Reviews
A noteworthy review of Laughing Matters from School Library Journal on April 1, 2014
What’s better than a third grader who knows a new joke? A: A third grader who knows 560 new jokes. This series contains eight books, each of which has 23 pages of jokes, with one to six jokes per page. That’s a lot of jokes, including puns (‘What do bees chew?… View →
A noteworthy review of Habitats from School Library Journal on April 1, 2014
These books show just how diverse habitats such as prairies, forests, and deserts are, through spectacular full-page photos that show their breathtaking beauty and through informative captions and informational sidebars written in short, accessible sentences. Young readers can further… View →
A noteworthy review of United States Landmarks from Booklist on April 1, 2014
Temple introduces Arlington National Cemetery as America’s ‘most important burial ground,’ the final resting place for many American soldiers and others who have served their country. Though still in use today, with several burials each week, the cemetery will probably… View →
A noteworthy review of People in Our Community from School Library Journal on April 1, 2014
Going beyond the ‘usual suspects’ when it comes to community helpers, this series profiles 12 different careers in 12 separate books, which will be sure to help fill in any collection gaps. Simple, clear writing is used to paint a complete picture of the community helpers,… View →
A noteworthy review of Simply Math from School Library Journal on December 1, 2013
In the first book, children are introduced to the basic concepts of counting by ones, fives, and tens, and of place values. Groups of children use familiar objects such as rocks, buttons, and jelly beans to count. In the second title, youngsters are introduced to fractions through… View →
A noteworthy review of Holidays and Celebrations from School Library Journal on December 1, 2013
These titles were originally published in 2006 as part of the ‘Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations’ series. Both volumes open with descriptions of celebrations and include information on the history and traditions of their featured holidays. In the first title, Heinrichs… View →
A noteworthy review of Holidays and Celebrations from School Library Journal on December 1, 2013
Heinrichs offers information about these celebrations and includes not only biological parents, but those who take on the roles as well. The reasons and people given credit for starting these observances are presented in simple terms. Some of the ways to honor mothers and fathers on… View →
A noteworthy review of Regions of the U.S.A. from School Library Journal on December 1, 2013
These broad overviews are each organized into four chapters that hint at their content, e.g., in Midwest, the chapter on geography, plants, animals, and weather is called ‘Plains, Bison, and Blizzards.’ In Southwest, the one on government and economy is titled ‘Councils View →
A noteworthy review of Take a Closer Look from Booklist on December 1, 2013
There are no gray areas concerning one’s gray matter in this entry in the Take a Closer Look series. Kicking off with such facts as the brain is the third-largest organ in the human body and weighs about three pounds, the straightforward yet accessible text continues with… View →
A noteworthy review of Constellations from School Library Journal on November 1, 2013
These volumes provide both astronomy and mythology lessons in one very attractive package and are sure to be popular with young stargazers. Each of the books discusses a major constellation’s origin and mythology story, compares its presence in other cultures around the world, and… View →
A Review of "World Traditions" in Library Media Connection
This series gives brief descriptions of various traditions around the world. Each chapter has a page of simple text and a photo or drawing. A small world map shows the focus country in red. Pronunciation keys are provided for unfamiliar words. Each book ends with an ‘Up… View →
A noteworthy review of Healthy Kids from School Library Journal on November 1, 2013
Basic health information, presented in a bright and positive format. Fit stresses the importance of physical activity as a component of overall health. Yoga, group sports, and individual aerobic activities are just some of the author’s suggestions for maintaining a healthy body, so View →