Happy Holidays! Groundhog Day

By Rebecca Sabelko

Groundhog Day is a fun holiday that helps our country decide when the Spring season begins. This title is a good introduction to what the day means with basic concepts for better understanding. The graphics are vibrant and colorful. Each page has one to three simple sentences. What I appreciated about this title is that there are many illustrations of the official location of the event that happens on February 2nd. This book explains the history behind the day and how a groundhog is used to guess what the weather will be. It shows what students do in school to appreciate and better understand this celebration welcoming Spring. It introduces Phil, the famous groundhog who sees his shadow or not. This book would be a good supplement to support the variety of holidays celebrated as it is extremely simplified and allows for readers to get the basic information they need in order to broaden understanding and appreciation in the future. It is recommended for libraries where there is a need for lower reading level books about holidays such as this one.

The Blastoff! Beginners Happy Holidays! series contains informational chapters including but not limited to: simple information about what individuals do for the holiday, when the holiday is and what it is about, the importance of the holiday and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms and definitions that are in bold throughout the book as well as an index and a section with links and books to learn more about the country. These books are recommended for grades Pre-K to 3rd. They are at “Level 1″ which offers early readers information through simplified sentences for better understanding.

Happy Holidays! Holi

By Betsy Rathburn

Holi is a little know holiday to the average American student. This title is a good introduction to what the day means with basic concepts for better understanding. The graphics are vibrant and colorful. Each page has one to three simple sentences. What I appreciated about this title is that there are many illustrations representing a diverse population at the age of the recommended readers. This book explains the history behind the day and where Holi is mostly celebrated in the world, when it is celebrated annually and why it is an important holiday. It shows what students do in school to appreciate and better understand this celebration welcoming Spring and how people celebrate using colored powder, bonfires and what is traditionally cooked. This book would be a good supplement to support the variety of holidays celebrated throughout the world as it is extremely simplified and allows for readers to get the basic information they need in order to broaden understanding and appreciation in the future. It is recommended for libraries where there is a need for lower reading level books about holidays such as this one.

The Blastoff! Beginners Happy Holidays! series contains informational chapters including but not limited to: simple information about what individuals do for the holiday, when the holiday is and what it is about, the importance of the holiday and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms and definitions that are in bold throughout the book as well as an index and a section with links and books to learn more about the country. These books are recommended for grades Pre-K to 3rd. They are at “Level 1″ which offers early readers information through simplified sentences for better understanding.

Happy Holidays! Memorial Day

By Rebecca Sabelko

Memorial Day is recognized as a national holiday in all public schools. This title is a good introduction to what the day means with basic concepts for better understanding. The graphics are vibrant and colorful. Each page has one to three simple sentences. What I appreciated about this title is that there are many illustrations representing a diverse population at the age of the recommended readers. This book explains the history behind the day, when it is celebrated annually and why it is an important holiday. It shows what students do in school to appreciate and better understand this celebration honoring our fallen soldiers and what people do to commemorate the day. This book would be a good supplement to support the variety of holidays in the United States as it is extremely simplified and allows for readers to get the basic information they need in order to broaden understanding and appreciation in the future. Being that many of my students are children of active servicemen/women and veterans this book was a wonderful addition to my library. It is recommended for libraries where there is a need for lower reading level books about holidays such as this one.

The Blastoff! Beginners Happy Holidays! series contains informational chapters including but not limited to: simple information about what individuals do for the holiday, when the holiday is and what it is about, the importance of the holiday and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms and definitions that are in bold throughout the book as well as an index and a section with links and books to learn more about the country. These books are recommended for grades Pre-K to 3rd. They are at “Level 1″ which offers early readers information through simplified sentences for better understanding.

Happy Holidays! Presidents’ Day

By Rebecca Sabelko

Presidents’ Day is a valuable and historical holiday in our country. This title is a good introduction to what the day means with basic concepts for better understanding. The graphics are vibrant and colorful. Each page has one to three simple sentences. What I appreciated about this title is that there are many illustrations representing a diverse population at the age of the recommended readers. This book explains the history behind the day, when it is celebrated annually and why it is celebrated in February. It shows what students do in school to appreciate and better understand this celebration of our past U.S. leaders and what people do to commemorate the day. This book would be a good supplement to support the variety of holidays in the United States as it is extremely simplified and allows for readers to get the basic information they need in order to broaden understanding and appreciation in the future. It is recommended for libraries where there is a need for lower reading level books about holidays such as this one.

The Blastoff! Beginners Happy Holidays! series contains informational chapters including but not limited to: simple information about what individuals do for the holiday, when the holiday is and what it is about, the importance of the holiday and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms and definitions that are in bold throughout the book as well as an index and a section with links and books to learn more about the country. These books are recommended for grades Pre-K to 3rd. They are at “Level 1″ which offers early readers information through simplified sentences for better understanding.

Happy Holidays! Valentine’s Day

By Betsy Rathburn

Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday in our country. This title is a good introduction to what the day means with basic concepts for better understanding. The graphics are vibrant and colorful. Each page has one to three simple sentences. What I appreciated about this title is that there are many illustrations representing a diverse population. This book explains what children can do on this day. It gives the date the holiday is celebrated on annually and a basic history and what people do on the day to show others they love. This book would be a good supplement to support the variety of holidays in the United States as it is extremely simplified and allows for readers to get the basic information they need in order to broaden understanding and appreciation in the future. It is recommended for libraries where there is a need for lower reading level books about holidays such as this one.

The Blastoff! Beginners Happy Holidays! series contains informational chapters including but not limited to: simple information about what individuals do for the holiday, when the holiday is and what it is about, the importance of the holiday and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms and definitions that are in bold throughout the book as well as an index and a section with links and books to learn more about the country. These books are recommended for grades Pre-K to 3rd. They are at “Level 1″ which offers early readers information through simplified sentences for better understanding.

The Shawnee

The Shawnee people are keeping their culture alive. The Shawnee originally lived in the Ohio Valley and today their reservations are in Oklahoma.

Sonneborn writes about the Shawnee’s contact with early Europeans. Sonneborn continues with their life today with their traditions seen especially during Pow Wows. The Shawnee are in a fight to keep their language alive. They have developed a language app and a website. This fight began during the days when native children where taken away to boarding schools.

The book ends with a glossary, index, and the child safe website – www.factsurfer.com where the official Shawnee websites are linked.

Submitted by Mary Pong

Can I Recycle This? : a kid’s guide to better recycling

It is about time a new children’s book with up-to-date information on recycling has been published! Jennie Romer explains what happens to the items we place in our recycling bins and promptly think we’ve done our part. Most paper, glass, metals, and #1 & #2 plastics are easily recycled because there are buyers for these materials. Other items may or may not be recyclable depending on the local area where a person lives and depending upon whether there is a buyer for the sorted out items.

Romer describes how the recycling is sorted with the help of Christie Young’s illustrations.

She goes onto to mention “wishcycling” – ” placing non-recyclable items into recycling bin because you hope they’ll windup getting recycled anyway. (Unfortunately, this doesn’t work!)” ( 37) I’m guilty of this.

And Romer finishes with everybody “can’t do all these things ( reducing, recycling and reusing) all the time. Try your best, and do what you can!”

Submitted by Mary Pong

The Welcome Home

By Amy June Bates

Mr. and Mrs. Gargleson-Bittle are happy in their beautiful home but feel that something is missing in their lives. Making waffles was satisfying for a short time but when they felt they needed more the menagerie started growing. First is was a snail named Gordon followed by Louise the elephant and Sam the aardvark and many more. Their home was no longer too quiet but something was still missing. Will they find their missing piece?

This is a well written and well illustrated book that will make readers smile and feel warm inside. It is highly recommended for PreK – 2nd grade.

Rover and Speck: Splash Down!

By Jonathan Roth

Rover and Speck are at it again in their second book “Splash Down”. These two are space explorers who travel the universe exploring uncharted planets. When they arrive on the water covered Planet K2-18b they find themselves in the mouth of a big blubbery beast. Will they be able to help their new friends find their brother who was swallowed by the beast? or will they end up drowning on the watery planet?

This graphic novel is part adventure story, part informational text. Within the story are wonderful and fun science facts that will have students interested in learning more. There are also fun activities at the end of the book for readers to enjoy. This book, as well as book one, “This Planet Rocks” are highly recommended!

Misfit Mansion

By Kay Davault

In a huge house full of horrors, Iris has never felt at home. Halloway, the man who saved her, protects them all from the outside world and the paranormal investigators who want to capture them by locking them into the mansion, never allowing them out. But what happens when someone finds the mansion and unlocks the door? What happens when one of the horrors finds their way to the town of Dead End Springs?

This is a wonderful graphic novel about friendship and resilience. The characters are rich and diverse. I highly recommend this book for all readers who enjoy graphic novels.