Geo Librarian

SERIES TITLE: Mr. Wolf's Class Author: Aron Nels Steinke Volumes: #1: Mr. Wolf's Class  #2: Mystery Club #3: Lucky Stars #4: Field Trip #5: Snow Day Publisher: Scholastic, 2018-2022 Sources: school library, purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book covers and summaries provided by goodreads.com & publisher. ABOUT THE BOOKS #1--Mr. Wolf has just started teaching at Hazelwood Elementary. He wants the first day of school to go well, but he's got his hands full with his new class. Some of his students include: Margot, who is new in town and is trying to make friends. Sampson, who brought something special to school for show-and-tell. Aziza, who just wants everyone to be quiet and do their work. And Penny, who is VERY sleepy because she has a new baby brother at home, goes missing! This delightful new series captures the everyday -- and unexpected -- ups and downs of a fourth-grade classroom.  #2--Mr. Wolf's students are settling into their new classroom,

HAPPY SLOTH DAY! by April Pulley Sayre with Jeff Sayre Beach Lane Books, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5344-5373-9 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary & cover provided by Goodreads.com & the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Take a stunning sloth’s-eye view of the world in this beautiful and informative photographic nonfiction picture book from award-winning author and photographer April Pulley Sayre. Come meet sloths in the rainforest canopy where these slow, gentle creatures live and see what they eat, how they hide from predators, and much more. Young readers will also learn about some of the other creatures that share this interconnected and fragile tropical forest ecosystem. With gorgeous photographs, a text that’s perfect for reading aloud, info-packed side bars, and detailed end matter, this book will captivate sloth enthusiasts of all ages! REVIEW April Pulley Sayre's beautiful poetry and amazing photography in Happy Slo

THIS IS A SCHOOL words by John Schu, illustrations by Veronica Miller Jamison Candlewick Press, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0458-2 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary & cover provided by Goodreads.com and the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK A moving celebration of school and all it may signify: work and play, creativity and trust, and a supportive community that extends beyond walls. A school isn’t just a building; it is all the people who work and learn together. It is a place for discovery and asking questions. A place for sharing, for helping, and for community. It is a place of hope and healing, even when that community can’t be together in the same room. John Schu, a librarian and former ambassador of school libraries for Scholastic, crafts a loving letter to schools and the people that make up the communities within in a picture book debut beautifully illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison. REVIEW A school is so much more than a pl

THE HIKING VIKING by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Timothy Banks Capstone Editions, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-68446-427-2 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK While the other Vikings love to holler and howl and battle and brawl, Leif prefers spending time by himself atop the beautiful fjord. But when it's time for the Viking Games, everyone must participate. Will Leif let down his clan . . . or surprise them? Highlighting the value of nature and earthly wonders, best-selling author Laura Gehl teams up with illustrator Timothy Banks to remind readers to stay true to themselves and to look at things from a new perspective.  ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR Laura Gehl is the award-winning author of more than thirty popular picture books, board books, and early readers including One Big Pair of Underwear, Except When They Don't, My Pillow Keeps Moving, and the Baby Scientist series. She loves spending time outdoors, especially hiking. Lau

ODD BIRDS Meet Nature's Weirdest Flock by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Gareth Lucas Abrams Appleseed, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-4197-4223-1 Source: Blue Slip Media Ages 1-3 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary, author information, and illustrations provided by Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK Meet nature’s oddballs in this charming board book about some of the most unique birds in the world. Backyard birds—move over! Odd Birds introduces babies and toddlers to unusual bird species, including the magnificent frigatebird with a bright red throat pouch and the California condor—the largest flying birds in North America! Gentle rhyming verses provide the comforting repetition that little ones crave, even as their minds are opened to new and fascinating creatures from around the world. At the end of the book, readers will find photographs of each bird, along with more detailed factual information. The eight birds featured are the magnificent frigatebird, blue-footed booby, shoebil

KINGSTON AND THE MAGICIAN'S LOST AND FOUND by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-525-51686-6 Source: MB Communications Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book summary & cover provided by MBCommunications & publisher ABOUT THE BOOK Magic has all but disappeared in Brooklyn, but one tenacious young magician is determined to bring it back in this exciting middle grade mystery. Kingston has just moved from the suburbs back to Echo City, Brooklyn--the last place his father was seen alive. Kingston's father was King Preston, one of the world's greatest magicians. Until one trick went wrong and he disappeared. Now that Kingston is back in Echo City, he's determined to find his father. Somehow, though, when his father disappeared, he took all of Echo City's magic with him. Now Echo City--a ghost of its past--is living up to its name. With no magic left, the magicians have packed up and left town and those who've

I AM ABLE TO SHINE by Korey Watari, illustrated by Mike Wu Two Lions, 2022 ISBN: 978-1542031530 Source: Blue Slip Media  Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & illustrations provided by Blue Slip Media. Book summary available at goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK An affirmative, empowering story about embracing your identity and finding your voice, inspired in part by debut author Korey Watari’s experiences growing up Asian American, and illustrated by her husband, Mike Wu, Pixar artist and creator of the Ellie series. I am beautiful. I belong here. What I do matters. I am able to shine. Each night Keiko whispers to her crane, “I wish to change the world.” She is kind, and she has big dreams. But at times she feels invisible; she knows some people misjudge her. Keiko is also loved, so she perseveres and stands strong. Over time, her confidence grows, she shares more of herself, and she helps lift up others—and eventually lead them. She understands that no matter

BE THANKFUL FOR TREES by Harriet Ziefert & Brian Fitzgerald Red Comet Press, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-63655-020-6 Source: Blue Slip Media for review Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary obtained from goodreads.com & the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK What gives you a seat, a floor for your feet? A place you can sit with your family to eat? The pum-pum of a drum, a guitar’s twangy strum . . . Tree wood makes music zing, ping, and hum. Using lilting, rhyming couplets, this book explores the many items that are made from trees. But it doesn’t stop there! Kids will also learn about the many uses of live trees – and the environmental danger to trees posed by forest fires, floods, and deforestation. Kids are encouraged to be kind, not only to one another, but to the environment as well. Kids will view their backyards and parks in a whole new light after going on an arboreal eco-tour in this gorgeous paean to trees. This book is printed on responsibly source

LIGHT THE SKY, FIREFLY! by Sheri Mabry Bestor, illustrated by Jonny Lambert Sleeping Bear Press, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-53411-115-8 Source: publisher for review Ages 6 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary obtained from goodreads.com & publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Fireflies (or lightning bugs) are some the world's most fascinating--and illuminating!--insects. And one many children can find right in their backyards! With a simple story, perfect for read-a-louds, and colorful illustrations, this scientific look at a firefly's life-cycle will captivate little entomologists. Informative sidebars are included that let children learn even more about these amazing insects.  REVIEW This stunning nonfiction picture book presents readers with the life cycle of a firefly.  Beginning with the laying of eggs under a moist leaf, the book takes readers through the egg, larval, pupa, and adult stages. The  text is wonderful, great for reading aloud, especially th

SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT TREES    by Toni Yuly Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5344-8915-8 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary from goodreads.com & publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK An utterly charming picture book that celebrates a child’s sense of curiosity about the world with playful yet thoughtful questions about trees—perfect for fans of Julie Fogliano and Ruth Krauss. Do tiny trees dream of being big? Do the tallest trees get lonely? What part is the heart of a tree? Follow along as a lively little girl explores the natural world, asking questions big and small. Filled with wonder and joy, Some Questions About Trees is a celebration of how children see the world.  REVIEW A little girl takes the time to look at and appreciate the trees around her.  As she does so, she asks questions such as, "Where do trees live?" and What part is the heart of a tree?" It's the illustratio

OUR UNIVERSE : EARTH by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by John Wallace Simon Spotlight, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5344-8649-2 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary obtained from goodreads.com and publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Learn all about planet Earth in the third book in this nonfiction Level 1 Ready-to-Read series about the universe that’s perfect for kids who love science and space! Our home planet is a lucky one. It’s unlike any other planet in space! Earth gives us life and protects us. Readers will discover fun facts about Earth in this Level 1 Ready-to-Read! REVIEW This book presents young readers with a solid introduction to Earth.  Beginning with Earth's location in the solar system, Bauer moves on to giving readers a brief description of the rotation and revolution of the earth which leads to years and seasons.  The formation of the earth's crust and the rise of the ocean are covered in the next couple of spread