A Moon of My Own

October 31, 2016 | Anastasia Suen

moonofmyown
A Moon of My Own
by Jennifer Rustgi (Author) and Ashley White (Illustrator)

Booktalk: An imaginative young girl travels the world with her faithful companion, the moon. In her enchanted adventure she visits all seven continents while the moon goes through its cycle of phases as portrayed in silhouetted art. “Explore More” sections for kids and adults offer information and activities on phases of the moon and other aspects of astronomy and geography.

Snippet:

moon_b1-800x327
moon_b2
moon_b4

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

Hopping Ahead of Climate Change

October 31, 2016 | msyingling

Collard, Sneed B. III, Hopping Ahead of Climate Change: Snowshoe Hares, Science and Survival.

1 November 2016, Bucking Horse Books

Copy provided by the publisher

Addressing the issue of climate change from the perspective of one species, the Snowshoe Hare, veteran nonfiction science writer Collard gives us fascinating insights into what’s going on with this (extremely adorable) animal. Snowshoe Hares molt with the seasons so that they can blend in with the snow during the winter and the forest floor the rest of the year, but rising temperatures have interfered with this process, putting them at risk. Collard follows biologist Scott Mills and others as they track the hare’s movements, color changes, and all too frequent demises at the jaws of predators. Like this author’s Fire Birds, this is a perfect length for a midle grade nonfiction title. It’s beautifully illustrated with photographs and has some great graphs and charts. This would be a great book to use in a classroom setting when learning about climate, and it has a good message about stewardship and responsibility toward the planet.

Younger students might be alarmed at the low survival rate of “nature’s cheeseburger”, but students in 4th grade and up can handle the realities of life in the wild.

When reading this, I was immediately transported back in time to my childhood. My mother taught elementary school, so we had an odd assortment of books. I was able to come up with the title of The Three Coats of Benny Bunny (Asheron, Sara. Grosset and Dunlap, 1968), which was one of my favorites. In the book, Benny learns that he is well-equipped to go on adventures away from his mother.

Reading Hopping Ahead of Climate Change, I think that Benny was right to want to stay at home!

Read more book reviews at Ms. Yingling Reads!

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton

October 31, 2016 | proseandkahn

whoosh

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of inventions by Chris Barton. Illustrated by Don Tate. unpgd. Charlesbridge, May, 2016. 9781580892971. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher)

Are you looking for a book to teach perseverance? Looking for a book with a STEM component? Whoosh is the book for you! Full review at Proseandkahn.

Esquivel!

October 31, 2016 | bargerj

Esquivel!: Space-Age Sound Artist
written by Susan Wood; illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
2016 (Charlesbridge)
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher

People loved Juan’s colorful music. It took them to other worlds, other planets. It sounded like a crazy rocket ride zigzagging through outer space!

Juan Esquivel embraced music at an early age. At the age of six, he took the paper roll out of a player piano so he could practice. If his family couldn’t find him, all they had to do is look for a piano and he would be there. A move to Mexico City helped land Juan a job playing piano for 15 minutes each day at a radio station. The pay was enough to buy a sandwich and a ride home. His lack of traditional training (lessons, teachers, etc.) proved to be an asset as he looked at how sounds could be arranged without the dictation of others. Only seventeen, he was handed the job of directing an orchestra for a comedy show. Like an artist working with a myriad of paints on a canvas, Juan dabbled in sound and painted audio masterpieces. Having achieved success in his native Mexico, Juan moved to New York City and began working in stereo which was perfect for a genius like him. Being able to separate sounds brought about a whole new world of possibilities. He even had singers who would sing in sounds instead of words. This led to Juan having his own orchestra, selling many records, and becoming a popular act in Las Vegas for fourteen years. He was known as the father of space-age lounge music.

Juan Esquivel was passionate about the music he created and he had fun! He enjoyed his art and life. We should all have such joy about our work. His spirit seems to run through the author and illustrator as they exhibit the same joy in this book. This biography would be a great addition to a unit on sound as students, like Esquivel, can experiment with sound. It also would work well in a biography study. I would encourage readers to go on YouTube to check out Juan’s music. One reviewer of his music was prompted to place two exclamation marks behind his name. After reading about this pioneering musician, I might add a third for good measure.

Music Is . . .

October 24, 2016 | Anastasia Suen

musicis

Music Is . . .
by Brandon Stosuy (Author) and Amy Martin (Illustrator)

Booktalk: An board book that introduces the many moods, styles, and senses of music to the youngest audiophiles–because music is for everyone, and music is for you.

Snippet:

musicis_in1
musicis_in2

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

New STEM books from Pogo

October 24, 2016 | bargerj

Pogo Books
Fall 2016 (Jump!)
Source: Review copies provided by the publisher

Written at a second grade reading level, each title is packed with infographics, sidebars, activities, and bright, colorful spreads that appeal to young readers.

So I’m looking at Measure It! which is one book in the seriesMath It! from Pogo Books. What catches my eye first are the bold colors. As you flip through the pages, those colors continue to make this an attractive selection. Next, like its sister Bullfrog Books, you have an ideas page for parents and teachers that encourages making this reading an interactive experience, with opportunities to front load and measure things. If you’re going to hawk a STEM book, there need to be plenty of chances to do something active. Measure It! fulfills that requirement with measuring activities on nearly every spread. The choice of content is impressive as readers will relate to pictures of gardens, kittens, and toys as they measure away in their classroom and at home. Another STEM series sure to please is Space Explorers. In Rovers, readers learn how and why rovers are used to explore Mars. The photographs of the surface of Mars are fantastic and readers will enjoy learning how these machines travel and how they work.

One of the big pluses with Pogo Books is the opportunity they give to struggling readers, in upper elementary classes, to dig deep into STEM material without having to worry about decoding. I also like having a culminating activity in the back matter. In Solar Power, part of the Green Planet series, young scientists use a pizza box, a leftover slice of pizza, and other materials to make a solar cooker. Do your students know why roads are treated with salt during an ice storm? After performing the task at the end of Ice Storms, they will know.

If we are going to make strides with encouraging students to be more STEM oriented, we need engaging content like Pogo Books to be part of our resources.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark

October 17, 2016 | Anastasia Suen

idissent

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark
by Debbie Levy (Author) and Elizabeth Baddeley (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what’s right for people everywhere. This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice’s story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements.

Snippet:

idissent_in1
idissent_in2

It’s Nonfiction Monday!

My First Book of Hockey

October 17, 2016 | msyingling

Editors of Sports Illustrated for Kids. My First Book of Hockey: A Rookie Book: Mostly Everything Explained About the Game
September 20th 2016 by Sports Illustrated
Copy provided by Blue Slip Media

Like My First Book of Baseball, this is a good overview of the sport for the youngest readers. Terms, plays and equipment are explained in simple language with a mix of photographs of actual players and cartoon-style font and characters. Not only is this a good format for younger students who are learning about the sport for the first time, it is a great way for English Language Learners to be introduced to a sport.

The explanations of how the game is played are accompanied by diagrams that show the field and a variety of tactics. For parents or older readers, the jokes in the asides will enliven things as well. I was glad to finally find out exactly what a “hat trick” is, although I’m still in the dark as to WHY people throw their hats on the rink after a player’s third goal!

These are a must for elementary school libraries and a great way to hook reluctant or struggling readers in the middle school.

See more reviews at Ms. Yingling Reads.