Reviews
Bark Scorpion
All that a young arachnologist would want to know about the bark scorpion appears in this installment in the Desert Animals Searchin’ for Shade series. The large-font sentences and highlighted vocab words accompany open-ended questions at the end of each two-page spread, and each section View →
Out of This World!
Beginning readers will enjoy this foray into outer space as they learn about the solar system. No more than three very short, simple sentences in a large typeface are found on each attractive spread. The photos effectively complement the descriptive text and will have readers eager to… View →
Series Made Simple
These titles offer emergent readers brief overviews of different sports and encourage them to participate (“Do you want to try? Dive in. Swimming is fun!”). Colorful photos depict boys and girls enjoying themselves at the pool, ice rink, and ball parks; Football opens with a girl suited… View →
Series Made Simple
These titles offer emergent readers brief overviews of different sports and encourage them to participate (“Do you want to try? Dive in. Swimming is fun!”). Colorful photos depict boys and girls enjoying themselves at the pool, ice rink, and ball parks; Football opens with a girl suited… View →
Series Made Simple
Readers learn about a broad variety of helping professions, including ones that might not immediately come to mind, such as reporters. The cultural diversity of children featured is a positive, although the quality of the stock photographs varies. The major weakness of this set is its… View →
Desert Animals Searchin' for Shade
At first glance, this series looks similar to Bearport’s “Arctic Animals” series, but necessarily, the information varies, dropping seasonal changes, and is inconsistent from book to book. Every title includes a map of the animal’s range, with only camels found outside the Western… View →
Desert Animals Searchin' for Shade
At first glance, this series looks similar to Bearport’s “Arctic Animals” series, but necessarily, the information varies, dropping seasonal changes, and is inconsistent from book to book. Every title includes a map of the animal’s range, with only camels found outside the Western… View →
School Library Journal Review for Abandoned! Towns Without People
This series lets readers visit the remains of four abandoned places, from the pre-Columbian Mesa Verde ruins to the 20th-century Salton Sea resort in California. All are geographically isolated locations, and their stories emphasize the importance of geographical factors, such as natural 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 →
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 →
A First Look at America's Presidents
Reminiscent of Scholastic’s “True Books,” these titles are ideal introductions to the most studied presidents. Each spread features an apt illustration with a few sentences about the subject, while the opposite page is designed to look like a bulletin board, with… View →
Series Made Simple
Readers learn about a broad variety of helping professions, including ones that might not immediately come to mind, such as reporters. The cultural diversity of children featured is a positive, although the quality of the stock photographs varies. The major weakness of this set is its… View →