Pillbugs by Donna Schaffer

Title/Series:   Pillbugs

Author:  Donna Schaffer

Pages:  24 pages

Copyright  Date:  1999

Reading Level:  3^rd grade

Interest Level: 1^st to 4^th grade

Summary:  This nonfiction book gives information about the pillbug.  You will learn about the pillbug’s life cycle, mating, food, and habitat.  The book includes many full page, color close-up pictures of pillbugs.  This is a great book for a child who loves to learn about animals.

Educational: Great – nonfiction book,  glossary,  access to more information (websites, book suggestions)

Content: Good – text gives a lot of information, pictures and diagrams help to make these ideas clear

Message: Average – tells us about the life of an animal

Jump! by Scott M. Fischer

Title/Series:   Jump!

Author: Scott M. Fischer

Pages: 32 pages

Copyright  Date: 2010

Reading Level: Read-Aloud

Interest Level: PreK- K

Summary:  It all starts with a bug, with a bug.  This rhythmic tale shows an animal sleeping which is then woken up by a larger animal.  The smaller animal JUUMMPS!  The predator animal then sleeps and a new larger animal will make its prey jump.  This story would be fun for a little one to read the “jump” page while they themselves jump.

Educational: Great– bold rhyming words, multiple predictable patterns

Content: Average – illustrations are full of action

Message: Poor– larger animals have power over those smaller than them, you may be attacked when you’re sleeping

Tip:  If you go to Amazon.com and look at the reviews for Jump!, there will be one by the author Scott M. Fischer.  He includes a video of himself reading/singing the entire book to a group of children.  This is a good way to make the book fun for your little one.

  

Please Sy Please, Grumpy Bunny! by Justine Korman Fontes

Title/Series:   Please Say Please, Grumpy Bunny!

Author: Justine Korman Fontes

Pages: 32 pages

Copyright  Date: 2007

Reading Level:  2^ndgrade

Interest Level:  Pre K – 3^rd grade

Summary:  Can a word really be magical?  When Hopper decides to win the “please day” game, strange things begins to happen.  Join Hopper as he learns about the magic of the word please. 

Educational: Average– practicing to get better at saying please

Content: Average – short chapters (more like an older child’s book), large color pictures

Message: Great– shows the reason for using the word please with examples children can relate with, being a good sport

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Title/Series:   One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Author: Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)

Pages: 63 pages

Copyright  Date: 1960

Reading Level:  1^st grade

Interest Level:  K – 2^nd grade

Summary:  This classic rhyming story tells about the activities of the characters in Seuss’s world.  Each few pages has a new character and what fun action it’s involved with.

Educational: Good– rhyming words (poem format), color words, counting, opposites, counting by 2’s, phonics

Content: Good – imaginative illustrations and ideas, short mini stories (poems)

Message: Poor– there are many funny things to enjoy

   

No T. Rex in the Library by Toni Buzzeo

Title/Series:   No T.Rex in the Library

Author: Toni Buzzeo

Pages: 32 pages

Copyright  Date: 2010

Reading Level:  3^rd grade

Interest Level:  Pre K– 2^nd grade

Summary:  Tess goes to the library with her mother on Tuesday morning and displays beastie behavior.  While in time-out, Tess goes on an adventure with a T. Rex from a book.  The T. Rex shows Tess how out of control her beastie behavior has been.

Educational: Average– vocabulary words (orcas, synchronized, stampede)

Content: Average – colorful illustrations with details, varied sentence and word placement on each page

Message: Average– respect books and do not use beastie behavior