By Rebecca Sabelko

Memorial Day is recognized as a national holiday in all public schools. This title is a good introduction to what the day means with basic concepts for better understanding. The graphics are vibrant and colorful. Each page has one to three simple sentences. What I appreciated about this title is that there are many illustrations representing a diverse population at the age of the recommended readers. This book explains the history behind the day, when it is celebrated annually and why it is an important holiday. It shows what students do in school to appreciate and better understand this celebration honoring our fallen soldiers and what people do to commemorate the day. This book would be a good supplement to support the variety of holidays in the United States as it is extremely simplified and allows for readers to get the basic information they need in order to broaden understanding and appreciation in the future. Being that many of my students are children of active servicemen/women and veterans this book was a wonderful addition to my library. It is recommended for libraries where there is a need for lower reading level books about holidays such as this one.

The Blastoff! Beginners Happy Holidays! series contains informational chapters including but not limited to: simple information about what individuals do for the holiday, when the holiday is and what it is about, the importance of the holiday and facts. These books also include a glossary with terms and definitions 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 Pre-K to 3rd. They are at “Level 1″ which offers early readers information through simplified sentences for better understanding.