Even though this is book is from the Beginning Science series, it gives a more scientific look at magnetism. It uses vocabulary like electrons and particles, which readers may need to look up in the glossary. At the end of the text there is a Let’s Review section that covers 4 of the main ideas from the text. As with most Abdo Kids books, there is a code at the end that links to crafts, games, and videos online.

Full of up-close photographs of flies and maggots, Becoming a Fly is full of information about the fly life cycle. It breaks the cycle down to 4 stages. There are several informational text features including bold words, a glossary, and an index. Students can use the code at the end of the book to access more information about flies as well as crafts, games, and videos.

Patterns in Nature looks at the different types of patterns you can find in the natural world. Each two page spread has one or two simple sentences and a color photograph. It explains that a pattern is an order that is repeated. It then looks at several different types of patterns. I think as an introduction about patterns, it would be nice to include what the pattern is, as they did on the page about the macaws. The picture glossary at the end is helpful for students to identify the bold words in the text.

Narwhals are currently very popular with students. This book gives us some information about narwhals with simple sentences that would be attainable for many age groups. Other than photographs and a few questions in text boxes, this book did not contain many informational text features. When it was describing the parts of a narwhal, it would have been nice if it had a diagram on that page instead of at the back of the book. One of the pages left me with several questions. “A narwhal is slow. But it can be fast. It moves quickly to escape predators.” Is that the only time it is fast? Why is is slow? Especially because it goes on to ask a question about how the body shape helps it swim.

I think this book would be an introduction and jumping off point for those readers who are interested in narwhals.

A look at different things that happen in the spring. Each page has 3-5 simple sentences. There are bold words and a glossary, but some of the words seemed to be unnecessary as a keyword (i.e. animals). On a few pages the text asks the reader questions that relate back to text. At the end of the book, there is a list of books and websites for further research.

The book is aimed at Kindergarten – 2nd grade. While the information is very basic, the number of sentences on each page would not lend itself to be an independent read for some at that level.

Magnetism is a title in Scholastic’s Blastoff Readers’ series, Science Starters. The text takes us through what is magnetism, types of magnets, earth as a magnet and magnetism in our lives. There are several text features in the book including bold words, labels, and a glossary. Each page includes several sentences on the topic, but on a whole, it is a basic overview of magnetism.

At the back of the book there is a list of books for further reading. It also includes details for how to access factsurfer.com, which links you to sites for further information and videos on the topic. There is also an experiment for readers to try.

Bridges is a title in Scholastic’s Blastoff Readers’ new series, Everyday Engineering. The text takes us through what are bridges, types of bridges, and how bridges work in a very simplified manner. There is a glossary in the back of the text for bold words, but some more challenging words like cantilever are not defined. There are photographs of several bridges, but it does not always tell where the bridge is and for some of the pretty cool bridge construction I wanted to know more about them. They only name and give details for the Golden Gate Bridge.

At the back of the book there is a list of books for further reading. It also includes details for how to access factsurfer.com, which links you to sites for further information and videos on the topic.

The Water Cycle is a nonfiction book from the series Weather. This is one of the series in Abdo Publishing’s new Pop! Books. Several of the pages include QR codes with further information or activities. You can also access the activities, information, and teacher resources at popbookonline.com.

On each two page spread there are text and color photographs. Text features are on several pages including keywords, a diagram, text boxes, glossary, and index. At the end there is also a section on making connections (text to self, text to text, and text to world).

Toucans is a nonfiction book from the series Rain Forest Animals. On each two page spread there is text and color photographs. There are text features on several pages including keywords, a diagram, text boxes, glossary, and index. At the end there is also a section on making connections (text to self, text to text, and text to world). Several of the pages include QR codes with further information or activities. You can also access the activities, information, and teacher resources at popbookonline.com.

A Dog Named Doug by Karma Wilson is a fun, loosely rhyming read. There is some alliteration that can be a bit of a tongue twister. Matt Myers, the illustrator, is creative in tying his pictures into the words, but sometimes the illustrations impeded the text. It took me a bit to figure out that the mountains were standing in for the letter M for several words. As a read aloud, this would be a fun book, but as a book for beginning readers to check out, decoding the words that have pictures as the letter could be a challenge.

On his way home from band practice, Oliver missed the bus, people started screaming which confused Oliver. Then he discovered he was a werewolf. As he finds out all the wonderful thing he can do, he realizes his mom will be upset that he is late. Would his parents be mad for being late or would they be afraid of Oliver?

Knock Knock is a hilarious book about a bear getting ready to settle down for his yearly hibernation. His friends all dropped by and throw him an impromptu party but all Bear wants to do is sleep. The book is full of knock knock jokes that will entertain the audience.

At the town’s Valentine’s Day Bash, the monsters give Frankenstein a hard time for not being “monster” enough. At the bash, though, Frankenstein receives a secret valentine. Follow along to find out which monster likes Frankenstein just the way he is. It is well illustrated with bright colors. An easy reader with a subtle moral.

Jack B. Ninja is a new twist on the nursery rhyme Jack Be Nimble.  Using a ninja theme, Jack needs to find the treasure chest. There is a surprise ending. It rhymes and flows easily. I found it to be a good read aloud book.

The Stand-In features Brooks, a kid from a working class family with a dead beat dad, who is desperate to get out of town and attend an Ivy league school. Having no money, he volunteers to be a stand-in for a schoolmate’s cousin who got stood up for Homecoming. He planned to do this for free, as a favor, but when he receives a $300 tip, he decides he can earn college money escorting other rich 1% girls in the area. With the potential to earn this kind of money, he’ll be able to hire a tutor to help raise his SAT scores. Columbia University might be within range, after all. His escort business booms, but to keep up the momentum, he makes some minor deceptions, and cuts a few moral corners. And then he meets the unhinged Celia, and the captivating Shelby.
The Stand-In has a young male as the protagonist, which is unusual for many YA novels., and this male POV may appeal to male students.
This fast-faced, hilarious story is a fun read.

Two Summers tells two stories of one summer. In one story, Summer Everett fails to answer a phone call from her father as she prepares to catch a plane to France, where her dad is living the artist life. Upon arrival, she discovers that he’s gone to Berlin and she is left with his friends who are house sitting.
In the other story, Summer answers the phone before getting on the plane, and realizes her summer is Paris is off. Disappointed, she resigns herself to a summer at home.

We see two perspectives: Summer in the French countryside, among sun-kissed fields of lavender. And another Summer in upstate New York, amid familiar settings, but facing a real surprise.

In each version of her summer, she falls in love and discovers new things about herself, including a terrible family secret.

This is a fun read.

Crash is the story of a girl, Gloria, who on her flight home from losing an important music competition, crashes in the middle of the Arizona desert. Some of her fellow passengers are dead; others injured. Some head across the dessert looking for help. Faced with the realization that all of her technical ability at violin will not help her in this desperate situation, she must rely on her survival instincts, as the chance of rescue is remote.
While this is not the best written novella (there are some awkward sentences and some mildly unrealistic plot turns), the story is action packed. There is a certain amount of gore, a bit of romance, and the story will appeal to readers who enjoy adventure. The reading level is such that it is an appropriate book for both middle and high school students.
Crash is part of the Survive series, but the titles are stand alone.

Stolen Secrets is a contemporary story of a teen girl, Livvy, and her alcoholic mother who has that has kept a Holocaust secret from Livvy. What is the family secret? Is grandmother a Holocaust survivor? Is she from a Nazi family? This book has multiple plot lines and themes, and switches point of view repeatedly from the memory of grandmother as a young girl decades ago in Nazi controlled Germany, to Livvy in current day San Francisco. Topics addressed are what it’s like for Livvy to be a new girl at school; homesickness for friends; alcoholism; family secrets, neo-Nazis; predatory elder care; armed robbery; and a romance.
This novel is a page turner. You won’t be able to put it down.

Every night wishes are sent to the rabbit on the moon. The wishes as stars to the sky. Rabbit has a wish. He wants friends, so one night he takes a wish and comes to earth. He has a great day with new friends, but at night there are no stars in the sky. Rabbit realizes he must say good-bye and return to the moon. The text is lyrical with only a sentence on a page. The illustrations are beautiful and complement the text.

A little pup cannot go to sleep. He tries counting sheep, counting stars, chewing on a bone. The moths and butterflies tell him to go to sleep. A fox and a badger tell him to go to sleep, but the little pup cannot sleep until his mom covers him with a soft blanket. The text is rhythmic and engaging for young children, but I think the illustrations steal the show. The colors are vibrant, yet the illustrations are soft.

Kristen Hall relates how bees collect nectar, pass on the location of the flowers and a brief look at the rolls of different bees from spring to spring through a rhythmic lyrical text. Readers may not realize they are learning information about honeybees until they dive deeper into the story.

The colors of the book mainly focus on the golden yellow, orange and black with a few muted other colors in the background.

The text seems to be geared towards younger readers, but information at the back might be for the slightly older student.

Houses can be in the treetops or underground. They can be made of bubbles, sticks or clay. This book goes through different animal dwellings. Giving a brief description of how what type of animal lives in that home and what it is made of. The watercolor illustrations add a softness to the page.

Some animals are familiar, while some animals readers may not have heard of before. Some of the animals included in this book are beavers, rock-boring urchin, common swift, termites, and Mexican book beetles.

The information is brief on each page and at the back their is a short paragraph on each of the different animals in the book. This would be a good introduction to different types of animal homes.