Format: Picture Book Nonfiction

What is a refugee?

What is a refugee?What Is a Refugee? by Elise Gravel
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on September 24, 2019
ISBN: 0593120051
Pages: 32
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

“A refugee is a person just like you and me.” This is an important and timely book, and it handles the subject matter gracefully and at an appropriate level. The text is simple and clearly lays out what makes someone a refugee as well as providing some reasons for people fleeing their home country. The color illustrations are simple, easy to follow, and they support the story well. There is a wide diversity of people in this book, and it does a great job at showing the commonalities between refugees and the reader. There are supplemental pages with quotes from refugee children the author met while writing the book that will help kids relate even more. These are followed by short bios of some famous refugees. This is a great book for K-2nd graders and would be an excellent launching point for further discussion.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Thurgood

ThurgoodThurgood by Bryan Collier, Jonah Winter
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on September 3, 2019
ISBN: 1524765341
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Winter and Collier join together for a biography of one of the greatest lawyers in recent history, Thurgood Marshall. From an early age, Marshall honed an ability to argue through discussions with his father who asked for evidence to back up his claims and his high school debate career. As a lawyer, Marshall is responsible for many of the civil rights victories of the 1950s and 1960s. Winter doesn’t hesitate to show that Marshall put his life on the line for these victories. Collier’s watercolor and collage illustrations illuminate the different parts of Marshall’s life and often show movement. A back page gives a bit longer overview of Marshall’s life.

Reviewed by Samantha Cote, Windham Public Library, Windham

five-stars

16 Words: William Carlos Williams & “The Red Wheelbarrow”

16 Words: William Carlos Williams & “The Red Wheelbarrow”16 Words: William Carlos Williams and "The Red Wheelbarrow" by Chuck Groenink, Lisa Jean Rogers
Published by Schwartz & Wade Books on September 24, 2019
ISBN: 152472016X
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The book will appeal to fans of Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet. It is a sparse biography about Dr. William Carlos Williams who created a new kind of poetry. He used ordinary words and images and did not follow rhythmic patterns. They didn’t even rhyme! It has lovely lush illustrations of the ordinary things Williams writes poems about. Fun to learn the back story about “the red wheelbarrow” and more information about an extraordinary man who wrote poems about ordinary things. I doubt kids will find it unless shared by their teachers.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

five-stars

Princess Diana

Princess DianaPocket Bios: Princess Diana by Al Berenger
Published by Roaring Brook Press on July 16, 2019
ISBN: 1250168902
Pages: 32
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
one-star

A book from The Pocket Bios series. I am not sure kids still care about Princess Diana, and if they do, there are much better biographies. I am not a fan of the illustrations which make Diana appear slightly demented. The information is written at a much higher level than one would expect from the book’s format. The information is mostly factual, if a bit subjective.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

one-star

25 Fun Things to Do For Your Neighbors

25 Fun Things to Do For Your Neighbors25 Fun Things to Do for Your Neighbors by Eva Sassin, Paul Mason
Published by Hungry Tomato (R) on January 1, 2019
ISBN: 1541501365
Pages: 32
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Some ideas to get readers thinking about others in their community Most ideas are traditional neighborly acts, such as wash a neighbor’s car, walk a dog, organize a block party, and clean up trash. Others are more creative, such as compare childhoods, offer library visits, and oil someone’s bike chain. Ideas 21-25 are grouped on one page, which is a shame because I thought they were some of the most productive ideas. Over all, fun ideas to get kids thinking about doing for others, and one of the most important of all – smile!

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

three-stars

Hack Your Backyard

Hack Your BackyardHack Your Backyard: Discover a World of Outside Fun with Science Buddies (R) by Niki Ahrens
Published by Lerner Publications (Tm) on January 1, 2019
ISBN: 154153915X
Pages: 32
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Science experiments to do in your backyard, such as make your own compass, learn to tell the temperature from crickets, count the stars, and different color pigments that make up plants. Simple instructions and clear photos. QR codes lead to supplemental content. This book was created in partnership with Science Buddies, an organization focused on fostering STEM discovery through hands-on explorations.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library.

four-stars

Samuel Morse, That’s Who!: The Story of the Telegraph and Morse Code

Samuel Morse, That’s Who!: The Story of the Telegraph and Morse CodeSamuel Morse, That's Who!: The Story of the Telegraph and Morse Code by El Primo Ramon, Tracy Nelson Maurer
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on June 25, 2019
ISBN: 1627791302
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Samuel Morse is most often associated as being the inventor of the Morse code.  However, this biography shares with us how much more he accomplished. His first forays into inventing were failures, so he turned to his other love: art.  During his time in Europe, he noticed the telegraph system in France and spent his return voyage sketching out his own telegraph system. Early versions were not successful, but he finally got a working device.  Not only did he invent the code, but he created the means for it to be used as a communication tool. This book is a very approachable tale of this story, which makes connections to current day. Back matter includes a timeline of Morse’s life, additional facts, a bibliography, and an author’s note.  Recommended for ages 5-8.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

four-stars

The Unofficial Guide to Minecraft Mining and Farming

The Unofficial Guide to Minecraft Mining and FarmingThe Unofficial Guide to Minecraft Mining and Farming by Heather E. Schwartz
Series: My Minecraft
Published by Lerner Publications (Tm) on January 1st 2019
ISBN: 1541538854
Pages: 32
Goodreads
three-stars

As the name of the game implies, mining is a huge part of playing the game Minecraft. And in order to survive, a player must also learn to grow food. This guide avoids telling players things they might already know simply from playing the game and sticks to offering tips and tricks about mining and farming better. With plenty of screen shots and some connections to real-world applications, this is a book for those just beginning to play or who are interested in learning if they might like to play the game (and perhaps justifying it to an adult in their life). Not essential, but if it were on the shelf in a school or public library, it would certainly circulate.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

three-stars

The Moon Book

The Moon BookThe Moon Book by Gail Gibbons
Published by Holiday House on May 14th 2019
ISBN: 0823443248
Pages: 32
Goodreads
four-stars

This revised and updated edition of Gail Gibbon’s The Moon Book provides students with a clear introduction to how the moon was formed, its orbit, phases of the moon, solar and lunar eclipse, exploration, milestones, legends, and additional facts. Gibbon’s characteristic illustrations direct the reader’s eye to what is being explained. While the book does not include an index or glossary, there are many labeled diagrams and bold subject headings across the top of the pages. This updated version includes a map of the moon. Recommended for schools and libraries serving k-3 children. Margy Soule, Coffin elementary School, Brunswick, Maine

four-stars

Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons

Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All SeasonsLion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas, Mercè López
Published by Millbrook Press (Tm) on April 2nd 2019
ISBN: 1512498092
Pages: 32
Goodreads
five-stars

Haiku, a form of poetry made up of three lines : five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables in the third line. Author Salas has taken this form as an invitation to the reader to explore the four seasons – but with a twist! These haiku poems are riddle-ku and mask poems.Something non human narrates the poem and asks the reader to guess what the narrator is- that is a mask poem  and instead of the well known haiku form that describes something, a riddle -ku invites the reader to guess what object the poem is. Each page offers a riddle with large illustrations that reflect the season where the object can be found. the illustrations may be a bright sand pail found in summer or a snow globe on a gray-blue page that feels like winter.

There are many books of poetry available but there are some that are unique, that make a  school or library collection richer- this is one of those books.

Use with any poetry unit , units on the seasons, or just a mystery read aloud. Good for grades k – 6.

Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray Maine.

five-stars