Book Finder

The small Mars rover was only expected to last for three months, but “she” lasted for 15 years. Opportunity (aka Oppy) communicated successfully helping scientists to learn more about the Red Pplanet. Backmatter and a timeline for the anthropomorphized rover allow the book to be read in different ways, sure to intrigue budding space-goers.

Carnegie Hall opened in 1891 to become the site in New York where everyone from Duke Ellington to Bob Dylan performed. Stern was not only a violin virtuoso, but he was also an effective community organizer who worked tirelessly to save the grand hall in the face of great opposition. His tenacity and music swirl throughout the lively illustrations and carefully crafted language. Additional information is appended. 

His talent was evident even as a child, and Paul’s “patience and perseverance, vision and innovation” allowed him to become an architect and successful businessman despite barriers because he was Black. Backmatter includes photographs of several of the buildings he designed — elegant indeed. 

How did a polar bear wind up fishing in London’s Thames River? Historians tell us that the Norwegian king gave one to England’s Henry III. Illustrations evoke medieval illuminated manuscripts in a touching and informative look at a unique bit of history. Backmatter includes additional sources plus notes from both author and illustrator.

What can a hole in a tree be? It can be a home, a hideout, or simply a place to read. Textured, stylized illustrations and text that can be read on two levels provide a glimpse at the variety of natural life that make tree holes their homes. Additional information about the tree hole dwellers is included.

Seven families, each distinct and different, go about their daily activities — ranging from grocery shopping to going to the doctor. Each scenario is presented in illustrated double-page spreads, with items labeled and briefly defined. The different families come together naturally in various places to create a search-and-find game on top of vocabulary building.

Two beavers do what beavers do best: build. Finely-lined black-and-white illustrations with touches of color chronicle the beavers’ activities, from creating their nest, having offspring, protecting them, and wintering in their home. 

A realistic illustration and the titular question and a couple of hints ask readers to guess what came from the pictured egg. A page turn reveals the animal along with brief information about them. “Eggcellent” facts are included.

Lift an acorn to discover a squirrel peeking out of a hole and more. Small hands will delight in the crinkling noise when soft flaps are lifted to see what forest surprise is hidden beneath. Find more surprises in this companion book about ocean inhabitants, Peekaboo Ocean(opens in a new window).

What do hands do? They greet, touch, hush, heal, and ever so much more. Simple black and while line illustrations use touches of color and single words in a cozy size for the very young, sure to grow with children and inspire myriad discussions.

With a growing global population, we will need more and more space to live, learn and work in. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Can we do it sustainably? Tall buildings may be part of the answer. From the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai Tower, this book asks why and how we build higher and higher, and what that means for the planet.

How do our leaders, from local mayors on up to Presidents and Supreme Court Justices, go about getting their jobs, and just what are their jobs? Learn what every good citizen needs to know about American democracy in action, and how our basic system of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” remains the same.

An A-Z trip through our government’s structure, from its earliest beginnings to definitions of basic components and concepts (including immigration and taxation). From founding fathers, first ladies, and the First Amendment to the presidential oath of office, D is for Democracy details the political processes, parties, and people of democracy, American-style.

Told in the words of a child, this picture book shows how an Indian family prepares for the festival of Diwali. Young and old participate equally in these preparations. Everyone helps clean the house and decorate it with buntings and vibrant, colorful art. Traditional foods and sweets are made, and new clothes are bought. When Diwali begins, families come together to worship, sing hymns, and tell stories of gods. It’s time to visit friends and neighbors. Fireworks brighten the skies, and gifts are exchanged. (School Library Journal)

This board book features photographs of adorable babies and toddlers experiencing the Diwali holiday in wide-eyed wonder, surrounded by the gentle love and affirmation of adults. The text does an excellent job balancing universal experiences with culturally specific ones. The book presents an age-appropriate view of the holiday from morning until night. (School Library Journal)

This practical book provides explicit instructions for teaching sentence-level skills to students who have difficulties in this area. The author explains the key role of sentence combining in the writing process and presents effective techniques for instruction and assessment. Numerous sample lessons, practice activities, planning tips, and grammatical pointers make it easy for teachers to incorporate sentence combining and construction into the writing curriculum at all grade levels (2-12). 

Beautiful, joy-filled, color photographs of children studying, learning, exploring, and having fun invites young readers to see other kids just like them from all over the world. Whether they take a school bus, a boat, or a rickshaw to get there, kids around the globe are going to school and growing smarter and more curious every day.

Journey back in time and around the world to learn about dozens of dinosaurs in this colorfully illustrated atlas for very young children.

As a young student, Mayor wondered: Is the mythical griffin based on ancient people’s interpretations of dinosaur bones? This biography shares her fascinating efforts to prove her theory correct and reveals other connections between science and human myth as well. (School Library Journal)

With engaging text, photographs, and vivid paleoart, this biography introduces Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter and self-taught scientist who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time. Mary Anning grew up on the south coast of England in a region rich in fossils. As teenagers, she and her brother Joseph discovered England’s first complete ichthyosaur. Poor and uneducated, Anning would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists ever, though in her time she supported herself selling by fossils and received little formal recognition. 

Think you know about dinosaurs? Think again! Paleontologist Steve Brusatte brings young scientists and readers everywhere into his world of massive herbivores and fearsome predators, daily unexpected discoveries, and all the new science used to learn about some of the world’s oldest beings.

Showcasing more than 90 remarkable fossils, such as a Tyrannosaurus skull, delicate fern leaf, and perfectly preserved woolly mammoth, each plant or animal featured is shown both photographically and illustrated, and children will love poring over the detailed close-up images. The storybook descriptions let you discover the myths and legends surrounding the organisms, as well as key facts about their natural history. Find out why Pachycephalosaurus had such a thick head, how a coral fossil can be used to work out how long a prehistoric year was, and which fossil was thought to protect people from poison. 

Through infographics, illustrations, facts, and figures, readers will learn about the giants that roamed the earth millions of years ago, but that still captivate their imaginations: Dinosaurs. Discover some of the most fascinating aspects of dinosaurs through astonishing numbers:  the varying sizes and shapes of dinosaurs, timelines of when they roamed the earth, charts comparing the fastest dinos with the speedy animals of today, maps of where these giant reptiles lived across the globe, and so much more. 

Young dinosaur lovers are introduced to an amazing range of prehistoric beasts through facts and detailed illustrations. Discover how the Earth has changed over time, why fossils formed, and the arrival of early humans. A pronunciation guide helps kids with tricky names and encourages early learning and language development. The helpful visual index provides a quick overview of every species in the book.