| Owls. Gail Gibbons, Gr. K-3. A colorful, factual look at raptors of the night,
full of information tied specifically to the owls of North America. Gibbons
trademark watercolors provide lively renditions of a variety of the silent
hunters. (School Library Journal)
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| Chameleon, Chameleon.
Joy Cowley, photographs by Nic Bishop, Gr. K-2. A stunning photo essay featuring a panther chameleon native to the tropical rain forests of Madagascar. Crisp, clear, full-color photos portray this reptile and its habitat as it searches for food. Exceptionally attractive layout. Booklist starred review. |
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| Ballpark: The
Story of America's Baseball Fields. Lynn Curlee,
Gr. 3-6. In this succinct and thoughtful overview, Curlee traces developments in the game from the mid-1800's to the construction of landmark arenas. Stylized, full-page acrylic paintings add to the nostalgic tone of the book: players appear dramatically frozen in time as flags flap crisply against pastel-tinted skies. (SLJ) |
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| The Curse of
the Bambino. Dan Shaughnessy, illustrated by C.F.
Payne, Gr. 3 & up. Boston Globe sportswriter Shaughnessy relates the legendary curse placed upon the Boston Red Sox with the 1920 cash sale of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Publishers Weekly calls Shaughnessy's tale "super-deluxe masochism...In story after story of near-triumph, the book should delight the team's most fanatically loyal followers, who will find it the verbal equivalent of a hair shirt." |
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| Seeds. Ken
Robbins, Gr. PreK-3. Simple text and many crisp, large-scale photos introduce seeds to young children. Primary grade teachers will appreciate this book for the clarity and beauty of its illustrations. (BL) |
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| Genius: A Photobiography
of Albert Einstein. Marfe Ferguson Delano, Gr. 5-8. There are plenty of books about Einstein, but this one combines a solid text with a particularly attractive format. Delano brings Einstein to life so that readers come to care about him as a person, not simply as a genius. Oversized and filled with well-selected photographs, the book is very handsome. A Booklist starred review. |
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| The Boy Who Drew Birds:
A Story of John James Audubon. Jacqueline Davies, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, Gr.
3-5. This beautifully illustrated book focuses on the young John Audubon's interest in migrating birds and depicts his attempts to determine whether some birds return to the same nest each spring. The book nicely blends historical information with a description of the process a naturalist goes through to investigate a "mystery" of nature. (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children) |
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| The Roman Army: The
Legendary Soldiers Who Created an Empire. Dyan Blacklock, illustrated by David
Kennett, Gr. 4-7. Using an eye-grabbing comic-book format, Blacklock and Kennett describe the fighting techniques, engineering feats, and rank and file of an awe-inspiring war machine. An action-packed amalgam of facts and crisply detailed illustrations. (SLJ Best Book 2004) |
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| Top Secret: A Handbook
of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing. Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Jenna
LaReau, Gr. 4-8. Janeczko provides the lowdown on making and breaking codes through lucid explanations, enticing activities and intriguing examples from history. complete with humorous cartoons, this book is a young cryptographer's dream. (SLJ Best Book 2004) |
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| Sequoyah: The Cherokee
Man Who Gave His People Writing. James Rumford, Gr. 1-4. An eloquent tribute to a man who was determined to preserve his cultural heritage. A bilingual text and stunning art inform readers of the known facts about Sequoyah and liken him to his redwood namesakes. (SLJ Best Book 2004) |
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| George vs. George:
The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides. Rosalyn
Schanzer, Gr. 3-6. In 1793, leaders with firm but opposing views on the rights of American colonists sat on opposite shores of the Atlantic. This balanced and accessible history explains both points of view while detailed watercolor art and maps add fascinating insights into the battle that ignited a revolution. (SLJ Best Book 2004) |
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