Do Aliens Visit Earth? is an accessible entry in the Into the Unknown series, aimed at curious young readers who love mysteries, science, and the possibility of life beyond our planet. The book attempts to strike a balance between scientific explanation and the thrill of the unexplained. The author introduces readers to UFO sightings, government investigations, and theories about extraterrestrial visitors. The book encourages critical thinking – rather than pushing a single viewpoint it lets readers decide what they believe. The photos, sidebars and quick fact boxes break up the text and keep readers engaged. It’s well-suited for middle-grade audiences who enjoy nonfiction packed with intriguing questions.

Some of the “Fast Facts” are not actual facts. For example, on page 23, the Fast Fact includes opinions from scientists about why we haven’t found intelligent life, but none of these statements are proven or supported by evidence. These are hypotheses, not facts, which makes the section misleading and weakens the book’s credibility.

The book lays out evidence through real-world reports and debunks common myths though at times the stories feel disconnected. The book jumps between ideas in a way that lacks cohesion. While including elements of non-fiction such as table of contents, glossary, and index, readers may find the layout of the chapters confusing.

This classic story was originally published in 1979 but was re-released in 2023. It is a story about a bear named Sam.  On Halloween night Mama Bear and Papa Bear head off to a party and Sam is home alone. He decides to invite his friends over for a Halloween party of his own and each friend brings popcorn. When they pop all the popcorn things get very out of control.  This story would be best used as a read-aloud for young children up to age 7. The illustrations are bright and cheerful yet simplistic and engaging. The illustrations have been updated to be less offensive to different cultures. When comparing the old illustrations to the new ones I was disappointed that the only change was adding a hat to the main character.

This Book Is Not for You by Howard Pearlstein, with fun pictures by Susanna Covelli, tells a silly story through a grumpy narrator who says the book is boring and has nothing cool in it. But the pictures show the opposite—there are monsters, aliens, ninjas, and more! Kids will laugh at how wrong the narrator is and enjoy spotting all the exciting things happening around him.

The book is fun and playful, especially for read-aloud time. But the joke gets repeated a lot, and some students might lose interest. It’s good for a quick laugh and to talk about point of view, but it’s not the strongest book for deeper lessons or repeated reading.

Steve: A Pretty Exceptional Horse by Kelly Collier is a funny and easy-to-read graphic novel that attempts to help kids learn an important lesson—being yourself is what really makes you special. Steve the Horse wants to stand out, so he finds a shiny horn and tries to show off. But his friends remind him that he doesn’t need fancy things to be important. This book could be used for classroom discussions about confidence, friendship, and what it means to be “exceptional.” Early readers may enjoy the humor, but the message misses the mark.

This vibrantly illustrated book is a love letter to books and reading. It talks about the magic of books, magic that is, “…sweeter when you share it. More powerful when you choose the book yourself.” Beyond those powerful words, it seems to me that the book misses its mark.

Sadly, the book fails to make a distinction between owned books and borrowed books. The early illustrations clearly place the action in a library. Then there is a spread about books being worn out by being chewed on, slept on, spilled on. It depicts the pages of worn books being used for art projects. Because none of these behaviors are appropriate with books borrowed from a library, I do not recommend this book for a school library.