MG – Intro to Chemistry: Need to Know

Faust, Daniel R. Intro to Chemistry: Need to Know. Bearport Publishing, 2023. $21.02 each or $126.12 Set of 6. Grades 6-12.

Acids and Bases. 979-8-885-09422-1.
Atoms and Molecules. 979-8-885-09423-8.
Chemical Reactions. 979-8-885-09424-5.
Metals and Nonmetals. 979-8-885-09425-2.
The Periodic Table. 979-8-885-09427-6.
States of Matter. 979-8-885-09426-9.

This reviewer had the opportunity to read The Periodic Table. This title utilizes an analogy which equates the periodic table to a library in its organization structure. Larger text with key words highlighted and defined make this difficult topic accessible for struggling readers. Colorful photographs, images, and charts add to the visual interest. With backmatter that includes SilverTips for success, a glossary, read more, learn more online, and an index, this title will help readers in gather basic information on Chemistry. The text is written at a second-grade reading level in a dyslexia-friendly font, which will help struggling readers succeed with concepts learned in high school Chemistry or Physical Science classes.

THOUGHTS: This series is a recommended purchase for secondary libraries, especially in schools where students may study Chemistry.

530.4 States of Matter
546 Inorganic Chemistry

Elem. – Life Cycles (Series NF)

Life Cycles. The Child’s World, 2023. $24.95 each or $299.40 for Set of 12. Grades 2-4.

Merritt, Robin. The Life Cycle of a Butterfly. 978-1-5038-5837-4.
—.
The Life Cycle of a Chicken. 978-1-5038-5842-8.
—. The Life Cycle of a Frog. 978-1-5038-5838-1.
—. The Life Cycle of a Human. 978-1-5038-5870-1.
—. The Life Cycle of a Polar Bear. 978-1-5038-5844-2.
—. The Life Cycle of a Snake. 978-1-5038-5843-5.

Owens, L.L. The Life Cycle of a Clown Fish. 978-1-5038-5841-1.
—. The Life Cycle of a Daisy. 978-1-5038-5869-5.
—. The Life Cycle of a Fern. 978-1-5038-5871-8.
—. The Life Cycle of a Ladybug. 978-1-5038-5872-5.
—. The Life Cycle of a Snail. 978-1-5038-5840-4.
—. The Life Cycle of an Earthworm. 978-1-5038-5839-8.

The Life Cycle series provides readers with information on a variety of plant and animal life cycles. The reviewer read the titles The Life Cycle of a Butterfly and The Life Cycle of a Clown Fish. The Life Cycle of a Butterfly provides information on the transformation from an egg, to a caterpillar, to a butterfly, ending back with the egg. Readers explore the detailed information on the butterfly life cycle, with detailed text, up-close photographs, and bonus facts and charts. The Life Cycle of a Clown Fish provides information on the clown fish species’ life cycle. While there are several different types of clown fish, they all go through the same life cycle. Readers will explore this interesting transformation, with detailed text, beautiful photographs, and bonus facts and charts.

THOUGHTS: An extremely well written and detailed life cycle series on popular plants and animals. This series is unique, as it discusses animals and plants that are popular, but not necessarily discussed.

583-636.5 Plants & Animals

Elem. – Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story of An Amazing Swimmer

Cox, Lynne. Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story about an Amazing Swimmer. Illustrated by Richard Jones. Anne Schwartz Books, 2023. 978-0-593-42568-8. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

Written by a world famous swimmer, this engaging piece of creative nonfiction is the true tale of a loggerhead turtle’s oceanic journeys. The story begins as the baby turtle hatches from her egg on an Australian beach. After a few days of resting under the sand, the hatchling makes its way to the Indian Ocean with her brothers and sisters, while avoiding nearby predators. The tiny reptile swims all day and night to find a bed of brown algae, which she uses to protect herself and drift on for many months. After five years, the turtle, now the size of a house cat, finds that she has traveled across the Indian Ocean to the southern tip of Africa. One day while searching for food, the animal is caught up in a fishing net, which pulls her down despite her struggles. Fortunately, a fisherman on a boat saw the creature and rescued her from the net.  He saw that she had a laceration in her shell and treated the wound. He gave her a name, Yoshi, and took care of her until the shell was healed. Once she was stronger, the fisherman took the loggerhead to an aquarium in Cape Town, where she lived for twenty years. Now that she was an adult, the aquarium staff felt that Yoshi could be returned to the ocean. First, they trained her to swim long distances in the tank alongside two divers, until she had the endurance to swim long distances. The turtle, now as big as a lion, was released with a tracking device. The scientists followed Yoshi’s travels along the west coast of Africa for food, but were surprised when she passed up a Cape Town nesting site and set out east toward Australia. After swimming nearly 23,000 miles over twenty-six months, Yoshi was back home where her life began. After mating with a male loggerhead, she laid her eggs on that very same beach. The text contains figurative language describing the animal’s size over time (“big as a smile,” the size of a house cat,”) and includes an author’s note with a photograph of the real Yoshi, who is still being tracked today. A site with teaching materials is listed. Jones uses paint for his beautiful illustrations, which are digitally edited. The images show seas that are full of life and include maps of the turtle’s journeys.

THOUGHTS: This is an amazing story depicting the tenacity of the loggerhead  turtle as it faces predators, currents and other dangers while swimming extremely long distances. Readers will cheer on this remarkable animal as she fights the odds to complete her quest. Yoshi’s story is perfect to use in STEM units and works well as a read-aloud.  This is a must-have for all elementary collections.

597.928 Sea Turtles
Picture Book

MG – Black Americans of Distinction (Series NF)

Black Americans of Distinction. Reference Point Press, 2023. $32.95 ea. $164.75 Set of 5. 64 p. Grades 6-8.

Allen, John. Important Black Americans in Sports. 978-1-6782-0290-3.
Castilo, Kristina. Important Black Americans in Business and Commerce. ​​978-1-6782-0284-2.
Currie, Stephen. Important Black Americans in Civil Rights and Politics. 978-1-6782-0286-6.
Kallen, Stuart.  Important Black Americans in Arts and Culture. 978-1-6782-0282-8.
Nardo, Don. Important Black Americans in Science and Invention. 978-1-6782-0288-0.

Judging from the sequence of chapters in two of the books, the authors present information in chronological order with in-depth explanation of the history and distinguished professionals attached to these fields. Interesting textboxes highlight special events or pertinent people. This series is an updated, worthy series focusing on well-known and lesser-known Black Americans. Includes Other Sources and index.

THOUGHTS: I read the Business and Commerce and Sports titles and found valuable information suitable for the middle-grade researcher.

Elem./MG – Silverwing

Oppel, Kenneth. Silverwing. Simon & Schuster, 2023. 978-1-665-93848-8. $23.99. Unpaged. Grades 3-7.

Shade is the smallest bat in his silverwing colony, and while his size may be small, his curiosity looms large. He wants to know why he is not allowed to see the sun. Of course, he knows about the law established by the owls millions of years ago: bats may only rule the skies at night while birds rule during the day. One day, he stays out at sunrise, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sun. An owl catches him and later comes to his colony to tell the silverwing leader that retribution must be made since Shade broke the rules. The leader refuses, and the owls burn down their roost. The colony has no choice but to migrate south to their Hibernaculum a bit earlier than expected. Shade sticks close to his mother during the beginning of the journey, but he gets blown off course by a strong storm. He finds himself lost and alone until he meets Marina, a brightwing bat who vows to help him get back to his colony. Together, they journey to Hibernaculum but not before many dangerous encounters with cannibalistic jungle bats, sewer rats, and vengeful birds. 

THOUGHTS: The graphic adaptation of Oppel’s novel by the same name is sure to be a hit with readers who love animal stories filled with adventure. The illustrations are detailed and colorful and the story, while action-packed, also weaves in details about bat life, including diet and echolocation. 

Graphic Novel

Elem. – Fungi Grow

Gianferrari, Maria. Fungi Grow. Beach Lane Books, 2023. 978-1-665-90365-3. 40 p. $18.99. Grades 2-5. 

Fungi grow all around us, and this book introduces readers to their mysterious world. Fungi grow from spores which form threads that spread and create a complex network of roots. Mushrooms are the fruit, and they can be found both above and below ground. The lyrical text is supplemented by fact boxes that share additional information about how spores are spread, how some mushrooms can absorb enough water to crack cement, and how fungi are also used to create antibiotics. The gouache watercolor and digital illustrations include a wide variety of labeled fungi. Additionally, many pages also feature word art visualizations of how spores move and grow, detailing how they puff, plop, poof, sprout, branch, poke, splash, swirl, and multiply. Backmatter includes a warning to never eat wild mushrooms until their identity is confirmed by an expert as well as a glossary and a list of blogs and websites for further reading. Information about how fungi help the environment, fun fungi facts, and a diagram of the fungi life cycle are also featured. 

THOUGHTS: There are many books about the life cycles of animals and plants, but this title will fill gaps about how other living things grow, change, and impact the environment. This is a visually interesting title to browse, or share it with science-loving students.  

579.5 Fungi

Elem. – Amazing Animal Self-Defense (Series NF)

Ruby, Rex. Amazing Animal Self-Defense. Bearport, 2023. $19.95 ea. $119.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades 1-4. 

Bloody Eyes. 979-8-885-09385-9.
Bubbling Drool. 979-8-885-09386-6.
Deadly Quills. 979-8-885-09387-3.
Eye-Watering Stink. 979-8-885-09388-0.
Gooey Slime. 979-8-885-09390-3.
Oozing Toxins. 979-8-885-09389-7.

The many unique defenses deployed by animals against predators are the subject of the new series Amazing Animals Self-Defense. This reviewer had the opportunity to examine the volume Gooey Slime: Gross Hagfish. Hagfish (also known as slime eels) are sea creatures that live mostly on the bottom of the ocean. Their predators include much larger animals such as sharks and seals. When one of these predators attempts to attack the hagfish, the hagfish shoots a gooey slime at the predator! The slime can clog gills, so many potential predators steer clear of the hagfish. Readers also will learn key information about the animal featured in each volume including habitat, diet, life cycle, and more. Numerous photos, including close up views of the self defense mechanism of the animal, are featured throughout the text. Each volume includes a glossary and a link to find additional resources online.

THOUGHTS: An animal that shoots slime at its predators?!? Say no more – this is certainly a topic that is sure to grab the attention of readers (As will the other self-defense mechanisms featured within the series)! A great choice for research or recreational reading, this series merits consideration for elementary libraries looking to expand their animal offerings. 

590s Animals

Elem. – Animals at Risk (Series NF)

Grack, Rachel. Animals at Risk. Bellwether Media, 2023. $18.95 ea. 24 p. Grades K-2. 

Axolotls. 978-8-886-87118-0.
Rhinoceroses. 978-8-886-87119-7.
Snow Leopards.
978-8-886-87120-3.
Tasmanian Devils. 978-8-886-87121-0. 

The Animals at Risk non-fiction series continues to expand with the addition of several new titles. The purpose of the series is to inform early readers about threats facing animals that are at risk of extinction throughout the world. Each title starts with a brief chapter that presents basic information about the species. The following chapter, entitled “In Danger!” explains to readers why the species is facing potential extinction. Ways individuals and/or groups can help save the animal are also presented. This reviewer had the opportunity to view the volume on Axolotls. These amphibians, which only live in a small area in Mexico, are under threat due to loss of habitat. Ways they are currently being helped include the creation of floating gardens to filter harmful pollutants from the water as well as attempts to remove invasive predators from the axolotl habitat. All pages contain high quality, engaging photos, many of which are close up views of the unique looking axolotl. Each volume within the series contains a table of contents, an index, as well as a list of additional resources and suggested websites appropriate for student research.

THOUGHTS: Early readers are sure to find this series engaging and informative. Appropriate for young researchers or animal fans, these titles will be in regular demand. They would also be excellent resources for classroom units on endangered species. A worthwhile purchase for elementary libraries serving primary aged students looking to expand or refresh their animal collections.

599 Animals

Elem. – Animal Fact Files (Series NF)

McHale, Brenda. Animal Fact Files. Bearport, 2023. $19.95 ea. $79.80 set of 4. 24 p. Grades 1-3.

Animals in the Air. 978-8-885-09353-8.
Animals in the Sand. 978-8-885-09354-5.
Animals on Land. 978-8-885-09355-2.
Animals Under Water. 978-8-885-09356-9.

Animal non-fiction titles are a popular choice for many readers, who will likely gobble up the new series Animal Fact Files. Featuring engaging text and numerous photos, this series aims to share interesting and unique facts about various categories of animals. This reviewer had the opportunity to read Animals in the Sand, which featured facts on eight animals (meerkats, honeypot ant, shovel-snouted lizard, etc.) that make the desert their home. A brief introductory passage discusses what types of animals live in sandy habitats, before transitioning to two page spreads on each of the spotlighted spotlighted animals. Each spread features a fact file box to identify the type of animal, range, and diet. The remainder of the spread features 4-5 facts about the animal as well as 2-4 photographs. A closing chapter briefly introduces some additional creatures that reside in the desert. Each volume contains a glossary and index. 

THOUGHTS: Best suited for recreational reading as opposed to research, this series merits consideration for elementary libraries looking for engaging animal titles. Readers will enjoy the mix of animals featured, from the common to the less well-known. Sure to be popular with fans of fact-style books as well as animal fans. 

591 Animals

Elem. – The Only Astronaut

Jain, Mahak. The Only Astronaut. Kids Can Press, 2023. 978-1-525-30736-2. $19.99. Grades PreK-2.

Avni loves that she is the only astronaut in her special space station. With it only being her, she gets to make all the decisions – what missions will she travel on, when will she leave, and what will she take with her. At times though it can be hard being the only one in your own space station, such as when your rocket ship breaks down or there are too many tasks to do. Avni makes an important decision: she needs to find an assistant! Will she be able to find an assistant up for the task?

THOUGHTS: A fun imagination story! Two heads can be better than one, leading to new missions to different places!

Picture Book