Reviews
The Lonely Beast
“‘There is only one Beast in each country… and they don’t even know one another.’ A lonely Beast sets off to find someone like him. In a series of humorous episodes, he hitches a ride on a whale, beautifies a park, becomes a media darling, etc. This original story View →
Warduff and the Corncob Caper
“The story’s crisp writing and humorous digital art (an image of the animals in a tower formations illustrates ‘they seemed a little tense’) carry the day.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Out of Control
“These authors pack a lot of drama and sports action into about 100 pages…. Students will appreciate the real-life issues and ethical dilemmas that the players face.” —School Library Journal View →
Steve Jobs: Technology Innovator and Apple Genius
“A perceptive portrait of an iconic entrepreneur.” —School Library Journal View →
The King Who Wouldn't Sleep
“The humorous watercolor and pencil cartoon illustrations are large and bright, and feature expressive, goggle-eyed characters.” —School Library Journal View →
Marco's Cinco de Mayo
“An age-appropriate introduction to the holiday for the youngest of readers.” —School Library Journal View →
Big Birthday
“Clifton-Brown’s use of color, texture, shadow, and spot-on facial expressions with a bit of mixed-media collage thrown in is a delightful partner to the text…. Hosford’s rhyming text is fun to read, and kids will enjoy hearing about a great idea gone… View →
Friend Me!: 600 Years of Social Networking in America
“Unfamiliar words are defined in context, and numerous captioned black-and-white photos and sidebars add additional appeal to this fascinating topic.” —School Library Journal View →
Hannah's Way
“Hannah is having difficulty adjusting to her new life on the Iron Range in Depression-era Minnesota. She has yet to make friends when her teacher announces that the class will be going on a picnic on Saturday and the children should arrange car pools. As an observant Jew, Hannah… View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“Sadie loves going to preschool at Temple Beth El where she sings songs, climbs on the tall gym outdoors, dresses up in costumes, and plays with her classmates. But on Monday, when her teacher tells the children about the upcoming holiday of Shavuot, Sadie gets nervous. She learns… View →
What to Expect When You're Expecting Hatchlings: A Guide for Crocodilian Parents (and Curious Kids)
“The life cycle of members of the crocodilian family is cleverly and humorously described in this delightful book. The informative text, framed in a ‘Q and A’ format, encompasses many pertinent facts about alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gharials and flows easily… View →
Izzy the Whiz and Passover McClean
“Izzy the whiz kid has created the perfect invention, just in time for Passover. Izzy is no ordinary kid; he is an amateur inventor. His mother is experiencing Passover blues as she is trying to tidy the house for Passover and rid it of any hametz. Izzy has just the… View →
“All Jodie dreams about is being a famous archaeologist, just like her dad. As a prize for finding the afikomen at the Passover seder, Jodie is given a new flashlight, so she invites her cousin, Zach, to join her and her father at Hezekiah’s Tunnel, a famous archeological site in… View →
Barnyard Purim
“Farmer Max is heading off to a Purim play and the animals on the farm are a wee bit jealous, so they decide to re-enact one themselves. Chicken decides to direct and assign parts to the other animals. Horse will play King Ahashuerus, Duck will be Queen Esther, Goat will be… View →
The Queen Who Saved Her People
“This book is an imaginative take on the tried and true Purim story. King Ahashuerus is looking for a queen. His loyal followers find Esther, a young and beautiful Jewish girl, who the king selects to be his wife. She lives with her cousin Mordechai, who persuades her to hide her… View →
Special Forces
“With a magazinelike layout, this series presents small chunks of information in eye-popping spreads that will entice reluctant readers.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Documents of Freedom: A Look at the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution
“With as much pep as a Sousa march, these titles delineate the hows and whys of U.S. government…. While each book stands by itself, as a whole, they emphasize the relationships between the government’s many parts.” —School Library Journal, Series… View →
Muay Thai: Kickboxing Combat
“Students who are fascinated by martial arts will find much to enjoy in this series…. Action-packed photographs and interesting sidebars will keep readers engaged.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Street Art
“Each of these hi/lo titles focuses on a different aspect of popular culture…. They contain short but interesting interviews with leading figures and discussions of trends.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Lipizzans Are My Favorite!
“The clean design with text boxes, photos, and other images will draw browsers, and the conversational narratives will encourage reluctant readers.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
When I Woke Up I Was a Hippopotamus
“Satisfying silliness.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Ticks: Dangerous Hitchhikers
“Markle’s clear and detailed narratives, along with instructive close-up photographs of the exterior and interior anatomies of the title arachnids, will fascinate readers.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
The Little Black Dress and Zoot Suits: Depression and Wartime Fashions from the 1930s to the 1950s
“Well-researched texts…archival photos and entertaining sidebars contribute to a lively read.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
“The beguiling pair introduced in Snake and Lizard now share a burrow and are business partners, too. They bicker constantly; still, the outcomes are fair, reasonable, and often capped with a delightfully ironic twist. Their unobtrusively philosophical debates are nifty… View →