Kenya by Monika Davies is part of a Blastoff Readers series of Countries of the World. This set is geared towards kindergarten through grade 3, with short sentences, bright color photographs, and bolded vocabulary words. Each book is 24 pages and starts with a table of contents a short description of the country.

This book includes not only a table of contents, but also headings, bolded words, glossary, index, and labeled photos – perfect for introducing a country to early elementary through third grade and working with them on identifying non-fiction text features. 

Each section includes several short sentences and a photograph describing the country (p. 4), land and animals (p. 6), and what life is like in Kenya (p. 12).

This book is a good introduction to a foreign country. The photos show different parts of the country and are eye-catching for younger students. I love the facts pages (p. 20-21) as it summarizes the points talked about in the book and adds details.

This series also includes a page referring you to Factsurfer (factsurfer.com) for additional kid friendly web sources. I liked this website and feel like it would be a great place for your beginning researchers to find online sources, or broaden their knowledge base. At the website you type in the title of your book, click the picture of the book cover that pops up, and then are given three age appropriate sites to go to for more information. 

I find these Blastoff Readers a go-to in my library because I know I can count on them for their eye-catching covers and photos, their quality, and their consistency in content and readability. 

If you need books for younger elementary students about countries, I recommend adding this book to your library collection.

Theodore Roosevelt by Rebecca Pettiford is part of a Blastoff Readers series of the American Presidents. This set is geared towards kindergarten through grade 3, with short sentences, bright color photographs, and bolded vocabulary words. Each book is 24 pages and starts with a table of contents a short description of the former president.

This book includes not only a table of contents, but also headings, bolded words, glossary, index, and labeled photos – perfect for introducing a president to early elementary through third grade and working with them on identifying non-fiction text features. 

Each section includes several short sentences and a photograph describing the president’s background is (p. 6) and their time in office (p.12). 

This book is a good, biography of the Theodore Roosevelt. The photos show different parts of the former president’s life, although all are tinted green. I love the timeline page (p. 19) as it summarizes the points talked about in the book.

This series also includes a page referring you to Factsurfer (factsurfer.com) for additional kid friendly web sources. I liked this website and feel like it would be a great place for your beginning researchers to find online sources, or broaden their knowledge base. At the website you type in the title of your book, click the picture of the book cover that pops up, and then are given three age appropriate sites to go to for more information. 

I find these Blastoff Readers a go-to in my library because I know I can count on them for their eye-catching covers and photos, their quality, and their consistency in content and readability. 

If you need books for elementary students about presidents, I recommend adding this book to your library collection.

This bright, colorful, nonfiction text teaches key coding concepts through step by step unplugged activities. I love that this series (Adventures in Unplugged Coding), geared for 3-8 grades, and how they use fun concepts, games, and activities to teach efficiency in coding, loops, and commands to upper elementary and beyond. There are fun activities that need minimal supplies as well as activities you can do with peers. The book has plenty of text, but it’s presented in cut-outs and with different color backgrounds, and fun images so it doesn’t feel text heavy and overwhelming. Each unplugged activity has numbered steps, a supply list, and then a section to see how you did. There are also extensions for each activity in the “coding challenge” sections!

This is perfect for the upper elementary crowd. You will find all your classic nonfiction text features in this book: a table of contents, glossary, bolded words, cutouts, images that support the text. Each of the books in this series also has a “to learn more” page where you are provided with resources you might find at the library as well as the resources you will find on the web.

My students love this series and how, no matter their interests, there is a coding book for them.

What a fantastic way to learn coding! I love that this series (Adventures in Unplugged Coding), geared for 3-8 grades, teaches kids activities that do not require technology, but teach key coding concepts like looping, problem solving, and decomposition. There are fun activities that need minimal supplies as well as activities you can do with peers. The book has plenty of text, but it’s presented in cut-outs and with different color backgrounds, and fun images so it doesn’t feel text heavy and overwhelming. Each unplugged activity has numbered steps, a supply list, and then a section to see how you did. There are also extensions for each activity in the “coding challenge” sections!

This is perfect for the upper elementary crowd. You will find all your classic nonfiction text features in this book: a table of contents, glossary, bolded words, cutouts, images that support the text. Each of the books in this series also has a “to learn more” page where you are provided with resources you might find at the library as well as the resources you will find on the web.

I tried one of the activities with my 5th graders and they loved it and it really helped with our problem solving ability before entering our LEGO coding world.