(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Erika Meza. Bright, vividly colored illustrations pair with simple rhyming text as we follow a brown-skinned brother and sister through the joy and fun of a snow day. Just-beginning readers can interact with the story through reading the pictures, increasing phonemic awareness, and practicing vocabulary development. This book should do well in any easy-reader collection.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(3) K-3 National Geographic Kids Chapters series. These nonfiction chapter books focus on animal behavior. Readers are introduced to three human-dolphin relationships (a trainer at a marine mammal institute, a scuba instructor and his dolphin best friend, and an underwater photographer), and three stories of animal troublemakers (an ill-mannered cat, a thieving emu, and a destructive-when-lonely puppy). Engaging photographs and sidebars complement the heartwarming texts. Websites. Ind. Review covers these National Geographic Kids Chapters titles: My Best Friend Is a Dolphin! and Terrier Trouble!.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christine Grove. Kindergartner Amanda (Amanda Panda Quits Kindergarten) has big birthday plans, so she's very annoyed when best friend Bitsy steals the spotlight with her birthday the day before. The two pandas stop speaking to each other until--to everyone's satisfaction--they decide to combine their parties. Expressive illustrations of Amanda and her classmates and plenty of entertaining visual details add humor to this realistic friendship dilemma.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Christine Grove. Amanda Panda ambitiously plans to be a star on the first day of kindergarten. Her plans go awry--annoying classmate Bitsy seems to be getting all the attention--so Amanda quits kindergarten. But when Bitsy gets lost searching for her, Amanda has a satisfying change of heart. The amiable school story features amusing illustrations of expressive panda characters in spiffy first-day-of-school clothes.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Erika Meza. This sweet story follows an African American family as they go to the pumpkin patch to find pumpkins for carving jack-o'-lanterns: "Take a spoon. / Scoop out goo. / Make a face--yikes! / Looks like you!" A short and simple rhyming text pairs with warm illustrations in an autumnal palette to make this a fine seasonal pick for very new readers.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 First Step Nonfiction: Pollination series. For seeds to grow, pollen needs to reach a flower's carpel. In simple language (with potentially difficult words in bold print), this series teaches early readers about the various ways this happens; information is often repeated from book to book. Close-up photos (inconsistently labeled and captioned) of flower structures and yellow pollen dust on fuzzy bees and bats help readers visualize the process. Glos., ind. Review covers the following First Step Nonfiction: Pollination titles: Animal Pollinators, Cross-Pollination, Insect Pollinators, Self-Pollination, and Parts of a Flower.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What Are Earth's Cycles? series. REVIEW MISSING

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Lightning Bolt Books: Animals in Danger series. These brief, sketchlike surveys begin with broad definitions ("[Reptiles] have backbones. They have cold blood. Scales cover their bodies") and include random kid-friendly facts about a handful of endangered and extinct animals alongside eye-catching photos and illustrations. Suggestions for how to help and a page about a back-from-the-brink species are included in each book. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Lightning Bolt Books: Animals in Danger titles: Endangered and Extinct Reptiles and Endangered and Extinct Amphibians.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What Can We Learn from Early Civilizations? series. This series explores daily life in ancient civilizations and how various concepts and tools they invented influenced modern times. "Tools" and "treasures" are fairly loosely defined, making the books wide-reaching but also somewhat of a hodgepodge of topics; connections to current civilization are tenuous. Informative sidebars and photographs of interesting artifacts and sites break up the text. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. This review covers these Searchlight Books: What Can We Learn from Early Civilizations? titles: Tools and Treasures of Ancient Egypt, Tools and Treasures of Ancient Greece, Tools and Treasures of Ancient Mesopotamia, Tools and Treasures of Ancient Rome, Tools and Treasures of the Ancient Maya, and Tools and Treasures of Ancient China.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Heather Ross. Iva's family is going to Stingray Point for a family vacation. Finding the town's legendary sea monster could be Iva's chance to become a real explorer--but she needs a friend to help. Things don't go according to plan, but Iva learns a valuable lesson about the importance of family. Iva's spirit shines through from both the story and Ross's sporadic drawings.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Heather Ross. Determined to follow in the footsteps of her discoverer great-grandfather, eight-year-old Iva Honeycutt (alias Iva Honeysuckle) attempts to find centuries-old buried treasure. Her adventure is thwarted at every turn by her irritating cousin, Heaven--but Iva eventually realizes she may need Heaven's help after all. The story is almost too precious, but idiosyncratic characters and Ross's occasional drawings add appeal.

Reviewer: Ariel Baker-Gibbs

(4) 4-6 Rebel gets stuck baby-sitting for her sister Lynette's son Rudy in a Virginia mobile home community instead of spending her summer at paleontology camp. She enters a pageant in hopes of winning the money to attend; she ends up learning more about Lynette and Rudy, a new friend, and herself than expected. Southern quirkiness abounds throughout the mildly amusing but unsurprising tale.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) 4-6 This basic introduction to scrapbooking includes materials, design, and layout ideas supplemented with detailed outlines and step-by-step instructions. Specific techniques like matting, composition, and color use are addressed in illustrated examples. Suggestions for additional related cards and gift items build on the basics to expand the creative possibilities. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Hollander. In each book, a kid visiting an out-of-state cousin receives state-specific gifts, one per day, during the twelve days of Christmas. Chatty, overly explanatory letters written home to Mom and Dad expand the information; additional state facts are appended to the stories. The books' cheerful illustrations get ever more crowded as the presents accumulate. Review covers these titles: The Twelve Days of Christmas in Iowa, The Twelve Days of Christmas in South Carolina, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C., The Twelve Days of Christmas in Georgia, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Arizona, and The Twelve Days of Christmas in Michigan.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Graphic Universe: History's Kid Heroes series. Adapted by Amanda Doering Tourville. Illustrated by Zachary Trover. These cartoon-panel biographies (with awkward invented dialogue) highlight real-life children and teens facing potential disaster and emerging as heroes. From fashioning snowshoes in order to brave a blizzard to helping rescue shipwrecked sailors to saving a family--and the family's chickens--from being washed out to sea, the subjects' exploits are noteworthy. Somewhat stiff and overly cheery cartoons illustrate the tales. Reading list, websites. Review covers these Graphic Universe: History's Kid Heroes titles: The Lifesaving Adventure of Sam Deal, Shipwreck Rescuer, The Stormy Adventure of Abbie Burgess, Lighthouse Keeper, and The Snowshoeing Adventure of Milton Daub, Blizzard Trekker.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) 1-3 On My Own History series. Illustrated by Laurie Harden. Ten-year-old Orry Jenkins and his younger stepsister, Mildred, nearly suffocate when they're caught in the Black Sunday dust storm of 1935. This simply told story, which introduces independent readers to the Dust Bowl, conveys the storm's intensity and destruction. Harden's stiff illustrations look oddly dated. An author's note and afterword provide more historical background. Bib.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Wade Zahares. In concise couplets, Ransom recounts the legend of Chincoteague ponies ("Big ship wrecks. / Stormy sea. / Cargo horses / Swimming free") and the first Pony Penning Day. To maintain rhythm, the text occasionally sacrifices meaning or creates non sequiturs. Nevertheless, pony lovers will thrill to the story's drama and pacing, also captured in Zahares's blocky, slightly abstract pastel illustrations. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jenny Mattheson. A father and daughter do errands in their trusty old pickup truck. The daughter narrates the simple and mildly patterned story, recognizing new purposes for Old Blue (restaurant, garden, toolshed, etc.) each time they take on new cargo. Saturated colors and rounded shapes in the art and design establish the mood of a happy and easygoing day with dad.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) 4-6 Trailblazer Biographies series. These biographies about two women ahead of their times balance engaging narratives with well-documented quotations and facts. Information is accessible, and the overall structure of the texts is readable and well organized. Photographs effectively supplement the writing. Back matter includes thorough source notes and additional relevant materials. Overall these are very readable introductions to little-recognized figures from American history. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Trailblazer Biographies titles: Belva Lockwood and Maggie L. Walker.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(3) 4-6 When eight-year-old Maddie and her mother move to the country with her mother's new husband, Sam, Maddie is worried she'll miss her perfect city days. As she--and readers--get to know kindhearted Sam throughout seven episodic short chapters, Maddie is pleasantly surprised. Readers will empathize with Maddie in this quiet, lyrical story.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio