Since yesterday's Nonfiction Monday: Connecting the Patterns of Math, Literacy, Science and Art was a rather lengthy post, I decided to create this separate post with all of the great book review links for this week.
And here they are:
- Our World of Water: Children and Water Around the World, by Beatrice Hollyer, is reviewed by Kim over at the Wild by Nature blog. This particular book fascinates me because it pulls literacy, science, geography, cultural awareness and the environment, into one beautifully wrapped package. What does water mean to you? It's an important topic for all of us, and a great conversation starter for children between the ages of 7 and 9.
- Sir Charlie: Chaplin, The Funniest Man in the World, by Sid Fleischman, is reviewed at Shelf-employed blog. A detailed look at the ups and downs in the life of Charlie Chaplin, this book sounds like an interesting read for teens and adults.
- Reel Culture, By Mimi O'Connor, is reviewed by Angela of Bookish Blather blog. If you and your teen love movies, and want to see how they reflect American pop culture, you won't want to miss this one!
- Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up, by Sarah Albee, is reviewed by Jennifer of the Jean Little Library blog. Any book that motivates children to learn more about history is a winner in my book. This one sounds like a great choice for reluctant tween readers.
- Space, by Carole Stott, and The Human Body, by Richard Walker (part of the One Million Things series) are reviewed at Charlotte's Library blog. Charlotte says that it's "a series of books that is rather perfect for the reader who thinks best with visual metaphors." That got my attention, and I'm sure these books will capture the attention of 7 to 12 year olds.
- Candy Bomber: The Story of Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot," by Michael O. Tunnell, is reviewed by Roberta at Wrapped in Foil today. She tells us the book is "about pilot Gail Halvorsen, who was assigned to fly food and supplies into West Berlin after World War II ended." It sounds like a great choice for children (between the ages of 9 and 12) who are just finishing up a unit on World War II.
- Zero is the Leaves on a Tree, by Betsy Franco, is reviewed by Anastasia Suen (the creator of Nonfiction Monday) over at Picture Book of the Day blog. I love how this picture book brings math and science to life, and I'm sure children between the ages of 4 and 7 will find it fascinating.
- Pika: Life in the Rocks, by Tannis Bill, is reviewed by Lynn and Cindy at Bookends. The photographs, by Jim Jacobson, are sure to pull young readers in! Is it a hamster? A gerbil? A guinea pig? The cover has the phrase "I wonder" all over it...
- Science books for children, by Seymour Simon, are reviewed in honor of his birthday (what a great blog idea) at Happy Birthday Author blog. Eric has taken an in-depth look at this author and his books, and has included some great photos of scientific creations he and his daughter put together after reading his Let's Try It Out series. I love it! Why not try it out with your budding scientist? FYI - there's also a giveaway going on of an autographed copy of the author's newest book.
- Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange, by Elizabeth Partridge, is introduced to us by Julia over at the Moonflower Musing blog. I believe in the power of photographs as a learning tool; and Lange's photos would certainly be thought-provoking for teenagers during the study of American history, particularly during the 1930's and 1940's.
- Arbor Day Square, by Kathryn O. Galbraith, is reviewed at SimplyScience Blog. Arbor Day is usually celebrated in April in many US states, but why not read this book with your 7 to 9 year old now, and go out for a nature walk to look at trees together? It's amazing how they change throughout the seasons, and you might be surprised where the conversation goes.
- One Red Apple, by Harriet Ziefert, is reviewed at All About the Books with Janet Squires. With fall rapidly approaching, the timing of this review is perfect. While eating or picking apples, why not read and discuss the life cycle of this delicious fruit? It might even inspire your young reader to eat more fruits and vegetables!
- My Uncle Martin's Big Heart, by Angela Farris Watkins, is reviewed by Margo of The Fourth Musketeer blog. Written by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s niece, the author provides children between the ages of 4 and 8 with a peak into the personal life of her uncle.
- 2 books from National Geographic Kids' Weird but True! series are reviewed over at Biblio File blog. National Geographic books consistently exceed my expectations, so I'm sure you won't be disappointed by these. Not only will they help parents to sneak in a little learning in small, digestible chunks, but fun facts and stunning illustrations and photographs make great conversation starters too! While they're meant for children between the ages of 9 through 12, I'm sure people of all ages will get a kick out of them - including, and especially, reluctant readers. Leave them in the car, on your child's bed, in the kitchen, on the coffee table...
- Moon Bear, by Brenda Z. Guiberson, is reviewed at Carrie's Comfy Cozy Reading Nook. What young child wouldn't love to read about a year in the life of a bear?
- The Cigarette Sellers of Three Crosses Square, by Joseph Ziemian and translated by Janina David, is a WWII related YA book which was reviewed by Alex of The Children's War blog. According to Alex, it's "a true story about a group of Jewish orphans who survived outside the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto by selling cigarettes to Germans on the Aryan side of the city." It sounds like great reading material for teenagers who are learning about World War II. Any book which brings history to life for children is a winner in my eyes. I noticed it's a short book (166 pages) and contains actual photographs from that time period (primary source documents), which will make it especially appealing to teens and educators.
I will keep adding the links all day, so please check back later, or tomorrow, for more reviews. I don't know about you, but my to be read pile just got a lot bigger! These books all sound fascinating.
It's amazing what happens when book bloggers come together, isn't it? I'd like to thank each of them for not only the review they provided today, but for the time, effort, and passion they put into their work every week. And a huge shout out goes to Anastasia Suen, for setting this weekly event up in the first place.
Happy reading!