Reviews
The Freak Observer
“Sixteen-year-old Loa Lindgren witnesses a gruesome car accident that takes the life of her best friend, Esther. The event leaves Loa with a debilitating case of post-traumatic stress disorder. A mysterious figure known as the Bony Guy—death incarnate—terrifies her through vivid… View →
The Hispanic American Experience
“This series offers an introductory overview of various cultures, including famous people, recipes, religion, and their impact in America. The content includes text, photographs, and excerpts such as graphs and stories from USA Today. These would be useful View →
The Ancient Formula: A Mystery with Fractions
“For the middle school student embarking on the exploration of multiplication and division, the book is a nice read…. Readers who are just learning about multiplication and division or who have recently learned these topics could begin to understand the usefulness of… View →
“Although this new series is clearly designed to entertain and make learning enjoyable, the text of each volume is carefully chosen to convey an abundance of detailed information about nutrition and exercise. The series is a perfect complement to a science or physical education… View →
Sammy Spider's First Simchat Torah
Sammy Spider, that curious arachnid who refuses to just spin webs, follows his boy companion Josh to a Simchat Torah service when he gets himself stuck on a syrupy candy apple atop a small Jewish flag. As in previous outings, the inquisitive spiderling learns about this important Jewish… View →
Does It Really Take Seven Years to Digest Swallowed Gum?: And Other Questions You've Always Wanted to Ask
“Can you fry an egg on the sidewalk? Can you fly using helium-filled balloons? Separate fact from fiction with this book. It provides easy-to-understand scientific explanations to these and other pressing questions.” —Learning View →
Jackson and Bud's Bumpy Ride: America's First Cross-Country Automobile Trip
“With no maps, repair shops, or gas stations, driving a car from San Francisco to New York was considered downright impossible in 1903. This book tells the true story of how a doctor, a mechanic, and a bulldog completed the trip.” —Learning View →
How Long or How Wide?: A Measuring Guide
“Introduce young readers to the concept of measurement with picture books and informational titles that go the distance.Children love to size up the world around them. Although they are quick to figure out that a favorite toy ends at 10 on a ruler, they need guidance in… View →
The Freak Observer
“Woolston’s talent for dialogue and her unique approach to scenes makes what sounds standard about this story feel fresh and vital. . . . A strong debut about learning to see yourself apart from the reflection you cast off.”—Booklist View →
Does an Apple a Day Keep the Doctor Away?: And Other Questions about Your Health and Body
“On each two-page spread questions are answered in a succinct, clear, and understandable manner. In addition, further-related information is provided. The illustrations, a mixture of photographs and cartoons, will grab students’ attention.”—Library Media… View →
The Punctuation Station
“The young audience will enjoy learning the concepts as they pore over the details in the cheerful, wittily detailed cartoon art. . . . [O]verall, this offers a fun entry point to the rules of punctuation.”—Booklist View →
With his village beleaguered by an outbreak of cholera, Pinsk’s learned Rabbi Yamferd decides, as legend dictates, to initiate a miracle by officiating at a “black wedding” of two orphans in a cemetery. Yiske and his Klezmer band are summoned to perform, but soon… View →
Tisha B'Av: A Jerusalem Journey
“Spending a day with a young boy as he tells us about his tour through Jerusalem to learn about the somber holiday of Tisha B’Av becomes an engaging read full of information despite the dry topic. Colorful photographs in a varied layout show readers what our narrator sees as he… View →
Drop by Drop: A Story of Rabbi Akiva
“How lovely to have this jewel-colored picture book to share the love story of Rachel and Akiva with elementary-age children. The man who became a famous sage at the end of the first century was too poor to attend school, and started his work life as an illiterate shepherd. And… View →
Sammy Spider's First Shavuot
Spider Sammy learns about the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. During the Shapiro family’s preparations, curious Sammy is almost burnt by cooking oil, splashed with strawberry juice, and covered with pollen while he learns about such customs as making blintzes. The brightly colored but… View →
Shake It, Morena!: And Other Folklore from Puerto Rico
“Here the reader learns games, songs, stories, and other folklore from Puerto Rico. The book takes its readers through a series of activities from sunrise to sunset. The author includes a diversity of curriculum related activities so a teacher can use the book as a teaching… View →
Sammy Spider's First Shavuot
In this addition to the series, Sammy the spider learns about Shavuot, which “celebrates the time when God gave the Torah to Moses.” He watches as the Shapiro family makes blintzes and reads parts of a small Torah scroll. The brightly colored paper-collage illustrations have… View →
My Name Is Hamburger
The title of Jacqueline Jules’s highly recommended new novel-in-verse reflects the ironies of growing up Jewish in a small southern town in the mid – twentieth century. Trudie Hamburger has loving parents and close friends. Her father’s German accent and her family’s… View →
All About Passover
“The bright colors and attention to detail make these books a joy to read. . . recommended not only for students beginning to learn about the holidays, but also for teachers and parents to use as guidelines for teaching children who have not yet been exposed to the holidays in… View →
All About Hanukkah
“The bright colors and attention to detail make these books a joy to read. . . recommended not only for students beginning to learn about the holidays, but also for teachers and parents to use as guidelines for teaching children who have not yet been exposed to the holidays in… View →
Sammy Spider's Shabbat Fun Book
“…a fun and innovative introduction to the Jewish practice of Shabbat. Sammy Spider’s Shabbat Fun Book is very highly recommended as a fun learning tool about this Jewish celebration event.” View →
Ordinary Genius: The Story of Albert Einstein
“The reader learns about Albert Einstein’s beliefs and private life. His unprecedented contributions to science were addressed with unusual clarity.” —Authors note View →
“Part of the umbrella Pull Ahead Books series, these small, square Community Helpers books introduce young children to jobs that enable society to function smoothly. Each page has a well-chosen, full-color photo accompanied by a sentence of text that extends or explains the… View →
Double Cheeseburgers, Quiche, and Vegetarian Burritos: American Cooking from the 1920s through Today
“. . .this interesting, accessible title – for an older audience than others in the series – will find a readership among both report writers and browsers, and it will help satisfy the growing need for titles that encourage kids to learn about the origins of their… View →