Number Eight

Shapes with Ocean Animals by Mélanie Watt. (Kids Can Press; 12 pages—board book; ISBN: 1553378326; Ages: 0-5.)

Opposites with Polar Animals by Mélanie Watt. (Kids Can Press; 12 pages—board book; ISBN: 1553378326; Ages: 0-5.)

These two board books in the Learning With Animals series are perfect for small hands and growing minds. Shapes features the triangle, square, rectangle, circle, oval, pentagon, star, crescent, and spiral. Each shape is represented by a creature in the ocean.

Opposites includes north/south, tall/short, far/near, winter/summer, wet/dry, open/closed, awake/asleep, light/heavy, inside/outside/, and big/small. As with Shapes, here the concepts are represented by animals. Open and closed, for example, are represented by two Atlantic puffins, one with its beak open and one with its beak closed.

The concepts are presented on double-page spreads. The artwork is bright and bold. Highly recommended.

Ocean Babies by Deborah Lee Rose; Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. (National Geographic; 32 pages; ISBN: 0792266692; Ages: 4-8.)

"Big as a bus, and smaller than seeds, billions of babies are born to the ocean." So begins this impressive introduction to the cycle of life which occurs in the watery depths of our oceans. Rose does an excellent job of describing in simple, poetic terms the habits and habitats of animals such as the blue whale, sea horse, bat ray, Orca, otter, and more.

A four-page page appendix offers detailed descriptions of each creature mentioned in the text.

The loose, flowing illustrations are done (of course!) in watercolors and are a perfect match for the lyrical text.

Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp by Philip Pullman; Illustrated by Sophy Williams. (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic; 64 pages; ISBN: 0439692555; Ages: 9-12.)

If we had to describe this book in one word it would be . . . gorgeous. The text is enchanting and the illustrations wonderfully atmospheric. Pullman does an excellent job retelling the classic tale of a young wastrel who grows "in wisdom and in wealth" when he finds a magic lamp.

Excellent choice for independent reading.

Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer. (Gulliver Books/ Harcourt; 208 pages; ISBN: 0152165444; Ages: 12 and up.)

The story begins as fifteen-year-old Catalina, a princess, journeys from Spain to England in order to marry young Prince Arthur, heir to the English throne. When Arthur dies shortly after the wedding, Catalina—now called Catherine—lives in a state of powerlessness and poverty as her destiny is decided by fate.

Meyer does a superb job of recreating the life and times of the members of the royal court during the Renaissance. An authentic, poignant tale.

Sneakers (Where's The Science Here?) by Vicki Cobb. (Millbrook Press/Lerner Publishing Group; 48 pages; ISBN: 076132772X; Ages: 9-12.)

Did you know that sneakers have been around since the late 1800s? "'Sneaks,' as they were first called in 1873, let you move so quietly it was easy to sneak up on someone." Not much changed for nearly a century. Then, sneakers went "high tech." The soles became lightweight and layered. Manufacturers began making uppers from leather, nylon, or "ballistic nylon."

So where is the science in sneakers? For one thing, manufacturers employ scientists who study biomechanics, "the study of how the body moves." Cobb spends several pages discussing the design of feet. The topic of rubber is covered as is the production of a "sneaker model." Experiments are included.

We found the volumes in this series extremely popular with our students, especially our reluctant readers.