The Book Search

It's hard to find good non fiction for little kids.  Kids are interested in EVERYTHING but it's hard to get a good balance of the specific vocabulary that you need to be able to understand complex topics and text that's easy enough for kids to read.  Here are some that seem to be working that balance! The first one is called "Stickmen's Guide to Aircraft" by Chris Oxlade.  It looks like this might be a series (I checked Amazon and there is another one!) and I think that's a good thing.  This book about aircraft gives an excellent overview of aircraft.  It has information about the history of aircraft as well as information about how aircraft are designed and built.  It also has information about different kinds of engines.  The graphics are nice too.  There is a lot of information in the graphical parts (which my students think is awesome).  This one will appeal to elementary school teachers because it's going to be a great one for teaching...

It's surprising to me sometimes how big a message can come through in a little picture book.  As teachers, we can get caught up in making sure the kids are building stamina or that the books are on an appropriate level, but sometimes, a picture book can bring home a message in such a clear and concise way. This first one is a book like that.  My big kids do a unit on social issues in the spring and this book is going to be perfect for that.  It's called "I Come From the Water" by Vanita Oelschlager.  It's about a boy named Moses who is found after a terrible flood in Haiti.  He is found floating in a basket and taken to children's village with other kids who lost their parents.  The children's village is run by a church and Moses has friends and can go to school so even though he doesn't have parents, he's happy.  The book has lovely, warm, inviting art work and the author emphasizes again and again how  Moses is happy.  It also has some ph...