The Last Kids on Earth and the Destructor’s Lair is an adventure where Jack and Quint must stop a powerful monster from destroying Earth while trapped in the Monster Dimension.
The story is fast-paced and funny, with lots of action and suspense. It also shows the importance of friendship and teamwork when facing big challenges. The short chapters and illustrations make the book easy to read and follow.
Overall, this is a great addition to a school library. If you already have The Last Kids on Earth series, you should add this 10th edition to complete the set.
The Sneakiest in the World is a funny picture book about a character who tries very hard to be sneaky. The story shows all the silly ways they attempt to sneak around, but things don’t always go as planned.
The writing is simple and humorous, which makes it easy and fun to read. The illustrations are bright, expressive, and add a lot of the jokes to the story. This book is great for students in grades K–3, but the reading level and humor also work well for early elementary readers in grades 2–4.
Overall, The Sneakiest in the World is a fun addition to an elementary school library, especially for kids who enjoy silly stories and graphic novels.
The Glass Pyramid is a true story about architect I. M. Pei and how he designed the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The book shows how Pei faced problems and people who did not agree with his ideas. He used creativity and kept working until his design became a success.
The writing is clear and easy to understand, and the illustrations help readers see both the old museum and the modern glass pyramid. This book teaches that big ideas take time and hard work. It would be a good addition to an elementary school library, but it should be considered an additional purchase rather than a core title.
I’m Trying to Love Farts by Bethany Barton is a funny and informative picture book about something everyone experiences—farts! The book explains how the digestive system works and why our bodies make gas in a way that is easy to understand.
The writing is silly and fun, which will make kids laugh, but it also includes real science facts. The illustrations are bright and goofy, helping explain what is happening in the body.
This book is a good fit for students in grades K–3, but the reading level and science ideas may be easier for students in grades 2–5 to understand.
Overall, it is a fun and helpful book that shows kids that even gross topics are normal and part of how our bodies work.
Where There Is Love by Shauntay Grant is a warm picture book about family and learning from elders. The story follows a young girl spending the day with her nana, where she hears African proverbs that teach important life lessons.
The writing is simple but thoughtful, and the proverbs add meaning, though some may need explanation for younger readers. The illustrations are bright and full of warmth.
While the story will appeal most to students in grades K–3, the reading level and deeper meaning may be better suited for grades 2–5. This book would be a great addition to an elementary school library, especially for read-alouds and lessons about family and culture.
The Blue Velvet Chair by Rio Cortez is a meaningful picture book about family and memories. The story is about a girl whose mother tells her the story of a special blue chair that has been passed down in their family.
The writing is simple but also a little poetic, so some parts may take time to understand. The pictures are warm and detailed, and they help show the love and history in the story.
This book helps kids learn how objects can hold important family stories. It works well as a read-aloud for younger students, and older elementary students can read it on their own. It would be a great addition to an elementary school library, especially for learning about family and culture.
To the Top of the World tells the true story of Barbara Hillary, a brave woman who followed her dreams later in life. Even after facing hard challenges, including illness, she worked to become an explorer. At age 75, she became the first Black woman to reach the North Pole, and later she also reached the South Pole.
The writing is clear and easy to understand, making it a great choice for elementary students. The illustrations are bright and help show how cold and exciting the polar regions are.
While the story will likely appeal most to younger students in grades K–3, the reading level may be better suited for students in grades 2–5.
This book shares an important message: you are never too old to try something new. It would be a great addition to an elementary school library, especially for students who enjoy true stories and learning about inspiring people.
Dulce Castillo has a lot going for her. Being educated at a private high school for criminology, Dulce’s intuition has helped her compete at the head of her class in the yearly murder mystery test. When this year’s test turns into a real murder investigation, Dulce has to put her past grievances behind to follow her natural instincts on the path to reveal the killer. Many people associated with J. Everett High School have possible motives. In battling her own assumptions of people, Dulce will learn that the connections between people are more complicated and twisted than she imagined.
Lauren Munoz’s pace for this book clips along. Characters are put into precarious situations, surprising the reader as to who will be the final suspect. Overall, the story is farcical, but still entertaining because the reader will want Dulce to succeed in solving the case, in getting retribution for a previous wrong, and in getting the guy of her desires. This book is recommended as an additional purchase for middle or high school students who like a quick teen-based Law and Order/NCIS escape.
The Baffling Behavior in the Past series includes the titles Life in Ancient Rome, Life in Ancient Greece, Life in Ancient Egypt, and Life in the Viking Age. This is an incredibly engaging nonfiction collection for young readers. Each book is organized into double-page spreads that focus on specific topics, and this makes the content accessible and inviting. The table of contents allows students to easily locate information, while the layout also supports readers who prefer to flip to a random page and immediately find something interesting.
One of the strengths of the series is its balance of detailed information and kid-friendly appeal. Topics such as beauty routines, pets, gods, and battles are naturally engaging for elementary-aged readers but also provide detailed information about the time period. The authors clearly selected these topics both to provide important background knowledge and to hook kids with fun memorable details.
The visual presentation of this series is another strength. Each spread typically includes four short text sections, which helps prevent young readers from feeling overwhelmed by large blocks of text. Potential new vocabulary words are highlighted in bold and explained in a glossary. The books also feature a strong selection of visuals, with each spread containing at least two high-quality images, and many containing additional smaller images or added graphics. Additional resources at the back of each book, including an index, suggested further reading, and a QR code for extended learning, make this series especially useful for both independent exploration and research. Overall, the Baffling Behavior in the Past series is an excellent choice for mid- to upper-elementary students, combining approachable text, engaging topics, and strong visual support to bring ancient history to life.
Proper Badger is off to school. He would never trash a classroom, but of course that is what inadvertently happens. Proper Badger thinks he is doing things right, but of course he is just creating chaos. Did he burrow under the desks? Did he eat the class pet for lunch? Of course not! Proper Badger would never! The illustrations add to the tale showing all of the mischief Proper Badger gets into.
