Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Karl, Get Out of the Garden! by Anita Sanchez (illustrated by Catherine Stock; Charlesbridge, 2017) is a picture book biography of Carolus Linneas, the first to set up the a systematic way of classifying living things by giving each thing a scientific name. Carolus Linneaus is the Latin version of Karl Linne, a scientist who
Democracy by John Dunn (Atlantic, 2005) is book that gives deep political consideration of the concept of democratic government throughout the written history of the world. Although the subtitle is “A History,” I found it to be much more a philosophical text about what democracy has meant throughout time rather than a straight-forward history book.
In Which Switch is Which?: A First Look at Electricity by Sam Godwin (Holder Wayland, 2002; currently out of print), three mice and a moth explore a kitchen one night. The story is told by a simple line of text at the top of the page and also speech bubbles. As they are exploring, the
I chose to read Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji (written 1927) a few years ago because it caught my eye (see my initial review). I had new insights as I reread it this month in the context of the Newbery Medal winners and honors from the first decade of the
On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time by Susan E. Goodman (illustrated by Lee Christiansen; Greenwillow Books, 2004) is a nonfiction picture book showing glimpses of a place on earth over the course of billions of years. It begins with a street scene of New York City and then jumps back 175 years, 350
The nonfiction Keepers of the Reef by Dr. Sharon Wismer (illustrated by Alice Wong; Tillbury House, 2022) invites a young reader to visit the Great Barrier Reef to learn about a unique ecosystem. With a friendly “come on in!”, two children swim into a coral reef scene in this gorgeous book about the coral reef
With a child-friendly tone, Volcano Dreams: A Story of Yellowstone by Janet Fox (illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy; Web of Life, 2018) introduces a variety of creatures that live in Yellowstone National Park, as well as personifies the geological features of the park, such as geysers and bubbling hot springs. The only one sleeping is the
The nonfiction picture book Green: The Story of Life on Our Planet by Nicola Davies (illustrated by Emily Sutton; Candlewick, 2024) explains how plants support the world. Detailed pages with illustrations and diagrams explain the structure of a plant cell, the process of photosynthesis, a basic energy food web, and the general evolution of plants
From the fantastic Wells of Knowledge nonfiction picture book science series, What’s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells (Albert Whitman, 1995) teaches about microscopic creatures for young readers. Beginning with a small creature, this book encourages child readers to consider even smaller creatures, including bacteria and the size of an atoms. The
Buried Beneath Us: Discovering the Ancient Cities of the Americas by Anthony Aveni (illustrated by Katherine Roy; Roaring Brook Press, 2013) covers the basics of four early American civilizations for the middle school and high school reader in less than 100 pages. With emphasis on the Aztec, Maya, Inca, and Cahokian civilizations, Aveni describes the
The picture book Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea by Robert Burleigh (illustrated by Raul Colon; Paula Wiseman Books, 2016) tells the true story of Marie Tharp, who was the first to map the ocean’s floor between 1957 and 1977. Because of her work in mapping the seafloor, she was able to corroborate Alfred Wegener’s
Painting the Game by Patricia MacLachlan (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2024) is the last novel by the late great MacLachlan, who wrote my childhood favorite Sarah, Plain and Tall. In a similar understated tone, this short novel tells about a young girl, Lucy, who wants to prove her own baseball abilities as a pitcher, so
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