Author Archives: Midge Livingston

Countries of the World: Canada

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By Monika Davies

Canada covers basic information of the country. It has appealing images and maps as well as words in bold that correlate to a Glossary at the end of the book. Readers will be interested in the unique animals of the northern area of the North American continent as well as some some of the people’s favorite sports such as: Curling and Hockey. Famous Canadian dishes such as: Poutine and the dessert, Beavertail are mentioned as well. This book is recommended for any library where students at a young age do country research or for English language learners.

The Blastoff! Readers Countries of the World series contains many informational chapters including but not limited to: All about the country, land and animals, life for the people, and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms that are in bold throughout the book as well as an index and a section with links and books to learn more about the country. These books are recommended for grades 1-3. They are at “Level 2 which offers early readers a bit more challenge through varied sentences, increased text load, and test-supportive special features.

Countries of the World: Brazil

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By Monika Davies

Brazil covers basic information of the country. It has appealing images and maps as well as words in bold that correlate to a Glossary at the end of the book. Readers will be interested in the unique animals of the Amazon and Brazil as well as some of the exotic items the people eat including: Quindim and sweet Brigadeiros. This book is recommended for any library where students at a young age do country research or for English language learners.

The Blastoff! Readers Countries of the World series contains many informational chapters including but not limited to: All about the country, land and animals, life for the people, and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms that are in bold throughout the book as well as an index and a section with links and books to learn more about the country. These books are recommended for grades 1-3. They are at “Level 2 which offers early readers a bit more challenge through varied sentences, increased text load, and test-supportive special features.

Countries of the World: Australia

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By Rebecca Sabelko

Australia covers basic information of the country. It has appealing images and maps as well as words in bold that correlate to a Glossary at the end of the book. Readers will be interested in the unique animals of the Australian continent as well as some of the exotic items the people eat including: Vegemite, Witchetty Grubs and sweet Lamingtons. This book is recommended for any library where students at a young age do country research or for English language learners.

The Blastoff! Readers Countries of the World series contains many informational chapters including but not limited to: All about the country, land and animals, life for the people, and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms that are in bold throughout the book as well as an index and a section with links and books to learn more about the country. These books are recommended for grades 1-3. They are at “Level 2 which offers early readers a bit more challenge through varied sentences, increased text load, and test-supportive special features.”

Too Cute! Baby Wolves

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By Elizabeth Neuenfeldt

Baby Wolves is a beginner reader non-fiction book that discusses the early part of the wolf’s life cycle from newborn to juvenile and finishes at adulthood. It is very descriptive about daily life, where they live, care for the baby, and family/pack structure. The images are adorable and will interest any young reader.

Part of a series from Bellwether Media, this beginner non-fiction book Contains: a sight word list, a Glossary, Index, Animal Facts and Links to reading level appropriate sites to get more information about the animal. This book is recommended for your elementary library.

Too Cute! Baby Cows

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by Rachel Barnes

Baby Cows is a beginner reader non-fiction book that discusses the early part of the cows life cycle from newborn to juvenile and finishes at adulthood. It is very descriptive about daily life, baby care, and family structure. The images are adorable and will interest any young reader.

Part of a series from Bellwether Media, this beginner non-fiction book Contains: a sight word list, a Glossary, Index, Animal Facts and Links to reading level appropriate sites to get more information about the animal. This book is recommended for your elementary library.

Too Cute! Baby Raccoons

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by Elizabeth Neuenfeldt

Baby Raccoons is a beginner reader non-fiction book that discusses the early part of the raccoons life cycle from newborn to juvenile and finishes at adulthood. It is very descriptive about daily life, where they live, how baby’s are cared for, and family structure. The images are adorable and will interest any young reader.

Part of a series from Bellwether Media, this beginner non-fiction book Contains: a sight word list, a Glossary, Index, Animal Facts and Links to reading level appropriate sites to get more information about the animal. This book is recommended for your elementary library.

Too Cute! Baby Squirrels

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By Elizabeth Neuenfeldt

Baby Squirrels is a beginner reader non-fiction book that discusses the early part of the squirrels life cycle from newborn to juvenile and finishes at adulthood. It is very descriptive about daily life, care of a baby squirrel and family structure. The images are adorable and will interest any young reader.

Part of a series from Bellwether Media, this beginner non-fiction book Contains: a sight word list, a Glossary, Index, Animal Facts and Links to reading level appropriate sites to get more information about the animal. This book is recommended for your elementary library.

Too Cute! Baby Monkeys

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By Rachel Barnes

Baby Monkeys is a beginner reader non-fiction book that discusses the early part of the monkey’s life cycle from newborn to juvenile and finishes at adulthood. It is very descriptive about daily life and family structure. The images are adorable and will interest any young reader.

Part of a series from Bellwether Media, this beginner non-fiction book Contains: a sight word list, a Glossary, Index, Animal Facts and Links to reading level appropriate sites to get more information about the animal. This book is recommended for your elementary library.

Too Cute! Baby Sloths

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Rachel Barnes

Baby Sloths is a beginner reader non-fiction book that discusses the early part of the sloth life cycle from newborn to juvenile and finishes at adulthood. It is very descriptive about daily life and family structure. The images are adorable and will interest any young reader.

Part of a series from Bellwether Media, this beginner non-fiction book Contains: a sight word list, a Glossary, Index, Animal Facts and Links to reading level appropriate sites to get more information about the animal. This book is recommended for your elementary library.

Noni the Pony Counts to a Million

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Alison Lester, Author/Illustrator

Noni returns in a fourth book about counting. Noni counts from one to ten but then expands to dozens, hundreds, thousands and finally ends under millions of stars. What a beautifully illustrated picture book that allows younger readers a better understanding of what these overwhelmingly large numbers are. I would recommend this book to be included within an elementary library’s counting books.

Walter Had a Best Friend

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Deborah Underwood, Author Sergio Ruzzier, Illustrator

Walter and Xavier are best friends until they meet Penelope. Soon, Walter no longer Is Xavier’s best friend. He is sad and lonely because his friendship is not the same now that Penelope is in the picture. He feels like there is a hole in his heart where Xavier used to be. Eventually, he decides that one sunny is going to be a good day. Walter goes out on his own to create his own adventure only to find that one can find friends in the most interesting places. This is a wonderful book about how friends come and go and that’s okay. I would highly recommend this picture book for elementary school.

Dark on Light

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Dianne White, Author, Felicita Sala, Illustrator

Children adventure out at dusk to see the world in a different way. These siblings discover things in the dark that are beautiful and mysterious and thus diminish their fear of the nighttime. This is a beautiful story with folk style art in which the rhythmical text blends in a way that young readers would enjoy.

Stories to Keep You Alive Despite Vampires

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By Ben Acker

This is the next book you should read after you have read and enjoyed “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”. As the reader you are being held captive in the house of vampires where you have found this book. Our narrator (and author) intertwines his story and experience with the vampires within the short stories written. The end has a great twist that will make you laugh. This collection of spooky short stories will be enjoyed by any student who likes to be scared and laugh about it. I would highly recommend this book for upper elementary and middle school students.

The Sleepever

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By Michael Regina

When Matthew and his mother and sister return home from a family vacation the find that their nanny has passed away suddenly. Ruby cannot be easily replaced and the entire family grieves. Things seem to be getting back to normal when Miss Swan arrives wanting the job. Still mourning, Matthew’s friends decide they want to come over for a sleepover to cheer him up. Miss Swan allows them to eat anything they want and do pretty much anything but soon, Matt starts to wonder if she is a witch with evil intentions. Will Matt, is sister and his friends survive the night? This is a suspenseful graphic novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. This book is recommended for 4 grade to 8th grade.

Busy Betty

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Written by Reese Witherspoon, Illustrated by Xindi Yan

Betty is a whimsical go-getter who is always on the move. When she is getting ready for a playdate she realizes that her dog, Frank, really needs a bath. This is where things go a little crazy. In her attempts to clean Frank, Betty makes things messier than ever. But when her friend, Mae, arrives with even better ideas, success is in the future. This book shows that even the best laid plans can go not as planned but that with resilience and ingenuity, one can be successful.

A Cat About Town

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Written and Illustrated by Lea Decan

This lovely book follows the adventures of a housecat who wanders to different place every day of the week. While there is only one owner for this adventurer, many know the cat well. Every day is a different experience with a different neighbor. This is a great book to introduce days of the week. The art is bold and appealing. All cat lovers would enjoy this book. As it seems oriented to such a young audience, I would recommend it as an extra purchase.

This Book is NOT a Present

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Written by Max Greenfield, Illustrated by Mike Lowery

This big print, humorous book focuses on how kids would not want a book as a gift for any holiday. It caters to the child who is always on the go and not wanting to sit at any time, let alone to read a book. As I read, I kept waiting for the twist at the end saying something to the effect of “huh, I guess I did enjoy reading a book and getting a book as a gift” but alas that never occured. I had mixed feelings about this book being in an elementary library and thus, I searched for other reviews online. There were many 5 star reviews that seemed to be from parents. Theses parents found this book to be hilarious and their children would want them to read it over and over again. After much thought and consideration, I would not recommend this purchase for a school library where funding is limited as it could discourage reading although it seems to be a hit for a bedtime story.

When You Take a Step

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By Bethanie Deeney Murguia

A short and sweet picture book that reflects on moving forward in life. It is a gentle book reflecting on peace and mindfulness as you walk your own path. The mostly black and white images are soft with pink shoes on every page showing how one can be curious, kind and thoughtful with every step on makes. This book would be a great extra purchase for any socio-emotional school curriculum.

I am Superman

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Written by Brad Meltzer, Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos

Brad Meltzer has added the series “Stories Change the World” to his repertoire after the success of the “Ordinary People Change the World” books. It is about the story of Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El. This book gives the backstory of Superman in a thoughtful way, explaining how what makes makes him an incredible person isn’t what he can do and how strong he is. It’s what is in his kind heart. The illustrations are what you would expect, remarkable! The pictures will attract emerging readers as well as older readers who want to read something quick and fun. I would recommend this fun and thought provoking graphic to all elementary grades. This is one of three books in this new series including Wonder Woman and Batman.

The Fantastic Flying Competition

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by Tjibbe Veldkamp & Sebastiaan Van Doninck

This whimsical picture book introduces young children to many different types of birds (as well as bats) in the race of the ages. Many teams fall to the wayside (the owls get a late start as they have slept in) and one team is cheating! This book has zany illustrations with a lot of color and will be popular with many of your young students. Who will win? You will not find out until you laugh your way through this fun picture book. Recommended for K-3.

Sharing a Smile by Nikki Kramar and pictures by Ashley Evans

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This timely picture books introduces us to Sophie who used to be so comfortable being around her neighbors, playing and helping and smiling with them. Now that they all have masks on things are different and Sophie is worried. What if she can’t tell they are smiling? As she watches she notices that her friend, Jenny from across the street looks very scared to go outside. Sophie and her grandfather make a plan to make not only Sophie comfortable but also her friend Jenny.

This is a great story about friendship and supporting each other during times of change. It is a gentle reminder to us, as adults, about how young children can feel with so many plain, sterile masked people in the world. I would highly recommend this book for the fall. A great read-a-loud for students returning to school.

Pascual and the Kitchen Angels

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Written and Illustrated by Tomie dePaola

Pascual was touched by God at a very young age. Initially, he was a shepherd but as a young adult he felt the desire to feed the poor and thus he decided to become a friar. He traveled to a Franciscan monastery where the friars asked him to become their cook. Not knowing anything about a kitchen, he prayed to God and angels came to the kitchen where they made incredible meals. Pascual never did learn to cook but by the gift of God he provided food to the friars as well as the poor. An author’s note at the end of the book explains that Pascual is the patron saint of cooks and the kitchen. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is light. I would recommend this book as an extra purchase for an elementary library.

Rover and Speck: This Planet Rocks!

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By Jonathan Roth

This fun graphic novel is an adventure that delves into the science of terrestrial planets. Rover lands on a planet and is ready to search for information only to find Speck who had landed before and was unable to power up it’s solar panels. Once Speck is charged up, they travel in search of life forms. They discover a type of “rock creature” and find that they are friendly when they hear music. While the story is not realistic, there are many facts about planets that are interspersed throughout the book. The back pages show images of the Mars and the Rover that was sent to it. Students will enjoy this book and learn along the way – Highly Recommended!

Rick: the Rock of Room 214

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Written by Julie Falatko, Illustrated by Ruth Chan

Rick is a rock who lives on a shelf with other items found outdoors by students that learn in room 214. Rick finds that the students seem to have many adventures and he wants them too. He wants to be the rock that does more that sit. He wants to have adventures like going through a volcano, falling off cliffs and posing on a majestic mountain. One day, he falls into a backpack and goes outside looking for new things to do. What he finds are many rocks who are quiet, and no longer want adventures in their lives. Will Rick find what he wants or will he end up being a quiet rock sitting in a field? This is a very cute book that wonderfully explains how one can find adventure and enjoy life wherever one is, even if it is just sitting on a shelf in a classroom. I would highly recommend this one!

Tim Possible & the Time-Traveling T. Rex

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Written by Axel Maisy

The main character, Tim Possible, is an adventurous boy who worries a lot. He and his best friend, Tito, run into a time traveling T-Rex whose time machine has turned evil. This humorous and adventuresome book will be a great addition to a library that may see a need for more books along the vein of “Captain Underpants”, “DogMan” or “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”.