Reviews
Series Made Simple
In these bright introductions for emergent readers, close-up photos of delighted looking children using their senses in easy to understand ways “Eli smells his stinky feet. Ew! He knows he needs a bath.” accompany short, explanatory notes in large type. Though the amount of… View →
Series Made Simple
With simple sentences; sharp, uncluttered photos; and just a handful of facts, these animal profiles are generally on target for the intended audience of new readers. Each book narrates one day in the life of the animal, introducing basic behaviors within the story. Iguanas, for… View →
These titles all have boldly colored page layouts. Full-page photographs draw readers in and show detailed parts of the title animals, their predators, food, eggs/babies, and habitat. Most page spreads consist of controlled vocabulary, emergent reading text. Each book begins with… View →
Series Made Simple
Excellent photographs support basic information written at a beginning reader level. Titles focus on a few key areas, such as wasps‚Äô nests and stingers, rather than trying to cover too much for new readers to absorb. Most books describe the activities of a single insect, though… View →
Series Made Simple
Highly engaging photography supports basic information, making this set a good fit for preschoolers and new readers. Short, simple sentences offer readability rather than drama; the excitement comes from the crystal-clear photographs. Large main images include full-body views and extreme View →
Star Review. This new series provides young children an outstanding introduction to the world of insects. The carefully selected full-page illustrations, drawn from many different sources, are extremely well-done, close-up photographs of each insect, portraying their activities and the… View →
Football-O-Rama
Rather than devoting each volume to an individual team and its history, the books in the Football-O-Rama series take a more holistic approach to the NFL’s current powerhouse teams and players. While this won’t help the books from becoming almost immediately dated like other pro sports… View →
Erased by a Tornado
Using the real-life experiences of an Ethiopian college student (Mikias Mohammed of Union University) as an anchor, this book tells the true story of a deadly cluster of monster storms in 2008. The author provides sound science, outstanding diagrams, and a historical context to make this View →
Football-O-Rama
Rather than devoting each volume to an individual team and its history, the books in the Football-O-Rama series take a more holistic approach to the NFL’s current powerhouse teams and players. While this won’t help the books from becoming almost immediately dated like other pro sports… View →
HorrorScapes
Full review available in the November 2010 issue of School Library Journal. View →
Blink of an Eye
Clearly presented information and exciting action photos make these portraits of speedy creatures above-average choices. The level of detail in each one isn’t very deep, but readers will come away with a solid basic understanding of each animal’s natural range, habitat, food, prey and… View →
Becoming a Soldier
Complemented by exciting, action-packed photos, these captivating narratives follow a young recruit from initial sign up through the first days of orientation and learning to follow the orders of a commander or drill sergeant, through to a grueling graduation test and the prospect of a… View →