Wonders of the Night Sky: Astronomy Starts with Just Looking Up

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By Raman Prinja; illustrated by Jan Bielecki

This richly illustrated book of astronomy is a visual delight of information and drawings that beautifully explain the night sky. Because the images are created by an artist, constellations not only show the location of stars, but show the image that the stars represent. For example, the constellation Orion is explained & various stars are explained and the Orion Nebula is zoomed out so you can see it up close. The book covers all manner of topics someone looking at the night sky might be interested in knowing – from best ways to watch the night sky to what constellations you might see at various times of the year, phases of the moon, the milky way, our galaxy and beyond.  All are explained in student-friendly, detailed language and gorgeous illustrations. Want to know more about moon landings? A lovely 2 page spread gives you the highlights with explanatory images. Want to understand comets and asteroids?  Easy to understand explanations and illustrations that zoom in and out to show you the close up and the distant all on beautiful 2-page spreads. The back of the book includes some hands-on activities students can make and do followed by a Glossary, ways to find out more, and an index to help the reader locate the specific information they want. This is going to be a popular book with my astronomy fans in my middle school. It is a feast for the eyes as well as the mind.

Behind the Brand books

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a Blastoff Discovery series intended for grade 4 readers, interest through 8th grade

Nintendo – by Paige Polinsky, ISBN:979-8-88687-143-2

Pokemon – by Betsy Rathburn , ISBN: 979-8-88687-144-9

Star Wars – by Paige Polinsky , ISBN: 979-8-88687-145-6

Disney – by Sara Green , ISBN: 979-8-88687-140-1

Lego – by Sara Green , ISBN: 979-8-88687-141-8

Minecraft – by Sara Green , ISBN: 979-8-88687-142-5

Each book in the Behind the Brand books follows a similar format with a look at how the brand is used in the world today, followed by a bit of history of how and where the brand got started. Mini-biographies of key players in the development of the product help the reader get to know the real people behind the companies that created favorite products of many students. Each book shows how the companies give back to their communities or the world with charitable events or money to various charitable organizations. By the end, readers see other ways fans of each brand can become involved beyond each product with cosplay events, conventions, or the like. Each book includes a glossary of key challenging words that were bolded during the reading of the book, ways to learn more from the library or a FactSurfer website, and an index that students can use to quickly get to a page on a specific part of the book. I appreciated the logical organization of information, the bold photographs and additional infographics included throughout each book. They were all engaging books about brands that are very popular. Some of the books had cross-connections. For instance, the book about Star Wars included information about Disney and the Disney book mentioned Star Wars. Similarly, the Pokemon & Nintendo books had crossovers. These are in their Blastoff! Discovery level, indicating books are at a 4th grade reading level. In my middle school library, anything about Minecraft gets frequently checked out. I’m sure this series will find footing with readers who love these products!

Squad Goals: The Unstoppable Women of the US Women’s National Soccer Team

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By Laurie Calkhoven, illustrated by Monique Dong

A Ready to Read, level 3 book

This is an easy reader book about the history of women in soccer in the U.S., including some short biographies of some of the famous players of the sport like Mia Hamm, Megan Rapino, Trinity  Rodman, and more. The book is intended for elementary school readers, but is also appropriate for struggling middle school readers. The book includes a table of contents, tips for learning 3 basic soccer skills, history of not just women’s soccer, facts and figures about the game, and a quiz the reader can take at the end to see how much they learned. The book is illustrated with drawings, rather than with photographs. Since it is part of a leveled reading series, it should help teachers get the book in the right hands, but might turn off some readers at middle level.

A Work in Progress

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By Jarrett Lerner

Will Chamber’s life is profoundly changed by an episode of bullying in a 4th grade hallway where he is publicly humiliated by Nick Fisher who loudly calls him FAT. Over the next 3 years, he internalizes the label & is more a bully to himself than any continued taunting by anyone else. He comes to hate himself and believe he is unlovable and that no one would want to be his friend. He quickly alienates the 3 friends he’s always had and becomes a loner in baggy clothes. Much of the book takes place when he decides he has to change his habits with food and quickly develops some very unhealthy food and mental behaviors during 7th grade. This verse novel is very accessible to middle school readers – even the reluctant ones. Few words on the page, paired with scribbled sketches like one might put in notebooks, pull you into Will’s self-destructive world. The addition of a skateboarding character who moves school frequently is a pivotal moment in the book. Will meets Markus during lunchtime behind the auditorium where Will hides during lunch and Markus just wants to skateboard. Markus begins to help him after a sad scene where he hits rock bottom. He finally gets help from his parents, his new friend, a doctor and a therapist. I liked that the book is about a boy with an eating disorder. We don’t see many books that help us see that it’s not just a problem girls face. There are resources for help at the back of the book to help anyone who sees themselves struggling in a similar situation. For anyone who feels “less than” the book shines a light on the possibility of hope in being, not perfect, but rather a work in progress. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and know it will do well in my middle school library.

Nayra and the Djinn

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By Iasmin Omar Ata

Nayra Mansour’s life is in chaos. Pressure from her family, bullying at school, and a friendship demanded from her only other friend all make her world challenging. Her family fasts during the Muslim holiday Ramadan, though something is different this year during fasting. A mythical Djinn has appeared in the human world. His life is also in chaos. As Nayra and the Djinn Marjan meet, Iasmin Omar Ata weaves his story to create a very interesting book. Nayra’s world is interrupted and enriched by their new friendship. I think that readers that really like graphic novels with a kinda soft and a cute style of drawing will really like this book. The drawing is really top rated, and as a person who doesn’t really like bright colors, the pastel and calm colors were really great for me. I really like how the author wove Islamic folklore and the tradition of fasting into this book. Another  thing that I could relate to in this book was the pressure from her mom.  I could relate a lot to the main character of this book. The plot and the conflict in this book between Marjan and Zirkouniya, as well as between Nayra and Rami, kept me interested throughout the whole book. Overall, I really liked this book and its writing and drawings and would give it a 5 out 5 stars!.

Review by 6th grader, Victoria L.

Biblioburro: Una Historia de Columbia

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By Jeanette Winter; traducción de Alexis Romay

This image is the cover in English; Book reviewed is in Spanish.

This Spanish language book is a true story from Columbia about a man named Luis who wanted to take books to children in Columbia. He bought two burrows named Alpha and Beto. He built book holders that hung over the burros backs and loaded the books. Each week he traveled over  mountains, through prairies, and crossed creeks to get books to children. Beautiful and colorful artwork. Very enjoyable. This book in Spanish is perfect for students who are fluent in Spanish or who are bilingual and want to brush up on their Spanish reading skills. It’s intended for elementary school students (K-4), but I think middle school readers will also enjoy the sweet story and the basic Spanish vocabulary. The book is also available in English, in which case I would recommend it for K-4 & not middle school.

Review by Julie Stringfellow at KMS

Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth

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By L.E. Carmichael; illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler

This beautiful picture book is a gorgeous collection of information and illustrations about the Arctic and Antarctic and the life that inhabits these cold, icy landscapes. The artwork is full of cool colors and an almost lithographic feel to the designs. I can’t tell if it’s painted, airbrushed, lithographic, or some combination of all. Some sharp lines & some soft layered ones. I found the artwork beautiful, stark and a perfect complement to the harsh environment about which it was depicting. The text is rich with information about the polar regions. Much of the book is arranged by months of the year & the various events that happen in different seasons. Interestingly, it is organized from March to March. Each 2 page spread includes one page on the Arctic and one page on the Antarctic – showing contrasting seasons nicely. The 2 pages also feature a similar topic, for example the pages on June feature information about how insects adapt to the cold regions in summer in the Arctic versus winter in Antarctica. The book finishes with information about climate change and how the polar caps are seeing the great consequences which only seem to be getting worse. The reader is left with some ways to take action and learn more. The book also includes a glossary and a list of resources for further reading. This is a picture book that flows nicely through the middle grades and extends beyond elementary school. The text is tiny and much more appropriate for upper elementary or middle school readers.

The House that Ruth Built

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By Kelly Bennett; illustrated by Susanna Covelli

This is a picture book that can be read at many different levels. It is a simple poem of a story that could be read aloud to young students – or older ones to analyze the literary elements of the central story. It is a book rich with supplementary text in small print on both sides of the central story that could be enjoyed by more adventuresome upper elementary or middle school students really interested in all things historical about Babe Ruth, the early days of baseball, and the Yankees.  These side panel pieces include information on the Star-Spangled Banner, Cracker Jacks, Early Baseball Leagues, Rocks and Stones (early forms of the game), Baseball caps, Bats, Gloves, and Balls, and many, many more. The artwork of the central story pulls you in and helps you feel as if you’re there on the opening day of a brand new Yankee Stadium. The historical photographs and real memorabilia of the side panels contrast and visually allow the reader to focus on one or the other.  I thought this was a beautiful book about Babe Ruth and the early days of baseball, sure to be enjoyed by both casual baseball fans and those with a passion for all things baseball!

Bad Drawer by Seth Fishman

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Seth has a great story idea but there is just one problem, he can’t draw. He does have a lot of friends that are really good at drawing, but Seth is a bad drawer. What if he teams up with his friends to tell his story about the mouse named Bailey and Catbird half cat, half bird?

Different illustrators contributed to the making of this book and are the friends that are good at drawing mentioned in the story. The illustrations showed the different styles of the illustrators as they were introduced to the story.

The theme of working together and playing to each others strengths was effective. I do wish that it was emphasized that even his simple drawings were clear and we all can draw, especially considering the audience the book is geared towards.

How to Succeed in Witchcraft

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I went into this book expecting a re-imagined magical world AKA Harry Potter. So, I was pleasantly surprised with Aislinn Brophy’s portrayal of a magical high school. One that is supper focused on success and the pressure that entails for the students. I also appreciated how the story dealt with exploitation and predatory behavior many teens face.

Love Radio

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Review by Harmony M., 10th grade student

Love Radio is a classic black love story: heartbreak, vulnerability, and learning to trust again. Dani is a passionate young woman who wants to thrive at becoming a famous writer. She is trying to work on her future, but she’s stuck in the past. Prince is a DJ and Detroit’s youngest love couch; he takes care of his little brother, Mook, and his mom who has MS. Prince has had a crush on Dani since elementary school, but Dani isn’t looking for a relationship at the moment. I liked the plot and how Prince seeks out what Dani likes. He uses this information to plan their dates, putting in the effort. The first couple of chapters were a little less interesting, but the plot kept me entertained. Love Radio took me about 3 days to read; I wish there was more to the story. I liked that the book a lot I could relate to it. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. I only wish the author included an epilogue, so we could see Dani and Prince together. Maybe there’ll be a sequel. . . .

Awesome Amphibians

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Awesome Amphibians starts by highlighting the characteristics of amphibians; the fact that they are cold-blooded, have backbones, and start life in water. The mission then takes the reader around the world, continent by continent to discover interesting and unique amphibians.

Blastoff Missions Amazing Animal Classes is a series sure to inspire a child’s natural curiosity. Each title starts with Mission Goals to promote fluency (identify sight words), enhance comprehension (identify traits), and promote critical thinking (think of a question).

The informational text engages the reader as a participant in the narrative. The conversational style of the text provides age appropriate academic and subject specific vocabulary. Bolded vocabulary terms are defined in the glossary. Colorful illustrations include identifying and descriptive captions. Extra tidbits of information are provided by Jimmy, a space traveling, cartoon-like avatar who accompanies the reader on all the narrative missions.

Endpapers include a glossary, index, and To Learn More section. The To Learn More resources have three print sources in the At the Library section. The On the Web resources direct the reader to Factsurfer which provides easy access to three curated age appropriate digital resources. Endpapers also include three extension questions in the Beyond the Mission section to help readers connect their learning from the book to their own experiences.

Fantastic Fish

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Fantastic Fish explores the waterways of the the world as it introduces the reader to the fish class. While highlighting unique and interesting fish, the text repeatedly reinforces the identifying characteristics of fish as cold-blooded creatures with backbones that breathe through gills.

Blastoff Missions Amazing Animal Classes is a series sure to inspire a child’s natural curiosity. Each title starts with Mission Goals to promote fluency (identify sight words), enhance comprehension (identify traits), and promote critical thinking (think of a question).

The informational text engages the reader as a participant in the narrative. The conversational style of the text provides age appropriate academic and subject specific vocabulary. Bolded vocabulary terms are defined in the glossary. Colorful illustrations include identifying and descriptive captions. Extra tidbits of information are provided by Jimmy, a space traveling, cartoon-like avatar who accompanies the reader on all the narrative missions.

Endpapers include a glossary, index, and To Learn More section. The To Learn More resources have three print sources in the At the Library section. The On the Web resources direct the reader to Factsurfer which provides easy access to three curated age appropriate digital resources. Endpapers also include three extension questions in the Beyond the Mission section to help readers connect their learning from the book to their own experiences.

Incredible Insects

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Incredible Insects starts in your own backyard. The journey of discovery takes the reader to the prairies of North America then on to interesting insects from other continents. While identifying unique insects, the text also highlight features characteristic of the insect class.

Blastoff Missions Amazing Animal Classes is a series sure to inspire a child’s natural curiosity. Each title starts with Mission Goals to promote fluency (identify sight words), enhance comprehension (identify traits), and promote critical thinking (think of a question).

The informational text engages the reader as a participant in the narrative. The conversational style of the text provides age appropriate academic and subject specific vocabulary. Bolded vocabulary terms are defined in the glossary. Colorful illustrations include identifying and descriptive captions. Extra tidbits of information are provided by Jimmy, a space traveling, cartoon-like avatar who accompanies the reader on all the narrative missions.

Endpapers include a glossary, index, and To Learn More section. The To Learn More resources have three print sources in the At the Library section. The On the Web resources direct the reader to Factsurfer which provides easy access to three curated age appropriate digital resources. Endpapers also include three extension questions in the Beyond the Mission section to help readers connect their learning from the book to their own experiences.

Marvelous Mammals

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The search for Marvelous Mammals starts with the cats and dogs found in many homes. From there, the reader it taken north to the Canadian taiga and south to the Amazon rainforest before continuing around the world. The text introduces the common mammal characteristics (warm-blooded, backbone, hair or fur, and feed their babies milk) while highlighting unique and interested mammals in various habitats.

Blastoff Missions Amazing Animal Classes is a series sure to inspire a child’s natural curiosity. Each title starts with Mission Goals to promote fluency (identify sight words), enhance comprehension (identify traits), and promote critical thinking (think of a question).

The informational text engages the reader as a participant in the narrative. The conversational style of the text provides age appropriate academic and subject specific vocabulary. Bolded vocabulary terms are defined in the glossary. Colorful illustrations include identifying and descriptive captions. Extra tidbits of information are provided by Jimmy, a space traveling, cartoon-like avatar who accompanies the reader on all the narrative missions.

Endpapers include a glossary, index, and To Learn More section. The To Learn More resources have three print sources in the At the Library section. The On the Web resources direct the reader to Factsurfer which provides easy access to three curated age appropriate digital resources. Endpapers also include three extension questions in the Beyond the Mission section to help readers connect their learning from the book to their own experiences.

Remarkable Reptiles

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Search the world for scaly cold-blooded animals with backbones that lay eggs in Remarkable Reptiles. While reinforcing the characteristics of reptiles the text highlights the unique and extraordinary species of the class. From venom to hoods and third eyes to frills – reptiles are remarkable.

Blastoff Missions Amazing Animal Classes is a series sure to inspire a child’s natural curiosity. Each title starts with Mission Goals to promote fluency (identify sight words), enhance comprehension (identify traits), and promote critical thinking (think of a question).

The informational text engages the reader as a participant in the narrative. The conversational style of the text provides age appropriate academic and subject specific vocabulary. Bolded vocabulary terms are defined in the glossary. Colorful illustrations include identifying and descriptive captions. Extra tidbits of information are provided by Jimmy, a space traveling, cartoon-like avatar who accompanies the reader on all the narrative missions.

Endpapers include a glossary, index, and To Learn More section. The To Learn More resources have three print sources in the At the Library section. The On the Web resources direct the reader to Factsurfer which provides easy access to three curated age appropriate digital resources. Endpapers also include three extension questions in the Beyond the Mission section to help readers connect their learning from the book to their own experiences.

Brilliant Birds

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While exploring the world looking for Brilliant Birds, the common characteristics of the bird classification are reinforced with multiple examples. The text also highlights the many different ways birds nest.

Blastoff Missions Amazing Animal Classes is a series sure to inspire a child’s natural curiosity. Each title starts with Mission Goals to promote fluency (identify sight words), enhance comprehension (identify traits), and promote critical thinking (think of a question).

The informational text engages the reader as a participant in the narrative. The conversational style of the text provides age appropriate academic and subject specific vocabulary. Bolded vocabulary terms are defined in the glossary. Colorful illustrations include identifying and descriptive captions. Extra tidbits of information are provided by Jimmy, a space traveling, cartoon-like avatar who accompanies the reader on all the narrative missions.

Endpapers include a glossary, index, and To Learn More section. The To Learn More resources have three print sources in the At the Library section. The On the Web resources direct the reader to Factsurfer which provides easy access to three curated age appropriate digital resources. Endpapers also include three extension questions in the Beyond the Mission section to help readers connect their learning from the book to their own experiences.

Finding My Dance

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Ria Thundercloud, Writer, Kalila J. Fuller Illustrator

At 4 years old, our author was brought into the powwow circle to dance with her tribe and family. Even though Ria had incredible drive and talent, she felt like an outsider in dance classes as she was always the only indigenous performer. This biographical picture book is one that shows what ambition and determination can achieve. The bold and beautiful artwork will be an eye catcher for many. It is a wonderful book for elementary library that allows for indigenous readers to see themselves in a book. The author, Ria Thundercloud is now a professional dancer who has performed all around the world but always returns to her homelands. I would highly recommend this book for libraries as it celebrates Native Americans and shows culture for all.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

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A. F. Steadman

This fantasy for 4th – 8th graders is a wonderful addition to any library. In a world where children dream of living on a secretive island of wild unicorns, Skandar’s only wish is to pass the Hatchery exam and leave to mainland and become a unicorn rider. His hopes and dreams are dashed when he is not allowed to take the test. In the middle of the night he is whisked away to sneak onto the island in search of the unicorn he knows he is destined to ride. Book one of the Skandar series is everything a lover of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson would want in a fantasy novel. A child that is denied opportunities only to get them, aggressive, violent and fantastical unicorns with elemental powers, an evil archenemy with a surprising past and all the sneaking around and mystery solving a reader would want. I was pleasantly surprised by this title and would highly recommend it for any fantasy lover at any age.

Snoopy Soars to Space

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By Charles Schulz et al.

This compilation of original and new Peanuts comics would be a nice addition to any library. Comics consist of “The Beagle Has Landed, Charlie Brown!”, “Plane and Simple”, “Food for Thought”, Have Dish Will Travel”, and Charlie Brown’s Star”. All the gang are here. It is a nice introduction to a classic that some students may have never known. This book is recommended as an extra purchase.

Figgy & Boone: The Big Cheese

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By Janee Trasler

This whimsical emerging reader graphic novel is a great starter book to interest children. Figgy and Boone are two very hungry mice who are missing cheese when a large wheel of cheese flies off of a truck right in front of them. The graphic novel has a brief explanation on how to read graphics/comics. It also is a great introduction to chapters as it has 3 short ones. The bright colors and strong lines will appeal to many. I would recommend this book for emerging readers.

Bookstore Bunnies

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by Eric Seltzer, Illustrated by Tom Disbury

This is a well illustrated emerging reader book about bunnies who run a bookstore and the customers they have that request different books. They run from area to area in search of the best book for their clients. Like a library, they have story hour where everyone loves the read aloud.This book contains short sentences on pages for emerging readers. The illustrations are detailed and allow for finding more on the page as it is read again and again. I would recommend this book for preschool to 1st grade.

In Honor of Broken Things

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By Paul Acampora

Three middle school students from differing backgrounds become friends when they are seated together in pottery class. All have recently experienced a traumatic event in their lives: a sister’s death due to Cancer, a drastic move from the big city to a very small town and leaving the homeschool life to be in public school where everything is different and unknown. All are feeling like the broken pottery they have seen/experienced in their class but find solace from each other. Will they come to realize that it is okay when some things stay broken? This wonderful middle level book is appropriate for 5th through 8th grades but could also be recommended for more mature readers at a younger age who may be experiencing trauma and could relate to the characters.

Hungary

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Alicia Z. Klepeis explores the 35,918 square miles Central Europe’s Hungary. Klepeis uses snapshots of Hungary’s location, landscape, wildlife, people, school and work, play, and food. The 32 pages just give a quick overview of what this country has to offer with two or three paragraphs of text per topic accompanied by half a page-spread of color photos.

I continue to find the TIMELINE in this “Country Profiles” series confusing to the eye with its segmented lines stating facts above and below the actual timeline leading to the events’ locations on the timeline. It might be better to print the statements on a slant with a single line segment drawing the eye to the timeline location.

The HUNGARY FACTS on pages 28-29 provide good visual graphics to show the flag, where people live, their work, important cities, main exports, and unit of money.

Factsurfer.com provides more information with safe internet.

Submitted for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong

Belize

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Alicia Z. Klepeis explores the 8,867 square miles Central America’s Belize. Klepeis uses snapshots of Belize’s location, landscape, wildlife, people, school and work, play, and food. The 32 pages just give a quick overview of what this country has to offer with two or three paragraphs of text per topic accompanied by half a page-spread of color photos.

There is a problem with text boxes set on top of photos that do not match the picture in the photo, though the photos follow along with the information in the main paragraph on the page. On page 14 the photo is of a thatched house while the box talks about Mennonite communities. On page 17 the photo is of a painted mural, while the box talks about colorful clothing. On page 19 the photo is of a guided tour by horseback, while the box talks about Belizeans working in other countries. And on page 25 the photo is of a dance group on Garifuna Settlement Day, but the box talks about Maya Deer Dance. The photos are labeled correctly. It is the inset text boxes that are problematic and could cause confusion on the part of the reader.

I continue to find the TIMELINE in this “Country Profiles” series confusing to the eye with its segmented lines stating facts above and below the actual timeline leading to the events’ locations on the timeline. It might be better to print the statements on a slant with a single line segment drawing the eye to the timeline location.

The BELIZE FACTS on pages 28-29 provide good visual graphics to show the flag, where people live, their work, important cities, main exports, and unit of money.

Factsurfer.com provides more information with safe internet.

Submitted for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong