Something To Hold

Noe, Katherine Schlick        Something To Hold       

 Houghton/Mifflin/Clarion/

Graphia/Kingfisher      2011  250p  $16.99      978-0-547-55813-4       elm/ms

Historical 

Based upon the author’s childhood, the novel looks at commonly-held stereotypes of Native Americans.  Kitty’s family moves to an Oregon Indian Reservation in 1962.  Kitty is accustomed to moving around the country since her father is an employee of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs working with the forest service.  The family is now on the Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon.  Kitty feels a little out of place as one of few white children attending the school that educates 300 Native American children.  Kitty is aware of the prejudices and incorrect beliefs held by teachers and the white people in the nearest town, and she sees how their remarks insult the Native Americans.  She becomes a staunch supporter of her classmates, speaking up for them and calling out the injustices she witnesses in her classroom, at baseball games, and in the community.  A physically abusive father with alcohol problems is handled in an age-appropriate way.  Native American customs and beliefs are seamlessly interwoven into the narrative.  A lightning-caused forest fire makes for an exciting conclusion.  This novel provides a well-written look at what is even now the seldom discussed topic of racial prejudice against Native Americans.  A glossary/pronunciation guide and an author’s note correlating events in her childhood with those in the book are found at the end.  

     

VG    Lois McNicol      Native Americans, Prejudice

 

Perimeter, Area, and Volume: A Monster Book of Dimensions

Adler, David A.   Perimeter, Area, and Volume: A Monster Book of Dimensions   Holiday House     2012  unp   $16.95      978-0-8234-2290-6    VG       elem

"Monsters guide readers through the use of various math skills in a movie theater, demonstrating how to calculate the perimeter of the set, the area of the movie screen, and the volume of a popcorn box."  Geared toward upper-elementary students, this book teaches them how to measure perimeter, area, and volume using monster examples.  Students gain a better understanding of each term, along with synonyms.  The author presents readers with one-, two-, and three-dimensional objects and ways to solve mathematical problems involving perimeter, circumference, volume, and area.  Each monster example includes color illustrations and calculations for students to try and/or check their own work.  Students who are interested in mathematics will appreciate this new title, and so will math teachers who need to deliver the concepts in a new way.

The book includes colorful illustrations, helpful math examples, bold keywords for students to focus on, and an easy-to-read text.  Schools that participate in Accelerated Reader will be able to use the existing quiz #149749. “This book is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for third-grade, fourth-grade, and fifth-grade mathematics in measurement and data: (3.MD. 5-8), (4.MD. 2-3), and (5.MD. 3-5).”          

VG    Charleen Forba-Mayer    Weights and measures

 

Smith, Lane. Grandpa Green.

Smith, Lane.  Grandpa Green.  Roaring Brook Press see Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, 2011.  $16.99  ISBN 9781596436077     elem  E-BN  Misc.

     This is a beautiful tribute to an extraordinary grandfather, told through the vision of a topiary garden, and it is a fun book to read with your children or grandchildren.   The book will take you through the life of a grandfather who was born before computers, cell phones and television sets; who grew up on a farm and got all the childhood illnesses; who read the classics, but most of all enjoyed horticultural activities. He had wanted to study horticulture, but life took over and he did other things instead, all the while practicing cutting his trees and bushes.
     This beautifully illustrated story is told by the great-grandson who shows us his vision of a beautiful garden where the story unfolds.
     Not a lot of color is used, but the colors of green and red and sometimes gold are used very strategically to help tell the story and take us through the whole history of this very much beloved great-grandfather. It is a story you will want to read many times over with your children, grandchildren and maybe even great-grandchildren.                 

Subjects: 1. Grandfathers - Fiction.  2. Gardens -- Fiction

Magna Diaz

 

Hurley, Michael. World’s Greatest Olympians.

Hurley, Michael. World’s Greatest Olympians.   Capstone Publishers, 2012.    32p. $29.00  ISBN 978-1-4109-4122-0 elem  VG-BNes       

     Exciting biographical information, a vivid layout, and outstanding photographs combine to create a winning book about international record-breaking Olympic stars.  Readers of all ages will enjoy this book!  It has so many great features that the reader will turn each page eagerly.  These features include highlights of the Olympic stars’ achievements (presented in the colors bold sky blue and warm orange), Olympic fact files about each star in grass green, and photograph captions in white on a black background.  The layout is without a doubt one of the strengths of this book!  Another strength is the quality of the photographs, which show tremendous features of the Olympic stars down to the musculature, posture and determination of athletes like swimmer Michael Phelps and marathon runner Abebe Bikila.  Olympic viewers will never forget the remarkable win by Abebe, despite a setback in the form of a surgery six weeks before the 1964 Olympics.  The controversial 1988 Olympics brought victory to Carl Lewis when Ben Johnson tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.  Everyone watched as Ben Johnson became a world-renowned hero when he won the 200-meter and 400-meter running events in 1996.  Other famous Olympians who are highlighted in this book include Jesse Owens, the American who showed Hitler that German athletes were not the best in the world, Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch high-jumper and runner who showed the world what a housewife could do, and Steve Redgrave, a British rower who was knighted by the Queen of England for his achievements.  One slight drawback is that the reader will wish the author had included more biographical data about each Olympian, but since his purpose is simply to introduce the reader to each star, he has achieved his goal.  New vocabulary words appear in bold type, and there is a helpful glossary at the end of the book that is preceded by a list of interesting facts about winners of the Winter Olympics as well as Paralympics.  A list of web sites and an index conclude the book.

     The Olympics is a series that includes a variety of topics, including great moments in Olympic history, the 2012 London Olympics, the World of Olympics, and high-tech Olympics.  Each book includes a page of data, action photographs and short snippets of Olympic fact, along with the necessary charts of records, and anecdotal information about variety of stars 

Subject: Olympics

Martha Squaresky

 

Seven, John. The Ocean Story.

Seven, John. The Ocean Story.   

Picture Window Books(Capstone)      2011  np    16.99   978-1-4048-6785-7 

elem       Misc.       E-BNe 

This book describes how water returns to the ocean after

cycling through its many uses, it shows creatures of

the ocean in their many colors and antics and it teaches children what can go

wrong if we don’t protect this treasure.  Just the perfect combination of

text and art work have produced a book that should be a mandatory read-aloud for

all elementary school classrooms.  The story of the ocean is presented simply

yet poetically, with pictures that share this very same characterization.  In

this case, a collaborative effort of a husband and wife team ended when this

educational gem went to print, and without sounding too preachy, this team shows

children (and adults!) the composition of the ocean and the need to protect it. 

The story  begins when a child asks his grandfather why the ocean is so big, and

when Grandfathers responds that it needs to be big to hold all of its history,

the reader embarks on a story of a different kind of circle of life, this time,

describing the cyclical nature of water and how it ends up in the ocean.  This

might sound complicated, but the author utilizes words that children of all ages

can understand.  A young audience will find something to discuss as sure as a

parent or teacher will find something new to point out with every turn of the

page.  The artistry is enchanting, and the author and illustrator combine their

talents to show children how to combine poetry and illustrations.  When author

John Seven shows jellyfish that “look like dreams floating into space,” the

reader actually sees jellyfish looking just as he describes!  The Ocean Story

accomplishes what all children’s books should accomplish.

            Squaresky, Martha

Reed, Lynn Rowe. Roscoe and the Pelican Rescue.

Reed, Lynn Rowe.   Roscoe and the Pelican Rescue. 

Holiday House     2011  unp  14.95 978-0-8234-2352-1 

elem  Realistic Fiction       VG    

A boy goes to the Louisiana coast to visit his cousin one month after the Deep water Horizon oil

rig explosion and spill.  He helps rescue pelicans and other wildlife.  A boy

is excited about flying to Louisiana to visit his cousin.  They plan to spend

the day at the beach, but find the beach is closed due to the oil spill after

the Deep water Horizon rig explosion.  The children and dog, Roscoe, find some

pelicans covered with oil.  The family brings the birds to a wildlife rescue

center.  There the birds are cared for and cleaned up.  Other animals are also

rescued and cleaned.  When the birds are recovered, the family drives the

animals to a clean area and releases them.

  The text is accurate and clear about what is involved in rescuing animals from

an oil spill.  The International Bird Rescue Research Center has reviewed the

text for accuracy.

  The illustrations are almost cartoon-like.  They look like an elementary child

has painted them.  Children will relate to the illustrations but some adults

might not care for the style.

            Theal, Joan

Michaelson, Richard. Lipman Pike, America’s First Home Run King.

Michaelson, Richard.     Lipman Pike, America’s First Home Run King.      

Sleeping Bear Press(Cengage)     2011  unp   16.95 978-1-58536-465-1 

elem              VG-BNe   

     Son of Dutch immigrants who arrived in New York in the mid-1800s, Lipman Pike was both the

first Jewish and the first professional (paid) baseball player in the newly

formed National Association of Base Ball Players.  Like all children of

immigrants, Lip wanted to belong to his new country and found his way through

baseball.  Beginning as a teenager, he quickly developed into a major figure in

the sport as both a slugger and a second baseman.  Michaelson’s biography offers

a view of his life through “conversations” between the characters opening a

window into an historic period of baseball that is largely overlooked.  The book

is greatly enhanced by the wonderful illustrations that carry out the themes of

Pike’s life.   It ends with an author’s note discussing the place of baseball in

American life during that time.           Ogintz, Susan

Gunderson, Jessica. Life on the Mayflower.

Gunderson, Jessica.      Life on the Mayflower.   

Picture Window Books(Capstone) 2011  24p   19.99 978-1-4048-6284-5 

elem  Graphic-non-fiction           VG-BNe   

Life on the Mayflower presents some basic facts about the living

conditions on the Mayflower for young readers in graphic novel format.    

This text is crisply written and fully illustrated with a low reading level

accompanied by watercolor illustrations. The inclusion of several facts, where

to obtain more information, web sites and a glossary/index make this a useful

research tool.

     After the importance of an informative text, the most supportive factor of

this book is visual appeal to young readers.  The layout of the various pages is

diversified and well balanced between text and very descriptive watercolor

illustrations so that concepts are grouped together.  The flow and balance of

both the text and visuals are integrated to present a very stimulating book for

both young and reluctant readers.   

This book is one in the  _Thanksgiving series. 

The series consists of_5_ books at this time. The general theme of the series

is __Thanksgiving _.        McNeil, Linda

Garland, Michael. Grandpa’s Tractor.

Garland, Michael.  Grandpa’s Tractor. 

Boyd's Mills      2011  unp   16.95 978-1-59078-762-5 

elem    Historical        VG-BNe      

Timmy and Grandpa Joe visit the family farm and reminisce about Grandpa’s old red tractor.     

 Inspired by a rusty tractor embedded in a hillside near his home, Garland interviewed the

vehicle’s owner and was inspired to write “Grandpa’s Tractor.”  Tractors have

ongoing appeal for many young readers, who are fascinated by large, powerful

vehicles.  On a farm, tractors can be used for a variety of tasks, and are

endlessly useful.

     Timmy and Grandpa visit the site of the family farm, now run-down and

ramshackle.  Here they discover a rusted tractor.  Grandpa brings the tractor’s

usefulness to life and shares with Timmy the many ways that the tractor was

useful on the farm: to till fields, gather the harvest, transport workers to the

orchard, and bring fruits and vegetables to market. Timmy’s imagination is

sparked, and young readers will enjoy the cheerful artwork that recreates a

bygone era.  The brightly colored double-page spreads will complement the read-

aloud experience, especially with large groups.

Welliver, Hilary

Smith, Alex T. Foxy and Egg.

Smith, Alex T. Foxy and Egg.
Holiday House 2011 28p 17.95
978-0-8234-2330-9 Animal stories VG-BNe

“Foxy DuBois is delighted when Egg rolls up to her door, and she invites him in to enjoy dinner, games, and a place to sleep, even as she makes plans for a special breakfast.” Set in a movie setting background, elementary students meet Vivien Vixen as Foxy DuBois and her special dinner guest Edward L’Oeuf as Egg. Egg, a little pink-spotted egg, arrived at Foxy’s for dinner, he didn’t recognize the danger that lurked since his dinner companion was trying to fatten him up so that she could eat him for breakfast. After Foxy fed him a massive meal including a lot of fattening desserts, she followed dinner with fun games such as hide-and-seek and musical chairs. At the end of their fun night, Foxy invited Egg to spend the night so that he could stay for Foxy’s breakfast. That night, Foxy dreamed of all types of eggs to eat, but instead of eating Egg for breakfast, she was surprised that Egg woke up enormous, but soon started to crack and hatch. What Foxy saw instead was an enormous green looking animal that appears to be some sort of alligator who in turn wanted to feast on her.

Includes great color illustrations and easy-to-read text for young readers. Would make a great addition to an elementary library collection.
Forba-Mayer, Charleen

Schroeder, Alan Ben Franklin His Wit and Wisdom from A-Z

Schroeder, Alan
Ben Franklin His Wit and Wisdom from A-Z
Holiday House 2011 unp 16.95
978-0-8234-1950-0 E-BNe
“ An illustrated overview of Benjamin Franklin's inventions, wisdom, and accomplishments.” Written for upper elementary students, this entertaining title arranged alphabetically will be a welcome addition to an elementary school library’s collection. Each double-page spread provides many details about our Founding Father, beginning with the letter A for almanac and ending with the letter Z for zeal. Unlike some other A to Z books out on the market, the author includes several key words for each letter of the alphabet. Topics include information on his personal history and family, public service, inventions, places, accomplishments, people, characteristics, beliefs, writings, and upbringing.

Illustrator, John O’Brien, creates each page in a beautiful and colorful way using watercolor and ink. Through the illustrations and drawings, students will gain a better understanding of what times appeared like during Franklin’s time and to show how Franklin lived in our world. At a time when some publishers are trimming their costs of producing a quality book, this title will not disappoint librarians who seek a high quality book that will survive for many years of circulation.
Would make an excellent addition to an elementary collection for both casual reading and for biography projects. Forba-Mayer, Charleen

Ransome, James E. New Red Bike!

Ransome, James E. New Red Bike!
Holiday House 2011 unp 16.95
978-0-8234-2226-5 Realistic Fiction E-BNe
Tom receives a brand new bicycle and rides to his friend’s house. The bike disappears because Sam takes it to ride. They share the bike until Sam also gets a new bike from his parents. This gentle book is perfect for new readers. Tom receives a brand new bicycle and rides to his friend’s house. The bike disappears because Sam takes it to ride. They share the bike until Sam also gets a new bike from his parents.
This very simple, gentle story is perfect for the new reader. They will read it over and over. They can identify with the action and the frustration when the bike disappears.
The illustrations are bright and show the emotions of the characters. The children shown are multicultural . The text gently encourages riding safely with a helmet, both hands on the handlebars and shows the children riding on the sidewalk or in the yard.
Recommended for all early elementary collections. Theal, Joan

Pulver, Robin. Happy Endings.

Pulver, Robin. Happy Endings.
Holiday House 2011 unp 16.95
978-0-8234-2296-8 Misc. VG

At the end of the school year and the class will tackle suffixes. The word endings panic and go to the gym to strengthen themselves. As the students search for the missing suffixes, they discover word endings are everywhere. The end of the school year has arrived and the class will tackle suffixes after lunch on the last day of school. The personified word endings panic as they imagine the large children tackling them and worry that they had done something wrong, so they go to the gym to strengthen themselves. As the students search for the missing suffixes, they discover that word endings are found everywhere and are very necessary. The suffixes try being prefixes which make some funny words.
There is a list of rules about suffixes included at the end of the book.
The illustrations are bright and colorful with word endings in assorted colors. This makes a very busy looking page that would be hard to share the book with a large group. There is great information hidden in this story that continues the Pulver series on grammar.
A good addition to en elementary school collection on a topic that is difficult to illustrate. Theal, Joan

Kimmel, Eric A. The Story of Esther: A Purim Tale.

Kimmel, Eric A. The Story of Esther: A Purim Tale.
Holiday House 2011 unp 16.95
978-0-8234-2223-4 E-BN

Eric Kimmel presents the whole “Megillah” in this vivid description of the Jewish holiday of Purim, Festival of Lots. The Biblical Book of Esther goes back to the ancient court of Ahasuerus, King of Persia who rids himself of his disobedient wife Vashti, and then vows to marry the most beautiful girl in his kingdom. His choice falls upon the Jewish Esther, niece of Mordecai. She keeps her religion a secret until Mordecai discovers that the king’s evil advisor Haman is planning to destroy the entire Jewish population of Persia. Mordecai begs Esther to speak with the king to save their people and it is because of her courage “that evil was brought to justice and many lives were saved.”
The book is written in simple and lyrical language that thoroughly engages the reader. Kimmel presents his story in simple and direct words. His characters, both good and bad, are fully realized; they are brought to life and have distinct personalities. The full-page paintings are beautiful and compliment the story perfectly.
Highly recommended for elementary level libraries that need information on religious holidays. Ogintz, Susan

Hurd, Thacher. Bongo Fishing.

Hurd, Thacher. Bongo Fishing.
Henry Holt/macmillan children's pub group 2011 233p 16.99
978-0-8050-9100-7 Science fiction E-BN
For any child who has stared at the night sky and wondered if there is life out there. Jason goes on an intergalactic trip with Sam from Pleiades in a space vehicle that resembles an old Dodge Dart. Witty with just enough science terms tossed in. Gr. 4-7.
This book will delight anyone who has stared at the night sky and wondered if there is life in other galaxies light years from planet earth. Jason sees something come out of the sky and land near him as he is walking home from school. Out of the vehicle, which has a close resemblance to a 1960 Dodge Dart, steps a very short, slightly bluish man. The humor takes off from there and continues all through the book. The man named Sam from the galaxy Pleiades gains Jason’s confidence. Sam’s return trip requires ingredients to fix his vehicle -- namely ketchup and marshmallows. Wonderful illustrations capture the whimsy. Sam promises to return and take Jason bongo fishing where donut holes serve as bait on a hookless line. Sam and Jason will eat gollywhoggers, an entire meal in one food that includes the taste of dessert.
Children may miss some of the illusions as a crazy therapist employs an enforcer named Oddjob. There are references to Zarathustra, parsecs and the cat is named Sputnik. Sam and his wife become frequent guests of Jason, sleeping in his closet and together they cause all sorts of mayhem, even visiting Area 51. Danger lurks as the crazy therapist tries to kidnap Sam but all is well by the end of the book. Enough fuel to fire up a science-minded reader and enough humor to cause belly laughs. Grades 4-7
Recommended for anyone who has stared up at the night sky and wondered if there was life on other galaxies. Witty and humorous, Jason meets Sam, an alien from Pleiades who drives a 1960 Dodge Dart through the universe. Grades 4-7. McNicol, Lois

Gormley, Greg. Dog in Boots.

Gormley, Greg. Dog in Boots.
Holiday House 2011 unp 17.95
978-0-8234-2347-7 Animal stories E-BNe

Dog reads Puss in Boots and tries to find the right footwear for himself. After several failed attempts, he finds the perfect choice - his paws. Dog reads his favorite book- Puss in Boots. He then heads to a shoe store and buys boots for each of his feet. However he found that they are no good for digging in mud. He returns them for rain boots that can take the mud but filled with water when Dog went for a swim. So on through several varieties of footwear until he is reminded that his paws are perfect for all his activities.
This simple story line helps young children learn that the way they are is the best way to be.
The illustrations are bright, enthusiastic and delightful. Young children will be attracted to the antics of Dog as he tries different footwear and finds each to be lacking in some way.
Recommended for pre-school and early childhood collections.
Theal, Joan

Black Elk’s Vision

Nelson, S.D. Black Elk’s Vision
Abrams, Harry 2010 48p 19.95
978-0-8109-8399-1 elem E-BNe
Children’s book that tells the story of Black Elk, a Lakota Sioux who survived several famous battles between his people and the white man. A chosen one who had visions from a higher being, Black Elk shared the gift of hope with his nation.
The story of the destruction of a way of life must be told to everyone, even to children. S. D. Nelson’s portrait, both literally and figuratively, describes the life of Black Elk, a Native American who had visions, who experienced the joys and pain of his journey through the Circle of Life, and finally, who helped his people understand life by sharing his story in 1932 in a book called, Black Elk Speaks. Initially, the voice and tone are that of a child, yet as the reader continues to turn the pages of Black Elk’s life, the voice and tone mature yet retain a simplicity that is appealing. Real photographs stand side by side with colorful illustrations created by Nelson to help a less mature reader comprehend the story of how a nation of Wha-shi-choos (White Men) systematically and brutally took control of the frontier. Black Elk describes his childhood when the Lakota followed the buffalo and played hunting games. He shares the story of his survival against a strange fever and of the vision that he saw of all beings of the earth dancing together. During the Battle of Little Bighorn, the young Black Elk killed alongside his fellow Lakota Sioux, and he smelled the blood of the dead. After the death of Crazy Horse, Black Elk’s tribe surrendered, yet he did not give up. He shared his vision of survival with his tribe, and later joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show to learn about the white man. Tragically, his nation was almost destroyed in the battle at Wounded Knee. Black Elk uses the knowledge that he has acquired from his visions to help his people in this inspiring children’s book. He uses a timeline effectively, and his extensive bibliography and index are helpful tools.
Outstanding book for any library, especially an elementary school classroom library. This book is also wonderful for use as a read-aloud during a lesson about cultural diversity. Squaresky(2), Martha
Autobiography of survival of Native American nation

Secrets of the Cicada Summer

Beaty, Andrea. Secrets of the Cicada Summer
Amulet see Abrams, Harry 2010 167p 6.95
978-0-8109-8419-6 elm/ms Realistic Fiction VG
“ Twelve-year-old Lily, believing she could have prevented the accident that caused her brother's death, has quit speaking leaving everyone to think that she is brain damaged, but in her silence she sees everything, and when sly newcomer Tinny comes to town, Lily suddenly has a lot to talk about--if only she can make herself speak the words.”
Geared toward upper elementary and middle school readers, this mystery/adventure story will keep students wondering why would a girl quit speaking to anyone leading others to think she is brain damaged for so long. In this title, Lily Mathis, a twelve-year old girl hasn’t spoken to anyone including her parents, ever since the death of her brother. Lily blames herself for her brother’s death because she thinks she could have prevented the accident. Even though Lily has remained quiet, she read Nancy Drew mysteries in secret keeping her secret of why she didn’t speak to anyone. Despite her nonverbal communication to people, she did watch and take in everything going on around her. When a new girl named Tinny Bridges enters the town, who is the storekeepers’s niece, she finds it difficult not to speak. Tinny is mischievous, talkative, ad mysterious. Lily learns of Tinny’s secret and in turn she sees that Lily actually can read and is not brain damaged. When Tinny disappears, Lily needs to break her silence and speak the truth about what she knows in order to save her from harm. Even though Lily’s brother Pete is deceased, her memories of him are present and provides readers with a feel that he is there too.

Filled with adventure, suspense, mystery, and excitement, this title will be enjoyed by many who seek a fast paced novel. Would make a nice addition to an elementary of middle school collection. Forba-Mayer(2)Charleen Brothers and sisters -- Fiction.

Rodriguez, Beatrice The Chicken Thief

Rodriguez, Beatrice The Chicken Thief
Enchanted Lion Books 2010 unp 14.95
978-1-59270-092-9 elem Animal stories E-BNe
The sly fox has taken the chicken and the chase is on. Bear, Rabbit and Rooster give chase to save the chicken in this entertaining book without words. One beautiful morning as the animals are all waking up, Fox has his eye on chicken. While everyone is busy Fox grabs chicken and makes off with her. At the first yelp from chicken her friends give chase to catch Fox but he always seems to be one step ahead of everyone.
As you cheer the heroes on to catch the fox, you also note that the relationship between the Fox and the Chicken is changing. Then come the questions: Did the Fox steal the chicken? Why is the chicken playing chess with the Fox? Aren’t they enemies?
The ending is a real surprise and will have the kids guessing as to what happened. A visually beautiful and funny story made for small hands. The colors are bright and interesting.

The panoramic open style book is an invitation for kids to share the book with friends.
The animals are likable and funny and the story will verbally develop as the kids follow the book to the surprise conclusion. Diaz, Magna
Picture books - Books without words

DosSantos, Julie. Diggers

DosSantos, Julie Diggers
Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark 2010 32p 28.50
978-0-7614-4402-2 elem VG
Amazing Machines(MC)

With simple informative text and vivid photographs, this book explains how various types of earth moving machines work and their different jobs. With simple informative text and vivid photographs, this book explains how various types of earth moving machines work and their different jobs. Each page is chock full of information presented in a dynamic and engaging manner. The action photographs are sure to enthrall the young readers and familiarize them with the different types of diggers. The book ends with a simple glossary and an “amazing facts” page that provides extra information about these machines. This will be a wonderful book for both reading aloud and browsing by more advanced young readers. It is library-bound and ends with an index and a web finder page. This book will be a sure winner for young readers in elementary libraries. Ogintz, Susan Earth moving machinery