Science FACTopia!: Follow the trail of 400 STEM-tastic facts (FACTopia!, 6)
by Rose Davidson (Goodreads Author), Andy Smith (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

This book gives random facts about science, the earth, the universe, animals, trees, and the ocean. We can learn about astronauts, sloths, weird plants, tennis, rabbits, polar bears, and new technology. The illustrations and photos are eye-catching and colorful. Each factoid is short; just one sentence that tantalizes your brain to learn more! The factoids are arranged so that each fact leads into the next with one small thing in common.

However, I have to wonder just how much of this book is true, and how much is just guess-work and theories. The book does not always make it clear which factoids are theories and which are backed up by empirical data.

Llamando a mamá (Spanish Edition) (Calling Mama)
by Anya Damirón, César Barceló (illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Max calls for his mother every time he needs something. He screams out “Mama!” if he is hungry or can’t reach his toys or wants a glass of water. He yells for her so much that she tells him to only call for her if he really needs help. One day he screams for his mother, but she doesn’t respond. She waits to see what he will do without her. And he learns to be more independent and solve his own little problems by himself. His mother is still there to help him when he really needs it, but Max starts doing things on his own more and more. Until one day, his mother is the one to yell out “Max!” when he is making a mess in the kitchen!

As Brave as a Lion
by Erika Meza

5 out of 5 stars

A little girl is sometimes scared, but her lion helps her to be brave. They are always together through everything. The little girl goes to a new playground and climbs up the highest slide she has ever seen. The lion climbs up with her. But when they get to the top, they are BOTH scared! It looks too high! How will they ever find the courage to get down? They give each other courage because they are together!

Betty and the Mysterious Visitor
by Anne Twist, Emily Sutton (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Betty loves to visit her grandmother in the country. They get to work in the community garden and harvest berries to make jam. But one morning they discover that something has destroyed part of the garden, digging up the grass and flowers and plants. Betty stays up late to spy out her window and she sees a badger digging up the garden looking for food. Betty comes up with a plan to scare off the badger and save the garden!

Dakota Crumb and the Secret Bookshop: A Tiny Treasure Hunt
by Jamie Michalak (Goodreads Author), Kelly Murphy (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Dakota the mouse receives a letter from her cousin Julien begging for her help to find a lost book. Dakota follows the clues to a bookstore in Paris. She must search diligently to find each clue along the way that leads her to the secret book. But when she reaches the end of her search, the book is not at all what she expected.

Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion: A True Story
by Dave Eggers, Júlia Sardà (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

In the 1870s, a silver mine was established in Idaho when a dog chasing a gopher starting digging a hole and found silver in the ground. A man named Minnie Moore sold the silver mine to Henry Miller, making it Miller’s Minnie Moore Mine. Henry Miller built a beautiful mansion for his wife and son.

Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories
by Jarvis

5 out of 5 stars

Bird is waiting for Bear to come out and play when she falls into a flower and can’t get out. She’s trapped upside down inside the petals! Bear comes out looking for her and thinks he has found a talking flower that keeps yelling for help.

A Gift from Abuela
by Cecilia Ruiz

5 out of 5 stars

Abuela and Niña are as close as can be. They play together, shop together, cook together, and make beautiful cut banners (papel picado) in pretty designs. They always go to the park and buy delicious pan dulce (sweet pastry) to share together. Every week Abuela sets aside a little bit of cash in a savings tin to someday buy a special surprise for her granddaughter. But as the economy in Mexico changes, they can’t afford as many things. The government changes the money, and everyone has to exchange their cash. And Niña grows up a little more all the time. She spends more time with her school friends, instead of spending all her time with her grandmother. With all the changes around them, can Abuela and Niña still capture the love and happiness they used to have?

Lupe Lopez: Reading Rock Star!
by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo (Goodreads Author), Pat Zietlow Miller (Goodreads Author), Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Lupe is a rock star with music, but when she tries to read it’s slow going. The school has a “Reading Wall of Fame” and you can get a shiny yellow star next to your name. Lupe wants to be rock star with reading too! But when one of her classmates makes fun of her slow reading, Lupe decides to give up on reading. It’s too hard to sound out all the words. Her teacher tells her that reading and music work together, but Lupe just can’t see it. Will she ever become a star reader?

Great White Shark
by Claire Saxby (Goodreads Author), Cindy Lane (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars

A female great white shark roams the oceans, searching for prey. She navigates through a sense called electroreception. She can find her way through miles and miles of ocean. She hunts seal pups, striking fast and sure to get her meal. She has special muscles that help her to move quickly in the water. She travels to warmer water to give birth to seven baby sharks, and immediately abandons them. They must fend for themselves, but she has left them in a place with rich and abundant food.