Reviews
SLJ Review of The World Around Us
What a wonderful world! In Our Homes, the phrase “This is a home” is consistently repeated, showing that regardless of the style, be it mobile home, apartment, townhouse, or houseboat, if people live there, they are homes. Our Neighborhoods introduces phrases with question marks, asking… View →
SLJ Review of Animales que rompen récords (Record-Breaking Animals
This series will captivate young readers with a thrilling exploration of the animal kingdom’s most extraordinary creatures. This engaging series introduces emerging readers to some remarkable animals—those that are the largest, smallest, fastest, slowest, smartest, and strongest. Each… View →
SLJ Review of Trade Careers
This series highlights specialized skilled trades such as welding, plumbing, carpentry, electrical work, mechanics, and masonry, making these careers accessible to early elementary readers. With shorter chapters designed to build confidence, the series provides in-depth information while View →
SLJ Review of Do You Believe?
Though brief, the titles in this series contain enough information to whet the appetites and curiosity of readers. Each volume starts with helpful suggestions for adults on how to support reading navigating the text and ask questions as they read. Sentences are short but read smoothly,… View →
SLJ Review of The Right to Vote
This series covers the struggle to achieve voting rights for various groups. Illustrations include archival photos as well as current scenes at polling places. Text is generally a few sentences per page or paragraphs facing a full-page image. Critical thinking questions and additional… View →
Booklist Review of American Indiands' Right to Vote
With the upcoming presidential election, kids may have questions about the election process in the U.S. This book in The Right to Vote series (4 titles) aptly highlights the inequality in voting rights for Native Americans, highlighting how their vote was historically oppressed and how… View →
Booklist Review of Communities
Communities form when people have something in common, whether that’s simply where they live or a shared culture, religion, or set of values. In this book from the Building Relationships series (6 titles), readers will get a good sense of communities large and small through relatable… View →
SLJ Review of Famous Shipwrecks
After an opening spread that includes a simple map and information about the ocean, each book briefly describes four or five historical shipwrecks in chronological order. Readers learn why each ship was traveling, why it sunk, and in most cases, the number of survivors and fatalities.… View →
SLJ Review of Forest Feelings
Short, illustrated stories introduce animal characters struggling with emotions in these leveled readers. They work through their problems, though the conclusions usually lack clear, practical guidance. Sally the Skunk is scared of an approaching thunderstorm. Her friend explains that… View →
SLJ Review of Beyond the Players
This set introduces sports-related jobs that young fans may not know much about. There’s not a lot of information, but the books provide basic examples of these occupations with strong visual support. Large, appealing photographs show different aspects of each job, drawing on several… View →
SLJ Review of The Power of Positivity
Well-organized texts supported by photographs of children provide solid introductions to aspects of positivity. Opening chapters offer a few examples of the featured behavior. Middle chapters then tie the emotional benefits of the practices to science. General statements about how… View →
SLJ Review of Find it in Nature!
Well-chosen photos and simple descriptions introduce nature identification at its most basic level. Spreads offer one or two facts that identify key features of the organism. In Trees, a large photo of the tree is paired with a close-up view of its leaves, needles, or bark, while the… View →