A basic easy-reader science book for emergent readers, this book describes the nests of several different animals, from eagles and flamingoes to termites and crocodiles.  With a two-page spread dedicated to a full-color photo of a different animal’s nest, the text is broken into two boxes for each: for early emergent readers the first box contains a single sentence in a large font that follows a predictable pattern (either “______ build nests,” or “_______ live in nests.”); for slightly more advanced readers the second box contains 2-3 additional sentences with more information.  These books certainly serve a purpose, but I have a hard time investing very many of my library dollars in books that are so light on information.  Perhaps they are best suited to classroom curriculum materials.

Australia really is such a unique land, full of animals and geographical/cultural features so different from anywhere else.  This book follows the same format as other books in this series to do a pretty thorough job of exploring this exotic land for its readers: from A for Aboriginal people, to K for koalas, kangaroos, and Kookaburras, to V for Vegemite, and all the rest, short rhyming text for each letter of the alphabet give readers a broad and brief overview of the land down under; for readers who want more information, each letter’s page also includes a sidebar with several paragraphs of more in-depth text to further explain that topic.  The cartoon-like illustrations serve to both capture reader interest as well as support the text to describe ideas that may be unfamiliar to many young readers.

This is a great book, perfect for primary science units.  It’s a photo journal chronicling every step along the way as a couple of blue jays find a spot to build a nest (right outside the author’s window), find things to build it with, lay their eggs, and feed the hungry newborns, right through to the first explorations beyond the nest, and setting out to see the world.  The text is very clear and kid-friendly, and full of the author’s own excitement and wonder as he watched the story unfold before him.  A few of the photos are less than clearly focused, but that just speaks to the serendipitous nature of how the book came about.  The reader feels lucky to have gotten to share in this experience of urban wildlife, of which few of us would get to see such a close-up view on our own.

A collection of silly poems with no real specific unifying theme.  Charming illustrations.  Lots of rhyme and alliteration and fun playing with the sounds of words.  Some of the poems have better rhythm than others, but the over-all effect is great tool to draw children into enjoying the delight of poetry and language.

It seems like most of the books I’ve reviewed by this publisher have been odd little stories, and here’s another one.  The illustrations are cute.  That’s the best thing I can say.  It’s a story told in sing-song rhyme about a chicken who spends a day with her chicks in a land of mirrors, which each reflect back different parts of her character.  There are loose references it Alice in Wonderland.

If you’ve got the other Mallory books in your library and you’ve got students who are fans, go ahead and get this one, too, but as a stand-alone book I wouldn’t bother.  It tells the story of ten-year-old Mallory planning a sleepover, trying to balance her best friend’s vision of the party to end all parties and her parents’ instructions to keep things small and quiet.  Not surprisingly, a whole series of things go wrong as the party spirals out of control, and the book ends with Mallory acknowledging where she made bad choices, apologizing to injured parties, and promising to be wiser in the future.  The girls’ problems were believable and predictable.  My biggest gripe with the book was the behavior of the parents: the book focuses on all Mallory should have done to avoid the problems, but to me the failings of the parents were much more obvious — as adults they should have been able to foresee the possible problems and been involved.  The book lays way too much of the blame for what happened at Mallory’s feet, instead of holding the idiotic parents responsible.

Ollhoff chronicles major events and people that were significant in bringing about the end of segregation in the 1950s and 1960s.  Televising the protests, people, and events shared the racism, hatred, and violence with the world.  Pivotal issues including school segregation, the murders of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers, peaceful protests of Martin Luther King, Jr., activist Malcom X, Rosa Parks, and the Montgomery bus boycott are described and explained in a straightforward manner.  The struggle for equal rights required the involvement of people who were willing to take a stand against injustice.  Readers get a basic understanding of these events, the issues, and the involvement of the people associated with this period in U. S. history.  Photographs are well chosen to portray each event or person.  Other books in the series are: The Civil War, Courage and Growth, Pioneers of Equality, The Roots of Humanity, and Years of Slavery.  Excellent introduction to this crucial time.

Here is a perfect party planning guide from thinking about when and where to hold a party to the thank-yous, if needed.  This book offers activities for 7 party themes as details are discussed for planning any party.  Theme ideas in the book are: detective, vampire, magic, Hawaiian, backwards, rock star, and medieval.  After deciding what who, what, when, where, hints for making invitations, decorations, menu concerns, and activities are suggested.  A supply page has labeled photos of tools and supplies needed to create the themes mentioned.  A recipe is given for a backward party.  Clear photographs help illustrate instructions.  Many cool ideas and things to consider for successful entertaining.   Other kinds of cool parties in the series are for: Family, Holiday, International, Slumber, and Sports.  Recommended addition for elementary libraries.

Beginning with an introduction to the scientific method, several experiments explain how and why plants grow as they do.  Investigations include how seeds sprout, how plants take in water, the importance of sunlight in growth, both above and below ground, and how pine cones release seeds.  Each experiment starts with a hypothesis, contains a step-by-step procedure, examples of charts to record observations, and an explanation of what happened.  These experiments use items easily found at home.  Instructions are easily read and many large photographs accompany the text.  Books for further reading are written at a similar reading level.  Glossary, index, and websites included.  Other books in the series are experiments with: liquids, magnets and metals, rocks, and soil.

The “gross factor” in this book is sure to attract readers.  This is a head-to-toe look at some of the microscopic organisms that live on or in our bodies.  Most microbes are harmless or help our bodies work properly.  Ways to prevent harmful pests from causing discomfort or illness are given.  Bold words are defined on the page as well as included in the glossary.  “Ewww Facts” provide additional information.  Large bright photographs accompany the text.  Microphotographs of the tiny “bugs” are colorful and labeled.  Books for further reading, internet sites for more details, games and activities, and an index are included.  Other books in the series tell of microscopic creatures living in our food, Food Intruders, living in our homes, Uninvited Guests, and in our backyards, Yard Monsters.