staff

2,367 Articles

Date Range

All

Last 30 days

Last 6 months

Last 12 months

Last 24 months

Specific Dates

From:

To:

Format

All

Article Collection

Blogs

Columns

Downloads

Surveys

Videos

Desert Animals

David WEST | SERIES MADE SIMPLE, Apr 01, 2016

High appeal for browsers.

Each book introduces ten species with a single photo of the animal (on a white background, not in its habitat) and texts in layers of reading difficulty. Basic facts appear in large font; more-in-depth details linked to color-coded icons (for diet, location, size, etc.) appear in smaller, pale print; and chibi cartoon "Safari Sam" offers random factual asides. Overall, this presentation is disjointed. Glos., ind. Review covers these Safari Sam's Wild Animals titles: Desert Animals, Freshwater Animals, Jungle Animals, Mountain Animals, Ocean Animals, and Polar Animals.

Arctic Food Chains

Rebecca PETTIFORD | SERIES MADE SIMPLE, Apr 01, 2016

Basic but well-conceived introductions to the topic.

Bangladesh

Heather ADAMSON | SERIES MADE SIMPLE, Apr 01, 2016

Supplemental choices for reports or nonfiction reading.

Inventing the Video Game

Christine ZUCHORA-WALSKE | SERIES MADE SIMPLE, Apr 01, 2016

Good choices for casual browsers and budding inventors.

These books examine the history and technological underpinnings of these modern machines. Each volume hits on a few key people and events critical to the creation of the technology as well as to the products' broad popularity. The books are quite short, though, and don't provide much more than basic information about these technologies. There are four other spring 2016 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Spark of Invention titles: Inventing the Internet, Inventing the Television, Inventing the Cell Phone, and Inventing the Hybrid Car.

Buzzards

Emily WILSON | SERIES MADE SIMPLE, Apr 01, 2016

Solid introductions to popular birds.

Ankylosaurus and Other Armored Dinosaurs: The Need-To-Know Facts

Rebecca RISSMAN | SERIES MADE SIMPLE, Apr 01, 2016

Serviceable but unexceptional dinosaur species introductions.

Field-guide-like spreads give superficial statistics (including Latin name, pronunciation, size, and period of existence) for about a dozen dinosaur species. Regrettably, the species are organized alphabetically in each slight volume, rather than by any more illuminating scientific scheme. Computer-generated images of what the dinosaurs and their environments may have looked like include helpful pop-up comments. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Dinosaur Fact Dig titles: Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Brachiosaurus.

What's Your Story, Amelia Earhart?

Jody Jensen SHAFFER | SERIES MADE SIMPLE, Apr 01, 2016

Despite hiccups, a good introduction to biographies, with Sequoyah, Paul Revere, and Wilma Rudolph the best of the series.

Cub Reporter "interviews" the legendary African American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. Rudolph responds to simplistic questions about her complicated life in her own hokey "voice" ("Yes, and I was so proud!"). Cartoons of a microphone-holding bear cub alternate with captioned photos that extend information. The premise may work for reluctant readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.