Reviews
A noteworthy review of Life Cycles from School Library Journal on January 1, 2012
There are intriguing aspects to the life cycles explored in these books. For instance, all clown fish are born male, but after forming small groups the biggest one becomes a female to reproduce; earthworms and most snail species are hermaphrodites, etc. In all four titles, a page of… View →
A noteworthy review of Extreme Sports from Booklist on January 1, 2012
Thrills, anyone? The Extreme Sports series looks at athletics for the very few. Barefoot Waterskiing is for those who have mastered regular waterskiing and are looking for a way to make it even more difficult. The book explains the history of the sport, how it’s done, and the… View →
A noteworthy review of Life Cycles from Booklist on December 1, 2011
In this title, part of the Life Cycles series, Owens accurately points out that every living thing has a life cycle. And the life cycle of a snail is divided as follows: egg, hatchling, and adult. With big, clear full-page photos (one per spread) as well as straightforward text, readers… View →
A noteworthy review of Go Green! from School Library Journal on November 1, 2011
Each book opens with a quick overview, introducing environmental concepts such as global warming, conservation, and organic farming. Twelve green tips are showcased in separate spreads, with a captioned photograph facing the text page, which gives eco-friendly advice and reasons why the… View →
A noteworthy review of 5 Steps to Drawing from Booklist on November 1, 2011
Yes, kids like to draw pets and monsters, but they also enjoy drawing people now and then. This colorful guide to drawing faces opens with an introductory section that provides drawing tips and a list of tools to get started, and offers supportive advice like ‘everyone makes… View →
A noteworthy review of Folktales from Around the World from School Library Journal on November 1, 2011
Old-fashioned in the best way, each book tells a story from a particular area. To maintain the traditional feel, the tales are narrated by a storyteller, and the illustrations, which include full-page color images as well as smaller black-and-white pictures, purposefully imitate styles… View →
A noteworthy review of How Things Work from Booklist on October 1, 2011
Combining the popular subjects of environmentalism and new technology, hybrid cars make for an ideal topic for middle-grade readers. This volume in the How Things Work series is bouncy, savvy, and, above all, clear; it is hard to come away without a working knowledge of everything from… View →
A noteworthy review of Space Neighbors from Library Media Connection on October 1, 2011
Our solar system is an amazing place and this series will help readers learn more about it. All of the books are well planned and follow the same format with Fun Facts sprinkled throughout. Crisp, clear photos of planets, moons, spacecraft and telescopes, are the focal point of each… View →
A noteworthy review of Folktales from Around the World from Children's Bookwatch on September 1, 2011
From a series titled ‘Folktales from Around the World’, ‘The Story of Jumping Mouse: A Native American Folktale’ retold by Amanda St. John and illustrated by Durga Yael Bernhard is the story of Little Mouse, the youngest, most curious mouse in his family, who had… View →
A noteworthy review of Weird Sports from Library Media Connection on September 1, 2011
This fun series shares highlights and objectives of some of the weirdest sports around today. From the unbelievable horse vs. man race to the downright silly turkey bowling, and even to the just plain crazy north pole marathon, students are sure to find something to enjoy. Each book… View →
A noteworthy review of Weird Sports from School Library Journal on April 1, 2011
Fascinating sports and challenges are briefly elucidated in this series. Both authors give examples from various countries, describing altogether more than 50 activities ranging from Estonia’s wife-carrying race to a Mexican golf tournament that involves playing only one hole.… View →
A noteworthy review of CraftBooks from School Library Journal on April 1, 2011
The seven crafts in these books (one craft per spread) are sandwiched between brief advice on getting started and a short list of holiday-related activities toward the end. Festive illustrations accompany the directions to the easy-to-make projects that, while not geared to greatly… View →