(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Animal Superpowers series. Each book presents four to five examples of an animal adaptation or behavior, such as wood frogs' freezing to hibernate, with additional similarly adapted animals showcased in "Compare It" inserts. Explanations of each titular behavior are quite brief, but the extended discussions of an individual animal's related habits, complete with multiple photos of each in action, provide good detail. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: Animal Superpowers titles: Exploding Ants and Other Amazing Defenses, Thousand-Mile Fliers and Other Amazing Migrators, Trap-Door Spiders and Other Amazing Predators, Dancing Bees and Other Amazing Communicators, Frozen Frogs and Other Amazing Hibernators, and Walking Sticks and Other Amazing Camouflage.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Animal Superpowers series. Each book presents four to five examples of an animal adaptation or behavior, such as wood frogs' freezing to hibernate, with additional similarly adapted animals showcased in "Compare It" inserts. Explanations of each titular behavior are quite brief, but the extended discussions of an individual animal's related habits, complete with multiple photos of each in action, provide good detail. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: Animal Superpowers titles: Exploding Ants and Other Amazing Defenses, Thousand-Mile Fliers and Other Amazing Migrators, Trap-Door Spiders and Other Amazing Predators, Dancing Bees and Other Amazing Communicators, Frozen Frogs and Other Amazing Hibernators, and Walking Sticks and Other Amazing Camouflage.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Cutting-Edge Robotics series. After an introduction about robots or drones working their magic in a real-life scenario, each text covers the history of the featured "bots" and the technologies behind them; a final chapter offers a balanced look into the future. Clear prose is complemented by relevant captioned photos and well-placed sidebars. A challenging but instructive project is appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Cutting-Edge Robotics titles: Drones and Flying Robots, Humanoid Robots, Law Enforcement Robots, and Robot Competitions.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Cutting-Edge Robotics series. After an introduction about robots or drones working their magic in a real-life scenario, each text covers the history of the featured "bots" and the technologies behind them; a final chapter offers a balanced look into the future. Clear prose is complemented by relevant captioned photos and well-placed sidebars. A challenging but instructive project is appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Cutting-Edge Robotics titles: Drones and Flying Robots, Humanoid Robots, Law Enforcement Robots, and Robot Competitions.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Cutting-Edge Robotics series. After an introduction about robots or drones working their magic in a real-life scenario, each text covers the history of the featured "bots" and the technologies behind them; a final chapter offers a balanced look into the future. Clear prose is complemented by relevant captioned photos and well-placed sidebars. A challenging but instructive project is appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Cutting-Edge Robotics titles: Drones and Flying Robots, Humanoid Robots, Law Enforcement Robots, and Robot Competitions.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Cutting-Edge Robotics series. After an introduction about robots or drones working their magic in a real-life scenario, each text covers the history of the featured "bots" and the technologies behind them; a final chapter offers a balanced look into the future. Clear prose is complemented by relevant captioned photos and well-placed sidebars. A challenging but instructive project is appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Cutting-Edge Robotics titles: Drones and Flying Robots, Humanoid Robots, Law Enforcement Robots, and Robot Competitions.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What Is Digital Citizenship? series. Each volume addresses middle-grade kids directly, suggesting practical moves (skim websites to determine usefulness), warnings (never plagiarize), and critical thinking (what is the website's purpose: to inform or advertise?). Cautions about personal safety, appropriate language and sites, spam, and other issues are firm but not frightening. Color photos show kids using computers, laptops, and smartphones alone and with adults. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Searchlight Books: What Is Digital Citizenship? titles: Digital Safety Smarts, Smart Internet Surfing, Smart Online Communication, and Smart Online Searching.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What Is Digital Citizenship? series. Each volume addresses middle-grade kids directly, suggesting practical moves (skim websites to determine usefulness), warnings (never plagiarize), and critical thinking (what is the website's purpose: to inform or advertise?). Cautions about personal safety, appropriate language and sites, spam, and other issues are firm but not frightening. Color photos show kids using computers, laptops, and smartphones alone and with adults. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Searchlight Books: What Is Digital Citizenship? titles: Digital Safety Smarts, Smart Internet Surfing, Smart Online Communication, and Smart Online Searching.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What Is Digital Citizenship? series. Each volume addresses middle-grade kids directly, suggesting practical moves (skim websites to determine usefulness), warnings (never plagiarize), and critical thinking (what is the website's purpose: to inform or advertise?). Cautions about personal safety, appropriate language and sites, spam, and other issues are firm but not frightening. Color photos show kids using computers, laptops, and smartphones alone and with adults. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Searchlight Books: What Is Digital Citizenship? titles: Digital Safety Smarts, Smart Internet Surfing, Smart Online Communication, and Smart Online Searching.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What Is Digital Citizenship? series. Each volume addresses middle-grade kids directly, suggesting practical moves (skim websites to determine usefulness), warnings (never plagiarize), and critical thinking (what is the website's purpose: to inform or advertise?). Cautions about personal safety, appropriate language and sites, spam, and other issues are firm but not frightening. Color photos show kids using computers, laptops, and smartphones alone and with adults. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Searchlight Books: What Is Digital Citizenship? titles: Digital Safety Smarts, Smart Internet Surfing, Smart Online Communication, and Smart Online Searching.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 First Step Nonfiction: Observing Fall series. Each small volume gives kindergartners a level-appropriate amount of information about its title autumn-related topic. Well-chosen stock photos are paired with simple sentences that reinforce what readers may already know ("Apples grow on trees") and provide new tidbits or details related to farming in the fall season ("Pumpkins can be blue too!"). Glos., ind. Review covers these First Step Nonfiction: Observing Fall titles: I Eat Apples in Fall, I Pick Fall Pumpkins, and I watch Fall Harvests.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 First Step Nonfiction: Observing Fall series. Each small volume gives kindergartners a level-appropriate amount of information about its title autumn-related topic. Well-chosen stock photos are paired with simple sentences that reinforce what readers may already know ("Apples grow on trees") and provide new tidbits or details related to farming in the fall season ("Pumpkins can be blue too!"). Glos., ind. Review covers these First Step Nonfiction: Observing Fall titles: I Eat Apples in Fall, I Pick Fall Pumpkins, and I watch Fall Harvests.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 First Step Nonfiction: Observing Fall series. Each small volume gives kindergartners a level-appropriate amount of information about its title autumn-related topic. Well-chosen stock photos are paired with simple sentences that reinforce what readers may already know ("Apples grow on trees") and provide new tidbits or details related to farming in the fall season ("Pumpkins can be blue too!"). Glos., ind. Review covers these First Step Nonfiction: Observing Fall titles: I Eat Apples in Fall, I Pick Fall Pumpkins, and I watch Fall Harvests.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Playing with Words series. Each book opens with a brief definition of the focal word type, then provides occasionally substantive but often bland sample sentences with the relevant words called out in bold (e.g., "I take a ride in a plain plane" in Homophones). Bright, relevant stock photos accompany the texts and occasionally aid in decoding. There are six other fall 2016 books in this series. Reading list. Review covers the following Playing with Words titles: Cupcakes for My Birthday, I See the Sea, Mom, Pop, and Tot, Doctor by Day, Ninja by Night, In and Out, and Smelly, Stinky Skunk.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Playing with Words series. Each book opens with a brief definition of the focal word type, then provides occasionally substantive but often bland sample sentences with the relevant words called out in bold (e.g., "I take a ride in a plain plane" in Homophones). Bright, relevant stock photos accompany the texts and occasionally aid in decoding. There are six other fall 2016 books in this series. Reading list. Review covers the following Playing with Words titles: Cupcakes for My Birthday, I See the Sea, Mom, Pop, and Tot, Doctor by Day, Ninja by Night, In and Out, and Smelly, Stinky Skunk.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Playing with Words series. Each book opens with a brief definition of the focal word type, then provides occasionally substantive but often bland sample sentences with the relevant words called out in bold (e.g., "I take a ride in a plain plane" in Homophones). Bright, relevant stock photos accompany the texts and occasionally aid in decoding. There are six other fall 2016 books in this series. Reading list. Review covers the following Playing with Words titles: Cupcakes for My Birthday, I See the Sea, Mom, Pop, and Tot, Doctor by Day, Ninja by Night, In and Out, and Smelly, Stinky Skunk.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Beginning to Read Book series. These slight books use high-frequency words to encourage early readers to read independently. The simple layout and bright, colorful images may draw beginning readers in, but the stilted texts aren't engaging. Readers will glean some basic facts about each sport. Reading reinforcement tips are included. Review covers these Beginning to Read Book titles: Let's Play Basketball, Let's Play Football, Let's Play Hockey, and Let's Play Soccer.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Beginning to Read Book series. These slight books use high-frequency words to encourage early readers to read independently. The simple layout and bright, colorful images may draw beginning readers in, but the stilted texts aren't engaging. Readers will glean some basic facts about each sport. Reading reinforcement tips are included. Review covers these Beginning to Read Book titles: Let's Play Basketball, Let's Play Football, Let's Play Hockey, and Let's Play Soccer.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Beginning to Read Book series. These slight books use high-frequency words to encourage early readers to read independently. The simple layout and bright, colorful images may draw beginning readers in, but the stilted texts aren't engaging. Readers will glean some basic facts about each sport. Reading reinforcement tips are included. Review covers these Beginning to Read Book titles: Let's Play Basketball, Let's Play Football, Let's Play Hockey, and Let's Play Soccer.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Beginning to Read Book series. These slight books use high-frequency words to encourage early readers to read independently. The simple layout and bright, colorful images may draw beginning readers in, but the stilted texts aren't engaging. Readers will glean some basic facts about each sport. Reading reinforcement tips are included. Review covers these Beginning to Read Book titles: Let's Play Basketball, Let's Play Football, Let's Play Hockey, and Let's Play Soccer.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee