Debbie S. Miller

Miller writes so poetically in this nonfiction book about the Simpson Desert National Park and Regional Reserve and the animals who somehow live there. Survival at 120 Above introduced me to animals I never even knew existed. Not only can readers learn about these animals, but the climate in which they live, the desert, seems unrelenting and impossible to adapt to. The author makes this information so enjoyable through writing like “Filling her throat pouch with air, a female emu makes a show more drumming sound as she strides across the open woodland. She smells water.” This beautiful wording created vivid images in my mind to accompany the acrylic paintings in the book. The paintings are realistic and well-done, however, they don’t posses any liveliness. They seem forced, still and lackluster. But the writing, for me, more than makes up for it.
The book includes maps and a temperature chart to help us capture the full extent of the animals’ discomfort. There is also an author’s note, a glossary and a bibliography.
Notes on pronunciation are available throughout and help guide readers through the text. show less

I absolutely loved looking through Big Alaska: Journey Across America's Most Amazing State. As someone who has lived there, my heart stopped as I took in the pictures and words of the wetlands I once stood within. Knowing the vast immensity of just that one region, it was an absolute joy to explore the other pages, seeing parts of Alaska where there are actually trees! Something I missed living on the tundra where even bushes were scarce. The paintings are beautiful and the information just show more enough to give a brief sense of what Alaska truly encompasses, though it is a very small taste. Such a large state with so many different areas, cultures, and ethnicities, even a full blown encyclopedia could not give but a small taste of what it means to live there. However, all that said and done, Big Alaska is a wonderful book I would use in any level of class to try and explain to my students where I lived and what it was like up there. show less

I really, really like bears. So I knew I was probably going to like this book, irregardless of any flaws. Because, really, BEARS. Awesome.

The book explains the habits, habitats, and general life cycles of grizzlies in Alaska, including some of the coastal bears. Each page features full-color, gorgeous photographs, matching the text. The text is in fairly large chunks with different words highlighted. Sections include "Leaving the Den," accompanied by photographs of bear cubs, cubs nursing, show more and cubs following their mother across the fields below a mountain. "Got One!" talks about brown bears' swimming abilities and shows several bears enjoying the water and the fishing. At the back of the book, there's a map showing the ranges of grizzly and brown bears and a brief mention of polar bears and black bears (with photographs). the last page and endpaper of the book lists the credits and a page of discussion questions, as well as a link to a teacher's guide.

I had expected the highlighted words to show up in a glossary, but I assume they're in the teacher's guide. There is quite a lot of text, but that's offset by the amazing photographs. The text is also set in a large, bold font and the layout is really well done. It's not often you see photographs and text so nicely combined.

The hardcover edition of the book is currently out of stock - probably due to increased demand because of the DisneyNature movie - but the paperback is currently available. This is a small press and while it can't compete with, say, Scientists in the Field, it's a really nice introduction to bears with amazing photographs and accessible text.

Verdict: Bears. I mean, BEARS. I have to have it. You need it too - think of all the kids who want to see awesome pictures of bears. How can you deny them this pleasure?

ISBN: 9781570619328; Published 2014 by Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch Books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to the library's order list show less

“Are Trees Alive?” is a beautiful book with information weaved into an entertaining story that allows the reader to travel the world. I love this book because the illustrations are simply gorgeous. The illustrator, Stacey Schuett, fills each page completely with a scene of trees and a unique land. I also appreciated how each page featured a different country. Trees were seen growing in China, Africa, South America, and more. This line helps establish what the central message, aside from show more learning about trees, is: “Bark is dark or light, rough or smooth, thick or thin, just like people’s skin.” This captures the message that the author is trying to send by purposely including characters from different countries. All trees, like all people, look different on the outside, but we are all similar to each other. A third feature I really enjoyed was that in the back, there was an index of different types of trees. The country of origin is included as well as several interesting facts about the type of tree. The accompanying pictures also make this a fun feature. show less