Animals Do Too! How They Behave Just Like You by Etta Kaner - Kaner and Faucher combine text and illustrations to paint a picture of what members of the animal kingdom do that is something you do too. Each page has a paragraph of text explaining a bit more in depth about each animals habits, creating a perfect science lesson for many different ages.
The Girl Who Ran: Bobbi Gibbs, the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon by Frances Poletti and Kristina Yee - Poletti and Chapman, along with illustrator Susanna Chapman combine words and pictures that exude Gibbs’ love for running into a simple book about a woman breaking a significant barrier. Gibbs is a role model in many ways with her quiet persistence and leadership without fuss.
The Infinity Year of Avalon James by Dana Middleton - Avalon is funny, resilient and struggling. Highly recommended for upper elementary students; full of great lessons on dealing with friends, bullies, secrets and family.
Iron-Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill - Flawless storytelling coupled with read emotions drive the plot off the pages of this book. Violet’s emotional reaction to her mother’s death and blaming herself, feels real and poignant. Her poor choices that follow her mother’s death, to her eventual realization that she can make a difference, is excellent character building. The illustrations, maps, and chapter art help create the magical world of Violet and her kingdom. Author Kelly Barnhill, turns the traditional princess archetype on its head to create a story and mythology that is unforgettable.
Ghost Girl by Delia Ray - 11yo Alice is thrilled to hear that the president and
his wife are opening a school nearby! This may be her first, and only, chance
to learn to read and write, ever! But her family is in poverty, her mom can
barely function with the accidental death of her little brother Riley, and her
dad is always away at any job he can get his hands on, trying to survive.
Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story by Suzanne Slade - This was a lovely book and would be nice read to show young girls that insects are not just a ‘boy’ thing. It was be fascinating to pair this with Anna’s actual book and/or a lesson on science drawing. I am going to show this to our art teacher right away. Also great for a lesson on contributors to our modern day education system.
Zoo Scientists to the Rescue by Patricia Newman - Upper elementary students will be fascinating by the stories in this book and a teacher could use them for a read-a-loud. The pages are large enough to share the images with a group. I learned quite a bit from reading this book and thinks its one of the best books I have reviewed this year.
Who wants to be a Princess? What It Was Really Like to be a Medieval Princess by Bridget Heos - To illustrate the difference between popular fairytales and
what the middle ages were really like for princesses, the author uses two-page
spreads—one side the fairytale and the other the reality. Illustrator Migy does an excellent job of
contrasting the fairytale illustrations with the more realistic ones. The fairytale illustrations are very pink and
very bright. The more real-life
illustrations have darker colors and the princess had hilarious
expressions. A charming book for any
aspiring princess
Wonderful Winter by Bruce Goldstone - This is now my favorite informational winter book. It is just perfect for a younger grade introduction to winter season. Its engaging, especially with the 5 senses pages, and it large and bright enough to share the entire book with a class. It includes everything I would love to see in a book like this and more.
Dave's Cave by Frank Preston-Gannon - This could be a great springboard for discussion about being content with what we have. The story is told in caveman-type language. “Dave like cave. This cave perfect.” The illustrations are unique and fun. Children will love this great book.
Crash Course by Landry Walker - Elara Adele Vaughn has everything it takes to become a top planetary designer: skills, talent, and a one-way ticket to the Seven Systems School of Terraforming Sciences and Arts. But for all her excitement, life at her new school is a lot tougher–and stranger–than she ever thought possible.
The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart - Reuben is an unlikely hero on a grand adventure. He’s a shy, likeable kid, that loves his mom
and dreams of a better life. Over the
course of the story, his character develops from a mouse to a confident young man. Penny Meyer creates a strong female
protagonist who is smart and adventurous.
The secondary characters are also well developed. His mom’s character is a spunky,
hard-working, and funny. The entire
Meyer clan is a hilarious bunch of strictly upright individuals.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment