Book Room

Volcano Rising

VOLCANO RISING by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Susan Swan (Charlesbridge, 2013). Most people think volcanoes lay dormant or destroy villages with their fiery eruptions, but in this engaging story, Rusch shows readers another powerful side to volcanoes. In a simple layer of text, she reveals how volcanoes create majestic mountains and form new land masses… Read more »

Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design

Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd (Workman Publishing, 2013) According to Chip Kidd, graphic design is “Purposeful planning that uses any combination of forms, pictures, words, and meanings to achieve one’s goal.” In other words, design is problem solving. It’s art, yes. But it’s also math (think size and balance,  patterns and… Read more »

A STRANGE PLACE TO CALL HOME

A  STRANGE PLACE TO CALL HOME: The World’s Most Dangerous Habitats & the Animals That Call Them Home by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Ed Young (Chronicle Books, 2012) Mystery, poetry, bold daring art, and scientific information about strange and weird creatures – what a wonderful mix of science and art! Try this one – what creature is this?  Thousands of these tiny living things are hatched in… Read more »

Librarian’s Corner: Awesome Science Picks

Books about science don’t have to read like dusty encyclopedias. These books reveal intriguing facts about our universe with lyrical language and beautiful art. For the youngest readers: All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson (Atheneum, 2011)  Science, poetry, and art swirl together in this gorgeous picture book. All… Read more »

Librarian’s Corner: Outrageous Numbers

No dry worksheets here – these books about math will have readers thinking about numbers in an entirely new way. For the youngest readers: 1 + 1 = 5 and Other Unlikely Additions written by David LaRochelle and illustrated by Brenda Sexton (Sterling, 2010)  1 + 1 = 5 when 1 set of twins +… Read more »

For kids and teachers who love math – “The Boy Who Loved Math”

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Roaring Brook Press, 2013) As a young boy, he hated school and rules, couldn’t sit still, and turned everything in the world around him into a math game. Known as the Magician from Budapest by the age… Read more »

Stephanie Greene: Author Interview Part 2

Today is Part 2 of the ReaderKidZ interview (Find Part 1 HERE) with our own Stephanie Greene on the release of her latest in the Sophie Hartley series: Sophie Hartley and the Facts of Life. Greene manages to keep each of the books in all of her series fresh, funny and full of heart. In this story, Sophie’s… Read more »