S. L. Hamilton

Household Robots is one of the books in the Xtreme Robots series. Readers will learn about how robots have helped humans in the household doing tasks such as chefs that can cook pancakes to soup and mowing the lawn and cleaning the pool. They also discuss robots used the cartoons such as The Jetsons having Rosie the Robot to do household chores. Aeolus Robotics is one company that has created a robot on its way to becoming a robot housekeeper. There are also robots in Sweden that is a vacuum cleaner. It was introduced in 1996. I would recommend this title for anyone wanting a basic introduction to robots and how they were created to help us to perform tasks that we might not get to in a timely manner. It would be great for children who are interested in robots and want to learn more.… (more)

Storm Chasing is an informational book about the people who chase storms for a living. It discusses how they defy safety to provide weather reports. The book also gives information on the types of storms (tornadoes, hurricanes, waterspouts and thunderstorms) and the dangers the chasers may encounter. This book has pages of intense photographs, perfect for any curious person!
As a new Oklahoman, I found this book to be a great resource. It details the types of storms, and has beautiful photographs. It doesn't just focus on Tornado Alley, but discusses Louisiana hurricanes, Indiana storms, and more.
This book would be a great resource during career week. Kids are very interested in extreme activities, and storm chasing would fit the bill. I would follow this up with a video on storm chasing, and invite a meteorologist to talk with my classroom.… (more)

Grades 3-5

This title is heavy on eye appeal for those who are drawn to monster books, but light on content. Divided into sections on "Man-Ape Creatures" (Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yeti), "Sea Monsters" (Leviathan, Kraken), "Living Fossils" (Mylodon, Loch Ness Monster, Mokele-mbembe, Kongamato), each two-page spread gives a cursory overview of the monster being described. Almost as if the authors didn't know quite how to fill the space, a couple of pages are devoted to movies with monster tie-ins. With the abundance of cheesy and sensationalized photos and Xtreme Facts, consider this book the cheesepuff of your folk- and fairytale collection: empty calories, but fun to indulge in occasionally.
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