Reviews
A noteworthy review of Traditions Around the World from Booklist on October 1, 2021
While food and celebrations might come to mind first when thinking of cultural traditions, this selection from the Traditions around the World series (8 titles) explores how different cultures practice making wishes. In this book, wishing includes both making wishes oneself (such as in a View →
A noteworthy review of The Black American Journey from Booklist on September 1, 2021
The Black American Journey is the latest generation of the publisher’s Journey to Freedom: The African American Library series (circa 2000) and The African American Journey series (a decade later). Some of the recent books are entirely new, while others are revised editions. The… View →
A noteworthy review of Fascinating Facts from Booklist on May 15, 2021
These new books in the Fascinating Facts series bring together high-interest facts and anecdotes about the title topic. The material is grouped into several loosely related categories or chapters. In Dogs, author Pearson ably guides readers through the dog’s body, domestication,… View →
A noteworthy review of Blast Off to Space from Booklist on April 1, 2021
Kids curious about the universe of space objects beyond our eight local planets and sun will appreciate this title in the Blast Off to Space series (8 titles). The book opens with the discovery of the dwarf planet Eris, which led scientists to establish new criteria for classifying… View →
A noteworthy review of The Black American Journey from Booklist on April 1, 2021
Starred Review. This volume in The Black American Journey series (12 titles) chronicles the rise of Greenwood, Oklahoma—later annexed by Tulsa—known as Black Wall Street for the wealth its Black population built, and the bloody massacre that was its downfall in 1921. In six… View →
A noteworthy review of True Spy Stories from School Library Journal on April 1, 2021
Each title starts off with a ‘Fast Facts’ section, giving brief background information on the particular era. It also includes spies and their tools. The writing is serious. Mini biographies of spies and their actions are included. Anna Smith Strong, a spy during the… View →
A noteworthy review of True Spy Stories from Booklist on April 1, 2021
This entry in the True Spy Stories series (6 titles) begins with a bullet-pointed list of ‘fast facts,’ setting readers up with background information on WWII and spying that gives necessary context to the coming stories. From there, five chapters… View →
A noteworthy review of Affecting Lives: Drugs and Addiction from School Library Journal on April 1, 2021
This series tells the stories of people with addictions and how they recover. These books are not focused on statistics or the science behind the drugs. Instead, they serve as examples for readers about how people start using drugs, become addicted, and find the help to quit. The people… View →
A noteworthy review of Learning Sight Words from School Library Journal on April 1, 2021
Sight words, or words that developing readers can identify by memory without decoding them, are introduced through different scenarios in this series. Books take a set of two or three sight words and highlight them by repeating them in different sentences throughout the text… View →
A noteworthy review of The Black American Journey from School Library Journal on April 1, 2021
To say ‘Lincoln freed the slaves’ is too simplistic to be real history. Students should learn the actual reasons for his actions. Black Americans have withstood horrific conditions throughout American history and these books speak to their heartbreaking struggles and… View →
A noteworthy review of Blast Off to Space from School Library Journal on April 1, 2021
This eight-book series incorporates a broad range of subjects related to astronomy. Each book contains three or four chapters with many vibrant, full-page photographs. The length of the text and amount of data included in each title make it a good choice for first book reports or as a… View →
A noteworthy review of Science Showdowns from School Library Journal on April 1, 2021
Written to introduce basic science concepts through comparing and contrasting, each book in this series features a pair of opposites, such as light and dark or renewable and nonrenewable energy. Large, clear photos support the text and have labels to reinforce important details. There… View →