Reviews
Street Dance
“Engaging introductions to dance forms…offer aspiring dancers inspiration and insight.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Escape from Planet Yastol
“Funny, quirky, and action-filled, the story will hold reluctant readers’ attention.” —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 →
I'm Sure I Saw a Dinosaur
“Willis’s rhymes are airtight, and Reynolds’s cloudy illustrations set an appropriately foggy cold-weather scene.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Ša, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist
“Sheet music, maps, and photographs are thoughtfully incorporated into the acrylic illustrations in this emotion-stirring biography.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Ultraviolet
“Part psychological thriller and part paranormal mystery, Alison’s compelling story will draw readers in as it challenges them to question their perceptions of reality.” —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 →
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 →
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 →
“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 →
Not a Buzz to Be Found: Insects in Winter
“Glaser details the winter survival techniques of a dozen different insects. Short, rhythmic lines explain each insect’s adaptations (field cricket: ‘Safely hidden, you’d wait and wait’). Evocative paintings move from colorful fall to icy winter and finally… View →
"Miss Pell Would Never Misspell" and Other Painless Tricks for Memorizing How to Spell and Use Wily Words
“Cleary uses mnemonics, rhymes, visualization, and other tricks to try to cement in readers’ memories the spelling of difficult words. It’s a good idea, but the examples are generally too convoluted (even for mnemonic devices) to be useful. Goggle-eyed characters… View →
Mallory's Guide to Boys, Brothers, Dads, and Dogs
“The book’s dynamic design, including numerous line drawings, emails, and journal entry–style pages, help enliven the story.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Everything I Was
“Demas sensitively describes the joys and anxieties of Irene’s summer surrounded by friends and family.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Seven Wonders of Space Technology
“In this useful, well-organized volume, Bortz profiles seven major technological advancements in space exploration.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Dino-Basketball
“Play-by-play commentary laced with basketball lingo will score points with fans of both basketball and dinosaurs.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Gracie the Lighthouse Cat
“Expressive watercolors capture the ferocity of the storm as well as the coziness inside the lighthouse in both rescues’ aftermath.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
It's Tot Shabbat!
“While their parents are in services on Saturday mornings, preschoolers enjoy having fun at ‘Shabbat Club.’ They play with toys, listen to stories, hold stuffed-toy Torahs, and say the blessings over a Shabbat snack. Clear photographs of adorable children accompany the… View →
What Can't Wait
“Pérez’s perspective on Mexican American culture in Texas is authentic; the gritty setting and hard-knocks characters carry the story.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
The Beatles: Music Revolutionaries
“Readers will come away not only with a greater knowledge of the subjects, but also with an understanding of their places in their respective industries. Relevant images and engaging sidebars enhance the presentation.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Elephant Talk: The Surprising Science of Elephant Communication
“Downer provides an engrossing account of the science of elephant communication, covering elephant social networks, the workings of their vocal equipment, and what we know about the sounds, smells, and various behaviors they employ.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Fortunately, Unfortunately
“Young monkey Milo is called upon to return his grandmother’s umbrella. Unfortunately, he meets one roadblock after another (pirates, space aliens, dinosaurs, etc.), delaying his journey. Fortunately, these encounters are extremely entertaining. Vibrant watercolor… View →
From Jazz Babies to Generation Next: The History of the American Teenager
“This informative and entertaining volume recounts the history of American teenagerdom. Originally considered to be ‘young vagabonds,’ American teens defined the culture of their times, from the 1920s Jazz Age to the Digital Age of the 1980s and 1990s. The text… View →