Weekly Reader/WRC Media.

Weekly Reader/WRC Media

330 W. Olive #100, Milwaukee, WI 53212

$19.33 Each www.earlyliteracy.cc

The 'Early Learning Library' titles published by Weekly Reader are 24-page easy readers for the very young, published in sets offering kids very basic information. Take the 'I Use Math' titles: each relates math to everyday life, from games and kitchen work to store and workshop--and each book also appears in a Spanish/English bilingual format. I Use Math In The Workshop (0836848586) and its Spanish counterpart Uso Las Matematicas En El Taller (0836860039) covers building projects; I Use Math At The Game (0836848551) and Uso Las Matematicas En El Juego Depelota (0836860004) discuss math in sports calculations; I Use Math In The Kitchen (0836848578) and counterpart Uso Las Matematicas En La Cocina (0836860020) discuss kitchen measuring; I Use Math At The Doctor's (0836848543) and Uso Las Matematicas En El Medico (0836859995) survey scales, temperature and more; I Use Math At The Store (083684856X) and Uso Las Matematicas En La Tienda (0836860012) surveys the shopping process, and I Use Math On A Trip (0836848594) and Uso Las Matematicas En Un Viaje (0836860-047) tells of maps and measurements. All are geared to grades 1-3. The bilingual Spanish/English 'Water Habitats' introduces the same age group to water habitats using the same full-page bright color photos of kids interacting with their environment: recommended picks include Wetlands (0836860322), Lakes (08368602-92), Beaches (0836860276), Ocean Floors (0836860306), Rivers (08368603-14) and Coral Reefs (0836860284). The 'Animals: Desert' series focuses on desert creatures with the same bilingual format/age range reached for Gila Monsters (083-6848276) and its Spanish bilingual Mostruos De Gila (0836848411), Vultures (0836848314) and its bilingual sister Vultures/Buitres (0836848454) and Rattlesnakes/Serpientes De Cascabel (0836848-438). 'Animals that Live in the Desert' adds more desert wildlife: Jackrabbits/Liebres Americanas (083684842X) describes hares; Roadrunners (0836848306) and Roadrunners/Correcaminos (083684-8446) describes the bird of the desert, an Coyotes (0836848268) and its bilingual Coyotes (0836848403) describes appearance and natural history. The 'Animals and Their Senses' set provides a focus on different animal senses and how different animals use them. Animal Touch (083-6848063) and its bilingual Animal Touch/El Tacto En Los Animales (0836848187) covers animal appendages and touch; Animal Sights (0836848039) and companion Animal Sight/La Vista En Los Animales (0836848152) tells of how animals see differently, Animal Smell (0836848047) and Animal Smell/El Oleato En Los Animales (0836848160) tells of how different animals use their sense of smell; Animal Taste (0836848055) and Animal Taste/El Gusto En Los Animales (0836848179) tells of taste buds and how different animals desire different foods, and Animal Hearing (083684802) and Animal Hearing/el Oido En Los Animales (083684-144) tells of how animals use hearing to survive. The 'People We Should Know' series ($25.05 each) are also winners, each presented in either English or Spanish. Cesar Chavez (0836847458) and the Spanish version (0836847598) provides 24 pages pairing black and white photos with a coverage of the farmworker's life and fight for civil rights; Neil Armstrong (0836847-44X) and its Spanish version (0836847-58X) tells of a boy who dreamed of flying and grew up to be the first man to walk on the moon; John F. Kennedy (0836847-474) and Spanish version (083684761X) introduces a young President who was a politician and family man; Walt Disney (0836847466) and Spanish companion (836847601) tells of a man who loved to draw as a boy and grew up to create some of the best cartoons in the world; Rosa Parks (0836847482; Spanish, 08368476-28) documents an African-American who fought for equality with quiet determination. All provide biographical sketches to a younger audience than is usually treated to such coverage. Simply outstanding.