Hello,
I hope you all had a good vacation and are back ready to go again!
I am continuing the books recommended to us by Judy Freeman at the BER seminar I attended.
Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin. Cusolito, Michelle. Illus. by Nicole Wong. Charlesbridge, 2018. 32. P. Gr. 1 – 5.
Explorers who wish to see what it is like deep down in the ocean, can read this book to learn what it would be like to board the Alvin. Alvin is a deep-sea submersible vessel connected with Atlantis, a research vessel from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Alvin is just big enough for three persons to board, dive, and gather samples for research. Students who love the ocean will enjoy learning about this vessel.
Hawk Rising. Gianferrari, Maria. Roaring Brook, 2018. Illus. by Brian Floca. 40 p. Gr. 1 – 5, RL: 2.1.
About a decade ago, I bought a picture book titled Arrowhawk by Lola M. Schaefer and it has become a favorite. I recommend it to nearly everyone. When I saw that this book is about a red-tailed hawk family, I decided to get it. I also really like books that tell more facts or information about the subject and this one does not disappoint. Students are also encouraged to watch for red-tailed hawks and given ideas of where to look for them. Whether or not you are a bird lover, this will be a great addition to your library.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race. Shetterly, Margot Lee. Illus. by Laura Freeman. Harper, 2018. 40 p. Gr. 2 – 6. RL: 4.5.
This picture book is the basic story from the book for adults by the same name. I’m glad that Ms. Shetterly created this picture book so children can know more about the true background of the space race. I grew up in that time and never knew about these brilliant women and what they did for our astronauts and the space program.
How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine. Guglielmo, Amy, and Jacqueline Tourville. Illus. by Giselle Potter. Simon & Schuster, 2018. 40 p. Gr. K – 6. RL: 4.6.
If you are familiar with Temple Grandin, you will know that she was on the autism spectrum and was a spokesperson for people who are autistic. She became famous for her contributions in humane treatment of cows, and different inventions. Temple did not enjoy being hugged but she did like getting between the couch cushions and having her sister walk on her, so she built what she called a ‘squeeze machine’. The pressure of this invention seemed to feel good to her. Children will learn and maybe understand better what it might have been like for Temple and others who have similar differences.
Imagine. Herrera, Juan Felipe. Illus. by Lauren Castillo. Candlewick, 2018. 32 p. Gr. K-6. RL: 3.0.
The author of this book was the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2015 – 2017 which is impressive to me. He wrote this book/poem for young people who may be searching for what they want to do in life. Each page begins “If I . . .” and ends with the word “Imagine”. Example: “If I let tadpoles swim across my hands in the wavy creek, imagine.” As you read the book, you begin to realize that he is telling his own story of his childhood in California with his migrant family and through school. His last few lines of this book/poem are, “If I stood up wearing a robe in front of my familia and many more on the high steps of the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C., and read out loud and signed my poetry book like this – Poet Laureate of the United States of America – imagine what you could do.”
I LOVE this! What an encouragement to anyone. Imagine what you could do.
Nothing Stopped Sophie: A Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain. Bardoe, Cheryl. Illus. by Barbara McClintock. Little, Brown, 2018. 36 p. Gr. 2 – 6. RL: 4.0.
Sophie Germain loved math. Not just loved it, but was completely obsessed with math. Her main problem was that she lived in the 18th century during the French Revolution and women didn’t have the same rights that we enjoy today. First, she had to battle her parents who tried to keep her from staying up all night working on math. They gave up when they found her asleep at her desk by a frozen bottle of ink and allowed her to study inside, in her father’s study. Then she had to battle the university professors who would have nothing to do with a women mathematician. One professor corresponded with her until he learned that she was a woman, then stopped writing.
Eventually, Sophie earned the respect of the mathematicians. She is best known for her work with prime numbers and her name is given to a particular type of prime number.
That does it for this week. I hope you have a great weekend.
Audrey
