Informational Nonfiction – Page 25

Meet Bacteria by Rebecca Bielawski

July 27, 2015March 25, 2015 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book 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!

Mummy Nature Book 1: Meet Bacteria!
Author and Illustrator: Rebecca Bielawski
Published October 8, 2014 by Rebecca Bielawski

Goodreads Summary: Peak through the microscope and down into a fantastic world of teeny tiny shapes, amazing colours and little friends who want to say – Hello. Who are these bacteria? Where do they live and what do they do all day? Meet Bacteria! is for little kids brimming with curiosity. It gives them their first basic notions of bacteria; a very interesting topic for children, seldom dealt within children’s books at this level.

Each book in the series is one mini nature lesson wrapped up in colour and rhyme. These books are intended for very young children including toddlers and will give them just a glimpse into some of the wonders of the natural world. Illustrated for maximum vibrancy and visual impact, using rhyme to engage young minds and encourage participation. Read the rhymes to your children and soon they will be reading them to you!

What We Can Learn:
The idea of the microscope
Why we should wash our hands

Concepts:
Basic bacteria shapes
Some bacteria habitats

New Words:
Bacteria, Microscope, Rod, Chain, Bunch, Multiply

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book is a great introduction to scientific exploration and then to bacteria itself. I love that the protagonist is a young girl who is exploring the world around her. I think students will see themselves in her, and that along with the interesting, rhyming information about the different types of bacteria will really persuade kids to want to explore.

I do think that this is just an introduction though. Each bacteria is briefly mentioned along with a fun illustration. I would love to see this book be a jumping off point to an inquiry unit about bacteria.

Discussion Questions: Why does bacteria have a bad reputation? Which bacteria cause this? Which bacteria are actually good?; How can you prevent the bad bacteria from making us sick?; Bacteria make some foods. How does this work?

We Flagged:

Images from https://www.pinterest.com/booksbeck/childrens-picture-books/
© Rebecca Bielawski

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Rebecca Bielawski for providing a copy for review!**

2015 Mock Sibert: Considered Nonfiction Picture Book Titles

February 4, 2015 by Kellee

First, I want to share my excitement for The Right Word, our Mock Sibert winner, becoming the actual Sibert winner! So ecstatic that we got it right! Also, Neighborhood Sharks was honored which makes me super happy because it might have been my favorite.

Part of hosting the Mock Sibert is reading as many nonfiction books (we focus on nonfiction picture books and children’s books) as possible. Today I wanted to share with you some of the amazing titles that we considered for the Mock Sibert, but that I hadn’t been able to post about yet. They may not have been in my top 5, but were definitely some of the best nonfiction titles I read in 2014.

A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz
Published May 6th, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

I loved loved loved this book. The messages about animals and human are the same: all living things should be respected. I am so glad that the Schneider committee recognized the power of this book.

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos
Published October 14th, 2014 by Roaring Brook Press

Carl Sagan is such an inspirational person, and this book is the perfect introduction to him. I really loved how this author tied Dr. Sagan’s childhood of curiosity and exploration to his success as a scientist. He is such an inspiring man and his story shows how anyone can build a repertoire of knowledge and grow up to make a difference.

Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents by Lita Judge
Published October 21st, 2014 by Roaring Brook Press

A beautifully illustrated picture book that focuses on what each baby needs to thrive.

Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa’s Fastest Cats by Sy Mongomery
Published April 1st, 2014 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Beetle Busters: A Rogue Insect and the People Who Track It by Loree Griffin Burns
Published October 7th, 2014 by HMH Books for Young Readers

These were my first two “Scientists in the Field” books I’ve read after years of people suggesting them to me. I now know why everyone likes this series. They are interesting, have phenomenal illustrations, and makes the stories they are sharing accessible to their readers.

The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle
Published September 1st, 2014 by Millbrook Press

This book takes the reader through the scientific inquiry process while the scientists work to figure out the mystery of the bats. Quite an adventure!!

When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses by Rebecca Johnson
Published September 1st, 2014 by Millbrook Press

This book talks about some truly strange, fascinating, and cool animal defenses on the planet. The illustrations are amazing, and this book is going to definitely be a kid magnet.

We also considered The Noisy Paintbox, Gravity, and A Home for Mr. Emerson, but I have already reviewed them. Click on the book covers to read my review of these titles.

Also, check out my Mock Sibert partners’ lists of favorite 2014 nonfiction books (Alyson Part 1 Part 2 | Carrie) to see other titles that are must reads!

What were your favorite NF books from 2014?

2015 Mock Sibert Award Hosted By Kid Lit Frenzy, Unleashing Readers, and There Is A Book For That

January 16, 2015January 16, 2015 by Kellee

Over the past three years, Alyson, of Kid Lit Frenzy, has hosted, and Carrie, of There Is A Book For That, and I have participated in, a book challenge pushing ourselves to read more nonfiction picture books. Since we read many of the best nonfiction picture books published each year, in 2014 we decided to start hosting a Mock Sibert Award.

The Sibert Award is given annually to the most distinguished informational book published during the preceding year. Although the Sibert Award is not just for picture books, we are going to focus on the nonfiction picture books we feel would be honored or win this year. To be honored/win the Sibert Award, the book must include these important elements and qualities:

-Excellent, engaging, and distinctive use of language.
-Excellent, engaging, and distinctive visual presentation.
-Appropriate organization and documentation.
-Clear, accurate, and stimulating presentation of facts, concepts, and ideas.
-Appropriate style of presentation for subject and for intended audience.
-Supportive features (index, table of contents, maps, timelines, etc).
-Respectful and of interest to children.

After reviewing the qualities and elements needed to win the Sibert Award, I chose the following five titles as my Mock Sibert Finalists that I hope will win or be honored on February 2nd. Check out Kid Lit Frenzy and There is a Book for That to see what Alyson and Carrie chose as their picks.

Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World
Author: Steve Jenkins
Published April 1st, 2014 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Steven Jenkins is the master of informational nonfiction! His unique artwork is always eye catching, and he chooses the most information to share with students. Many of his books, including this one, sound like something that would be boring to read about, but Jenkins makes it so it is not. This book, includes information about different animals’ eyes with a close up of their eyes and an overview illustration of the whole animal. I had no idea there were so many different types of eyes! And animals that I thought didn’t have eyes actually do!

As for Sibert criteria, Jenkins hits it out of the park! His use of informative yet appealing language mixed with his beautiful visual presentation is above the rest, the book is organized for readers to easily understand, has back matter that supports the text, it is appropriate and interesting for children.

Neighborhood Sharks
Author: Katherine Roy
Published September 30th, 2014 by David Macaulay Studio

This one surprised me. From the cover and artwork, I thought it would be just a simple shark book, but it was so much more! This book completely contradicts any statement that says that a book with illustrations and not photographs cannot be an exemplar informational text. Neighborhood Sharks takes you through a Great White Sharks routines, anatomy, habits, and how scientists study them. The diagrams are exceptional and really add to the text.

Once again, this text is spot on when it comes to Sibert criteria. The entire book is excellent, engaging, and distinctive! It was a pleasure to read!

The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus
Author: Jennifer Fisher Bryant
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Published September 15th, 2014 by Eerdman’s

Roget was such a fascinating man, and I had no idea before picking up this text. He was a genius, creative, scientist, and a good father and husband. I loved that Bryant and Sweet teamed up again (they also did A River of Words about William Carlos Williams) to tell us Roget’s story. I think what makes their books so special are the unique way that illustrations and text intertwine and together become the story. Every part of the page is essential to the book.

I feel like a broken record, but again this book definitely fulfills the criteria for the Sibert award. I actually think that because of the unique use of illustrations and text, it is probably my most distinctive use of visuals.

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla
Author: Katherine Applegate
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Published October 7th, 2014 by Clarion

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore apes (see my Nerdy Book Club Top Ten Ape books and my Hurt Go Happy interview with Ginny Rorby as well as my Hurt Go Happy, Primates, and Endangered reviews). They are such fascinating creatures. I enjoy reading about them and am a true advocate for their care here on Earth. This book is just another supporting document in the beauty, intelligence, and awesomeness of these creatures. Katherine Applegate has written a perfect companion to her Newbery winning One and Only Ivan which takes the reader into Ivan’s life and once again makes our heart break for him. It is written in verse with words that transport you into Ivan’s life. This book made me cry because of the power of the words, but more importantly, the power of Ivan’s story. Please read this. You will thank me (and curse Katherine Applegate for the tears).

This book may be my only book that does not meet all of the criteria for the award, but I had to put it on the list because of its beauty, importance, and closeness to my heart. Although it does not include any supportive features, I feel that that does not take away from the amazing use of language, beautiful illustrations, and fascinating story.

Feathers: Not Just For Flying
Author: Melissa Stewart
Illustrator: Sarah S. Brannen
Published February 25th, 2014 by Charlesbridge

This is another book, like Eye to Eye, that I thought could not be as good as everyone had said. It is a book about feathers which could never be interesting, right? Wrong. Stewart does an amazing job of sucking you in, showing the beauty and importance of feathers, and she does so with some amazingly beautiful imagery (using similes). Her language mixed with the soft-toned illustrations, which are perfect for a book about feathers, makes you lose yourself in her information. Then she sneak attacks at the end, after you are already sucked in, with the scientific classification of feathers. Next thing you know, you are fascinated with feathers.

Feathers also meets all of the Sibert criteria–especially the engaging use of language and stimulating presentation of facts.

Which book from my, Alyson’s, or Carrie’s list do you think should be honored by the Sibert committee? Complete our poll below to share which you think should win, and also enter to win the winner of our poll.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner of the Mock Sibert and giveaway will be announced on Wednesday, January 28th. I cannot wait to see which book wins!

It’s All True! Series by High Noon Books

December 31, 2014 by Ricki

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

About the Series: These 15 books focus on grades 4 through 8 content but are focused on students with lower reading levels. They contain high-interest nonfiction topics like Earth and Space, Living Things, History, Technology, and Careers, and highlight content areas outside of English/language arts.

Ricki’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: As a former high school teacher, I know the struggle to match kids with great books. Oftentimes, struggling readers cannot find books that match their reading abilities and interests. For instance, a student may find books with grade-level topics to be interesting, but the texts are simply too challenging. This series is great because the books contain middle school topics but are written at lower elementary school reading levels. They are carefully crafted with attention to vocabulary and sentence structure to support readers.

I enjoyed We Made It by Lisa Benjamin. It was composed of five chapters about manmade structures: the International Space Station, the Great Pyramid, the Lincoln Cathedral, Skyscrapers, the Three Gorges Dam, and the Eden Project. I learned a lot, and I suspect future engineers will enjoy learning about these structures. Teachers could explore interdisciplinary connections by integrating other content areas, like science and social studies. High Noon Books rates this book one star, which means it is designed to be at a first grade reading level.

Robots by Allison Lassieur was at a higher reading level, ranked grade three (three stars) by High Noon Books. I immediately noticed a difference from We Made It. While both books are the same number of pages, the sentences in Robots were closer together, and the book was longer. Additionally, the book contained complex sentence structures. Robots explores a lot of interesting aspects about…you guessed it, robots! Dancing robots, robots that keep us safe, firefighting robots, ancient robots, and robots of the future are just a few of the topics of this text. I am saving this book because if my son enjoys robotics when he is a bit older, he will definitely love this overview. I think teachers could have a guest speaker come in and discuss real-life applications of robots. Or, students could research robots that are used in their community.

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I am the reading coach at my school and have worked with struggling readers for for the last few years. One of the struggles that struggling readers have, as Ricki stated, is finding a book that is at their interest level but also at their reading level. It’s All True! is trying to remedy that by having informational nonfiction texts at a middle grade interest level, but at a reading level that these students can reach. It reminds me of fiction series like Bluford, but with specific purposes for instruction. I could see these texts being used in a small group setting when teachers differentiating for their students.

I read two different books in the “Living Things” series: This is Huge by Lisa Benjamin (1 star) and Healers and Killers by Allison Lassieur (3 stars). Both included very specific information about the topics they were focusing on: This is Huge was about large animals over time; Healers and Killers was about plants and animals that can kill or heal us. The information in both seemed to be on grade level (middle school); however, the “three star” book had more text per page, tougher vocabulary, and more complex sentence structures.

Teacher Materials for Each Level:

http://www.highnoonbooks.com/pdfs/Its_All_True_TG_Level1_v4.pdf
http://www.highnoonbooks.com/pdfs/Its_All_True_TG_Level2_v4.pdf
http://www.highnoonbooks.com/pdfs/ItsAllTrueTGLevel3_V5c.pdf

More Information

http://www.HighNoonBooks.com
http://www.highnoonbooks.com/HNB/realnonfiction-hnb.tpl

Sample Chapter:

Weird Science, Chapter One
(2 star text)

Read This If You Love: How it Works series by various, Informational nonfiction by Jen Green, Informational nonfiction by Seymour Simon

Recommended For:

and

**Thank you to Steve at High Noon Books for providing these books for review**

The Holocaust: A Concise History by Doris L. Bergen

November 26, 2014 by Ricki

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

This week, I did not review a picture book. This text, however, is an incredibly informative nonfiction text that will help teachers and students who are learning about the Holocaust. I wanted to feature it on Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday because this is a topic that is taught in classrooms with students of all ages.

The Holocaust: A Concise History
Author: Doris L. Bergen
Published September 16, 2009 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

GoodReads Summary: In examining one of the defining events of the twentieth century, Doris Bergen situates the Holocaust in its historical, political, social, cultural, and military contexts. Unlike many other treatments of the Holocaust, this history traces not only the persecution of the Jews, but also other segments of society victimized by the Nazis: Gypsies, homosexuals, Poles, Soviet POWs, the disabled, and other groups deemed undesirable. With clear and eloquent prose, Bergen explores the two interconnected goals that drove the Nazi German program of conquest and genocide purification of the so-called Aryan race and expansion of its living space and discusses how these goals affected the course of World War II. Including illustrations and firsthand accounts from perpetrators, victims, and eyewitnesses, the book is immediate, human, and eminently readable.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I read this in preparation for a Teaching the Holocaust Workshop I attended.

I felt a gamut of emotions while reading this important text: anger, disappointment, disgust, and utter sadness. Bergen excellently balances the timeline of the Holocaust in this concise book of fewer than 300 pages. While many books that are taught in schools focus on concentration camps during the Holocaust, Bergen provides a wealth of information of the events both pre-war and post-war. I appreciated the ways in which she dispelled many myths that exist in books, textbooks, and the media. I’ve read over a hundred books about this time period, and while I considered myself an expert, this book was humbling to me. I was unaware of many aspects of the Holocaust that Bergen described, and she situates herself as an expert (and rightfully so, as she has received accolades for her work regarding the time period). I believe all teachers of history and English/language arts (at a minimum) should read this text. Moreover, it would pair well with any fiction or narrative nonfiction about the time period because it gives context of the events. Teachers might elect to use short portions to inform students and contextualize events in history.

I Recommed This Book If You: Teach any book that is set during the Holocaust

Recommended For:

Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina L. Brooks

November 13, 2014 by Ricki

Writing Great Books for Young Adults
Author: Regina L. Brooks
Published: October 7, 2014 by Sourcebooks

Summary from the Publisher:

From a top young adult literary agent, the only guide on how to write for young adults.

With an 87 percent increase in the number of young adult titles published in the last two years, the young adult market is one of the healthiest segments in the industry. Despite this fact, surprisingly little has been written to help authors hone their craft and truly connect with the young adult audience.

Writing Great Books for Young Adults gives writers all the advice they need to tap into this incredible and innovative market. Literary agent Regina L. Brooks shows writers how listening to young adults will help them create characters their audience can identify with.

Topics covered include meeting your protagonist, engaging your readers, trying on points of view, and many more.

Review: Regina clearly positions herself as an expert of the field of young adult literature. Her knowledge is very apparent in her tips to writers. Interestingly, I wouldn’t just recommend this book for adults looking to write for young adults. Her tips are very useful for student writers as well. She provides insider advice about the industry and gives step-by-step tips for writers. Beyond being very informative, I was pleased with the fact that this book made me want to drop everything and write! Teachers would find this to be a valuable guide for students with its informative and inspirational writing advice.

Read an Excerpt from the Publisher by Clicking Here!

About the Author: Regina L. Brooks is the founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and has been developing award-winning authors and books for over a decade. She has been highlighted in several national and international magazines and periodicals, including Poets and Writers, Essence, Writer’s Digest, and Sister2Sister,Forbes, Media Bistro, Ebony, and Jet. She lives in New York City.

Connect with Regina: @serendipitylit facebook.com/serendipitylit serendipitylit.com

Recommended for:

*Many thanks to Kathryn Lynch and Sourcebooks for providing this book for review.*

Nonfiction Graphic Novels

October 22, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book 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!

Although many elementary students enjoy and love nonfiction, this love tapers off when students get to middle school. Very few of my students read nonfiction at all. However, there is a wonderful thing happening that is helping increase the amount of nonfiction read in my school: memoir and informational nonfiction graphic novels. Here are some that I have read that my students and/or I have truly enjoyed.
(Clicking on any cover will take you to the Goodreads page or my review.)

Children’s/Middle Grade

primates

Middle Grade/YA

Hope you and your students enjoy some nonfiction graphic novels!