Melia spends her days measuring, testing, reading, and observing as she creates things in her lab. Jo spends her days singing, crouching, leaping, whirling, and twirling while she expresses the world around her creatively through the arts. They seem to have nothing in common and at first aggravate each other, but together they turn out to be a dream team. Jo’s unconventional creative thinking inspires Melia to look beyond what is right in front of her. The pairing of scientific thinking and creative thinking leads to inventive solutions.

A good title to support the STEAM movement. Also encourages the acceptance of others and the benefits of working together.

An introduction of the role of coal in energy production past and present. The book begins by identifying coal, where it is found, and its uses. It continues with an historical explanation of the invention of the steam engine and its reliance on coal. The invention of early steam engines is then tied to the current use of steam turbines to create electricity using coal. The book concludes with the fact that coal creates pollution and that scientists are working to create new coal power plants that are better for the environment.

Large font and simple sentences make this book easy for young students to read. The flow between topics lacks smooth transitions, particularly the significance of the invention of the steam engine. The Table of Contents only includes three entrees, All About Coal Energy (all the text), Think About it (a 2 page spread with one question), and the Glossary.

Starting with Nina Simone singing a lullaby to her baby, the story is told as if Nina were telling her child about the role of music and segregation in her early life. The white and black keys are a metaphor of the relationship between white and black Americans. At 12 years old, Nina showed her resolve when she refused to play when her mother was made to leave the front row of her concert when white people arrived. The story-like quality and the short concise message make this complex concept accessible to younger children. It reinforces the fact that the struggle for civil rights involved many amazing leaders from all walks of life.

If the reader of Greenglass House was intrigued by the house’s various elements and wants some background to the house itself, this may be the book for them.

In September 1810, Lucy Bluecrowne’s father bought a huge house on top of a hill overlooking a river. There her father planned to keep Lucy, her Chinese half-brother Liao, and her Chinese step-mother Xiaoming safe while he was off at sea. However, this was not to be. A pair of time-travelers looking for a conflagrationeer and a special ironmonger / weapons maker put Lucy and Liao in harms way.

The time travelers go back and forth through time wheeling and dealing with a supplier for their evil buyer/employer. If they fail, they will suffer greatly in reputation and physically. Then there are the innocents – Liao and Lucy who might not want to travel time for crooks.

As the story weaves in and out of time various features of the Greenglass house are recounted, to the reader, and why the features are in the house in the first place.

Winifred, Fred for short, finds herself being picked up from school by Children and Youth Services and taken into foster care. Fred finds herself miles away from Philadelphia, in Lancaster, with a women she does not know, Margery, and a non-stop barking dog in the neighbors yard. Fred’s mother has been arrested for stealing someone else’s prescription drugs from the drug store where she works. Fred is a ‘glass is half full’ kind of girl where her mother is concerned and believes her mother’s story that it was all a misunderstanding, an accident. Mom will be in jail for awhile and so Fred will be in foster care for at least a month. Fred soon finds herself standing up to a bully and getting suspended from her new school on her first day, helping another girl (Delia AKA Lardvark) who is being bullied by the same girl, and the inhumanely treated dog (Toby) next door.

All the characters are so well developed with intriguing backstories slowly spooned out over the course of the story readers will not want to put this book down! Why is Margery so understanding? Why does the neighbor treat his dog so poorly? Why does Larkvark allow the daily bullying to continue?

“Maybe everyone hid pieces of themselves until it was safe to bring them out and show them to someone else.” (180)

Bionic Eyes by Christine Zuchora-Walske is a informative book that tells the reader the history of projects for blind people going from glasses to brain implants. I would say this book is a good book for 5 year olds and higher who like science stuff. It will also teach kids and other people how bionic eyes were created and upgraded. The book has many things like a links page, a contents page, a timeline, a glossary, an index and pictures to go with that stuff as well. If you need further help, this book has definitions for items that they talk about, they have reference pictures for you to understand how the things work, they even have details about every date found out about the objects they talk about. The facts in this book are very accurate. I highly recommend this book as a learning and informational book. I would honestly give a 5 star rating on this book.

Review by Ryan

The book Creative Podcast Producers by Heather C. Hudak is about the history and usefulness of Podcasts in today’s modern world. This book explains why podcasts are so important and how they became a huge part of our world. It explains more about technology and what goes into making a podcast. This book is jam packed with information, bright pictures, a detailed timeline and an essential glossary and index. This book is great for students who are interested in such subjects and it’s an easy read. This book is well written and very informative, but it’s not a very entertaining book. I liked reading it and learned a lot from it. I would recommend it to those students who are very interested in the topic, but not just reading for fun because it is not very exciting. This book is very motivational and encouraging to young people. They can pursue their dreams and become something even by themselves. It’s a very positive and useful book that I recommend reading because it’s very interesting and a good read.

Review by Jessie

Great Hockey Debates by Giles Ferrell is about some of the famous conflicts that broke out in hockey. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in hockey.The book also includes pages for: further discussion, glossary, online resources, books for more information, an index, and information about the author.

Review by Barrett

Humans and animals are not as different as you think, even in smog filled cities and strange places of fantasy. The book Tales From The Inner City by Shaun Tan covers the stories of different animals and their relationship with humans in a creative way. There is a short story for each animal included in the book, accompanied by beautiful art displaying the mood of the story. Some stories are from the perspective of the animal, and some from the perspective of the human. Along the way you will read the enticing stories of bears with lawyers, fish that swim in the sky, and pigs that sink into the ground. The stories all come together to teach the reader that nature is valuable, and the bond between human and animal needs to be mended. It can also show that people must be kind to animals, and that kindness and joy are more important than money and power. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories, art, and messages, since they are interesting and inspirational. I felt myself excited each time I turned the page, wondering what will happen next. I would recommend it for anyone seventh grade and up. Readers who like animals, dystopian fiction, or stunning art would definitely love this book.

Review by Alison

Mars Orbiters is about trying to uncover data from Mars to see what is on Mars and trying to see why the water disappeared from Mars. This story of how NASA,Russia and others are making improvements to their orbiters. The book should be in a school or a public library because people may want to check out it too learn more about the orbiters, the scientists who built them (like NASA) and the history of the orbiters. The table of contents was helpful,the timeline,glossary and index in the back of the book were really helpful. This book is best for grades 5th to 8th grade for people who want to know more about the the planets.

Review by Enrique

Darius Drake gets a letter written in blood with, ¨Who killed Darius Drake?¨ Darius decides to solve this mystery involving missing diamonds, his parents´ death, and his own death with the help of tough guy, Arthur Bash and his stepsister, Deirdre. But which adult tells the truth? ¨Who Killed Darius Drake?¨ by Rodman Philbrick is a story full of mystery of finding out how everything is connected no matter how different the subjects may be. From photos of a little girl and a man to a tennis team. This book is also about which adult tells the truth or which wants to betray the children for their own self interest. If you like mysteries or solving things, this is an amazing book. It’s filled with information to connect the dots to solve the question. The growing relationship with Darius and Arthur from business partners to friends feels real and makes sense. All three main characters are developed and fun to read about and their situation. This book has relatable characters in a situation we’d never expect kids to be in and shows what kids can accomplish and that kids should not be put down just because of their age. I would suggest this book if you’re into mysteries, developed characters and platonic relationships.

Review by Natalie

The California Drought by Laura Perdew Droughts is about natural phenomena that are caused by high temperature and changing weather patterns. They caused a severe shortage in water. I learned more about droughts and what the community does to prevent them from happening. I also learned how animals are affected by droughts. Even trees are affected by these phenomena. The cover of the book showed a picture of a drought that made me want to learn more about them. The book also contained pictures with captions that explained them thoroughly. There was also a glossary that explained words that were unknown to me. I’d recommend this book to anyone who want to learn more about natural phenomena and how to help prevent them.

Review by Adalie

Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen is an amazing book. This book is a fictional story following the adventures of a Jewish girl names Chaya during World War II. Chaya is a 16 year old girl from Poland joining the resistance to fight against Adolf Hitler and save the people being tortured during the war. Nazis and soldiers from Poland both attack Jews for little entertainment, and she is trying to stop that. She makes a friend out of someone she despised who helps her on the way. What makes this book good is that it gives a message. It gives the idea that no matter the consequences, it is always best to give others hope and fight for what’s right. It also has some history of the war involved. Doing some research on World War II makes the book satisfy almost any reader. It is historically correct in some places, but it also isn’t based entirely on historical events. It does use historical event and figures to create some of the characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes realistic fiction and history.

Review by Zach

Flippers and Fins by Tessa Miller is an awesome book about how humans are inspired by nature to make useful new inventions. The book is about different products we have today that are being improved and things that are being worked on. There are parts about fish inspired boats, whale inspired wind turbines, shark inspired swimsuits and cephalopod inspired camouflage. There were boats made in the shape of fish to help them go faster. Bumps were put on wind turbines to help them spin faster. A new type of fabric was designed to be like shark skin and allow people to swim faster. New camouflage is being made to work like cephalopods such as Octopi and change colors. This book has many features including a table of contents, fullpage pictures, an index, a page of websites to get more information from and a glossary. This book is written very well making it very easy to read. All the information is thorough, well explained and easy to understand. If you like to read about innovative ideas and new inventions I would highly recommend this book to you.

Review by Janelle

“‘I want you to start at the beginning. The whole story’” the book starts out as a reporter is asking Travis about his experience in the intense life threatening situation. The book, Survivor Diaries: Overboard! by Terry Lynn Johnson is the telling of a boy, Travis, who got thrown off of a boat with another girl, Marina, while out on the water, off the coast of Washington state. The two have to get to shore and survive until they are found and rescued again. The story is filled to the brim with interesting survival information and other fun and useful facts. It’s a fun, shorter, adventure read. I would recommend it to beginning adventure readers. It is a rare, fun mix of informational and entertaining. There are a few black and white illustrations scattered throughout the 84-page story. After the story ends, there is a section with very useful survival tips for tough situations that you might not know how to handle. It includes things like hypothermia and dehydration for situations that you can’t always predict. This book is included in a series, “Survivor Diaries,” along with one other book so far. Overall, this book is very fun and informational and I would definitely recommend it to a younger level reader. Recommended.

Review by Viveka

The book Death Eaters by Kelly Milner Halls is a detailed book about the life and death of all living things and the complicated genius way that our home planet earth cycles the bodies. It’s a very interesting book that is full of interesting facts and bright pictures. The book is not really a positive one, and it’s not for readers who can’t handle the idea of death, but the delivery of the information is intriguing. This book is very real and factual but it’s a good story with a ton of great features. This book has many diagrams and extra information boxes and it also has links for more information to read. I liked this book, I thought it was interesting and was very engaging for the reader. The book was bright and the pages were easy to follow along. It’s a good book for students of a certain level of maturity, good for middle schoolers. It’s very informative and helps develop appreciation for our home planet and its natural cycles that keeps this whole world and all living things balanced.

Review by Jesse

Skeleton Tree by Kim Ventrella is about a 12 year old boy named Stanly. He was experiencing an average day in his backyard until he found a white plant sticking out of the dirt in the garden. At least he thought it was a plant. This white plant looked like the tip of a finger. He struggles to keep the bone a secret from his parents and especially his 7 year old sister, Miren. Stanly was wondering if he found a real human body or a new species of vegetation. The cover of the book was vibrant and had many things to say. I loved the way each and every character was described. Each moment in the book was described thoroughly. I enjoyed every second of it. The beginning started out strong and the ending touched my heart. I’d recommend this book to any young reader who enjoys a story full of happiness with a hint of sadness.

Review by Adalie

“The Distance Between Us” Young Readers Edition is a story written by Reyna Grande based on the author’s memories about her family’s life in Mexico and also, as the illegal immigrant in their dream country, USA.

This story describes Reyna’s feelings and experiences through her childhood. Reyna remembers that her father moved to the US for a job and makes money for his dream house, that he planned to build for his family in Mexico. She knows her father just by framed picture and calls him “the man behind the glass”. Reyna always keeps it with her, as something that is very special for her. When Reyna Grande was 4 years old, her mom moved to USA, to help their father to earn money. Her mother left Reyna, Mago and Carlos, her older sister and  brother, to live with their unfriendly, strict and sometimes cruel grandparents. After that, her 11 years old sister, Mago, was like their mother, who tries to carry and protect Reina and Carlos, as much as she can. Even, as the time passes and they escape with their father to the United States, these children face with other troubles that makes their lives unforgettable.

This book could be divided in two main parts: one is about Reyna’s life in poverty in Iguala, Mexico; and another is about their life in California with her father, but without their mother.

The saddest parts of this book are describing of  Reyna’s hard life of poverty, her heartbreaking thoughts, as the child, who is faced with it. And as for me, as a mom, it was hard to read how Reyna loves and misses both parents,and has a wish to reunite and be just a part of her own big and real family: a mom, a dad and their four children.

This book “The Distance Between Us” should be interesting for young readers and also for adults, who are interesting about Reyna Grande’s life and the challenges of immigration.

Review by Marianna

Afghanistan is a country with a deep and amazing culture and past, in the book ¨Afghanistan Enchantment of the World¨ by Ruth Bjorklund, you can learn all about it. This book goes over many things including average modern life in Afghanistan, Geography, Natural resources, animals, Afghanistan history, Afghanistan’s government the multiple people and languages and their inspirations on media. From literature, TV, art, and more. It also includes their clothing. Music, foods and drinks, sports and holidays. There’s much to be learned from this book and it helps give an insight into the lives of Afghanistan people. It has very colorful pictures and helps depict their culture and lives better. This book is pretty big and may not be for everyone. But if you’re interesting in Afghanistan and its people and culture then I highly suggest this book. It has loads of information and all in one place, it gives an amazing picture of Afghanistan. It also adds treasures of Afghanistan and that gives even more insight into Afghanistan people.

Review by Natalie

The book Avalanche dog heroes by Elizabeth Rusch is about heroic dogs who train their whole lives to search and rescue when an avalanche comes. Elizabeth Rusch’s story follows one border collie named Piper through her years of training in the service. This book also educates you on the danger of avalanches and how important these little heroes are. This book is great. It is engaging with a multitude of interesting and high quality photos that further explain the information. It is full of illustrations and side boxes littered with further information that help you to understand and follow along with the book. There are many special features such as guides and further informational links. This book is a great read for students because it’s easy to read and follow along with, but very informational and useful. It stirs emotion and helps you to relate to the characters and understand the importance of these special heroes and why we should appreciate them. I would definitely read this book again, its worth buying.

Review by Jessie

What do you think it would be like to lie about your whole life, only to find out that you’ve been wrong the entire time? The book Witchtown by Cory Putman Oakes is an amazing book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It shows that family is something that you choose, not something that you are born into. When Macie and her mother Aubra move to Witchtown to steal their fortune and erase the minds of the residents, as they have done to many witch havens in the past, Macie is faced with a new problem. She is taught to believe that she is a Void, someone who can’t channel elements and can’t do magic. Her mother is a Natural, the most powerful type of witch, but she is hiding something from Macie that may turn her whole world upside down. Macie faces tough new friendships, a pyromaniac poltergeist, and running her own business. But the biggest she problem she faces is her mother, who has been stealing more than just money. She doesn’t face her alone, Macie has the help of her friends who work relentlessly to defeat her mother who has a plan bigger than breaking into vaults. The setting of the book and the writing technique that conveys it was almost magical. The characters change and grow throughout the book and do act like their age group. In the book it goes between what’s happening currently and Macie’s past with a boy named Rafe. The slow trickle of information throughout the book gives this book a great sense of suspense. This element of suspense is also relevant with the main story line, as plot points are slowly hinted at and built up to, leaving you wondering what is going to happen next. I was also pleasantly surprised by the use of LGBT themes, as there is a lesbian couple who owns a bakery and helps Macie through her problems with the poltergeist. The conflict is interesting and is solved in such a satisfying way, with an ending that you will have to find out for yourself! I recommend this book if you enjoy suspense, mystery, family, and bit of romance.

Review by Alison

Surviving the mountain by M.Weber is a non-fiction book.It was a good book. This book talked about certain mountains and how they are dangerous if you climb them. It also talked about a lot of people that climbed certain mountains and what they did on their journey. This book is good because the people’s journeys and the facts are interesting. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy climbing mountains and who are interested in learning about new things. I recommend this book I would rate this book a three out of five.

Review by Hunter

The book Urban Legends: Close Encounters by C.M. Johnson is a eye catching book about the history of aliens, what they did to the earth, and their interactions with earthlings. I like the book because I like supernatural and mysteries.I love a good mystery to solve. The author gives details about the events of supernatural with evidence for and against, vocabulary words and definitions, pictures and captions, and allows reader to draw their own conclusions and opinions. I recommend this book it to people who like supernatural things of the world, history and aliens. For people who think the government is hiding information about the supernatural, they should read this book. I give the book five star out of five stars.

Review by Rylie

The book is very amazing because it had a lot of sports that are not very popular. It is also very interesting. I would recommend it for everybody. If you aren’t into sports, you can still learn a ton of different sports. I learned about a bunch of new sports that I didn’t even know existed. I would definitely say it’s a 10 out of 10 book. It is a page turning book.

Review by Abigail

Trash revolution by Erica Fyvie and Bill Slavin is a good book for anyone who likes science or can’t find anything else to read. If you give it a try, you will like it.Trash revolution is about how different things are made, new things that will make our environment safer in the future, and what we can do now to prevent pollution and save the earth. Highly recommended. Includes index, glossary, and more information pages.

Review by Barrett