Nonfiction

The High Line: A Park to Look Up To by Victoria Tentler-Krylov

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  After New York City’s elevated railroad became obsolete, a group of neighbors saw the possibility of turning the tracks into a park.  They held a competition to generate ideas and chose a proposal that created a space inspired by the old railroad.  The short section that was built was immediately popular, drawing both locals and tourists, and resulted in the “High Line effect” with new businesses opening nearby.  An unfortunate downside was the gentrification that made it difficult for the original residents to afford the new neighborhood, and when similar parks were built in other cities, efforts were made to mitigate this effect.  Today, the High Line continues to thrive in New York City and in other places around the world that were inspired by the original.  Includes an author’s note, a timeline, a selected bibliography, and endpapers showing places in the park. 40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  You’ll want to head for NYC after reading this fascinating introduction to the High Line and the similar parks it’s inspired, with colorful watercolor illustrations that capture the construction process and the beautiful finished result.  I liked that the author included the issue of gentrification that has been addressed but not completely remedied.

Cons:  No photos.

Wings, Waves & Webs: Patterns in Nature by Robin Mitchell Cranfield

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Greystone Books

Summary:  Readers are invited to find patterns in nature, beginning with simple ones like spots (a ladybug and a guinea fowl feather) and stripes (a skunk and a sunflower seed).  The patterns become increasingly complex, moving on to mirror and radial symmetry, branching, and collective motion.  Each type is accompanied by one or two illustrations that show the pattern in nature.  The final spread of a flower garden invites the reader to look for the different patterns that have just been introduced.  36 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A simple but thorough introduction to patterns that will have kids recognizing them in everyday life.  The beautiful graphics make this an eye-catching addition to STEM collections.

Cons:  I know the Oxford comma is optional, but I would have made the title Wings, Waves, & Webs.

Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havrelock and Edward Kay

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Christy Ottaviano Books

Summary:  Before making contact with Europeans, indigenous people had technologies to assist them with communication, transportation, agriculture, health care, and more.  While these innovations were designed to help people, they were created in ways that didn’t hurt the environment.  As their lands were increasingly taken over, they often hid these technologies, but today, as the author says, they are often hidden in plain sight: when we eat maple sugar, paddle a kayak, or marvel at astronomical wonders.  The text is divided into eleven chapters, with a final chapter that looks at how indigenous knowledge can help create a sustainable future.  Each chapter has activities to let kids try some samples of the technologies written about.  Includes a map showing cultural areas and peoples referenced, a glossary, a list of contemporary indigenous science organizations, a bibliography, source notes, and an index.  272 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  This meticulously researched, engagingly written book provides a fascinating look at indigenous technology, some of which we can see around us today.  Anyone curious about indigenous history or creating a sustainable future will find something of interest here, and the activities make this an excellent text to use for STEM curriculum.

Cons:  The book is pretty text heavy, with some black and white photos.  I felt like color photos and a more engaging layout would have made it more appealing to a wider audience.

We Are Branches by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Branches may call to mind the tops of trees, but the bottoms, their roots, also have branches.  So do rivers and bolts of lightning.  Look closely, and you’ll notice branches in coral reefs and snowflake crystals.  There are branches in bodies, too: bones that branch into fingers and the veins and arteries that allow blood to circulate.  Branches are strong and brave!  Includes additional information about branching patterns.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A Joyce Sidman-Beth Krommes collaboration is always a treat, with beautiful poetic language and distinctive scratchboard illustrations.  This is a great addition to STEM collections, encouraging readers to look for patterns in nature.

Cons:  The last book on patterns this team did was Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature, published in 2011. I hope they’ll create another pattern book before another dozen years go by.

Search for a Giant Squid by Amy Seto Forrester, illustrated by Andy Chou Musser

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Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  You’re going on a scientific expedition to search for a giant squid!  Choose your team, pick your submersible, decide on a destination, and you’re off.  Each decision you make leads to a different outcome, and only one will result in a sighting of the elusive giant squid.  Along the way, you’ll learn a lot about this mysterious animal, as well as what it takes to have a successful scientific expedition–and the many things that can go wrong along the way.  Keep trying, and you’ll be able to count yourself among the lucky few who have seen the giant squid!  Includes a list of animals in the book, a glossary, a bibliography, and a list of additional resources.  96 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  This is a fun twist on the choose-your-own-adventure model that incorporates a lot of information about squid and science.  I hope this turns into a series.

Cons:  With 11 ways to fail and only one to succeed, I was starting to get discouraged about ever seeing that squid. 

A Year of Good News: 52 Good News Stories from Around the World by Martin Smatana

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Published by Boxer Books

Summary:  Martin Smatana began collecting good news stories during the pandemic, illustrating them with textile collages created from cast-off clothing.  Whether local, (a man who drove his 85-year-old grandmother 40,000 miles so she could see mountains and the ocean for the first time) or international (the eradication of polio in Africa), these 52 stories and pictures are designed to lift the spirits of those weighted down by all the less positive news in the world.  Includes a QR code that takes you to a website with additional good news stories.  112 pages; ages 7 and up.

Pros:  These happy stories and whimsical illustrations will lift anyone’s spirits and send readers on a search for more news that is positive.

Cons:  While I appreciated the human-interest stories, I would have liked to have seen a few more stories with broader scope like the polio one.

The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Matt Patterson

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  Naturalist Sy Montgomery writes engagingly about turtles, starting with descriptions of their anatomy and evolution.  She describes turtle species who hold the records for most colorful, stinkiest, fastest, largest, and more.  There are celebrity turtle profiles and information on how turtles communicate.  Turtles, protected by their shells, have survived for more than 200 million years, but now many species are endangered due to human activities.  The final few pages tell readers different ways they can help them survive.  Includes a glossary, bibliography, and list of resources.  40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Montgomery has a knack for focusing on facts and information that will be of most interest to readers.  The acrylic paintings look almost like photos and show incredible details of a wide variety of turtles.  Kids who already love turtles will be thrilled, and others may become fans after reading this book.

Cons:  I wish this book had been around during my daughter’s decade-long obsession with turtles.

How the Sea Came to Be (And All the Creatures In It) by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Amanda Hall

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Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Rhyming quatrains describe the history of the sea in three parts: the birth of the sea, the birth of life, and the sea from then until now.  All are accompanied by colorful illustrations that sometimes show the sun-dappled waters of the sea and other times take readers down into the black ocean depths.  Includes notes from the author and illustrator; two pages of ocean creatures that include illustrations and a paragraph of information about each; a four-panel gatefold timeline showing seven eras of the Earth’s history; key terms and concepts with definitions; and two pages of additional resources. 56 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A spectacular nonfiction book that should be considered for a Sibert award.  The rhyming text is both catchy and impressive, making this a great choice to read aloud, and the illustrations are truly spectacular, conveying both the powerful forces that created the seas and the incredible diversity of life within them.  The timeline is a masterpiece, and the rest of the back matter makes this an excellent resource for research.

Cons:  I would have liked the timeline to have also been incorporated into the text to show the eras of each of the three parts.

Behold the Octopus! By Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

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Published by Peachtree

Summary:  The amazing octopus is introduced in a series of two-page spreads, each one portraying a different species of octopus with a verb (hunting, changing, graphing) or adjective (luminous, dangerous) and a paragraph of information inspired by that word.  Includes additional information about octopuses, several photos, a list of resources, and a bibliography.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This visually appealing book makes an excellent octopus introduction for preschoolers but provides enough information and back matter to make it a good research resource for older kids. Fans of the Candace Fleming/Eric Rohmann books, especially Giant Squid, will want to check this out.

Cons:  The last two very cool-looking octopuses in the photos at the end aren’t identified.

Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Arigon Starr

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Published by Kokila

Summary:  The story opens with a key moment of the 1911 World Series: Charles Bender of the Philadelphia Athletics pitching to John Meyers of the New York Giants, who hits a double, then goes on to score the winning run of Game One.  Both Charles and John were from Native Nations, and the book goes back to trace the stories of how each one got to play in the World Series.  Charles grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota before being sent to an Indian boarding school in Philadelphia.  John’s childhood was spent on the Cahuila reservation in California.  Each endured poverty and racism as they pursued their love of baseball and eventually wound up in the major leagues.  Together, they played in nine World Series; Charles was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953, and both were inducted into the American Indian Hall of Fame when it opened in 1972.  The book ends with a list of Native MLB players today, and the racism that’s still present with racist team mascots.  Includes an author’s note, timeline, and list of sources.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A fascinating look at two men who faced hardship and racism throughout their lives but rose above it to become excellent athletes who exemplified sportsmanship and teamwork.

Cons:  Kids I work with seem to have no interest in professional baseball these days.