I Escaped the World’s Deadliest Shark Attack: The USS Indianapolis Disaster: WW2
Written by Scott Peters and Ellie Crowe
A powerful story of a historical adventure narrated through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old survivor. Josh enlisted with forged papers to avenge the death of his father at Pearl Harbor. He is straight out of boot camp serving on the USS Indianapolis when the battleship is struck by a Japanese torpedo. He struggles to escape the burning ship, but that is just the beginning of his troubles. No help is in sight; sharks infest the waters, and the survivors begin to turn against each other.
This book is a powerful story filled with raw emotions, adventure, and history. The authors provide readers with an action-packed tale filled with interesting facts about sharks and military history. It contains actual photographs, maps, and hand-drawn illustrations.
The book is little more than one hundred pages. Reluctant readers can easily navigate the short chapters with graphics. Targeted for middle grades but just as appealing to young adult and adult audiences.
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Publisher: Beach Lane Books | ISBN-13: 9781534451056
About the Book: Discover the true story of how a shy miner’s daughter became one of the most legendary costume designers in Hollywood in this inspiring nonfiction picture book biography.
As a child in the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada, Edith Head had few friends and spent most of her time dressing up her toys and pets and even wild animals using fabric scraps. She always knew she wanted to move somewhere full of people and excitement. She set her sights on Hollywood and talked her way into a job sketching costumes for a movie studio.
Did she know how to draw or sew costumes? No. But that didn’t stop her!
Edith taught herself and tirelessly worked her way up until she was dressing some of the biggest stars of the day, from Audrey Hepburn to Grace Kelly to Ginger Rogers. She became the first woman to head a major Hollywood movie studio costume department and went on to win eight Academy Awards for best costume design—and she defined the style of an era.
Jeanne Walker Harvey studied literature and psychology at Stanford University and has worn many job hats, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney, a middle school language arts teacher, and a long-time docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She is the author of several books for young readers, including the picture book biographies Dressing up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head,Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. Jeanne lives in Northern California.
Diana Toledano is an illustrator, writer, and educator. She is also a Pisces who loves children’s books, patterns, and dancing her heart out. Originally from Spain, Diana (pronounced the Spanish way: dee-ah-na) grew up in Madrid where she studied art history and illustration. Now she lives in San Francisco with her husband and two fluffy cats. Her mixed media art seeks to capture the magic of the ordinary. Diana’s product designs, picture books, board books, and chapter books have been published and sold all over the world. Diana also teaches workshops for kids and adults. She enjoys doing school visits and speaking at conferences.
This is a beautifully illustrated picture book that relates the biography of Edith Head, the famous Hollywood costume designer.
Edith seemed an unlikely candidate for such a career. She grew up in isolated mining towns in the desert; her father worked as a mining engineer. Edith grew up with few friends, so she dressed up pets and invented make-believe friends with scraps of fabric. When she moved to Searchlight, Nevada, Edith created costumes for her two girlfriends.
Life changed when her mother sent her to high school in Los Angeles. There she fell in love with the movies. After attending college, she got a job drawing costumes. At first, she failed, but Edith worked hard until she became an Academy Award winning costume designer.
Edith provides a strong female role model for young girls everywhere, proving to them that through arduous work, determination, and perseverance, anyone can achieve a dream.
I would highly recommend this gorgeous picture book for primary grade readers, especially those interested in fashion design and the movies.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a set of five copies of Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head!
Five (5) winners receive:
A set of five copies of Dressing Up the Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head
Written by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson, and Nia Roberts
Illustrated by Alex Scheffler
This book is available in kindle, audio, and paperback editions. It is laid out in a question-and-answer graphic novel format.
The characters ask questions about the origin, symptoms, spread, treatments, preventions, vaccines, and social-emotional issues. There is an effort to include examples of diversity and disabilities so that all types of children are included. It provides a great deal of information without advocating a specific approach.
I do think that the print size in the kindle edition could be made much larger. It is rather difficult to read. A larger easy-to-read font would be friendlier to those with visual problems.
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YOU LAUGH, YOU LOSE – 9-Year-Old Edition 300 Jokes for Kids that are Funny, Silly, and Interactive Fun the Whole FamilyWill Love
Written by Smiley Beagle
This book is targeted at nine-year-olds and will have its most appeal to middle-grade readers. It is part of a series of joke books that can be read alone or shared with a family or friends as a game. Each person reads a joke when playing the game but must pass the book to another if he laughs.
The jokes are divided into chapters by categories like people, food, animals, science, and assorted jokes.
Children who can’t get enough of jokes will appreciate the series. Recommended especially for reluctant readers and children who are not ready for longer chapter books.
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Kids on Earth: A Children’s Documentary Series Exploring Global Cultures & the Natural World: Costa Rica
Written by Sensei Paul David
My title does not necessarily imply criticism. This book contains a wealth of information. Readers learn about the climate, customs, language, culture, topography, economy, and recreational pursuits available in Costa Rica. A brother and sister, Joaquin and Yocsary, narrate a soup-to-nuts tour of what a visitor might find while in this intriguing land.
Each page includes a colorful illustration and a box of more fun facts after the explanation. My only criticism is that the storyline could be tightened up to read more smoothly. It feels a bit choppy because the information switches topics rapidly. On the other hand, almost any type of question that a reader might have is answered.
I recommend the series to children who love learning about new cultures, travel, and adventure. Recommended for elementary and middle-school students
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Written by Karl Beckstrand and Veara Southworth Fife
Illustrated by Sean Sullivan
This book is book one of a series for children about young immigrants.
Agnes was born in Scotland and lived there with her siblings. After her father’s disappearance at sea, her mother turns to the Mormon faith. When Agnes turned nine in 1856, her mother had saved enough money to sail to America and become a part of the Latter-Day Saints community in Utah.
Their journey contained numerous perils. After sailing to New York, they took a train to Iowa. There the hardships began. The family must walk pulling a cart with their possessions. Their food supplies became depleted, and the weather turned frigid. Agnes and her family faced frostbite and near annihilation.
The story is biographical and written by a descendant. Sean Sullivan does a marvelous job with emotive illustrations. I like the interactive aspect of the book allowing readers to revisit the story by answering questions and voicing their opinions. This series is sure to inspire readers in elementary and middle school.
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Publisher: Practice Readers Books | ISBN-13: 9781778066702
Publisher’s Synopsis: Letter Sounds Abound is a friendly alphabet book that highlights big ideas about how written language works for preschool and kindergarten children. It focuses on the most common letter-sound relationships while helping children tune in to the fact that letters can make different sounds in different situations to avoid confusion for beginners. The rhyming text makes it fun for parents to read to their children time and again, while simple line drawings inspire imagination without competing for attention with text.
Catherine S. Young has spent her career putting research insights into practice across the spheres of education, public health, and electronics. The proud mother of three delightful developing readers, she founded Practice Readers Books to provide evidence-aligned books to support the unique needs of fledgling readers (and their parents) at school and at home.
Victoria Gesner (Pelletier) is an artist and educator based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She believes in making literacy and art affordable and accessible to all.
A simple tool to teach preschool and kindergarten students to learn and read alphabet sounds and words. The author introduces forty-four sounds and the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Young emphasizes first skills of reading like tracking left to right and following with the finger. Gesner’s illustrations are presented as simple black and white pictures containing the single letters, digraph sounds, and alphabet letters. Children learn how to point out the capital and small letters as they find out about the sounds associated with each. Two sentences on each page rhyme to make reading out loud a fun exercise pleasing to the ear.
This book provides a teaching tool for adults to read as well as for the child to pick up independently as she becomes more confident and proficient in phonetic and reading skills. Certainly, a valuable teaching tool for preschool and early childhood teachers as well as parents.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Letter Sounds Abound, the companion practice book Alphabet Print and Colour, a beginner’s notebook, and a set of alphabet letter magnets!
This book is just what the title says, a guide to positive sentences to put in your mind to help you achieve goals in various areas of your life.
A total of 500 positive sentences you can use to motivate yourself in self-worth, achieving success, developing financial success, health, and wellness, and overall happiness in life.
If you are looking for a convenient reference guide to jumpstart your mood and outlook for the day, this book gives you a plethora of mantras to get you started on a positive mindset.
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If you have a child who cannot get enough trivia and likes to show off his smarts, this book might be for you. It is targeted at late elementary and early middle-school ages.
The facts cover almost any subject imaginable. Readers learn what happens to children in China who cheat on tests, how many people believe in vampires, what happens when you eat too many apple seeds, and how penguins propose to one another. The organization of the book is random with no chapters or subheadings. There are lots of illustrations that make the book appealing to reluctant readers.
Despite its limitations, it is a quick read providing snippets of knowledge with some entertainment value.
Millie the Cat Has Borderline Personality Disorder
Written by Jessie Shepherd
Some reviewers have criticized the book for being too simplistic. The author uses a cat named Millie as the protagonist with a borderline personality disorder. Using simple illustrations, Millie first explains the disorder by revealing the opposite emotions it brings on.
The second part of the book is my favorite part. Millie points out certain skills may be learned to control her emotions and then provides concrete examples of how persons suffering from this disorder have significant strengths and advantages as well as weaknesses and disadvantages.
I believe this book can be a valuable tool when used in conjunction with a skilled therapist or teacher. If read independently by a child, it will need adult explanation and elaboration to ensure there are no misunderstandings.
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September 4, 2022
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