This is a very informative book on the giant squid.  I learned so much from reading is book.  The pictures are wonderful in adding to the learning.  This book answers so may questions about the giant squid.  There is a table of contents in the front, with a glossary and index, and additional information in the back.

This is an amazing picture book! The drawings are each filled with the story of our history during the civil war.  They pull you into the events, and make you think about the part each character plays.  They speak of love for others, and courage to help those in need.  Good for all ages.

Barack Obama and George Washington are on the cover,  and if you’re curious about their lives or  the lives of any president in between the two, the information is inside The Handy Presidents Answer Book .

No matter how obscure, each resident of the White House gets about four pages, but it’s far more entertaining reading than mere birth, death, and politics.   Did you know, for instance, that Andrew Johnson was criticized for buying Alaska from Russia for a bit over $7 million dollars?  The Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson relationship is discussed and debated,  and you can learn that U.S. Grant’s well known initials were the result of a congressman’s mistake with Grant’s name.

Pictures of each president include a young and handsome George W. Bush in training as a F-102 pilot, Bill Clinton playing his saxophone,  a very heavy William Howard Taft in his judicial robe after leaving the presidency, and many more.

This book, which even includes a “Presidential Trivia” section, would be a nice addition to libraries and classrooms.  Pick it up and browse through and you’ll find it hard to put down.

Curtis Jackson III, aka 50 cent, surprises music fans and readers alike with Playground, a one-of-a-kind story about fitting in and the paths people take.  In 13 year old “Butterball’s” world, every day is a new battle: dodging the glares of his classmates, eating lunch alone in the bathroom stall, wishing his weight would stop increasing, longing for the bustling streets of the city where his dad lives, wishing he didn’t have to talk to his therapist Liz, and most of all, wanting to forget what really happened that day on the playground. Butterball retells the events that landed him talking to a shrink, and by the end, tears will be shed, painful words spoken, and more than just Butterball will come away ready to start anew.  Topped off with detailed sketches, Playground is an inspirational book which many will enjoy.  Incorporating events from his own childhood, 50 Cent tells the mostly true story of how Butterball became a bully.

Award winning author of biographies, Barbara Kerley teamed with her outstanding illustrator Edwin Fotheringham, to bring us an outstanding introduction to two important Founding Fathers of American history…John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  Comparing and contrasting their differences… background, temperament, physical traits, and their two things in common…distaste for the tyrant British King George and a deep desire to create a United States of America, Kerley has presented a meticulously researched text, full of wit and wonder.  Here is accessible history at its best!  Back Matter includes a “must read” Author’s Note, Declaration of Independence, and the sources of the quotes included in the text and author’s note.

This is a wonderful illustration of how our moods and feelings can rub off on others, and how we can help others by having a positive attitude.  It is full of beautiful verbal images.  It would be a fun read for a wide age group.  I liked the story.

This is the traditional story of little Red Riding Hood who disobeys her mother and talks to strangers in the woods.  In the end little red is alive and grandmother is found alive.  but the wolf dies of fright.

This is a great book of gun safety. There is a lot of information on the correct use and handling of guns.  I like the golden rules of guns, remember to treat every firearm as if it were loaded.  Your gun should only be loaded when you intend to fire it.  There are guns around, we have military and hunters so children see guns and should know the safety of guns.

I like the pictures that go with the text, they are bright and easy to look at.  The information is good and tells many things that a person should know about a gun. There is a glossary and a web site in the back of the book.  There is a table of content in the front of the book.

This picture book is a fairy tale about a king who wouldn’t sleep because he was worried about finding the perfect prince for his daughter.  Many princes came to court the princess and were turned away.  Finally, a simple farmer outwitted the king by tricking him into counting sheep.  The king fell asleep and the princess married the farmer and lived happily ever after.  The story was cute and the illustrations were very entertaining.  The illustrator used a cartoon-ish style and the expressions on the characters were humorous.  The drawings were detailed and brightly colored.  This book will appeal to my many young students who love princess books.

This picture book is a fun twist on the Snow White and Cinderella fairy tales.  The classic story lines for both fairy tales are told in letters written between Snow White and Cinderella, who are pen pals.  The language and style of the letters make them believable as written between young girls hopeful to be rescued from their wicked step mothers by a handsome prince.  The ending is fun, a double wedding for these princesses.  The illustrations are colorful, detailed and engaging.  This book is a great read-aloud.