Reviews
A noteworthy review of Poetry Party from Children's Bookwatch on March 1, 2015
‘Acrostic Poems’ is a title from the Poetry Party series for young readers and poets which uses text and illustration to define a poem, descriptive acrostics, and story acrostics. After defining and giving examples of acrostic poems, the story inspires young poets to try… View →
A noteworthy review of Twelve Magic Months from School Library Journal on February 1, 2015
Thirty days hath September…including Make-a-Hat Day, International Rabbit Day, and Video Game Day. Kids curious about our calendar will get a grounding in holidays both unusual and familiar, historical dates, and more in these brief looks at the 12 months of the year. The design is View →
A noteworthy review of Our Holiday Symbols from Children's Bookwatch on February 1, 2015
From the series titled Our Holiday Symbols for children age 6 and up, ‘Easter Bunnies’ presents pages of fascinating facts about the fun and fables associated with Easter, the spring holiday festival that celebrates the beginning of another growing season and year. Simple… View →
A noteworthy review of Talking Hands from School Library Journal on February 1, 2015
Attractively designed, brief introductions to sign language. Each title lists a different sign, related to the topic at hand (Work covers ‘Cook,’ ‘Cashier,’ and ‘Pilot,’ for instance), and includes a large, clear photograph and quick description of the View →
A noteworthy review of Jess and Jaylen from Booklist on December 1, 2014
Lifelong best pals and diametrical opposites Jess and Jaylen are the main characters in this sweet series entry about friendship and compromise. Each wants their best friend to try their own respective favorite activity during summer rec league. For bookish Jaylen, this means trying to… View →
A noteworthy review of The Human Body from Booklist on December 1, 2014
Muscular tissue makes up 30 to 50 percent of a human’s weight and is responsible for the most basic of vital functions. This book begins with a narrative of a young boy, Jeremy, lifting a cinder block to impress his older brother. Each tinge of exertion and effort that Jeremy… View →
A noteworthy review of The Great Outdoors from School Library Journal on November 1, 2014
These appealing books feature an uncluttered design, which highlights the short, easy-to-read text. Words with definitions are set apart by different-colored font; color photos often supplement descriptions of equipment or animals. In Canoeing, a sidebar notes that many animals live in,… View →
A noteworthy review of The World's Greatest Artists from School Library Journal on November 1, 2014
This series offers an ideal blend of excellent writing and strong historical and technical information about the materials and methods of art. It is unfortunate that there is only one woman artist featured here (Mary Cassatt), but the selection is rich in other ways. Each page includes… View →
A noteworthy review of Habitats from Library Media Connection on November 1, 2014
Readers learn about different habitats in chapters with manageable amounts of information. The information is succinct and flows well from one topic to the next. There are smaller boxes dispersed throughout the text, which contain quick bits of additional information on the habitats… View →
A noteworthy review of The Great Outdoors from Booklist on November 1, 2014
The Great Outdoors series does a solid job of introducing and explaining various outdoor activities, including the equipment required for a satisfying experience. Each activity gets the most positive spin; if there are controversies around a particular sport, like hunting, they are not… View →
A noteworthy review of True Animal Stories from School Library Journal on November 1, 2014
Each of these title includes nine narratives about unusual animal events. The lesser-known stories, such as a bike-riding dog (Animal Tricks and Talents) and a water-squirting octopus (Animal Antics), are mixed with more widely known tales, such as the friendship between a Owen, a hippo, View →
A noteworthy review of Service Dogs from School Library Journal on November 1, 2014
This collection covers the basics of working dogs, including history of these types of jobs, the ideal breeds and temperaments for the work, the training involved, and how children behave when meeting these dogs. Other than Guide Dogs, the books conclude with a specific example of a… View →