Reading Level: Grades 1-2 Interest Level: Grades K – 3
From mountain trails to forest paths, hiking is a great way to enjoy the outdoors year-round! In this title, young readers will discover different types of hiking, what gear is needed, and how to stay safe on the trail. One feature highlights a favorite fishing spot, while another provides clear images of different types of fishing. Readers will find colorful photos and fun facts on every page!
'Blastoff! Readers Level 2: Let’s Get Outdoors is a ten book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustration, headings and bold typed words. Each book has high interest photos and details an outdoor activity/sport. Gear lists and safety equipment/protocol are addressed. A diverse array of people are shown participating in each activity. Readers will see themselves out there having fun with theses book. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more. Hiking shows all the different kinds of hikes that people can do – from mountaineering, to orienteers to backpackers to your basic “walk in the woods”. Safety equipment and gear needs are described and readers discover that the Appalachian Trail is the longest walking only trail in the world! There’s lots to learn in this book for early readers, who just might decide to give a hike a try.', Candy Ranney, South Sound Book Review Council, Washington,'This sturdy and engaging nonfiction book series introduces readers to popular outdoor activities while capitalizing on a wide variety of nonfiction text features to disseminate clear and concise information. Real photos featuring diverse groups of people enjoying the outdoors are clearly labeled with information and text for readers to understand what activities are being depicted. Each book in the series contains a table of contents, headings, a map, bold printed vocabulary, labeled diagrams, a glossary, and an index. Additional page labeled “To Learn More” offers an “At the Library” list of three companion books with citations and “On The Web” Factsurfer website to find more information about each activity. While the books themselves were excellent reads for young readers, the Factsurfer.com website was not helpful. Although it is easy to navigate to and put topics in search terms, the suggested websites are not really designed for the audience of these books and some sites will not remain active in 2024 (per their publisher). Those with filtering systems in place at schools may not be able to get to sites. Overall these books are a solid informative series that readers will enjoy, just do not rely on the listed web page sources.', Lisa Zink, Elementary School Librarian, Educator Review
