Barry Gott

Jake was all ready for summer...but when Mom and Dad throw a MOON wrench in his plans, things may be headed in an upward direction, but his mood is anything but. With the prospect of no video games, no friends, and no oxygen on the horizon, what's a boy to do? Upon landing on the moon, things aren't looking any better as mishap after mishap befalls our leading lad. Nothing could possibly make up for such a rotten trip...or can it? Sometimes bad times or unfortunate circumstances can take on show more a whole new spin and are a far lesser concern when a friend is there to share the load...and when Jake sees himself in one of the newly arrived campers, things finally start to look up.

It's a great reminder that things are never quite as bad as they seem and that approaching them from a new angle can make all the difference. The perspective Jake got when he made his new little friend was all he needed to turn his frown upside down and view the obstacles in his way as challenges to be conquered. Don't forget to explore the images along the way to discover the far out ways the simplest things in life can change when zero-gravity and a lack of oxygen are in the mix!


**ecopy received for review; opinions are my own show less

This is a story told in pictures and sounds. Five mice are off on a road race. With mud, water and a hungry cat all in the way, will any of them make it to the finish line. With the help of a friendly and loud goose, the friends all make it to the finish line, but the goose gets the prize. A cute book with great illustrations. This could be used as a mentor text where students tell the story using sentences, or to get a discussion going about behaviour and teamwork with older kids. My show more grandson just liked making the noises and talking about the pictures. Vocabulary building and just plain fun are all part of this story. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. show less

This is a great story that can be read many times through the school year to focus on different learning strategies. The author used the vocabulary in this book very intentional. The author purposely used certain world to help build vocabulary for young readers. This book also contains many elements of fantasy students can find interest in. For example, someones voice cannot be so loud that it breaks free hogs and cattle. Also, some of the animals in the story talk and tell him to hush. I show more think this book would engage all readers because of the use of word choice and the lively illustrations. show less

Bright, colorful, action packed illustrations and rhyming text show different types of dinosaurs participating in different styles of wrestling.