Category Archives: Highly Recommend

Morocco (Countries of the World)

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Featuring maps, photographs, graphs, and fast facts, the Countries of the World series is perfect for primary readers looking to gather information about various countries for reports or general knowledge. The series presents information about habitats, animals, language, religion, sports, and other key details about the countries and their people using simple, easy to understand sentences.

From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert to the beautiful beaches, young readers will enjoy learning about the country of Morocco. The food and drinks, markets, and sports are all presented through short, easy to understand sentences. Students will come away with a clear overview of this country and its people. The main take away for many kids, though, will likely be a love of the adorable sand cat.

Pakistan (Countries of the World)

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Featuring maps, photographs, graphs, and fast facts, the Countries of the World series is perfect for primary readers looking to gather information about other countries for reports or general knowledge. The series presents information about habitats, animals, language, religion, sports, and other key details about the countries and their people using simple, easy to understand sentences.

From the second tallest mountain in the world to the beaches of the southern coast, this book provides an overview of the diverse landscape of Pakistan in a way early readers will understand. There are photographs of both cities and villages as well kids and adults engaged in a variety of activities. Kids will also enjoy seeing animals, like the markhor, they may not have heard of before. This would be a great addition to any school or classroom library.

Alex Morgan (Sports Superstars Series)

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“Sports Superstars” presents biographies of some of today’s most popular athletes. These books introduce the athlete’s background with a focus on how they became the superstars they are today. There are also numerous “fun facts” about everything from their favorite hobby to what’s on their trophy shelves. Full of nonfiction text features, these books would be great for students writing reports, getting an introduction to biographies, or just learning about one of their favorite athletes.

Alex Morgan has been inspiring young soccer players for over ten years, and this biography shows why. Following her early skill in the sport, hard work in school, and eventual success on the world stage, the book gives a full picture of why Alex Morgan is such a superstar. Morgan’s role in the US Women’s National Team’s fight for equal pay also gives students a model for self-advocacy. I highly recommend adding this biography to any school library.

A Bindi Can Be… by Suma Subramaniam

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Suma Subramaniam’s joyful book highlights all the things a bindi can be to the young narrator of this story. The illustrations are bright, beautiful, and full of the delight the girl feels while wearing her bindi. The book does a fantastic job balancing providing information about what a bindi is and celebrating its place on the girl’s forehead. The back of the book features information about what bindis are, why people wear them, and how they are made. There is also a glossary of terms and pronunciation guide to help anyone not familiar with the terminology in the book. This is a great addition to any home or school library.

Kevin Durant (Sports Superstars Series)

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“Sports Superstars” presents biographies of some of today’s most popular athletes. These books introduce the athlete’s background with a focus on how they became the superstars they are today. There are also numerous “fun facts” about everything from their favorite hobby to what’s on their trophy shelves. Full of nonfiction text features, these books would be great for students writing reports, getting an introduction to biographies, or just learning about one of their favorite athletes.

After watching team USA take home the gold medal in the 2024 Olympics, kids will love learning more about superstar Kevin Durant. Kids will also enjoy the early photographs of Durant and learning about how his long career began. The book follows his career from being drafted to the NBA through championships and trades to where he is today. It also gives information about his career threatening injury and how he now supports injured athletes on their road to recovery. This is an inspiring and high interest pick for any school library.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Sports Superstars Series)

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“Sports Superstars” presents biographies of some of today’s most popular athletes. These books introduce the athlete’s background with a focus on how they became the superstars they are today. There are also numerous “fun facts” about everything from their favorite hobby to what’s on their trophy shelves. Full of nonfiction text features, these books would be great for students writing reports, getting an introduction to biographies, or just learning about one of their favorite athletes.

The debate about whether Messi or Ronaldo holds the title of greatest soccer player of all time is often heard in the sports section of my library. This book is the perfect resource for all those kids needing some backup for their argument that it is, in fact, Ronaldo. The book provides a timeline of Ronaldo’s rise to soccer stardom and also gives information about his business enterprises. This one won’t stay on the shelf.

Chloe Kim (Sports Superstars Series)

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“Sports Superstars” presents biographies of some of today’s most popular athletes. These books introduce the athlete’s background with a focus on how they became the superstars they are today. There are also numerous “fun facts” about everything from their favorite hobby to what’s on their trophy shelves. Full of nonfiction text features, these books would be great for students writing reports, getting an introduction to biographies, or just learning about one of their favorite athletes.

Chloe Kim has been a competitive snowboarder since the time she was six years old. By age eight, she was training with the U.S national team. Young snowboarders and athletes of all types will love learning about Kim’s path and successes. There are numerous interesting facts about Kim’s traditions, her favorite things, and even her own Barbie doll. This is a great addition to any school library.

Like Lava in My Veins by Derrick Barnes

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Derrick Barnes has created yet another empowering and engaging picture book that will inspire elementary age kids. Like Lava in My Veins follows Bobby Beacon as he starts at a new school for kids with superpowers. Bobby has the power to control fire and lava, but when he gets heated, those powers can get away from him. His teacher at his new school doesn’t understand Bobby or see his amazing talents, and he ends up in the principal’s office. When he’s transferred to a new class, though, Bobby finally starts to feel seen and understand how to control his fire. This picture book is drawn in graphic novel style, which will make it immediately appealing to many readers, but it’s also a phenomenal story for social emotional development. I love that his “fire” is shown to be a superpower. The book showed the value of controlled anger when faced with injustice, which is something I haven’t seen tackled in a picture book. Like Lava in My Veins is a unique and powerful book that will be appreciated by adults and kids alike.

This Is the Planet Where I Live

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I’m excited to write this review because it feels like a long time since I’ve been able to give a “Highly Recommended.” I’m excited about the prospect of sharing this one with my students. I think it would work great as a shared reading or readers’ theater, perhaps in April, near Earth Day. It’s a cumulative poem, modeled after The House that Jack Built, but describing the inter-connectedness of all who share this planet. The illustrations are vibrant mixed-media collage that celebrate our world. It really is a beautiful book!

In Every Life

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I love this book! The text is simple and poetical. A single sentence per two-page spread uses a repeated structure to express some big, complex, sometimes intangible ideas. The real star of this book are the illustrations: for every big idea there are many individual illustrations, offering different ways those words could be interpreted. They invite the reader into really pondering those big ideas. The use of color is very deliberate and effective. I listed this book as intended for elementary, but I certainly think it would have uses and appeal for all ages.