Book Review: Pirate's Perfect Pet

PIRATE’S PERFECT PET by Beth Ferry tells the tale of a ship captain seeking the perfect pet.

According to the Perfect Pirate Captain checklist, a ship should have a pet so the captain and his crew set off on a quest for animals. The captain considers a wide range of farm and zoo animals before making a selection at the pet emporium.

Librarians will find this picture book to be useful for read-aloud activities. The colorful illustrations and diverse cast will attract the attention of young readers. The active dialog will keep listeners interested in the story. Teachers may find the book to be a fun way to kick off a unit on pets.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.bethferry.com/.
To learn more about the illustration, go to http://www.myerspaints.com/.

Published Candlewick on August 2, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Histography

HISTOGRAPHY is a website visualization of world history that can be explored many different ways.

After opening the website, users are presented with a timeline containing dots representing historical events from the last four hundred years. Clicking a dot presents an event, date, and image along with a link to a Wikipedia article. Clicking related events, show users historical points that are connected to the original article.

By clicking on the timeline, users can select from eras covering decades or millions of years such as Middle Ages or Age of Reptiles . Users can also explore the resources by choosing selected events from categories such as art, disasters, and discoveries. Resources can also be accessed by selecting from editorial stories.

Librarians will find that students are fascinated by this interactive visualization. Use it to motivate young historians and help them explore history. Incorporate the website into a lesson focusing on timelines and categories of history.

To visit the website, go to http://histography.io/.

Book Review: Rise of the Lioness

RISE OF THE LIONESS by Bradley Hague tells the true story of the decline of predators, the last lioness, and hopes for ecosystem renewal in West Zambia.

This work of nonfiction is organized into five chapters exploring the collapse and rebuilding of lions in Liuwa Plain National Park. The book begins with an exploration of life in the African plains. Next, readers explore the decline of the predator population as a result of animal conflict, human war, and other causes. Next, the book describes the plans for restoration and the rebuilding process. The lioness known as the Lady of Liuwa serves as an example of the struggles experienced by the lion population during this process. The book concludes with an afterword, glossary, and index.

Librarians will find this book popular among middle grade students who enjoy animals particularly lions, along with those interested in wildlife conservation. This book would be an excellent way to introduce students to the ecosystems and the interconnected lives of plants, animals, and humans in a healthy environment.

Published by National Geographic on September 13, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: The Truth

TRUTH is a website designed for young adults focusing on the issue of teen smoking.

The website kicks off with anti-smoking public service announcements and connections to social media.

The Facts section provides text, visuals, charts, graphs, infographics, interactives, videos, and other information connecting specific topics and issues with smoking. Users are invited to react to the information to extend the experience.

The Truth Events section features activities around the world related to anti-smoking efforts. It also include interactive elements such as a quiz related to pets and tobacco.

The About section provides an overview of the website and cause. The Take Action section section encourages users to sign up for more information. Social media links extend the experience.

Librarians will find this website to be an effective resource for anti-smoking campaigns and lessons. Create a display that features the public service announcements along with health information, and books related to the anti-tobacco theme. Collaborate with the health, science, and social studies teachers for a school-wide campaign.

The Truth Initiative website is available for additional educational materials and health information.

To visit the website, go to https://www.thetruth.com.

To visit the supplemental website, go to http://truthinitiative.org/.

Book Review: This is the House that Monsters Built

THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT MONSTERS BUILT by Steve Metzler is a silly and slightly spooky adaptation of the popular “House that Jack Built” story.

This fun picture book shares the story of the creepy creatures that build a spooky house on a hill. When kids show up for “trick or treat,” they scare a vampire and set off a final round in this Halloween story.

Librarians will find this book to be a hit around the Halloween holiday. The predictable story would work well for read-aloud experiences. The whimsical illustrations have just the right balance of silly and scary for younger readers.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.stevemetzgerbooks.com/.

Published by Scholastic on June 28, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: The Chauvet-Pont D-Arc Cave

THE CHAUVET-PONT D’ARC CAVE website explores a 36,000 year old archaeological site in France.

Users begin with a virtual tour of the original cave. The 360 degree exploration includes clickable areas for further investigation of each hall. The information boxes include photographs, diagrams, maps, and other information. The video section provides access to a series of short chips taken inside the cave.

After the introduction, the website is organized into four chapters. The Discover the Cave section allows users to zoom-in on cave drawings, learn about the location, explore the human presence, examine research, and learn about the history of the cave. The Cave Replica explores the cavern, the grand project, and the scientific and artistic restitution elements. The Other Perspectives section features people associated with the cave. The Resources section includes a media library, links, bibliography, and a glossary. The website also includes a map.

Librarians will find this website to be a fascinating way to help youth learn about early world history and archaeology.

To visit the website, go to http://archeologie.culture.fr/chauvet/en/.

Book Review: The Worst Breakfast

THE WORST BREAKFAST by China Miéville and Zak Smith is an unconventional picture book designed for ages 3-7.

The engaging story features two siblings discussing their memories of bad breakfast experiences. The book’s colorful illustrations explode onto the page as a simple discussion turns into a fantasy food adventure.

Librarians will find this book a unique addition to their collection. The lyrical text is filled with descriptive words that will easily slide off the tongue of enthusiastic readers. The use of dialog boxes featuring a different text color for each character makes this adorable book perfect for peer reading experiences.

Although designed for young children, older youth will enjoy the story and illustrations too. The familiar situation is perfect for jumpstarting class discussions and writing activities.

Published by Akashic Books on October 4, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: That's Not Cool

THAT’S NOT COOL is a teen website designed to increase awareness of digital dating abuse.

This interactive website provides suggestions for what teens should do if they’re being pressured, controlled, or disrespected in digital spaces. With lots of connections to social media and personal stories, the website is intended to support teens in need.

A Cool Not Cool game is intended to help young adults make good decisions in relationship situations.

The Speak Up area encourages users to ask questions and explore answers.

The Adult Allies section provides resources to help educators working with teens.

The TNC Channel provides call-out cards, retro videos, and arcade-style games related to the topic.

Librarians will find that this website is an effective way to draw attention to issues related to digital dating abuse. Connect the resource to units related to digital citizenship.

To visit the website, go to https://thatsnotcool.com/.

Book Review: Rocks, Minerals & Gems

ROCKS MINERALS & GEMS by Sean Callery and Miranda Smith contains over 1,000 examples of amazing geologic features to explore.

Designed for the middle grades, this photo-rich informational book features major sections on minerals, rocks, and gems. After a gallery to kickoff the section, each two-page spread explores a particular item such as copper or limestone. In some cases, the pages provide in-depth scientific information along with popular examples. Throughout the book, the author has woven in fascinating stories set in locations around the world. The book concludes with a glossary and index.

Librarians will find that young people enjoy browsing this book as well as using it as a reference work.

Published by Scholastic on July 26, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Cancer

CANCER: THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES is a three-part PBS series and website with lots of online content.

The About the Film section explores the information about the film and it’s producers.

The Our Story Wall section shares stories from people’s whose lives have been impacted by cancer.

The Media Gallery section provides access to digital shorts, full episodes, and film clips.

The History of Cancer Timeline section visualizes key events before 1940, 1940-1970, 1970-today, and tomorrow.

The Producers’ Blog shares information about updates related to the program and the second screen option provides supplemental information to go with the film.

The Classroom section features video, trivia, infographics, discussions, and other resources to supplement the films.

Librarians will find that this amazing three-part series provides high-quality information useful for health, science, and social studies classrooms.

To visit the website, go to http://cancerfilms.org/.

Book Review: LEGO ADVENTURE Nonfiction series

A LEGO ADVENTURE IN THE REAL WORLD series by Scholastic are adventures exploring topics such as history, science, and nature.

These short works of nonfiction feature LEGO minifigure character explorers. In addition to providing factual information about the setting, the books also provide LEGO building ideas and tips. Each book includes photos, LEGO drawings, and other color illustrations. Lots of speech bubbles and sidebar are sure to keep young readers interested.

DINO SAFARI and DEEP DIVE are two new Level 2 reader adventures. These thirty-two page books contain short chapters featuring fascinating facts. They conclude with LEGO building ideas, a vocabulary list, and index.

PLANETS and KNIGHTS & CASTLES are designed for fluent readers. These sixty-four page books contain short chapters with detailed information. The book concludes with a glossary and index.

Librarians will find titles available for both beginning readers as well as fluent readers, so children have options as they grow as readers. The LEGO minfigure adventures are sure to ignite the imagination of young builders. Create a LEGO display in the library’s makerspace featuring building ideas along with the books.

Librarians should be aware that the beginner readers titles include 30 stickers.

Published by Scholastic June 28, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Gemini

GEMINI by Sonya Mukherjee explores the lives of conjoined twins dealing with issues of identity and finding their own paths.

Seventeen-year old Clara and Hailey have vastly different ideas about their future after high school. Through alternating stories, these conjoined twins share their perspectives in this unusual coming-of-age story.

Librarians will find curious teens attracted to this story of unusual siblings. The combination of well-developed characters and an engaging examination of a rare medical condition blend for a unique experience.

To learn more about the author, go to https://sonyamukherjee.com/.

Published by Simon & Schuster on July 26, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Technology Review: Interactive Constitution

INTERACTIVE CONSTITUTION is a free app allowing users to explore the full text of the U.S. Constitution.

This nonpartisan resource is easy to use. After clicking the “Explore It” button, students select from the Articles and Amendments tabs to read sections of the Constitution of interest. Annotated text is provided with the first 15 Amendments along with common interpretations. The Matters of Debate statements focus on areas of disagreement as discussed by leading scholars. For Amendments 16-27, full annotated text and interpretations from Annenberg Classroom are provided.

The About section provides white papers with background information about the Constitution and how it should be interpreted and applied.

Librarians will find this app useful for high school government classes. What makes it unique is the focus on presenting varied perspectives on key issues.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/interactive-constit…/id1147260877.

Book Review: Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion

LITTLE RED AND THE VERY HUNGRY LION by Alex T. Smith is an adorable and sometimes hilarious picture book retelling of a classic fairy tale.

This fractured fairytale based on Little Red Riding Hood tells that story of a young African American girl and her encounter with a lion while on the way to her Auntie’s house. Although the lion has a sinister plan, Little Red has other ideas.

Children of all ages will enjoy the whimsical illustrations and engaging text.

Librarians will find this humorous fairy tale popular with young children. However, it will also be of interest to older youth exploring fractured fairytales as part of a language arts unit. Children will enjoy comparing this adaptation with other versions they’ve read.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.alextsmith.com/.

Published by Scholastic on July 26, 2016. ARC courtesy of the published.

Website Review: 78 Coins

78 COINS is an interactive website that shows why we’re probably not alone in the universe.

This interactive story takes users through a series of slides that discuss the probability of rolling all “heads” or “tails” with 78 coins. As users flip through the story, they learn about chance and the findings of astronomers.

Librarians will find this simple interactive to be a fascinating introduction to both probability and the nature of the universe. Use it to jumpstart a discussion of aliens and feature the library’s fiction and nonfiction works associated with the possibility of alien life.

To visit the website, go to http://www.joshworth.com/dev/78coins/.

Book Review: Still a Gorilla

STILL A GORILLA by Kim Norman is a humorous picture book about a gorilla who imitates other animals at the zoo.

This rhyming, predictable story follows Willy the Gorilla as he explores the lives of animals at the zoo. Although he pretends to be many different animals, in the end he’s happy being a silly gorilla.

Librarians will find that the bright solid-colored illustrations appeal to younger children. Use the book to explore animal traits with pre-school and kindergarten students.

To learn more about the author, go to http://kimnormanbooks.com.

Published by Scholastic on July 26, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: Who Would Win? series

The WHO WOULD WIN? series by Jerry Pallotta compares and contrasts two creatures.

At just 32 pages, each book in this nonfiction informational book series is designed to immerse children in two fascinating animals. Four new titles include Tarantula vs. Scorpion, Hammerhead vs. Bull Shark, Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra, and Whale vs. Giant Squid.

Each book envisions what would happen if two creatures met. Comparisons are made of anatomy, behavior, and other characteristics. On the last page, readers are encouraged to complete a checklist and decide who wins.

Filled with fascinating facts along with photos, charts, and other illustrations, these short books will appeal to young readers.

Librarians will find these books popular with teachers building compare and contrast informational reading assignments. The nonfiction works would also be popular for free reading activities.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.jerrypallotta.com/.

Published by Scholastic published in paperback June 28, 2016. ARC courtesy of Scholastic.

Website Review: The Living Room Candidate

THE LIVING ROOM CANDIDATE from the Museum of Moving Image features U.S. presidential campaign commercials from 1952 though 2016.

The website includes both political advertisements as well as educational resources and tools.

The Commercials section is organized by election year. Each election features background information, candidate information, results, and commercials.

The Type of Commercials section explores ads by topic such as commercials that backfired. Users can learn about the topic and view videos.

The Issue section features topics including civil rights, corruption, taxes, war, and welfare.

The Curator’s Choice section examines examples of effective strategies.

Users can also view playlists and create their own projects. Teachers can download lessons. The Admaker tool can be used to edit videos. Additional resources are also available.

Librarians will find this website to be a valuable tool for government and history classes. The resources are easy to access and use.

To visit the website, go to http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/.

Book Review: The Killer in Me

THE KILLER IN ME by Margot Harrison is a young adult thriller filled with nightmares and visions.

Nina has nightmares about a serial killer. To determine whether her visions are true, she decides to track the supposed killer and at the same time learn about her past. However her shocking discoveries hit close to home.

Librarians will find an audience of this psychological suspense among teens who enjoy a heart-pounding mystery. With lots of twists and turns, readers will be drawn into this fast-paced story.

To learn more about the author, go to https://margotharrison.com/.

Published by Disney-Hyperion on July 12, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: Cagle

CAGLE is a comprehensive political cartoon website.

The Cartoon’s page features the latest political cartoons by a wide range of popular columnists.

The Blogs page traces the latest postings of popular cartoonists. These blog postings generally including cartoons.

The Featured Topics page explores issues currently in the news such as world conflicts, political candidates, natural disasters, and social issues related to politics around the world.

The Cartoonists page provides quick access to dozens of political cartoonists.

Librarians will find this website to be useful for a variety of classroom activities. Involve youth in comparing the cartoons on a particular topic or trace changes over time. Use the cartoons to kick off writing activities in government, history, and language arts classrooms.

To visit the website, go to http://www.cagle.com/.