Science Slam!

Primary readers will feel like they have spent an exciting day at the beach when they explore the six titles in this colorful, fact-packed series about animal inhabitants at the seashore. Each nonfiction title has a table of contents, index, and Science Words (essentially a mini glossary) section to assist in helpful navigation of information, as well a “Read More” section that directs students to more titles on the subject. A link to online resources provides readers with crossword puzzles and other information, plus a Science Lab quiz that offers readers more opportunities to learn about the topic. The beautifully illustrated text includes well-labeled illustrations and photos that provide lots of solid facts and unusual information, like how “bloodworms actually have metal fangs,” “each barnacle is both male and female,” and “a hermit crab has five pairs of legs.” These titles will spark interest about a trip to the beach while providing the school bound beachcomber with engaging explanations of all things seaside.
Highly Recommended

Starred Review: The bright yellow, alien-looking globs on the cover of this volume in the Slime-inator & Other Slippery Tricksters series (6 titles) hint at something gross within, and, well, that’s not far off the mark. But slime molds are also seriously cool, and readers lured in by the weird goop on the cover will come away with some amazing facts; for instance, slime molds can find the most efficient route through a maze, despite having no brain! Beginning with a basic description of this single-celled organism, the chapters move on to explain how slime molds grow, eat, and move, all accompanied by bold, full-color, close-up photos—each one labeled— showcasing their brilliant colors and drippy shapes. Lawrence clearly explains the concepts, adding helpful pronunciation guides following each new vocab term, and keeps the tone engagingly enthusiastic. Eye-catching photos, surprising science, and truly fascinating topic set this apart from the crowd.