Reviews

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Cover: Earth Basics

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 →

 
Cover: My Senses

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 →

 
Cover: Brainpower

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 →

 
Cover: All About Ants

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 →

 
Cover: Earth Basics

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 →

 
Cover: My First Animal Books

SLJ Review of My First Animal Books

Aimed at pre-readers and the youngest learners, these titles offer a small handful of basic facts along with highly engaging photographs. Most images fill two pages, usually accompanied by a single sentence of four words or less. Three photos fill each spread and perfectly highlight the… View →

 
Cover: SEL Careers

SLJ Review of SEL Careers

This series profiles the work lives of people in helping professions, such as therapists, school counselors, social ­workers, occupational therapists, and yoga teachers. Readers are empowered to explore diverse vocational avenues within the realm of mental well-being and social-emotional View →

 
Cover: History of Pets

Booklist Review of History of Pets

The History of Pets series offers a fresh take on a perennially popular topic while introducing beginning readers to basic nonfiction-text features. Brief chapters use simple declarative sentences reinforced by labeled or captioned photos and data models, including charts and maps. All… View →

 
Cover: Science Questions

Booklist Advance Review of Science Questions

It is a challenge to convey any nonfiction concept at a beginning-reading level, but author Pettiford succeeds at this in the Science Questions series. Each book focuses on one very basic answer to its title question. The brief text, aimed at early readers, is strongly supported by… View →

 
Cover: Your Brain When You're Sad

Booklist Review of Your Brain When You're Sad

Mental health is an important topic to understand, and the Brainpower series (4 titles) helps readers navigate their emotions. Here, three reassuring chapters walk readers through what it means to feel sad and how it affects our brain, differentiating between sadness and… < View →

 
Cover: Giraffe Calves in the Wild

Booklist Review of Giraffe Calves in the Wild

Preschoolers and early readers will benefit from the large photographs and simple, repetitive text in this adorable entry in the Baby Animals in the Wild! series (8 titles). The book accompanies a giraffe calf as it is cared for by its mother, grows, runs, eats, and finds protection from View →

 
Cover: Science Questions

SLJ Series Made Simple Review of Science Questions

For young readers who often ask “why?” and “how?”, these subjects are explained in an easy-to-comprehend way, with simple sentences and visual references. There are real pictures of familiarly questioned concepts, such as blue skies or rainbows, paired with their scientific counterparts, View →