Harvey Hammer, the hammerhead shark, is off on a family vacation where they will encounter humans up close! Harvey and his family, plus friends, are off to see Leggy-Air Breathers (LABs) at Seafari Park. When their tour guide cuts the tour short because of dangerous conditions and starts a film by Dr. Jacques Crusteau Harvey, his sister Hettie, and their friends Flash -the turtle and Poppy- the octopus sneak off to get a closer look at the LABs. Flash gets caught between two young LABs and needs rescuing. Harvey comes up with a rescue plan using his superhero alter-ego Hammer Boy. The rescue is successful and they get back to the tour group just as the film ends. The next day, back at school Hettie and Poppy present their science research project on LABs to the entire school. The previous day’s exploits mentioned in Hettie’s and Poppy’s project turn Harvey, Hettie, Poppy, and Flash into school heroes.

Large font, short chapters, fun word play, black and white illustrations sprinkled throughout the story, and a glossary make this an entertaining book for young readers venturing out to bigger, longer books.

Submitted by Mary Pong

Where is Poppy? follows a young child’s search for her beloved grandfather, who has passed away the previous year, as her extended family gathers for their Passover Seder. The young girl discovers her ‘Poppy’ is not hiding anywhere around the house, as she remembers him in years past. She soon discovers ‘Poppy’ is present in all of her family members as they carry on the family/religious traditions.

Illustrated is somber shades of bluish purples, yellow, black, white and gray.

Concludes with a page of sixteen Passover terms used within the story on Passover Traditions.

Submitted by Mary Pong

The Moon is personified as it tells its life story in cute illustrations with smiley faces on the heavenly bodies. It is presented in eleven chapters using cartoon bubbles with the sun and moon giving factual information in a non-so-factual format.

I particularly liked the illustration of the orbiting moon around the earth while the earth is orbiting around the sun on pages 20-21, the waning and waxing moon on pages 36-37 and 40-41. The new moon on page 39 is subtle but very revealing. Having seen a solar eclipse in person, I especially enjoyed the illustrations of its approach on page 51 and at totality on page 53! While this book would be hard to use for a research project it has excellent illustrations for younger readers to understand the moon and its phases.

Submitted by Mary Pong

Beginning readers, who enjoy slap-stick humor, will want to read how Big Bub-the purple blob with arms and legs- makes it to the birthday party after he finds out his bicycle has two flat tires. Big Bub is too big to fit into the taxi, too heavy for the pick-up truck, and too slow to catch the bus. Then he sees the junk yard where he spots two old bumper cars which he uses as roller skates to get to the party.

Before the story, there is a list of “Word Families” (7), “Sight words” (25), and “Bonus words” (16) to warm the young reader up for success. After the story, there are three questions demonstrate the reader’s success in reading.

Submitted by Mary Pong

Sabrina Sue, the chicken, is infatuated with going to the moon after seeing it one moonlit starry night. Her farm friends try to talk her out of it. Sabrina Sue struggles with if she should stay safe or go on her adventure to the moon! She does her moon research, gets in great physical shape, and goes to the rocket for her adventure. She loves the moon. Then returns to earth to tell all of her farm friends about it and show them her moon rock.

Submitted by Mary Pong

The Shawnee people are keeping their culture alive. The Shawnee originally lived in the Ohio Valley and today their reservations are in Oklahoma.

Sonneborn writes about the Shawnee’s contact with early Europeans. Sonneborn continues with their life today with their traditions seen especially during Pow Wows. The Shawnee are in a fight to keep their language alive. They have developed a language app and a website. This fight began during the days when native children where taken away to boarding schools.

The book ends with a glossary, index, and the child safe website – www.factsurfer.com where the official Shawnee websites are linked.

Submitted by Mary Pong

Fourth grader, Sparrow, has a way of getting carried away that leads to problems. I kept thinking about a very young Maria Van Trapp from the SOUND OF MUSIC in How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria when reading this book. Like Maria, Sparrow does not go looking for trouble, she is just exuberant and ‘problems’ happens. Sparrow’s parents are trying their best using “Positive Parenting” skills and key phrases without getting too upset, but Sparrow finds this frustrating because often she is only looking for answers to life’s immediate situations.

Sparrow and her parents have just moved into a duplex style house. Their elderly neighbor Mrs. LaRose enjoys caring for Sparrow for the short hour while both of Sparrow’s parents are at work. Mrs. LaRose and Sparrow are outside watching a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. “Unfortunately, when Sparrow got excited, things tended to go wrong.” (4)The two of them were doing a dance of the butterflies in the backyard, when they crashed into each other. Mrs. LaRose falls to the ground breaking her hip. The story begins with the sound of sirens as the ambulance arrives for Mrs. LaRose. Mrs. LaRose’s only immediate concern is for her seven cats. Sparrow promises to take care of the cats. AND the domino effect has begun. How will Sparrow care for the seven cats when the first day of school is tomorrow? What will the consequences be when Sparrow tells her new classmates the seven cats are hers? Who will watch Sparrow after school until her parent gets home now that Mrs. LaRose is in the hospital? How will Sparrow be able to keep Mrs. LaRose’s daughter from taking the cats to the animal shelter?

Life’s situations have a way of working out. Sparrow’s situations are realistically normal and readers will be able to see this, and perhaps even be able to identify with them.

The chapters range from five to eight pages in length with twenty-five pencil illustrations sprinkled throughout the story. The illustration of Sparrow and her mother in a loving embrace on page 170 will warm your heart in this heartfelt moment of connection between mother and daughter.

Submitted by Mary Pong

“When Granny died, there was a hole in our family. Remembering her helped us fill it.” So begins this loving story of how a young boy uses the cane once used by his Granny to keep her close to him.

Ashley Barron’s layered cut paper images show how the young boy uses his imagination and the cane to create a tent, a butterfly net, a beach umbrella, a fishing rod, a stick horse, a flagpole, a knight’s sword, a flying broomstick, a sea monster, and a rocket ship all with Granny looking on. “When Granny died, she left me a world of adventures…”

Submitted by Mary Pong

Bob, the cardinal, has anxiety about trying new things until Eagle confides “He can take mini chances!” Bob decides to follow Eagle partway up the mountain. Little by little, Bob stopping several times, deciding to go a little farther each time, until Bob arrives at the top of the mountain. “The view is out of this world.” Now, Bob decides he will go back and try each of the activities he passed on with his friends Flamingo, Pigeon, and Crow.

Bob discovers, “Sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing… until you take a chance.”

Submitted by Mary Pong

I am impressed with how up to date this book on the Cherokee native people is. I reached out to my Native friend and former colleague after reading author Betty Marcks statement, ” I am a white women of European descent. As such, I can claim no direct lived experience of being a Native American…” My friend is very impressed with Marcks’ writing.

Marcks has included the importance of the Cherokee language, the Cherokee make up of three tribes, the early history of the Cherokee with white culture, the native uses of resources, continuing cultural traditions, and the current Cherokee government.

The book includes a timeline, glossary, a student safe to use FACTSURFER.com internet site, and index.

Submitted by Mary Pong

I am impressed with how up to date this book on the Blackfeet native people is. I reached out to my Native friend and former colleague after reading author Betty Marcks statement, ” I am a white women of European descent. As such, I can claim no direct lived experience of being a Native American…” My friend is very impressed with Marcks’ writing.

Marcks has included the importance of the Blackfeet language, the confederacy of four nations, the early history of the Blackfeet with white culture, the native uses of resources, continuing cultural traditions, and the current Blackfeet government

The book includes a timeline, glossary, a student safe to use FACTSURFER.com internet site, and index.

Submitted by Mary Pong

Young Gilly lives on the coast of Lighthouse Bay where she spends most of her time in the water until an unseen monster arrives one day. The monster makes things disappear, like: snapper, prawns, and a wooly sweater, but it isn’t too serious until it snatches one of Gilly’s beloved flippers right off of her foot as she sits on the end of a dock. Rumors begin to fly around the little coastal town about the monster. Then one day, the monster grabs Gilly’s other flipper! That does it! Gilly will trap this monster to get her flippers back. The town helps Gilly set a trap. Nothing happens, until one day the monster is struggling out in the water caught in a fishing net. It could drown. Gilly convinces the town to help rescue the monster or else they won’t get their missing things back. In the end, Gilly needs rescuing from the monster trap she has fallen into. ‘ “Hey, you’re not a rotten monster– you’re a sneaky walrus!” ‘ The town folk get their items back and become friends with the walrus.

Cyndi Marko’s illustrations make me want to go find this lovely quaint little seaport in Northern British Columbia or southern Alaska surrounded by snow capped mountains. I loved the humorous pictures of Gilly’s pet gold fish who goes everywhere with Gilly ( in and out of its goldfish bowl).

Marko includes an entire page full of walrus facts and over 1 1/2 dozen websites for those who will want to learn even more about walrus.

Submitted by Mary Pong