Books | Page 32 of 82

The Great Stink, non-fiction, illustrated book STEM that kids want to read

Joseph Bazalgette we salute you. Actually, everyone in London salutes you in their own special way. Bazalgette had an idea in the late 1840s; and while his idea wasn’t a new one in the greater global perspective, it was one that would forever change the capital of England. His job was to map London’s sewers, but this wasn’t the job that the short employee pulled. As an engineer, this was a challenge that he lived for and was one that had life and death results. The Great Stink is the illustrated book of this story that those young readers won’t be able to resist.

The Great Stink is an illustrated book that details engineer Joseph Bazalgette and his quest to solve London’s poop pollution problem in the mid 1800s.

More illustrated books should take this STEM cue

A Man Called Horse, makes pre-Civil War Seminole history approachable

Even when you’re finished attending school, you’re never done learning. A Man Called Horse is non-fiction proof to that for us, as well as, most people who will read the book. Despite having lived in Florida for half a decade I never knew anything about the Seminole. It’s very likely that resident Floridians know the basics about the Seminole Indians. However, I had no idea of the complex history that the region had in the early 1800s. What’s impressive about A Man Called Horse is how simple and concise author Glennette Tilley Turner makes the material.

A Man Called Horse is about John Horse, a Black Seminole in the pre-Civil War era, his tumultuous life and the chaotic times then.

Non-fiction on an era most middle school students know nothing about

Prehistoric Pets, a data-heavy dino pop-up, in a good way

If there’s one thing that Jurassic Park taught us it’s that chicken-sized dinosaurs, even if they had feathers, were vicious creatures that did not play around and could kill you in a number of different ways. Prehistoric Pets takes that idea, puts it into a pop-up book, and creates a colorful, read-to-me book that will entice readers aged five and up.

Prehistoric Pets is a pop-up book where the art starts the trip, but the text takes the reader further due to all of the details.

Prehistoric Pets is dino, pop-up fun on poster board paper

14 questions from elementary students to Bad Kitty creator, Nick Bruel

It’s great to be teaching in elementary schools. I get to see what they’re learning and hopefully add to that in a manner that makes some kids get it, or further their knowledge. I also get to see what they’re reading and in every ELA classroom, there’s at least one Bad Kitty book. Author and illustrator Nick Bruel’s latest installment is Bad Kitty Gets a Phone and he was kind enough to answer 14 questions from some of my ELA students.

Rodrigo – Why is Bad Kitty the only bad cat in the book?

Find out the answer to this and other kitty-inspring qustions after the jump

The Natural Tolls of Digging Holes, playfully weird STEM for 4 and up

Moles Present The Natural Tolls of Digging Holes ironically reminds us of Dirt. That book was a vertical, poetic, look at something that we see every day. The art was varied and the whispy text showed how the tiny things that live in dirt can be a world unto itself. The Natural Tolls of Digging Holes takes that same spirit, has a more animated form of illustration, adds simpler text that rhymes and opens up its world to anyplace that you might see that’s been dug. This is an illustrated book that feeds curious young minds, softly teaches them and gets them to think while they’re smiling.

Moles Present The Natural Tolls of Digging Holes is silly on the surface, but makes ages 4-8 think about what’s under our feet.

STEm by any other name

You Should Meet John Lewis, a big kid book with a format to entice all

Recently I wrote about how an illustrated book, in some cases, can be for older audiences. They can provide talking points for people or events in history or pop culture in a way that’s more direct, effective interesting, and softer. Early and emerging readers are certainly familiar with the Ready-To-Read book series. There’s a book in that series for any student in pre-k through middle elementary. Those readers who like a challenge, or for those aged seven and up need to check out books in the most advanced series, Level Three-Superstar Reader. These books have the same format but have a more complex story, lots of three-syllable words, challenging vocabulary, and a story that requires those readers to pay attention. You Should Meet John Lewis is the first book that we’ve seen in this series and it really fills a gap that many elementary school readers have.

Ready-To-Read Level Three, You Should Meet John Lewis is a smart book that introduces longer chapters to readers in third grade and up.

Non-fiction chapter book that’ll hook second grade and up

City Spies Forbidden City, full STEM ahead in this must-read series

Sometimes we write about all-age comic books. What distinguishes a great comic book from a great all-age comic book is that the latter doesn’t dumb down the content in order to be appreciated by younger audiences. It’s a great read that just happens to not have any content that would prohibit it from being voraciously enjoyed by elementary or middle school readers. City Spies is a book series that’s mglit, middle-grade literature, and one might presume from that categorization that it’s only for grades three through eight. That’s where the catch-all description of leisure reading kicks in and puts the series, including City Spies: Forbidden City, into the age-defying group of mglit without boundaries.

Book 3 in the City Spies series, Forbidden Series still roars ahead

Doctor Strange and The Mighty Thor Marvel Books deal in classic comfort

Board books can take on many forms in children’s literature. These are the feel good, comfort food books that crawlers will learn to love. My Mighty Marvel First Book Doctor Strange, as well as My Mighty Marvel First Book The Mighty Thor are two board books that are loaded to the gills with classic art, blazing action and thick pages for those kids to chew on….if they need to.

My Mighty Marvel First Board Book The Might Thor and Doctor Strange, classic art from Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby with board book smarts for crawlers.

Enter the Marvel comics world, young true believer