Groundhog Gets a Say


Pamela Curtis Swallow - 2005
    With the help of a few of his fans, Groundhog is ready to tell everything about himself, from how loud he can whistle (loud), to how fast he can run (not fast), to how many things he uses his teeth for (a lot). Groundhog may be full of himself, but chances are good that, by the end of this book, you'll agree he's pretty wonderful! From the illustrator of the Junie B. Jones books and the author of the Melvil & Dewey books comes a funny, fact-filled look at what happens when one very proud groundhog speaks out.

The Usborne Book of Wild Places: Mountains, Jungles & Deserts (Explainers)


Angela Wilkes - 1999
    This colourful book explores the exciting worlds of mountains, jungles and deserts, their dramatic landscapes, the animals and plants that inhabit them and the people who live in the most beautiful and remote areas of the earth.

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Mammoth Hunter!: Dangerous Beasts You'd Rather Not Encounter


John Malam - 2004
    Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history. As a member of the group, you will get an insider's look at what life was like in the ice age as you follow the migratory routes of your prey--mammoths. Learn what tools and weapons are used for hunting, how you prepare for your hunt by holding a sacred ceremony, how to make shelter on the barren tundra, how to catch the woolly beasts, and how your journey has taken you from Asia and Europe to North America via a frozen land bridge

The Children's Book of Virtues


William J. Bennett - 1995
    Bennett's number-one bestseller; The Book of Virtues, The Children's Book of Virtues is the ideal storybook for parents and children to enjoy together: With selections from The Book of Virtues, from Aesop and Robert Frost to George Washington's life as well as Native American and African folklore, The Children's Book of Virtues brings together timeless stories and poems from around the world. The stories have been chosen especially for a young audience to help parents introduce to their children the essentials of good character: Courage, Perseverance, Responsibility, Work, Self-discipline, Compassion, Faith, Honesty, Loyalty, and Friendship. Lavishly illustrated by the well-known artist Michael Hague, these wonderful stories and the virtues they illustrate come to life on these pages. The Children's Book of Virtues is an enduring treasury of literature and art that will help lead young minds toward what is noble and gentle and fine.

The Lost Spells


Robert Macfarlane - 2020
    Now, The Lost Spells, a book kindred in spirit and tone, continues to re-wild the lives of children and adults.The Lost Spells evokes the wonder of everyday nature, conjuring up red foxes, birch trees, jackdaws, and more in poems and illustrations that flow between the pages and into readers’ minds. Robert Macfarlane’s spell-poems and Jackie Morris’s watercolour illustrations are musical and magical: these are summoning spells, words of recollection, charms of protection. To read The Lost Spells is to see anew the natural world within our grasp and to be reminded of what happens when we allow it to slip away.

The Big Wave


Pearl S. Buck - 1947
    His friend, Jiya, lives in a fishing village below. Everyone, including Kino and Jiya, has heard of the big wave. No one suspects it will wipe out the whole village and Jiya's family, too. As Jiya struggles to overcome his sorrow, he understands it is in the presence of danger that one learns to be brave, and to appreciate how wonderful life can be.The famous story of a Japanese boy who must face life after escaping the tidal wave destruction of his family and village.

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez


Kathleen Krull - 2003
    When he led a 340-mile peaceful protest march through California, he ignited a cause and improved the lives of thousands of migrant farmworkers. But Cesar wasn't always a leader. As a boy, he was shy and teased at school. His family slaved in the fields for barely enough money to survive. Cesar knew things had to change, and he thought that--maybe--he could help change them. So he took charge. He spoke up. And an entire country listened.An author's note provides historical context for the story of Cesar Chavez's life.

The Story of George Washington Carver


Eva Moore - 1971
    This biography follows Dr. Carver's life from childhood to his days as a teacher and discoverer.

The Nantucket Sea Monster: A Fake News Story


Darcy Pattison - 2017
    Historically, the Massachusetts island had served as port for whaling ships. Eyewitnesses swore this wasn’t a whale, but some new, fearsome creature. As eyewitness account piled up, newspaper stories of the sea monster spread quickly. Across the nation, people shivered in fear.Then, footprints were found on a Nantucket beach. Photographs were sent to prominent biologists for their opinion. Discussion swirled about raising a hunting party.On August 18, news spread across the island: the sea monster had been captured. Islanders ran to the beach and couldn’t believe their eyes.This nonfiction picture book is a perfect tool to discuss non-political fake news stories.Back matter discusses the freedom of the press guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Quotes from Thomas Jefferson make it clear that fake news has always been one of the costs of a free press. A Timeline lists actual events in the order they occurred. A vocabulary list defines relevant words.

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland


Sally M. Walker - 2009
    Straight leg bones. Awkwardly contorted arm bones. On a hot summer day in 2005, Dr. Douglas Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution peered into an excavated grave, carefully examining the fragile skeleton that had been buried there for four hundred years. He was about fifteen years old when he died. And he was European, Owsley concluded. But how did he know? Just as forensic scientists use their knowledge of human remains to help solve crimes, they use similar skills to solve the mysteries of the long-ago past. Join author Sally M. Walker as she works alongside the scientists investigating colonial-era graves near Jamestown, Virginia, as well as other sites in Maryland. As you follow their investigations, she'll introduce you to what scientists believe are the lives of a teenage boy, a ship's captain, an indentured servant, a colonial official and his family, and an enslaved African girl. All are reaching beyond the grave to tell us their stories, which are written in bone.

Dr. Seuss: The Great Doodler


Kate Klimo - 2015
    Seuss. Little Ted Geisel always had a sketchpad and pencil in hand. He was a Boy Scout with a penchant for creating zany creatures. He grew up with a love of books and words from his mother, and his inventor father spawned a wildly imaginative and perfectionist side. It’s no wonder that these qualities led to the beloved work of Dr. Seuss, the Great Doodler.   Follow his career as an ad man, political cartoonist, creator of forty-five indelible children’s books, and Pulitzer Prize winner. Not bad for a lifelong doodler! Includes fun facts and several of Dr. Seuss’s original sketches and artwork!

Bound for Oregon


Jean Van Leeuwen - 1994
    Crossing rough terrain and encountering hostile people, the Todds show their true pioneering spirit. But as winter draws near, will the Todds have the strength to complete their journey? And if they make it, will Oregon fulfill their dreams?“This is a convincing picture of a pioneer journey that does a good job of showing the tremendous sacrifices people made to follow their dream of a better life.” –School Library Journal

Dinosaur Dream


Dennis Nolan - 1990
    There, standing in the yard outside his window, is a baby apatosaur. Knowing that the dinosaur can't stay, Wilbur begins the long journey back through time to take him home. Bravely facing a fierce saber-toothed cat and narrowly escaping a monstrous Tyrannosaurus rex, the two new friends trudge through the Ice Age and past the Cretaceous period, finally arriving at the Jurassic period. Once his long-necked friend is safely home, Wilbur makes the journey forward to his own time atop the largest, most spectacular dinosaur he's ever seen.

Strawberry Girl


Lois Lenski - 1945
    Ten-year-old Birdie Boyer can hardly wait to start picking them. But her family has just moved to the Florida backwoods, and they haven′t even begun their planting. "Don′t count your biddies ′fore they′re hatched, gal young un!" her father tells her.Making the new farm prosper is not easy. There is heat to suffer through, and droughts, and cold snaps. And, perhaps most worrisome of all for the Boyers, there are rowdy neighbors, just itching to start a feud.

Meet Samantha: An American Girl


Susan S. Adler - 1986
    Samantha's stories describe her life during this important period of change. Her own world is filled with frills and finery, parties and play. But Samantha sees that times are not good for everybody. That's why she tries to make a difference in the life of her friend Nellie, a servant girl whose world is nothing like Samantha's Samantha befriends a servant girl named Nellie who moves in next door. The girls become fast friends, though their lives are different.