Apple is a tech company that continues to make new and innovative products including iMac computers, Mac Book laptops, iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and Apple Watches. Apple began in 1976 to create a personal computer. The first computer was created in Steve Jobs’s garage and was only a circuit board. The case, keyboard, and monitor were added later. This book does a nice job of laying out the timeline of how the Apple company has grown over the years to become the technology powerhouse that it is today. The pictures and graphics do an excellent job of supporting the text and visually condensing some of the written information into infographics. Readers with a 4th-grade reading level would be able to access the text and information. Readers interested in the history and growth of Apple would find this book full of interesting information.

YouTube launched on February 14, 2005, and the first video was posted by Jawed Karim featuring him at the San Diego Zoo and it was 19 seconds long.  Karim, along with Chad Hurley and Steve Chen decided to create YouTube because they felt that finding and sharing videos online was too cumbersome.  YouTube grew very quickly and while that was exciting there were also problems such as the need for fast internet and more equipment to keep up with demand. There were also problems around who had the right to host all the videos.  The 3 founders then decided to sell YouTube to Google. This book will appeal to those who are interested in finding out about the history and development of YouTube and how, after it was purchased by Google it continued to grow and expand. The pictures and infographics are clear and concise and add depth to the text. This Behind the Brand Book is written to target a 4th-grade reading level, but with the graphics, I know younger readers will also enjoy exploring the books.

Coca-Cola was created on May 8, 1886. Since that time it has grown and evolved into a huge company that is still growing and changing today. In different parts of the world, you can find different Coca-Cola products that are popular such as raspberry-flavored Coke which is popular in New Zealand, and Orange-flavored Coke which is popular in Turkey, Brazil, and Japan. In addition to carbonated beverages the company also sells juices, sparkling flavored waters, and soy milk beverages to name a few. Readers interested in learning about the Coca-Cola brand and how the company started and has grown through the years would find this book very interesting. This book is written for a 4th-grade reading level. The book has 32 pages and has pictures and graphics that condense information and support the writing. Younger readers would be able to access some of the content as well.

Roblox is an online game platform that brings together people from all around the world. A computer scientist named David Baszucki started a company in 1989 with the mission of teaching students about physics. In 2004 he created a new company called Dynablocks but soon changed the name to something more memorable, Roblox. Roblox is a combination of two words, robots and blocks. This book is a great introduction to explain what Roblox is and the timeline of how it has developed over the years. The graphics and pictures in this book give great information and help support the writing. The book is written around a 4th-grade reading level, but being 32 pages long and with supporting graphics it could be accessible to younger readers. Readers who play Roblox will not learn new tips or tricks to help them play better, but they will learn about the creators and history of how the game has come to be over the years. This book is a good explanation of what Roblox is for someone interested in the history of the game, or for someone who has not yet played the game or is just a beginning player.

Adventures in Unplugged Coding is a series of books that takes the reader through 4 unplugged challenges that help the reader understand how to use higher-level thinking skills to solve problems. The connection is made between the activities and how computer code writers think. This series of books is categorized as Express! Which are classified as maker space books.

Coding with Mythical Creatures has 4 unplugged activities:

1.  Hey Cerberus, Fetch
2. Gnome Coder
3. Minotaur Maze
4. Memorize the Myth! 

Each activity requires a minimal amount of supplies: Paper, tracing paper, index cards, pencils, markers, dice, game pieces, timer, and small toys. The activities would be best accomplished with a partner or small group. The readers would have opportunities to solve problems together and work towards a solution, also when turning the page they will be able to learn about the solution and how that activity is related to coders.

Readers who use this book would need to read about a 3rd or 4th grade level but as long as there is one strong reader in the group they could guide others through who may be younger or have a more difficult time reading.

Adventures in Unplugged Coding is a series of books that take the reader through 4 unplugged challenges that help the reader understand how to use higher-level thinking skills to solve problems. The connection is made between the activities and how computer code writers think. This series of books is categorized as Express! Which are classified as maker space books.

Coding with Dinosaurs has 4 unplugged activities:

1. Sequence a Stegosaurus
2. Debug the Dinosaurs
3. Save the Dinosaurs
4. Time Traveler 

Each activity requires a minimal amount of supplies: paper, index cards, pencils, markers, sidewalk chalk, dice, game pieces, and small toys. The activities would be best accomplished with a partner or small group. The readers would have opportunities to solve problems together and work towards a solution, also when turning the page they will be able to learn about the solution and how that activity is related to coders.

Readers who use this book would need to read about a 3rd or 4th grade level but as long as there is one strong reader in the group they could guide others through who may be younger or have a more difficult time reading.

Adventures in Unplugged Coding is a series of books that takes the reader through 4 unplugged challenges that help the reader understand how to use higher-level thinking skills to solve problems. The connection is made between the activities and how computer code writers think. This series of books is categorized as Express! Which are classified as maker space books.

Coding with Outer Space has 4 unplugged activities:

1. Space Pudding (requires pudding powder, milk, water, and zip-top sandwich bag)
2. Going Buggy with Aliens!
3. Space Race! (requires straw, paper, scissors, ruler, and tape)
4. Move Like a Martian (requires jump rope)

The activities would be best accomplished with a partner or small group. The readers would have opportunities to solve problems together and work towards a solution, also when turning the page they will be able to learn about the solution and how that activity is related to coders.

Readers who use this book would need to read about a 3rd or 4th grade level but as long as there is one strong reader in the group they could guide others through who may be younger or have a more difficult time reading.

It is time for the football game.  The Eagles are playing the Turkeys, however, one of the players on the Turkeys’ team is a Chicken. Chicken gets distracted by his grandmother in the crowd and fumbles the ball.  This story simply explains the game of football using animals as characters who are more concerned about everyone having a good experience with the game and the story ends with a happy ending for all. This story is written with simple words and language and would be great for beginning readers. Using football as the theme of this story would be of high interest to some and help keep some beginning readers engaged. The illustrations in the book are very full and help to fill in the details of the story.

In Our Solar System captures young people’s fascination with planets and space. The use of the “Over in the Meadow” rhythm for the poems provides the information in a catchy format for younger children and aids in fact retention. Illustrations then portray the number from the poem also providing a counting opportunity for young children. Each poem is then accompanied by a paragraph detailing more complex information about the topic. As the numbers increase in the rhyming poems, the topic is moving further from the sun. Topics include: the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and comets.

The combination of short catchy rhyming poems, colorful illustrations, and interesting facts will make this a great book when reading with a diversity of ages.