Elem. – The Power of Energy (Series NF)

The Power of Energy. Child’s World, 2023. $25.00 ea. $200.00 Set of 8. 32 p. Grades 2-5.

Harkrader, Lisa. Nuclear Power.978-1-503-86498-6.
—.  Wind Power. 978-1-503-86398-6.
Mihaly, Christy. Biomass Power. 978-1-503-86499-3.
Perdew, Laura. Hydroelectric Power. 978-1-503-86497-9.
—. Solar Power.  978-1-503-86495-5.
Rea, Amy C. Coal Power. 978-1-503-86501-3.
—. Natural Gas Power
. 978-1-503-86500-6.
Richards, Patti.  Oil Power.  978-1-503-86502-0.

One of 8 books in The Child’s World’s The Power of Energy series, Nuclear Power offers young readers a balanced introduction to the ins and outs of nuclear energy. Written in a manner that is accessible to the target audience, the book explores what nuclear energy is, its benefits and drawbacks, and its future. The book acknowledges nuclear energy’s history in war as well as its high-profile accidents (Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima).  It is up-to-date with advances in nuclear energy technology and waste management. Solar Power offers young readers a well-rounded perspective on solar power. The book is organized into five chapters: “Capturing the Sun,” “How Solar Energy Works,” “Benefits of Solar Energy,” “Drawbacks to Solar Energy,” and “Into the Future.” Sidebars in several chapters provide glimpses into novel uses for solar power, such as for airplanes. The images and figures chosen compliment and often expand upon the text. Includes a glossary, fast facts, extension questions, suggested reading list, and an index, as well as access to a curated page with web links.   

THOUGHTS: These titles offer updated information to any library looking to add or refresh the information they have available on the topic. The weakest component of the Nuclear Power book was the curated page of web links, whose offerings were only OK, while Solar Power offered three solid options for further investigation. The entire Power of Energy series seems to offers a strong option for libraries looking to update, augment, or create their energy section.  

333 Economics of Land and Energy

Elem. – Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth

Carmichael, L. E. Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth. Kids Can, 2023. 978-1-525-30457-6. 47 p. $18.99. Grades 2-5.

Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth uses a compare-contrast format supplemented by informative features to present a sweeping look at Arctic and Antarctic wildlife and their habitat. The book begins by introducing the geographic locations of the polar regions as well as the impact of the Earth’s tilt on the regions’ daylight. Double-page spreads organized by months of the year that introduce one new Arctic and Antarctic animal as well as a challenge/adaptation for its survival follow the introduction. These spreads are organized by months and are divided into four month periods divided by double-page informative spreads. Each shares more about the region’s seasons, geography, and challenges to the health of the environment. Includes a table of contents, suggestions for taking action, suggested websites, further reading, glossary, index, and a select bibliography.  

THOUGHTS: Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth covers a tremendous amount of ground in its 47 pages, including diverse animals, adaptations that will be familiar to its readers and novel ones, as well as background information on conditions that make the region unique. The level of detail will appeal to students who want to learn more about these regions of the planet. Recommended as a strong addition to established polar collections.

591 Zoology: Specific Topics in Natural History of Animals

Elem. – The Snow Man: A True Story

Winter, Jonah. The Snow Man: A True Story. Illustrated by Jeanette Winter. Beach Lane Books, 2023. 978-1-665-93239-4. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades K-3.

Based on a true story, this book tells the tale of billy barr (he doesn’t capitalize the first letters of his name), who has lived most of his life in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. When he first came to the mountains as a young man, billy’s only companions were wild animals. Without anyone to talk to, billy was bored, so he started measuring the snowfalls. Year after year, he recorded these measurements, along with the dates of the first snowfall and the first wildflower blossoms each year. He noted when animals came out of hibernation and when certain birds arrived each spring. After many years, he started to notice an interesting trend: year after year, there seemed to be less snow than there had been in past years. When he shared his findings with a local scientist, the scientist was amazed. Today, billy’s meticulous measurements and notes have proved to be a vital contribution to the study of climatology. An author’s note provides additional information about the real billy barr, as well as a list of sources for further reading and research.

THOUGHTS: Young readers will be fascinated by billy’s lifestyle and findings. This would be an excellent title for introducing climate change or measurement to elementary students.

921 Biography
508 Natural History  

Elem. – Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage

Rogers, Lisa. Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage. Illustrated by Il Sung Na. Anne Schwartz Books, 2023. 978-0-593-64662-5. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades K-3.

In this uniquely written biography, avant-garde composer John Cage is introduced to young audiences through the use of several “what if” questions. For example, what if all the sounds you heard – garbage trucks screeching, cats hissing, balls bouncing, and so forth – sounded like music to you? The answer to this question (and all of the other questions posed in the book) is “Then you’d be like John Cage.” Using this format, the author introduces John Cage’s atypical style of writing music, his unusual instruments, and several of his notable concerts and performances. Na’s illustrations mirror Cage’s quirky style, placing vibrant, brightly colored dots, squiggles and lines on top of background drawings done in a more muted palette. Further information about John Cage is included in the author’s note, and a list of sources for further exploration is also provided.

THOUGHTS: This unique biography is sure to inspire students to learn more about John Cage and to think outside of the box themselves. Perhaps they’ll even want to experiment with everyday items to make their own distinctive music. A solid addition to any library looking to grow its biography or music sections.

921 Biography
780 Music

Elem. – Happy Holidays! (Series NF)

Happy Holidays! Bellwether Media, 2024. $17.95. $107.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades PreK-2. 

Rathburn, Betsy. Cinco de Mayo. 979-8-886-87398-6.
Rathburn, Betsy. Groundhog Day. 979-8-886-87399-3.
Rathburn, Betsy. Holi. 979-8-886-87400-6.
Sabelko, Rebecca. Memorial Day. 979-8-886-87401-3.
Sabelko, Rebecca. Presidents’ Day. 979-8-886-87402-0.
Sabelko, Rebecca. Valentine’s Day. 979-8-886-87403-7. 

Bellwether Media is back with six new titles in their existing Happy Holidays! non-fiction series for early readers. Each volume introduces readers to a major holiday from around the world via basic facts communicated in large text, accompanied by high quality photographs. This reviewer had the opportunity to examine the volume on Groundhog Day. Simple text introduced facts about the holiday, including how and why the holiday is celebrated, as well as locations where the holiday is observed. Punxsutawney Phil was prominently featured in the volume (of course!). Backmatter includes a re-statement of holiday facts, a visual/text glossary, and links to additional resources. 

THOUGHTS: An excellent choice for libraries serving beginning readers looking to update or expand their cultural and/or religious holiday collections. Recommended.

394 Holidays

Elem. – World of Mythical Beings (Series NF)

Hansen, Grade. World of Mythical Beings. Abdo, 2023. $22.95 ea. $137.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades PreK-2.

Dragons. 978-1-098-26188-7.
Elves. 978-1-098-26189-4.
Trolls. 978-1-098-26190-0.
Unicorns. 978-1-098-26191-7.
Werewolves. 978-1-098-26192-4.
Wizards. 978-1-098-26193-1.

Mythical creatures have fascinated both adults and children for hundreds of years. Abdo’s new six book series World of Mythical Beings introduces young readers to some of the world’s most popular mythical creatures. Readers will learn about how the myth(s) around the creatures developed, how the creatures are viewed in various parts of the word and in various cultures, and how the myth has carried forward to the present day. This reviewer had the opportunity to read the volume on Dragons. The volume presented possible theories as to how dragon myths started. Readers also learned about the differences between dragon legends in western and eastern cultures. For example, dragons in western cultures are depicted as fire-breathing winged creatures that are often deadly, while in eastern cultures, are wingless, snake-like creatures often associated as symbols of goodness. The volume concluded with a brief look at how dragons are depicted in popular culture in present day. Accompanying the text were drawings, paintings, and digital illustrations of various dragons. 

THOUGHTS: Early reader fans of mythical creatures are the target audience for this series. With simple text and engaging illustrations, they will find much to enjoy. A worthwhile additional purchase for libraries serving young readers looking to add to or expand their folklore/mythical creature collections. 

398 Folklore

Elem. – South American Animals (Series NF)

Hansen, Grade. South American Animals. Abdo, 2023. $22.95 ea. $137.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades PreK-2. 

Anaconda. 978-1-098-26181-8.
Llama. 978-1-098-26182-5.
Ocelot. 978-1-098-26183-2.
Poison Dart Frog. 978-1-098-26184-9.
Sloth. 978-1-098-26185-6.
Toucan.  978-1-098-26186-3.

South America contains many unique habitats and is home to a diverse collection of animals, some of which are examined in Abdo’s South American Animals series. Each oversize volume introduces readers to an animal that calls South America home. The volume opens with a brief overview of the South American continent. Then, readers are introduced to an animal. Topics covered include the animal’s habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and reproduction. This reviewer had the opportunity to view the volume on Sloths, which discussed two-toed and three-toed sloths, the slow moving (or at some times, stationary) lifestyle of the sloth, and baby sloths, among other topics. Back matter present in the volume included a page of additional facts, glossary, and link to Abdo’s extension activities and resources online.

THOUGHTS: This series is a nice option for young researchers as well as animal fans. The large, simple text makes the series an excellent non-fiction selection for beginning readers. All readers will appreciate the large, high-quality photos that accompany the text. 

597-599, 636 Animals

Elem. – Thank a Farmer

Gianferrari, Maria. Thank a Farmer. Illustrated by Monica Mikai. Norton Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-324-01579-6. $18.95. Grades K-3. Unpaged.

In this beautiful tribute to farmers everywhere, various products are highlighted along with descriptions of how those products came to be. Bread, for instance, begins as wheat, which is harvested by farmers and then ground into flour. Milk is squeezed by hand or machine from cows, berries are picked off the vine, and maple syrup is extracted from trees and then boiled. Vegetables, rice, peanut butter, and even sweaters and socks all begin with farmers. In turn, farmers have much to be thankful for, too, including animals, machines, sunlight, water, worms, butterflies, bees, and trees. Told in lyrical free verse, this informative text is complemented by colorful illustrations and back matter that offers additional information about the products mentioned in the book.

THOUGHTS: Young children will love learning about how their food grows and what all happens to it before it hits their plate. Perhaps they could even write thank you letters to their local farmers after reading the book.

630 Agriculture  

Elem. – The Bone Wars:  The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils

Kurtz, Jane. The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils. Illustrated by Alexander Vidal. Beach Lane, 2023. 978-1-534-49364-3. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-3.

The Bone Wars chronicles the saga of paleontological competition between O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope in the days of the Bone Wars. Initially friends, the two became fierce rivals after Marsh pointed out to Cope that he had assembled Elasmosaurus with the head on its tail in a recently published scientific paper. The two began competing for discoveries from that moment forward, even resorting to deception and spying to beat the other team. Jane Kurtz acknowledges in her writing that the race to make the next discovery also resulted in many mistakes, broken relationships with friends and other scientists, and ultimately financial stress. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator, as well as a select bibliography and suggested reading list.  

THOUGHTS: The story of the competition between O.C. Marsh and Edward Cope is one that young dinosaur fans are sure to enjoy, not only because of all the discoveries the scientists made, but also because of the tale of a friendship gone awry.  The illustrations, created by Alexander Vidal, are inspired by paleontologic artwork created in the 1800s.  They work with the text to give the reader a sense of the book’s time period and knowledge at the time.  Recommended for libraries seeking to draw dinosaur fans into biographies or to add variety to their dinosaur collection.  

560.92 Paleontology
Biography

YA – Getting Help: Coping with and Overcoming Mental Illness

Mooney, Carla. Getting Help: Coping with and Overcoming Mental Illness. Reference Point Press, 2023. 978-1-6782-0338-2 $35.95 64 p. Grades 7-12.

This book serves as a supportive explanation of mental illness and possible treatments. The first chapter gives a description of the struggles faced by an estimated 44 million Americans each year.  It gives some details about mental illness dovetailing with career instability, drug and alcohol use, relationship strain, school performance decline, and increase in risky behaviors. The second chapter focuses on the stigma associated with mental illness and how that keeps people from both identifying issues and seeking treatment for themselves or loved ones. Young people often turn to online resources for insight, and celebrities’ openness about their own mental health struggles can improve attitudes toward problems. Treatment options are presented in chapter three and include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), and various medications. Two dozen personal experiences are shared, with positive messages such as “the biggest lesson I have learned is to seek out help early” (43) encouraging readers to ask for and seek help.  Lastly, lifelong strategies are given; these include music, art, and animal therapy, support groups, exercise, balanced diet, yoga, and meditation.  Includes source notes, index, further research, and online sources of help and information.

THOUGHTS: This book is a positive, reasonable overview for those seeking to understand or find help for mental illness.

616 Mental Health