My Beijing is a book with four stories about a sweet little girl, Yu’er, her grandfather and friends. Yu’er and her grandpa have a very close, loving relationship and he helps her navigate a world that is somewhat difficult for her, since she has a (unspecified) disability.  Her difficulty with walking doesn’t stop her from enjoying the world around her as her grandpa wheels her in a cart, on his bike or even on his back.  The reader will cheer for Yu’er and Grandpa in this lovely book.

This book of four stories keeps a slow, relaxed pace.  They have an almost dreamlike flow, where the author/illustrator mixes the magical elements casually among the everyday aspects of life. This is much different from many American graphic novels in that respect – both the fantastical elements and the  big plot happenings in general avoid being “in your face”.  The stories are a bit strange, but weirdly comforting.  If you have read stories of a similar genre, these aren’t surprising.  But, some readers might not really understand the flow or casual plot twists.  Even so, it’s good for kids to be exposed to lots of different types of storytelling and this is a fun way to do it.  

There are asterisks that explain different parts of Chinese culture in the story, which is helpful for those that are unfamiliar with it. The illustrations are gentle and sweet, with mute tones.  This book is highly recommended for all library collections!

Mouse, an avid outdoorsman, invites his friend Monster to go camping.  Monster isn’t too keen on the idea until Mouse assures him there will be…FOOD.  That clinches it for Monster and they are on their way.  Monster pulls the wagon load of supplies while Mouse darts ahead to scout out possible camping sites.  Unfortunately,  Monster eats something from the wagon each time Mouse runs ahead.  When they find a suitable campsite, Mouse discovers that Monster ate the lantern, tent and sleeping bags.  At least they still have food…nope, Mouse forgot to pack it in the box (conveniently marked “food”).  The hungry, cold friends sit sadly in the dark until they spot a group of humans around a campfire.  Yay! They rush toward the campers, who are in the middle of a scary story about monsters.  As one might guess, the human campers run screaming away, leaving behind a lovely campsite, campfire, food and tents. Mouse and Monster are puzzled at their sudden departure, but decide not to waste the lovely camping experience.  

This fun, colorfully illustrated story will delight young readers as they follow the two friends on their adventure.  The background of the illustrations darken as the story moves from day to night and  the readers will watch as monster continues to eat their supplies, although Mouse has no idea.  This will be a great addition to your library and a fun read-a-loud.

This is a story about Archie (who thinks he’s a bear) and a bear (who thinks he’s a boy).  Archie and the bear have a wonderful day together after meeting  in the woods.  Archie is there because he is fed up with people not understanding that he is not in a bear suit…he is a bear!  He and the bear learn so much from each other, like skimming stones and eating honey sandwiches.  

The illustrations are dramatic and bold.  The size difference between the boy and bear are quite evident in each two page spread.  More often than not, the reader does not see the entire bear – just rather large parts of him!  This is a very gentle tale of two friends who might be different, yet are comfortable in their relationship and learn so much from each other.    

This book, published by the National Wildlife Federation, is a wealth of information for kids who want to know all about camping. Each chapter begins with a question, which is answered with photos, diagrams and succinctly written information.  Bold face type is used for emphasis (important points) and unusual words.  Readers will enjoy the suggested activities – even the ideas for rainy days in camp (because, really…we have all had rainy days while camping, right?).  There is a helpful checklist near the end and a listing of National Parks and website reference.  An index is helpful for quick reference.  

Kids’ guide to camping : all you need to know about having fun in the outdoors is part of a four book Ranger Rick series.  This won’t be on your shelves for long.  It’s a fun, fairly easy read and will interest those readers that have an interest in the outdoors. 

What happens after the Big, Bad Wolf goes down the chimney and is captured by the Three Little Pigs?  Look no further than The Three Little Superpigs to find the ‘rest of the story’!  This book continues the tale of the intrepid pigs and their nemesis, the wolf.  Our heroes, aka Superpigs, are keeping the local fairy tale residents safe from bad guys and basking in the glow of fame.  Unfortunately, the biggest, baddest guy, aka Big, Bad Wolf, escapes from “Happily Never After Prison” and acts upon his plan to take revenge on the Superpigs.  He easily captures the first two pigs, who obviously didn’t learn anything the first time around.  Luckily, the third pig is still smarter than his siblings and the wolf.  He rescues his brothers, captures the wolf and makes Fairyland safe again.  Whew!  What a great ending to the story…or is it really the end?? 

Fun illustrations and tongue-in-cheek text will make readers young and old chuckle and cheer at the eventual capture of the Big, Bad Wolf.  This book would be a great introduction to student writing – what happens next for other fairy tale characters/stories? Ex. Do the three bears see Goldilocks again? Does the Gingergread Man run away again?  Hmmm… Highly Recommended. 

Opossums is a very informative book that is part of the North American Animals series. All aspects of the the animal’s life are explored, from its description to range and eating habits. We learn that they really do “play dead” when they are threatened (or hiss and screech, if needed). Information is presented in clear, short paragraphs with unfamiliar words in bold text, which is later explained in the glossary. There are several very good graphics, showing size, foods, enemies, range, et cetera. One graphic is slightly misleading (range) because the color chosen for the range on the map is similar to the color on the conservation status bar that denotes extinct in the wild, while the text below the bar says they are of least concern from a conservation standpoint. Other than that, the information is clearly presented and backed up with great photos. Nonfiction features include table of contents, graphics, index, glossary and website information.

This book is a good choice for reports or general interest. Students will learn some solid information, which might lead them to further research. Recommended

Twilight Sparkle discovers a huge hole in her library – missing information about the Everfree Forest! So, she enlists the help of her friends, who know that place as well as she to help her write a book about the forest and the creatures that call it home. Each pony writes a section of the book and entertains the reader with descriptions of interesting (and sometimes dangerous) creatures and places that the ponies had seen. Rainbow Dash ends the book with a challenge to the reader…visit the Everfree Forest if you want some danger and an adrenaline rush!

This is a fluffy little book that will appeal to the younger crowd. Avid My Little Pony fans will love it and reluctant readers might enjoy the graphic novel style. Additional purchase.

Three best friends (Annie, Lillemor and Lilianne) decide to enter the school talent show and begin to put together their act. Unfortunately, Annie takes over and make it all about her (aha! That explains the title). She decides the song, costumes and group name, which puts the other girls over the edge and they break up before they even really begin. Annie tries to work with two different girls and gets a taste of being left out of the decision-making. Lillemore and Lilianne try to stick it out as a duo, but those high notes are really hard without Annie. Luckily, Annie realizes her error and apologizes to her friends, who reunite and win the talent show – with a song, costumes and group name that they picked TOGETHER.
This story would lead very nicely into a a discussion about friendship and empathy. The three friends are multicultural and multilingual. The pictures are simple and the text includes word bubbles (always fun). Students will enjoy the story and learn something along the way! Recommended.

Germany is a very interesting place when we see it through the eyes of our youthful tour guide, Johann. He starts off by showing us where Germany is compared to the U.S. and within Europe. After we get the geography out of the way, Johann treats us to a tour of his home, his school and important places in his country (Berlin, the Black Forest, etc.). We learn about German foods and proper manners at the table, as well as celebrations and a recipe for potato pancakes (yum!). Johann also describes activities that are popular in his country, from skiing to a fun board game.

There is a timeline and many facts given in accessible “bites”. Students will want to dedicate some time to further research after reading about the history of the pretzel or all the familiar items originating in Germany (gummy bears, jet engines and garden gnomes are just a few!). There is also a traditional German tale and a guessing game. Johann ends with a page of information to use if you wish to travel to Germany and a comparison chart of U.S. and Germany.

Nonfiction elements include: table of contents, index, glossary, timeline, maps and website for further investigation. There are color photos and clean text, which is sometimes colored to stand out on the page.

This is a very engaging book that packs a great deal of information into 32 pages. It is part of the Follow Me Around series and when students read one, they won’t want to stop. So, buy the series and update your tired, old social studies section. The students will love them!

Seamus is our guide as we tour around his home country of Ireland. This book is part of the Follow Me Around series, which explores countries through the eyes of children. Along the way, students learn about the Seamus’ home, school, leisure activities, celebrations, and more. We learn about the capital, Dublin, as well as other cities and interesting places along the way. Ireland is known for many things: leprechauns, the Blarney Stone, four leaf clovers and limericks (there are five in the book!). But, Ireland is also a place with an amazing history and Seamus gives the us a few facts, which will send students off to other books and the internet for further exploration. Who wouldn’t want to learn more about bog people and fairy forts?

This book has the typical nonfiction elements: index, glossary, maps, table of contents and timeline. The pictures are colorful and the text is clean and succinct. This book and the rest of the series is recommended.

Our guide, Harisha, takes us on a tour of her home country of India in this installment of the Follow Me Around series. We learn much about Indian culture and history from Harisha’s perspective, including the foods she eats and her school life. Traditional celebrations are discussed and directions for an Indian mirror are given. There are many facts presented in short paragraphs with accompanying illustrations. We also learn to count to ten in Hindi and see several basic yoga poses, which originated in India. A timeline gives some basic historical information and a traditional Indian tale is introduced by Harisha.
There is a lot of information in this slim volume of only 32 pages. It is colorful and engaging to the reader. It is very accessible and students will enjoy the perspective of a child their age. This is a recommended purchase for those looking to update their tired social studies section!

Fausto is our guide through the country of Italy. The information is given from the perspective of a young boy, who takes us to his apartment and school, explaining his family’s activities and lifestyle. We learn about traditional Italian foods and famous people/things from Italy. Two large cities, Rome and Venice, are described and Fausto tells us about celebrations and leisure activities. Fun facts are presented in a couple of two-page spreads (You Won’t Believe This! and It Came From Italy). There is also a comparison chart (U.S. vs. Italy) and a Guessing Game with more facts.

This book does a great job of getting a lot of information out in a relatively few pages, keeping the reading engages all the while. The time-line only goes to 1946 But, that’s understandable when it starts in 753 BCE! There is a nice map at the beginning to help us get our bearings and a nice page of travel preparation tips for would-be world travelers.

The illustrations are crisp and well done and the text is clean and, at times, colorful. Typical nonfiction features include table of contents, index, glossary, time-line and web address for further exploration.

This is part of the Follow Me Around series, which is recommended for updating your social studies section. It is very accessible and engaging.