BOOKS.5 BEST FOR BLACK HISTORY February is Black History Month, but these must-reads will grab attention all year long. This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt, illustrated by R. G. Roth. $16. In the spirit of the knick-knack-paddywhack classic, this rhyming picture book will have kids snapping as they count up nine jazz legends, from Louis Armstrong to Charles Mingus Charles Mingus (April 22 1922 – January 5 1979) was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. He was also known for his activism against racial injustice. . GRADES K-2 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. $16.99. This haunting picture-book bio of Henry "Box" Brown--who shipped himself north in a wooden crate--illuminates slavery's injustices, as well as the strength of human spirit. GRADES 1-4 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Letters From A Slave Boy by Mary E. Lyons. $15.99. Fifteen years after Letters From a Slave Girl, Lyons follows up with a fictionalized account of Harriet Jacobs' son's struggle for freedom. It's just as gripping as the first. GRADES 6 AND UP Freedom Walkers by Russell Freedman. $18.95. Engaging text and photos make this acclaimed nonfiction author's take on the Montgomery Bus Boycott The Montgomery bus boycott was a mass protest by African American citizens in the city of Montgomery, Alabama, against Segregation policies on the city's public buses. It was nine years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would change the nation forever. another standout. Great for research projects. GRADES 4-8 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson. $17.99. Who is Octavian Nothing? That's the question That's the Question is an American quiz game show on GSN, hosted by game show veteran and former Entertainment Tonight reporter, Bob Goen, which premiered in October 2006. that will have middle schoolers racing through Anderson's unforgettable National Book Award winner about a boy being raised by mysterious philosophers during Colonial times. GRADES 7 AND UP [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 4 BEST STORIES TO COZY UP WITH Brrr ... Beat the chill this time of year with a cup of cocoa, a soft blanket, and one of these winter-themed storybooks. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer. $16. So long, dog days of summer--winter's hot chocolate, blankets, and wraparound Wraparound A financing device that permits an existing loan to be refinanced and new money to be advanced at an interest rate between the rate charged on the old loan and the current market interest rate. scarves give plenty of warm fuzzies to the little-boy narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. in this gorgeous book. Use it to inspire your students' own poetic takes on the season. GRADES K-3 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Twelve Days of Winter by Deborah Lee Rose, illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis. $14.95. Baby, it's cold outside. From the team behind The Twelve Days of Kindergarten comes a hilarious romp through classroom life during the season of drippy drip·py adj. drip·pi·er, drip·pi·est 1. Characterized by dripping; drizzly: a drippy, wet day. 2. Slang a. Tiresome or annoying. b. boots, chilly-weather words, and snowman craft projects. GRADES K-3 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Terrible Storm by Carol Otis Hurst, illustrated by S.D. Schindler: $16.99. Based on Hurst's grandfathers' recollections of the real-life blizzard of 1888, this is the subtly funny tale of a shy man stranded at a crowded tavern and an extroverted ex·tro·vert·ed also ex·tra·vert·ed adj. Marked by interest in and behavior directed toward others or the environment as opposed to or to the exclusion of self; gregarious or outgoing: one trapped in a barn--"the worst possible place" for each. GRADES 1-3 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Penguins, Penguins Everywhere by Bob Barner. $14.95. An introduction to the science behind Happy Feet! Barner's colorful depiction of penguin habitat and behavior reads like a storybook sto·ry·book n. A book containing a collection of stories, usually for children. adj. Occurring in or resembling the style or content of a storybook: storybook characters; a storybook romance. but is packed with fun facts. (Did you know that some penguins walk on tiptoe?) GRADES K-2 5 BEST TALES OF LOVE & FRIENDSHIP Valentine's Day stories to share with kids--from the little sweeties to the ones figuring out how tough it can be. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Slugs in Love by Susan Pearson, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley. $16.99. Love may not be the first thing you think of with slugs, but Marylou and Herbie will change your mind. GRADES K-3 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The best friends and sometime-superheroes from Half a World Away Half a World Away by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood. $15.99. This story about best friends separated when one moves away promises to stick with readers--just as Louie and Amy stay in each other's minds. GRADES K-3 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt. $16.95. Older readers will be entranced by this dark romance, nominated for a National Book Award. It's the tale of a storyteller shadowed by a young and handsome embodiment of death. GRADES 7 AND UP Babymouse: Heartbreaker heart·break·er n. 1. One that causes sorrow, grief, or disappointment: "one young and chaste, the other a dissolute heartbreaker of 48; one prim, the other passionate" by Jennifer L. Holm Jennifer L. Holm is a Newbery Honor-winning author. Holm was raised in Audubon, Pennsylvania with her four brothers. After graduating from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, she worked in television and later began to write. and Matthew Holm. $5.99. Fans of this graphic novel series will fall in love with the Valentine's Day installment, the saga of trying to find a date for the dance. GRADES 3-7 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cupid by Julius Lester. $17. The god of love gets an update from a master of retelling re·tell·ing n. A new account or an adaptation of a story: a retelling of a Roman myth. , facing struggles with girls and parents who just don't understand. GRADES 3-7 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 5 BEST FOR SCIENCE We found the coolest hands-on experiments and science-focused fiction and nonfiction. Exploratopia by The Exploratorium. $29.99. From the folks at San Francisco's famed science museum comes a treasure trove TREASURE TROVE. Found treasure. 2. This name is given to such money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion, which having been hidden or concealed in the earth or other private place, so long that its owner is unknown, has been discovered by accident. of cool, easy experiments. GRADES 3-8 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages. $16.99. Eleven-year-old Dewey lives with her father on the secretive Los Alamos compound during WWII WWII abbr. World War II WWII World War Two . Kids will be captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. by her unusual story and friendship with an artist. GRADES 5-8 The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degen. $15.99. Everyone's favorite bus driver gives kids a lesson in the scientific method through meet-and-greets with Galileo, Copernicus, and more. GRADES 2-6 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Why Are the Ice Caps Melting? by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Paul Meisel. $4.99. Rockwell and Meisel tackle the topic of global warming in a kid-friendly but realistic way. GRADES 2-5 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop. $18. The latest in the stellar Scientists in the Field series takes us to the cloud forests of New Guinea, where scientist Lisa Dabek and her team are researching the elusive tree kangaroo. Thoughtful text and amazing photographs are a series trademark. GRADES 3-8 |
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