Bites and Stings
Level S,
nonfiction
A two-year-old girl is brought to the emergency room with a red mark on her leg. Her parents are sure that she has been bitten or stung, but the child is too young to explain what happened to her. A fascinating interview with the managing director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center in Tucson takes the reader through the various possibilities. Photographs and vivid descriptions of desert creatures, and the symptoms they can inflict with a bite or sting will intrigue young readers.
Harriet Tubman & Underground RR
Level S,
nonfiction
Harriet Tubman was an African-American woman who daringly escaped slavery and helped hundreds of other slaves escape to freedom. She became the most famous of all 'conductors' of the Underground Railroad, which was a system of safe houses that slaves used to travel to freedom in the North. Her inspiring story of courage and determination continued into her later life as she worked for aid and education for freed slaves, as well as for women's right to vote.
Animals Feel Emotions
Level S,
nonfiction
Do you think animals are capable of love? The author of this book does. She also believes that animals can feel and demonstrate loyalty, friendship, tenderness, and compassion. As evidence of this, she presents several different examples of real-life animals and how they show emotion. When you finish reading, will you agree or disagree with the author's point of view?
Penguins
Level S,
nonfiction
Often thought of as comical, penguins are actually very intelligent and fascinating animals. This book provides a great deal of interesting information about the types of penguins, their breeding and feeding habits, and the biggest threat to their existence. Incredible photographs support the text.
T-Shirt Challenge
Level S,
fiction
The International T-Shirt Challenge features two friends who challenge each other with weekly questions. This week's puzzler, labeled the International T-Shirt Challenge, challenges one of the friends to spend $500 on T-Shirts in five different countries. Using his weblog, he attempts to get information from kids all around the world to help complete the challenge. Photographs, illustrations, and charts support the text.
National Parks
Level S,
nonfiction
National Parks explains the value of national parks and explores several parks around the world. Students will learn about animals that live in a large grassland in Africa, as well as the way in which plants and animals of the forest and ocean interact in a small national park in Costa Rica. Students also will read about some unlikely places for a national park, such as in the middle of a major city and totally underwater! Exceptional photography accompanies the text.
The Trouble with English
Level S,
fiction
The Trouble with English is the story of a girl named Ting Yao who moves from China to the United States. The book is a first-person account of her experiences learning English at school. She has many difficulties with the unfamiliar idioms, pronunciations, and spellings of the English language. Ting Yao relates her frustrations with learning this new language but realizes that she will eventually master English.
Titanic: Lost and Found
Level S,
nonfiction
In this book, the tragedy of the sinking of the 'unsinkable' great liner is told with fascinating contemporary photos. The mystery of why the Titanic sank so quickly is finally answered when the wreck is located by Robert Ballard's expedition to the ocean floor.
Two Kettles
Level S,
fiction
Brought together by circumstances beyond their control, two young girls, one English and one Native American, work to prepare dishes to be served at a feast that years later would be known as the first Thanksgiving. Emotions such as curiosity, resentment, apprehension, and nervousness all come to the surface in each girl as they work quietly side by side. In the process of laboring all day long together, a near tragedy forms a bond of friendship that will last forever, despite the future uncertainty of their family relations. Illustrations support the text.
What's In a Name
Level S,
nonfiction
What's in a Name is a study of the origin of names. The book provides a factual account of how many first and last names came into usage. Using the names of a third-grade class, the book delves into the history of names and how they have changed over the years.
