This nonfiction book covers a wide range of systems – circulatory and respiratory systems in your body, transportation and communication systems in your town, plumbing and heating systems, our solar system, and ecosystems.  The focus of each system description is different.  Origin of the system, significance of the system to humans, human role in the system, and the impact if part of the system is removed are addressed with discussions of a specific system.  Text is supported by color photographs.  Animated Space Cat narrates “Did You Know?” and “Try It!” inserts on each 2 page spread.  Interesting approach.

With large font and short simple sentences, this book describes the basics of construction workers – what they are, what they do, and characteristics of a good construction worker.  Colorful photographs support the text.  Good mix of people in pictures.

This provides the basics on purpose and features of an ambulance.  The book also includes different types of ambulances such as boat and helicopter.  Details of the inside, and outside of the ambulance including equipment is explained in both text and labeled photographs.  Future medics will be able to imagine themselves at work.

Lack of attention to detail is evident in the flipped photo on the cover making the word AMBULANCE on the vehicle appear backwards. Additionally, there is little diversity in the people portrayed in the photographs.

This describes the 4 subfamilies of falcons, their habitat, prey, physical characteristics, and highlights a few notable birds.  Also included is information on their nests, how they eat, and even how they have influenced modern aircraft design.  A focus is put on both the common characteristics of all falcons and the unique characteristics of specific species.  Contains a lot of interesting information in a reader friendly format. Includes amazing photographs including various birds in flight.

Brief introduction on what the Colosseum was used for, followed by very thorough history of its construction.  Describes materials used, including information on the ‘new’ Roman concrete and how it was made and why it was better.  Details on how it was built, including why they used arches and how careful they were with the foundation.  Which is why it is still standing!  Ends with description of how it fell into disrepair, and restoration plans.  Great details. Text is supported by colorful photographs, diagrams, illustrations and primary sources.  A great combination of history and STEM concepts.

Includes Table of Contents, Stop and Think, Glossary, Learn More, and Index.

In this wordless graphic novel, little Andrew is seen through a window drawing a picture of a purple blob of a monster by the purple monster himself. Slowly Andrew discovers he is being watched by the monster. Andrew puts on his pith helmet, grabs his butterfly net, and leaves his house in search of the monster in the woods. The purple blob is a master of disguise and camouflage. The purple blob is watching Andrew the entire time. After quite a while, Andrew gets discouraged and throws a fit all the way back home. Purple blob feels sad for Andrew. The next day when Andrew opens his front door, there is the pith helmet and net he left in the woods. Looking up, Andrew sees the blob as he walks out of view. Feeling reinvigorated, Andrew eagerly sets off once again with his pith helmet and net into the woods.

This wordless book shows the amount of story telling talent it takes to develop a comprehensive graphic novel.

Just as Hotel Strange finishes preparing for the winter season, the hotel clerk, Mr. Snarf, is arrested by police from his home world- The Land of Ghosts- up above the clouds.

The hotel staff build a hot air balloon to rescue Mr. Snarf. They are soon arrested too, when they discover everything fun or interesting is illegal in the Land of Ghosts. Mr. Leclair asks his jailers for the “Rulebook of Ghosts”, which he reads the night before their trial. Mr. Leclair discovers the Rainbow Rule. None of the counsel or judge know of it because the rulebook’s pages were stuck together. The Rainbow Rule states, ” It is forbidden to forbid!” They are free to go.

Mr. Snarf and his friends leave a much happier Land of Ghosts since discovering the Rainbow Rule.

There is a recipe for caramels at the end of the book.

Being the new kid at school can be hard, if not difficult, but it does not help when you tell the class your last school was one for geniuses. Khufu Grundy is the new kid in Gavin’s class at Carver Elementary School. Khufu does not make it easy to get to know him. He sits off by himself at recess and reads.

Gavin and his friends are being allowed to ride their bikes to school. This is a first for Gavin. In his excitement, Gavin forgot his bike lock at home. Gavin leaves his bike unlocked with the rest of his friends locked bikes. Gavin’s bike is still there at recess, but when Gavin goes to the bike rack after school, his bike is gone.

Gavin’s parents will not be replacing the bike. Gavin will have to earn money to buy a new one, but his father says he will match the money Gavin saves.

Surprisingly, the next morning at school there is a bike very similar to Gavin’s in the bike rack, spray-painted an ugly orange. Could it be Gavin’s bike in disguise? After school Gavin sees Khufu ride off on it.

Later, Gavin and his friends come up with a plan to get the bike back from Khufu. Take it back, (steal it back) early on Saturday morning before anyone is awake. When Gavin’s parents find out what they have done, his parents make Gavin return the bike. That is when Gavin and friend, Richard learn the bike has been painted orange because in reality it was a girl’s pink bike given to Khufu’s father by a neighbor.

After these terrible mistakes, the book ends with the rectifying of another mistake. The previous week a 5th grade boy had gone home from school ill in the middle of the day. Later that day, his father had picked up Gavin’s bike outside the school thinking it was his 5th grade son’s bike because  the bikes were the same color and style. Now the father was returning Gavin’s bike to him.

Believably realistic!

A charming collection of stories of chance meetings, star-crossed lovers and random coincidences: serendipitous encounters that are remembered forever. Can entwining hands with a handsome stranger give a glimpse to your romantic future?  Can a chance meeting at the airport alter your choice of college? Can hiding out in the bathroom to escape being busted by the cops reveal a secret crush? The brief vignettes in this short story anthology are delightful and thought provoking, representing some of the best twenty-first century YA writers.  Easy to read one or two stories quickly or the whole book, Meet Cute is worth browsing.

A taxidermist, a percussionist, and a fanfic writer walk into a… convention center, not a bar since this is a YA novel. And this begins this humorous, kitchy story from three different authors — Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar and Michelle Schusterman.  Callie Buchannon, a taxidermist assistant to the recently separated father, wanted her week to be the chance to reconnect with him. Pheobe Byrd, traveling with her school’s underfunded percussion team, hoped to just make it through the week without too much embarrassment, on the stage and off, now that her two former best friends on the team are dating each other, causing Phoebe emotional strife.  Laden romantic interest in another team member further spins Phoebe’s mind.  Vanessa Montoya-O’Callaghan’s week looks better in person now that she’s met her online college-aged non-monogamous girlfriend, with whom she’s sharing not only the weekend but a room.  Each character’s issues arise in good times and bad in their 1st person voice as the chapters proceed.  Vanessa is coming to realize that the girl who she thought the world of is not all that.  Well-placed inner monologue and discussions with minor characters about gender pronouns help to make this coming-of-age week realistic in today’s world.   And any reader who is into fandoms will love chapters involving Vanessa.  Phoebe’s sudden feelings for her once rival bandmate and Callie’s frustration with her father’s lack of being a father fall into more traditional teen angst topics.  Early in the story Callie states, “Openly talking about taxidermy with someone I liked and respected was such a weird experience.”  For this reader, it is also a weird experience to read it.  Opening the book with Callie’s voice was a risk as young adult readers might not be willing to break through the taxidermy talk before they meet the other characters, but if they can pull through, it is well worth it because once all three worlds start colliding around page 100, this story takes off.  The dust jacket’s premise doesn’t do this book justice.  The interlacing of the stories by these three authors is seamless and the ending transcript and final pages are a basketweave of wedding cake icing — FANtastic.  A clever, episodic (in the best way) read high school students will look forward to when they find it.