Review: Frog Trouble by Sandra Boynton

Frog Trouble by Sandra Boynton.

Workman Publishing Company
Publication Date: September 2013
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780761171768

Review: Sing along as you listen to the many songs in Frog Trouble. Sandra Boynton is the songwriter, but professional artists actually sing the songs. Frog Trouble is just one of the many great songs in this book.

Eleven songs comprise the book Frog Trouble. Each song is set to country music and is a long enough length to keep the audience entertained. There is also a little section in his book that has good country names for your pets. Finally this book is divided into three parts lyrics, music, and performers.

Any younger kids could enjoy Frog Trouble. It is a fun book because the readers can read along either in story format or with the actually music. Having the actual music is also fun for the young budding pianist. Also the language and the format of the book will be entertaining with the slang or country words. This would be a great book for the intended age group.

Review written by Sean (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Workman Publishing for providing a copy of Frog Trouble for this review.

Have you read Frog Trouble? How would you rate it?

Review: The Big Book of Dinosaurs by Ticktock

The Big Book of Dinosaurs by Ticktock.

Octopus Publishing Group
Publication Date: July 2013
List Price: $12.99
ISBN-13: 9781848987463

Review: What is the biggest dinosaur egg ever found? Can dinosaurs fly? Do dinosaurs hunt by smell? How long does the excavation of a dinosaur take? The answers to all the questions and more are discovered in the pages of The Big Book Of Dinosaurs by Dougal Dioxn. Learn almost everything about dinosaurs from the Tyrannosaurus Rex to the Micropachycephalosaurus, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex having poison saliva and how the Micropachycephalosaurus got its name.

The Big Book Of Dinosaurs is an incredible non-fiction book. I don't love non-fiction, but this book is the exception. It contained hundreds of interesting facts I didn't know. However, one improvement for The Big Book Of Dinosaurs is pronunciations, as most of the words are very confusing. For example, the Micropachycephalosaurus is almost impossible to pronounce. Besides that, The Big Book Of Dinosaurs is a brilliant book with thousands of amazing facts that anyone would be surprised to hear. This book is a much more interesting and exciting way to learn than a huge boring textbook, which goes on and on with unimportant and dull facts.

Review written by Josh (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Ticktock for providing a copy of The Big Book of Dinosaurs for this review.

Have you read The Big Book of Dinosaurs? How would you rate it?

Review: Fast and Furious: On Land, In the Air, On the Water by Ticktock

Fast and Furious: On Land, In the Air, On the Water by Margaret Parrish.

Octopus Publishing Group
Publication Date: June 2013
List Price: $9.99
ISBN-13: 9781848987333

Review: Vroom Vroom, Whoosh Whoosh, Pshh Pshh is what I hear and see when I read Fast and Furious by Tick Tock Publishers, a descriptive and informative book where readers learn about radical planes, rapid cars or motorcycles, and rocket-fast boats.

The book includes exciting facts about major mods of transportation. In example the F-117A Nighthawk or the bandit, a plane that is made to jam enemy radar signals and for a fact its engine would let it go to a speed of Mach 1! Also from the many cars comes the powerful Bugatti Veyron 16.4, a car that could actually fly if it weren't for clever aerodynamics. It may seem dangerous since it can go faster than 250 mph but thanks to safety technology you are secure. Or maybe you might like boats more like the gigantic Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier which is one the biggest warship ever built and can hold up about a small town and this still doesn't even include pilots or soldiers, also this ship doesn't need to be refueled for 20 years and can be used for 50 years. These are just some of the amazing facts it gives about these vehicles. Fast and Furious won't make you be bored after ten minutes since it's short like any other vehicle book because of its variety that includes these, and other planes, automobiles, or boats.

Fast and Furious is great for early elementary students because of its action-packed vehicles. It's exactly what a little boy would adore. Also all the information which it gives, for example on all the pages it includes all its statistics and facts, it also includes eye-popping pictures, which grasp what it is trying to say, also the book includes many descriptive and helpful words {i.e. example the plane goes faster than the speed of sound or the ship can hold up to a town and more!} that lets you see the picture clearly and understand which helps kids bring their imagination and reading skills to full extent, and it captures attention without the obvious and typical unnecessary violence. On the other hand though the vocabulary is to challenging for the intended reader, for instance Mach 1 or stats, and there weren't more illustrations of soaring planes going into action in an emergency or a rescue boat out at sea which would also add to the excitement. However, overall this is a successfully written book for the young readers.

Review written by Tej (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Ticktock for providing a copy of Fast and Furious: On Land, In the Air, On the Water for this review.

Have you read Fast and Furious: On Land, In the Air, On the Water? How would you rate it?

Review: The One and Only Willa Bean by Cecilia Galante

The One and Only Willa Bean by Cecilia Galante. A Little Wings Book.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: December 2012
List Price: $4.99
ISBN-13: 9780375869501

Review: Picture this, a girl with crazy hair, her best friend Harper, and has a pet owl- all in a realistic fiction book. Does that sound like a book you would want to read? Keep reading to get a better vision of her. The One and Only Willa Bean, the 4th book of the Little Wings series written by Cecilia Galante and illustrated by Kristi Valiant is a book young children would enjoy as they follow the fun events in Willa Bean's life.

One of Willa Bean's favorite phrases to say is, "Nope, nope, nope-ity, nope," she says that instead of just saying no which helps her show her fun character. She is a cupid; all cupids get a flying friend who comes from Earth. Willa Bean has a pet owl named Snooze. Snooze is a pygmy owl that came from France so he speaks some French along with good English. Willa Bean finds out that there is a new girl, Lucy, in her class. She brings her flying friend to school and it turns out that Lucy has a long-eared owl. Willa Bean thinks 'onlies' are the best and she doesn't like it when there is another owl in the classroom. Willa Bean tries to focus on Nobel Nimbus Day but she can't so she just focus on the present and is excited for Nobel Nimbus Day but something happens that changes everything and that is what you will find out if you read the book.

In The One and Only Willa Bean, each chapter ends in the perfect spot to make the readers come back and finish the book. It is also stunning how she made things in the book seem bigger or smaller. For example, Willa Bean's owl is smaller than Raymond's lighting bug when in real life that isn't true. It makes the text better and creates more problems that make Willa Bean's character becomes stronger at over coming obstacles that get in her way. The One and Only Willa Bean is enjoyable for any age, early chapter readers, particularly girls will like this book because the characters are all cupids. Boys you may not be as interested, with the main character girl cupid. Lastly all of the characters are well developed and has a strong plot. Overall this book is very well written and good for younger readers who love realistic fiction.

Review written by Sydney (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of The One and Only Willa Bean for this review.

Have you read The One and Only Willa Bean? How would you rate it?

Review: Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives by Elizabeth Rusch

Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives by Elizabeth Rusch. A Scientists in the Field Book.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: June 2013
List Price: $18.99
ISBN-13: 9780547503509

Review: It begins when a deadly sleeping volcano finally awakes, causing fatalities of over 20,000 victims. Scientists around the globe know something could have been done to warn people. Something has to be done. Elizabeth Rusch provides descriptive wording and text in Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives - an informative book in which two daring scientists develop an organization designed to evacuate a town when eruptions are imminent. Tom Uhlman brings the book to life with his intriguing photos.

Sleeping giants and lofty volcanoes are dotted all over the world, capable of wiping out businesses and entire towns and villages. VDAP, a small group of scientists, work 24/7 to protect lives and people from the colossal volcanoes on islands, continents, and other large bodies of land. They must be decisive. A mistake can mean death. Andy, a curious and brave volcanologist, must work with the other scientists to study volcanoes, and save lives if an eruption happens. To do this, they must be risky. They risk placing seismographs on the volcano. Evacuation holds it's own risk; the stress on the people may be too much. With all the danger and fear, entire cities are in their hands, now, and it will be their responsibility save them before the volcanoes destroy them.

Although this sounds like a fascinating book, some readers may not be enticed by Eruption!. It's disappointing how the author tries to make a story merge with the nonfiction information. It could have been engaging, but it detracts from the nonfiction. For some readers, however, the story might make the book more engaging. Something that is appealing is how Tom Uhlman's pictures bring the book to life. Andy and John are brave for studying the volcanoes, and their work can certainly be respected. The best audience for this book would range from 9 through 15. Overall, Eruption! is good for people who don't expect much action, but this book won't captivate others who want a lot of information about volcanoes or for students needing some research.

Review written by Vincent (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin for providing a copy of Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives for this review.

Have you read Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives? How would you rate it?

Review: Burton's Friendship Garden by V. A. Boeholt and Nathaniel Jensen

Burton's Friendship Garden by V. A. Boeholt and Nathaniel Jensen. A Burton the Scarecrow - Friendship Tales from the Farm Book.

Little Five Star
Publication Date: April 2013
List Price: $11.95
ISBN-13: 9781589852105

Review: Have you ever needed a little help from a friend? If you have, you will be able to relate to Farmer Green in Burton's Friendship Garden, a remarkable book written by V.A. Boeholt and illustrated by Nathaniel P. Jensen. Two scarecrows, a farmer and some animals are the main characters in Burton's Friendship Garden, the second book in the Friendship Tales from the Farm series.

One day Famer Green is getting prepared to plant his crops, but he decides to plant the seeds the following day and tells Burton the scarecrow as they say goodbye to each other .The next day Burton waits all day for Farmer Green, but he never come. The following day Burton sees a crow who says that he saw Farmer Green in bed with both of his legs wrapped in white stuff. Burton knows he must have gotten hurt. The scarecrows and the animals talk together to come up with a plan for helping Farmer Green. Will he ever be able to plant his seeds and be ready for the harvest?

Someone should read Burton's Friendship Garden to young children because it will help them learn to work together. Burton's Friendship Garden is appropriate for both boys and girls who are ready for slightly more advanced reading. The book is a bit long which might allow children to lose focus. It is nice that there is a glossary in the back of the book so younger readers can learn about the more difficult words. The talking animals are adorable, and the valuable lessons about teamwork, keeping your word, and friendship make this a perfect book for younger children.

Review written by Danessa (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Five Star Publishing for providing a copy of Burton's Friendship Garden for this review.

Have you read Burton's Friendship Garden? How would you rate it?

Review: Stronger Than Steel: Spider Silk DNA and the Quest for Better Bulletproof Vest, Sutures, and Parachute Rope by Bridget Heos

Stronger Than Steel: Spider Silk DNA and the Quest for Better Bulletproof Vest, Sutures, and Parachute Rope by Bridget Heos. A Scientists in the Field Book.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: February 2013
List Price: $18.99
ISBN-13: 9780547681269

Review: Have you ever wondered about the value of spider webs and silk? Bridget Heos, the author of Stronger Than Steel, has written a non-fiction book to inform the readers about how silk is made. She also provides information on the various uses of silk webs and what creates them. Stronger Than Steel is part of series called Scientists in the Field.

Stronger Than Steel explains how silk can be found in nature. Dr. Randy Lewis and other scientists at the University of Wyoming try to study the golden orb weaver. A golden orb weaver is a spider that has strong silk. This spider produces silk webs that can be used to make bulletproof vests and parachute ropes. It can also be used to suture the brain, eyeball, spinal cord, and other body parts. The problem with getting silk from these spiders is that finding the webs in the wild is time consuming. It takes a lot of spider webs to get enough spider webs so scientists are injecting spider silk genes into goats. Does that sound crazy? It's hard to believe how many ways they are trying to produce silk. Lastly, experiments are being done with alfalfa to carry the spider silk genes. Will they find strong enough silk to hold a spider man action figure or better yet a human?

Stronger Than Steel taught me about the value of spider webs and how they be used. A girl may not like this book because of all the creepy crawlies that they talk about in the book. Although this would be a perfect book for boys that like spiders, silk worm and even goats Stronger Than Steel could be enjoyable for little kids because there are a lot of pictures that will entice younger children. This book is perfect for research papers, book reports, and simply for amusement because it has all that informational text about getting silk along with a story about how the scientist families help out in the research labs. If you are a lover of fictional stories, this book may not be for you, but it's certainly worth giving it a try. You might even find you like nonfiction better than you thought. Stronger Than Steel is a fantastic book; it has creepy crawlies and provides information in a great format. I recommend Stronger Than Steel to strong readers 11 and up.

Review written by Matthew (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Stronger Than Steel: Spider Silk DNA and the Quest for Better Bulletproof Vest, Sutures, and Parachute Rope for this review.

Have you read Stronger Than Steel: Spider Silk DNA and the Quest for Better Bulletproof Vest, Sutures, and Parachute Rope? How would you rate it?