A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman - OPTIONAL

A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman, 100 pages.  Delacorte Press, 1986.  $15.  

Content: G  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The peasant, Pong Lo, comes to the Emperor and asks for his daughter’s hand in marriage.  The Emperor is insulted that a lowly peasant thinks he is good enough to marry the princess, but before he can kill Pong Lo, the princess encourages the Emperor to employ him at the palace.  Eventually, Pong Lo’s cleverness and positive attitude win over the people of the palace and when Pong Lo saves the princess from an illness the Emperor offers him whatever he wants, except for the princess.  Pong Lo asks for one grain of rice, doubled every day for one hundred days and the Emperor could never have guessed what that would cost him.  

I totally enjoyed this story and loved Pong Lo’s determination and cleverness.  The illustrations were not very appealing, and I think they would deter kids from reading this book.  There is a long explanation about exponential values at the end which is very interesting and would make this book fun for a math class, but I’m unsure younger readers would be patient enough to read that part (it is about 30 pages of the book).  

C. Peterson    

My Little Gifts: A Book of Sharing by Jo Witek - ESSENTIAL

My Little Gifts: A Book of Sharing by Jo Witek, Illustrated by Christine Roussey. BOARD BOOK. De la Martiniere Jeunesse (La Martiniere Groupe), 2017. $17. 9781419733208

BUYING ADVISORY: PRE-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Speaking in first person, a little girl explains about all the kinds of gifts there are in the world. Some gifts are physical, and some gifts are immaterial, but all gifts are given by the heart.

While the story line of this book shares a message all children need to learn about sharing and caring and each page has a fun fold out, the illustrations may not hold the attention of a child. The sweet message given throughout this book makes it essential.

MOMMAC

Autumn Science by Katie Coppens - ADVISABLE

Autumn Science (The Acadia Files #2) by Katie Coppens, Illustrated and Designed by Holly Hatan. BOARD BOOK PACK/NON-FICTION. Tilbury House Publishers, 2018. $14. 9780884486046

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Acadia and friends explore the autumn in their neighborhood. In true scientific inquiry style, Acadia shares her notes, photos, data, conclusions and leading questions about science in nature during the fall. She shares her concerns about the environment and its conservation. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of fall science, from “the frog pond” to “the germ war”. 

While this book is a great way to introduce scientific inquiry to children, it is laden with charts and data that may discourage a young reader. This is a great read for a student who loves science and wants to understand the “how tos” of research. What makes this a good buy are the cute leaf identification cards that can be made into a mobile included in the boxed pack. There is no need to wrap because it comes with a bow and card!

MOMMAC

Nelson Mandela: From Prisoner to President by Suzy Capozzi -- ADVISABLE

Nelson Mandela: From Prisoner to President by Suzy Capozzi, illustrations by Nicole Tadgell. 48 pgs. NONFICTION. Step Into Reading (Random House), 2016. $4.

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL -- ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This biography of Nelson Mandela describes his life from birth, to activism, to imprisonment, to president.

This informative book not only illuminates the life of an admirable man, but also serves as a stepping-stone to discussions about broader topics such as racism. The politics of South African apartheid are described in ways that children are likely to understand, and the facts are presented in an interesting way. A good addition to a library or classroom's biography section.

Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist

Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown -- OPTIONAL

Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown, illustrated by Christine Almeda. 106 pgs. CHAPTER BOOK. Scholastic, 2018. $6.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Fourth-grader Sarai Gonzalez is half Peruvian, half Costa Rican, and wholly American. She's also unstoppable after having started her own cupcake business and learned how to dance. Now she has turned her attention to saving her grandparents' house, which is being sold out from under them. But houses are expensive; how will Sarai ever afford one, even if it's for her own family?

This is an adorable and inspiring story. I love Sarai's fun and diverse family, which mirrors so many of my students' own families. Unfortunately, the plot itself feels a bit slow, with a lot of telling instead of showing, as well as many details -- and even entire scenes -- that do not add to the story but feel a bit like padding instead. Because of this, I fear many children might have some difficulty getting into the story. That said, I look forward to seeing what the real Sarai Gonzalez does with her life, and I do rather hope one of those things is writing.

Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist

Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan - ADVISABLE

Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo, PICTURE BOOK Simon & Schuster, 2007, 2018. $18 9781481461917 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

A night watchman makes the same rounds every night, but this night he is joined by a kitten. 

So many sights and sounds in the nighttime. I'm glad it wasn't scary (except when he couldn't find the kitten). A sweet story about finding a companion. 

Lisa Librarian 

Seeing Stars: A Complete Guide to the 88 Constellations by Sara Gillingham - ADVISABLE

Seeing Stars: A Complete Guide to the 88 Constellations by Sara Gillingham. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Phaidon, 2018. $25. 9780714877723

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

There is a little background to the history and use of constellations, but the bulk of the book is a catalog of each constellation. Each two page spread includes a full page illustration of the constellation, a description of where the stars are located, how to find it, and a story or legend associated with the image made up by the stars. 

Books don’t get much more beautiful than this one. The cover of the book is a beautiful matte finish with holes punched out for all the stars. The illustrations are all limited to three key colors, but it feels aesthetically soothing. I think this book will appeal to students interested in the night sky and would be fun to use as a school club on astronomy. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Stories in the Clouds: Weather Science and Mythology from Around the World by Joan Marie Galat - ADVISABLE

Stories in the Clouds: Weather Science and Mythology from Around the World by Joan Marie Galat, illustrated by Georgia Graham. PICTURE BOOK. Fitzhenry & Whiteside Whitecap, 2019. $17. 9781770502451

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This book pairs mythology with science. There is a story about one act of nature explained through legend from one culture and after that story are a few pages of the science behind the act of nature. 

I think the pairing of storytelling and science is brilliant and very interesting. I don’t see many kids sitting down and reading this book, but I do think it could be used effectively in an English or science classroom. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

The Superpower Field Guide: Beavers by Rachel Poliquin - ADVISABLE

The Superpower Field Guide: Beavers by Rachel Poliquin, illustrated by Nicholas John Frith. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. $19. 9780544949874

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Divided up by superpowers, this books covers 10 of the impressive skills of the underrated beaver. Some of these include chainsaw teeth and unstoppable fur. Each beaver power section includes diagrams and added engagement features, along with the informational text. 

The limited color palette of the book is a  little boring, but the information is interesting. There is a lot of information in this book, but the amount of words rarely takes more space than that for illustrations, making this a very approachable book. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Follow Your Stuff: Who Makes It, Where Does It Come From, How Does It Get to You? by Kevin Sylvester - ESSENTIAL

Follow Your Stuff: Who Makes It, Where Does It Come From, How Does It Get to You? by Kevin Sylvester and Michael Hlinka. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Annick Press, 2019. $13. 9781773212531

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

This book walks the reader through the global economy and all the influences on a single purchase. The authors look at a shirt first and discuss where each material was made, where it was assembled, how much materials cost, and how the advertising and selling works. The book then walks through the process for medicine, a book, and a cell phone. 

Students will find this book very interesting. I love that it brought up important issues related to consumption in a global economy, but did not answer those questions because of their ethical complexity. This leaves room for students to think, discuss, and perhaps write a persuasive paper about. The aesthetics in this book are lacking, but other than that, it is an engaging read. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Extreme Abilities: Amazing Human Feats and the Simple Science Behind Them by Galadriel Watson - ESSENTIAL

Extreme Abilities: Amazing Human Feats and the Simple Science Behind Them by Galadriel Watson, illustrated by Cornelia Li. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Annick Press, 2019. $13. 9781773212494

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

This book is divided into eight sections, each covering an impressive physical feat. Each of those sections contains a history of people who have used that physical power, stories of people who currently use that power, warnings and tips, the science behind it explained, and then finally a section on how the reader can use what they just read about. 

This book is so interesting. I learned something new on every single page. I also found this book to be very approachable. There is a fair amount of reading, but it is divided up into easy to tackle sections. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Pope Francis: Builder of Bridges by Emma Otheguy - ADVISABLE

Pope Francis: Builder of Bridges by Emma Otheguy, illustrated by Oliver Dominguez. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Bloomsbury, 2018. $18. 9781681195605

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Pope Francis started as Jorge Bergoglio and lived in Buenos Aires where he saw many different walks of life and felt a deep compassion for them all. In his thirties, Jorge became a priest and used his influence to make positive changes for the poor and needy in his community. As his position grew, he continued to look out for others. 

If you are not Catholic, some of this book will be hard to understand and put into context. A little more religious background to the book would have been helpful. I loved the illustrations and learning more about such a public figure’s background.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher