Science and Math

• Butterflies and Moths
• Our Farm: Four Seasons With Five Kids on One Family's Farm
• The Way We Work
• Just the Right Size: Why Big Animals are Big and Little Animals are Little
• The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

Arts and Literature

• Look! Seeing the Light in Art

Social Studies

• Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
• Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life
• Belle and Bob LaFollette: Partners in Politics
• Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice
• Sweethearts of Rhythm:The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World

Nelson, Marilyn. Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. New York, NY: Dial Books, 2009. Ages 9 and up.

Now almost forgotten, the Sweethearts of Rhythm were an all-girl swing band during World War II comprised of talented young musicians of all backgrounds: Asian-American, African-American, mixed-race, white. They fought hard to prove themselves as legitimate jazz musicians and ended up taking the world by storm. However, like many opportunities for women during this time period, the band dissolved once the war ended and the men returned home.

Nelson uses energetic, musical poetry to tell the Sweethearts' stories. The voices are those of the instruments who traveled with the band, and the poems touch on everything from the precise musical technique needed to really swing to the racism faced by the band as they traveled in states where it was illegal for different races to perform together. Pinkney's lyrical watercolor paintings infused with mixed media illustrate the poems individually, but also offer a complementary series of images of life during the War. Together, the poems and paintings offer a unique experience of history as personal, emotional, sensual, and vibrant.

Recommended as a teaching tool for lessons in poetry, art, music, and history. Students will be able to go back to this stunning book again and again, and will find new things to appreciate every time.

Hoose, Phillip. Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice. New York, NY: Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009. Ages 11 and up.

Nine months before Rosa Parks became the figurehead for a movement to desegregate Montgomery's bus system, a fifteen year old African American teenager named Claudette Colvin took a brave stand against injustice, refusing to give up her bus seat to a white woman. Arrested, convicted, and placed on probation, this promising young student found herself with a criminal record and only mixed support from her own community. African American leaders deemed it too soon to organize widespread opposition to the unjust segregation laws, and Claudette was seen as too young to represent the movement. Though she later appeared as a plaintiff in the federal court ruling that officially ended bus segregation in Montgomery, Claudette's story has been virtually lost to history.

Author Phillip Hoose tracked down this unsung heroine of the Civil Rights movement, and persuaded her to share her story. Part social history, part memoir, Hoose weaves together Ms. Colvin's own memories with detailed historical accounts of the larger Civil Rights Movement and the other figures, including Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who played a roll. The engaging text is supplemented with period photographs and newspaper reproductions, an extensive list of further resources, and a fascinating author's note detailing the process of investigation that led Hoose to Ms. Colvin. Young adults are sure to be inspired by Colvin's story and fascinated by the circumstances that have kept her unknown for so many years.

Winner of the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor for outstanding contribution to Children's Literature, and a Sibert Honor for outstanding informational book for children.

Bishop, Nic. Butterflies and Moths. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2009. Ages 8 and up.

You've never seen butterflies like this before! From newly hatched caterpillars to the individual scales on a butterfly's wings, Bishop's photography paired with his succinct and engaging text revels in small details and unique stories.

Young readers will love sharing all the "did you knows?" that they'll encounter, such as the caterpillar that tricks predators by imitating a snake or the dung-eating moths that are very picky about their food choices.

Bishop is careful to label each photograph with a scale so readers can understand the real life size of these tiny critters. Additionally, he includes an interesting afterword describing the sometimes agonizingly long process of capturing the book's images. For lessons on everything from animal defenses to life cycles, don't miss this fascinating book! Includes index and glossary.

Rosen, Michael J. Our Farm: Four Seasons with Five Kids on One Family's Farm. Plain City, OH: Darby Creek, 2008. Ages 8 and up.

In this beautifully photographed book, Rosen introduces readers to the Bennetts, a real farming family with 5 kids, 3 dogs, lots of cows, and a way of life that many children have only read about.

Rosen lets the family tell their own story, devoting each spread to a different aspect of their life and weaving their words together with more in-depth information on the animals, objects, and activities found around the farm. From hunting season to the cycle of life and death to the breeding process, Rosen presents the reality of life on a contemporary farm with clarity, understanding, and an excellent sense of his audience.

Davies, Nicola. Just the Right Size: Why Big Animals are Big and Little Animals are Little. Illustrated by Neal Layton. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2009. Ages 9 and up.

In this fascinating book about big and small in the animal kingdom, zoologist Nicola Davies examines the laws of nature and physics that make each creature what it is. Davies explains how size relates to everything from diet to migration to communication in the animal kingdom. Young readers will pour over Layton's hilarious rough cartoon sketches, often hidden away in the margins,  that illustrate Davies' concepts so effectively.

Davies doesn't dumb down the topic, freely using math and science terminoloy and assuming that readers understand multiplication and basic facts about cells and the systems of the body. However, she manages to make it accessible, engaging, and thorough, and answers a lot of questions that kids have about the world of animals. This book would make a great tool for teaching biology to older elementary students, and will prove to be an interesting read for anyone who picks it up!

Cole, Joanna and Bruce Degen. The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2010. Ages 7-10.

It's been three years since the release of the last Magic School Bus book, and fans of the series are sure to be pleased with the latest arrival. Ms. Frizzle's multicultural class is back, and with the help of the always-adaptable Magic School Bus, they are traveling around the world to investigate the causes and effects of climate change.

From melting glaciers to the greenhouse effect to alternative energy sources, Cole and Degen offer a fairly comprehensive overview of the climate change phenomenon, touching briefly on some of the controversy surrounding the issue, but focusing mostly on the physical evidence for global warming and the human behaviors that continue to impact the environment. As with the other titles in this series, the pages are jam-packed with information. Primary text, illustrations, and numerous sidebars all contribute important details that young readers will enjoy pouring over. The final pages end on an overwhelmingly positive note, highlighting the little things and the big things that kids and their families can do to help solve the problem, and reassuring readers that there is still time to make a change for the better. This is an accessible introduction that effectively covers a number of complex scientific concepts while inspiring kids to make a difference in the lives of their communities.

Wolfe, Gillian. Look! Seeing the Light in Art.

London: Frances Lincoln Books, 2007. Ages 8-11.

Ever wonder what makes a painting mysterious or striking? Why do we feel cold when we look at a scene of a winter's day? Wolfe explains all this and more in this introduction to the way light works in art.

Using paintings from all over the world and a variety of different time periods, Wolfe presents simple, 2 page spreads in which she encourages readers to look closely at the way artists depict and use light. Full of questions to direct the attention of readers to certain techniques, this book also offers a suggestion of some kind of supplementary activity for each painting. A great instructional tool for teaching elementary school kids about art!

Floca, Brian. Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11.

New York, NY: Atheneum Books, 2009. Ages 4-8.

This stunning picture book tells the story of the first moon landing through simple, poetic language and beautiful illustrations that capture the magic of space exploration. Floca manages to fit in a lot of information while still making the book accessible for a wide-range of readers: younger children will find the narrative engaging, while older children will pour over the details in the illustrations and endpapers. This is a great introduction to the excitement and the wonder felt by all who lived through this momentous event - don't miss the 30th anniversary, coming up in July.

Sandler, Martin W. Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life. New York, NY : Walker and Co., 2008. Ages 9-12.

More than a biography of Lincoln, this beautiful book examines the early years of photography and the impact it had on the life and career of one of our country's most beloved figures.

Filled with rare photographs of Civil War America, Lincoln Through the Lens presents short, engaging, two page spreads focusing on Lincoln, his career, the people in his life, and the world in which he lived. Much of Sandler's focus is on Lincoln's almost mythic presence in American history. However, the book also reveals the human side of Lincoln's life, offering a glimpse into the challenges he faced, the burdens he carried, and the very deliberate way in which he structured his public image.

Kann, Bob. Belle and Bob LaFollette: Partners in Politics. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society, 2008. Ages 8-11.

This newest addition to the Badger Biographies series outlines the life and legacy of the most famous couple in Wisconsin politics: "Fighting Bob" LaFollette and his wife, Baraboo native Belle Case LaFollette.

Through an accessible, engaging format that includes a rich collection of photographs, readers learn about the history of the Progressive and reform movements of the early 20th century, and the LaFollette family's role in shaping both state and national politics. An excellent introduction for elementary school students to two big figures in Wisconsin history!

Macaulay, David. The Way We Work. New York, NY: Walter Lorraine Books, 2008. Ages 9 and up.

Get up close and personal with yourself! Macaulay presents the human body through colorful two-page spreads depicting everything from bone growth to digestion. The illustrations are often very funny, and always incredibly detailed. Great for the budding surgeon in your house, and also recommended for educators looking for accessible and accurate explanations of complicated bodily functions.