Reviews
Sarah Emma Edmonds Was a Great Pretender: The True Story of a Civil War Spy
“Sarah Edmonds, disguised as a man, fought alongside and spied for Union troops during the Civil War. Jones enumerates these feats with touches of humor, and she continues Sarah’s story throughout the war and her subsequent marriage. Oldroyd makes effective use of broad,… View →
Six Sheep Sip Thick Shakes: And Other Tricky Tongue Twisters
“A pleased penguin takes a shower as ‘The water in Flo’s Inn flows in frozen.’ A Christmas elf faces down a menacing dog: ‘Sammy stammered as he told the stray in the sleigh to stay.’ Brightly colored, bold-hued pictures add clarity and humor. An… View →
The Sunflower Sword
“A ‘knight’ (a kid with a colander on his head) wants to fight dragons using a sword; his mom won’t let him. Her sunflower alternative is met with skepticism until the boy’s imagination takes over. Sperring may have a pacifist agenda, but the preachiness is… View →
“Milo enjoys his week at camp across the lake from the girls’ camp and his sleuthing partner, Jazz. When his bunk’s moose mascot goes missing, he must solve the case on his own with only Jazz’s letters for help. Accompanied by ink and wash illustrations, the story View →
The Daytona 500: The Thrill and Thunder of the Great American Race
“Pimm effectively blends history, statistics, and NASCAR lore into an engaging, satisfying story of one of the most famous car races in the world. Chapters detail the birthplace of the Daytona 500, memorable wins by Allison, Earnhardt, and McMurray, and… View →
Seven Wonders beyond the Solar System
“In these well-organized volumes, Miller covers the basics of planetary science and star formation in addition to looking more closely at interesting elements of the bodies in the solar system (e.g., rings of Saturn, mountains on Mars). Sharp color-enhanced images and artist… View →
Ancient Transportation Technology: From Oars to Elephants
“Each volume focuses on a different type of technology used by ancient world civilizations. After an informative overview section, chapters discuss particular civilizations and their specific technologies. The texts successfully show both the uniqueness of and similarities among… View →
Today the World Is Watching You: The Little Rock Nine and the Fight for School Integration, 1957
“Magoon chronicles events related to the integration of Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957. The bold courage displayed by the nine students and their parents in the face of extreme hostility is concisely told. Many poignant news photographs enhance the information-rich View →
Monster Trucks on the Move
“The accessible texts are simple but informative.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Lightning, Hurricanes, and Blizzards: The Science of Storms
“Each of these books focuses on a set of weather-related phenomena. Chapters are well-organized and contain clear explanations. The crisp layout contains plenty of captioned photos and diagrams, as well as sidebars that feature interesting facts and suggestions for observations… View →
Give It a Push! Give It a Pull!: A Look at Forces
“Filled with large, engaging photos, each book is divided into subtopics that contain definitions, explanations, and several examples of the physical science principle. The end of each volume includes directions for completing an activity that illustrates the concept and prompts… View →
Ruth and the Green Book
“Ramsey fashions a well-told historical narrative, supported by Cooper’s expressive paintings.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
A-B-A-B-A—a Book of Pattern Play
“Cleary’s zany cartoon cats, shown in Gable’s brightly colored illustrations, help define and categorize mathematical patterns. The book provides an entertaining starting point for kids learning about patterns; the rhyming text is snappy, but some of… View →
Score!: The Action and Artistry of Hockey's Magnificent Moment
“Action photographs, pictures of old hockey trading cards, and a clean book design present an informative, entertaining package for hockey fans.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Earth's Water Cycle
“First-time report writers may find this series useful.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
John Greenwood's Journey to Bunker Hill
“The series could be useful in classrooms to engage reluctant historians.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Day and Night
“Information is very brief and basic, appropriate for first report writers.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Journey into the Deep: Discovering New Ocean Creatures
“Excellent color photographs showcase fascinating marine organisms and the scientists who found them.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Frozen Secrets: Antarctica Revealed
“The narrative remains lively and engaging, complemented by an array of photographs, illustrations, and maps.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
I, Emma Freke
“Atkinson’s account of Emma’s journey to self-discovery is sincere and relatable.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
The Absolute Value of -1
“Brezenoff explores the characters’ interactions honestly and head-on, without neat intersections or happy endings.” —The Horn Book Guide View →
Maccabee!: The Story of Hanukkah
“Appropriately for the Festival of Lights, Harrington’s use of light is the illustrations’ greatest strength.” —The Horn Book Guide View →