Reviews

Behind the Curtain series takes an atypical approach to history by giving students a chance to act out major events in our country’s past. Designed as a two-act play, each book opens with a…

Behind the Curtain series takes an atypical approach to history by giving students a chance to act out major events in our country’s past. Designed as a two-act play, each book opens with a…

Behind the Curtain series takes an atypical approach to history by giving students a chance to act out major events in our country’s past. Designed as a two-act play, each book opens with a…

Behind the Curtain series takes an atypical approach to history by giving students a chance to act out major events in our country’s past. Designed as a two-act play, each book opens with a…

. . . readers will find themselves immersed in the excitement. Clean, spare layouts help keep readers focused on the books’ content, and historic photos are included on every page, showing…

Behind the Curtain series takes an atypical approach to history by giving students a chance to act out major events in our country’s past. Designed as a two-act play, each book opens with a…

With this fun and functional title, young makers will find countless, creative possibilities.

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

The coverage is current and the detail within these books would make for a nice addition to any nonfiction collection for teens and adults. Recommended.

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

This high interest series will appeal to readers who like to collect interesting facts and learn about unusual circumstances. The nonfiction narrative of Escaping Alcatraz vividly and…

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

Gr 3-5–This series allows children to immerse themselves in the past through a unique and rarely seen approach. An engaging blend of historical events with readers’ theater brings the prose…

With maps that show the suggested route, these books are fun for armchair travel and real road trips. This series should cruise off your shelves.

Readers will be thrilled to find this informative series. These titles could find a home either with books about dogs or in your sports section; you won’t regret adding this series to your team.

Great little crafty tips abound, and lots of photos of kooky finished projects will help get the inspiration flowing. These books give kids permission to make what they want to make.

Straightforward writing, appealing visuals, and depth of content make this a series not to miss. Top-notch for both assignment writing and pleasure reading, this is a great purchase for any…

★STARRED★ The Special Reports series gives serious, in-depth, yet highly readable treatments to hot…

An excellent resource for research, reference, and those students interested in emulating these tech titans with future innovations of their own.

Translations are of high quality, and words and pictures correspond seamlessly. Readers will love relating their favorite everyday objects and experiences to the patterns in these interactive

Two to three sentences per page provide basic facts without too much detail, making the text suitable for early elementary readers. Each book includes a few QR codes that lead to short…

Achievable, edible projects that demonstrate or model STEM content.

With history and basic engineering concepts in mind, readers will enjoy learning the stories behind their favorite rides.

The complex interplay between race and sports is adeptly explored in this thought-provoking series. With socially conscious athletes making headlines every year, this series will provide…

Learning basic scientific concepts and their real-world applications is both fun and accessible in this well-translated series for beginning readers. An essential addition to any beginning…

Using simplicity and consistent text patterns, this I Spy series (8 titles) book is an effective tool for teaching early literacy skills. A series of seven two-page spreads walk…

Lots of pictures and inviting, informative text offer a glimpse into some of the training that aspiring astronauts need to complete before they’re permitted to travel into space in this…

The connection between bugs and bubonic plague, malaria, and other dangers are highlighted in this series. Each title opens with a true story of a human victim, which includes a photo and…

In this title, a family enjoys a fun day at a sandy beach. They enjoy activities such as playing with the dog, frolicking in the sand, and observing the creatures that inhabit the area.…

Marty’s Mission is about the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 told through the eyes of Marty, the son of a man managing the NASA Tracking Station in Guam. The time difference does not affect Marty

The book’s widely spaced lines of text, informative sidebars, and well-chosen archival photos look attractive, while the short sentences and interesting details make the text quite readable.…

What will draw readers in are the action-filled color photographs that take up most of each page. They give a you-are-there feel to the proceedings that has appeal.

Children are naturally curious about the world, and the Science Questions series tackles many popular topics with simplicity and clarity. The QR codes lead to publisher hosted videos,…

Owen provides young, dinosaur-crazy children with a basic introduction to fossils and the work of paleontologists in this Dino-Sphere series (10 titles) entry. Incorporating a large…

This series goes beyond obvious topics to highlight unfamiliar facts about seven countries in South America and the Caribbean. Readers will learn about climate, natural resources, animals,…

Clear, step-by-step instructions, a list of ingredients and tools needed, and accompanying color photographs showing different steps make each activity fun and easy. A playful, inviting…

Adding to a growing corpus of biographies of unsung heroes, this timely tale highlights the connection between people and the environment. As a young boy, Jadav Payeng noticed that the…

One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more—more potato puns than you can count, as a young spud strives to win the sack race at the Spud City…

This lovely tribute to dragonflies features two simultaneous narratives. One, probably intended for younger readers but sure to be enjoyed by all, is a bouncy, rhythmic flow of basic facts…

The content is easily digestible yet in-depth enough to be both interesting and informative. Teachers can utilize the series to help students understand the religious motivations of…

Young readers will be able to easily grasp the concepts presented in the text, as well as view excellent examples of each animal in their natural surroundings. These books are perfect for the

VERDICT This title could be used on many levels: very young audiences will enjoy as a picture book, while budding scientists will appreciate the narrative and informational text together. An…

The books contain enough interesting information within each title for the beginning research project and would serve as a springboard for further reading about each of the broader subjects…

Lush, realistic illustrations document young Jadav’s sadness, fear, determination, and eventual success as readers watch the barren, disintegrating island transform into a living forest…

Writing in quiet verse reminiscent of “This Is the House that Jack Built,” Greene tells the story of Apollo 11, which “lifted off and soared through the heavens/ and carried the first men who

A family spends a day at the beach observing various creatures’ prints in the sand. Children and families of various skin tones and hair textures play on the beach as the main characters, a…

This series makes a good introduction into how we use different types of energy and the discrete problems associated with each variety. Recommended.

The fascinating world of dinosaurs and their eggs is brought to life and explained in a way appropriate for young dino enthusiasts.

The first two-page spread sets the atmosphere—cute,…

This is a great series for budding junior photographers and will provide tips for those who already have equipment and for using your own creativity with whatever camera you have on hand.…

These well-bound books feature colorful illustrations that show a diverse selection of youth suffering the ailments that afflict all children, with close-ups of signs and symptoms. Add these…

Sensationalistic but fun, these books will appeal to readers interested in the paranormal. Recommended.

Bug fans and biology aces are going to be thrilled by these pages and gain a little more respect for a very tiny insect.

Mosquitoes rule in this book, but it’s not their harmless biology…

This informative title in the Drugs in Real Life series provides an overview of date rape drugs and offers tips to keep people from becoming victims. Back matter includes quotes from victims,

Little astronauts’ hearts will pound faster as they not only learn more about what astronauts do in space, but take in the real life photographs of astronauts at work on the space station.

This unique series provides a comprehensive look at space exploration, with topics ranging from the features of the solar system to the life of an astronaut to a hypothetical look at life on…

The clearly written discussions place narratives and data within a broader context that makes them more meaningful. Presenting useful overviews of topics related to class differences, these…

The active hedgehog grandmother in this story surely gets around! In a series of summertime vacation letters written to her grandson from May to June, Grandmother enumerates one exciting…

Written at a fourth grade reading level, these informational texts are ideal for middle school hi-lo readers but could also be used by general upper-­elementary audiences.

Despite the potential ick factor, many young readers will be fascinated. These series entries offer a uniquely close look at various insect and fish life cycles.

Large, bold fonts makes the text, written at a second grade reading level, easy to read. Colorful, comic-inspired illustrations on every page help relay the action. While each entry is slim,…

The true story of a young boy who built a forest from the ground up in northeastern India. Inspired by the documentary Forest Man, debut author Gholz pens the story of Jadav Payeng. The story

A new, icky animal series from Bearport! This one is Slime-inators & Other Slippery Tricksters and I received a copy of the opossum title for review. So, I know some people think…

In a story about patience and tempering expectations, Kaulitzki creates a woodland world of tree trunk homes and anthropomorphic animals. Red Squirrel and Dormouse help Badger plant a garden…

This beginning reader introduces children to two hamsters with quite different personalities. Part of the I Am A Reader line, this first outing for Tip and Tucker opens in a pet shop, where…

Middle schooler and television star Buck Bray is back for a third outing, this time bringing his intrepid detecting skills to Yellowstone National Park. He’s accompanied by his partner in…

A circular account of a dragonfly’s life span told simultaneously as a narrative and a collection of scientific facts. The creative duo behind Good Trick, Walking Stick (2016) returns to the…

A slapstick celebration of the process of discovering and honoring what makes us and our friends unique.

There is no drought of picture books about animal friends making a garden. The hook in this one is the message that when plans go awry, there may still be a rainbow at the end. It is spring.…

The litany of items the text wishes good night includes poetry and prose, plots, puppet stages, computers, carpet squares, fairy tales, characters, filing cart, and more. This being a fairly…

The rhymed lines are fully cumulated only once, so there is some repetition but never enough to grow monotonous…. A visually effective and a serviceable addition to the rapidly growing…

Series Review: Grades K-3 This brightly designed nature series will draw the attention of young researchers with its dramatic, close-up photography. Each title covers four broad topic areas:…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

Series Review: Grades K-3 This brightly designed nature series will draw the attention of young researchers with its dramatic, close-up photography. Each title covers four broad topic areas:…

Series Review: Grades K-3 This brightly designed nature series will draw the attention of young researchers with its dramatic, close-up photography. Each title covers four broad topic areas:…

Series Review: Grades K-3 This brightly designed nature series will draw the attention of young researchers with its dramatic, close-up photography. Each title covers four broad topic areas:…

Series Review: Grades K-3 This brightly designed nature series will draw the attention of young researchers with its dramatic, close-up photography. Each title covers four broad topic areas:…

Series Review: Grades K-3 This brightly designed nature series will draw the attention of young researchers with its dramatic, close-up photography. Each title covers four broad topic areas:…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

Series Review: Preschool-Grade 3 – The Spot Ocean Animals series (6 titles) swims (and crawls) alongside beach and ocean critters, introducing their key physical traits and habitats to…

A cute, purple hippo models winterwear in a variety of colors and makes a snowman an offer it can’t refuse. This sweet and simple board book engages children on several levels, first by…

Series Review: Preschool-Grade 3 – The Spot Ocean Animals series (6 titles) swims (and crawls) alongside beach and ocean critters, introducing their key physical traits and habitats to…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

Series Review: Preschool-Grade 3 – The Spot Ocean Animals series (6 titles) swims (and crawls) alongside beach and ocean critters, introducing their key physical traits and habitats to…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

This series takes various historical events and tells each story through three different perspectives. By the end of these slim volumes, readers will have acquired well-rounded knowledge of…

Series Review: Preschool-Grade 3 – The Spot Ocean Animals series (6 titles) swims (and crawls) alongside beach and ocean critters, introducing their key physical traits and habitats to…

Reading materials that provide positive role models for First Nation youth and breaking many perceived stereotypes are essential for all media centers, and this set will do just that. Recommended.

Overall, the pleasing format makes these books a useful tool for introducing these topics to younger students. . .

Series Review: Preschool-Grade 3 – The Spot Ocean Animals series (6 titles) swims (and crawls) alongside beach and ocean critters, introducing their key physical traits and habitats to…

Series Review: Grades 2-4 . This series presents the wonder of the human body through coverage of the body’s major systems, organs, and bodily functions. Each book cover features a skeletal…

Series Review: Grades 2-4 . This series presents the wonder of the human body through coverage of the body’s major systems, organs, and bodily functions. Each book cover features a skeletal…