Students see TEDTalks much like they view a teacher – sharing information to teach. But TEDTalks are the public speaking events of today that can reach massively more ears and eyes. Anderson and Oberweger smartly build this guide to public speaking by analyzing what goes into a great TEDTalk — starting with the premise that there is no one way to give a great talk. The best talks are “fresh” and innovative rather than stale. Instead one must “breathe, play, and practice, practice, practice”.

First there’s the foundation – what is the throughline, the connecting theme that ties the ideas together? This touchstone needs to be what holds the speech together, even if a diverse number of ideas are presented. One also needs to consider the audience – who is that one person that needs to acknowledged, accepted, invited via the speech — and consider the topic — is it a topic that you can handle well and your audience can digest.

Second there are tools – think of structures here – what is the journey, the story, or the truth to be told. Compare this to the foundation. More than likely they are naturally interconnected. If not, why not. And will that still work? It might.

Third, it’s time to prepare — whether scripted or unscripted, one needs to practice. Period. Lots of reasons why are discussed – from technology glitches to physical itches. Practice, practice, practice.

This is a nice, relevant addition to any school or public library.

I have experienced more than ten United States National Parks, but I never thought of putting Yosemite on my bucket list until now.

There are waterfalls and then there are giant waterfalls. There are big trees and then there are ancient, giant trees. There are rainbows and then there are ‘moonbows”. Rock climbing, hiking, camping, and a chance to see glaciers and animals in the wild are all waiting for visitors at Yosemite National Park.

John Wallace’s illustrations of Yosemite communicate more to very early readers than actual photograph could in this 9.5″ X 6.25″ book meant for smaller hands.

With the Seattle Kraken NHL team getting ready to hit the ice, Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland, is perfect for the young readers of the Pacific Northwest.

Waiting is always hard. Anticipation and eagerness to get started with ice hockey is all represented in this hilarious tale of waiting for the ice on the lake to freeze thick enough to hold bear’s, moose’s, and beaver’s weight.

Sparky & Spike: CHARLES SCHULZ and the Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever is just the right amount of biography for young beginning readers, not too much, just enough.

From his early school days, Charles, AKA Sparky, wanted to be a cartoonist. His teachers and fellow students all enjoyed his drawings. Every Saturday at 9 PM it never failed, Spike would remind Sparky’s father to go down to the store and pick up the Sunday comics. Then they would read them together.

Sparky would eventually send a drawing of Spike to the comic- Ripley’s Believe It or Not, with the caption, “A HUNTING DOG THAT EATS PINS, TACKS, SCREWS, AND RAZOR BLADES IS OWNED BY C. F. SCHULZ, ST. Paul, Minn.” After waiting for two long grueling months, Sparky saw his drawing printed in the Sunday paper.

And the rest is history, Charles Schulz would eventually become the multiple award winning cartoonist of the comic – Peanuts.

What is, also, rewarding to see is a photo of the letter Charles M. Schulz sent to Daniel Andreasen on July 7, 1975, giving advice to a young want to be illustrator. That young boy, in fact, grew up to be an illustrator, the illustrator of this very book.

Highland ponies are the short (13-14.5 hands tall), strong, sturdy, smart, docile horses native to Scotland. They are well adapted to the Highlands of Scotland’s harsh climate and rugged terrain. Highland ponies are shown in various activities such as pleasure riding, jumping, and show horses in the ten full page photos throughout the book, on the right page.

The large font text, in two or three sentences per page, is opposite the photo page, on the left side. The glossary words are highlighted in gray throughout the book, as they are used. The little horseshoes in the top left corner of each page of text is a nice touch.

The Abdo Kids Code comes in both a QR code and on a website (abdokids.com code HHK5649). All of the links worked on the website revealing the book’s text, a craft, a video, a word search, and many, many photos of show horses.

Fast, diving, predators of the sky dominate this factual account of Falcons for upper primary readers. There are thirty-five kinds of falcons. This means falcons can be found almost worldwide. They “prefer open spaces and high perches near water.” (8) Falcons are a midsize bird, aerodynamic with long pointed wings and tail. They are one of the fastest animals alive, some reaching speeds of 200 mph.

This book in the EPIC series is filled with eighteen action photos of varies falcons, along with two or three sentences per page. The glossary words are highlighted in yellow throughout the book as they are used.

When I went to the www.factsurfer.com section on the web, only one of the three choices was available for immediate access due to a security password being wanted.

From the Science Adventurers series comes Animal Conservationists, a look at six different facets in protecting different animal species of life. Chapter 1 begins with a hook — the work around saving something that creeps many people out– bats! After a end chapter covering the history of animal conservation, the author begins to drill down into the realities of the task. First, is the reclaiming/protection of habit, because if the habitat is not hospitable, the animals will die. Second is the issues around breeding and how humans help in this realm. A special chapter is reserved for breeding in water as well. Then time is given for the process of bringing a creature back to or introducing it to its native habitat, called “reintroduction”. The technology employed by conservationists as well as the human actions to help fight off predators help round out the text until a final chapter of “the future” is warranted. Abdo does such a nice job with its series topic choices, layout of text and sidebars, as well physical print/binding quality. The sidebars of this text in particular were very intriguing, leading this reader to wander there often before focusing on the main content as pages were turned. This will be a worthwhile addition to the 500’s in any school library.

This is a text that could easily be incorporated into middle school or high school classroom curriculum. This is a text that could be adapted for a school theater program. This is a text that will stick with you for awhile. Kent State, by Deborah Wiles, is the telling of the four days of protesting from May 1st – 4th on the campus of the university. Various voices share their chronological recollection building up to the deadly shootings by Ohio National Guard troops. But it is the positioning of the text on the page that makes this worthy of its multiple starred reviews. The voices come to the reader in snippets of text, much like a discussion, and are arranged based on likely political affiliation. Student protester voices more left justified, to National Guard troops right justified on the page. There are other voices of citizens caught in the middle that are situated on the page somewhere between the two based on their content. The anger, the frustration, the anxiety, the outrage, the disbelief –it can all be captured by the use of these various voices. The book jacket says, this text show the “human truth” in this tragedy. This text should be in every middle and high school library for its lessons in history, in the craft of writing, and in the depiction of humans reacting crisis.

I first enjoyed reading Quick as a Cricket 25 years ago to my now grown, little boys. Between Audrey Wood’s twenty-two similes of eleven opposite adjectives and Don Wood’s whimsical illustrations this book is still a winner! My first copy is worn out, I need to buy another copy. Here is a book that should not go ‘out-of-print‘ for generations to come!

“I’m as small as an ant, I’m as large as a whale.” with Don Wood’s illustrating the boy measuring himself as small as an ant and then on the next page having the boy swimming next to a grey whale his same size is brilliant.

Rambuctious Rollo the bulldog is off to the park with his boy. They play catch the ball. Bouncing ball, slobbering Rollo, and ball hiding in the tall grass. Finally, Rollo returns to the boy with the slobbery ball and ready for a nap.

People, who love their drooling dogs, will feel in tune with Rollo and his drooling antics.

Rollo is a ‘rambuctious bulldog’ whose little boy is searching for him so Rollo can be given a treat. What the boy does not know is, illustrator Keith Frawley has Rollo hiding in all twelve places the boy is looking while Rollo is dragging a box of dog biscuit along with him. Finally, the boy finds Rollo on his own dog bed taking a nap. “Were you here the whole time…? You must be very hungry. Would you like a treat, Rollo?”

Keith Frawley’s facial expressions on the boy and Rollo are spot on!

The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship between a Boy and a Baseball Legend is the outstanding story of friendship and mentorship. I am sorry to say I put off reading this 2016 copyrighted book for so long because of the cover illustration. I am not a sports person. The cover illustration shows a baseball player, sitting on a park bench next to a young boy. This book is not so much about baseball, but as the subtitle in tiny print states, about friendship. READ this book because it is baseball season or Black History Month or because you need a fill-good story, just READ this book!

This is a perfect book to share with intermediate readers, especially in this day of civil unrest-BLACK LIVES MATTER. Here is the story of a young Jewish boy, whose Russian grandparents escaped Russian oppression, and a ‘Negro’ (43) baseball player, Jackie Robinson, who was changing the face of American baseball forever.

Little Steve wanted to meet Jackie in the worst way. “The closer I came to actually meeting Jackie Robinson, the more worried that I’d be disappointed. I really wanted to like him and to have Jackie like me. But what if he was too busy to notice me? Or what if he saw me and didn’t care to get to know me better? Was it even possible for a boy to have a famous man as a friend? I was driving myself nuts trying to figure out who Jackie was… ” (62-3) Jackie Robinson was just the guy next door. Fame did not change his friendliness towards others.

The world needs more lasting interracial friendships like this one, whether or not one of the people is famous.

Protagonist, Peyton King, has been the target of taunts, teasing and bullying throughout her school career; she is lonely and looking for something to connect with. Fortunately she has her art that allows her to process the world surrounding her. At seventeen, she sets off on a journey that takes her from her home town in England to the western shores of Canada. Although her family does not approve of this, Peyton is determined to make a new start and meet some longed-for friends along the way. Readers learn, though flashback, about the types of bullying and self harm that Peyton must go through to be accepted by her peers. The tipping point and ultimate reason for Peyton’s escape to Canada is revealed slowly throughout the chapters. Present day Peyton’s journey is much more than one of escapism; she learns who she is and wants to be – she demonstrates true strength in her self by the end of the novel.

Author, Sara Barnard, brings together a likable cast of characters from all over the world; they are all travelers at heart, but the reasons for traveling are widely different. This is a quick read that even the most reluctant would be able to pick up and connect with. There is sex, drinking, and drug use; therefore it is best suited for high school libraries.

Co-authors Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige alternate chapter by chapter the star roles of Scarlett and Vivi, a senior and freshman respectively at Westerly College. Scarlett is aiming to become her sorority’s president while Vivi doesn’t even think the sorority life is her thing. But Vivi is destined to become a Raven, the nickname for the Kappa Rho Nu sisters. The Ravens are witches, each specializing in one of four powers, but bound in sisterhood, they can also draw upon the other powers. And sisterhood is the most important part of being in this sorority — above all else. Vivi arrives on campus, against her mother’s pleas, and is drawn to attend a party at the Kappa house. Vivi and Scarlett clash immediately. The current president assigns Scarlett as Vivi’s magic mentor, setting up internal struggles for both girls. But a previous mistake by Scarlett will bring evil magic to Westerly and all Ravens will need to work together to fight it off. This is the beginning of a series, though it reads like a stand-alone. Those readers who like the motif of sisterhood above all else or who are fans of magical tales with spooky spells, ancient myths and tense scenes will probably enjoy this tale.

Cardi B has risen to the top of music world with her determination, her showmanship and her shock value — two positives, one negative, postive wins. This is the love/hate relationship that seems to surround her. Love her rhythm, hate her lyrics. Love her come up from dancing on tables for money, hate her overt sexual overtones. The same love/hate follows with this text. Love that there is something relatively easy for students to grab and be interested in, hate the overly simplistic tone. High school students will feel like the language is dumbed down. Abdo is a strong publisher and while there are interesting sidebars, references and bibliography at the back, most student probably won’t linger there. The colorful pictures will entertain but the drama that is Cardi, the voice that is Cardi, is not reflected in this chronology of her life. Therefore this is an additional purchase for libraries that can afford it.

What was it like to grow up in a strict German Catholic family in the early 1900s? This work chronicles the life of Wilhelm Hosenfeld – a teacher, husband, father, thinker, leader and always a man with a Christian conscious.

Wilm Hosenfeld embraced the Wandervogel message that, “German youth wanted to shape their own lives, through self-determination, self-responsibility, and inner truthfulness.” He embraces the youth hostiles, competitions and camaraderie with people his age. WWI erupts and he proudly volunteers to join the Prussian infantry and fights on Flanders Field for the fatherland. By 1918 he was tired and disillusioned with war and happy to return to his studies to become a teacher.

He meets his future wife at a Wandervogel meeting.  Their shared interests include art, literature, music and the outdoors though they came from very different backgrounds: Catholic versus Protestant, upper class vs villager.   

By 1923 Wilm establishes a night school in his village.  It offered course once a week in the evenings to persons ages 15 to 25 in economics, history, civics, German language and literature. He wanted to captivate the minds of those engaged “in work that requires brute force”, exposing them to an awareness of the outside world and not just their rural area. 

The change in German leadership in 1933 to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, led by Adolf Hitler, Wilm Hosenfeld believed would put an end to Germany’s problems. He joined the SA. However his beliefs are in conflict with Nazi’s cruelties. Who can he trust? Can he challenge those in charge? What will happen to his family? He helps those he can. But he cannot help every one. He is captured and tried as a war criminal by the Russians yet his moral and ethical compass always remained intact. Wilm “saw each person as a fellow equal human being”.  

Among many awards and recognitions postumusually given Wilm these two stand out: in 2007 he was awarded The Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restitula by then Polish President Lech Kaczynski and in 2009 Wilm Hosenfeld was recognized with the Jewish honor as a “Righteous Among the Nations”. This young readers edition will be picked up by students who enjoy the details of this time period in history.

Wreck This Picture Book: How to Make a Book Come to Life is hilarious! Keri Smith’s definition of ‘wreck‘ is most likely different from your definition of ‘wreck‘. Keri Smith most likely means dilapidated rather than damaged. Books are not meant to simply sit on shelves. Books are living, breathing things that want to go on adventures. A book is waiting for a person to love it, take it everywhere with him, and do everything with him. Now that is how a book becomes dilapidated or a wreck. How many of you enjoy the feeling of holding a book, touching it’s paper, smelling it, and / or hearing the sound of its pages while they are being flipped? These are the actions books are waiting for to bring them to life according to Keri Smith. Now as a librarian and former elementary school teacher there are a few actions in this book that scare me: taste, fold, roll, fly, wear, drop, bump, spin, read it upside down… but if the book belongs to the child- why not? As a librarian and former elementary school teacher we want children to LOVE books, right? As a librarian, I always knew a book was enjoyed or truly loved when it came back dilapidated and falling apart, or “WRECKed” in Keri Smith’s words.

Keri Smith’s photographed 3-D textured, art style is fun and whimsical to behold! The books with faces on them remind me of Mr. Potato Head. The people made from wine corks are adorable. Plus, there are directions for how to make these cork people inside the book jacket. The front and back end papers each have a different list of items to locate inside this book.

“YOU CAN TELL A WELL-LOVED BOOK BY HOW WRECKED IT IS. HOW DOES THIS ONE LOOK NOW?”

If you need a story about never giving up, this story fits the bill.

Three cute cuddly kittens have conquered climbing everything on their island. Off in the distance, Dinosaur Island will be their next challenge, even though the narrator tries to talk them out of it. On their fourth try, ( the narrator tried to convince them to stop trying) the kittens succeed in getting to the top of the T. Rex, triceratops, and the brontosaurus. Ahhh, sweet success! This is short lived though when the kittens find out they have only climbed the island’s baby dinosaurs. The mother dinosaurs are not happy about it. BUT this is a success story. The kittens do not give up, even with the narrator’s objections.

My one problem with this story is Michael Slack’s choice of dinosaurs. The T. Rex was a fine choice. The triceratops was scary in appearance, but a plant eater back in his day. The brontosaurus was also a plant eater and other than its enormous height, not scary. Michael Slack draws them to be snarling scary dinosaurs. As the mother of a young boy who had me read every nonfiction dinosaur book to him in his elementary school’s library, I wonder just how many other children will notice this poor choice for frightening dinosaurs.