The Extinct Files: My Science Project by Wallce Edwards

Wally uses the scientific method to prove to his science teacher that dinosaurs are not really extinct. Claiming that the illustrators drawings are "actual photographs," he makes astute observations about these non-extinct creatures. He shares information about habitat, diet, grooming, movement, etc.

This is a very creative way to present scientific method, using lots of humor (Glamorousaurus shows us grooming, "Tea Wrecks" hangs out at the coffee shop). The language used in the observations is very heavy in description and sticks to factual information.

It gets a little silly with its conclusion but all-in-all, a fun way to present some science themes creatively. Definately a picture book for middle school.

Lugalbanda : The Boy Who Go Caught Up in a War An Epic Tale from Ancient Iraq, told by Kathy Henderson

In this work of fiction, the author has recreated a tale that she believes to be the oldest written story in the world. Drawing on translations from cueiform tablets found in ancient Sumer, she brings the story of Lugalbanda back to life. In folklore, he was a king in Uruk and Sumer and the father of Gilgamesh. Here he is a weak young boy who goes off to war with his brothers, becomes gravely ill, recovers,develops a relationship with the magical giant Anzu bird, and helps redeem his country from warfare. The illustrations, which are perfectly matched with the text, are middle eastern in style, with colors in jewel tones. Included are an introductory section on Sumer's history and an afterword about the story itself. Both are well-written and easy to read. This book can be read and appreciated by grades 4 and up. It could be used in 7th grade social studies classes or as part of a folklore unit.

Once Upon a Banana by Jennifer Armstrong, illustrated by David Small

The story in this mostly wordless book begins right on the cover, moves to the end papers and title page, and picks up speed with the first "real" page. A street performer chases his escaped monkey, who steals a banana and throws down a banana peel, which is stepped on by a motorcycling grump, who knocks over a ladder on which a painter is standing...and so on.There are several hilarious story lines that readers can follow.The events flow in incremental fashion, culminating in a funny but unexpected way. The street signs, which bear the only text, rhyme with each other. The book really has to be seen to be appreciated. I'd call it one for all ages. The curriculum connection could be visual literacy. It's lots of fun.

Just For Elephants

This beautiful and poignant story really captures the attention of the reader as the former circus elephant is taken from a zoo to an elephant sanctuary to begin a new life. It is a heartwarming story of an elephant reunion and really provides an in depth understanding of the social and family structure of these huge animals. The book provides a little information at the back about the Elephant Sanctuary which is located in Tennessee. The book was put out by the creator of the sanctuary and while many of the pictures are very good, there are two that could be a little clearer.
There are downloadable teacher resources available from the sanctuary website and an elecam
www.elephants.com
3rd grade and up

The Trap

This very moving story of life in the Alaskan wilderness alternates each chapter between the grandfather and the grandson and the very different struggles that each goes through during the four days that pass during the course of the story.

Albert Least-Weasel is an old, very stubborn man, he has lived his whole life in the cold Alaskan wilderness and insists on continuing to live his life on his own terms. He checks his own fur trapping line alone--even though most men his age had given that up long ago. He set out as usual to check his traps, but that day turned out to be anything but usual. He accidently caught himself in his own trap. The story weaves back and forth between Albert stuck out in the open in the freezing wilderness and his grandson Johnny back in the village. Albert's fight for survival is well-presented as is Johnny's plight caught between his worry about his grandfather and others feeling he should wait and his own commitments.

Nice segueway for 6 graders as they should have had US History covering Alaska and Canada as part of their 5th grade social studies. Great boy book as an upper grade next step from Paulsen's work.

An area of concern is the mention of the pervasive alcoholism of the tribal peoples while not glamorized, it is not ignored either.

Grades 6-12

I have a copy of my own if anyone needs to read it.

Bushnell's Submarine: The Best Kept Secret of the American Revolution

What a great way to link 5th grade history to today! The American Revolution is very much a part of the 5th Grade Social Studies curriculum. What a wonderful way to open that subject using this as a class read aloud. The book itself is made to look antique and worn and stained and with the subtitle "the best-kept secret of the American Revolution" it will attract an audience. Famous names of the times are found throughout the book along with drawings, diagrams, maps, documents and portraits. Unfortunately there are no source notes or a bibliography included--but I think it is interesting and brings to life the study of history. While I would have liked to see those notes--I am willing to overlook it if this book will make history come alive for our students.
In addition, there is enough intrigue and suspense to get mystery lovers and boys reading!
Inventors and inventions also tie in to reading centers for the 5th grade.

SLJ gives it a grades 5-9 reading level which is where I feel it belongs. Other reviews put it in the Grades 7-10 range.

M. Bonomo

George Did It by Suzanne Jurmain

George Did It is a humorous look at our very down-to-earth first president. It is full of interesting historical facts and comical illustrations that will appeal to children. Not only did George not want the job of president, he had to borrow money from a neighbor to pay for the trip to New York for his inauguration because he couldn't afford the trip. All of the fancy parties for him just put him to sleep. And, even though he wanted to be home at Mount Vernon, when it came time to serve as president George did it.

The book is in the same style as George Washington's Teeth, Thank-you Sarah, the Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving and So You Want to be President. A bibliography of the sources for the facts contained in the book is provided. It had starred reviews in Booklist, Publisher's Weekly and SLJ and could be used in grades 2-5.

The Runaway Dinner by Allan Ahlberg

All of Banjo Cannon's dinner runs away, not just the sausage named Melvin. There are the carrots named Caroline, Clara, Camilla and Christabel, and the peas, called Peter, Percival and Paul--but don't ask about the terrible fate that awaits some of them in the park. Although Saskia, the plate, finds she rather likes being used as a frisbee, there are casualties. Banjo and his parents race along in eventful pursuit of food, cutlery and dining room furniture, and the hilarious story and illustrations keep pace. Runaway Dinner is a cleverly-written picture book that manages to sound and feel like an improvised story. It is also a fantastically successful read-aloud for students from kindergarten through third grade.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, by Anna Harwell Celenza

Illus. by JoAnn E. Kitchel

When George Gershwin read in the newspaper that he would be premiering a jazz concerto at an upcoming concert only weeks away his first reaction was to tell his friend that he couldn't write anything that quickly. But convinced otherwise, Gershwin struggled to write the concerto until during a train ride the construction of Rhapsody came to him as a celebration of klezmer, ragtime, the blues, and jazz. The amazing story of this American musical classic includes a CD of the concerto.

Grades 4 up.

Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes

This selection of poetry by Langston Hughes has the added value of an introduction to the poet, notes for the poems, and collage and watercolor illustrations. An inviting introduction to the poet and companion to other books about him.

Grades 4 -8

Oink by Margie Palatini

Oink by Margie Palatin; illustrated by Henry Cole; Simon and Schuster
Thomas and Joseph are sloppy, lazy, dirty, and Happy pigs, but duck, hen and rabbit complain that the pigs are disgraceful, untidy, and lazy. Hen suggested they paint, but hen did most of the work. Rabbit wanted them to improve their diet, harvest and eat fresh vegetables, but rabbit had to do all the work. Duck told them they needed to dig a hole for a pond to bath in, but duck did most of the digging. The hens, rabbit, and duck worked all day, they were exhausted from the hard work, proud of their accomplishments, then realized the pigs were not so dumb after all! The watercolor, ink and pencil illustrations add to the humor of this book.

A Place Called Kindergarten

A Place Called Kindergarten by Jessica Harper; pictures by G. Brian Karas

Tommy comes to the barn early every morning to bring an apple for the horse, a biscuit for the sheep, corn for the hen and dandelions for the cow. Then one morning he doesn't come and animals are curious why. The dog comes by and says Tommy left on a yellow bus and has gone to someplace called kindergarten. The animals anxiously wait the rest of the day for Tommy to stop by. After school he returns to tell the animals what he learned in kindergarten: a is for apple, b is for biscuit...
A great introduction for kindergarten and a celebration for the start of school

Peggony-Po: A Whale of a Tale, by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Illus. by Brian Pinkney

Created from a piece of driftwood by a whaler named Galleon who has lost his leg to the whale, Cetus, and named for a sea shanty, Peggony-Po joins a whaling crew and sets off to avenge his Pa and capture the ferocious whale. This original story has all the exaggeration and adventure of a true tall tale and makes for a salty read-aloud.

Grades 2-5

Hardworking Puppies, by Lynn Reiser

Ten puppies count down as each finds a job guarding, rescuing, performing, herding, and helping. While this is a fun introduction to counting backwards, it is more a book introducing a variety of careers and the canines involved with them. The bright illustrations add to the appeal.

Earth Magic, by Dionne Brand

Illus. by Eugenie Fernandes

Originally published in 1979, this book of poetry is now published with new, swirling color illustrations that strongly convey the beauty and strangeness of the Carribean. The author draws on her childhood in Trinidad in this selection of poems that range from morning to night. Poems about the heat of the sun, a drought, a storm, and a hurricane ably capture the texture and sounds of the tropics. Other poems range from carefree jump rope rhymes to slavery and toil in the fields and a young girl's longing for school.

The Princess and the Pea, by Lauren Child

A king and queen "did all the traditional fairy-tale things in order that their son might be bowled over by the right girl," but nothing quite works. One night a girl slides on her favorite "pea green" dress and goes out into the moonlight where she is lost in a storm and wanders to a palace door. The queen tests her with a pea and stack of mattresses to determine if she is a real princess, the prince falls in love with her, they marry and peas are not served at the reception. This retelling is quirky and fun but the most fascinating aspect of this book are the illustrations. The characters are cut-outs of paper drawings and are placed in settings built with dollhouse in a miniature three dimensional world. The back endpapers detail the creation and photography of the sets.

Grades 1-4

Hush, Little Baby, by Brian Pinkney

The illustrator places the familiar Southern Appalachian lullaby in the context of an African American family in the early 1900s with Papa left to watch the children. The verses have been changed slightly and they swirl across the bright pages along with the loving illustrations of father and children. I've shared this with kindergarteners who begged to sing it again and to check it out.

PreK-1

Duck and Goose, by Tad Hills

A delightful primary book about a duck and a goose squabbling over a large spotted egg - in reality a rubber ball. Both birds claim the egg and become friends while waiting for it to hatch. A cute book about friendship and sharing, not to mention showing the difference between geese and ducks. I am already looking forward to Duck, Duck, Goose by the same author.

PreSchool - Grade 2

Keep Climbing, Girls, by Beah E. Richards

A young girl climbs a tree in defiance of Miss Nettie, who hands on hips, tries demands, shame, and fear to bring her down. The message rings loud and clear for all girls, particularly girls of color, to climb higher, forge a path upward, and defy expectations. Besides it's such a great view from the tree top! R. Gregory Christie's angular and expressive swatches of color capture the spirit of this inspirational poem. Grab a girl or two and read this one aloud! An introduction provides background on the author, an actress featured in the documentary: Beah: A Black Woman Speaks.

All ages.

Turtle Crossing, by Rick Chrustowski

Follow a female painted turtle from hatching throughout seasons and years until she mates and lays eggs. The bright-colored illustrations feature pond life while the factual text shows the life cycle of this common reptile. As the title implies, there is also a message here about turtles crossing roads often to lay eggs or return to water. This is an attractive introduction to one of the animals frequently seen in our state.

Grades 1-3