Synergy: Cats

Cats are small, carnivorous mammals that have been domesticated as pets. They are known for catching mice, rats, and other small rodents. While some cats are kept as house pets, others live outdoors as feral cats or farm cats. Around 60 cat breeds are formally recognized.

Involve students in selecting a breed and creating a poster persuading others to adopt cats of this breed.

Read the recently published children’s picture book, then learn more at the website:

ATLAS OF CATS by Helena Harstova and Jana Sedlackova is part of the Atlases of Animal Companions series. This engaging picture book introduces readers to the world of cats, then provides an overview of a couple dozen breeds. It concludes with celebrity cats, cat care, and record holders. Readers will enjoy the attractive illustrations and short, informative text blocks. ARC courtesy of Albatros Media, an imprint of Ingram Publisher Services.

Purina’s CAT BREEDS section features information about dozens of popular cat breeds. Each page includes basic information, temperament, characteristics, lifespan, colors, and other useful facts.

To visit the website, go to https://www.purina.com/cats/cat-breeds.

DAILY PAWS features a searchable cat breeds page. Users can search by cat length, pattern, temperament, or other traits.

To search the database, go to https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/cat-breeds.

Synergy: Native American History & Culture

Native Americans are the indigenous peoples of the United States and represent over 570 federally recognized tribes.

Read the recently published reference book, then learn more at the website:

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY & CULTURE from National Geographic includes stories, timelines, maps, and more. Through full color illustrations and short engaging articles, the book explores seven regions including the Arctic and Subartic, Northeast, Southeast, Plains, Southwest, Great Basin and Plateau, Northwest Coast, and California. 

The National Museum of the American Indian website contains information about the museum as well as many online exhibits and resources. The Native Knowledge 360 section focuses on transforming teaching and learning about Native Americans.

National Museum of the American Indian website  

https://americanindian.si.edu/

ARC courtesy of National Geographic.

Book Review: Greek Mythology

WEIRD BUT TRUE: GREEK MYTHOLOGY by Sarah Wassner Flynn is a rich resource for mythology fans.

This colorfully illustrated reference book features information about each Greek god along with connections to classic stories from Greek mythology. Fascinating trivia is woven throughout each entry. Of particular note are the pages on topics such as nymphs, muses, and unsung heroes. The book concludes with activities, lists, and a glossary.

Librarians will find this book to be popular with young fans of mythology. The table of contents and index provide easy access to information about each god. The short chunks of information and connections with topics such as movies, constellations, artwork, animals, and global locations will appeal to young researchers. Pair this book with novels featuring Greek mythology. Use this title to introduce readers to the popular WEIRD BY TRUE series.

Published on September 1, 2019 by National Geographic Kids. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: College Navigator

COLLEGE NAVIGATOR helps teens explore schools and prepare for life after high school.

Created by the Institute of Education Sciences, this U.S. government website takes young adults step-by-step through the process of finding a college. Search options include finding schools by name, state, distance from home, program, academic level, institution type, and more. An interactive map helps users see school locations. Students can create lists of favorite schools, do side-by-side comparisons, download results on a spreadsheet, and even save searches.

Each college entry contains general information (i.e., map, website link, offerings, demographics) along with costs, financial aid, enrollment, admissions, retention and graduation rates, programs, and other useful information.

In addition to the database of schools, the website contains links to many other online government resources. The College Affordability and Transparency Center helps teens compare the price of tuition and fees. Other resources include information about preparing for post-high school education, financial aid, and career exploration.

Librarians will find this easy-to-use website helpful in assisting students with locating college information. While many commercial websites are filled with sponsored ads and possible bias, this government website contains nicely presented factual information presented in alphabetical order. It’s easy for students to get overload with the information found at college websites. This tool makes it simple for students to locate and compare information.

To visit the website, go to http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/.

Book Review: Almanac 2017

ALMANAC 2017 by National Geographic Kids is a reference book chuck-full of fascinating facts and activities.

The almanac begins with a table of contents including Your World, Amazing Animals, Going Green, Culture Connection, Awesome Adventure, Fun and Games, Super Science, Wonders of Nature, History Happens, and Geography Rocks. Each section includes photographs, diagrams, games, jokes, and lots of activities.

Color-coded tabs make it easy to thumb through the book looking for sections of interest. An index also helps with access.

Almanacs are always a hit with youth. Librarians will find the 2017 edition contains about 40% new content. Readers will find expanded content at the national Geographic Kids website.

For online content, go to natgeokids.com/almanac.

Published by National Geographic Kids on May 10, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: National Geographic Kids National Park Books

2016 is the Centennial Celebration of the National Park Service. National Geographic Kids has updated some of their popular books and added new ones. Use these selections to jumpstart a special event in your school library.

The Centennial Edition of NATIONAL PARKS GUIDE U.S.A. provides an engaging overview of popular parks across America. Following an introduction and map, the book features parks in the East, Midwest, Southwest, and West. It concludes with a quick look at 29 other park properties in the system. A list of parks by state are provided as well as a glossary, resources, and index. The major parks include four pages of information, photos, and a map.

The JUNIOR RANGER ACTIVITY BOOK is chuck-full of fun puzzles, games, quizzes, and other activities for youth. The book includes Fun Facts and Trivia, Funny Fill-ins, Jokes, Visual Puzzles, Quizzes, and Games. Answers can be found at the back of the book. While some of the activities focus on specific parks, others explore general topics such as common plants and animals.

Use these two books to jumpstart a display focusing on the Centennial Celebration. Create your own “Junior Ranger” activities connecting books in your library with National Parks.

For lots of ideas, go to the Find Your Park website at http://findyourpark.com/.

To learn more about the park system and specific National Parks, go to http://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial.

Published by National Geographic Kids on February 9, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Tech Review: iCell

iCELL is an engaging science interactive from HudsonAlpha.

Providing a 3-D view of the inside of an animal, bacteria, or plant cell, the interactive is an excellent way to immerse science students in biology. Users can select and zoom into parts of the cell. Elements of the cell are labelled and annotations can be turned on or off. Learners explore cell structures at the basic, intermediate, or advanced level.

Librarians will find this interactive to be an excellent reference resource for students seeking help or review with cell biology. The large font makes the tool effective for large group, electronic white board activities.

The interactive can be downloaded for use on computers or played in a web browser with a web player. It can also be downloaded as an Apple App.

To download the app for tablets, Mac OS, or Windows, go tohttp://icell.hudsonalpha.org/.

Book Review: Animal Planet Animals: A Visual Encyclopedia

ANIMAL PLANET ANIMALS: A VISUAL ENCYCLOPEDIA provides a visually stunning look at animals from around the world.

After an introduction and table of contents, the book describes how to use the book. This page should be helpful for young readers who might easily be overwhelmed by the size and scope of the text.

The reference book is organized by animal kingdom. After an overview that explores general information about animals, chapters examine mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, and other invertebrates. Within each category, a few pages introduce the animal type followed by an examination of small groups of animals and close-ups featuring specific examples. For instance, a two-page spread on bears is followed by a close-up examination of the Giant Panda. The book concludes with a glossary, a couple pages about traits humans share with other creatures, and an index.

While the book is logically organized and would be particularly useful to children working on projects related to specific animal kingdoms, it might be overwhelming for youth accustomed to an encyclopedia organized in alphabetical order. The book’s consistent presentation of feature elements such as animal facts and feeding habit make the book easy to digest.

The visual layout of the book includes color coded chapters with endless high-quality photos that will appeal to readers who enjoy browsing animal books. However, the hundreds of information-rich pages may be overwhelming for student researchers seeking specific facts for class projects.

With more than 2500 animals and over 1000 photographs, librarians will find this amazing reference book to be popular across grade levels.

Published by Liberty Street/ Time Inc. Books on September 22, 2015. Review copy courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: United States Encyclopedia

The UNITED STATES ENCYCLOPEDIA from National Geographic Kids takes a visually stunning look at America’s people, places, and events.

The attractively presented reference book begins with a chronology of U.S. history containing maps, timelines, graphs, and photographs. Sidebars feature key people, places, and events. This section ends with a look at Washington D.C.
Next, the book provides an in-depth exploration of the regions of the United States including the Northwest, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. Each section begins with a map and overview of the region. Then, details about each state are provided including a timeline, map, and key facts.
This fascinating reference source concludes with an examination of the U.S. territories along with facts, figures, lists, and key historical documents. In addition, resources, a glossary, index, credits, and a map key are provided.

Librarians will find that this visually-appealing reference book to be popular with middle grade students. Use it as the focus for a display focusing on regions of the United States. Students doing projects on states and regions will find lots of interesting background information to jumpstart their projects. However, they’ll need to go elsewhere for in-depth information about their state or region.

Published by National Geographic Kids on September 22, 2015. ARC provided for review.

App Review: LeafSnap

LEAFSNAP is a comprehensive field guide app focusing on tree species and their leaves.

Developed by researchers at Columbia University, University of Maryland, and Smithsonian Institution, the free app includes high-resolution images of leaves, flowers, fruits, petioles, seeds, and bark to help with tree identification. An onscreen ruler, color guide, and leaf pattern legend is useful in leaf identification.

The Browse section allows users to search for a particular tree and organize trees by common or scientific name. Users can also switch among the leaf mode and other views.

Using location software and mapping tools, the app will identify trees in your area. However this feature is only effective in some areas.

Users can take photos of leaves and create their own database of leaf photos for quick reference. In addition, the app uses visual recognition software to help identify trees based on photographs of their leaves.

Librarians will find this app to be a great addition to their science app collection. Both iPhone and iPad versions are available.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/leafsnap/id430649829?mt=8.

Website Review: Smithsonian Encyclopedia

The SMITHSONIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA provides access to a multitude of online resources through an easy-to-use interface.

The online encyclopedia is organized into themes including Art and Design, History and Culture, Science and Technology, Mysteries of the Universe, A Biodiverse Planet, World Cultures, and The American Experience. Each section provides links to activities and games, fact sheets, online exhibitions, online features, reading lists, and research resources. While the resources are designed for the general public, they’re very useful for middle and high student projects.

Users can also explore by topic from aeronautics to women’s history or by resource type such as activities, games, online features, and teacher resources.

The Kids Favorites section is specifically designed for children. It provides access to dozens of activities and games found throughout the Smithsonian website. It also provides access to Fact Sheets that would be great for informational reading activities. Online Exhibitions of particular interest to youth are also provided including topics such as Abraham Lincoln, Butterflies, and Dinosaurs. Online Features include Invention Stories, Lewis and Clark resources, and the Dynamic Earth.

Librarians will want to spend some time mining this wonderful online resource matching the information sources with specific curriculum area needs.

To explore the website, go to http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia.

App Review: Robots

ROBOTS is an interactive reference app exploring over 150 real-world robots.

This award-winning app provides a complete reference guide to the topic of robotics. The engaging app contains hundreds of animations, photos, videos, and articles.

Users select a robot to explore from thumbnail images of 158 robots from 19 countries around the world. Users can examine a 360 degree view of the robot, participate in interactive animations, review technical specifications, read articles, and view photos and videos.

Librarians will find that this app appeals to both beginners as well as experienced robot enthusiasts. Include the app in a display with toy robots, LEGO robots, and books related to the topic.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/robots-for-ipad/id566581906.

Website and App Review: Biodigital Human

THE BIODIGITAL HUMAN is an outstanding 3D human anatomy interactive. Available as both a website and app, it’s an excellent way to explore the human body and health topics. Although a premium version is available, the free version is all most students will need. The free version contains over 1000 anatomy and health condition models, detailed descriptions, editing tools, and interactive quizzes. The premium version contains more models, tools, and customization.

Increasingly, library computers and iPads are offering a cluster of high-quality, subject area references and resources. This visually rich informational resource is perfect for middle school and high school science students.

An iPad version is available through iTunes.

To learn more, go to BioDigital Human at https://www.biodigital.com/.