Format: Nonfiction

The Beekeepers

The BeekeepersThe Beekeepers: How Humans Changed the World of Bumble Bees by Dana L. Church
Published by Scholastic Focus on March 2, 2021
ISBN: 1338565540
Pages: 320
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Dana Church has done a tremendous amount of research on bumble bees–and has never been stung once!  She is intent on saving the bumble bees from extinction because of their use as pollinators in order to bring us fruits and vegetables.  She understands their motivations and tells the readers about the vast amount of past knowledge she has learned from other scientists. There are diagrams, photographs, and drawings, but they are often difficult to see because of being in black and white and fuzzy.  People are blamed because of their use of pesticides and we are made to realize that not using pesticides could be better for crops, as well as the bumble bees.  This book should win many awards because of the quality of the research, the many sources used, and the easily accessible style.  It is Cream worthy.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring Oceanside High School  Rockland

five-stars

The Body Book

The Body BookThe Body Book by Hannah Alice
Published by Nosy Crow on March 23, 2021
ISBN: 1536217255
Pages: 16
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a nice body book for younger kids. It goes through all of our major systems and layers each one on the next with a cool see-through series of illustrations. What I like about it is that it’s informative without being overwhelming and chooses to focus on just a few facts per page, which I think is easier for younger kids. You get a real sense of how each system functions and how we use them all.  It also has nice, info graphic-style illustrations in bold, eye-catching colors. A good classroom book.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Notes From a Young Black Chef

Notes From a Young Black ChefNotes from a Young Black Chef (Adapted for Young Adults) by Joshua David Stein, Kwame Onwuachi
Published by Delacorte Press on April 13, 2021
ISBN: 0593176006
Pages: 272
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is the inspiring story of Kwame Onwuachi’s rise from his childhood in the Bronx, to his connecting to his history in Nigeria, to his time in Louisiana,  to his fame on the show Top Chef, and finally his opening of several critically acclaimed restaurants  before he turned 30. This book is adapted for young adults and would be terrific for both those interested in triumphs over adversity and/or cooking. The food history was interesting and there a few recipes in the back.  It’s not exactly a quick read and is probably best suited for high school aged kids but this would definitely be a good one for anyone thinking about getting into professional cooking. It’s a tough world and this book underlines how challenging and rewarding it can be.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Technology

TechnologyTechnology by Catherine C Finan
Published by Bearport Publishing on January 1, 2021
ISBN: 1647476771
Pages: 32
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Technology

 

In Catherine Finan’s very short book she shows how technology has used science to solve problems.  Whether discussing the first flush toilet from 1596 to toilets of today that play music, to Leonardo da Vinci who had the idea for a helicopter years ago, to space suits that can handle temperatures from + 250 to – 250 degrees Fahrenheit, there are small bites of information.  The illustrations and photographs are excellent.  There are directions at the end describing how to make a coin battery from pennies, cardstock, vinegar, aluminum foil, and scotch tape.  A Glossary is included along with books and websites for further reading as well as an Index.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

three-stars

WOW in the World: The How and Wow of the Human Body

WOW in the World: The How and Wow of the Human BodyWow in the World: The How and Wow of the Human Body: From Your Tongue to Your Toes and All the Guts in Between by Guy Raz, Jack Teagle, Mindy Thomas
Published by Clarion Books on March 2, 2021
ISBN: 0358306639
Pages: 192
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

WOW in the World:  The HOW and WOW of the Human Body

 

Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz have written a book, based on their children’s podcast, covering all parts of the human body aimed at elementary students.  It is filled with facts, humor, and the answers to the type of questions students wonder about: “Mindy Interviews Her Lungs”. “What is the Color of My Pee Telling me?”, and “The Scoop on Poop”, for example.  Poop gets an eight-page spread with the different types illustrated.  Farts get four pages.  The drawings are excellent and confer so much information.

One thing I did notice was that menstruation wasn’t mentioned.  The butt gets four pages and even describes animals that don’t have butts.  There is a Glossary, a bibliography, and QR codes to take readers to the podcast sections.  The Source Notes are extensive and impressive and there is an index.  This book should be in all elementary and public libraries and is recommended for Cream of the Crop.

 

Reviewed by Ellen Spring, Oceanside High School, Rockland

five-stars

Apollo 8: The Mission that Changed Everything

Apollo 8: The Mission that Changed EverythingApollo 8: The Mission That Changed Everything by Martin W. Sandler
Published by Candlewick Press on September 19th 2018
ISBN: 0763694894
Pages: 176
Format: Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Full of color and black and white images along with glossy pages, this nonfiction book offers an historical glimpse at the successful launch that put the United States at the front of the space race in the late 1960s.  The book begins with a look at the engineering evolution of rocket launches dating as far back as the 1920s and the creation of NASA in Huntsville, Alabama in 1958. Focusing on the three astronauts, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, as pioneers and daredevils helps explain just how uncharted and dangerous this mission was.  Interviews with the wives of these pilots gave a unique perspective as to what an impact this space program had both on the nation and at a personal level. The layout is at times problematic with inserted articles interrupting the flow of the chapter’s body of text. It can be several pages before you can pick up with the writing. This is a better fit for a high school nonfiction collection due to complex text and historical references that are not often taught at the middle school level.

Reviewed by Suzanne Dix, Westbrook Middle School, Westbrook

four-stars

Cute as an Axolotl

Cute as an AxolotlCute as an Axolotl: Discovering the World's Most Adorable Animals by Jess Keating
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on August 28th 2018
ISBN: 1524764477
Pages: 48
Goodreads
four-stars

The most recent book in the World of Weird Animal series, this title features seventeen of the world’s most adorable animals.  Each animal is highlighted with a 4-color photograph on one side with a brief description, fun fact with cartoon like illustration, and a sidebar with facts on the facing page.  Included are information on the species name, size, diet, habitat, predators and predators and threats. An interesting assortment of animals that most likely will not be known to young readers.  The book does an excellent show explaining how all of the animals have adapted to survive.  The back pages include a page on the science of cute that includes interesting information on how cuteness could be a survival strategy. Also included is a glossary of words that were highlighted in the  text.  Many of these words would be new to readers so this is an important addition to the book.  A very strong addition to both public and school libraries, this book will delight those with an interest in learning about animals.

Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library

four-stars