Reviews
A noteworthy review of One World, Many Countries from Horn Book Guide on April 1, 2016
K-3 One World, Many Countries series. This serviceable overview is liberally illustrated with sharp photos. An introductory chapter highlights a festival that both celebrates the patron saint of Santiago de Cuba and honors Fidel Castro. This chapter and a ‘Global Connections’ page mention… View →
A noteworthy review of One World, Many Countries from Horn Book Guide on April 1, 2016
K-3 One World, Many Countries series. These service able overviews for report writers are liberally illustrated with sharp photos. An introductory chapter in each book often highlights a holiday or festival (Israel includes a minor error). Four chapters then focus on land, government and… View →
A noteworthy review of Inside Look at Sports Events from School Library Journal on April 1, 2016
This immersive series will make students experts at major sporting events in no time. Each volume is prefaced by effectively answering the five W’s (who, what, where, when why) in a ‘Fast Facts’ section. The volumes are slim, but they pack a lot of information. As these titles can… View →
A noteworthy review of One World, Many Countries from Horn Book Guide on April 1, 2016
K-3 One World, Many Countries series. These serviceable overviews for report writers are liberally illustrated with sharp photos. An introductory chapter in each book highlights a holiday (Day of the Dead in Mexico) or a notable event (river surfing in Canada). Four chapters then focus on… View →
A noteworthy review of Native Nations of North America from Horn Book Guide on April 1, 2016
4-6 Native Nations of North America series. Each book introduces the major Native American nations of its geographic area. The straightforward texts touch on traditional way of life; well-known members such as artists or prominent citizens; controversial history with the U.S. and Canadian… View →
A noteworthy review of The Spark of Invention from School Library Journal on April 1, 2016
These highlights in the history of modern technology offer light doses of names and dates, along with nontechnical descriptions of significant early tweaks or innovations. The volumes take snowboarding from the time it was called ‘snurfing’ through Shaun White’s legendary run in the 2010… View →
A noteworthy review of Unsolved Mysteries from Horn Book Guide on April 1, 2016
4-6 Unsolved Mysteries series. These books offer clear-eyed assessments of persistent unexplained phenomena. An anecdote introduces the titular subject; each survey superficially touches on history and possible explanations— scientific or otherwise. The slight texts are easy to read and… View →
A noteworthy review of The Spark of Invention from Booklist on April 1, 2016
In this entry in the Spark of Invention series, kids will learn that the skateboards of today are the product of many people’s efforts over time. Beginning with the crude boards of the 1920s, consisting of little more than a plank with roller skate wheels, the text moves forward to the… View →
A noteworthy review of True Stories, Real People from Booklist on April 1, 2016
The central library in Basra, Iraq, served its community for years before war threatened not just to end its services but to destroy its collections. In 2003, chief librarian Baker led an impromptu, grassroots effort to save as much of the collection as she and the library’s neighbors could… View →
A noteworthy review of Natural Disaster True Survival Stories from School Library Journal on April 1, 2016
Following a two-page overview of the title event, each volume presents four or five dramatic accounts of people who experience the effects. Photos of survivors accompany many stories, including those of a small boy pulled from Haiti’s earthquake rubble and a man floating on his house 10… View →
A noteworthy review of Titanic Stories from Booklist on April 1, 2016
The Titanic Stories series investigates this maritime disaster from different perspectives, and this volume takes a close look at J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of White Star Line, the company that built the Titanic. Engaging narrative prose describes Ismay’s excitement upon boarding the great… View →
A noteworthy review of One World, Many Countries from Horn Book Guide on April 1, 2016
K-3 One World, Many Countries series. These serviceable overviews for report writers are liberally illustrated with sharp photos. An introductory chapter in each book often highlights a holiday or festival (Turkey features a particularly fantastic photo of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar). Four… View →