Reviews
Cutting-edge Technology
… STARRED REVIEW ** These well-crafted books take a deep dive into innovative technologies such as nanotechnology, self-driving cars, virtual reality, and drones, exploring how they work and their histories and future uses View →
The Betty and Barney Hill Alien Abduction
The graphic-novel format of the Paranormal Mysteries series (6 titles) makes an already high-interest topic extremely accessible. This readable volume tracks the strange experience of Betty and Barney Hill, who claimed to have been abducted by aliens while driving near Lincoln, New… View →
The Circulatory System
With a tight focus on the heart, blood, and blood vessels, this level-3 reader helps “early fluent” readers understand these essential elements of the human body. Pettiford concisely identifies the circulatory system, explains how it works, and discusses why it is important. The book is… View →
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks may not be as flashy as gemstones, but that doesn’t mean they’re not fascinating. After all, there would be no Grand Canyon and very few fossils without them! A quick explanation of what these rocks are—“bits of mud, sand, minerals, and sediments”—also encompasses how… View →
Zaha Hadid: Architect
Zaha Hadid’s beaded collar and feathery shawl stand in glorious contrast to traditional architect’s accessories (hard hat, blueprints) on the cover of this selection from the Women Leading the Way series (6 titles). Iranian-born Hadid became known as the “Queen of the Curve” for her… View →
The Camera
Cameras have come a long way from their bulky daguerreotype and cardboard Brownie days, and this entry in the Inventions That Changed the World series (6 titles) provides a snapshot of the cameras history, development, and function in society. The historical overview begins with early… View →
Warthogs and Banded Mongooses
With bright backgrounds, easy-to-interpret charts, and seriously entertaining photographs of its subjects (not quite the beauty queens of the animal kingdom), this entry in the Animal Tag Teams series (6 titles) introduces newly confident readers to a symbiotic relationship. First, the… View →
Coding in Transportation
You may not realize how many things rely on code to run these days, and vehicles are no exception. Cars are the stars of this level-2 reader, part of the “Coding Is Everywhere” series (6 titles), which reveals that most modern cars contain more than 24 computers. These computers control… View →
Costumes and Props
Filled with large stills—mostly from recent fantasy franchises, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, plus glimpses of older classics such as Pirates of the Caribbean (not to mention Roman Holiday and Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush)—this entry in the Movie Magic series (6 titles)… View →
Olympic Records
Noteworthy Olympic athletes from around the globe fill the pages of this Incredible Sports Records series (6 titles) entry. From most-decorated (Michael Phelps) to mind-numbingly fast (speed skater Lee Sang-hwa), these competitors have left their marks on the games. One- and two-page… View →
Smelling
Young readers know when things smell beautiful or gross, and in this entry in the Five Sense series (5 titles), they’ll get an approachable introduction to how people smell and why it’s important. Readers will follow scent molecules as they float through the air and come into contact… View →
Monorails
Train-crazy kids will appreciate this offering from the Blast Off! Readers: Amazing Trains series, which showcases the monorail. As a level 1 reader, this book uses only two sentences per double-page spread, excluding headings, and a large font size to support newly independent readers;… View →