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:
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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:
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November 2016
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