Judy Hawes

Genre: Nonfiction
Reading Level: grades1-3
Summary:
A young girl who loves fireflies goes out to grandfather’s house to watch them. Her grandfather tells her a lot of things about fireflies. He tells her that they are beetles, who live under the ground for most of their lives. He even tells her stories about how people from around the world use lightning bugs. The Grandfather tells her that they flash in specific sequences to try to attract mates. She plans on going out the next night, with show more a flashlight, to try and attract some.

Commentary:
The book is told from the view point of a little girl, so the students could identify with it easily. It still contains a lot of helpful information so that the students can learn much more about the fireflies. It’s a fun read but educational at the same time. show less

The information that I learned from this children's book about toads makes me want to have one as a pet! I really recommend this series as a quick & happy way to learn about the creatures around us. Cute & full of facts--I wish I read more of these as a kid!

WHY FROGS ARE WET is an informational picture book that tells kids all about frogs. Anything a kid might have ever wondered about a frog is discussed in this book. What frogs eat, how they grow, and why their skin is wet are all answered throughout this book. However, the organization is a little hard to follow. There is no real logical flow to the information, but kids will love looking at the different life-like illustrations. The author acknowledged different animal specialists she used show more to write the information in this story. She also included places where students can find additional information on frogs. This book would be great to use in the classroom if the class was raising tadpoles! show less

I wasn't crazy about this book, because although at the end it tells children to release the fireflies, the entire time they are being treated cruelly. The illustrations are bland and dated. It is more of a scientific book than a bedtime story. It would go along decently with a science lesson.