Book Review: How Do Fires Protect Nature?

How Do Fires Protect Nature? by Dinyar Minocher

How Do Fires Protect Nature?: A Book About Fire Ecology
by  Dinyar Minocher, Srimalie Bassani (illustrator)

Fires can be dangerous, but they can also be helpful. A controlled burn can revive an old forest and provide a new habitat for animals where new plants can grow. In this book we learn all about how ecosystems can bounce back after a fire and emerge better than ever!

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Book Review: Charley Mouse Cleans House

Charley Mouse Cleans House by Katerina Gorelik

Charley Mouse Cleans House
by Katerina Gorelik

3 out of 5 stars

Charley Mouse is a cleaning lady and she goes around the magical forest and wild wood to clean the homes of the other animals and magical creatures. She cleans the home of Mr. Fox, but is told not to go in the bedroom. We can see that he is hiding caged animals for his dinner. She cleans for Mr. Wolf, and doesn’t see the bones piled up in his pantry. The witch’s house is always filthy, and Charley Mouse knows to stay away from the poison potions brewing in the kitchen, especially one labelled “gin”. The unicorns are sweet clients, but Charley has to clean out their chamber pots. At least their manure smells like strawberry jam, so it’s not too unpleasant. Charley cleans for the gingerbread people, a dragon, the moles, and frogs and snails. But when she gets home, it’s time to clean her own little house!

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Book Review: High Top, Sole Mates

High Top by Tom Lacey

High Top: Sole Mates
by Tom Lacey

High Top is a shoe in Shoe Town. He loves to show his friends how much he cares for them. He does them favors, gives thoughtful gifts, helps them out, and gives hugs and high fives all the time. But he wants to do something REALLY BIG to show them how big his love is. He designs a HUGE sign to show the whole town how he really feels, but disaster strikes and High Top is discouraged…. until his friends show up to help!

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Book Review: Just One More Story

Just One More Story by Perry Emerson

Just One More Story
by Perry Emerson, Sean Julian (illustrator)

Two bunny siblings have very different tastes when it comes to stories. Pip loves to sit quietly and read about sunflowers and love and sunshine picnics. Bun wants stories about bag guys, pirates, and spies with plenty of action… and cake! Can these two siblings find a way to enjoy reading stories together?

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Book Review: The Armadillo Who Came for Dinner

The Armadillo Who Came for Dinner by Steve Smallman

The Armadillo Who Came for Dinner
by  Steve Smallman, Joëlle Dreidemy (illustrator)

When an Armadillo comes rolling into their lives, the animal friends aren’t quite sure how to befriend him. Little Lamb tries to give him a hug, but the Armadillo is too tough for hugs. Wolf is worried that the Armadillo will destroy every vase in the house when he rolls around smashing things. They go to visit the fair, but the Armadillo trips and starts rolling and knocks over everything in sight! He scares all the animals and destroys the ice cream cart and bouncy castle. But when Little Lamb is in trouble, they will be grateful for Armadillo’s tough hide.

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Book Review: At the Top of the World

At the Top of the World by Robin Jacobs

At the Top of the World: The greatest mountains on Earth (and how to climb them)
by Robin Jacobs

This book tells all about the tallest and most dangerous mountains in the world, including Mount Everest, The Mattherhorn, Chimborazo, Mount Fuji, Kilimanjaro, Denali, Puncak Jaya, and Vinson Massif. From Nepal to Tanzania to Antarctica, we learn all about these famous mountains and the people who climb them.

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Book Review: A Book Dragon

A Book Dragon by Donn Kushner

A Book Dragon
by Donn Kushner

4 out of 5 stars

Nonesuch is a dragon without a treasure. When his grandmother dies, she leaves behind a substantial treasure of gold and jewels, but it doesn’t really feel quite right to Nonesuch. He goes through a transformation and discovers that he can shrink down to the size of an insect if he doesn’t eat much, or he can grow larger again if he eats more. He is curious about humans, so he shrinks down and flies into an abbey where a monk is painstakingly writing and illuminating a prayer book. The monk is inspired by the sight of a tiny dragon and begins to draw him into the margins of the book. When a thief threatens to steal the precious book, Nonesuch knows that he has found a treasure he will guard with all his heart. But he is trapped along with the book in a strong box and can’t get out for centuries. When he emerges into the modern world, Nonesuch must find new ways to navigate the world of men and protect his treasure.

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Picture Book Review: Teeth

Teeth by Magda Garguláková

Teeth: You Only Get Two Sets
by Magda Garguláková

5 out of 5 stars

This book is perfect to teach young children about how to care for their teeth and why it is so important to brush and floss regularly. We also learn about the dentist and how we lose our baby teeth. There is a whole section about enamel and cavities and the roots of the teeth. There is a section all about how our teeth form when we are tiny unborn babies and then start to grow out when we are about 6 months old. Incisors, molars, wisdom teeth, and dentures – this book covers all the bases when it comes to teeth!

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Book Review: How to Avoid Being Eaten by Sharks

How to Avoid Being Eaten by Sharks . . . by John Larkin

How to Avoid Being Eaten by Sharks . . .: And Other Advice
by John Larkin (Goodreads Author), Chrissie Krebs  (illustrator)

The author gives humorous and silly advice on various topics such as avoiding sharks and aliens, deciphering your parents grammatically incorrect threats, and answering questions such as whether or not the earth is really flat. There is also a section about writing that will help you with your creative writing assignments… if you happen to be writing about zombies.

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Book Review: Little Girl Lost

Little Girl Lost by Temple Bailey

Little Girl Lost
by Temple Bailey

4 out of 5 stars

Araminta is barely nineteen when she agrees to elope with Barney. But she doesn’t really love him; she just wants to get away from her stepsisters at home. Araminta is also trying to forget about Jan, the gentleman who broke her heart two years before. But when she unexpectedly sees Jan on the night before the wedding, Araminta calls off the elopement and decides to take up a career as an actress in New York. The critics think she has some talent and Araminta throws herself into her acting career, working herself to death trying to forget both Barney and Jan. Through the course of a year, she tries to make sense of her own heart and find her way back to the man she truly loves.

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