Reviews
My Zombie Hamster
“The irreverent narrator, short chapters, and brisk pace will appeal to reluctant readers. My Zombie Hamster contains some implied violence, but nothing too graphic, making it the perfect pick for readers who are interested in zombie action, but who are not ready for… View →
Edgy Fashion
“These books, nominally about exploring fashion identities, will fly off library shelves due to the superabundance of celebrity photos. . . . Pictured celebs seem to be chosen in part for their durability—Taylor Swift and Solange Knowles are likely to be well known for a… View →
Where's My Tushy?
“©hildren love funny books, and this one will get many of them chuckling.” —School Library Journal View →
A Matter of Souls
“This would be a great book to introduce to a teacher to diversify classroom reading.” —School Library Journal View →
Friends in the Wild
“A solid, engaging series that makes the topic interesting and accessible to young readers.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
If It Rains Pancakes: Haiku and Lantern Poems
“The poetry in both sections varies from thoughtful to silly. . . . The explanatory texts provide clear instructions and encouragement for readers creating their own poems.” —School Library Journal View →
Flickr Cofounder and Web Community Creator Caterina Fake
“Fact boxes of additional information, quotations, and well-produced and clearly captioned, full-color photographs are interspersed throughout the attractive layout.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Tools and Treasures of Ancient China
“[T]hese books provide basic introductory information and a good visual history of each culture’s material treasures, making them strong additional purchases for elementary schools.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Bombs over Bikini: The World’s First Nuclear Disaster
“The black-and-white period photos are an excellent accompaniment to the text. A well-written book about a painful piece of history, this is an excellent addition.” —School Library Journal View →
Rock Crawling: Tearing It Up
“There’s a surprising amount of detail in the simply written text, supplemented by excellent graphics and photos. . . . These well-written books will appeal to a wide audience.” —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple View →
Joy in Mudville
“There’s a not-so-subtle message here, but it’s delivered with pitch-perfect tone. This playful retelling wins a place for itself alongside the many iterations of Casey’s tale.” —School Library Journal View →
The Shibboleth
“Jacobs’s writing is engaging, and the novel contains realistic, mature language. The cliff-hanger ending will leave readers eager to find out Shreve’s role in defeating the Entity as it awakens.” —School Library Journal View →
“The protagonist isn’t always likable, as she can be self-centered and not mindful of other’s feelings, but her behavior and conversations with herself authentically echo that of many kids her age.” —School Library Journal View →
Plastic, Ahoy!: Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
“The balance between text, graphics, and photographs is ideal. . . . Recommended for all general collections needing an attractive and informative look at the environmental effect of plastics that encourages young readers to take meaningful and doable action.” —School… View →
The Only Alex Addleston in All These Mountains
“Watercolor and ink illustrations provide lots to look at, with many pages set up like snapshots against a textured ground. Alex and Alex are appealing and expressive, conveying through their faraway looks the thoughts each has of the other.” —School Library Journal View →
The Great Balloon Hullaballoo
“Brightly painted animal friends in a water-washed, starry universe frame the text of rhyming couplets—presented in an eye-catching font—while the trio swing in a wild fantasy through the solar system to buy each item on the list.” —School Library Journal View →
Move Your Body!: My Exercise Tips
“Though the first-person narratives, which flow easily and contain clear, direct language, are not conventional nonfiction in format, they still convey useful information. Eye-catching full-color illustrations match the text and aid comprehension, while red text boxes emphasize… View →
How I Do My Homework
“The first-person narratives draw in readers and make the very simple texts (about one sentence per page) clear and relatable. Full-color photographs that directly match the action assist in reading comprehension. . . . A solid way to start kids out on the road to personal… View →
Surviving Natural Disasters
“This high-interest series provides fast-paced stories of survival in different scenarios and also offers solutions for readers if they ever find themselves facing dangerous situations. . . . Though this entertaining, informative series does not discourage adventure, it reminds… View →
Jack the Castaway
“The story is a well-written debut novel and an introduction to a fun cast of characters and a series certain to be full of adventure. Pencil illustrations bring life to Jack and all of the craziness he and his family experience. This will likely entertain even the most reluctant… View →
Can People Count on Me?: A Book about Responsibility
“Real-life topics, ranging from the specific (‘How can I make sure I don’t forget my band instrument?‘) to the general (’Why does everyone need a turn?’), are presented in a clear question-and-answer format that is instructive but not overly didactic.… View →
I Love You, Too!
“The large font and simple sentence structures are perfect for beginning readers, and adults will enjoy sharing this reassuring bedtime tale one-on-one and chuckling at the conclusion.” —School Library Journal View →
Missing Monkey!
“Bizarre and comedic circumstances keep readers wondering what will happen next, and frequent black-and-white art adds to the fun. This humorous series will be a hit with early-chapter-book readers.” —School Library Journal View →
Water Can Be . . .
“The text is perfect for creating mental images and showing children what the words look like. The traditional and digital media used for the illustrations create a delicate tone for the book. Each page has an ethereal beauty that brings the text to life.” —School Library View →