Our library is always getting new books which we tend to devour. The children's librarian keeps a round table filled with all the new-to-our-library books. Conveniently placed at the front of the children's room, all patrons of the library can see it easily.
Each library visit results in several new-to-us books being checked out. This past visit was no exception. What may have been the exception is the diversity of the books I chose and how close this listing looks like a day of school, especially when combined with the grammar and word books I found earlier...hmmm. Seems like I snuck some school into that summer break, eh?
Science and Technology - For starters, we found a few science and technology books. Pictured above are It's Raining! by Gail Gibbons and Light Is All Around Us, by Wendy Pfeffer. These two were best read aloud with my soon to be second grader. Though he could have read them on his own, I prefer to extrapolate on several of the ideas presented and interact more with the text than just passively reading the books.
It's Raining! differentiates between various rain clouds and types of rain. It was fascinating to read and the text does a great job of simplifying the information, not dumbing it down.
Light Is All Around Us is a summary of a unit study on light. There are pages about different kinds of light, including natural and artificial light, how light travels compared to other forms of energy, and how our eyes see with the aid of light. Several hands-on learning activities are included in the back of the book.
I picked up How Does Cloud Computing Work? by Leon Gray for my oldest son. He read it in one sitting and said it was interesting. Since it is summertime and the book was really just for leisure reading I didn't require him to tell me anymore. I am considering that his recommendation for the book.
Geography - My husband and I lived in Massachusetts when we were first married. So anytime I see a book about New England or Massachusetts in particular, I am curious. Did they get it right? Did they capture the spirit of the people or reflect the area accurately? Celebrating Massachusetts is a child's book about places to visit in Massachusetts. As I read this with my youngest son, I was happy to discover the book not only 'gets it right,' but includes a wide variety of sites and interesting facts about the small state.
History - All Different Now is a lyrical book filled with lovely illustrations about the day a group of slaves discovered they were free. The minimal text is filled with emotion and gratitude. In order for my son to appreciate the depth of the text, I did have to explain a bit of the background to him.
Math - The book Have You Seen My Dragon, by Steve Light is a delightful story detailing a boy's search for his dragon. As he seeks his dragon through the city streets, he encounters many different areas and people. On each set of pages, readers can count various objects. These objects are highlighted by a specific color on an otherwise black and white illustration. The dragon appears on each set of pages as well. Sometimes he is in an awkward or silly position.
Nature Study - The cover of this book looked interesting. So, I picked it up. Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World is filled with numerous animal eye facts. Some facts are creepy, but overall my youngster loved the book. I did have to alter some of the writing as it teaches evolution as fact in the introduction. I simply scanned the text and inserted our beliefs and time line. For the bulk of the text, evolution is mentioned a few more times. These I altered to reflect our faith.
Plant a Pocket of Prairie is a sweet book about prairie plants and animals. Detailed illustrations and text reveal the variety of grass and wildflowers which grew in the prairie. Each plant is paired with an animal which eats, houses, or uses that specific plant. It certainly displayed the interdependence of the habitat.
Just for Fun - Sometimes a book is just read for fun! Such was the case with The Tree House that Jack Built. The rhythm of the text and the brightly colored illustrations had my son and I enthralled with this imaginative book.
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