Category Archives: Highly Recommend

Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth

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By L.E. Carmichael; illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler

This beautiful picture book is a gorgeous collection of information and illustrations about the Arctic and Antarctic and the life that inhabits these cold, icy landscapes. The artwork is full of cool colors and an almost lithographic feel to the designs. I can’t tell if it’s painted, airbrushed, lithographic, or some combination of all. Some sharp lines & some soft layered ones. I found the artwork beautiful, stark and a perfect complement to the harsh environment about which it was depicting. The text is rich with information about the polar regions. Much of the book is arranged by months of the year & the various events that happen in different seasons. Interestingly, it is organized from March to March. Each 2 page spread includes one page on the Arctic and one page on the Antarctic – showing contrasting seasons nicely. The 2 pages also feature a similar topic, for example the pages on June feature information about how insects adapt to the cold regions in summer in the Arctic versus winter in Antarctica. The book finishes with information about climate change and how the polar caps are seeing the great consequences which only seem to be getting worse. The reader is left with some ways to take action and learn more. The book also includes a glossary and a list of resources for further reading. This is a picture book that flows nicely through the middle grades and extends beyond elementary school. The text is tiny and much more appropriate for upper elementary or middle school readers.

The House that Ruth Built

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By Kelly Bennett; illustrated by Susanna Covelli

This is a picture book that can be read at many different levels. It is a simple poem of a story that could be read aloud to young students – or older ones to analyze the literary elements of the central story. It is a book rich with supplementary text in small print on both sides of the central story that could be enjoyed by more adventuresome upper elementary or middle school students really interested in all things historical about Babe Ruth, the early days of baseball, and the Yankees.  These side panel pieces include information on the Star-Spangled Banner, Cracker Jacks, Early Baseball Leagues, Rocks and Stones (early forms of the game), Baseball caps, Bats, Gloves, and Balls, and many, many more. The artwork of the central story pulls you in and helps you feel as if you’re there on the opening day of a brand new Yankee Stadium. The historical photographs and real memorabilia of the side panels contrast and visually allow the reader to focus on one or the other.  I thought this was a beautiful book about Babe Ruth and the early days of baseball, sure to be enjoyed by both casual baseball fans and those with a passion for all things baseball!

How to Succeed in Witchcraft

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I went into this book expecting a re-imagined magical world AKA Harry Potter. So, I was pleasantly surprised with Aislinn Brophy’s portrayal of a magical high school. One that is supper focused on success and the pressure that entails for the students. I also appreciated how the story dealt with exploitation and predatory behavior many teens face.

Finding My Dance

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Ria Thundercloud, Writer, Kalila J. Fuller Illustrator

At 4 years old, our author was brought into the powwow circle to dance with her tribe and family. Even though Ria had incredible drive and talent, she felt like an outsider in dance classes as she was always the only indigenous performer. This biographical picture book is one that shows what ambition and determination can achieve. The bold and beautiful artwork will be an eye catcher for many. It is a wonderful book for elementary library that allows for indigenous readers to see themselves in a book. The author, Ria Thundercloud is now a professional dancer who has performed all around the world but always returns to her homelands. I would highly recommend this book for libraries as it celebrates Native Americans and shows culture for all.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

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A. F. Steadman

This fantasy for 4th – 8th graders is a wonderful addition to any library. In a world where children dream of living on a secretive island of wild unicorns, Skandar’s only wish is to pass the Hatchery exam and leave to mainland and become a unicorn rider. His hopes and dreams are dashed when he is not allowed to take the test. In the middle of the night he is whisked away to sneak onto the island in search of the unicorn he knows he is destined to ride. Book one of the Skandar series is everything a lover of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson would want in a fantasy novel. A child that is denied opportunities only to get them, aggressive, violent and fantastical unicorns with elemental powers, an evil archenemy with a surprising past and all the sneaking around and mystery solving a reader would want. I was pleasantly surprised by this title and would highly recommend it for any fantasy lover at any age.

Acadia National Park

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Christina Leaf takes on an impressive undertaking of providing elementary age readers with the who, what, where, when, and why of the Acadia National Park in 32 pages of color photos and text.

Leaf gives basic facts and visuals on Acadia National Park while not being a vacation travel advertisement. Acadia National Park was the 6th most visited national park in 2021.

Leaf includes: plants and animals (p 12-15), history of peoples in the area (p 16-21), how ice breaks down granite (p 8-9), top sites (p 22-23), and perhaps most importantly protecting the park (p24-27) from too many visitors and climate change.

Leaf also includes graphics of 6 Acadia National Park facts, food web, and a timeline (p28-29).

More information on the Acadia National Park can be gotten safely through Factsurfer.com..

Submitted for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong

Trapped in Terror Bay: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Franklin Expedition

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Personal rule: a book that starts with a map is going to be great.  Trapped in Terror Bay is no exception to that rule, although it takes some skill and attention to navigate, much like the poor sailors on the lost Franklin expedition to the Arctic.  Written almost in the style of a choose-your-own-adventure, this non-fiction book puts the reader in the doomed shoes of Captain Francis Crozier, sailing through imagined accounts of events onboard the ship, tracking the voyage across the Atlantic, around Greenland and eventually into the maze of ice and islands between the North American continent and the North Pole.  As weather worsens, disease rampages, and nature triumphs over the technology of 1848, the reader explores this tragedy and its mystery in short, engaging chapters.

Within each chapter are subsections that include modern forensic research into the expedition, sidebars about characters, politics, nautical technology, and knowledge from the native peoples who have lived on the Arctic ice since time immemorial.

It took me a while for me to notice subtle changes in fonts, page color or border, or headings to denote these different sections, but once I did I read this like a textbook, skipping around to follow the parts I was interested in, then doubling back to read the sidebars that explained something in the main storyline.  With that in mind, this is a great book to teach some textbook reading skills. Readers will love the inevitable doom, perfectly captured by the author, the fascinating facts and insights into life in the mid-1800’s, and the modern quest to understand the events of the past.

Walter Had a Best Friend

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Deborah Underwood, Author Sergio Ruzzier, Illustrator

Walter and Xavier are best friends until they meet Penelope. Soon, Walter no longer Is Xavier’s best friend. He is sad and lonely because his friendship is not the same now that Penelope is in the picture. He feels like there is a hole in his heart where Xavier used to be. Eventually, he decides that one sunny is going to be a good day. Walter goes out on his own to create his own adventure only to find that one can find friends in the most interesting places. This is a wonderful book about how friends come and go and that’s okay. I would highly recommend this picture book for elementary school.

Stories to Keep You Alive Despite Vampires

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By Ben Acker

This is the next book you should read after you have read and enjoyed “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”. As the reader you are being held captive in the house of vampires where you have found this book. Our narrator (and author) intertwines his story and experience with the vampires within the short stories written. The end has a great twist that will make you laugh. This collection of spooky short stories will be enjoyed by any student who likes to be scared and laugh about it. I would highly recommend this book for upper elementary and middle school students.

Los Mapas de la Memoria (The Maps of Memory)(Spanish version)

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by Marjorie Agosin

This book is about the  deep history and woeful past of a city in Chile. It makes it an interesting book for readers who will learn about a culture that may be new to them. Celeste must find her friend Lucilia. She must also learn about her mother’s and father’s past. She’s upset that she got sent away to the states, but will get over it eventually. Until then,  everyone in the city is haunted by the past of what happened on the Esmeralda boat when the supposed enemies of the general were kidnapped. The author did a great job setting the plot and making it an eventful and interesting story. I liked Celeste’s  interest in finding her parents’ past on the Esmeralda boat and her growing interest in the boys. This book has the same soft illustrations throughout like the first book in the series does. There was nothing I disliked. It was a perfecto book! Overall I’d give this book a 5 out of 5.

Note: This book was originally read from the English edition.

Reviewed by 6th grader, Addison K.