Review: Farm Machines at Work series by Jennifer Boothroyd

9781541526006

$26.65

9781541526013

$26.65

I'll bet you thought of at least three kids to hand these off to right away, didn't you?

There is nothing quite as fascinating to little kids (and, let's be honest, many really big ones) as a giant rumbling machine. In these pages we are treated to close-ups of not just the machines as a whole, but also the engines, control panels (some with computer screens!), hitches, and other parts. You can almost hear them working!

We learn how tractors can do anything from cultivating to plowing snow, depending on the season and their attachments. Pretty versatile machines! We look at the old Henry Ford tractors with metal seats, then on to air conditioned self-steering models that run on renewable fuel. Heck, now I want one!

I want a harvester, too - a tiny one that can putter around my living room and scoop up clutter. If a grape harvester can be that gentle and efficient, surely there could be one that separates the books from the toys without bending a page, right?

This series is perfect for your junior readers who really want to know how things work and what everything is called. Other titles available include:

Balers Go to Work

Cultivators Go to Work

Skid Steers Go to Work

Sprayers Go to Work

Review: Healthy eating series from Lerner, by Jennifer Boothroyd

Next up from the TBR pile: two titles from the Healthy Eating series from Lerner.

9781467794725

9781467794732

As we have come to expect from our Lerner junior readers, these are filled with bright photographs and large, lively print, making them instantly engaging for the target audience. 

Getting some kids to try new foods can be a struggle, so an eye-catching book is a good start! In addition to making everything from eggplant to cauliflower visually attractive, the first book also talks about needing a variety of nutrients to have the energy to play. It then takes a turn I wouldn't have thought of, comparing fresh, frozen and canned foods. That is a good point, though - perhaps a child doesn't like canned green beans because they are mushy, whereas crispier frozen or fresh ones would be gobbled up. 

Especially if the child helps prepare them himself! The book also talks about different ways to cook foods. How many ways can you find to cook a potato? (Many kids are surprised to learn that's where french fries come from!) Other suggestions include trying foods from different countries, or visiting a Farmer's Market to see what they have. Many states have Bountiful Baskets sites available. While ours is waiting to be re-added after a recent reorganization, I have found many new flavors that way!

Of course, before you start experimenting together, you'll want to go over some food safety tips. Or, maybe not - I was roundly scolded by my 5yo for licking raw cookie dough off the spatula the other day! Germs are covered in this second title, as well as allergies. Safe storage (who labels their leftovers, "leftovers"? How does that help?) Rinsing vegetables. Thawing meat in the fridge instead of on the counter. Come to think of it, this book is trying to ruin my life. One part I have to argue with: a food's "best by" date is not the same thing as an expiration date, and it is important to know the difference!

Other than that, this series seems to have good, if basic, factual information, with web sites at the back for further exploration. Read with little ones who are interested in getting involved with the shopping and cooking!

Other titles in the series include Why Doesn't Everyone Eat Meat? and What's On My Plate?, exploring alternative diets and the basic food groups, respectively.

Series Review: Pollination Junior Readers by Jennifer Boothroyd

9781467757379

9781467757416

I love finding good nonfiction to add to our Junior Readers (books for kids just learning to read). Long before any Common Core nonsense came out, librarians anywhere could tell you that younger kids, especially, want to know what is REAL. Plants are also a staple of every home school science curriculum, so these killed two birds with one stone.

This series also includes the titles Insect Pollinators, Parts of a Flower, and Self-Pollination. The format is very friendly to early readers who like a predictable framework: brightly colored photograph taking up most of the page, one or two sentences in clear font (ITC Avant Garde Gothic Std Medium if anyone cares) at the bottom.

Animal Pollinators gives a very, VERY basic explanation of how pollen is used to make seeds - some children may want more of an answer, so be prepared. Several animals that help spread pollen are them mentioned, along with how the pollen sticks to them (bees and butterflies are not included, but I will assume they are in Insect Pollinators, which I have not yet seen.) Two photographs show, close up, how humans can spread pollen, which could lead to a fun experiment and a walk outside.

Cross-Pollination mentions different pollinators (including the wind), how plants attract pollinators, how plants help the pollinators, and points out that plants need pollen from like plants. A simple glossary and index at the back of each may seem excessive, but they can help young children learn the parts of a book early on.

The only issue I saw with these is that children would really need to read the whole series to get a clear picture of what is going on in pollination. Guess that means I better get some order cards made for the rest!

Review: Animals in Danger series from Lerner

In addition to these two titles:

 

9781467713320

 

9781467713344

 

this series includes Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, and Mammals. Let me just start by saying that these cover photos immediately made me WANT each of these animals (well, maybe not the pterodactyls), which is probably one reason many of them are endangered. When even tween pop idols (ahem) are caught smuggling illegal pets, it's hard for a species to get a break. Disappearing habitats, pollution, fashion trends, bizarre medical myths - it's all just too much, without adding misguided exotics enthusiasts!

 

Each of the books in this series begins with a simple explanation of that class of animals, then delves into some specific species. Unfortunately, these seem to lack some of the structure of other series Lerner produces - the text seems to meander a bit, and explanations are not given as to why some of the species are endangered. A young reader might have a hard time looking at the Chinese alligator and understanding why it should feel threatened!

 

Some of the other usual strengths are still there - glossary, web sites to visit, bright photographs and simple text, etc. Hopefully, these are just a fluke, and not a sign of a good thing becoming too mass-produced.



Review: New Junior Readers

9780062187895

HarperCollins

 

Love me some yard sales! A good saturday is one where the kids and I pick up Grandma, and we scour the town for great deals on things we didn't know we needed. Pinkalicious gets money from Mommy to spend on a treasure of her choice - and ends up finding the perfect ghift for Mommy. One of the better Pinkalicious books of late.

 

These next two are part of a series from Lerner, "Responsibility in Action":

9781467736329

 and

 

9781467736350

 

Okay, yes, I grabbed the two that were most relevant in my own household, so sue me. The series also includes (How I)

- Clean My Room

- Do My Homework

- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

- Clean Up a Park.

 

How I Clean My Room being the least relevant.

 

I've grown to love these little sentence-a-page readers that have 'chapters' and glossaries, making kids feel like they are reading a 'big kid book'. If wanting to read is 90% of learning, feeling like you can is another 9%. These short sentences are chock full of other hidden skills and lessons, like the use of "first, next, last". There are even "fun facts" and a suggested activity. Quite a lot in a 7"x7", 24-page book!

 

The only part I found odd was the blurred picture on pg. 19 of How I Care for My Pet. Sure, you see blurry pictures on this blog all the time, but one would assume the kids in these books are being posed by a professional photographer - not caught by a tired Mom who is always three steps behind them. Otherwise, the photos very clearly illustrate the text. 

 

 



Lerner's Map it Out Series, by Jennifer Boothroyd

It's always fun to check out the new books as they come across my desk. I'm especially happy when I see books that I immediately know will be a hit at home.

 

Our family is planning a trip from New Mexico to Ohio this fall, and is still debating whether we will drive or fly. Either way, these two titles in the "Map It Out" series will easily lend themselves to activities that should get the kids excited and involved in the planning.

 

9781467711128

 

Simple text describes the basic parts of a map, and shows how a young boy marks the places he wants to visit on a family trip. I think this will be just right for my preschool-through-second-graders (and will help Mommy keep straight in her head all the places she wants to show them!) The second:

 

9781467711135

 

has its own key, but thankfully doesn't repeat anything from the state title other than the compass rose. In this, another boy marks the states he has been to, and the ones he wants to visit - another easy activity for my kids to do! As a former teacher, I appreciated the way Boothroyd explains why Alaska and Hawaii aren't pictured in their actual locations.

 

Other titles in the series, which we will be ordering soon, include:

Map My Continent

Map My Home

Map My Neighborhood

Map My Room

 

I look forward to incorporating whatever activities they suggest into our home 'school' times. I would recommend the series for any classroom/home library that serves younger children.

Picture Books for Learning at Home

by Erin Cabatingan

978-159-643-6763

 

As I posted earlier, S. is learning the alphabet. We are on "A". The second I read this little gem, though, I became anxious for her to reach the end of the alphabet, because I got so excited about possible extensions.

 

When Musk Ox is caught eating Zebra's apple, he points out to the irate Zebra that EVERY alphabet book says "a is for apple". He then proceeds to show Zebra how every letter - almost - can be for "musk ox".

 

Besides teaching letter sounds and descriptive words, this lends itself to a fun story-writing extension: Have each of your kiddos choose an animal, or pick one collectively, and rewrite the book to fit. Or, you could use your child as the main character - A is for S., for example, because she is Amazing and Awesome and likes to do Art!



by Buffy Silverman
978-076-138-9415

   and

978-076-138-9385

 Also in this series: Body Parts, Facial Features, Unusual Traits, and Vision. Lerne is slowly but surely taking over our Junior Reader section. They have some fantastic nonfiction series that are at just the right reading levels, and their photographs and bright colors draw kids like magnets. We forget sometimes that young kids are fascinated with "what's really real", and feed them a limited diet of fiction (not that there's anything wrong with a heavy dose of Elephant and Piggie, mind you!)

All the books in this series begin with a brief explanation of genetics, using very simple vocabulary. In many households (mine included), not everyone is related by genes, so I was very pleased to see the blurb, "Birth parents are related to their kids. Adoptive parents take a child into their family and become his or her parents." Simple and straightforward, no platitudes or apologies. Perfect!

When S. is a little bigger, I plan to read through the whole series together, then do some graphing and charts with the whole family - what traits do we have that are the same? Where do we think some of those traits came from? We know that C. gets his height from his birth father, but Daddy is tall, too. His hair color matches Daddy's and M.'s, while S.'s fairy blonde hair is a complete mystery. Some children may not know anything about their birth families, but approached in the right way, this can still be a fun exercise in exploring how members of your family are alike or different. While the traits explored are all physical, it could easily turn into a discussion of things like hobbies, food preferences, etc., and who may have influenced those. Well done, Lerner!