Of the four stories in this collection, I only remember seeing "Elizabite" before. Elizabite is a carnivorous plant. A botanist discovers her and digs her up to take to his laboratory (getting his fingers bitten in the process). Things do not go much better at the lab. Elizabite chomps on the dog's tail, tries to do the same to the maid, and grabs a professor by the beard. But after a run-in with a burglar one night, a happy and safe location is found for this hungry plant and her little sprouts. The illustrations that show the dog running across the room with his tail bandaged as the maid wanders too close to the plant, or the maid and the dog peeking around the corner as the professor leans in for a closer look are funny details that readers will enjoy."Tit for Tat" tells the story of Matt and his uncle, Angus. Matt teases his pet turtle by turning him onto his back, knowing he can't roll over in his shell. Angus uses his invention, the Turn-a-vision set, to show Matt how it fells to be on the receiving end of unfair treatment. He tells him, "you should not do to others anything you don't want them to do to you." The scenes are funny - horses sitting in carriages pulled by humans, dogs walking humans on leashes and pulling them away before they can greet their friends, etc. But they use humor to make a point about following the Golden Rule."Billy's Picture" is about a rabbit named Billy that is drawing a picture, but before he can finish, a friend comes along and adds a detail. Then another friend makes an addition to the picture, then another, and another. By the time they are all finished helping, it is a drawing of the oddest looking creature you have ever seen. It has an elephant's trunk, a porcupine's quills, and other features from each of the different animals that contributed to the picture. Billy bursts into tears because he only wanted to draw a self-portrait, not some odd mutant thing. But they do come up with a good solution to the problem."Zebrology" is the last story in the book and it is wordless. It shows two horses meet, one white and one black. Then there are two young horses, each half white and half black. Then more young ones that have large stripes and so on, until there are a herd of zebras grazing where there were once two horses of different colors. I've probably been teaching elementary school too long, but I think it would be a good visual to how kids how multiplying fractions gets you smaller and smaller fractions. As much time as I have spent in libraries and bookstores over the last few years, you would think I would be more familiar with these stories. It seems like a good thing that this collection is being published, so that all these stories are not lost to everyone's memory. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Claudette's father, Augustine, was a warrior before he lost his legs and an arm. He also lost his sword, Breaker, when it was swallowed by the dragon known as Azra the Atrocious. Claudette dreams of being a warrior as mighty as her father was in his prime and wants to travel to the Grim Grotto, defeat the dragon, and retrieve her father's sword. Her younger brother, Gaston is actually a great cook, perhaps a future chef. Sadly, he has sworn off cooking until he masters the art of swordmaking (and that doesn't look as if it will happen any time soon). Augustine makes swords now and he has even made Claudette a small wooden practice sword which she carries with her everywhere. But she will need more than a wooden sword to defeat the evil army of the wizard Grombach that is heading for their town. Will Augustine get his sword back? Who will fight Grombach? Could Augustine or Claudette or one of the princes who are visiting Claudette's friend Marie save the day? With plenty of spunk, but not much stealth, Claudette charges through life, attacking all obstacles. Gaston puts his culinary talents to an unexpected use and Marie at last has the chance to practice her skills of diplomacy as they all work to save Mont Petit Pierre.There is plenty of action, humor, and surprises to keep readers turning the page. A fantasy adventure suitable for all ages.I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Fans of Katie Woo and Kylie Jean have a new girl to add to their reading list. Sofia Martinez may be the youngest of three sisters, but she makes up for it with her outgoing personality. Whether she is putting together an outfit for school picture day, planning her abuela's birthday party, or finding a runaway mouse - Sofia takes the lead and her sisters and cousins join in the action to make it a family adventure.These early chapter books from Capstone's Picture Window imprint are full of laughs and family fun. Sofia is a typical 7-year-old with all the interests and energy of other girls her age. The stories are also sprinkled with Spanish words and phrases (color-coded in pink and included in the glossary at the back of the book), that help give a sense of the Hispanic-American background of Sofia's family. The culture is a part of the story, but not in an overwhelming or one-dimensional way. With vibrant illustrations that capture Sofia's fun and vitality, the books are just the right mix of text and pictures to transition readers into chapter books.I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
The books from Citizen Kid always have a good story to tell, one that also provides information about different places around the world and what children can do to help others. In this case, the story begins with a boy named Leo in the U.S. He saves for two years to buy a bicycle. He rides it everywhere and takes excellent care of it. When he outgrows it after several years, it still looks almost new. The bicycle shop owner tells Leo of a program that collects bikes and sends them to people in poor countries that have no other transportation. And Big Red's journey to Africa begins. The book continues with two other owners and their stories with the bike and how it impacts their lives. I particularly like the last illustration, which shows a winding road with Leo, Alisetta, and Haridata (the characters from the stories), each riding Big Red. The book does a good job of telling and showing the positive impact that the bicycle has on the lives of the owners in Burkina Faso, without being maudlin and sappy. It also gives a sense of daily life in that part of Africa through the illustrations and the occasional use of local dialect like pagne, dolo, or draff. And there are the mention of practices such as using bicycles as ambulances, or crocheting bags from plastic. As with most Citizen Kid books, there is a section at the back of the book with information on what you can do to help, information about the country shown in the story, and notes for parents and teachers on how to use the book and build on it with other activities.The books from this collection are very useful as read-alouds to introduce the study of other cultures, to show examples of how children can help others through charitable organizations, and to look at economic practices in third-world countries. By tracking just one donation, they bring to life the impact that can be made and how it can spread and be "paid forward" over and over.I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
This collection of poetry from the author of books such asWilliam's Doll and Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present takes readers on a journey through the seasons. The illustrations by Tiphanie Beeke are a wonderful accompaniment to each poem, bringing an added dimension to words that paint a picture all on their own. Whether she is describing the spring wind "brushing the world with feathery wings," or how "the light long summer is grown old," Zolotow captures the feel of each season. Her words capture the glittery look of the lights on a bridge at night, or daydreams sparked by the view out a classroom window. The sibilant sound of falling snow comes through in the words of "The First Snow." Other poems are bursting with all the colors she includes. Each one is like a slice of the year, preserved and served up to us.Whether you are looking for a book to accompany a study of the changing seasons, an introduction to poetry, or a model text for descriptive writing - this book is it. Even more important is how enjoyable it would be to read together, one on one, or in a group. Readers will feel the cold of winter, smell the violets of spring, soak in the blue summer sky, or jump at the feel of a dog's wet nose against their palm. It is a delight to all the senses.I read an advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest feedback.
Ms. Chen's class is learning about foods, so each student is bringing in a special dish that their family enjoys. They try spaghetti from Italy and yi mein from China. They have lefse from Norway, roti from India, and challah from Israel. One child even talks about going fishing with her father to bring home fresh fish for her family. And Manuel, the narrator of the tale, brings in salsa he makes with his abuela. Throughout the week as the children learn about different dishes from different cultures, they also learn that even when foods are called by other names or cooked in various ways, they can still be the same, too. At the end of the story are a recipe for salsa, a glossary, a list of books and websites to learn more, and an index. The books makes a point of including diversity in backgrounds, families, and even children with glasses or a wheelchair. There are also questions on several pages to encourage discussion. They ask things like - "What part of the world does your family come from?" Or, "Do you help your family cook meals?" If the other books in this Alike and Different series are done in a similar fashion, they will make an excellent resource for introducing young students into the study of cultural diversity.I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. To learn more, visit the websites for the author andillustrator
I really need to read the first of this series, because the second one was so fun. In this second book, George Gearing is excited to start his student apprenticeship at TinkerTech and possibly help with the rollout of the new MOD, "a wireless eye and earpiece combo that allows the wearer to access data just by thinking of it." But things go downhill fast when he arrives for his first day on the job. He bumps into the head of TinkerTech and makes him drop his wireless tablet almost as soon as he steps into the building. His least favorite girl, Patricia Volt, has also been chosen for an apprenticeship (mostly because her father is an executive of the company). And it doesn't get any better as the day goes on. Why won't anyone listen to him when he explains that there is something sinister going on and the new MODs may be dangerous? George may just have to fix things himself, with a little help from his faithful Jackbot and his friend Anne.
One of the things that makes this story so funny is the way everyone seems to have a tech related name: George Gearing, Patricia Volt, Anne Droid, Principal Qwerty, Nurse Linux, Dr. Micron, Otto Fender... Another thing that is appealing is the wonderful relationship between George and his robot companion, Jackbot. Jackbot finds a way past the guard robot so that he can stay with George while he's at TinkerTech; he writes love poetry to Patricia's grooming-bot, Cookie; he is one cool little droid. And George is one seriously smart and determined kid. I can't wait to read the rest of the series - and young readers who enjoy gadgets and sci-fi will love it.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Visit www.robotsrulebooks.com to find out more about this cool series.
