Duel!

Duel!  Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words by Dennis Brindell Fradin is another one I think the kids will thoroughly enjoy.  The 1804 deadly duel of words between vice president, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.  This famous match is explained in this wonderful children's book.  This is a famous duel but one I am not sure people know much about and one, I think, kids will devour!!  Another great one for boys - it will reel them in and hook them!!

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman

Ever wonder how Superman came to be??  Did you know that TWO men thought him up??  Did you know they scrimped and saved during the Great Depression to make their idea a reality??  If not - (or even if you did) - you NEED to read this one!  Boys of Steel:  The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman and illustrated by Ross MacDonald is just super!  I can see it being a hit with boys of ALL ages - ok, girls may enjoy it too - but this is just a "must" for boys especially.  (And those are hard to come by!!)  Loved it and the illustrations are also wonderful - they add that "comic book" feel that adds to the credibility of the story.

Making Cents

Making Cents by Elizabeth Keeler Robinson is a great introduction to money. This would be very useful in a unit to teach about currency and what each coin/dollar represents. I was fascinated with how the author shows that a dime, for instance, is worth ten penny nails, two wood screws or a marking pencil. I'd never have thought of a dime that way!! Bob McMahon's illustrations are very fun and add to the interest in this one. What a fun book! Definately worth a look!

A Den is a Bed for a Bear

A Den is a Bed for a Bear: A Book about Hibernation by Becky Baines is a National Geographic book that I think kids will enjoy. It is a fun look at bears and where they live with the photgraphy that National Geographic is famous for. I would recommend this one - I think young "animal book" fans will love it!

April Pulley Sayre's Trout are Made of Trees is a fun look at food chains in the forest/streams. Who would have thought that if you trace it all the way back - really Trout are "made of" streams!?!? I love it!! Very neat concept and I think kids will like it too. The illustrations are very fun - Kate Endle did a super job of keeping the book fun and intriguing. Great one on ecology.

Winter Trees

If you need a book that has an interesting way of teaching about trees - just by looking at their shape, bark, etc. - then Winter Trees by Carole Gerber might be the one for you. This is really a good look at the "winter shape" of trees. Leslie Evans has done a wonderful job of illustrating this book - I think kids will find it interesting and a fun way to learn. I enjoy tree indentification and this one intrigues me - I guess I hadn't thought of how you can identify trees even in the winter without the leaves!!

Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells

Philip Dray has written a wonderful story of the life of Ida B. Wells - as the subtitle says, "The Daring Life of a Crusading Journalist." It is just that - a deeply touching story of a girl in a slave family - given their freedom - yet struggling from then on to keep it. It is a powerful story - Ida was tough and she deserves this recognition. At the end of the book, there is a beautiful timeline of Ida's life - it adds the authenticity and information that readers can use for reports and other projects. Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells is a great addition to our Civil Rights units, slavery, etc. Stephen Alcorn's illustrations add such a wonderful touch to this book.

Fabulous Fishes

This is a fun find!! Fabulous Fishes by Susan Stockdale has striking illustrations and even more fun?? It rhymes. This one will be great for story hour, younger ages, and any little ones interested in fish. It is a catchy, fun book that I know little ones will enjoy. The back pages are more information on each of the fish shown - I love it when authors do that!!

Wanda Gag: The Girl who Lived to Draw

Deborah Kogan Ray's Wanda Gag: The Girl who Lived to Draw is remarkable. (I suppose it helps to be a BIG fan of Millions of Cats -which I just happen to be!!) The book is just a beauty - the illustrations are magnificent - they truly add a nostaligic touch to the story. I just thoroughly enjoyed this story of Wanda Gag's life. She did not have an easy life, but she did work hard and overcame her circumstances. It was one of those books where you get so caught up in the story that you just want to keep reading to see how her life ends. Marvelous - simply marvelous!!

Wangari's Trees of Peace

I enjoy Jeannette Winter's books and this one is no exception.  Wangari's Trees of Peace is a great look at the people of Africa and their land.  Wangari is a woman that grew up in Kenya, comes to the U.S. to study, and when she goes back to her dear land, she sees there are no trees and no birds - buildings have been built instead.  So it becomes her mission to replace those trees - she begins in her own backyard and gradually encourages others to do the same.  It really is a great story - one that our kids need to read - we get so wrapped up in our culture sometimes that we forget that the rest of the world has a story too.  Wangari's story will inspire you - she was the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2004 - and I love her words, "Right is right, eevn if you're alone." 

Her illustrations only enhance this wonderful story - they are rich in culture as well - marvelous!!

A River of Words

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant jumped right out at me in my pile of books - Probably BECAUSE, we have just studied some of his poetry in our writing curriculum. So, for me, this was a very relevant and interesting read. William Carlos Williams has changed the face of poetry and is famous for that achievement but what you often don't know about his life is that he was a doctor by trade, only writing poetry on the side, as his enjoyment in life. I enjoyed the book and LOVED the interesting illustrations by Melissa Sweet. This is an area I think we can all stand to read more about, and so often overlook.

It's Moving Day

Pamela Hickman's It's Moving Day is a gem! What a great story of how many animals can live in a burrow at all different times of the year. I thought it was fun to follow the antics in the burrow and the woodland animals that chose to live there. The illustrations, by Geraldo Valerio, are fun and whimsical and add a neat flair to the book. And if kids want to know more about the animals, there are some more facts at the end of the book. Kids will enjoy this one.

Looking Closely Inside the Garden

I always enjoy Frank Serafini's Looking Closely titles. So Looking Closely Inside the Garden was no exception! The photography is amazing and the text is short enough that it goes over very well with young ones too. This book is all based around what we can find in our gardens, and Serafini sets it up so that you see a small circle of the larger picture and have to guess what it could be. Then, on the next page, it reveals itself to the reader. These guessing books are very popular with our younger readers and this one will be no exception!

Ballots for Belva

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen has written Ballots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency. I have to admit - I knew nothing of the life of Belva Lockwood - but she was quite a woman! Talk about your strong female character!! Back when it wasn't conceivable to do so, Belva received a law degree, ran for president, and just plain fought for equal treatment of women. I like her spunk and it comes through in this great non-fiction read for children. It has a nice timeline in the back of the book that shows the progress of Women's Suffrage in the United States.

Nic Bishop Frogs

Nic Bishop's Frogs is simply put, stunning! Whether you like, or don't like, frogs - this book has amazing photography and makes you want more! I thought some of the reading was a bit long for younger readers, but, the pictures alone, will hold the young-ones' attention. This is one I will be showing to all of our non-fiction readers - it is fabulous!!

Farmer George Plants a Nation

Farmer George Plants a Nation by Peggy Thomas with paintings by Layne Johnson is a new-to-me non-fiction title. I always knew George Washington was also a farmer, but I didn't realize how innovative he was with farming NOR how much it mirrored his techniques to build a free nation. Very interesting and would be a fun addition for a unit on George Washington. The illustrations are beautiful - they really give it an old-world feel. I would say that it is definately upper elementary - there is a lot of text and would quickly lose little ones.

Wolfsnail

Sarah C. Campbell has written Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator for all of you non-fiction fans. This is a great one. The photography is MARVELOUS and there is just enough print to keep it fresh but not too many words that it gets too long for little ones. It didn't strike me at first as a book that would "catch" me and lure me in, but once you get started, you will be amazed. VERY fun and I learned all about the world of the Wolfsnail - which previously I did not know even existed!!

This is the Feast

I am ALWAYS on the lookout for a good Thanksgiving-themed book to add to my repertoire, and I have found a new one! Diane Z. Shore has written This is the Feast - a wonderful rhyming "This is the house that Jack Built" take-off. Megan Lloyd is fabulous as the illustrator - really, you MUST look at the pictures in this book - they lend a nice authentic feel to the story. I think this would be a great follow-up/read aloud to a pilgrim unit or a study on Thanksgiving. And not for your younger set - the jacket cover says ages 3-8 but I would read it to the older of that set, rather than the younger.

Gone Fishing

Caldecott Honor-winning artist, David McLimans has created a beautiful book - Gone Fishing:  Ocean Life By the Numbers.  This is a book done soley in black, white and turquoise blue - featuring ocean life that is currently endangered or on the brink of being endangered.  Oh, and the other interesting part??  All of the ocean life is illustrated in the form of a number - so, of course, the "Blue-Ringed Octopus" is formed in the shape of the number 8.  This books will catch kids' eyes - AND it has some wonderful pages at the end to learn more information on oceans and ocean life.  It really is striking!

Two Bobbies

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery is another interesting "take" on Hurricane Katrina. This is a new-to-me story. I wasn't aware of this touching story of a friendship between a tailess dog and cat that are stranded together after Hurricane Katrina. It is quite something though - when they are torn apart to be put in separate cages in an animal shelter, you see just how "attached" they are, as they howl all night long. And the ending is a complete surprise that explains so much of the "attachment" these two have built. It is worth reading - a story that kids will enjoy because it is about animals and yet a story where they will learn a bit about the awful hurricane that crippled New Orleans.