As three old ravens sat on a branch, completely bored, one of the ravens remembers back and tells the story of how he had teased and bullied a newly hatched little raven, sharing his regrets about his choices as he spoke. He explained how he challenged the little raven to fly to the moon, and how he watched the little raven fly towards the moon, wishing he had stopped him. He stated how the ravens found the little raven the next morning lying in a hedge and how they hoped to see signs of life in him. When the raven regained consciousness, the old ravens invited him to play and noticed he had a silver feather from the moon. With bully awareness being a significant issue in schools, this book would be a great read-a-loud.

There is a focus on popular, interesting and unique birds and their many facts contained in this book. Facts such as birds physical description and the function of each description, nesting, eggs and chicks, as well as record breaking facts, makes this book quite intriguing. What makes this book unique is the comparison of different birds beaks, feet, eggs, etc. Color photos cover each page spread. A table of contents, glossary and index are included as well as a free digital companion book about birds to download.

Readers will be very informed after reading this book from scientific classifications and physical description of killer whales to their pod life, echolocation, sleeping and dangers encountered. One full color photo page accompanies each page spread.

This book does a great job of delivering basic and fun dolphin facts from their classification, pod life, hunting and eating to baby care and play activities. Color photos dominate each page spread. This book contains a table of contents, glossary and index. A free download about dolphin rescue stories is available.

This biography in the American Icons series from Enslow Publishers is a pretty standard issue, 90 page read.  One formulaic piece that is debatable about its effect is the introductory chapter that outlines the whole story.  This may have been directed by the publisher, but author Marty Gitlin basically tells the story of the book in the 1st chapter.  The rest of the book continues in a chronological order with quite a few more details, but if a student only reads the 1st chapter, they will get to know the bulk of Tyler Perry’s story.  This reader became bored because I already knew what was going to happen next. Unlike other publisher’s biographies, there are no glossy pictures woven throughout.  This is 90 pages of text.

The choice of the publisher to do Tyler Perry was a good one.  Perry had a very hard life as a child and chose to forgive and work hard to accomplish all that he has attained.  This message is a constant backdrop in the story.   As Perry found more success with his writing and performing, he branches out into different venues – from stage to movies to television shows.  He is presented as a very passionate man.  The controversy around his character of Madea, whom Perry himself plays while cross-dressing as a woman, is interesting because not all of his African-American audience liked this strong, religious, blunt woman figure that shows up in so many of his plays and movies.  Some feel it is low-brow humor but most feel it adequately represents the mothers and grandmothers they themselves grew up with.

Ultimately, schools with larger African-American populations should see this biography circulate.  But even those that don’t have that population can purchase this for an example of a contemporary star who continues to push himself despite such a horrible past.  Messages of forgiveness and perseverence will be remembered.

Four of V. Woolf’s books are critiqued in this book.  Each book’s synopsis is given, and then a type of criticism is employed:  historical criticism for Mrs. Dalloway, feminist criticism for A Room of One’s Own , biographical criticism for To the Lighthouse and gender criticism for Orlando.  Each chapter helps the student learn and examine how to critique a book.  Includes a biography and timeline of her life, glossary, resources, source notes, index, and photos.

The prayers are selected from the Bible and from the heritage of the Christian faith.  Both written and compiled by Mary Joslin

A compliation of three dog stories for the preschool crowd.  Molly brings a young girl safely home from being lost in the woods.  Ginger gets lost while exploring on a family outing.  And Yuki, who after her owner dies, forms a close bond with a young boy whose famly is struggling to make ends meet.  The soft, beautiful illustrations compliment the gentle tone of the short narratives.  I also appreciated the ethnic and socio economic diversity in the stories.  Here are three bedtime stories, in one book, that the wee ones will ask for time and time again.

Pig loves to play Princess where she is granted any wish she has by her friend Twig who is playing a fairy mouse.  Pig gets wish after wish until finally Twig wants a turn.  Pig says no and Twig turns to leave.  When Pig sees that Twig is serious, she relents and trades places.  The whole story is focused on words using the short voweli.  Pig and Twig are adorable wool felt animals with a setting of found objects.   The 3D look is different and attractive.  Young students who are beginning readers are able to sound out the words and feel confident being able to read a story.  This book should be in every primary grade classroom.