and charming and add meaning to the two-three word phrase on each page.

Fans of the other Scaredy Squirrel books will be drawn to the illustrations, which are very much in line with the character of the other books, but I am afraid they may be disappointed as they start reading, because there is no actual story to this one.  It is instead a Christmas manual, written from the perspective of Scaredy Squirrel, filled mostly with lists, outlining his views on mistletoe, fruitcake, gifts, etc. Visually appealing, but lacking much in the way of substance.

South Dakota is one in the completely revised America the Beautiful series. This book is divided into 9 chapters before the projects, timeline, glossary, fast facts, biographical dictionary, and resources found at the vary back of the text.The nine chapters include: 1- Land, 2- First People, 3- Exploration and Settlement, 4- Growth and Change, 5- More Modern Times, 6-People, 7- Government, 8- Economy, and 9- Travel Guide.

“FARMING AND RANCHING ARE STILL BIG BUSINESS IN THE STATE, BUT THE AVERAGE WORKER IS MORE LIKELY TO BE FOUND IN A FACTORY , OFFICE BUILDING, OR STORE THAN ON A FARM.” Banking and credit cards are big business in South Dakota because of the changes in the state banking laws.

South Dakota has the Black Hills with its gold, Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. South Dakota, also, has numerous museums and memorials for Native American history, mining,  and air and space.

This book is filled with charts, graphs, maps, and photos which will aid students in attaining the Common Core Standards .

The Indigo Spell is the third book in the Bloodlines series, following the very popular Bloodlines and The Golden Lily.  Fans of the series will find familiar characters as well as new ones in this suspenseful adventure.  As with the previous books, The Indigo Spell features the paranormal with witches, vampires and Alchemists. Themes of friendship, romance and betrayal will keep the reading rapidly flipping the pages.

Steamy romance and danger will thrill the reader and have her watching the calendar for the release of the fourth book, The Fiery Heart, due out in November, 2013.

Tennessee is one in the third series of AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL books. This book is divided into 9 chapters before the projects, timeline, glossary, fast facts, biographical dictionary, and resources found at the vary back of the text.The nine chapters include: 1- Land, 2- First People, 3- Exploration and Settlement, 4- Growth and Change, 5- More Modern Times, 6-People, 7- Government, 8- Economy, and 9- Travel Guide.

There is a great combination of vivid detail and a dense, concise overview of facts and information on Tennessee*. Tennessee’s history is a microcosm of the early history of eastern North America / United States. I found it interesting to read about this area in time in relation to one of the thirteen colonies. Tennessee is unique in having had the State of Franklin, the Watauga Association, the Trail of Tears, and the Civil Rights Movement’s death of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Author Barbara A. Somervill’s prose flowed keeping my attention to the end of the paragraph, before venturing off to read the added side bars.

* contributed by T.K. Owens

“You’re traveling through another dimension not only of sight and sound but of the mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead–your next stop, the Twilight Zone!”  This book is an adaptation from Rod Serling’s original script. Read the book and then watch the episode on HULU !

On a flight from London to New York, there are a few passengers exchanging pleasantries and small talk, when for some unknown reason the plane begins to accelerate. Then Rod Serling, sitting in a passenger seat on Flight 33, says, “The plane is simply going too fast, and nothing within the realm of knowledge…or at least logic… can explain it.”  The plane lurches and is still accelerating, fasten your seat belts sign goes on, the captain makes a calming and reassuring intercom announcement, navigation and radio are both out, one passenger is oblivious, one passenger is sensing danger, and another passenger is clowning around with impossible scenarios. The pilot descends below the cloud cover to look for landmarks. Finally they are in contact with Laguardia, BUT this plane has traveled back in time to 1939. The pilot retraces his steps and the plane travels even further back in time to the days of dinosaurs. Once again, the pilot retraces his steps, this third time (is not the charm) they arrive in the future… a fourth try to get back from the ‘Twilight Zone.’