Informational Nonfiction – Page 20

Animal Planet’s Animal Bites: Farm Animals and Wild Animals

October 15, 2016October 5, 2016 by Ricki

Nonfiction Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Farm Animals

Wild Animals

Animal Planet
Published June 21, 2016 by Animal Planet

Farm Animals Summary: With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, llamas, and many others, Animal Planet Farm Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite farm animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of life in on the farm and at the petting zoo.

Wild Animals Summary: With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of lions, giraffes, ibexes, flamingos, hippopotamuses, and many others, Animal Planet Wild Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite wild animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of life in the African savannah and Amazon rain forest.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Animal Planet’s R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.) project which partners with leading animal organization to make the world a better place for domestic and wild animals.

Kellee’s Review: I am so glad that Animal Planet is publishing this series that focuses on a different group of animals in each one. As a mom to a son that truly adores all types of animals, I am so glad that there are the variety of quality nonfiction animal texts out there for readers to access.

Ricki’s Review: My son can’t get enough of these books. We have read all of the Animal Bites series books thus far, and he constantly brings them to me to read. I like them, too, because I can learn so much from each of the pages. The photography is beautiful and they are very nicely formatted. While my toddler is probably the age demographic that these are marketed to, I think it shows that these books will be appreciated by kids (and adults!) of all ages.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: There are a wide variety of tools in these books that make it very easy for teachers to use them. They have colorful tabs, activities, resources, etc. I’d love to take each of the books in these series and create literature circles. It would be neat for each literature circle to pick out five interesting things they learned to share with the other groups. I imagine this would create interest and make the students more interested in reading the other books in the series.

Discussion Questions: What are some of your favorite facts from the books?; How do these books help you discover nature and animals more? How are the books formatted in ways that appeal to you visually? Which animal is your favorite, and why?

We Flagged: Some of the activities in these books sound like great fun:

In the farm activities section, for example, you can “race to the barn” with three other friends. Each of you will imitate an animal’s behavior from the text. You will see which animal probably moves the fastest. Also in this section, there is a craft section on how to make a flock of sheep!

Check out any of the Animal Bites books to find more activities to do in conjunction to the texts and information.

Animal Planet has also created FUN FACT cards for each of their Animal Bites books that can be accessed fore free HERE.

Read This If You Loved: Animal Planet’s Animal Bites: Ocean Animals and Polar Animals, National Geographic nonfiction animal texts, Seymour Simon animal texts, Extreme Ocean Records by Seymour Simon

Recommended For:

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Author Guest Post!: “Robots are Awesome!” by Brian Castleforte, Author of Papertoy Glowbots: 46 Glowing Robots You Can Make Yourself!

October 2, 2016 by Kellee

“Robots are awesome!”

Robots are awesome! But they are nothing without the creativity! When I was a kid, er, when I was a younger kid, I would create these wonderful robot costumes out of all sorts of random things – cardboard boxes and tubes wrapped in tin foil, old vacuum cleaner parts, and some not so old parts (thanks Mom), wires and hangers, light bulbs and flashlights, batteries, broken toys, metal, plastic, wood, paper, Play-Doh… You get the idea.

As an adult, er, as a big kid I still love to create all kinds of wonderful things, especially monsters and robots, be they costumes or paper toys. Designing my robots for Papertoy Glowbots was a lot of fun. There’s imaging the robots and then engineering the paper shapes, illustrating the skins, writing the stories and bios, naming them; it’s so much fun stepping into the challenge and experience of so much creative play. Like being a little kid again, I can’t help but imagine my bots getting into grand three dimensional adventures beyond the flat pages of my books. In the hearts, minds and hands of kids of all ages, there can be robot dance parties led by Big Fun and DJ Waveform, sending Sparxy and Traxx into space to search for life in distant galaxies, pitting The Bionic Yeti against Glitch Hardware in the robot battle of the century! Oops! My imagination is getting a little carried away there. You see, there is never a shortage of creativity inside us, we need only let it out.

As you can see, creativity is key. It is the driving force behind everything we think, say and do and ultimately create. This is what is meant by the expression “thoughts are things.” And it’s what makes us human.

So what will you create today? Remember it only takes a single piece of paper to jumpstart your imagination. I suggest you roll up your sleeves and dig in. You can start by creating papertoy monsters and robots from my books – with your kids or even without them. Trust me you aren’t the first “big kids” to play with my books. It’s fun. And it’s good for you. Good for your brain and fine motor skills, and it’s good for your inner child. And even better for inspiring the same kind of playfulness for the kids in your life.

Whether it’s a papertoy or working on your own creation, don’t forget you still have so many wonderful gifts of creativity waiting to be unwrapped and shared with the world. Gifts only you can create. And you’ll never know what those wonderful creations are until you get started.

So get glowing and get creative. The kid in you is waiting.

Papertoy Glowbots
Author: Brian Castleforte
Published August 23rd, 2016 by Workman Publishing Company

About the Book: Origami meets amazing creatures in a book of paper craft fun!

Papertoy Glowbots introduces 46 robots that have the added cool factor of lighting up, whether using glow-in-the-dark stickers that come with the book or light sources like flashlights, Christmas tree lights, and electric tea lights.

The 46 die-cut paper robots are created by Brian Castleforte, author of Papertoy Monsters, along with the hottest papertoy designers from around the world. Meet the robots and read about their entertaining backstories in the front, then turn to the card stock section in the back to build them. The templates are die-cut and ready to pop out, fold, and glue. Bold, colorful graphics ensure the robots look as amazing in the daytime as they do with the lights off.

About the Author: Brian Castleforte is an artist and graphic designer who has created cutting-edge graphics for Nike, Sony, Warner Brothers, MTV, and others. He is the creator of nicepapertoys.com, the first and only papertoy social network, and also created Papertoy Monsters. His work can also be found at Castleforte.com and on Twitter @castleforte.

Thank you to Brian for his creativity-inspiring post!

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Blog Tour with Review!: Blood Brother: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace

September 21, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Blood Brothers: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights
Author: Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace
Published September 13th, 2016 by Calkins Creek

Goodreads Summary: Jonathan Daniels, a white seminary student from New Hampshire, traveled to Selma, Alabama, in 1965 to help with voter registration of black residents. After the voting rights marches, he remained in Alabama, in the area known as “Bloody Lowndes,” an extremely dangerous area for white freedom fighters, to assist civil rights workers. Five months later, Jonathan Daniels was shot and killed while saving the life of Ruby Sales, a black teenager. Through Daniels’s poignant letters, papers, photographs, and taped interviews, authors Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace explore what led Daniels to the moment of his death, the trial of his murderer, and how these events helped reshape both the legal and political climate of Lowndes County and the nation.

Blood Brother has received two starred reviews so far from Kirkus and Booklist, and a very strong review from School Library Journal:

*”This powerful biography of a little-known figure underscores the fact that civil rights workers in the 1960s South knowingly put their lives on the line for the cause…. The authors deftly convey Daniels’ complex personality, drawing from letters and interviews, including 18 they conducted. Numerous photographs, relatively large print, and an open design invite readers in… An unusually inspiring story skillfully told.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*”Outside of his hometown (Keene, New Hampshire), the name Jonathan Daniels isn’t well known, but it should be… a thoroughly researched, meticulously documented biography, which is interesting from the start, but increasingly absorbing… The many well-chosen photos show up beautifully on the large, glossy pages. The riveting story of one individual among the many working for Civil Rights during the 1960s.”—Booklist, starred review

“In a masterly demonstration of scholarly research and nonfiction writing, the Wallaces have crafted a powerful biographical narrative of civil rights activist Jonathan Daniels…. careful annotations and thorough indexing help readers keep track of the many players and scenes in this true-life drama. The authors have created a biography that brings to light the life and legacy of a lesser-known civil rights activist… this visually stunning and morally significant history is highly recommended…” —School Library Journal

About the Authors: Sandra Neil Wallace had a lengthy career as a news anchor and ESPN sportscaster before writing realistic fiction and nonfiction for young readers. A pioneer in the journalism field, she was the first woman to cover the National Hockey League on network TV. Selected as a promising new voice in children’s literature by The Horn Book, Wallace’s titles have been named to state and national awards lists including Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Book of the Year, ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, and Booklist’s Top 10 Sports Books for Youth. Visit sandraneilwallace.com.

Rich has been writing since he was a little boy, when he wrote and illustrated his own comic books. He has since published more than 25 novels for kids and teenagers. Many of those books have been award winners. Rich has an extensive background as a writer and editor, having served for many years as a senior editor at Highlights for Children magazine. He still writes the monthly “Timbertoes” feature for that venerable publication. Writing about sports and athletes comes naturally to him, as he has competed in athletics his entire life. He was a champion runner in high school and college, and still competes in Masters track and field. He’s also played a lot of basketball and soccer. For several years he was a newspaper sportswriter.

These days, Rich continues to pen a wide range of novels in addition to writing about human nutrition and other health issues for the adult market. Rich and his wife Sandra recently moved to New England with their dog Lucy. He is the father of two sons.

Review: This book is not just an important book for young adults to read, it is an important book PERIOD. The story of Jonathan Daniels and his impact within the Civil Rights Movement shows how rights for equality is a fight for all people, not just those who are being discriminated against. Daniels had the guts to stand up for what he believed in. The connection between Jonathan Daniels’s story and the current racial tension is scary yet hopeful because it shows how differences can be made by those who believe in equity, equality, kindness, and love.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This is a text that needs to be in social studies and language arts classrooms in middle and high school. It needs to be shared. View the publisher’s Educator’s Guide, Blood Brother Educator’s Guide, to view some suggestions on how to use the text in your classroom.

Discussion Questions: How does the Civil Rights Movement compare to the Black Lives Matter movement?; Jonathan Daniels did what he knew was right even though there were dangers. What does this tell you about Daniels?; What did Daniels sacrifice for the Civil Rights Movement?; How did the structure of the text impact the central idea and theme of the text?

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Love: Learning about the Civil Rights Movement

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Kerry at Boyds Mills Press for having me be part of the blog tour!**

National Geographic Kids: Real or Fake? Far-Out Figs, Fishy Facts, and Phony Photos to Test for the Truth by Emily Krieger

September 10, 2016August 24, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Reeal or Fake? Far-Out Fibs, Fishy Facts, and Phony Photos to Test for the Truth
Author: Emily Krieger
Illustrator: Tom Nick Cocotos
Published May 10th, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Can you tell the truth from a tall tale? Spot a phony photo a mile away? Figure out a fib in five second flat? Then Real or Fake? is the book for you! Put your amateur detective skills to work in this fun and wacky book and see if the truth triumphs as you encounter suspicious stories, fishy facts, lying lists, and more. You’ll even play interactive games that will leave you second-guessing everything you’ve ever read. Complete with awesome photos and hilarious collage art, this is one book that you have to read to believe . . . or disbelieve.

Kellee’s Review: This National Geographic text was really fascinating! I loved reading the little synopsis then trying to guess if the scenario is true or not. Although some were quite obvious to me, I best many of them will trick students! As a teacher, I also think this book will be a great addition to research units because it will begin a discussion about reliability and validity.

Ricki’s Review: This book would be a fabulous choice for a road trip. I can imagine reading the pages aloud to my kids as they guessed “Real!” or “Fake!” I also like how the facts aren’t all silly and pointless. There is a lot of good learning that happens in these pages–and as an adult, the facts weren’t obvious to me, either, so I would have fun on the car ride, too! I completely agree with Kellee’s smart suggestion that this would be a great book to introduce reliability and validity. With the political campaigning and the sharing of memes that are completely false (from both sides), I have been thinking about reliability and validity a lot lately!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: In addition to being an instant favorite in classrooms, Real or Fake? will definitely make anyone who reads it want to either research some of the real/fake information shared (Was Teddy Roosevelt shot but continued with his speech? and Did a chimp’s song became #19 on the European billboard charts?) or want to go research things they think they know! Real or Fake? will be a great book to use when talking about research and would be a fun introduction to Snopes.

We Flagged: “Plants make music: Real or Fake? It may sound crazy, but plants can play tunes. A new device converts electrical currents moving across a plant’s surface into synthesizer sound in real time. (Though the sound of the converted currents may not be music to your ears.) The device works in much the same way a lit-detector test does, only the probes are placed on leaves instead of on skin and the currents are translated into audio. What does this ‘music’ tell us about the secret life of plants? The inventors aren’t quite sure yet. They are, however, hoping the ‘biofeedback’ will eventually be revealing an help us learn more about the natural world. In the meantime, rest easy knowing that one day soon your houseplants could play a tune: An online fund-raising campaign to make the device available to people interested in purchasing it has reached its goal.”

Real! With its far-out sounds, the MIDI-sprout (‘MIDI’ stands for ‘musical instrument digital interface’) is changing the way people perceive plants. Scientists have known that plants send chemical and light signals to one another. Plants can even send chemical distress signals to get insects to come to their rescue! A study published in 2012 suggests that plants also may be able to use sound to communicate with one another, so why not talk to their human caretakers.

Fun Fact!: The MIDI Sprout can even be hooked up to humans! The electrical signals humans give off reportedly tell a lot about emotional states.” (p. 82-83)

*Disclosure: This quote cannot share the entire feeling of the book without the illustrations/photos. See the published book to see the complete experience.

Read This If You Loved: National Geographic’s 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up, Mastermind by National Geographic, Weird but T rue series by National Geographic, National Geographic’s Awesome 8

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Karen at Media Masters Publicity for providing copies for review!**

125 Wacky Roadside Attractions by National Geographic Kids

August 17, 2016 by Ricki

Nonfiction Wednesday

125 Wacky Roadside Attractions: See All the Weird, Wonderful, and Downright Bizarre Landmarks from Around the World!
Published May 10, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Going on a road trip? See the silly side of travel as you explore the wackiest landmarks from around the world — a place where you can walk in real dinosaur tracks, a hotel where you sleep in an igloo, a crazy beard festival, a UFO museum, and so much more. You won’t believe our world is full of so many bizarre and wonderful places!

My Review: I’ve become a huge fan of the National Geographic books. My toddler is obsessed with them, even though he is much younger than the intended audience. He loves telling us all about the things he learns in the books, and the pictures give us so much to talk about. For this book, we loved talking about all of the different places in the world and what we might see on a road trip. For older kids, this book is great to inspire them to want to travel and to visit all of these neat landmarks! I particularly liked the variety in this text. I can’t imagine that anyone could finish reading this text without adding places they want to visit to their bucket lists. There was a good balance between drivable places and also locations that are across the world. This book will keep a traveler quite busy!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: It would be so much fun to place these attractions on the map. Readers might examine how the authors balanced the locations. It also provides students with a good visual concept of where they want to travel next! Students might also be inspired to find a weird or wacky attraction that isn’t in the book. They can share these ideas with the class!

Discussion Questions: Which attraction was most interesting to you? Why?; Which of the closer attractions might you want to visit soon? Which is the farthest attraction that you are interested in visiting?; What neat themes did you see across different attractions?; What might inspire people to create weird and wacky attractions like these?

Read This If You Loved: National Geographic’s 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up, Mastermind by National Geographic, Weird but T rue series by National Geographic, Animal Atlas, Almanacs, Travel Books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Karen at Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy for review!**

National Geographic Kids Ocean Animals: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue by Johnna Rizzo

July 20, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Ocean Animals: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue
Author: Johnna Rizzo
Published May 17th, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: From life in coral reefs, to sharks and rays, to sea birds, kids will meet incredible sea-based animals in action, including the blue tang fish and clownfish. It’s all captured with beautiful underwater photography and features cool info about our oceans — including fascinating facts, maps, and marine conservation tips and efforts.

Review: I probably sound like a broken record, but every time I encounter another National Geographic text, I come to appreciate what they are doing for the informational nonfiction world for kids. This text is no different. This text is a bit more in depth than some of the other NG books we’ve reviewed recently, and it is definitely for a reader who is looking to go to the next level with their ocean knowledge. It scaffolds perfectly starting with overviews of the different oceans and the different layers in the oceans. This lays a nice foundation of knowledge for the rest of the book. Then it delves into the animals starting with coral reefs then hitting on every type of animal you can think of. Finally, the book ends with information about conservation. And all of this is accompanied by National Geographic’s beautiful wildlife photography.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Like I stated above, this text is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about oceans and the wildlife that live in the oceans. Not only will the text be useful for an independent reading option, it would be a nice edition to a text set when discussing ecology or as a resource when studying the ocean.

Discussion Questions: What are some ways you can protect the ocean?; What are the different layers of the ocean?; Why is it important to keep our oceans safe?; What are some animals who are being threatened by over fishing? Over capture?; What is your favorite ocean animal?

We Flagged: “Introduction: Imagine what it must be like to be a dolphin, living in a realm of liquid space, listening to the whistles and clicks of nearby family members. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a jellyfish, with 99 percent of your body made of water? Or how about a clam, hunkered down in a soft, sandy bottom, sipping plankton-filled water through a special tube, rather like drinking soup through a straw?” (by Sylvia Earle, p. 7)

“Coral Reefs: Bursting with color and teeming with sea creatures big and small, coral reefs may support as much life as the rain forests do. In face, about one-third of all the ocean’s creatures live at least part of their lives on reefs. That’s tens of thousands of marine species in total. But what makes the coral reef habitat particularly special is the fact that it’s a living thing itself, made up of the shells of tiny sea creatures. And that’s also exactly what makes reefs so fragile and easy to damage.” (p. 12)

Read This If You Loved: Nonfiction books about oceans, Extreme Oceans by Seymour Simon, Ocean Animals by Animal Planet, Please Be Nice to Sharks by Matt Weiss

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Karen at Media Masters for providing copies for review!!**

Please Be Nice to Sharks: Fascinating Facts about the Ocean’s Most Misunderstood Creatures by Matt Weiss

July 13, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Please Be Nice to Sharks: Fascinateing Facts about the Ocean’s Most Misunderstood Creatures
Author: Matt Weiss
Photographers: Matt Weiss & Daniel Botelho
Published June 7th, 2016 by Sterling Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Meet 14 cool sharks (and one manta ray) and see why it’s important to BE NICE TO SHARKS! Though they’re often portrayed as vicious man-eaters, sharks actually kill fewer than 10 people per year. Yet those myths cause real harm: many species are being hunted to extinction, with as many as 100-200 million sharks being killed each year. This humorous book humanizes the incredible shark through breathtaking, original, underwater photography along with incredible facts about these amazing creatures in the wild—sending kids a crucial message about conservation in an irresistible format.

Kellee’s Review: I found this book to be quite timely because of the release of “Finding Dory” and all the issues that have come to light because of the over fishing and capturing of blue tangs and clown fish. In Be Nice to Sharks! the overall theme is to take care of our ocean friends even if they are ones we are scared of. One thing that was a bit fun and unique about this shark book versus others is that the shark facts are told in first person in a quite casual voice. This gives each shark its own personality.

Ricki’s Review: I’ve never been one of those folks who is completely fascinated with sharks and Shark Week, but this book was really fun to read! I think readers of all ages and interests will find the content interesting. I particularly liked how the sharks spoke to the reader. It made it very fun to read to my son. (He really thought the sharks were talking to him.) The photography is really neat, and I was drawn in–wanting to read more. We’ll be hanging onto this book because it will be fun to refer to it as we learn more about sharks as my son grows up. This is a classroom library must-have!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Any fan of sharks will find this book to be a nice addition to their independent reading rotation. This book is also a good introduction to these 14 different sharks, but it is just an introduction. This text would be a way to help students choose a shark to further research or do a jigsaw activity with.

Discussion Questions: Why is a manta ray included in a shark book?; Why is it important to be nice to sharks?; What was the most interesting shark fact that you learned?; Which shark would you like to learn more about?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Loved: Nonfiction books about sharks, Extreme Oceans by Seymour Simon, Ocean Animals by Animal Planet

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Dakota at Sterling Publishing for providing copies for review!**