Compare/Contrast – Unleashing Readers

The Ultimate Book of Mythical Creatures by Aurore Meyer, Illustrated by Gabrielle Berger

October 21, 2026 by Kellee

The Ultimate Book of Mythical Creatures
Author: Aurore Meyer
Illustrator: Gabrielle Berger
Published September 15th, 2026 by Twirl Books

Summary: Discover the world of monsters, dragons, giants, and mermaids!

With more than 50 flaps, tabs, pop-ups, and rotating wheels, creatures from mythology and folklore come to life in this oversized, interactive book. Young readers will learn about creatures such as the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, Pegasus, mermaids, the phoenix, and many more!

Perfect for curious minds aged 5 and up, this book offers a hands-on introduction to mythical and legendary creatures from around the world.

•Supersized spreads with rich, detailed illustrations
•Over 50 interactive features to keep kids engaged
•Diverse content draws from mythology and folklore from around the world
•Perfect introduction for young children to mythology and folklore
•Captivating family read-aloud

About the Creators:

Aurore Meyer is a writer of games, documentaries, and workbooks for children and adults. She works near Bordeaux, France.

Gabrielle Berger launched her illustration career in 2018. She lives in Paris, France.

Review & Educators’ Tools for Navigation: This is such a fun book! It is exactly what it titled: An ultimate introduction to mythical creatures from all over the world, and the interactiveness definitely adds to the engagement. I loved that it is inclusive of the whole world yet does a good job of giving an introduction to so many but in a way that doesn’t feel like an encyclopedia.

Trent read the book, too, and he said the book was really cool! He said the pop-ups were really creative, and you can tell that the creators spent a lot of time researching and creating it. Also, he says that he liked that there was a mix of cultures represented in the mythologies.

There are so many ways this book could be used, but it will assist in any mythology lesson in any classroom, is a great addition to a mythology book collection in a library, AND it is a great book to have at home, too!

Discussion Questions:

What different countries and cultures did you find mythical creatures highlighted from?
There are many mythical creatures introduced in the book. Which introduction makes you want to learn more?
How do the interactive elements of the book add to the storytelling of the book?
How do the author choose to organize the book? What are some other ways the book could have been organized?
Which of these creatures have you heard of before? Where have you heard of them?
- Extension: An allusion is a brief, indirect reference and there are often allusions to mythology. Have you ever watched or read something with an allusion to a creature in this book?
Why do you think the author created this book?
There are mythical creatures introduced that are from different countries/cultures that are a bit similar. How do these creatures compare and contrast with each other?

Flagged Spreads:

Click HERE to view a video to see the pop-ups

Read This If You Love: Mythology, Pop-up Books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Blue Slip Media & Twirl Books for providing a copy for review!!**

Instagram: @chroniclekidsbooks | @blue_slip_media
Facebook: @chroniclekidsbooks | Blue Slip Media

Brontosaurus Is Back! A Dinosaur’s Name and Return to Fame by Sarah Albee, Illustrated by Chris Hsu

October 14, 2026October 14, 2026 by Kellee

Brontosaurus Is Back! A Dinosaur’s Name and Return to Fame
Author: Sarah Albee
Illustrator: Chris Hsu
Published September 29th, 2026 by Charlesbridge

Summary: A hilarious and fascinating look at Brontosaurus’s comeback—perfect for dino fans and curious kids learning how science evolves over time.

A fun, fact-filled nonfiction picture book for ages 6 to 9 about a dinosaur’s disappearing act and return.

This is fun, lively, kid-appeal-filled nonfiction and tells the story of brontosaurus—discovered, discontinued, and then reinstated again.

Dino fans, come and get it! There’s so much to learn in this interesting book about naming, sloppy science, dueling paleontologists, and more! Sarah Albee’s signature humor and strong writing, coupled with Chris Hsu’s kid-friendly and accurate art, bring history to life on the page.

Praise: A classic case study in how the course of scientific advancement can run anything but smooth.

In the late 19th century, renowned paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh announced the discovery of scattered bones belonging to a sauropod he dubbed “Apatosaurus,” or “deceptive lizard.” At nearly the same time rival bone hunter Edward D. Cope proclaimed a similar find to be fossils of “Brontosaurus,” meaning “thunder lizard.” A later researcher’s determination that both actually belonged to the same genus touched off a century-long controversy, since, as Albee writes, scientific practice gives naming rights to the first finder. So even though “Brontosaurus was catchier,” and went on to become the common name with a “dino-dazzled” public, it fell out of official use. Until 2015, that is, when further discoveries led many researchers to change their minds and announce that the two actually were different dinosaurs. While laying out the bones of the kerfuffle with a fine sense of drama, the author also fleshes out her story with revealing observations about the evolution of our whole understanding of sauropod anatomy. Along the way she gives proper credit to Marsh’s original Sioux informants, as does Hsu in a period scene placed amid views of dinos, fossil bones, and skeletons, and racially diverse groups of modern museum visitors. A cheery glimpse of science in action, warts and all. —Kirkus Reviews

About the Creators:

Sarah Albee is the New York Times bestselling author of nonfiction books for kids. Her most recent titles are both nonfiction picture books: The Painter and the President: Gilbert Stuart’s Brush with George Washington, and Zero! The Number that Almost Wasn’t. Other popular titles include Troublemakers in Trousers: Women and What They Wore to Get Things Done; Fairy Tale Science; Accidental Archaeologists: True Stories of Unexpected Discoveries; and Poop Happened: A History of the World from the Bottom Up; and Alexander Hamilton: A Plan for America. She and her husband live in New York City and have three grown children. Visit her at www.sarahalbeebooks.com.

Sarah Albee: IG @sarahjalbee FB @sarah.albee

Chris Hsu is a picture book illustrator and animation background artist whose credits include FX’s Archer and Marvel’s Hit-Monkey. His illustration work is influenced by world history, art history and music, and current favorite non-art activity is watching his daughters and nieces play soccer on Saturdays.

Chris Hsu: IG @chrisillustration

Review: Happy National Fossil Day! Brontosaurus is Back is the perfect book to highlight today!

This text does so much: it shows the truth of how science is always evolving, how egos get in the way of scientific endeavors, how early paleontology worked, and how fossils help paleontologists. Sarah Albee is so good at balancing all the different goals of a nonfiction book while also making it interesting and engaging because Brontosaurus does all of this in an entertaining and informative way. I, personally, liked the funny bird sidekick to the narrator because it continued to remind the reader that dinosaurs are related to birds. I also think that the inclusion of the sidebars helped with bringing any needed extra facts back to the narrative to help keep the reader thinking outside of the narrative being told.

Also, oh man, I love the highlighting of two eager scientists trying to outdo each other and making mistakes–what a wonderful message for students! It is so important to do things slowly and correctly, not quickly and with mistakes.

The only thing I wish was that there was more explanation of the WHY brontosaurus came back–it just explains that there was a study in 2015 that said apatosaurus and brontosaurus are different but not exactly why; however, this is a perfect education opportunity!

Educators’ Tools for Navigation: The first thing I would have students do when finishing the book is look more into apatosauruses and brontosauruses and make a comparison and contrast on them.

This could also be a jumping off point for a debate because, as the book shares, “not all paleontologists agree,” so students can look at the evidence and decide what they agree with.

Discussion Questions:

Today is National Fossil Day! What did you learn about fossils in this book?
How did ego play into scientists not being correct on their fossil analysis when it came to the sauropods?
How is paleontology a bit of a sciene of guessing on top of a science of fossils?
Do you agree with the policy of using the first name assigned to a species being used if two species are being determined to be the same? Why or why not?
Why do you think that most did not care that some scientists said brontosaurus weren’t their own species?
Why were scientists wrong for over a hundred years on the shape of that apatosaurus’s head?
On the page with “A Closer Look,” what differences do you see between the two dinosaurs?
What are some ways that you see or learned that dinosaurs and modern birds are alike?

Flagged Spreads:

Read This If You Love: Dinosaurs, Science, Nonfiction Picture Books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Charlesbridge & Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!**

Instagram: @charlesbridgepublishing | @blue_slip_media
Facebook: Charlesbridge Publishing | Blue Slip Media

Educators’ Guide for Sneaks by Amy Tern

September 9, 2026 by Kellee

Sneaks
Author: Amy Tern
Published: July 7th, 2026 by Holiday House

Summary: A missing child and an apartment that should be empty spur two tweens to solve an increasingly tangled neighborhood mystery in this page-turning middle grade debut.

This hijinks-heavy mystery written in dual POV reads like Only Murders in the Building for tweens. Perfect for wannabe sleuths and nosy neighbors!

Valory has developed an unfortunate reputation as a thief—primarily because she steals things—though she has resolved to change her ways.

Rook is a total asparagus-eater (a.k.a. a good kid), but he likes to spy on his neighbors. Nobody’s perfect, right?

The twelve-year-olds form an unlikely alliance when they encounter suspicious behavior in an “empty” apartment across the alley from Rook’s house. While agoraphobia keeps home-schooled Rook trapped on his property, confident and street-smart Valory can roam the scene undetected. Their opposite personalities might, in fact, be key to their success.

But their amateur detective mission morphs into something more sinister when they realize the apartment next door could be connected to a recent kidnapping. When the sleuths realize they’re also being watched, the pressure is on to unmask the villain… before she snatches them, too.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions:

Please view and enjoy the educators’ guide I created for the author:

You can also access the educators’ guide here.

You can learn more about Sneaks on the author’s book page.

Recommended For:

Educators’ Guide for The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter by Barbara Carroll Roberts

August 12, 2026 by Kellee

The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter
Author: Barbara Carroll Roberts
Published: July 22nd, 2025 by Margaret Ferguson Books

Summary: Bunny Baxter thinks nothing could be worse than starting seventh grade at a school where she knows no one. But after her first day, she realizes things can actually get much worse.

If Bunny Baxter were an insect, she’d have so many ways to slip through seventh grade unnoticed. But she’s tall instead of tiny, has flaming red Medusa hair instead of camouflage, and she suffers from social anxiety, which makes it hard to be part of a swarm. Worst of all, she’s been redistricted to a new middle school away from her best friend who she could always hide behind when her anxiety got the best of her.

The first day at E.D. Britt Middle School does not go well. Bunny trips on the steps, falls into the cutest boy in the school, and causes a kid domino pile-up. At lunch, she unintentionally causes an uproar in the cafeteria, which lands her and another girl in the principal’s office. Bunny decides there is only one option: to get expelled so she can transfer to the school her best friend attends.

She soon discovers that it isn’t that hard to get in trouble—don’t turn in your homework, walk around the track instead of run in P.E., pretend you deliberately hit someone with a badminton birdie. What isn’t so easy for Bunny is realizing she now has a reputation as a troublemaker. And even more confusing, when it looks like her plan to get expelled might work, she’s no longer sure what to do.

The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter is a heartfelt coming of age story about an insect-loving girl who is learning to grow into herself—quirks and all.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions:

Please view and enjoy the educators’ guide I created for the author:

You can also access the educators’ guide here.

You can learn more about The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter on its page on Barbara Carroll Roberts’s website.

Recommended For:

Fighting For Justice: Alice Piper Speaks Up by Sage Andrew Romero and Loralee Sepsey, Illustrated by Morgan Thompson

June 17, 2026June 17, 2026 by Kellee

Alice Piper Speaks Up
(Fighting for Justice #3)
Authors: Sage Andrew Romero and Loralee Sepsey
Illustrator: Morgan Thompson
Published June 2nd, 2026 by Heyday Books
Instagram: @heydaybooks | Facebook: Heyday Books

Summary: Volume 3 in the acclaimed Fighting for Justice Series for young readers: the story of a Native teenager’s history-making fight for equal education.

Alice Piper just wanted to go to public school. The year was 1923, and Alice, a Native Paiute (Nuwuvi) teenager in California, dreamed about learning from teachers, making new friends, and being respected for who she was. So when the school board refused to let her and six other Native students attend, she decided to speak up, and she sued for her right to an equal education. Alice Piper Speaks Up, the first book dedicated to this major champion of civil rights, features new research into Alice’s life and court case. Each chapter begins with lyrical verse and full-color illustrations that invite readers into Alice’s story. Paired with the poems are visually engaging sections filled with keyword definitions, historical context, timelines, primary sources, and questions that help readers relate Alice’s experience to their own lives. The text connects Alice’s case to larger themes about education, Native rights, and movements for school desegregation across the United States. The third book in Heyday’s widely acclaimed Fighting for Justice series, Alice Piper Speaks Up shows how one teen’s action resonates throughout America’s history, even now.

About the Creators:

Sage Andrew Romero is from the Tovowahamatu Numu (Big Pine Paiute) and Tuah-Tahi (Taos Pueblo) tribes. The founder and director of the AkaMya Culture Group, a nonprofit dedicated to cultural revitalization, he lives in Big Pine, California. For more info, see nama.media/sage-andrew-romero.

Loralee Sepsey is a writer and a member of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley. Based in Santa Ana, California, she lives with her husband and their two cats. To learn more, visit her website: loraleesepsey.com.

Morgan Thompson is a Cherokee (Cherokee Nation) artist with a love for Indigenous stories. When she’s not working, she enjoys a bit of stomp dancing or some beading on the side. Visit skadoodlin.com.

Instagram Sage Andrew Romero: @digitalndn | Morgan Thompson: @skadoodlin
FacebookSage Andrew Romero: Sage Andrew Romero

Review and Educators’ Tools for Navigation: Integration of education is taught in history classes but primarily focuses on Brown v. Board of Education and it isn’t often shared that there were fights all over the country from different marginalized communities to have the right to an equal education. This book focuses on a fight 30 years before Brown v. Board of Education, when Alice Piper, a 15 year-old Paiute student, along with six other children, sued the Big Pine School District stating that they had the right to attend Big Pin School based on the 14th amendment, AND THEY WON!

This book is MADE for teaching. The creators and publisher of this book know what they are doing. Through the authors’ beautiful free verse intertwined with emotions and onomatopoeia, we experience Alice’s story along with her. Then intertwined between chapters, the nonfiction spreads tie it all together with more history and information. By combining a biography-in-verse with nonfiction information that has vocabulary, timelines, discussion questions, and photographs makes it so the book is so easily cross-curricular as well as supportive of so many language arts standards, both literary and informational.

(And I am so curious about the other two books in the series! Because if they are formatted in similar ways, this series would be perfect for literature circles where each group read a different Fighting for Justice book then shares what they learned about their activist with their classmates.)

And I love that the book ends with “Speaking Up for What’s Right: From Alice’s Day to Ours” to truly connect it all together. Really adds that extra bit to the book.

Oh, and did you know that Alice Piper Day is June 2 in California; this information is featured in the book also and is definitely a person deserving of her own day!

Discussion Questions: There are many discussion questions found scattered throughout the book, including:

What does it mean to be respected for who you are, and to respect other for who they are?
When was a timea family member or elder taught you an important skill?
How would you feel if your government decided to change your family’s name?
Some traditional Paiute names are non-lexical. Can you think of some non-lexical names commonly used today?

Flagged Passages & Spreads:

Chaptier 1: Preparing Tüba

Alice is sweaty,
sticky, and ready
to grind.

It’s almost fall in Payahuunadü
and the summer heat still lingers.
Alice, a few months into thirteen,
is helping her family prepare
the season’s first batch of pine nuts–
tüba–
into today’s meal.

Alice’s mother, Annie, places
winnowing baskets on the ground.
Alice’s sisters, Ola and Mamie,
toss handfuls of tüba inside.
The hard shells make a clickety-clack
against the willow reeds.

Chapter 4: A Day at the Day School

“Wake up, Alice,
it’s time for school.”

Alice rubs the sleep out of her eyes
and blinks at her mother.
It’s cold and so dark
that she can still see the stars
in the morning sky.

Alice has a long journey
from Soha-witü–
Fish Lake Valley–
to the Indian day school in Tovowahamatu,
almost forty miles away.

Early mornings are normal for Alice,
and if she wants to learn
as much as she can,
the day must start early.

Read This If You Love: History, Activism

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Blue Slip Media (@blue_slip_media | @blue-slip-media) for providing a copy for review!**

Educators’ Guide for Dream by Barbara O’Connor

February 11, 2026 by Kellee

Dream
Author: Barbara O’Connor
Published: August 26, 2025 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Summary: Dream follows a small town girl with big aspirations of becoming a songwriter. Turns out anything is possible with your best friends and an adorable pup by your side!

The sky is the limit.

Idalee Lovett is content with her life in small-town Colby, North Carolina, living in her family’s huge house with rooms for rent. But she has big dreams, just like her mama. While Mama is on tour for the summer with her cover band, Lovey Lovett and the Junkyard Dogs, Idalee decides to hone her craft as a songwriter—since her truest wish is to hear her country songs on the radio one day.

When the local radio station announces a songwriting contest with the winning song being recorded by an up-and-coming singer, Idalee is determined to win. It would definitely be possible if only she could buy the shiny blue guitar in Asheville’s music shop. Idalee doesn’t have much money, but she knows exactly how to get it—the long-lost treasure her late granddaddy hid somewhere in their house. With the help of her friends Odell, Howard, Charlie, and an adorable little dog named Wishbone, Idalee is going to search in every nook and cranny until she finds it. But little does she know, the biggest treasure of all is only discovered when you believe in yourself with your whole heart.

In this standalone companion to the #1 New York Times bestseller Wish, nothing is impossible as Idalee learns the power of chasing your dreams one guitar strum at a time.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions:

Please view and enjoy the educators’ guide I created for Dream:

You can also access the educators’ guide here.

You can learn more about Dream on its MacKids page.

Recommended For:

Educators’ Guide for A Universe of Wishes Edited by Dhonielle Clayton

October 29, 2025 by Kellee

A Universe of Wishes
Editor: Dhonielle Clayton
Authors: Tara Sim, Natalie C. Parker, Libba Bray, Anna-Marie Mclemore, Kwame Mbalia, V.E. Schwab, Rebecca Roadhouse, Nic Stone, Jenni Balch, Dhonielle Clayton, Mark Oshiro, Samira Ahmed, Tessa Gratton, Zoraida Cordova, Tochi Onyebuchi
Published: December 8th, 2020 by Random House Children’s Books

Summary: From We Need Diverse Books, the organization behind Flying Lessons & Other Stories, comes a young adult fantasy short story collection featuring some of the best children’s authors, including New York Times bestselling authors Libba Bray (The Diviners), V. E. Schwab (A Darker Shade of Magic), Natalie C. Parker (Seafire), and many more. Edited by Dhonielle Clayton (The Belles).

In the fourth collaboration with We Need Diverse Books, fifteen award-winning and celebrated diverse authors deliver stories about a princess without need of a prince, a monster long misunderstood, memories that vanish with a spell, and voices that refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. This powerful and inclusive collection contains a universe of wishes for a braver and more beautiful world.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions:

Please view and enjoy the educators’ guide I created for We Need Diverse Books for A Universe of Wishes:

You can also access the educators’ guide here.

You can learn more about A Universe of Wishes on We Need Diverse Book’s page.

Recommended For: