Fantastic Fish

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

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

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

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

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.

Figgy & Boone: The Big Cheese

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

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

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

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

Panama

Alicia Z. Klepeis explores the 29,120 square miles Central America’s Panama. Klepeis uses snapshots of Panama’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 PANAMA 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

Venezuela

Nicole E. Rodriguez Mata explores the 352,144 square miles South America’s Venezuela. Rodriguez Mata uses snapshots of Venezuela’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 VENEZUELA 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

Singapore

Nicole E. Rodriguez Mata explores the 278 square mile urban city-state of Singapore. Rodriguez Mata uses snapshots of Singapore’s location, landscape, wildlife, people, school and work, play, and food. The 32 pages just give a quick overview of what this city-state 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 “County 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 SINGAPORE FACTS on pages 28-29 provide good visual graphics to show the flag, where people live, their work, main exports, religion, and unit of money.

Factsurfer.com provides more information with safe internet.

Submitted for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong

My Fade is Fresh

In My Fade is Fresh, a young girl heads into the barbershop with a clear vision of what she wants. It seems like everyone has a suggestion for what she should have done – A PERM? A PRESS? A TRIM? A CHOP?. With fun rhyming text and dynamic, engaging illustrations, suggestion after suggestion is put forward and dismissed. The patience of both the barber and the little girl are increasingly strained as no one seems to be listening. Finally, after 3 hours, the young girl gets her fresh fade and proudly leaves the barbershop with a confident smile.

A fun celebration of black hair and creative ways to shine one’s personality through self expression.

Grand Canyon National Park

Christina Leaf takes on an impressive undertaking of providing elementary age readers with the who, what, where, when, and why of the Grand Canyon National Park in 32 pages of color photos and text.

Leaf gives interesting basic facts and visuals on Grand Canyon National Park while not being a vacation travel advertisement. Grand Canyon National Park was the 4th most visited national park in 2021.

Leaf includes: plants and animals (p 12-15), history of peoples in the area (p 16-21), how river erosion happens (p 8-9), top sites (p 22-23), and perhaps most importantly protecting the park (p24-27) from too many visitors and climate change.

Leaf also includes graphics of 6 Grand Canyon National Park facts, food web, and a timeline (p28-29).

More information on the Grand Canyon National Park can be gotten safely through Factsurfer.com..

Submitted for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong

Yosemite National Park

Christina Leaf takes on an impressive undertaking of providing elementary age readers with the who, what, where, when, and why of the Yosemite National Park in 32 pages of color photos and text.

Leaf gives interesting basic facts and visuals on Yosemite National Park while not being a vacation travel advertisement. Yosemite National Park was the 8th most visited national park in 2021.

Leaf includes: plants and animals (p 12-15), history of peoples in the area (p 16-21), how geologic intrusions formed (p 8-9), top sites (p 22-23), and perhaps most importantly protecting the park (p24-27) from too many visitors and climate change.

Leaf also includes graphics of 6 Yosemite National Park facts, food web, and a timeline (p28-29).

More information on the Yosemite National Park can be gotten safely through Factsurfer.com..

Submitted for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong

Rocky Mountain National Park

Christina Leaf takes on an impressive undertaking of providing elementary age readers with the who, what, where, when, and why of the Rocky Mountain National Park in 32 pages of color photos and text.

Leaf gives basic facts and visuals on Rocky Mountain National Park while not being a vacation travel advertisement. Rocky Mountain National Park was the 5th most visited national park in 2021.

Leaf includes: plants and animals (p 12-15), history of peoples in the area (p 16-21), how geologic uplift happens (p 8-9), top sites (p 22-23), and perhaps most importantly protecting the park (p24-27) from too many visitors and climate change.

Leaf also includes graphics of 6 Rocky Mountain National Park facts, food web, and a timeline (p28-29).

More information on the Rocky Mountain National Park can be gotten safely through Factsurfer.com..

Submitted for Annette McQueen by Mary Pong

Moon Dark Smile

A sequel of sorts to Night Shine, this book takes place in a captivating fantasy world with an interesting social structure and engaging magical forces that shape the world and its people.  Characters are vibrant and complex, and I was definitely curious with each chapter to learn more about who or what was at work in the lives of the characters.

Names and gender identity play an important part in the story, and this was often distracting.  I found myself frequently having to flip back to previous chapters to trace a complex name to figure out who a character was or why they were significant, and while I enjoyed the gender-fluid pronouns and descriptions I had trouble tracking who was sword fighting, wielding magic or even simply speaking, sometimes even within a single paragraph. Readers will enjoy the rich magic of this world, the poetic mythology that shapes its cultures, and the unflinching and comfortable representations of LGBTQIA+ characters – but keep a character list handy!

The Noh Family

The Noh Family by [Grace K. Shim]
Family mysteries, clashing cultures, and long… dramatic… pauses… The Noh Family tells the story of 18-year-old Chloe Chang and her sudden discovery of the Korean family she never knew she had.  The SUPER RICH Korean family she never knew she had.  With all the haunting secrets and plot twists of a K-drama, this book is a fun dive into another culture and the process of becoming an insider while still being an outsider.  Chloe’s struggle to define herself as a young adult is honest and engaging, and the exploration of what love and loyalty within a family really mean is surprisingly sweet and genuine.  Readers will enjoy the Korean language, customs, and foods (yum!), as well as the high fashion, glamorous lifestyles, and insider scoop on the lives of the rich and famous.

Countries of the World: Russia

By Rebecca Sabelko

Russia 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 expansive Russian country as well as some of the exotic items the people eat including: kasha, pirozhki, and borscht. 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: Mexico

By Monika Davies

Mexico 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 Mexico as well as some of the exotic items the people eat including: pozole, chilaquiles, and dulce de leche. 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: Japan

By Rebecca Sabelko

Japan 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 Japanese Islands as well as some of the exotic items the people eat including: miso soup, sushi and sashimi. 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: Italy

By Rebecca Sabelko

Italy 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 weather of the Italian peninsula as well as some of the exotic items the people eat including: risotto, salsa al pomodoro and delicious gelato. 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: Iraq

By Rebecca Sabelko

Iraq 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 Iraq such as: the Arabian horned viper and the sand cat as well as some of the exotic foods the people eat including: quzi, khubz and dates. 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: India

By Monika Davies

India 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 Indian sub-continent as well as some of the exotic items the people eat including: chapati, dal and biryani. 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: France

By Rebecca Sabelko

France 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 France including: the Genet and the Egyptian Vulture as well as some of the exotic items the people eat including: croissants, crepes and bouillabaisse. 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.”