All the scouts in Sylvia’s pig scout troop had to do a good deed to earn their next badge.  Sylvia wanted to help her neighbor who twisted her leg. Unfortunately, Sylvia had to stay away because she was too clumsy. Sylvia couldn’t give up that easy. She dressed up as different people delivering food, chocolate, a painting, and a book so the neighbor could rest easy. However, Sylvia could not reveal her secret to the troop because she was told to stay away from the neighbor.  However, the neighbor showed up to the troop meeting praising Sylvia’s good deed which allowed Sylvia to get her badge.

This  23 page book contains 6 stories telling of specific ghost and alien sightings ranging from the year 1718 to modern day.  Each story is written with simple vocabulary and has 7-14 sentences.  Photos or illustrations accompany each page spread.  Some stories have a “Fact or Fiction” page questioning the authenticity of the account. There are reference pages including a table of contents, glossary, read more, internet sites and index.

This 32 page book has approximately three sentences of text, a color photograph and a fact box which contains a fact or vocabulary word and definition.  Four main topics are covered. The first is about death and the questions that need to be answered about each death.  The second is about procedures done on the scene, such as looking for clues, taking photographs and blood samples. The third is about procedures once the body is in the lab including all the jobs of the medical examiner. The fourth is about determining the official cause of death and filing charges , if necessary.  This book contains a table of contents, glossary, read more and internet sites page, and index.

Bella has a stuffed bear named Arthur that can protect her from monsters, dragons, slugs, and shadows. One night Arthur shows up missing and Bella has a hard time sleeping. Then, Bella finds Arthur in her baby brother’s crib and takes Arthur from him…until she sees his worried face. She then realizes that her brother needs Arthur more than she does, and she finds inner strength to ward off all monsters.

Cleo always seems to get carsick.  Well, after eating a large pancake breakfast, she was crammed into a car with several other people on her way to a birthday party, and after a while, she started feeling a little green. Suddenly she threw up on Mrs. Kenly’s mink coat.  Feeling very embarrassed, she painted on a fake smile, but felt better when she showed her diving tricks in the pool. Later, she told her mom about the experience and felt better after a good cry.    Ad   Gr 2-3

Salamanders,  Nelson,Robin  … Lerner Publications Company ..  2009    978-0-7613-4065-2   Ad

This 32 page book discusses the life cycle of salamanders. Each page has a single sentence of information with a large color photo to support the text. This book includes pages specifically for salamander facts, adult salamander facts, glossary and index.   Ad

It’s a Baby Spiny Anteater!  Hengel, Katherine  ..  ABDO Publishing  ..  2010  978-1-60453-578-5

This 24 page book has approximately two sentences of spiny anteater facts with an additional fact box that contains additional information.  Each page spread has a large color photo to support the text. The reader will learn about the litters, the babies’ weight at birth, their age of independence and adult facts as well.  Ad

Bill, the dog, was very smelly and escaped every plan for a bath, until the family went on vacation and left Bill with Aunt Bleach! Aunt Bleach had quite a tussle, rolling in the compost bin where Bill was hiding, where she finally trapped him. Aunt Bleach finally prevailed with Bill smelling like a rose…but Aunt Bleach stunk! Adorable watercolor illustrations enhance this story. This story is told in changing rhyming patterns.

Reminiscent of  the story, “Are You My Mother?” by P.D. Eastman, Little Pip, a penguin, wanders off against her mom and dad’s orders, and gets lost.  Of each animal she encounters she asks, “Can you tell where home is?”  Each animal responds with a description of where their home is, not hers.  Finally, mom and dad find her, and she realizes that home can be anywhere just as long as they’re all together.  A warm and fuzzy story.

In this 2010 release, Roy Freeman continues the legacy begun by his father Don Freeman of ‘Corduroy’ fame.  Finding unfinished work from his father’s estate, Roy Freeman was able to give us another delightful tale of a squirrel who is looking for the acorns he’s stored away.  His search takes him through the grounds of the National Mall in Washington DC where he encounters a class of students on a field trip.  Out of his habitat, he scurries until he finally makes it home to his family.  A sweet story enjoyed by young children.  Illustrations are nearly identical to the style of previous Don Freeman books.