The Inventors of LegoToys

TITLE: The Inventors of Lego Toys
AUTHOR:  Erin Hagar
ILLUSTRATOR: Paige Garrison
PUBLISHER: DuoPress
COPYRIGHT: 2016

A new book that just came out this month is The Inventors of Lego Toys by Erin Hagar with art by Paige Garrison.

In this 48 page book readers will learn about how Legos came to be the favorite toy for millions that they are today. The facts are written in an easy to understand way with plenty of pictures throughout as well.

I was impressed with this book...it's format, illustrations, the information presented.  This is a great nonfiction read for children in the intermediate grades (3rd--5th).  You are sure to learn a thing or two at least by reading this book!

This book was sent to me by the publisher DuoPress for my honest review. Thank you.

Alex the Parrot

TITLE: Alex the Parrot  No Ordinary Bird
AUTHOR:  Stephanie Spinner
ILLUSTRATOR:  Meilo So
PUBLISHER:  Alfred A. Knopf
COPYRIGHT: 2012

Alex was an African gray parrot who was trained by Irene Pepperberg.  Everyone was surprised by the things he learned to do.  He could count, speak and recognize shapes, sizes, and colors.  These were things he was not supposed to be able to do.

This is a very interesting story, and my son and I enjoyed reading this nonfiction book.  This is AR level 4.1.

A Rock is Lively

TITLE: A Rock is Lively
AUTHOR:  Dianna Hutts Aston
ILLUSTRATOR: Sylvia Long
PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books
COPYRIGHT:  2012

This nonfiction book about rocks is very interesting.  The reader will learn how rocks are made, the types of rocks and the many uses of rocks.  (I had not thought about just how useful rocks are!) 

This would be a great resource o use in a classroom to begin a study on the types of rocks.  This book is AR level 5.4.

One note:  There was a picture of the David sculpture at the end of this book; I think a teacher would need to be warned of this before reading it to the class.

A Picture Book of Sam Houston

TITLE: A Picture Book of Sam Houston
AUTHOR:  David A. Adler and Michael S. Adler
ILLUSTRATOR:  Matt Collins
PUBLISHER: Holiday House
COPYRIGHT: 2012

This biography shares information from the interesting life of Sam Houston.  Besides being a war hero, he lived among the Cherokee Indians for 3 years, was a lawyer and teacher, and eventually became the first president of the Republic of Texas.  He also was married three times and had eight children. 

This is an enjoyable book with wonderful illustrations.  It is appropriate for elementary aged students and has an AR level of 4.8.  My son enjoyed this biography and the battle images. 

The Alamo from A to Z

TITLE: The Alamo from A to Z
AUTHOR:  William R Chemerka
ILLUSTRATOR:  Wade Dillon
PUBLISHER: Pecan Publishing Company
COPYRIGHT: 2011

I enjoyed this ABC book all about the Alamo.  There was a lot of information and I liked the way it was presented in an understandable way.  Popular Alamo names are mentioned such as Bowie, Crockett, and Travis, but others are here too that I was less familiar with like William King, the youngest Alamo defender. 

This would be an educational book to add to your unit on Texas!  It is appropriate for elementary aged children. 

Crafts from Modeling Clay

TITLE:  Crafts from Modeling Clay
AUTHOR:  Huguette Kirby
ILLUSTRATOR:
PUBLISHER: Bridgestone Books
COPYRIGHT:  2003

If you have a child interested in learning about making things with clay, this would be a beneficial resource.  It starts with some vocabulary words and pictures of tips for using modeling clay and tools you will need to make the projects in the book.  Then it has directions and photos for several clay projects.  Some of these are a treasure box, caterpillar, beads, and flower frames.
 
I thought this book was great.  The photograph illustrations that went along with the steps for the pieces were easy to understand.  This would be a nice addition to a school library.

You Can Write Cool Poems

TITLE:  You Can Write Cool Poems
AUTHOR:  Jennifer Fandel
ILLUSTRATOR:
PUBLISHER:  Capstone Press
COPYRIGHT:  2012

Do you have students that feel intimidated to write poetry?  This book would be a helpful little tool to use in a unit on poetry.  This book will give students an idea of different types of poems they can write.  One thing I liked was the vocabulary words and definitions provided at the bottom of the pages.  Another thing I really liked was the "exercise" page where students are given something to do to practice.  For example, one of the exercises was to choose a letter (they chose P) and make a list of words with P at the beginning, middle, or end. Then use as many of those P words as possible in a free verse poem.

This would be a great addition to the school or classroom library as I feel it would benefit teachers or students.  The photos are great and the layout is nice.  There is just the right amount of information on each page so it is not cluttered or too busy.  This is a great poetry resource!

Construction Zone

TITLE:  Construction Zone
AUTHOR: Cheryl Willis Hudson
PHOTOGRAPHER:  Richard Sobol
PUBLISHER:  Candlewick Press
COPYRIGHT:  2006

Visit a construction site through the pages of this book.  You will see the entire process involved in construction from the drawings done by an architect to the frame going up to the completed building.

The photos in this book are truly amazing.  Another thing I like is the vocabulary words in bold in the text with a definition in smaller print at the bottom of the page.

I recommend this book for elementary aged children.  It would be appropriate to use in a classroom setting during a lesson on community workers or even as an example of a  well-done "how to."

Apples, Cherries, Red Raspberries

TITLE:  Apples, Cherries, Red Raspberries    What Is In the Fruits Group?
AUTHOR:  Brian P. Cleary
ILLUSTRATOR:  Martin Goneau
PUBLISHER:  Millbrook Press
COPYRIGHT:  2011

In this fun read aloud rhyming book, the reader learns about foods in the fruits group.  There are ideas of ways to enjoy fruit, such as the juice or in a dessert, as well as the nutritional value of some fruits.

This is a book in the "Food is Categorical" series.  The colorful cover and title caught my eye.  The illustrations are bright, comical, and will keep the reader's attention. This book would be enjoyed by early elementary aged children.  It would be appropriate for a unit on foods and the food groups in the elementary classroom.

Trumpets

TITLE: Trumpets
AUTHOR: Cynthia Amoroso and Robert B. Noyed
ILLUSTRATOR: various photographers
PUBLISHER: The Child's World
COPYRIGHT: 2010

We have read several books from this "Music Makers" series. Each one tells about one instrument. It has facts about the instrument, how it's played, and a brief history of the instrument. I like that the reading level is appropriate for beginning readers. Another thing I like about this series is the photographs that fill every other page.

My son and I have enjoyed reading the various books in this series.

A Book About Color

TITLE: A Book About Color
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mark Gonyea
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Company
COPYRIGHT: 2010

This is a nice book with brightly colored illustrations to introduce a young child to color. Things discussed are primary and secondary colors as well as complementary colors.

This would be a good book for a school or classroom library.

Ultimate Sports

TITLE: Ultimate Sports
AUTHOR: Teresa Domnauer
ILLUSTRATOR:
PUBLISHER: School Specialty Publishing
COPYRIGHT: 2007

This book has a variety of extreme sports including luge, snowboarding, surfing, whitewater kayaking, and rock climbing. A description of one page length is given for each sport as well as "weird facts" and a photograph. This book is in the "Extreme Readers" series and would be good for a "confident reader."

My son enjoyed the photos and information presented in this book.

It's a Baby Skunk!

TITLE: Skunk!
AUTHOR: Kelly Doudna
ILLUSTRATOR: (various photographers)
PUBLISHER: ABDO Publishing Company
COPYRIGHT: 2008

We found this great little series of books at our local library. This one is called It's a Baby Skunk! Other books are about prairie dogs, hippopotamuses, and flying foxes to name a few. It provides great photographs of skunks and interesting facts.

We checked out several from this series, and I have found all of them to be enjoyable and educational. These would make a nice addition to a classroom library or school library.

What is the Story of our Flag?

TITLE: What Is the Story of Our Flag?

AUTHOR: Janice Behrens
ILLUSTRATOR: various photographers

PUBLISHER: Children's Press
COPYRIGHT: 2009

What Is the Story of Our Flag? is a new nonfiction reader. This book talks about the history of the flag of the USA in language that young children can understand. Some of the topics include Betsy Ross, the meaning of the stars and stripes, and Flag Day. It includes a contents page, word hunt, and index. One thing that makes this book appealing is the brightly colored photographs. I would recommend this book for a classroom library for a unit on the flag as well as the elementary school library.

My son and I enjoyed this book.

What is Mount Rushmore?

TITLE: What is Mount Rushmore?
AUTHOR: Laine Falk
ILLUSTRATOR: various photographers
PUBLISHER: Children's Press
COPYRIGHT: 2009

What is Mount Rushmore? is a new nonfiction reader. This book tells facts about Mount Rushmore, including information about the sculptor and visiting the site. It includes a contents page, word hunt, and index. The photographs in this book are enjoyable and give the reader a chance to see this landmark up close. This book would make a nice addition to the classroom or elementary school library.

My son wants to go see Mount Rushmore so he enjoyed this book.