Reviews
Are Meteors the Fastest Things in Outer Space?: Discover the Science behind Meteoritics
“The engaging illustrations are artistically rendered, giving the titles a picture-book feel. . . . These books offer an engaging and thought-provoking way for educators and parents to introduce children to complex scientific fields.”—Booklist View →
How to Deal with Drug Wars
“The titles include powerful photos and important info boxes that add to the dynamic impact of these books. Together, these titles provide an accessible, balanced look at challenging issues. Perfect for classroom discussions, debate clubs, or independent reading, the 21st Century… View →
Beyond Seven Forests
“Impressively, McCrina has created characters with depth and complicated backstories as well as vividly describing the difficulties of life in an occupied country, a topic rarely explored in teen historical fiction.”—Booklist View →
When It's Your Turn for Midnight
“In the end, [Musariri] has taken an age-old narrative—the meaning of family—and given it a wholly fresh, new look.”—Booklist View →
For the Win: Poems Celebrating Phenomenal Athletes
“Each competitor is the main subject of a poem written by a different contributor, resulting in a variety of styles, voices, imagery, and themes. . . . The poems are supported by color photos and brief biographical profiles that help kids interpret language choices and poetic… View →
Tomorrow I'm in Charge!
“The animals’ exaggeratedly childish behavior will likely feel both funny and familiar to many readers, as well as offer a potential gentle teaching moment.”—Booklist View →
The Power of Her Paintbrush: The Story of Theresa Bernstein
“A clear, informative book that will have readers cheering for a little-known artist who blazed her own beautiful trail.”—Booklist View →
We Are Dwarf Sperm Whales!: A Graphic Guide to Cetaceans
“An inviting, fact-packed comic sure to enchant any animal-obsessed kid.”—Booklist View →
Kendrick Lamar: Revolutionary in Rhymes
“This satisfying biography of Pulitzer Prize–winning hip-hop artist Lamar does an especially effective job of explaining how his musical contributions have bolstered acceptance of rap music as a crucial element of contemporary culture.”—Booklist View →
Dealing with Online Bullies
“The Digital Safety Smarts series offers a thoughtful, well-structured introduction to digital citizenship for upper-elementary readers navigating an online world. Filled with realistic scenarios and clear explanations that educate readers, these approachable volumes encourage kids View →
Cosmic Chaos
“An imaginative and appealing choice for growing readers and a worthwhile addition to large elementary-library collections.”—Booklist View →
Choir Grrrl
“Granillo’s lyrical text demonstrates the creative power of music to express new ideas, make meaningful connections, and heal damaged hearts. . . .Choir and band nerds will love this story featuring found families and musical joy.”—Booklist View →
Béisbol Begins: How Nemesio Guilló Brought Baseball to Cuba
“First-generation Cuban American Olivera captures Guilló’s excitement for this fledgling sport and how it was embraced by the people of Cuba in the book’s illustrations, which cleverly incorporate the brilliant red and blue of the Cuban flag. . . . an informative piece… View →
A Home on the Page
“Nou narrates the story, sensitively portraying the child’s experiences being treated as an “outsider.”"—Booklist View →
Dragons around the World: A Field Guide
“With a design that’s elegant in its simplicity and illustrations utilizing real-life artwork of the subjects, this is sure to draw in the right browsers.”—Booklist View →
Azizi and the Little Blue Bird
“Filled with wordless spreads of delicate, blooming white flowers and trailing green foliage, De Leeuw’s warmly-hued illustrations are rich with atmospheric details. . . . An incisive social justice picture book.”—Booklist View →
The Fight over Choice: The History and Future of Reproductive Rights
“Offers a rich opportunity for critical thinking about a variety of contemporary and historical matters. . . Nuanced debates throughout the series suggest that assumptions that have been made about disenfranchised groups, governments, human bodies, and reliance upon animals need to View →
Lullabies for the Insomniacs: A Memoir in Verse
“In this gritty memoir in verse, Foutz’s inner dialogue confirms humans are not one-size-fits-all and people shouldn’t be boxed in.”—Booklist View →
Future Forward: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence
“Start here for an in-depth understanding of AI.”—starred, Booklist View →
Revolutions Are Made of Love: The Story of James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs
“Readers will learn about the injustices and influences that shaped Grace and Jim when they were very young and how they responded to those forces, overcoming obstacles in their own paths and then working for the betterment of other people.”—Booklist View →
Ducky the Spy: Expect the Unexpected
“Avery’s bold line drawings . . . provide visual delight in short chapters that end with either a punch line or a cliffhanger. Readers new to the clueless-detective routine who enjoy slapstick antics (like Donny’s gassy reactions when scared) will get a laugh out of this barnyard… View →
Book Bans: Reading Under Siege
“With library and school book bans in the news, students may wish to learn more about the rationale, history, legalities, and impacts of this hot-button topic. The accessible text and inclusion of historical images and sources demonstrate that book banning is not a new phenomenon.… View →
Hip-Hop and Social Justice: Rhymes of Resistance
“Does a solid job of introducing the power of music as a voice for marginalized populations. . . Great for both browsers and researchers.”—Booklist View →