Melissa Higgins

Smithsonian Little Explorer is a Pebble book, one of Capstone's imprints. I don't like the "regular" Pebble books, because I just feel that there's so much white space I'm wasting money on the expensive library bound editions. I mean, I know it's not like you pay for it by word but somehow it just seems odd to me.

Anyways, this series has a lot more text. If you're going to get buggy, beetles are the way to go. Then again, dragonflies are really cool too... generally I'm fine with bugs as show more long as they're not cockroaches or have too many legs, like house centipedes. Anyways. The book starts with a basic description of beetles and then devotes a page to each of several types of beetles; weevils, bombardier beetles, water beetles, skin beetles, etc. Each page is paired with a photograph of a beetle and some additional facts. There is a brief glossary, link to Capstone's website, a few titles for further reading, and an index. This is a 4D book, so readers who have downloaded the app scan purple stars for additional information. There are 3 stars that I saw.

One the one hand, this book is at a good level for readers who are transitioning from easy readers to chapter books. It's right between a 2nd and 3rd grade reading level, 540 for those of you who use lexiles, and has short sentences that will help readers make it through some of the more difficult vocabulary. On the other hand, I was disappointed that none of the beetles were identified. Presumably, the ones on the pages of specific beetles, ladybugs, etc., are from that group but there's no way to tell exactly what beetle you're looking at. I don't normally spend money for library bound books in the easy reader section, but I think this would more properly be shelved in the juvenile nonfiction.

Verdict: If you normally purchase library bound nonfiction for your easy readers and have higher level titles there, this is a reasonable addition. However, the lack of captions for the specific beetles makes this a secondary choice for me, since I'd be putting it in juvenile nonfiction where I place more weight on accuracy.

ISBN: 9781977103420; Published January 2019 by Pebble Plus/Capstone; Review copy provided by publisher show less

THE NIGHT MY DAD WENT TO JAIL: WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE GOES TO JAIL is a book about a little boy whose father gets arrested in the middle of the night. It tells how he watches him get handcuffed and his experience with the cops as well as a social worker who waits with him and his siblings until their mom gets their to pick them up. The next day at school he is teased and gets really upset and pushes someones stuff overm then gets sent to the office. He was given ideas on how to show more better handle his emotions as well as being put into a support group to help deal with what he was going theough. Over all this book shows what can happen as well as guves ways of dealing with the issues in a more constructive way, The pictures were very simmple and colorful which allowed the chilsren to think more about the words meaning, I would use this book in the fclassroom to show how many bigg changes can lead to some strong emotions but there is better ways to deal with them. show less

Literary Merit: Good
Reading Level: Middle School
Recommended: Recommended

Higgins and Regan present a bare-bones, lucid explanation of net neutrality in this brief volume. The multitude of sidebars may interrupt the page and make the book more graphically attractive, but can also be distracting. The authors highlight important events in the history of net neutrality, especially when addressing the issue of ownership – who does the internet actually belong to? The authors’ investigation show more does seem slanted towards pro-net-neutrality, but pro-regulation arguments are also touched on. As the book reminds the reader, this is a constantly changing topic, so this book may find itself outdated in a few years – or months. show less

I enjoyed this book and couldn't believe how much I learned. My grandson, was actually a bit scared of the book as he does not like bees. He was quite interested in learning that there are bees that do not sting. Many books about bees focus on honey bees, but this book showcases 12 different types of bees from around the world. Each two page spread provides information such as habitats, colonies, what they eat. to they sting, size and general global distribution. Most types of bees are show more illustrated with color images and close-ups. There is some general information about bees as well. Readers will learn many new scientific vocabulary terms in this book, which are defined well in the glossary at the back of the book. If you are looking for a book to introduce the types of bees to children, this is an excellent book to use. This is another non-fiction book that would appeal to younger readers, especially those who do not want to read fiction (i.e. boys in particular because they love bugs). A great addition to any library or primary/junior classroom. There is an app that connects to this book that will enhance what is included, but as this was an ebook, I was not able to use this function. The publisher, Capstone, generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own. show less