Author Archives: Kerry Beardsley

Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough by Hailey Rocco

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Hailey Rocco’s book, Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough will inspire young naturalists and environmental activists alike. The biography follows his career, while also tracing the disappearance of so many of the wild places he loves. The book gives the reader a clear understanding of Attenborough’s love of the natural word and his concern with its future without overcomplicating either concept beyond an elementary level. Kids in many different grades will be able to connect in some way with this text. John Rocco’s gorgeous illustrations help the reader see what so enthralled Attenborough with the world in which we live. This book would make a wonderful gift for any child with a love of the outdoors.

Cat Vs. Vac by Kaz Windness

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A relaxing day is ruined for three pets by the arrival of a new vacuum cleaner.The pets must work together to take down the destructive intruder. Part of the “Ready to Read” books, this level one reader is primarily written in two word sentences with many onomatopoeias. Kids will enjoy the lively illustrations and get a kick out of some of the grosser items that end up in the vacuum.

Saving Zalea by Nicola Jones

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The story begins with Zalea, a northern spotted owl, falling from her nest. Researchers find her and take her to a rehabilitation center. The rest of the book tracks Zalea’s recovery story and life at the research center until her release back into the wild. Alongside this recovery story, the author provides detailed information about owls as well as endangered animals, egg incubation, biologists, and more. 

This is a challenging book for elementary age readers due to the fact that it is quite long and the information about Zalea is interspersed with additional nonfiction content, but any child who reads this book will come away with a wealth of knowledge. The glossary of terms at the back will help them develop new vocabulary and access the information within the book, and the story of Zalea’s successful recovery will fill them with hope and inspiration.

Morocco (Countries of the World)

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Featuring maps, photographs, graphs, and fast facts, the Countries of the World series is perfect for primary readers looking to gather information about various countries for reports or general knowledge. The series presents information about habitats, animals, language, religion, sports, and other key details about the countries and their people using simple, easy to understand sentences.

From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert to the beautiful beaches, young readers will enjoy learning about the country of Morocco. The food and drinks, markets, and sports are all presented through short, easy to understand sentences. Students will come away with a clear overview of this country and its people. The main take away for many kids, though, will likely be a love of the adorable sand cat.

Pakistan (Countries of the World)

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Featuring maps, photographs, graphs, and fast facts, the Countries of the World series is perfect for primary readers looking to gather information about other countries for reports or general knowledge. The series presents information about habitats, animals, language, religion, sports, and other key details about the countries and their people using simple, easy to understand sentences.

From the second tallest mountain in the world to the beaches of the southern coast, this book provides an overview of the diverse landscape of Pakistan in a way early readers will understand. There are photographs of both cities and villages as well kids and adults engaged in a variety of activities. Kids will also enjoy seeing animals, like the markhor, they may not have heard of before. This would be a great addition to any school or classroom library.

The Most Magnificent Maker’s A to Z by Ashley Spires

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    This ABC book pairs perfectly with the popular The Most Magnificent Thing. As readers go through the alphabet, we follow the maker as she tries to create yet another magnificent thing. Each featured word or phrase is followed by descriptions that support STEAM thinking, like “Q is for QUESTIONS. Why isn’t it working? What would make it better?” Readers will be inspired as the maker “Experiments” and makes “Mistakes” until the girl and her pup assistant find success.

    Alex Morgan (Sports Superstars Series)

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    “Sports Superstars” presents biographies of some of today’s most popular athletes. These books introduce the athlete’s background with a focus on how they became the superstars they are today. There are also numerous “fun facts” about everything from their favorite hobby to what’s on their trophy shelves. Full of nonfiction text features, these books would be great for students writing reports, getting an introduction to biographies, or just learning about one of their favorite athletes.

    Alex Morgan has been inspiring young soccer players for over ten years, and this biography shows why. Following her early skill in the sport, hard work in school, and eventual success on the world stage, the book gives a full picture of why Alex Morgan is such a superstar. Morgan’s role in the US Women’s National Team’s fight for equal pay also gives students a model for self-advocacy. I highly recommend adding this biography to any school library.

    A Bindi Can Be… by Suma Subramaniam

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    Suma Subramaniam’s joyful book highlights all the things a bindi can be to the young narrator of this story. The illustrations are bright, beautiful, and full of the delight the girl feels while wearing her bindi. The book does a fantastic job balancing providing information about what a bindi is and celebrating its place on the girl’s forehead. The back of the book features information about what bindis are, why people wear them, and how they are made. There is also a glossary of terms and pronunciation guide to help anyone not familiar with the terminology in the book. This is a great addition to any home or school library.

    Kevin Durant (Sports Superstars Series)

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    “Sports Superstars” presents biographies of some of today’s most popular athletes. These books introduce the athlete’s background with a focus on how they became the superstars they are today. There are also numerous “fun facts” about everything from their favorite hobby to what’s on their trophy shelves. Full of nonfiction text features, these books would be great for students writing reports, getting an introduction to biographies, or just learning about one of their favorite athletes.

    After watching team USA take home the gold medal in the 2024 Olympics, kids will love learning more about superstar Kevin Durant. Kids will also enjoy the early photographs of Durant and learning about how his long career began. The book follows his career from being drafted to the NBA through championships and trades to where he is today. It also gives information about his career threatening injury and how he now supports injured athletes on their road to recovery. This is an inspiring and high interest pick for any school library.

    Cristiano Ronaldo (Sports Superstars Series)

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    “Sports Superstars” presents biographies of some of today’s most popular athletes. These books introduce the athlete’s background with a focus on how they became the superstars they are today. There are also numerous “fun facts” about everything from their favorite hobby to what’s on their trophy shelves. Full of nonfiction text features, these books would be great for students writing reports, getting an introduction to biographies, or just learning about one of their favorite athletes.

    The debate about whether Messi or Ronaldo holds the title of greatest soccer player of all time is often heard in the sports section of my library. This book is the perfect resource for all those kids needing some backup for their argument that it is, in fact, Ronaldo. The book provides a timeline of Ronaldo’s rise to soccer stardom and also gives information about his business enterprises. This one won’t stay on the shelf.

    Chloe Kim (Sports Superstars Series)

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    “Sports Superstars” presents biographies of some of today’s most popular athletes. These books introduce the athlete’s background with a focus on how they became the superstars they are today. There are also numerous “fun facts” about everything from their favorite hobby to what’s on their trophy shelves. Full of nonfiction text features, these books would be great for students writing reports, getting an introduction to biographies, or just learning about one of their favorite athletes.

    Chloe Kim has been a competitive snowboarder since the time she was six years old. By age eight, she was training with the U.S national team. Young snowboarders and athletes of all types will love learning about Kim’s path and successes. There are numerous interesting facts about Kim’s traditions, her favorite things, and even her own Barbie doll. This is a great addition to any school library.

    Like Lava in My Veins by Derrick Barnes

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    Derrick Barnes has created yet another empowering and engaging picture book that will inspire elementary age kids. Like Lava in My Veins follows Bobby Beacon as he starts at a new school for kids with superpowers. Bobby has the power to control fire and lava, but when he gets heated, those powers can get away from him. His teacher at his new school doesn’t understand Bobby or see his amazing talents, and he ends up in the principal’s office. When he’s transferred to a new class, though, Bobby finally starts to feel seen and understand how to control his fire. This picture book is drawn in graphic novel style, which will make it immediately appealing to many readers, but it’s also a phenomenal story for social emotional development. I love that his “fire” is shown to be a superpower. The book showed the value of controlled anger when faced with injustice, which is something I haven’t seen tackled in a picture book. Like Lava in My Veins is a unique and powerful book that will be appreciated by adults and kids alike.

    This Wolf Was Different by Katie Slivensky

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    A wolf cub is born to a pack, but she doesn’t feel or act like her brothers and sisters. She is, as the title says, a little bit different. Eventually the wolf finds something else in the forest that is quite different, and a bond is formed. This lovely imagining of how wolves began their transition to domestication will capture the hearts of young wolf and dog lovers alike. The beautiful illustrations add to the dreamy quality of this envisioned tale. The text is simple enough to be understood by very young readers but the ideas are complex enough to capture the imagination of mid level elementary students as well.

    Yaya and the Sea by Karen Good Marable

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    Yaya and the Sea lets readers follow along on a special trip to the ocean. The book begins with Yaya and her mom waking before dawn and traveling through the city to meet Yaya’s aunties on the train. On the train, Yaya listens to her mom and her friends chat, and we understand how fortunate she feels to be included on this journey. When they reach their destination, we get to watch along with Yaya as the four friends participate in a special ritual to welcome spring and new beginnings. Tonya Engel’s illustrations depict this peaceful and significant moment in beautiful detail. Yaya and the Sea is a lovely story, and I can see many readers wanting to take this serene journey with Yaya time and time again.

    These Olive Trees by Aya Ghanameh

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    Aya Ghanameh tells the story of her grandmother’s youth in Palestine. Oraib has a deep connection to the olives she collects with her mother, and, together, they use the olives in many ways to aid and improve their lives in the refugee camp. When the war comes to their camp, Oraib is forced to quickly gather her things to leave the only home she has known. As she leaves, Oraib uses an olive to give a message of hope for a better tomorrow. Ghanameh does a nice job presenting a complicated and heartbreaking story in a child-appropriate manner. The illustrations of Oraib and her family are charming, while the illustrations of the occupying forces as large ghostly hands are powerful and haunting. The author’s note in the back gives additional information about her grandmother’s story and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. 

    Ethan and the Strays by John Sullivan

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    Ethan spots three stray kittens on his way to school one morning. He is immediately captivated by them and starts visiting them every day on his way home. Though his brother insists their dad would never let them get a cat, he helps Ethan learn more about stray cats and how they survive. The book also teaches about a local vet’s trap, neuter, return process to prevent more kittens from ending up on the streets. 

    Kids will immediately connect with Ethan’s obsession with the adorable strays and will be inspired by his quest to make sure they are okay. Hatem Aly’s illustrations will further enthrall kids as they see the kittens run, eat, and play. This is a great book for any animal lover.

    Log Life by Amy Hevron

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    The story begins with a tree falling in the forest. The reader follows along with what happens next as the end of one life creates a habitat for fungi, plants, and animals. Young readers will be able to follow along with the simple descriptions of complex concepts and will learn about a wide variety of forest dwellers. Hevron’s charming illustrations add to the tranquil feeling the book gives as we watch one thousand years of life pass by over the course of 40 pages. Young nature lovers will be fascinated by all they see and inspired to go out searching for nurse logs to investigate.

    Parker’s Big Feelings by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry

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    Parker is new at her school, and everything seems to be going wrong. She has a disastrous day, is missing her best friend, and just wants some alone time when she gets home. When her siblings make that impossible, Parker’s mom helps her come up with ways to turn her day around. Kids will connect with this relatable story and also gain ideas for working through big emotions. 
    From the New York Times bestselling authors of Parker Looks Up, the simple sentences in this Ready-to-Read level one book will be accessible to younger readers and valuable to all kids.

    Critter-Cam Monkey Cam by Margie Palatini

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    This energetic pre-level one reader follows a monkey as it zips around and encounters other animals. The pages juxtapose the reader’s view of the monkey’s interactions with the monkey’s point of view through the monkey-cam strapped to its head. Most pages contain only one or two words, making it a great book for beginning readers.
    This author and illustrator also team up for the adorable Kitty-Cam and Shark-Cam, so kids can enjoy the opportunity to compare the videos the animals are creating.

    See Otto Say Hi! by David Milgrim

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    Otto the robot is desperately trying to befriend Tweet the bird. He tries everything from offering a full bag of chips to baking a lovely cake for Tweet. Otto eventually finds more success than he could have imagined. The book is a pre-level one reader with short sentences that use common sight words. Other words are either decodable or come with a picture clue, making it a great choice for beginning readers. This engaging and accessible book is part of “The adventures of Otto” series.