Reviews
People and the Environment
“With a clear, full-color photo and a short caption on each page, this small, square title shows how people across the globe use land, animals, and plants to grow food, make clothes, keep warm, and have fun. . . this is an excellent starting point for discussion with young… View →
Think Happy!
“Carlson teaches lessons about positive thinking with humor as she shows Frog exuberant with the crowd (‘Throw a party’) and calmly spending time alone biking and practicing yoga. The bright color pictures show the animals daring to be different (wearing flashy socks, View →
From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between
“Atkinson describes Alice’s ethical development credibly and engagingly. Consider this as comfort food, especially for readers wanting insight into that first foray into a new community – a time when kids can remake their image or accept themselves without… View →
Used Any Numbers Lately?
“Though the types of numbers are not discussed in the book, teachers with curriculum units on cardinal, ordinal, and nominal numbers will find it a good source of examples. . . A useful addition to picture-book collections.” —Booklist View →
An Unspeakable Crime: The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank
“This detailed, fully documented account tells of the trial and lynching of a Jewish factory superintendent, falsely accused of the 1913 rape and murder of teenager Mary Phagan in Atlanta.” —Booklist View →
Mallory Goes Green!
“The first-person story realistically portrays the self-pity, justification, and misery that Mallory endures before she begins to see her actions from a different point of view. Like other books in the Mallory series, this features large type, widely spaced lines, and stylized… View →
Red, White & True Blue Mallory
“When her teacher assigns journal-writing as part of a class trip to Washington, D.C., Mallory records her mixed emotions about sharing a hotel room with her best friend Mary Ann and two other girls, her reactions to the many landmarks they visit, and her jealousy when Mary Ann… View →
“Whether wowing readers with the mph of a kangaroo’s burst of speed or describing wombats as ‘furry tractors with legs,’ this handsomely designed volume introduces marsupials with panache.” —Booklist View →
Step Fourth, Mallory!
“Mallory’s first-person narrative, interspersed with emails and a transcript of her dreaded conference with Mr. Knight, convincingly portrays both her high hopes and her low spirits as she tries to find her way.” —Booklist View →
Touchdown: The Power and Precision of Football's Perfect Play
“With an eye-catching action photo on the jacket, this nicely designed book provides plenty of on-the-field drama as well as pertinent information in a smoothly written overview of the touchdown.” —Booklist View →
Swish: The Quest for Basketball's Perfect Shot
“Each page has at least one picture, with mostly color photos, and the many action shots make the book more exciting. With information on women’s and men’s basketball at both collegiate and professional levels, this is a nice addition to sports collections.”… View →
“In this direct, easy-to-understand Spanish rendition, illustrated with soft watercolors, children ask different adults about death.” —Booklist View →
"Any kid interested in Tiger in particular or golf in general will find lots to like here." —Booklist View →
Crust & Spray: Gross Stuff in Your Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat
“What’s impressive is the amount of factual information contained within, most of it about the spreading and preventing of viruses (Larsen even warns you about the last person who touched the book). If you can get past the wince-inducing close-ups of pus-filled ears and… View →
Dino-Soccer
“Wheeler sneaks in dino-facts with nearly every bounce of the ball; as the tiny Lesothosaurus scrambles around the opposing behemoths, Wheeler writes: ‘Leso traps it with his feet. / Although he’s small, / his moves are sweet.’ Gott’s busy, gregarious art… View →
“Sims’ lively cartoon sketches, washed in a rainbow of colors, are funny and filled with expression, and Knudsen provides lots of facts in boxes scattered across the pages. In addition to all the surprising, useful bug facts, there’s a good lesson in problem… View →
“Colorful, child-savvy illustrations reflect the upbeat tone of the story, which can be enjoyed with or without reference to the implicit lessons in math and social studies.” —Booklist View →
The Clock Struck One: A Time-Telling Tale
“The animated romp’s peppy verse and colorful art capture the comical bedlam with flair. . . An entertaining addition to beginning time-telling lessons.” —Booklist View →
Earth-Friendly Crafts: Clever Ways to Reuse Everyday Items
“Written by the author of more than 50 crafts books, this clear, colorful title offers a selection of environmentally focused projects that encourages kids to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Both practical and eye-catching, the projects, from pencil cups to decorative pins, rely on… View →
But and For, Yet and Nor: What Is a Conjunction?
“This colorful book offers information about conjunctions and examples of how they work, all in easy-to-read rhymes, beginning with, ‘Conjunctions are connecting words like but or and or or’. . .An amusing addition to classroom lessons on parts of speech.”… View →
"Filled with harrowing accounts from citizens and foreign observers, these entries in the Dictatorships series give a strong sense of the stark, terrifying realities of living without democracy" —Booklist View →
Jackson and Bud's Bumpy Ride: America's First Cross-Country Automobile Trip
“Hargis’ glib cartoon illustrations of the begoggled trio and their clanging, mud-spattered auto are a terrific match to the lighthearted narrative. An afterword provides a deeper appreciation for just how remarkable and historical their adventure really was. Easily… View →
Survival in the Snow
“This volume from the On My Own History series offers independent readers a straightforward tale of rugged adventure and survival in the snowy area that, according the appended historical note, challenged the Donner party just two years later. Told with concrete details that… View →
Stroll and Walk, Babble and Talk: More about Synonyms
“Kids will chuckle as they read at home and in writing classes, however difficult or demanding the scenarios. With all the slapstick fun, the pages show and tell about shades of meaning and the importance of choosing just the right word.” —Booklist View →