BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
A Riddle of Eels blends science and history to illuminate a real-life mystery that has puzzled great minds from Aristotle to Freud. Learn about the things science knows about Eels and the things that they have not yet discovered.
A Riddle of Eels is perfect for inquisitive readers and fans of weird-but-true stories. I enjoyed the humorous text and expressive, bright illustrations.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Thea is nervous about starting school and she wants everything to be perfect. Her teacher Ms. Howard helps her to see that mistakes can lead to the best learning moments and even the start of something better than you might expect!
This is the perfect book to read at the beginning of school and helps set the tone for a collaborative and positive classroom environment. I thought the illustrations were adorable and I felt it perfectly captured the chaos (and creativity) in a younger classroom.
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
The class is on their way to the museum and everyone has been assigned a buddy. But what if your buddy doesn’t want to be with you?
Wedelich gives us a look into the intricacies of being assigned a buddy. While I wouldn’t advocate for kazoos in museums, I do like the interplay between the two buddies.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
Rocco isa rocket that loves all of the different ways he can play in space. Except, when other space things get pushy and greedy and noisy, sometimes he needs to take off to the edges where nothing else is, so that he can relax and refresh and feel more like himself again.
Lovely way to teach about needing a place and time to regroup without being preachy. The back matter is a nice mix of space facts and giving yourself space facts.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Two travelers arrive in Poppyville, a town where midnight is morning, milk is blueberry flavored, and the residents are wonderfully strange. It's the grand opening of Delilah's toy shop and everyone is going.
Wake Up, Poppyville! is a quirky tale with not much direction or storyline. I did enjoy the imaginative characters and objects, and the unique art style of cut paper and limited palette.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL (4-6) – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME
What does it take to build a home from scratch? Follow along with Home Builder Hazel as she leads her construction crew over several months building a home from the ground up with this rhyming picture book.
Can I just say that I love that this book featured a woman leading a construction crew? The informational material in the back featured some statistics of women in the construction field nationwide in the U.S., as well as some construction specific vocabulary. I also really liked that the construction crew faced different problems (as happens any time you build anything) and Hazel always had an uplifting problem-solving approach: “We’ll figure it out…We always do!”
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
As a girl, Mae Jemison was always fascinated with space. :She would spend a lot of time looking through her telescope and In 1992, she was the first black female astronaut to travel to space. While teaching some space facts, Through the Telescope leads us on a beautiful journey through space.
Through the Telescope is an enjoyable picture book. With stunning pictures and just a few sentences per page, Mae's love of space is brought to life. I liked that throughout the book Mae's clothing kept changing to look more and more like a space suit. Facts about Mae's life can be found in the back.
Tracie, Elementary School Librarian
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Annie Leibovitz was born into a family that moved a lot, but she discovered early how much she loved art. And when she was introduced to photography, her passion exploded. Over the years she has worked for several major magazines, honing a talent recognized the world over.
After reading one of Vegara’s biographies, I always feel like I have a great grasp on the subject’s history and passion. The series is such a great mix of classic, historical, and modern figures.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
The animals and humans on the street are decorating for Christmas, but Chicken is sick and needs some cheer. All of the neighborhood bands together to help their neighbor in need.
While I understand that this is part of a series about Duck, Duck, and Goose, the combination of humans and anthropomorphic animals seems an odd mix, when the book could have easily had just humans in it spreading cheer. Especially because the action seems to take place in a very human neighborhood, not on a farm. The rhyming text was okay, but i’m not a big fan of constant rhyming in read alouds.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Young Dorim decides that he is going to ask Santa what he wants for Christmas. When he gets an answer, he and his dog brainstorm some ideas until they hit upon what they believe to be the perfect solution.
I tried to channel my inner 5-8 year old to understand and appreciate Dorim’s gift idea, but I just couldn’t do it. I don’t get it. Which is incredibly sad, because I really like the illustrations,
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
A young girl whistles to her pony. Her pony runs over and gets a sweet apple. The pony nuzzles and licks the young girl. Several kids assemble with their ponies for a ride down the trail. They experience Thumping hooves and other sounds made by horse and rider. The young girl's pony stops suddenly. There is something in the bushes ahead. What could it be?
Milo writes a bouncy, lyrical, rhyming story about friendship and trust between a child and an animal, and about exploring the outdoors. I really enjoyed Kaulitzki's beautiful illustrations.
The girl is white in the illustrations.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL (4-6) – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Yeti has a new video game and she wants to win! However, real life keeps getting in the way. When she loses big time, her dad encourages her to take a break. Can Yeti step away from her game and enjoy life outside of her screen?
I thought it was a cute story and an easy way to remind kids to listen to their bodies when they need a break from certain types of screen time. It could be a nice addition to any collection about digital citizenship or digital wellness.
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
