I randomly picked two choices from my large stack of read-and-review books--and found two great ones to share!
Who Am I? An Animal Guessing Game by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page would be a wonderful pairing with the Texas 2x2 book I read in the Book Nook, Ocean Animals from Head to Tail, since they both focus on animal details. Who Am I? describes several body parts that make each animal unique, and then reveals the creature on the following two-page spread. Most elementary school-aged students will be able to guess the animals right away, and will enjoy the additional facts about each in the back of the book. I especially liked the size comparisons given and the simple bibliography to lead children to more learning.
It's not often I pick up a chapter book and finish it in a couple of days during the school year, but that's what happened with Kiran Millwood Hargrave's The Cartographer's Daughter.
Isabella loves to hear her father's stories of island life before the arrival of the cruel, domineering Governor. She has a special friendship with the Governor's daughter, Lupe, who is kind and seems unaware of her father's reputation. Together they play and go to school in the town of Gromera, never venturing past the orchards and into the Forgotten Territory per the Governor's orders. A catastrophic event leads to chaos and rebellion in Gromera, and a trek into the Forgotten Territory to find the perpetrators. Isabella must use all the skills her cartographer father taught her to save their lives--and possibly the future of the island itself. The Cartographer's Daughter is a great middle grade adventure in a made-up world with understandable characters and hints at the truths to be found in myth.
It's Monday--have you read a book lately that you couldn't put down?
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