Reviews
SLJ Review of Find it in Nature!
Well-chosen photos and simple descriptions introduce nature identification at its most basic level. Spreads offer one or two facts that identify key features of the organism. In Trees, a large photo of the tree is paired with a close-up view of its leaves, needles, or bark, while the… View →
SLJ Review of Beyond the Players
This set introduces sports-related jobs that young fans may not know much about. There’s not a lot of information, but the books provide basic examples of these occupations with strong visual support. Large, appealing photographs show different aspects of each job, drawing on several… View →
SLJ Review of Famous Shipwrecks
After an opening spread that includes a simple map and information about the ocean, each book briefly describes four or five historical shipwrecks in chronological order. Readers learn why each ship was traveling, why it sunk, and in most cases, the number of survivors and fatalities.… View →
SLJ Review of Women in STEM
These profiles of female scientists include basic biographical information and identify key achievements. Opening chapters touch on their early lives, and the following chapters shift to focus on their accomplishments. Complex concepts, like Chien-Shiung Wu’s work on the atomic bomb and… View →
SLJ Review of The Power of Positivity
Well-organized texts supported by photographs of children provide solid introductions to aspects of positivity. Opening chapters offer a few examples of the featured behavior. Middle chapters then tie the emotional benefits of the practices to science. General statements about how… View →
SLJ Review of Forest Feelings
Short, illustrated stories introduce animal characters struggling with emotions in these leveled readers. They work through their problems, though the conclusions usually lack clear, practical guidance. Sally the Skunk is scared of an approaching thunderstorm. Her friend explains that… View →
Booklist Review of Women in STEM
These intriguing titles in the Women in STEM series off an inside look into the lives of determined and intelligent women in STEM. The compelling photos, infographics, and fact boxes contribute further insight into and additional… View →
Booklist Review of Earth Basics
The Earth’s Basics series, indeed, offers very basic introductions to important substances on Earth. To be readable for beginning readers, the books use very short sentences set in a large font, present-tense naration, and only a small amount of text on each… Although th View →
PSLA Review of My Senses
This reviewer had the opportunity to read Hear. Bright photographs accompany sparse text in this nonfiction series. Simple sentences like “I hear a dog bark.” introduce readers to the ways we hear sounds around us. Teachers can use this series for a science lesson on the five senses.… View →
PSLA Review of Brainpower
he Brainpower series discusses what happens to the brain when an individual experiences strong emotions, such as anger, happiness, sadness, and fear (being scared). The reviewer read the book Your Brain When You’re Sad. Your Brain When You’re Sad discusses what happens in your brain when View →
Booklist Review of All About Insects
The All about Insects series introduces common backyard critters, utilizing vibrant, closeup photos (often labeled) and clear text. The books provide general overviews that include basic information on the insects’ bodies and life cycles, while concrete details about each kind of… View →
SLJ Review of Earth Basics
These introductory earth science concepts foster in readers an understanding of the world around them and how they fit in it. Beginning with dialogic assistance and post-reading options, these titles provide a nice option to not only learn about important building blocks of our planet,… View →