Over and Under the Snow uses prose and beautiful illustrations to show the way forest animals live during the snowy winter months. A girl and her father are skiing through the woods and they see many creatures along the way. The father explains how some of the animals live in secret tunnels under the snow. You see a variety of animals including squirrels, snow hares, mice, bears, and bullfrogs. You also learn about the winter habits of some of the animals. There is an author's note at the end of the book that explains the scientific term for the space animals live beneath the snow, the "subnivean zone", and how animals use it to survive the harsh winter months. It also explains how predators depend on their acute senses to hear the animals below the snow to hunt them for food. There is a glossary with the names and descriptions of various animals and their winter habits, including illustrations. There are also recommendations for further reading. This book is a great way to help children learn about animals in winter in an entertaining narrative storybook format. For more information some recommended websites include The University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology's Animal Diversity Web page, where you can search for any animal and get detailed information with pictures including their scientific name, diet, habitat, etc. Another recommended site is the Canadian Wildlife Federation's Hinterland Who's Who site with a variety of information, pictures, videos, and games about animals living in Canada's wilderness, including a fun game to learn how to identify different animal tracks, here. Other books children might enjoy include Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart and the series of books, An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Butterfly Is Patient, A Rock Is Lively, and A Nest is Noisy by Dianna Hutts Aston. Age Range: 4 - 8 years Publisher: Chronicle Books Publication Date: September 9, 2014 Lexile Reading Level: AD700L Accelerated Reader book level: 3.2 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
3 Comments
Separate is Never Equal is based on the true story of the Mendez family and the little-known but landmark court case of Mendez v. Westminster in which the Mendez's, a Mexican-American family, fought for the right of their children to attend the same school as white children in their area. The story opens with Sylvia Mendez starting at her new school for the first time. She is harassed by a white student who tells her to, "Go back to the Mexican school! You don't belong here!" She goes home to tell her mother she is upset and doesn't want to attend the integrated school, and her mother reminds her that they fought hard to integrate the school so she could attend. The rest of the story provides the background of their struggle, including filing a lawsuit, and the court case that eventually led to integration. At the end of the story Sylvia returns to school with her head held high. At the end of the book, an author's note explains some of the background about the true story of the Mendez family and court case. It includes pictures of Sylvia as a child and adult (after she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom), and her parents. There is also a glossary, bibliography, and index. This book is very inspirational and I think would help children understand the struggles of minorities to achieve equal rights. It is disturbing at times to hear the blatant racism expressed by some of the people in the story, but the message is very powerful and important, and I think parents, teachers, and librarians could use this book as a jumping off point for discussions on race, discrimination, and acceptance. For more information on Sylvia Mendez and the Mendez v. Westminster case this website provides additional information, including pictures and newspaper clippings. For more information on desegregation for kids, a Congress for Kids website has a page that has information on some of the history of desegregation in the United States, found here. Other books readers might enjoy are The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko and Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America by Carole Boston Weatherford. Age Range: 6 - 9 years Publisher: Harry N. Adams Publication Date: May 6, 2014 Lexile Reading Level: AD870L Accelerated Reader book level: 5.1 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas is the story of an elephant seal who lived in the Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand. Although most elephant seals like to live in the ocean, Elizabeth seemed to prefer her river. There were a few incidents where Elizabeth got out of the river and laid in the road, causing some minor car accidents. Fearing for Elizabeth's and the drivers' safety, the people of Christchurch captured Elizabeth and took her to a colony of elephant seals in the ocean. Elizabeth came back, however, and even though they tried to take her to colonies even farther away she always managed to find her way back home. She became a local legend of Christchurch. This book contains factual information about the story of Elizabeth the elephant seal. Some elements of the story may have been enhanced or embellished, but the essential parts of the story remain true. At the end of the book the author provides additional information about elephant seals, as well as some references. For additional information about elephant seals, there is information on the National Geographic website, as well as information about the tagging/data collection program that elephant seals are apart of at topp.org. There is a great article about Elizabeth, as well as pictures, here. Other books readers might enjoy are Elephant Seals by Megan C. Peterson or Leopard and Silkie: One Boy's Quest to Save the Seal Pups by Brenda Peterson. Age Range: 4 - 8 years Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Publication Date: May 13, 2014 Lexile Reading Level: AD900L Accelerated Reader book level: 4.5 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla is the story of how a young gorilla is taken from the wild and made to live in a 14x14 foot enclosure in a shopping mall for much of his life, until activists and concerned citizens advocate and raise enough awareness for him to be rescued and sent to a zoo to spend the rest of his life. The story describes Ivan's life living with a large family of western lowland gorillas in a tropical forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It describes how he was taken by poachers, along with another baby gorilla (who doesn't survive), and shipped to Tacoma, Washington. He lived almost like a human child for a few years, living in the home of a pet shop owner, until he became too big. Ivan is forced to live in a cage for 27 years until finally, with the help of activists and the local zoo, Ivan is moved to his final home in the Atlanta Zoo where he can finally be with other gorillas in a suitable habitat. This book contains factual information about Ivan's story, although some elements may be embellished or enhanced for the sake of the story. At the end of the book the author describes the true story in detail and provides references on where more information could be found. While the story has a happy ending, some children may be upset when baby Ivan is taken from his family, or made to live in confinement. This would be a good time to have a conversation about animal needs and rights. There is great information, including video and pictures of Ivan, on the Atlanta Zoo's webpage. GorillaFund.org and NationalGeographic.org are also great resources for learning more about gorillas. For older children, Katherine Applegate also wrote a somewhat more fictionalized tale called The One and Only Ivan written from Ivan's perspective that I would highly recommend. Other books readers might enjoy are A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz or Galapagos George by Jean Craighead George. Age Range: 4 - 7 years Publisher: Clarion Books; First Edition edition Publication Date: October 7, 2014 Lexile Reading Level: AD680L Accelerated Reader book level: 3.7 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
Rags: Hero Dog of WWI a True Story describes how a stray dog named Rags became a wonderful companion and military aide to an American soldier, Private James Donovan, fighting in France during WWI. The soldier found Rags wondering around on the streets of Paris, but ended up taking him on the battlefield where Rags assisted by chasing vermin out of the trenches, passing along messages between soldiers, finding breaks in telephone lines, and overall boosting the moral of his fellow soldiers. Rags is injured in a battle that ultimate takes Private Donovan's life and is clear that he is heartbroken over the loss of his friend. Rags' story has a happy ending, though, because he is adopted by a family with two girls who love and care for him, and is given many awards and accolades for his exemplary service to the United States military. The book includes factual information at the beginning and end describing Rags' life and a bit about the history of military dogs in WWI and beyond. There are lovely pictures that help describe the story and see Rags for the hero he is. I would recommend this book for any children interested in dogs, the military, and/or war. This book is based on a true story, so some of the details may be exaggerated or enhanced, but the story of Rags is real and this book does a great job at explaining what an important dog he was. Adults may want to be aware that children could become sad or upset when Donovan dies. It might be a good idea to have some talking points about death ready, or perhaps a follow-up book like The Next Place by Warren Hanson or The Invisible String by Patrice Karst. You can find Rags' story in many places on the internet. This website is one example. Readers might also enjoy Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven or Stubby the War Dog: The True Story of World War I's Bravest Dog by Ann Bausum. Age Range: 7 - 10 years Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press Publication Date: August 2, 2014 Lexile Reading Level: 740 Accelerated Reader book level: 4.4 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music is based on the true story of a Chinese-African-Cuban girl named Millo Castro Zaldarriaga who was the first female to play drums in Cuba. She first performed with her sisters in their band Anacaona, and went on to achieve international success as a musician; she even played at a celebration for President Franklin Roosevelt at the age of 15. This book is written in the form of a poem, with vibrant and gorgeous pictures. This story is very inspiring and will help children, particularly girls, see that they can achieve their dreams even if someone tells them that it is not allowed due to societal conventions; it teaches the value of perseverance. To listen to a song by Anacaona, please click this link. Since this book is based on a true story, that means that most of the events really happened but the author may have embellished or enhanced some of the details to make the story more interesting. This book provides historical information at the end of the book to help the reader understand what happened in real life. Readers might also enjoy Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown or Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews. Age Range: 4 - 7 years Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Publication Date: March 31, 2015 Lexile Reading Level: NP Accelerated Reader book level: 4.2 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah is the true story of a boy named Emmanuel from Ghana. Emmanuel was born with a deformed left leg but with the encouragement of his mother overcomes many obstacles and becomes an inspiration and advocate for those with disabilities. He is able to attend school, work, and eventually rides a bike on a long distance journey around his country, spreading awareness that just because you have a disability that doesn't mean you have an inability. This is a beautiful story with wonderful pictures and I think it is really good for kids to read because it will help them learn about those with disabilities, as well as those from other cultures. If you would like to learn more about Emmanuel's story you can check out the website http://www.emmanuelsdream.org/. There is also a documentary narrated by Oprah Winfrey called Emmanuel's Gift. Readers might also enjoy Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees by Franck Prévot or Malala, a Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy from Pakistan: Two Stories of Bravery by Jeanette Winter. Age Range: 4 - 8 years Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Publication Date: January 6, 2015 Lexile reading level: AD770L Accelerated Reader book level: 4.4 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
November 2016
Categories |