Book Reviews
-
Release Blitz: We The Dreamers by Raynelda A. Calderon
Children’s fiction / Picture book Date Published: November 1, 2021 Publisher: Cayena Press, Inc. “We the Dreamers” describes the journey of immigrating to a new place through the eyes of a child. The narrative text is poetic and full of emotion. The illustrations, which seem to dance and sing, convey the story of crossing borders as a child. This children’s picture book, told alternatively in English and in Spanish, highlights all the emotions immigrants experience throughout their journey: the characters end up feeling mystified, bemused, or even bewildered upon entering the United States. Using colorful, imaginative illustrations and poetic narrative, “We the Dreamers” connects with its readers in an…
-
Book Tour: Homeschooling and Working (Excerpt)
Today’s post is an excerpt from the book Homeschooling and Working by L.M. Preston. When you have a strong-willed child, there is no immediate solution for teaching them the valuable lessons of self-control, respect for authority, keeping destructive reactions in check, and just being obedient when the time dictates it. Your commitment to transform your strong-willed child into a strong man or woman is a journey that will teach you more about yourself than you thought possible. It will test your patience, your ability to hold your temper, your reasoning, your capacity for love and energy. Managing all of this and continuing to work and homeschool will seem nearly impossible.…
-
“Our Friendship Matters” by Kimberly B. Jones YA Pre-Order Book Blitz & Giveaway
Young Adult Date Published: October 5, 2020 Publisher: Rhetoric Askew Publishing, LLC Leah and Sasha are 17-year-old friends who had been close to one another since elementary school, but as the summer approaches they find their friendship tested in ways they never anticipated. Following graduation, Sasha’s privileged life and perception of the world around her is suddenly altered when an old childhood friend persuades her to join in a campaign against an injustice after his best friend is killed by a cop. But joining the protest has unforeseen consequences for Sasha, distancing her from Leah, who becomes jealous of Sasha’s new friends and finds herself on the…
-
Mrs. P., Your Hair’s On Fire! Blitz
Middle-Grade Book Published Date: August 3, 2020 Publisher: INtense Publications LLC Jang consistently bullies his eighth grade science teacher, Mrs. P with mean and annoying pranks; but some of his classmates have had enough. They give Jang a dose of his own medicine with a prank of their own. Unexpectedly, Jang becomes a hero after he saves Mrs. P’s life, extinguishing a fire in her hair from a chemistry experiment gone wrong. While recovering from her accident, Mrs. P experiences a stroke of good fortune in her life because of an ancient Korean traditional belief that says a person will have good luck if he or she dreams or sees…
-
Resource Review: Moon Rush: The New Space Race by Leonard David
Do you have a student interested in space exploration? Moon Rush: The New Space Race by Leonard David talks about the technology and science that will drive exploring the moon. This book is great for learning about the history of moon exploration and myths about the moon to plans for the future. It’s definitely for high school level and above, although a precocious middle-schooler would probably enjoy reading this one. I’ve shared tidbits from it with my younger students, but it will be shelved with my 10th grade science curriculum. About Moon Rush • Hardcover: 224 pages • Publisher: National Geographic (May 7, 2019) Veteran space journalist digs into the science and…
-
Resource Review: Backyard Guide to the Night Sky
I love astronomy, and Miss 5 is a budding astronomer herself. While my lesson plans have us doing astronomy in 2nd, 6th, and 10th grades in a more methodical way, it’s nice to have resources to answer questions & provide information to her now. So, when I was asked if I’d like to review National Geographic’s Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, I jumped at the chance. Like other National Geographic publications, like National Geographic’s Space Atlas, this guide is beautifully illustrated. It’s a nice size to throw in a purse or bag for taking to your local observatory or up into the treehouse. Learn about the different planets, stars,…
-
Book Review: How to Know the Birds by Ted Floyd
We have a pesky cardinal that likes to say “hello” twice a day by attacking our windows. Every day I think, “I really should put some stickers on these windows,” and every day I forget about that thought. Mr. 3 likes to sit and watch said cardinal, and he’s filled with lots of questions about birds. In fact, everywhere we go, my budding ornithologist spots birds and asks about them. So when I was asked if I’d like to review How to Know the Birds by Ted Floyd, I said “yes” with him in mind. While this book isn’t an identification guide (see this other post for a North American…
-
Resource Review: The Splendor of Birds
I have a confession: I don’t like birds. I mean, I think they’re absolutely beautiful creatures, but for some reason, they terrify me. That said, every one of my kids has been fascinated with birds – and with good reason. They fly, they’re beautiful, and they’re covered in feathers. National Geographic’s The Splendor of Birds is the first of two resources on learning about birds that I had the opportunity to review (the second resource will be reviewed later this week). This volume goes through the history of art and photographs depicting birds in National Geographic. This is a visually stunning volume. In addition to the imagery in the book, there are…
-
Resource Review: National Geographic’s Space Atlas
My kids love space and all things planets and astronauts. I suspect a lot of kids feel the same (I know I did as a kid). When I was offered the opportunity to review National Geographic’s Space Atlas, I was thrilled to do so. This volume is nothing less than stellar. The illustrations are vivid and informative. Who knew there was so much of the surface of Mercury mapped? As I flipped through it with my nearly-three year old looking over my shoulder, I appreciated how the book provides a nice visual aid in teaching about our solar system on a very basic level, but then it also provides a nice…
-
Resource Review: Visual Atlas of the World
Every household should have an up-to-date-atlas, especially if that household is a homeschooling household. Recently, I received National Geographic’s Visual Atlas of the World to review on this blog. The book is rather large (as an atlas should be) and it comes with a slip box to help keep it looking nice. In addition to containing many maps, the atlas has sections on how to use an atlas and geographical features. The illustrations and photographs are gorgeous, of course, one expects nothing less when it comes to National Geographic. What really impressed me, however, is that the educational value of this volume goes much deeper than just looking to see where things…
