What is killing all the bees?  In 2006, beekeepers were horrified to discover that high percentages of their honeybee populations were dying out.  Here, Markle discusses the many theories about what could be killing the bees, and along the way, readers learn much about the beekeeping industry, the importance of bees in the larger ecosystem, and life inside a bee’s colony.  The informative text is laid out on large pages, accompanied by close-up photos of bees and other relevant images.  Although the presentation of the information is accessible enough for elementary school students, the complexity of the problem of the bee disappearance is plain.  Markle is a master at communicating information in a clear and engaging way.  This is an important, well-presented introduction to the problem of bee depletion – one which will educate future adults about the high stakes of this looming danger.

The Gristle Grunt, the Ink Blight, the Two-Headed Mutant Rodent, the Shark Hound – these are just a few of the monstrous creatures featured in Morton’s story.  It begins innocently enough – a family finds a statue which grants three wishes.  Dark magic and the blind former owner of their new home are at the root of the trouble.  Fisher’s story feels like a slightly more sophisticated heir to the Goosebumps series.  At the center of the bound volume are pages printed with information about and images of creatures from “The Monster Deck.”  This title will appeal to kids looking for adventures and monster goodness – although they may be sorry that they must look at the website for the book to see the monsters in color.  Each of the three siblings involved in the story have their own character arcs, as they each cope with personal tragedy and supernatural happenings in different ways.  At nearly 300 pages, this title is hefty, and will be a fun challenge for monster-obsessed readers.

Pro Stock motorcycles are custom built for racing.  They are similar to street bikes but have more powerful engines, light weight tubular steel frames, and an aerodynamic chassis.  Bikes reach upwards of 195 mph and races end is less than 7 seconds.  The front wheel is for steering, the rear one is larger (10″ wide) to provide maximum grip on the track.  A “wheelie” bar prevents the bike from flipping.  Riders wear padded leather suits, gloves, boots, and a helmet for protection.  Xtreme Fact boxes state additional facts such as the tires only last about 8 drag strip runs and that acceleration force is similar to the lift off of the space shuttle!  Several racers are mentioned with their statistics.  A glossary is in the back but the words are not indicated within the text.  An index is also included.  Photographs show details on the bikes as well as action during a race.  Those attracted to sport bikes will be drawn to this series.

Indy cars are wide, flat, use the latest technology, and can reach speeds upwards of 200 mph.  They run on ethanol, a biofuel made from corn and sugar cane.  High speeds cause the tires to get extremely hot which helps hold them to the track.  Drivers must wear fire-resistant protective suits which cover them from head to foot.  Races are held around the world on speedways or street courses.  The race positions for the 33 drivers are determined by the highest qualifying speeds.  These are just some of the facts presented in this book of these amazing cars.  The famous Indianapolis 500, first run in 1911, will take two days and cover 500 miles (200 laps).  Fans will recognize names of a few drivers mentioned.  A labeled photo shows specific parts of a race car.  Photos are well chosen to support the large text.  Highlighted text is defined on the page as well as in the glossary.  Fast Fact boxes provide additional interesting facts.  A glossary, books for further reading, an index, and an internet site are included in the back.  The publisher website also provides additional games and projects.  Those attracted to race cars will be drawn to this series.

Hannah and Caitlin are best friends and decide to try out for a place on the dance squad at school.  Caitlin is naturally athletic and the moves come easily to her.  Hannah struggles with the moves but wants to do well.  When Caitlin wants to go shopping or hang out with a boy, Hannah is torn.  She wants to be friends with Caitlin, but she also wants to practice and get better at the routines.  She chooses practicing over spending time with her best friend.  After their friendship suffers some rocky moments, it pays off.  Hannah got a solo spot on the dance teams and Caitlin returns to being a good friend.  The story line is predictable but the main focus of being true to one’s self and practicing to accomplish a goal is strong.  Included in the back of the book with a paragraph about the author and illustrator, is a glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and descriptions of four styles of dance – ballet, tap, hip-hop, and jazz.

Main character, Norris Fowler, is hard to like.  He is a bully, cuts in line, steals lunches, cheats in school, and when put in charge of the teacher’s prize cactus, accidently destroys it.  He is constantly scheming how to shift blame from himself in order to be liked.  His father owns the local cannery.  As outsiders, his family does not truly understand coastal life, especially when a gigantic lobster is caught.  Norris finally comes to appreciate the value of community during a large auction which will decide the fate of the giant lobster.  A note on the jacket flap indicates that this book is the second in a trilogy that tells how the capturing of the large lobster affects the lives of three boys in a coastal, presumably Maine, town.  This book stands fine on its own, but having all three would give a more well-rounded story of this community.

This is a beautiful book.  I love the illustrations and the story.  This is a story of Alfonso who loves Ida, but Ida doesn’t even look at him she is always reading.  He decides to bake her an apple cake.

Alfonso makes the cake and puts it in the oven to bake and Ida looks up to see what smells so good.  Together they eat the cake.

There is a recipe for Apple Cake in the back of the book.

This book will fill the ‘outlier’ spot in the primary grades COMMUNITY units.

Three reasons are stated for why homes move and not just the people: “so  their animals can find food” ( p.5), “to sell things in different places “ (p. 6), and “to see new places.” ( p. 7) These moving homes shown inside and out include: house boats, mobile homes, and tents- both past and present.

There are one or two large font print sentences beneath each photo on each page.

Last but not least from page 24, there is a list of countries of where these photos /homes are from: Kerala, India; Turmi, Africa; Daraw, Egypt; United States; Kashmir, India; Marseille, France; Russia; Omnogov, Asia; Khovsgol Province, Mongolia; Kyrgyzstan; Tunisia; Canada; County Mayo, Ireland; and Bamiyan, Afghanistan.  ... “Discuss how homes provide us with a place to eat and sleep, and keep people and their things safe from the weather.”

Wow, I need to get out and see more of this world!

This is a counting book for PreK- through first grade. There are no facts or descriptions of the animals in this book.

Full-page photos (7″ x 6″) are on the left page and a 4.5 inch tall baby blue numeral with the number word and name of the animal superimposed on top of it are on the right page. The name of the animal is enclosed inside a bubble on the left page: humpback whale, crab, clownfish, sea lion, starfish, African penguins, brown pelicans, octopus, sea nettles (jellyfish), and stingray.  There are ten pages of this.

Example ( Humpback whale)   1   one whale,  (Crab) 2 two claws,(Clownfish) 3 fish, (Sea lion) 4 four flippers…

Only the sea nettles does not have its name inside a bubble on the left hand page.

The animals fill the space nicely and the parts are easy to see for counting.

This 7.5 ” x 6.25 ” book captures 6 different Arctic animals. Each animal is presented with a fact or two in large font print followed by an addition sentence. The number of  animal(s) on the left page are added to the number of animals on the right page for six consecutive page turns.

caribou 1+3=4, Arctic foxes 1+1=2, Arctic wolves 2+3=5, fur seals 2+2=4, polar bears 1+3=4, and walruses 2+4=6

This book supports the national science standards, too.

For those readers who want more the NOW TRY THIS! page asks the reader(s) to find pictures of animals in magazines or online to create their own animal number sentences.

This is a book I couldn’t put down until I had finished it.  Like Folger’s coffee, it was good to the last drop.  When Marcel and Alexa’s parents were murdered by a black sorcerer (an evil sorcerer who could cause fire), they knew they would be taken by the king’s soldiers back to the castle.  Boys train for the army and girls go to the breeding house.  The girls’ fate was worse than death, as they were repeatedly raped and starved and held prisoner in the house, giving birth to future soldiers or breeders.  They weren’t given a chance to be mothers.  Knowing what lay ahead for them,  fourteen-year-old Alexa decided to pass as a boy; after all, she was tall and could fight as well, if not better, than her brother.  They cut off her hair, she lowered her voice, and they both became recognized fighters in Prince Damian’s guard.  Alex, as she/he was now known as, was the best fighter of all the guard.  Alex becomes the Prince’s personal guard and learns his secrets to overthrow his father, the king.  The plot is strong and the characters are well developed.  This is a book that displays a strong female lead character, a young lady who gains the strength to stand up for who she is and what she can become.

Eleven year old Gregory is the middle child in a family who loves math.  His father and older brother have won City Math competitions.  His mother is an accountant and his younger sister is also quite accomplished in math.  Gregory hates it, doesn’t understand it, and can’t seem to tell his parents the truth.  What he loves is writing poetry.  He is failing math, but his teacher has given him an opportunity to earn extra credit by journaling about math.  Gregory has hopes of going to Author Camp with his best friend Kelly.  He lies to her about telling his parents.  He lies to his parents about signing up for the City Math Competition.  He lies to himself thinking it will all work out.  Along the way, he learns about Fibonacci and how math “rules” impact poetry and science.  Gregory finally discovers a way to help him deal with math while doing the writing he loves.  Before, he was casual, at best, when completing assignments.  With new direction, he finds purpose and passion in his work.  Pincus has blended a love for math and a love for writing in a story that encourages respect for the different perspectives of both.  The “Fibs” are short, six line poems following the Fibonacci sequence – 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and are also the chapter headings.

A young girl and her best friend do all kinds of things together.  One day she decides to create the most magnificent thing.  After gathering supplies and setting up in an out-of-the-way place, she begins to work.  Through the illustrations, the reader knows the best friend is a dog and the private work space is the middle of a busy sidewalk.  The process of making something new does not go smoothly, so she tosses her first attempt aside and starts over.  Again, it does not work.  Illustrations show her facial expressions go from hopeful to frustrated to angry.  None of the creations are magnificent.  The angrier she gets, the less careful she is until she explodes!  (“It is not her finest moment.”)  As she and her dog go for a walk, she begins to calm down.  Returning to her failed attempts, she see parts that were right, and she begins to work one more time.  Again, the illustrations add to the story as they show neighbors finding use for her failures and begin carrying them away.  At last she is successful.  The final illustration shows the girl on her scooter with her dog sitting in a new side-car seat!  There are many messages in this amusing story: the scientific method when experimenting or inventing, it is OK to make mistakes, and perseverance.  Wonderful vocabulary enrichment in all the related verbs!  Spires’ use of color and white space help focus on details of the story.

Amelia, a small girl, and Nilson, a giant blue gorilla, are always together.  Usually both play happily, but occasionally something goes wrong and Nilson throws a huge fit.  Amelia calms him by saying, “No fits, Nilson” and distracts him with something positive (banana pancakes, favorite froggy coin purse, etc.) As they go through the day doing errands at the grocery store, Post Office, and standing in lines, Amelia is able to help Nilson cope with disappointments.  At the end of the day when there is no banana ice cream, Amelia needs Nilson to calm her down.  That night in bed, Amelia hugs her small, stuffed toy gorilla as she wishes “No Fits Nilson” sweet banana dreams.  Everyone needs to control one’s temper at one time or another and this story of Amelia and Nilson show how a favorite toy can be a successful coping tool.  The illustrations resemble woodcuts and are large and colorful.  Text is large and in simple sentences.  Good addition to libraries needing books for young readers on being in control of one’s emotions.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the entire alphabet fit into this ABC concept book. Only “X” (ax) and “Z” ( Oz) did not appear as the first letter of the word for the letter being represented. “ Letter A is for Aunt Em. B is for a balloon ride. A cyclone spins a letter C. D is Dorothy no surprise! ”      ( pages 4-5) Notice how the color pops out and matches the ‘letter’ and the letter in the word.

Timothy Banks light-hearted characters are darling.

If I were to change anything, I would have the word ‘straw’  on the S page and the word ‘Winkies‘ on the W page begin with the colored letter,  in addition to ‘scarecrow’ and  ‘wicked witch of the West.’

A quick one paragraph retelling of the Wizard of Oz  story is told at the end of the alphabet.

AND by checking the book’s Index the entire list of ABC words is recapped.

Characteristics about the giraffe are presented in simple text, with 2-3 sentences per page.  Color photographs are well chosen to illustrate each fact.  One will learn about giraffe necks, what they eat and how, the spots, knobs on their heads, speed and where they live.  Details are very appropriate for young readers wanting to know more about the giraffe or creating a report.  Other books in this series are: elephant, manatee, panda, sea turtle, and shale shark.  Based on Giraffe, this series appears to be a good addition to an elementary library.

This humorous basic retelling of the traditional Little Red Riding Hood tale contains a surprise ending.  The text is simple and the red and black illustrations are sketchy with jagged lines on a clear white background.  Although the sentences are also spare, they are written in cursive which may require an older audience.  Text for the wolf is written in black; text for Little Red is in red.  She points out the obvious large ears, big eyes, sharp teeth and when he says “all the better to eat you with”, Little Red responds with an unbelievable “No”.  When questioned, she tells him he has stinky breath and offers him a sweet.  The candy is poisoned.  As the wolf topples over in a red death, Little Red’s last word is “Fool!”  No need to be rescued by others for her.  Sweet ending?  Not?  Either way, it is a new take on an old tale.

Trains seem to remain popular for the youngest readers and this book is no exception.  Written for the very beginning reader, this book uses simple vocabulary and repetitive phrases.  The emphasis is on order: first, next, and then, and last.  Illustrated with beautifully saturated colors and published with a sturdy binding, sure to last.

100 Hungry Monkeys is a counting book, each page full of monkeys first looking for something to eat, then running into a monster, and then escaping.  Each pair of pages offers small items to find and read.  Kids will enjoy counting all of them.