Amazing Snakes! by Sara L. Thompson, photographs by the Wildlife Conservation Society (HarperCollins, 2006).

Big snakes and little snakes. Snakes that jump from trees and snakes that slither on the ground. Green snakes, black snakes, striped and spotted snakes. Poisonous snakes and harmless snakes. Snakes that eat mice or fish, snakes that eat birds or bats, and even snakes that eat crocodiles. If you like snakes, this is the book for you!

Sarah L. Thomson uses simple language, short sentences, and pronunciation guides within the text to create an engaging book on the lives of snakes. Emerging readers ready for Level 2 “I Can Read” books should have little trouble making their way through the text, and the brilliant photographs will help hold a reader’s attention. In brief passages, page by page, Thomson describes different kinds of snakes around the world, their methods of catching and eating their prey, their use of camoflauge, and their life cycles. At the end, Thomson describes how snakes are a necessary part of the environment and why it pays to protect snakes. She also discusses how scientists study snakes.

Written for the emerging reader, the book would also be an excellent choice for a reluctant reader who has an interest in creepy creatures.

Mummies: The Newest, Coolest, & Creepiest from Around the World by Shelly Tanaka (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2005)

What is it about mummies that is so fascinating? Is it coming literally face-to-face with someone from the distant past? Is it the extraordinary amount of information a mummy reveals about the culture it came from? Or is it just that mummies are creepy, and we all love a shiver?

Shelly Tanaka takes the reader on an around-the-world journey to look at some of the most famous — and infamous — mummies that have been unearthed. Unlike other books that focus on Egypt, Tanaka begins in the Americas, home to the oldest mummies known. There, bodies might simply be dried in desert sands, or elaborately prepared by dismemberment, drying, and reassembly into clay-covered puppet-like figures. There are mummies that are probably sacrifices to Inca gods, to a body accidentally frozen over 500 years ago in a glacier in British Columbia.

The tale turns to Egypt, home of the most famous mummies, and tells about a modern Egyptian mummy, made by researchers from a donated body to study how Ancient Egyptians preserved their dead. The mystery of young Tutankhamen’s death (illness? accident? or murder?) is explored. A trip northward to Europ takes us into the land of the bog bodies, where people who were either sacrificed or executed (no one knows for sure) were tossed into the bogs, where strong tannic acids preserved them. After a look at the Iceman, found in Italy, and some puzzling mummies in Ireland, the tale moves to Asia, where tall, Caucasian-looking bodies were mummified in northern China. No one knows who these people were, nor how they got there. Nomads, perhaps?

Finally, the book goes where many mummy books never tread: modern mummies. There is the bizzare practice of self-mummification by Buddhist monks in the Himalayan mountains. There are cadavers preserved by plastination, partically-dissected and used in a modern educational museum show (ew! ew! ew!). There are the bodies of Eva Peron, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao Zedong, preserved with chemicals, and placed on display.

This book is a must for any young mummy fan who is interested in more unusual mummies. It is illustrated throughout by colorful photographs, some of which are not for the faint of heart!

The Day the Dinosaurs Died by Charlotte Lewis Brown, illustrated by Phil Wilson (HarperCollins, 2006)

When a giant fireball streaks down from the sky and smashes into the earth, even the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex is no match for its explosive power. Pteranodons go hurtling through the air, scorched by the explosion. Fire and flood down a Triceratops herd, and those dinosaurs that escape the destruction find themselves without food.

In this fictionalized account, based on actual fossils, Charlotte Lewis Brown tells a dramatic story of the extraordinary day in which an asteroid crashed into the earth. While it’s probable that dinosaurs were already in decline at the time, and that some may have survived the catastrophe but were out-competed by other species, the author chooses to focus on the brief moment in time when something close to 70% of species on earth, including most of the dinosaurs, may have been wiped out by a sudden global catastrophe. While there are alternative hypotheses to explain the K-T boundary (fossil traces in rocks that show a sudden global change, and that bear traces of soot and tell-tale chemicals), the most widely accepted one at present is the asteroid hypothesis.

This level 2 easy-to-read book could be just the thing for reluctant readers who need a gripping tale to keep them engaged. Dinosaurs have wide appeal for children, and this book has the added action-movie appeal of fire and explosions.

The book could also be a great tool for discussing scientific evidence. Why do paleontologists think that an asteroid struck the earth 60 million years ago? What do they use as evidence? How do they build scientfic theories (evidence-based explanations for natural phenomena) from data?

Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt (Nomad Press, 2006).

There’s been a lot of feel-good nostalgia about the Second World War in the media. This book, however, isn’t just another “wasn’t that a great war?” entry into the general collection. Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself is an introduction to the World War II era that includes the good, the bad, and the really, really ugly, from daily sacrifices in support of the troops, to blatant raw racism seen in everyday art and propaganda.

No doubt that World War II was a defining period in the world’s history, a period that brought the United States forward as a leading world power. Yet the uncertainty of the era and the underlying fear that infused daily life is present in this series of hands-on history lessons.

An introductory chapter gives a brief history of the war itself, from conditions in Germany that led to Hitler’s rise to power, through Japan’s raid on Pearl Harbor that drew the U.S. into the war, and finally Hitler’s demise in a bunker in Berlin. Included are the persecution of Jews and other groups in Germany, and the internment of Japanese-Americans in the U.S. This sets the context for the chapters that follow.

The rest of the book focuses on life on the home front, where civillans were encouraged to “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” Food rationing became a way of life. People grew food in backyard victory gardens, and recipe books instructing homemakers on cooking without rationed foods, such as sugar and butter, appeared on shelves in every kitchen. Readers can try out a sugarless cake sweetened with honey and raisins instead of sugar, and grow a miniature victory garden.

Fear was also a theme on the homefront. Readers learn about propaganda, used both to raise morale and to direct anger and hatred against the enemy. Projects include building a model bomb shelter, models planes (which were used to train aircraft spotters), and victory banners. But just as kids avidly learned how to send coded messages from radio programs or Scouts, dreaming of one day intercept a secret message and catch a spy, readers can learn how to send secret messages, use codes, and learn some words used by Navajo code talkers

All projects in the book use common household items or items that can be easily found at a craft store. Elementary and middle school teachers as well as homeschoolers will find this book valuable for integrating history, art, and language arts in a World War II unit. Young readers interested in history and crafts will find plenty in this book to keep them busy during their leisure hours — just as their World War II era counterparts kept busy with homemade entertainments and crafts.

Review of How Much? Visiting Markets Around the World by Ted Lewin (HarperCollins, 2006).

How much for a rambutan, a durian, or a longan? How much for a llama wool poncho? What about that camel, or that basket of flowers?

Caldecott Honor artist Ted Lewin takes readers on a shopping excursion around the world in a series of deft watercolor sketches. In Thailand, we visit a floating market where shoppers may buy exotic fruits such as rambutan, longans, or the infamous durian (”Eating a durian is like eating vanilla custard in an outhouse.”), or they may stop at a fried-banana boat for a sweet treat. In India, we tour a floral market in the evening, as lamplight reveals smiling faces, bare feet treading over a thick carpet of discarded leaves and petals, and brilliant baskets of flowers. In Peru, a textile market filled with handwoven garments lines a narrow street bisected by a train track, and children dart about only a few feet from the train carrying people to Machu Picchu. In Egypt, we witness camel traders making a deal. And in more familiar territory, we visit a flea market in New Jersey, where people haggle over one another’s discards.

Though most of the settings are exotic and unfamiliar to Western readers, the familiar elements that all have in common are buying, selling, and trading. Children who understand that they can trade money for the things that they want will be fascinated by the kinds of things that other people around the world like to buy, and where they do their shopping.

 Don’t Know Much About Mummies by Kenneth C. Davis (HarperCollins, 2005)

Mummies: engrossing, or gross-out? Readers may react both ways in this lavishly-illustrated picture book by Ken Davis. With his trademark question-and-answer format, Davis explores the myths, facts, and mysteries of human-made mummies.

 Beginning with Egyptian mummies, Davis explains the religious reasons behind the ancient Egyptian practice of mummification, then explains in detail the process of reducing a human body to a preserved mummy that can endure for thousands of years. The process is far more complex than just wrapping a dead body in cloth, as many young readers may imagine. Rather, the body underwent a painstaking disassembly and drying procedure long before the wrappers went on. Readers will also learn about Egyptian funerals, and the rituals of paying respect to the mummified dead — not to mention the disrespect paid by tomb raiders, some of whom were the very people who helped build the tombs, and therefore knew all the secrets!

From Egypt, Davis takes the reader on a world-wide mummy tour. He includes the Chinchorro, Paracas, and Inca mummies of South America, mysterious European-type people mummified in China, charcoal-covered and jade-covered bodies also in China, bog mummies in northern Europe, frozen Inuit mummies in Greenland, the famous Iceman from Italy, and many more.

S.D. Schindler’s illustrations throughout, some cartoony and some life-like, add liveliness and interest to the text. Schindler never shies away from reality, giving before-and-after images of mummified bodies, and realistic sketches of many different mummies. He also manages to lighten the mood with illustrated mummy jokes (How do you know when a mummy is angry? She flips her lid!).

For kids who are curious about Egypt or mummies in general, Davis’ highly-accessible text and Schindler’s engaging illustrations provide a terrific way to explore the fascinating history of mummies. The book would be useful for teachers who want to prepare world history units, or homeschool parents whose kids are interested in ancient history.

Review of Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin, illustrated by Wendell Minor (HarperCollins, 2005)  

 Those of us old enough to remember the moon landings of 1969 know the name of Buzz Aldrin, one of the Apollo 11 crew. In Reaching for the Moon, Aldrin tells his own story of how he went from a boy in the street, staring up at the moon, to becoming one of the first to walk on the moon.

Aldrin recalls his boyhood, and his dreams that he pursued, each a lesson in perseverence. From clinging to a rock collection despite a plunge in a lake, to riding his bicycle alond across the George Washington Bridge into New York City on a twenty-mile adventure, to graduating from West Point and becoming a fighter pilot, each time Aldrin set one of these goals for himself, he pressed forward until he achieved it. When he read of the first American astronaut training program, and learned that a friend of his was applying to become an astronaut, Aldrin realized that astronauts weren’t supermen. They were ordinary men like him. There was no reason he couldn’t become an astronaut, too. He applied to the program, was turned down, and applied again and was accepted.

Aldrin then tells the tale of his training for the Gemini and Apollo missions. Throughout the narrative, he inserts telling details that bring space flight to light: the liftoff that was so gentle, he had to look at the instruments to know he was on his way; looking out the window and seeing that he could cover the earth with his thumb; trying to force a flagpole into the moon’s dusty surface and finding it would only go in a few inches.

Reaching for the Moon would make great reading for classrooms during units on space travel or U.S. history. It’s also an excellent inspirational book to teach children the value of pursuing their dreams and always doing their best. One doesn’t reach the moon — or any other high-flying goal — without working hard.

This little picture book came in a package from HarperCollins. I looked at the title and thought, “Cookies? Okay — so what about cookies?” Then I saw the sub-title and paged through it, thinking, “What a fabulous concept!” It’s one of those books that makes every author say, “I wish I’d thought of that!”

Cookies: Bite-size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Jane Dyer (HarperCollins, 2006) is one of the best concept books I’ve seen in some time. On each page, cookies are used as a familiar vehicle to teach important lessons about life: concepts such as “fair” and “unfair,” what “respect” means, and what “courageous” and “honest” look like. Here’s a sampling:

Cooperate means, How about you add the chips while I stir?

Trustworthy means, If you ask me to hold your cookie until you come back, when you come back, I will still be holding your cookie.

The text is simple, but the lessons sublime, each a tasty bite of knowledge to help youngsters understand important values. The watercolor illustrations are sweet, depicting a colorful fantasy world where children interact with well-dressed, sentient animals.

This little book would be a fabulous gift from grandparents. It would be a great Sunday school reading, for though there are no overt religious messages, the values expressed are universal and presented in an easy-to-digest form. Kindergarten and primary teachers will appreciate the simplicity of the message, and might have their own student create more cookie lessons, or create their own illustrations of the concepts in the books. And of course parents will find this a calming book for bedtime reading.

All in all, Cookies: Bite-size Life Lessons gets top marks from me.

I’ll start off with one of our own: Daredevils of the Air (Avisson Press, 2003). Written to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brother’s first flight at Kitty Hawk, Daredevils grew out of the research I did on several books on avation for the school and library markets. The stories I’d found of daring and often foolhardy adventures were incredible. The dedication of so many aviators to their craft and the risks they would take made for some amazing stories.Out of the dozens of stories and personalities in my files, I chose those that were real daredevils, either deliberately seeking danger, such as stunt pilot Lincoln Beachey, or those who by accident found themselves in hair-raising situations, such as the mid-air oil change performed over the Tasman Sea by Charles Kingford-Smith and P.G. Taylor. I wanted people who overcame incredible odds to make a “first,” such as Bessie Coleman, the first African-American to earn an international pilot’s licence, or Harriet Quimby, first woman to fly across the English Channel. Amelia Earhart made the book for her courageous “firsts,” including the first flight from Hawaii to California.

Here’s the whole list of fifteen amazing aviators in this book:

1. The Wright Brothers: The story of the first flight at Kitty Hawk.
2. Alberto Santos-Dumont: A Brazilian in Paris and avid dirigible pilot who was the first to build and fly a working airplane in Europe, shortly after the Wright Brothers’ flight, but before the world had heard of them.
3. Glenn Curtiss: An absolute dynamo of a man who invented the banked turn, invented float planes, and almost single-handedly developed a Naval flight program.
4. Lincoln Beachey: Stunt pilot extraordinaire, who began his flying career by landing a homemade dirigible on the White House lawn just to call on the President.
5. Louis Blériot: French pilot who was the first to fly across the English Channel, beating his rival, Hugh Latham.
6. Cal Rodgers: A crash-by-crash tale of the first person to cross the United States by air.
7. Harriet Quimby: First female stunt pilot in America, and the first woman to fly across the English Channel.
8. Eddie Rickenbacker: World War I flying ace.
9. Bessie Coleman: Queen of the barnstormers, and first licenced African-American pilot.
10. “Slats” Rodgers: A stunt pilot and bootlegger who’d do just about anything in the air for a buck.
11. Charles Lindbergh: Stories from his airmail pilot days, when survival rates were worse for airmail pilots than for pony express riders in the old west.
12. Amelia Earhart: A story of devotion to the science of aeronautics — but never forget the fun.
13. Beryl Markham: The only female bush pilot in Africa in her day, and the first to fly the Atlantic solo from east to west.
14. Charles Kingford-Smith and P.G. Taylor: How the first attempt at an airmail run from Australia to Tasmania would have ended in a crash in the sea, had Taylor not performed a mid-air oil change.
15. Douglas Corrigan: The famous “Wrong Way” Corrigan and his “accidental” Atlantic flight. That’s his story, and he’s sticking to it.