Reviews
School Library Journal - B is for Beacon
In this alphabet book, in which X marks the spot, each letter is represented by a poem that is paired with a few paragraphs of facts. Some letters stretch to make lighthouses a part of their domain (F is for Festivals, N is for November), but there is at least one illustration of a… View →
School Library Journal - Guess What Series
This series takes a follow-the-clues approach to help early readers learn to use species traits in order to confidently identify animals. The traits or “clues” start off vague (“I have more eyes than you”) and increasingly become more species specific (“I use silk to line my nest”). Each View →
Booklist - Crossing the Deadline
Desperate to help support his mother and escape his cruel uncle, Stephen, 13, secretly enlists in the Civil War in 1863, following in the footsteps of his brother, Robert, killed fighting for the Union. Although Stephen is too young to be a soldier, he is not too young to use his skills… View →
Kirkus Reviews - Catch a Kiss
Mama and Izzie play at blowing kisses in the garden. Mama’s first kiss, a “tiny, round” one, alights on the tip of Izzie’s nose. Izzie catches the second, a “zigzag” one, in the crook of her elbow. But when Mama sends a triple-decker, Izzie’s… View →
School Library Journal - Good Trick Walking Stick!
This delightful story explains the life cycle of a walking stick bug from egg stage through adulthood. Many characteristics of various species are explored as “tricks” that these insects perform. The life cycle and “tricks” are discussed in a narrative style, and each spread includes… View →
School Library Journal - Unofficial Guides Mindstorms
Clear and well-organized, these books start with enough atomized step-by-step instructions to confidently set up beginners. The projects covered work well when combined with hands-on practice—photos of the EV3 LCD screen and screen captures from the programming… View →
Booklist - Top 10: Oddities
The 10 creatures profiled in this installment of the Wild Wicked Wonderful series might not be the oddest, but they’ll certainly satisfy students eager to learn about exotic animals. Proboscis monkeys, flying fish, scorpions, and anglerfish are among the creatures featured, and each… View →
Booklist - Minecraft Beginner's Guide
Minecraft is ubiquitous. As one of the most popular video games of all time, it is available for personal computers, every mainstream game console, and smartphones. This entry in the Unofficial Guides series is a primer for those who are true novices to the game. Explanations of… View →
Booklist - Sacagawea
Even the earliest readers can learn about Sacagawea’s contributions to U.S. history through this volume in the My Itty-Bitty Bio series. Related in the first person, the large-font biography depicts a digitally rendered image of Sacagawea throughout. Simple yet clear sentences describe… View →
Kirkus Reviews - Stella Batts Scaredy Cat
Stella Batts, somewhat intrepid third-grader, is back for another adventure, and this time she’s worried about bad luck—and ghosts. It should be a fun, thrilling time, because her class won the sleepover-in-the-school-library contest, but first the white girl breaks a mirror, and… View →