Text Features – Page 11 – Unleashing Readers

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

July 13, 2016 by Kellee

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!

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!**

Nibbles: The Book Monster by Emma Yarlett

July 9, 2016June 16, 2016 by Ricki

Nibbles: The Book Monster
Author and Illustrator: Emma Yarlett
Published: March 1, 2016 by Kane Miller Books

Goodreads Summary: Nibbles is a very naughty book monster—he’s chomping, munching and nibbling his way through fairytales that don’t belong to him! Can you help catch him and put him back in his own story? Children will love to lift the flaps, peek through the peep holes, and chase Nibbles through a fantastical world of books, in this quirky story, exquisitely illustrated by Emma Yarlett (My Daddy’s Going Away and Bear’s Big Bottom). Jam-packed full of your kids’ favorite fairy tales including Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Ricki’s Review: This is a very clever book! Nibbles loves to nibble on things, but most of all, he loves to nibble on books. He eats his way into stories and changes their outcomes! My son had so much fun reading this book. He loved the cutouts, lift the flaps, and books within books! I can imagine this is a huge hit with any kids who read it. It is very funny and creatively crafted—from the story to the illustrations to the way the book is presented. Two thumbs up to Emma Yarlett and Kane Miller books for thinking outside of the box with this one. It shows readers that books don’t have to be traditional!

Kellee’s Review: Trent is a big fan of monsters. He loves Monsters, Inc. and Don’t Push the Button!, so it is no surprise that he loves Nibbles. He fascinated with following Nibbles’ trail throughout all of the books and it became like a game of hide and seek for him. Not only is Trent a fan of Nibbles, I am as well. I loved the creativity of this book. The interactive and 3D aspects of it really bring the book to life, and I love that the author incorporates actual fairy tales in the books that Nibbles enjoys. Such a clever book that will keep readers come back over and over.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book could be used to start any fairy tale retelling unit! Readers of all ages will fall in love with Nibbles and want to participate in this adventure. I’d love to have my class create their own fairy tale retelling with Nibbles’ influence! I imagine there would be a lot of laughs and a lot of joy in this assignment. It teaches kids that reading can be very fun!

Discussion Questions: How do the author/publisher allow us to rethink our conceptions of traditional books? Which text features were your favorites, and why?; What other stories could Nibbles nibble his way through? How would he change the plot/outcome?

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Loved: Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett; Little Red Writing by Joan Holub, Fairy Tale Comics by Chris Duffy, Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Lynn at Kane Miller Books for providing copies for review!**

Blog Tour with Review!: Mastermind by National Geographic

June 1, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Mastermind: Over 100 Games, Tests, and Puzzles to Unleash Your Inner Genius
Author: Stephanie Warren Drimmer
Puzzles by: Julie K. Cohen
Published May 10th, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Welcome to Stop #7 on the National Geographic Kids Mastermind Blog Tour!

This summer, National Geographic Kids Books is inviting kids to “Unleash Their Inner Genius” with the release of Mastermind (May 2016, ages 8-12). In this fun, interactive book, kids learn what type of thinker they are and are given the chance to exercise different parts of their brains with games, tests and puzzles.

Each stop on the National Geographic Kids Mastermind Blog Tour brings you one step closer to becoming a Certified Mastermind. Be sure to stop by each stop on the tour and challenge yourself to unleash your inner genius with fun quizzes, optical illusions, and brain teasers, and learn tips and tricks for improving brainpower and explanations for the science behind navigating your mental map.

Are you ready to put your genius to the test with some word puzzles? Check out below and tweet your answers using #Mastermind!

Goodreads Summary: Ready to exercise your brain? Let zany superbraniac Ima Genius be your guide in this interactive book full of fascinating brain facts, puzzles, games, and challenges. Learn what type of thinker you are and the geniuses that share your special type of intellect. Discover why your brain does what it does, and how that affects vision, hearing, touch, smell, taste, spatial reasoning, language, memory, and problem solving. Each chapter is filled not only with fun and games, but also famous historical cases, crazy quizzes, exciting experiments, and a glossary of Genius Jargon, invented for advanced brain-related vocabulary.

The cheeky narrator and self-proclaimed “Mastermind” Ima Genius and her talking dog, Atom, guide the reader through short and snappy explanations of the science behind why the brain does what it does and how it affects the senses, spatial reasoning, language, memory and problem solving. As kids work their way through the book completing experiments, brain teasers, mazes, quizzes and games, their efforts (and smarts!) are rewarded with a Certificate of Mental Achievement declaring them as a Certified Mastermind. Or, in the words of Ima Genius:

“When I’m finished with you, your brain will be so huge that your average-size neck will no longer be able to support your massive noggin. Ha! I kid. That’s only happened once.”

Kellee’s Review: I love the variety of puzzles and games found within this book! They are quite clever and are definitely brain exercises. I also always love National Geographic books because of the quality of not only the text inside but also because of the photographs. Mixed in with all the puzzles are perfect animal photos and other science-y photos. For example, even the maze within the book is finding your way through a maze within a spine! Although the puzzles definitely are fun, I think my favorite things within the book are the “Atom’s Brain Breaks,” “Myths: Busted,” “Fun Facts,” tests, and other fun knowledge that was shared within.

Ricki’s Review: This would be the perfect road trip book. There are so many puzzles and games, and they are all quite different. I am tempted to save this for my son for when he is a bit older, but I know my neighbors would love it. It’s a great book to share with others because it will appeal to kids of all interest levels. As with most of the National Geographic books we’ve reviewed here on Unleashing Readers, this book is jam-packed with awesome facts about animals, science, etc. This book will last a long time—there is so much to learn and do! The narrator (Ima Genius) is a perfect guide, and she made me smile.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Although this book may seem like an individual book, it would definitely be fun as a whole-class bell work activity. It is almost exactly one page per school day if you did one each day. It would be a fun way to mix literacy and science!

Discussion Questions: What myths were busted that you thought were true?; What’s the difference between how dogs and humans see the world?; How do the different parts of your body work and work together?; What fun facts did you learn that you didn’t know before?

We Flagged: See above!

Read This If You Loved: Interactive books with puzzles, brain teasers, tests, or other games

Recommended For:

Thank you for stopping by and being a part of the National Geographic Kids Mastermind Blog Tour! Did you master all of the quizzes, puzzles and brain teasers? If so, congratulations Mastermind! Here is your Certificate of Mental Achievement!

If you missed one or two, visit these stops and become a Certified Mastermind!

Blog Tour Schedule:

5/23 – Reading is Better With Cupcakes

5/24 – Mother Daughter Book Reviews

5/25 – Geo Librarian

5/26 – Mrs. Mommy Book Nerd’s Book Reviews

5/27 – Always In The Middle

5/31 – Mundie Kids

6/1 – Unleashing Readers

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

Animal Planet’s Animal Bites: Ocean Animals and Polar Animals

October 15, 2016April 27, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Polar Animals

Ocean Animals

Animal Planet
Published March 1st, 2016 by Animal Planet

Polar Animals Summary: With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of penguins, polar bears, sea lions, walruses, reindeer and others, Animal Planet Polar 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 animals living in both polar climates. 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 the coldest places on Earth.

Ocean Animals Summary: With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of sharks, whales, clown fish, jelly fish, dolphins, and others, Animal Planet Ocean 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 ocean-dwelling 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 Earth’s watery environments.

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: Like National Geographic nonfiction books for kids, Animal Planet’s books have some of the most stunning photographs of animals that I’ve ever seen. They take the reader to the animals’ home and shows the reader the ins and outs of the animal and how and where they live.

Ricki’s Review: My toddler adores these books. My husband was watching him when I started this post, and he said, “Henry have those! Henry have those!” They are intended for an older audience, but that doesn’t stop him. The pictures are gorgeous and there is so much to learn. Each page is brimming with facts! These are great books for readers of all ages.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The Animal Bites series uses colorful tabs and other text features to organize the information throughout the book. The tabs are: Where They Live, How They Live, Vista (awesome photos that show the places animals live), Big Data, Animal Gallery, Living/working, Conservation, and specific animal tabs. They also have Just Like Mes thrown throughout the book showing how the animals are similar to humans. The way the book is set up is perfect to discussing biology and zoology. While you use these books in science, you can do comparisons/contrasts and text features in language arts, and find the animals’ habitats in geography. These are perfect books for cross-curricular lessons and inquiry projects.

Activities Created by Time Inc.:

Ocean and Polar Animals Activity Sheets PDF

Discussion Questions: What other Animal Bites books would you like to see?; What are some examples of ways that some animals are like us?; Which animal that you learned about is the best at camouflaging? Fastest? Best predator? etc.; What text features does the author use to help you understand the text?; How did the author structure the text?; What are the differences/similarities of some of the animals within the books?

We Flagged:

Ocean and Polar Animals Posters PDF

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: National Geographic nonfiction texts, Seymour Simon animal texts, Extreme Ocean Records by Seymour Simon

Recommended For:

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The SLOWEST Book EVER by April Pulley Sayre

April 6, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

The SLOWEST Book EVER
Author: April Pulley Sayre
Illustrator: Kelly Murphy
Published April 5th, 2016 by Boyds Miller Press

Goodreads Summary: April Pulley Sayre’s wry, quirky storytelling tone shines from the warning on the first page (“This is a S-L-O-W book. Do not read it while surfing, water skiing, or running to escape giant weasels.”) right through to the glossary at the end. In between, readers will explore an astounding variety of information about all things slow—in nature, geology, art, outer space, etc. Throughout, The SLOWEST Book EVER playfully encourages readers to slow down and savor everything. As Sayre shows: “If you think slowly enough, the entire world is amazing.” This innovative nonfiction work is a treasure trove of information that begs for multiple readings.

Kellee’s Review: Anyone who teaches knows that the most popular nonfiction books are the ones that have a ton of information in short segments with fun pictures. Well, Sayre’s The SLOWEST Book EVER is exactly that but even better than you are picturing. Sayre does such a great job of having a small amount of information that packs a very big punch. Although each fact is over only a 2-page spread, the information is thorough, interesting, and specific. I loved the wide range of topics that were all covered under the big idea of SLOW, and I think students will be fascinated with all of the information.

Ricki’s Review: I read a lot of books, and I don’t think I’ve read a book that is quite like this one! It is a compilation of fascinating information that will compel readers to want to learn more about their world. It is apparent that a lot of thought and care went into the crafting and production of this book. Each page is a bit different, so if a reader is uninterested in a topic, he or she can flip the page and find something else entirely different. This book would make a great gift because all children will find sections that intrigue them, regardless of their interests. I’d look forward to going to a class where a teacher used this book used as a read-aloud, reading a few sections each day. This book makes learning fun!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Since The SLOWEST Book EVER includes tidbits of information on many different topics, each spread could easily be used as a jumping off point for an inquiry project. Students browse through the book to determine which spread of information interests them the most then they do more research (using the back matter as a place to start) then share the extra information with their classmates.

The SLOWEST Book EVER also does an amazing thing by looking at all the different ways that SLOW can be defined. After finishing the book as a class, revisit all of the different ways slow was used then brainstorm different meanings of other subjective adjectives such as fast, large, and small. Then student, as a class, could write their own fact book using a different adjective but showing different meanings of that word.

Discussion Questions: Which fact surprised you the most?; The book doesn’t only focus on slow speeds–what ever definitions of slow did the author focus on?; What topics would you like to learn more about? Where could you go to get more information?

We Flagged: “Chewy Nature Thoughts
Read them. Think about them. S l o w l y.
Slow thoughts are often big thoughts. So don’t fret if it takes a while to understand them. Don’t worry if you need to read them twice. -Traveling in a circle is, after all, still traveling.” (p. 8-9)

“How long does a minute feel to a mayfly…?
It’s About Time

Does time fly for a fly? Biologists wonder about this. So you can, too! How long does a minute feel to a mayfly, which may live only one day? How long does a minute feel to a 70-year-old Galápagos Tortoise?” (p. 16-17)

Read This If You Loved: Nonfiction books such as Weird but True by National Geographic, Lifetime by Lola M. Schaefer, Extreme Oceans and Extreme Earth Records by Seymour Simon, Island by Jason Chin, The Guinness Book of World Records

Recommended For:

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National Geographic Kids: Celebrate Easter by Deborah Heiligman

March 23, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Easter with Colored Eggs, Flowers, and Prayer
Author: Deborah Heiligman
Photographs from National Geographic
Published February 9th, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: The joyous celebration of Easter is seen through a global perspective in this National Geographic volume featuring over 25 vibrant photographs. Witness the holiest day on the Christian calendar as it is celebrated throughout the world: from the famous Easter Egg Roll at the White House to the traditional bonfires throughout Europe, to colorful customs, to the universally popular dying of eggshells worldwide.

The first-person narrative leads young readers through the origins and traditions of this springtime festival of rebirth and hope. Reverend George Handzo gives parents and teachers a historical and cultural background in his informative note.

Kellee’s Review: This text is a wonderful informative introduction to Easter. It goes through not only the religious aspects of the holiday but also the traditions and secular parts. Although I think it could have gone into more detail about where the traditions came from (answered the WHY a bit more), it did a very good job of sharing all the different things that go along with Easter. I also loved the diversity within the book. The photos were from all over the world. And I am excited about the series Holidays Around the World because that means there are others within the series that will touch on holidays of other religions. This will help with understanding of holidays and religions that the reader may not be.

Ricki’s Review: I completely agree with Kellee’s review! This book taught me a lot, and I enjoyed reading it. I would have loved to have read more about the WHY, but I found this to be quite a fun and interesting read, overall. Kids will really enjoy reading it, and it will be a resource for parents. Readers travel to many places in this single text, and it teaches an international appreciation. Like Kellee, I am really excited to see where this series goes, and I plan to read more books that National Geographic publishes! I love learning about international traditions and diverse cultures, so I appreciated all of the information in this book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I think it would be a powerful activity in a classroom to have many Holidays Around the World books and use them in both social studies, reading, and writing. Students could read about all of the different holidays, and they could then choose one to further research and share. Then there could be a walk-about in the classroom where different groups would have displays highlighting the different holidays.

Discussion Questions: What is the basis of Easter?; If you celebrate Easter, what are some traditions your family has?; What are some traditions around the world?; Why do you think the author chose to write the text in first person?

We Flagged: “Easter mornings brings special treats, too. Could it be the Easter Bunny was here? We get baskets of eggs–colored, decorated, and chocolate! Yummmm. In Germany, it’s the Easter Hare who brings us eggs. Bunnies, chicks, and eggs are symbols of new life.” (p. 16)

Read This If You Loved: Learning about religions, traditions, and holidays; Happy Easter, Mouse! by Laura Joffe Numeroff; Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly Dean

Recommended For:

Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

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

National Geographic Kids: Farm Animals & Rascally Rabbits!

March 16, 2016March 16, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Farm Animals
Author: Catherine D. Hughes
Photographs from National Geographic
Published February 9th, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: Young readers will meet their favorite farm animals and learn more about them through simple, age-appropriate language in this colorful board book.

Rascally Rabbits! And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly!
Author: Aline Alexander Newman
Photographs from National Geographic
Published February 9th, 2016 by National Geographic Children’s Books

Goodreads Summary: These bunnies may look adorable, but there’s more than meets the eye! In Rascally Rabbits, meet some rabbits that cause nothing but trouble, a rescue pup who will eat ANYTHING, and a sneaky bear with a taste for treats. Readers won’t stop laughing as they read these hilarious–and completely true!–stories. Filled with engaging photos, fast facts, and fascinating sidebars, readers won’t want to put this book down.

Kellee’s Review: What I like so much about National Geographic Kids books are that they really do take nonfiction to the next level. First, they have nonfiction for all ages. The Look & Learn series are for kids ages 1-4 then move to their Readers Series which is an early reader then to Chapters that is primary level. Each level adds more text but continue to include interesting facts and photographs. Once you get up to Chapters, the text even includes sidebars, an index, and a bibliography.

Farm Animals was a favorite with Trent immediately. One of his stations at school is all about animals and they spend their time there talking about the different animals, what color they are, and what sound they made, so Trent loved telling me all of the animals’ names and the sound they make. I loved that there were animals facts and sidebars in addition to just the animal photographs and sounds.

Rascally Rabbits! is a perfect first chapter book because it is quite funny (these animals do some crazy things), it is educational because it teaches about the animals as well, and it splits up the stories into nice sections.

Ricki’s Review: I completely agree with Kellee. I much prefer narrative nonfiction, so I always hesitate to pick up informational nonfiction. The National Geographic books remind me just how wrong my assumptions are. I am not crazy about leveling, particularly with nonfiction, but I think that some parents really like it. And I think the leveling in these books is far more accurate than in fiction texts.

I knew Henry would love Farm Animals the second we got it in the mail. Like most kids, he loves animals. He immediately began singing “Old McDonald” as we started reading the book, and he was bouncing up and down as we went through each of the brightly colored pictures.

Rascally Rabbits! is a bit challenging for him, but he loved the pictures. I opted to read selected text to him aloud, and I read the entire book on my own. Kids who are interested in rabbits will absolutely adore these books. I still remember reading dozens of books about poodles when I was younger. Because I was so interested in the content, I didn’t realize how much I was learning! The book is organized very well, and they did a really nice job with this one.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: National Geographic Kids’ books should be a go to for a teacher’s informational nonfiction section. Students will love reading and learning from these texts. Farm Animals and other Look & Learn books are perfect for read alouds and helping young children learn about different parts of our world. Rascally Rabbits! and other chapter books can be used for read aloud, independent reading, or even within a lit circle/jigsaw. For example, with Rascally Rabbits! each group could read about each of the different animals who made a mistake then go group with one person from each of the other groups to share what they read.

Discussion Questions: (Farm Animals) What product do each of these animals give to us?; What other farm animals do you know? What sounds do they make?; (Rascally Rabbits!) What are some things that Babbity does to make Flopsy’s life tough?; What makes bears get near humans?; Why was Neil afraid something bad might happen with Moose? Did something bad happen? Was it Neil’s fault?

We Flagged: “Moo! Cows eat grass. A group of cows is called a herd. People drink milk that comes from cows. Guess What? One cow can give enough milk in a day to fill 400 glasses.” (Farm Animals)

“Did You Know? The best way to pet a rabbit is to gently scratch its forehead and between its eyes.” (Rascally Rabbits!, p. 9)

“A young black dog ran without purpose along a forest road in Lewis County, New York, U.S.A. Rain was pouring down and freezing on the ground. Tiny icicle hung from the dog’s ears and chin. He had a wild-eyed look on his face.” (Rascally Rabbits!, p. 71)

Read This If You Loved: Nonfiction animals books

Recommended For:

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