Reviews
Cheesecake for Shavuot
“An appealing photo essay follows Israeli children as they work in their school garden and kitchen. Color photographs, in close-up detail, capture a teacher and her middle-grade students as they plant wheat in the fall and watch it grow with the help of winter rains. In the spring, View →
Jeremy's Dreidel
“The good news is that Jeremy’s Dreidel (Kar-Ben Publishing) by Ellie Gellman, has been updated and re-released after 20 years. Parents and teachers never tired of sharing this classic 1992 Chanukah story on account of the emotional wallop it delivers and the discussions… View →
Infinity and Me
“Swiatkowska’s imaginative artwork combines the free-wheeling, slightly eerie absurdity of Monty Python animations, the formality of nineteenth-century decorative patterning, and the playful nerdiness of Leonardo da Vinci-styled inventions. For math and language arts teachers View →
Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue
“Emanuel, inspired by the whalers who frequent his father’s shop in New Bedford Massachusetts, dreams of a life at sea. According to his father, ‘the life of a whaler is lonely and dangerous’ and he encourages Emanuel to become a merchant when he grows up. Emanuel views View →
Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue
“With softly lit pastel artwork and a clear, exciting narrative, this picture book blends the history of Jewish persecution with a young boy’s role in a gripping rescue story. In eighteenth-century New Bedford, Massachusetts, nine-year-old Emanuel’s father owns a whaling supply… View →
Let's Make a Circle Graph
“The instructions are clearly written and the illustrations that support the creation of the graphs are helpful…. Overall, these books provide strong simple instructions and will give teachers solid supplemental material when teaching graphing.” —School… View →
Sparrow, Eagle, Penguin, and Seagull: What Is a Bird?
“Youngsters are sure to enjoy the book and so will their parents, older siblings and teachers….This book should be on the shelves of any library frequented by young readers.” —Science Books & Films View →
Oh No, Jonah!
“Those parents and teachers looking for a new twist on the story of Jonah (read yearly on Yom Kippur) need look no more. This latest version from children’s author Tilda Balsley sticks to the biblical text but is appropriate for very young children. The clever rhymes demand to be… View →
Oopsy, Teacher!
“The full-color cartoon illustrations capture the nonstop action, while the rhyming text—placing the next important rhyming word on the following page—builds momentum. The characters’ protuberant eyes, open mouths, and wildly flailing arms and legs add to the humor.”… View →
Oopsy, Teacher!
http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/blog/BlogSinglePost/reading-today-online/2012/08/22/back-to-school-book-reviewsMr. Bungles is having a bad day just like he did in Calmenson’s earlier book about Mr. Bungles, Late for School (2008). He… View →
The Apple Tree's Discovery
“A little apple tree wants to be like the other trees in the oak forest. It particularly longs to have stars, since the other trees have stars that dangle and shimmer on their branches at night. The tree asks God for stars, and in response, God tries to let the tree know how many… View →
Sadie and the Big Mountain
“Sadie loves everything about school. But when Morah Sarah tells the class that they will mark Shavuot with a hike, like Moses did when he climbed Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, Sadie is very worried that she won’t be able to complete the trek. Each day that week the teacher… View →
Hannah's Way
“Hannah has just relocated from Minneapolis to rural Minnesota because her father lost his job during the Depression. She is new at school and trying to fit in. The teacher announces that the fall picnic is Saturday, and she is trying to make carpool arrangements. Suddenly, Hannah… View →
Hannah's Way
" It is the Depression and Hannah’s father has lost his job. They are forced to move from Minneapolis to northern Minnesota where she is the only Jew in her class at school. Her parents are rigorous believers in following the rules and regulations governing the Sabbath. Hannah View →
Hannah's Way
“After Hannah’s father loses his job during the Depression, the family moves to a rural town in northern Minnesota where he will work in his brother’s general store. Hannah is not only the new girl in her class; she’s also the only Jewish child in the whole school. When the teacher View →
Beep and Bah
“BEEP AND BAH is 32 pages long, ideal as a short read for kids. It manages to pack a lot of humor into those pages, giving multiple laugh-out-loud moments… [T]his is a good book for teachers,… View →
Oopsy, Teacher!
“The clever format leaves the last rhyming word to the page-turn, allowing kids who are listening to shout out the answer…Yoshikawa’s energetic artwork plays up the action of the text with bright colors and blurry lines that denote motion.” —Kirkus Reviews View →
“Audio quality is excellent. Teachers will like using the series to enrich student understanding of letter sounds, and listeners will enjoy it for the story as well.” —School Library Journal View →
Hannah's Way
“The inside cover of this book reads ‘After Papa loses his job during the Depression, Hannah’s family moves to rural Minnesota, where she is the only Jewish child in her class. When her teacher tries to arrange carpools for a Saturday class picnic, Hannah is upset. Her… 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 →
Ghost Diamond!
“Teachers looking for a good read-aloud series will enjoy introducing Amelia to their students.” —Library Media Connection View →
Back-to-School Rules
“The story’s rhyme makes it fast-paced, and the colorful illustrations are fun to look at. Younger students will enjoy the humor, and teachers can use the story as a review of classroom rules.” —Library Media Connection View →
What to Expect When You're Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (and Curious Kids)
“If you are looking for a title about marsupials, this book will inform and entertain…. Media specialists and teachers will want to add this title, and others in the series, to their collections.” —Library Media Connection View →