Animals At Risk: Blue Whale by Rachel Grack

Blue whales are the largest animals on earth but hunting and human impact on their habitat have caused their numbers to diminish. This informational text gives facts about blue whales as well as information as to why they are at risk. The reader learns about reasons why blue whales are at risk, why they are important and ways that we can help them.

The Animals At Risk series focuses on animals that are in danger of being extinct and what can be done to help them. The series includes many text features that aid the reader in their learning including maps showing the animals range, diagrams, bold words to highlight important vocabulary and a glossary. This series is a part of the Blast Off Reader Level 2 series and is 24 pages. The text is 2-3 sentences per page with color photographs.

Animals at Risk: Cheetahs by Rachel Grack

Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land but as humans have spread into their habitats, their numbers have diminished. This informational text gives facts about cheetahs as well as information as to why they are at risk. The reader learns about reasons why cheetahs are at risk, why they are important and ways that we can help cheetahs.

The Animals At Risk series focuses on animals that are in danger of being extinct and what can be done to help them. The series includes many text features that aid the reader in their learning including maps showing the animals range, diagrams, bold words to highlight important vocabulary and a glossary. This series is a part of the Blast Off Reader Level 2 series and is 24 pages. The text is 2-3 sentences per page with color photographs.

Animal Battles: Mantis Shrimp vs. Lionfish

Mantis Shrimp vs. Lionfish is part of the Animal Battles series. In this series, two animals face off against each other. Each book starts off with a description of the two competitors, their attack moves, their secret weapons and then finally the battle. The narrative text at the end describes the fight scene and will certainly catch the reader’s’ attention. The book has 4-5 sentences per page for each animal and color photographs.

Text features such as bold words, text boxes, maps, a table of contents, glossary and an index are incorporated to aid the readers. Profiles of animal statistics include the height and weight as well as the physical advantages of each animal and habitat.

In Mantis Shrimp vs. Lionfish, the lionfish is hunting the mantis shrimp. Each animal has unique characteristics that could lead to it winning this face-off. Which animal will come out on top? This series is perfect for fans of Who Would Win.

Animal Battles: Badger vs. Bobcat

Badger vs. Bobcat is part of the Animal Battles series. In this series, two animals face off against each other. Each book starts off with a description of the two competitors, their attack moves, their secret weapons and then finally the battle. The narrative text at the end describes the fight scene and will certainly catch the reader’s’ attention. The book has 4-5 sentences per page for each animal and color photographs.

Text features such as bold words, text boxes, maps, a table of contents, glossary and an index are incorporated to aid the readers. Profiles of animal statistics include the height and weight as well as the physical advantages of each animal and habitat.

In Badger vs. Bobcat, the bobcat is stalking the badger. Each animal has unique characteristics that could lead to it winning this face-off. Which animal will come out on top? This series is perfect for fans of Who Would Win.

Animal Battles: Asiatic Lion Vs. Bengal Tiger

Asiatic Lion vs. Bengal Tiger is part of the Animal Battles series. In this series, two animals face off against each other. Each book starts off with a description of the two competitors, their attack moves, their secret weapons and then finally the battle. The narrative text at the end describes the fight scene and will certainly catch the reader’s’ attention. The book has 4-5 sentences per page for each animal and color photographs.

Text features such as bold words, text boxes, maps, a table of contents, glossary and an index are incorporated to aid the readers. Profiles of animal statistics include the height and weight as well as the physical advantages of each animal and habitat.

In MantisIn Asiatic Lion vs Bengal Tiger, the lion and the tiger face off over hunting territory. The lion’s camouflage and claws are pitted against the tiger’s sharp teeth. This series is perfect for fans of Who Would Win.

Animal Battles: Skunk Vs. Raccoon

Skunk vs. Raccoon is part of the Animal Battles series. In this series, two animals face off against each other. Each book starts off with a description of the two competitors, their attack moves, their secret weapons and then finally the battle. The narrative text at the end describes the fight scene and will certainly catch the reader’s’ attention. The book has 4-5 sentences per page for each animal and color photographs.

Text features such as bold words, text boxes, maps, a table of contents, glossary and an index are incorporated to aid the readers. Profiles of animal statistics include the height and weight as well as the physical advantages of each animal and habitat.

In Skunk vs. Raccoon, the skunk and racoon face off over food. The skunk’s spray and sharp claws are paired against the raccoon’s ability to make itself look bigger. This series is perfect for fans of Who Would Win.

Love is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement by Sandra Neil Wallace

Growing up in Chicago’s South Side, Diane’s high school included everyone. When she moved to Tennessee to attend Fisk University she encountered racism and segregation. Diane decided to change this wrong and fight racism in a peaceful way. The book highlights Diane Nash’s leadership throughout the Civil Rights movement and hits upon some of the sexism she faced within the Civil Rights movement. The end includes an author and illustrator note giving more background information. There is also a timeline of events not only in Diane Nash’s life, but events in the Civil Rights movement and resources to learn more. The watercolor/collage illustrations complement the text.

I Can’t Draw by Stephen W. Martin

Max can’t draw. He especially cannot draw like his friend Eugene. Max decides to ask Eugene to teach him to draw, but that didn’t go so well. Finally Eugene comes up with the idea that Max should trace and then his drawings look exactly like Eugene’s. Max thinks the drawings need a little flavor like butts shooting lasers. Eventually he forgets about drawing like Eugene and decides to just be his creative self. At the front of the story is how to draw a cat and the end of the story is how to draw a cat by Max. The illustrations by Brian Biggs carry the story along and are vital to the telling of the story.

You So Black by Theresa Tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.

You So Black is a picture book based on the author’s spoken word poem, You So Black. “You so Black, when you smile, the stars come out.” The book is a celebration of Blackness and encourages readers to embrace who they are. The mixed-media illustrations are eye-catching with their vibrant colors and reinforce the celebration of Blackness.

Mi Ciudad Sings by Cynthia Harmony

A young girl and her dog enjoy the sounds and music of her city as they make their way to her Mama’s flower shop. Suddenly the city rumbles with an earthquake, the sounds change and for the first time the city becomes silent. As she hurries to find her Mama, she notices a new rhythm with all the people that are helping the neighborhood and city recover. The illustrations are colorful and help tell the story. Spanish words and phrases are seamlessly woven into the story and there is a glossary at the back defining them. Although this is a fictional story, in the author’s note at the end, the author describes two devastating earthquakes in Mexico City and their experiences that inspired the story.

Holding On by Sophia N. Lee

A Filipina child visits her grandmother, Lola, in the summers where music fills there mornings, afternoons, and evenings. When they are separated in the winter, the little girl remembers all of the ways Lola holds on. “It’s important to remember, Lola tells me. So I listen to her stories and remember with her.” As Lola’s memory starts to fade the little girl decides to remember for her and sings the songs for Lola and let’s her know that she will remember for her. The mixed-media/collage illustrations reinforce the gentle message of love and caring for a family member whose memories are fading. I highly recommend this book.

Parker Grows a Garden by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry

While visiting her Nana, Parker says that she wishes she had a garden too. Her family helps her prepare the garden and her Nana brings her tulip bulbs to plant. It is hard to wait all winter for her garden to grow. In the spring, her other grandma, Mom Mom, helps her plant vegetables. Soon they are able to enjoy tulips and crunch cucumbers from her garden.

This is a Ready-to-Read Level One book. The type is large with 1-2 sentences per page. The plot is simple while celebrating family working together to meet a goal. The illustrations are bright and colorful.

Sprinkles and Swirls: Oh, What a Show by Lola M. Schaefer

Sprinkles and Swirls are cupcakes. Swirls wants Sprinkles to sign up for the talent show with her, but Sprinkles feels like she does not have a talent. Swirls helps Sprinkles try out different things to find her talent. Eventually Sprinkles decides that she will dance with Swirls in the talent show. Sprinkles is a brown cupcake with dark brown frosting hair and Swirls is a pinkish tan cupcake with pink swirl frosting hair.

This is a Ready to Read Graphics Level 1. I appreciate that the first two pages explain how to read a graphic novel; explaining speech bubbles, thought bubbles, panels, and how to read the panels. There are 1-2 panels per page and minimal words on each page. The graphics help tell the story and are bright, colorful and engaging. This is great for students who are learning to read and want to read a graphic novel.

Something Beautiful by Lita Judge

Mouse loves playing alone with his ball and then he starts playing with Elephant and they start playing together. Then Elephant and Mouse meet Giraffe and start playing with him. Each time they don’t think they need anyone else until they meet someone new and get to know them and discover a great friendship. The illustrations are beautiful and the expressions on the animals faces are detailed and add to the story. The message that we all have value and each add something beautiful to the group.

Nana, Nenek & Nina by Liza Ferneyhough

Nina lives in San Francisco and visits her Nana in England and her Nenek in Malaysia. The similarities and differences between the two visits give us a peek into the places that her grandmas live. She wears different clothes, eats different foods and plays different games, but she loves her grandmas and they love her. The side-by-side colorful illustrations show the similarities and differences between the places Nana and Nenek live.

The text spans across both pages when it is talking about both Nana and Nenek. This can be confusing for readers as sometimes you read the text on one side and others you have to read across the gutter. Without reading the book jacket or the dedication the readers would not know where Nana or Nenek live since it is not mentioned in the story.

The story would be good for reflecting on families, identity and different cultures that make us who we are.

Super Gross: What’s That Smell? by Ximena Hastings

What are some of the smelliest things in the world? Why do some things smell bad? Where do smells come from? These are some of the questions answered in this Ready to Read Level 2 book. Dr. Ick and his friend Sam the dog take us through why some things smell. There are 2-3 sentences per page and includes illustrations as well as photographs. Important vocabulary words are in bold and many also include a pronunciation guide. The glossary is located at the front of the book and an experiment is located at the back of the book.

I Want to Be a Vase by Julio Torres

Plunger does not want to be a plunger anymore, it wants to be a vase. Soon other household items want to be different things. The vacuum is so adamant that they have to be what they already are that he makes a mess, spraying dust everywhere. Vacuum realizes that nothing bad would happen if others got to be what they wanted.

The artwork is vibrant and jumps off the page. While I feel that the idea of the story, that we can be whatever we want, is important, I am not sure that it is effective with some of the items chosen. I think kids will be attracted to the vibrant colors and will find the book funny, but may miss the idea that you can be whatever you want.

Wednesday Wilson Fixes All Your Problems by Bree Galbraith

Click for more information on this title

Wednesday Wilson’s morning is not off to a good start. Her mom made egg pizza for breakfast again, she spilled her brother’s orange juice all over his family tree project, her favorite marble hit the principal in the head and her brother locked himself in the bathroom at school. To get her brother to come out of the bathroom, Wednesday’s classmate, Emmett, says he needs a worry stone. And this leads Wednesday to her next business adventure: selling her marble collection to students to solve their problems. This short chapter book is book two in the Wednesday Wilson series, but you can read it without feeling like you are missing too much from the first book.

I am Malala Yousafzai by Brad Meltzer

Another book in the Ordinary People Change the World Series, I am Malala Yousafzai, starts out with Malala introducing herself as an ordinary girl who likes pink, cupcakes, and pizza. The narrative quickly turns to how girls in her country are not treated the same as boys. It discusses the school started by her father and her quest to seek education. It does depict when she was shot and does show someone holding a gun. The illustrations show Malala as a young girl throughout the entire book. The end includes a timeline and photographs of Malala.

Hooves or Hands by Rosie Haine

Would you rather be a horse or a human? An imaginative look at comparing horses and humans and what it might be like to be a horse told through rhythmic text. The color choices in the illustrations reflect the use of imagination as the horses are pink on some pages. The color palette is also limited to primarily pinks, oranges, and blues.

I imagine children would laugh about the line “Stop wherever you are and have a poo…” and the illustrations that show dots for nipples on the half humans, half horses, but I think I would pass on this book.

Sylvie by Jean Reidy

Sylvie the spider loves the people in her building and one day she notices that something seems wrong. Worried that not everyone appreciates a spider that calls attention to herself, she finds the courage to unite the people in the building. Finally she feels the appreciation and friendship that she has been longing for.

The author also wrote the book, Truman, and Truman the tortoise makes an appearance in this book as well. It was fun to see that tie in. The illustrations in the book are colorful and help tell the story, but the storyline is difficult to follow and requires inferencing.

I am I. M. Pei by Brad Meltzer

I am I. M. Pei is a part of the Ordinary People Change the World Series by Brad Meltzer. It begins with I. M. Pei’s childhood and is told in the first person. The book is written in a conversational tone and the illustrator, Christopher Eliopoulos includes comic inserts on various pages. There is a lot of text on the pages, but it is broken up with illustrations. As a child, I. M. Pei is drawn as a miniature adult and in the pages where he is an adult, he is much shorter and more childlike than the other adults in the illustrations. This book is only a brief look at his life. The themes of persistence and grit come across throughout the biography. When talking about the renovation of the Louvre, there is a page with a pop-up Louvre. A timeline of his life and pictures of I. M. Pei are included at the end of the book.

Solitary Animals: Introverts of the Wild by Joshua David Stein, art by Dominique Ramsey

The lyrical text describes animals that live in groups and using the collective nouns and then names an animal that lives alone. I like the use of collective nouns and the text is engaging. I was expecting to learn more information about the solitary animals, but I did learn which animals live in groups and what the group names are called. There is a page at the back that answers some questions about why some animals live alone. The artwork in the book is bright and vibrant and is eye-catching.

Light for All by Margarita Engle illustrated by Raul Colon

Margarita Engle weaves immigration with how the light from the Statue of Liberty welcomes us all. Even though we are different, come from a variety of places, and have many reasons for coming to the United States we are the same in that we have a love for the home that we have left and the place that we now call home.

While I appreciate and think it is important that Engle included that land was taken from Indigenous People and others were forced to come here on slave ships, it felt disjointed with how it was incorporated into the book. The author’s and illustrator’s notes at the end add their own personal stories to the book.

Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Tonya Engel

On March 2, 1955 Claudette Colvin was arrested for not giving up her bus seat to a white person. She was 15 and this occurred almost a year before Rosa Parks famed refusal. Through the lawyer, Fred Gray, Claudette met and befriended Rosa Parks and started to attend meetings with the NAACP. These events led up to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. the book does not focus solely on Claudette but mentions others who were instrumental in the changing of the bus law. Told in a cause and effect style, the author shows how small events can lead to bigger events that lead to changes.

Tonya Engel’s paintings complement the text. There is an author’s note at the end that details how the idea for this book came to be and provides suggestions for further reading with books and websites.