La biomeaestra

Gr 4—6—Fifth-grader Blas has an eccentric teacher. She is a biomaestra, or a teacher of everything natural and from nature. Her courses include feng shui, yoga, global warming, vegetable gardens, Halloween, and donkeys. She takes her students on many adventures in and outside her classroom, introducing them to some of the most important aspects of existence. Blas is a little unsure of her at first, but he finds himself learning along with his fellow students more than he had imagined. La Biomaestra pushes the borders of traditional education and will helps kids really think about establishing their own well-being as well as that of the world around them. Guirao's illustrations are spooky and somewhat reminiscent of a Tim Burton film. They would be great for a ghost story, but don't seem to fit the overall inspirational tone of the book.—Jessica McClinton, King County Library System, Auburn, WA