Bright bold colors delight the eye of the reader as they follow two bugs with BIG eyes on their first trip to the beach.

Bitsy Bug and Busy Bug build a big sand castle. Then, a ” Bird Bug swoops down. It lands on the castle…It comes down with a crash.” Bitsy and Busy will build again later, for now, they will play in the water.

All the critters are bugs in this world. The dolphins and birds are bugs having antennae with with red knobs. Cute!

Written in very large font, with three or four lines of text per page.

Snail loves his bucket! It has everything he needs and he never, ever, ever, has to leave – no matter how many times Ladybug asks. Until…one day, the farmer picks up his bucket, Snail is dumped out and the adventure begins!

He tastes so many amazing new foods, like pea pods and beets and, best of all, strawberries! He meets new friends, like Gopher and Rabbit. But, disaster strikes and his day becomes terrible (for a few minutes) when he bites a REALLY hot pepper. But, Ladybug and Rabbit save the day – finding Snail’s bucket home, which is now filled with strawberries. Life is good!

This book is a great one for those readers who are ready for a little more that the average picture book. It’s a bit longer, with word bubbles and cartoon-like illustrations. Hopefully, this is the beginning of many adventures for Snail and his friends. Recommended

What a lovely book! The sweet adventures of Lucy and her friends are told in three stories – “The Snack”, “The Treasure Hunt” and “The Hatchlings”. Friendship, fun and a few surprises are detailed in simple language with beautiful accompanying illustrations.

There is a labeled map of their home, reminiscent of Pooh’s Hundred
Acre Woods. Young readers will enjoy referring to it as they move through the three stories, each with a mild conflict that is resolved in a delightful manner. Highly Recommended!

Megafast Motorcycles starts with a general description of what the term “megafast motorcycle” means and then moves on to a two page spread detailing a variety of motorcycles that fit within that term. Sidebars, located on the right side of each spread gives information like power, spead, engine size, price, et cetera that can be compared to other motorcycles in the book.

The photos are edgy and some are blurred to give the impression of speed, which can also be a distraction. There is a glossary, index and table of contents, which are helpful.

Middle grade readers might enjoy this book, but I would make it an additional purchase. Only your real gearheads will care about the torque and engine size of any given bike. Look for books with a wider potential audience.

Russell Freedman brings narrative and historic photos together to give the reader a small taste of what it was like to live in Germany during the time Adolf Hitler’s rise and fall.

Not all Germans were deceived by Adolf Hitler’s promises. Hitler Youth Groups, in economically depressed post-World War I Germany, were pumped full of patriotism and uniforms. They appear to be a cross between high-school pep rallies and boy scouting. At first, Hans Scholl was very eager to be a part of this exciting group. In 1935, his Hitler Youth group took part in the Nazi Party Rally in Nuremberg where over 50,000 youth were present. Hans became “disillusioned by the mass conformity of the Nuremberg rally, the mindless obedience demanded of each participant.”(11) Afterwards, when Hans tried to run his patrol his own way he was taken out of his leadership position. By 1936, Hitler Youth group was mandatory. Other German youth groups were outlawed, most disbanded. Hans became part of the d.j.1.11 (German Boys League – Deutsche Jungendschaft) which had to meet in secret. When the d.j.1.11 met, someone might ask, ”  ‘ What is an Aryan?’… The group would reply in hooting unison” ‘Blond like Hitler!’ – who was dark. ‘Tall like Goebbels!’ – the propaganda minister, who was short. ‘Slender like Goring!’ the Nazi military leader, who was fat.” (14)

Sophie Scholl, Hans’ younger sister, was put under suspicion when she would not give up her Jewish friends.

Both, Hans and Sophie worked their mandatory service to their country in the National Labor Service. Before going onto college. After basic training, Hans was able to study medicine at university during the school year and be an army medic on the Russian Front during his summers off from school. Hans and his student friends wondered how they could help heal people in hospital, when outside the Nazis were killing them. Then in June 1942, Hans and a very small group of his most trusted friends began writing the leaflets – THE WHITE ROSE. A non-violent form of resistance, which eventually had them arrested, jailed, and executed. The supplies for the leaflets were all purchased in small quantities, all over the city, by many different people, so as to not raise suspicion. Then the leaflets were mailed from various post offices in a number of different cities to people throughout Germany.  The first leaflet called for resisting the Nazi regime, the second brought to light the atrocities in occupied territories, the third called the Nazi dictatorship evil and to sabotage things helping the war to continue, the fourth stated Hitler, the Fuhrer,  was all lies, Hell and Satan. It ended saying, ”  ‘ We will not be silent. We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace.’  ” (46) The fifth leaflet stated the war’s end was near, Hitler will not win, be careful what side you are on. The sixth stated the terrible loss at Stalingrad, “Senselessly and irresponsibly driven” by Hitler.  (57)

Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested on February 18, 1943. After their trial, where no witnesses were called and no family members were allowed to be present, they were executed by guillotine the same day.

Another White Rose began. Eventually, “British warplanes were dropping White Rose leaflets by the tens of thousands over Germany’s cities and towns.” (82)

There are now numerous streets named after this movement and a museum / memorial at the Munich University.

This book answered so many questions I have often pondered over, but never asked. It is such a relief to know there were German people standing up to Hitler, even though they were ineffective.

When deep in your soul you know what you’ve been taught your whole life is not true, could you be strong enough to do something about it?  Hans Scholl, like most German children in the 1930’s, was indoctrinated to become a Hitler Youth.   He willingly joined against his father’s wishes at 14.  For 3 years he followed whole-heartedly the cry of “Heil Hitler”, rising among the ranks of his peers.  But in 1935, at a Nazi Rally gathering in Nuremberg, Hans’ doubt in the purpose and process began. Much like his father, Hans was an intellectual.  His frustration with the militaristic, brainless Hitler Youth drove him underground to an outlawed group of youth and to conversing with family members against Hitler.  Younger sister Sophie and younger brother Werner were arrested, interrogated and released, as was Hans in the autumn of 1937, which solidified their distrust of the regime.   Fast forward four and 1/2 years to a time where German has conquered much of Europe and Hans and Sophie are both at University in Munich.  Hans and 3 other men wrote their 1st leaflet, a non-violent form a resistance.  One year, 3 months and 6 leaflets later, most of the above were beheaded with others to follow and family members to be inprisoned.  The last leaflet does make it out of the country, reprinted and airdropped by British war planes across all of Germany.  In We Will Not Be Silent, award-winning author Russell Freedman writes a poignant, beautiful biographical sketch woven in intricately with the prose and pictures of history to bring forward the story of the White Rose at a most poignant time in our own American history.  Highly recommended for awards, libraries and classroom use.

This is the first in the series, In Due Time. Strange things are happening in the library at Sands Middle School. Historical figures appear in the library, but the librarian whisks them away. The librarian meets with Matt, Luis, and Grace and shows them a magical book. The three students use the book to travel back in time and have an adventure in 1950s Brooklyn.

This series would appeal to those who have moved on from the Magic Tree House Series, but still want a time traveling adventure book. At the end of the book, the author includes what you would find if you were actually in Brooklyn in the 1950s.

This is number 8 in the Billy Sure Series. Billy and his friend, Manny, are celebrating after selling their rights to their hovercraft invention. Suddenly there is a new inventor in town and that inventor want to bring Manny on as the company CFO. Billy and Manny are trying to save their company by creating a new invention. Billy comes up with an invisibility spray, but so does the competitor. Billy and Manny’s friendship shows throughout the story.

Black and white sketches are interspersed throughout the text. The text is a page turner for those looking for a mystery.

There is a mystery at Odd Street School. The school bell starts to ring at midnight. It rang more than the twelve times that it should have for midnight. It happened again on another night and it is the talk of the school. Who or what is ringing the bell? What is the glowing figure in the bell tower? Agatha and her friends have a mystery to solve.

Told from the point of view of Agatha with an authentic voice. The text is broken up with black and white sketches that add to story. This book would appeal to those looking for a mystery in a short chapter book.

This is number 14 in the Galaxy Zack series. Zack can’t wait for school to end and to go to Camp Stellar on the planet Sylvan with his friend Drake. When they get there Zack and Drake are put in a cabin with two other campers, one of them who is not very nice. Throughout the story, Zack tries to figure out why the other camper is so mean.

This book would appeal to those beginning to read chapter books because the text is easy to read and there are pictures on nearly every page. This story would appeal to those who like space and adventure.