The Animal Adventure's Guide by Susie Spikol (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

 We received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Animal Adventurer's Guide:
How to Prowl for an Owl, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-handed -- 50 Activities to Get Wild With Animals
by Susan Spikol
Illustrations by Becca Hall
Published by Roost Books
on September 13, 2022
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction
Length: 144 pages
Ages: 5 - 9 years

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Synopsis:
Calling all animal lovers! 50 hands-on activities and adventures that bring you closer to wild animals than you've ever been. 

With 50 interactive activities that include talking like a chickadee, learning to sniff like a snake, and making your own fossils--this is your guide to having fun-filled adventures that will bring you up close and personal with the wild creatures right outside your door. 


Our Thoughts:

A fantastic guide for connecting with nature and wildlife! 

This fantastic guide for kids reminds us to pay attention, practice kindness, stay safe, and to leave nature better than you found it.
It's filled with facts, diy activities, prompts for field journaling, and more, and has chapters specific to birds, mammals, herps, arthropods, and other invertebrates so your child can find and observe their favorite critters! 

The activities range in age group so this would be perfect for multiple age children or kids with differing skill sets. Some are as easy as making toilet paper roll binoculars while others have lengthy instructions and multiple steps. 

This adventure guide is perfect for children and families that love being outdoors or want to get closer to nature, armed with the safest ways to get out, observe, and interact with the wildlife around us. It will definitely prompt you to get out there and to have fun learning! 

"The small things in nature--the things we can hold, touch, or lie down next to and watch closely--these are the things that open our hearts as children. These are what remind us of our connection to one another."

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Little Homesteader: A Winter Treasury of Recipes, Crafts, & Wisdom (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

 We received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Little Homesteader: A Winter Treasury
of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom
Words by Angela Ferraro-Fanning
Illustrations by Anneliesdraws
Published by Ivy Kids
on September 6, 2022
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction
Length: 32 pages
Ages: 5 - 8 years

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Synopsis:
This charmingly illustrated seasonal treasury of nature-based crafts, baking recipes, and gardening projects for the winter celebrates the homesteading lifestyle with self-sufficient and eco-friendly fun.


My Thoughts:

This winter treasury of recipes, crafts, and wisdom is the perfect way to keep your family busy this holiday season! 

Paired with cute illustrations, there are recipes for cocoa, homemade bread, candied oranges, and more, with fun activities such as salt dough ornaments or solstice lanterns mixed in.  You can learn how to tap a tree, which trees to tap, and how to make candy from the syrup. There's also a few pages that focus on winter gardening, animals and their tracks, and different types of evergreens! 

This book is a great resource for families looking for more hands-on activities to keep them occupied during the long winter days stuck inside. With a little supervision and help, these activities and recipes can be fun at almost any age and can even make great homemade gifts for the holidays! 


 Many thanks to Ivy Kids & Netgalley for the chance to read this fun children's book! 

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Kids Cook Dinner by Deanna F. Cook (Children's Nonfiction Cookbook Review)

 We received a temporary digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Kids Cook Dinner:
23 Healthy, Budget-Friendly Meals
from the best-selling Cooking Class series
by Deanna F. Cook
Published by Storey Publishing
on August 30, 2022
Genre: Children's Nonfiction, Cookbooks
Length: 64 pages
Ages: 8 - 12 years

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Synopsis:
It's kids' cooking night--and they're in charge of making dinner!

This selection of 25 easy, budget-friendly dinner recipes from the best-selling Cooking Class series teaches kids how to make tasty, healthy meals with easy-to-follow step-by-step photos. With instructions on basic cooking skills, like chopping vegetables and stir-frying, grocery shopping, and kitchen safety, Kids Cook Dinner offers aspiring chefs ages 8 to 12 everything they need to know to successfully put a healthy, homecooked meal on the table that the whole family will love. 


Our Thoughts:

Kids Cook Dinner is perfect for those apt children who love helping in the kitchen and have their minds set on making dinner ALL BY THEMSELVES!

My own Little has been helping us in the kitchen for years and is always thinking up new meals she can make for us and asking to cook alone. We've browsed so many children's cookbooks and have tried so many recipes but nearly all of them require the help of a parent.
Kids Cook Dinner not only shares twenty-five easy-to-make, budget-friendly meals, but it starts out teaching and showing kids everything they need to know about getting started, kitchen safety, food safety, how to budget for and buy groceries at the best price, how to build a nutritional meal, and more so that they can confidently create a meal for themselves or their family. 

This cookbook includes a fantastic array of recipes for delicious snacks and meals that are loved by many. Photographs paired with step-by-step instructions help kids successfully maneuver cooking on their own.
The 'Think Spring Rolls' are perfect for this time of year but our favorite from this book (and the Cooking Class series altogether) is the beef empanadas! Sooo good! 

I personally loved how much great "adulting" information there is in this book! If you want your children to grow up well-rounded and independent enough to safely cook for themselves and others, this is the perfect addition to your household library!

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The World of Coral Reefs by Erin Spencer & Alexandria Neonakis (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

 We received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The World Of Coral Reefs:
Explore and Protect the Natural Wonders of the Sea
Written by Erin Spencer
Illustrated by Alexandria Neonakis
Published by Storey Publishing
on March 29, 2022
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Nature
Length: 48 pages
Ages: 7 - 10 years

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Synopsis:
Coral reefs occupy less than 1% of the ocean floor, but they support 25% of all marine species with food and shelter. In this lavishly illustrated book for ages 7 to 10, marine ecologist and underwater explorer Erin Spencer provides fascinating, scientific information in a highly accessible format, including details about the types of coral, their anatomy and life cycle, where they live, how reefs develop, and the incredible diversity of marine animals that live among them, including aquarium favorites like clownfish, royal blue tangs, and sea turtles. Kids learn about the interdependent relationships between people and reefs and how human behavior puts reefs in danger, promising conservation work that scientists are undertaking, and solution-oriented ways kids and families can help in the effort. 


Our Thoughts:

This gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book is the perfect resource for learning about our planet's coral reefs.

Learn about the different kinds of coral, where they live and grow, what creatures depend on them for food and shelter, their life cycle, and more! You will also learn how coral reefs help us by providing a source of food, medicine, and a natural barrier from storms. 

Of course, just like the ocean itself, our planet's coral reefs need our help. This book gives great information on how our daily habits affect the coral reefs, as well as tips to help protect them.

Includes the Hawaiian creation story, a glossary, and lots of fantastic links to extra resources that include interactive videos and visual activities, games, apps, database contributions, and more! 
There's also a curriculum guide for educators! 
 

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The Ocean Hero Handbook by Tessa Wardley (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

 I received a temporary digital copy of this nonfiction book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Ocean Hero Handbook:
Simple Things You Can Do To Save Our Seas
by Tessa Wardley
Published by Ivy Press
on April 19, 2022
Genre: Nonfiction
Length: 144 pages

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Synopsis:
Focusing on so much more than plastic pollution, this ahead-of-the-curve book exposes the extensive damage being done to the oceans that most of us don't know about, and what simple, everyday changes we can make to help protect our seas.

This book is a necessary call to act and educate ourselves on the damage human activity is having on our seas, and a guide to how you can help to stop it, whether you live on the coastline or hundreds of miles from the ocean. 

Shocking but enlightening, it illustrates exactly what the problems are, how they impact the ocean, why it is so important to keep our oceans healthy for our own benefit, and what we can do individually and collectively to help save our seas. 


My Thoughts:

This call-to-action handbook is perfect for young environmentalists and thalassophiles (ocean lovers). 

The Ocean Hero Handbook is an intriguing nonfiction book with seven chapters that present specific issues that the ocean faces and then shares what we can do to change the issue and why it is important for us to do so. The chapters, which cover an array of issues each, includes 'indoor', 'outdoor', 'transport', 'on holiday', 'at work', 'food & shopping', and 'clothes'. 

Learn how to reduce your carbon footprint and cut back single-use plastics. Find alternatives to waste products that clog up our waterways, learn how to reduce carbon emissions cut back on harmful chemicals.  Learn about what is destroying our land, coastlines, and waterways, and how they directly affect the ocean and the ecosystems of all the above. There's a plethora of topics from all walks of life on this planet, all aimed at helping readers be the heroes and heroines that the ocean is desperately in need of. 

   If you'd like to learn more about how we impact the earth and oceans and what you can do to make a difference, this is a great choice. I recommend it to middle-grade age readers and older. 

MORE BOOKS ABOUT PROTECTING THE OCEAN:

Kids vs Plastic by Julia Beer

Captain Aquatica's Awesome Ocean by Jess Cramp

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NatGeoKids Level 3 Fact Reader: Bling! 100 Fun Facts About Rocks and Gems by Emma Carlson Berne (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

We received a complimentary copy of this Fact Reader from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Bling!
100 Fun Facts About Rocks and Gems
by Emma Carlson Berne
Published by National Geographic Kids
on January 4, 2022
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction
Length: 48 pages
Ages: 7 - 9 years

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Synopsis:

Get ready to be dazzled by some of the shiniest, most colorful, useful--and even dangerous--rocks, minerals, and gems on the planet! 

In this Level 3 reader, discover fascinating facts about the incredible rocks and minerals under our feet and deep in Earth's crust. Budding geologists will love reading about how rocks form, learning the names and features of the coolest rocks and minerals, and exploring rare and beautiful gemstones.


My Thoughts:

The level 3 Fact Readers are perfect for curious kids that are reading on their own.

Bling! features one hundred unique facts pertaining to rocks and minerals, paired with bright and colorful photographs that will keep young eyes glued to the page!  

Broken into three easy-to-read chapters, this nonfiction covers all the most important facts about rocks and gems, such as the three main types of rock, how they're formed, how they've been discovered and utilized throughout history, and more. 

There's even a handy 'Facts Roundup' page at the back of the book in case you weren't sure you caught all one-hundred facts while browsing or reading. 

There are enough facts packed into this little book to give a well-rounded introduction to the subject, making it perfect for school and home libraries or for curious little learners. 

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A Day For Rememberin': The First Memorial Day by Leah Henderson & Floyd Cooper (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

A Day For Rememberin':
The First Memorial Day
by Leah Henderson
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Published by Harry N. Abrams
on May 11, 2021
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Picture Books
Length: 40 pages
Ages: 6 - 9 years

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Synopsis:
A moving tribute to the little-known history behind the first Memorial Day, illustrated by Coretta Scott King Award winner Floyd Cooper.  

Inspired by true events told through the eyes of a young boy, this is a deeply moving story about what is regarded as the first Memorial Day on May 1, 1865. Eli dresses up in his best clothes, Mama gathers the mayflowers, Papa straightens his hate, and together they join the crowds filling the streets of Charleston, South Carolina, with bouquets, crosses, and wreaths. Abolitionists, missionaries, teachers, military officers, and a sea of faces Black, Brown, and White, they march as one and sing for all those who gave their lives fighting for freedom during the Civil War. 


My Thoughts:

Experience a fictional account of what may have been the very first Memorial Day, through the eyes of a young Black boy who no longer has to worry daily about his parents being sold and sent away and can go to school freely, all thanks to the Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War. His family prepares and off they go to join in on the procession headed to the Washington Race Course where one of the worst Confederate prisons was turned into a peaceful resting place for the Union prisoners who died there. 

Both beautiful and heartbreaking, this important picture book shares a little-known side to the history of Memorial Day, starting with the very first Decoration Day. On this day grateful families and individuals honored those lives lost in the Civil War by decorating their graves with flags and flowers.

Includes archival photos in the back of the book, as well as extra information on the roots of Decoration Day, a timeline of events, and more. 

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Little Homesteader: A Summer Treasury by Angela Ferraro-Fanning (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

 We received a temporary digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Little Homesteader:
A Summer Treasury of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom
by Angela Ferraro-Fanning
Illustrations by Anneliesdraws
Published by Ivy Kids
on May 22, 2022
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Nature
Length: 35 pages
Ages: 6 - 8 years

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Synopsis:

Families looking for nature-based fun away from phones and screens will adore this wholesome children's collection of cooking, crafting, and gardening projects, locally printed on 100% recycled paper. 

The latest from the Little Homesteader series, with these books readers can get creative, practice self-sufficiency skills, handcraft items for themselves or as gifts for loved ones, learn about nature and celebrate the best of each season. 


Our Thoughts:

This children's treasury of recipes, crafts, and wisdom is the perfect way to keep your family busy and happy this summer! 

This fun little book includes super cute illustrations that will appeal to little listeners and parents attempting to keep their children busy during the hot, summer months! 

Included are lots of fun activities, recipes, and more to keep you busy and crafting throughout the season. Learn how to grow tomatoes from seed and then make a tomato salad or sun-dried tomatoes from the harvest. Learn about honeybees and butterflies and what flowers to plant in your garden to attract them. Even better, learn the life cycle of a butterfly and how to observe it yourself! 
With several more recipes and activities, this fun and instructive book will keep you busy all summer long! 

This treasury is perfect for homeschoolers, wildschoolers, or just families trying to find something to do during summer breaks!

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Be Thankful For Trees by Harriet Ziefert (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

 

Be Thankful For Trees:
A Tribute to the Many & Surprising Ways Trees Relate to Our Lives
Words by Harriet Ziefert
Illustrations by Brian Fitzgerald
Published by Red Comet Press
on March 29, 2022
Genre: Children's, Picture Books
Length: 80 pages
 Ages: 4 - 8 years

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Synopsis:
What gives you a seat, a floor for your feet?
A place you can sit with your family to eat?
The pum-pum of a drum, a guitar's twangy strum...
Tree wood makes music zing, ping, and hum.

Using lilting, rhyming couplets, this book explores the many items that are made from trees. But it doesn't stop there! Kids will also learn about the many uses of live trees--and the environmental danger to trees posed by forest fires, floods, and deforestation. Kids are encouraged to be kind, not only to one another, but to the environment as well. 

This book is printed on responsibly sourced, 100% recycled PSC paper. 


Our Thoughts:

Happy Love A Tree Day!

Be Thankful For Trees is a beautifully illustrated tribute to the many ways trees relate to our lives, from the furniture we sit or sleep on to the musical instruments we play to the books we read and more. Would life even be possible without trees?

Broken down into seven main messages, the rhyming couplets in this picture book remind us of the food, shelter, comfort,  recreation, and more that we obtain thanks to trees and what life would be like without them. 
Can you think of all the ways trees improve our lives? 

This seems like a longer read for its age group with eighty pages but the text is very minimal with only a few words per page for most of the book and no more than a sentence or two on a few others.

Be Thankful For Trees would make a great read-aloud for outdoor storytime or 'wildschooling'. 

Similar reads: 

Bathing in the Forest by Nivola Uya

Forest Magic: A Guidebook For Little Woodland Explorers by Sarah Grindler

The Secret Life of Trees by Moira Butterfield

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Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life by Cheryl Blackford (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

 We received a digital copy of this children's nonfiction from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Fossil Hunter:
How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life
by Cheryl Blackford
Published by Clarion Books
on January 25, 2022
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction
Length: 128 pages
Ages: 10+ years

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Synopsis:
A fascinating, highly visual biography of Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time. Perfect for children learning about women scientists like Ada Lovelace, Jane Goodall, and Katherine Johnson. 

With engaging text, photographs, and stunning paleoart, Fossil Hunter introduces this self-taught scientist, now recognized as one of the greatest fossilists the world has ever known. 


Our Thoughts:

Mary Anning is one of the world's most celebrated paleontologists, known for discovering fossils--such as the ichthyosaurus and plesiosaurus--that would end up studied by scientists and displayed in museums. Despite all her discoveries, Mary Anning lived a life full of adversities and wasn't always accepted in the scientific community just because she was a woman. Nevertheless, she continued her studies, sketches, and searches for fossils and helped expand the understanding of our world for generations to come.

We have been reading picture books about Mary Anning for years thanks to my daughter's love of dinosaurs and determination to become a paleontologist. This nonfiction chapter book gave us a much more in-depth look at Mary's life and life's work.  

This book has a beautifully illustrated cover, endpapers, and chapter headers. The images within are mostly a collection of paintings and paleoart from Mary Anning herself (plus some stock photos) with italicized text in blue boxes/bubbles to explain each. 

Includes a timeline, glossary, and a list of places to see Mary Anning's fossils! 

Many thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this engrossing children's nonfiction biography on Mary Anning! 

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Walking Toward Peace: The True Story of a Brave Woman Called Peace Pilgrim by Kathleen Krull (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

 We received a temporary digital copy of this picture book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Walking Toward Peace:
The True Story of a Brave Woman Called Peace Pilgrim
by Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by Annie Bowler
  Published by Flyaway Books
on March 23, 2021
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Biography
Length: 40 pages
Ages: 4 - 8 years

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Synopsis:
She gave up everything: her home, her possessions, even her real name. She called herself Peace Pilgrim, put on her sneakers, and started off on her quest to walk thousands of miles all around America. Step by step, mile after mile, Peace Pilgrim traveled tirelessly, inviting everyone she met to consider a world where each person and each nation chooses peace. 

   This true story about a little-known woman who sacrificed everything for her convictions inspires us to step not for what we believe in, gathering others to join us along the way. 


Our Thoughts:

There once was a woman who decided to give up all her worldly belongings, including her name, to walk the country spreading kindness and friendship. She would become known as Peace Pilgrim. She started her journey in California, walked all the way to the East Coast, and returned only to start all over again. With a beginning goal of twenty-five thousand miles, Peace Pilgrim beat that and went on to walk and spread good cheer for twenty-eight years, meeting and keeping many new friends along the way!

Walking Toward Peace is a beautifully illustrated children's biography that highlights the personal journey of the woman known as Peace Pilgrim, sharing her long treks across the United States. Spreading peace wherever she went, Peace Pilgrim made a big impact on those she met and became friends with many who would go on to follow in her footsteps.

This children's biography features a unique and inspiring woman who found a way to make a difference in the world, travel to new places, and meet tons of new people while doing it. This would be a fantastic addition to anyone looking for more books about peacemakers!

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It's A Wonderful World by Jess French (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

 We received a temporary digital copy of this picture book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

It's A Wonderful World:
How to Protect the Planet and Change the Future
by Jess French
Published by DK Publishing
on May 3, 2022
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction
Length: 72 pages
Ages: 7 - 9 years

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Synopsis:
Our world is wonderful, and it's up to us to take care of it. You may feel small, but your actions can make a big difference.

This title encourages children to take care of the planet, but it doesn't just focus on the problems--it teaches practical solutions to the issues facing our world today. Veterinarian, author, and TV host Jess French guides kids through taking care of our planet, from living a sustainable lifestyle to using their voice in politics. Unlike many books about the environment, Jess not only covers how to take care of plants and animals but also the positive contribution that humans can make to each other's lives.
Discover how to reduce your carbon footprint, understand the importance of preserving our forests, oceans, and endangered animals, and learn the best ways to stand up for what you believe in. 

Bright, cool illustrations by Aleesha Nandhra combine with photography to create vibrant, engaging spreads. Jess French's encouraging and instructive text empowers kids to look after the environment, themselves, and each other.



Our  Thoughts:

An exploration of Earth and our place in it, combined with how we can help take care of our one and only home. 

Learn all about our wonderful world in this fascinating nonfiction about Earth and everything that makes it unique, from its place in our solar system to its atmosphere and soil to its animal biodiversity, life cycles, landforms, and more but with a focus on learning how the planet renews itself as well as how we impact it and how we can help preserve it for generations to come. 

This is a fantastic resource for learning about planet Earth, with tons of great facts and photos to peruse and tons of helpful hints and tips on how to help conserve, recycle, upcycle, support your local wildlife, and more!

It's A Wonderful World would be a great addition to any home or school library and perfect for any aspiring environmentalist or conservationist. 

Many thanks to DK Publishing and Netgalley for the chance to read this fascinating children's nonfiction. It was the perfect Earth Week read! 

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The Know-Nonsense Guide to Grammar by Heidi Fiedler & Brendan Kearney (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

 We received a temporary digital copy of this fantastic children's nonfiction picture book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Know-Nonsense Guide to Grammar:
An Awesomely Fun Guide to the Way We Use Words!
Written by Heidi Fiedler
Illustrations by Brendan Kearney
Published by Walter Foster Jr
on April 1, 2017
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction
Length: 64 pages
Ages: 8 - 11 years
Grade levels: 3 - 6 

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Synopsis:
Get kids excited about learning!
The Know Nonsense Guide to Grammar is a hilariously illustrated, quirky, and fun guide that kids will love!

Turn each page in this book to learn a new basic grammar concept, including alliteration, similes, hyperbole, and much more, turning what can at times be dry topics into something approachable and fun. Full of quirky and hilarious illustrations, kids will love learning so much they might even laugh out loud. Flex your literary muscles, and soon you'll be a regular wordsmith!


Our Thoughts:

The Know-Nonsense Guide to Grammar is perfect for introducing young learners to the concepts and rules of language! 

This wonderfully informative book breaks down the eight parts of speech, grammar rules, and literary devices for children to learn and better understand the rules of language. Each is paired with a fun and colorful illustration as well as descriptive sentence and a paragraph that breaks down and explains the rules in easy-to-understand and memorable ways.

The eight parts of speech include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, and conjunctions. The grammar rules include capitalization, punctuation, collective nouns, the sequence of adjectives, and how to use commas. 
This book also includes literary devices such as alliteration and analogies, idioms and irony, cliches, metaphors, and more.

We especially loved the tips for 'proper grammar-snob etiquette' at the end of the book! 

This is a great resource to come back to over and over and would make a wonderful addition to any home or school library or even an especially fantastic gift for any young writer.

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NatGeoKids World Atlas: Sixth Edition (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

We received a physical copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

National Geographic Kids'
World Atlas
Sixth Edition
Published by National Geographic Society
on August 24, 2021
Genre: Children's Nonfiction
Length: 216 pages
Ages: 10 - 14 years
Grade level: 3 - 5th 

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Synopsis:
The map experts at National Geographic bring you a new atlas that captures our world with completely updated maps, stats, and fun facts--the perfect reference for curious kids and students. 

Learn all about the people, places, trends, and developments of our world in the sixth edition of this acclaimed atlas. All the latest, greatest geographic and political information makes this a valuable resource for using in the classroom or reading at home.


My Thoughts:

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this atlas that we've used nearly every (home)school day so far this month thanks to our Language Arts curriculum's focus on countries, cultures, and folklore. 

This atlas includes a wonderfully wide and varied look at our home planet, from sharing its' place in the solar system, to its time zones, landforms, and more.
It shares a collection of informational maps as well as the continents and all the countries within them, including physical and political maps. 
And, as always, National Geographic Kids' books include a wealth of extra facts and gorgeous, colorful photos to round out this wonderful resource! 

We created a special GoogleMaps map to tag all of our literary locations and settings but having a physical map--or many--is so much more useful for our everyday hands-on lessons!

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If The World Were 100 People by Jackie McCann (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

 

If the World Were 100 People:
A Visual Guide to Our Global Village
Written by Jackie McMann
Illustrations by Aaron Cushley
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
on July 20, 2021
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction
Length: 32 pages
Ages: 4 - 8 years

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Synopsis:
Help your child become a global citizen with this accessible introduction to the people who live on our planet, with big ideas broken into bite-size chunks through clever graphic design. Perfect for home and classroom settings! 

With almost 7.8 billion people sharing the earth, it can be a little hard to picture what the human race looks like all together. But if we could shrink the world down to just 100 people, what could we learn about the human race? What would we look like? Where and how would we all be living? This book answers all these questions and more!

Reliably sourced and deftly illustrated, If the World Were 100 People is the perfect starting point to understanding our world and becoming a global citizen. If we focus on just 100 people, it's easier to see what we have in common and what makes us unique. Then we can begin to appreciate each other and also ask what things we want to change in our world. 


My Thoughts:

Want an easier way to show the differences and similarities of ALL the billions of people on Earth to young learners? What better way for Littles to understand our global village than to break those similarities and differences down into an easy-to-see one hundred people? Each of those 100 people would represent around 80 million people in the world today! 

So, how many of those '100 people' are male or female? How different is our DNA? How many people have enough to eat each day? How many have a safe place to live and how many don't? How about access to electricity or the internet or education?

If the World Were 100 People helps share the 'bigger' picture of our world and the people in it by breaking down these and many other facts into groups that younger children can more readily see and imagine than millions and billions. 

I especially loved the discussions this book brought forth as well as how the answers to these questions may change over time as the population grows and better access to food and medicine allows people to live longer.

This children's nonfiction is perfect for both a home or classroom setting!

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Journey to the Last River by Teddy Keen (Children's Nonfiction Book Review)

 We received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Journey to the Last River
by Teddy Keen
Published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books
on November 9, 2021
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction
Length: 128 pages
Ages: 7 - 12 years

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Synopsis:
Are you ready to take part in an adventure? To face danger at every turn? To venture into unknown lands? If you are, then Journey to the Last River may be the perfect adventure book for you. 

Join the Unknown Adventurer on this thrilling adventure into the Amazon, which begins with a map discovered in the Royal Geographical Society showing a river that has been mysteriously rubbed out. It leads to the Unknown Adventurer and his companion Bibi into a search for this 'last river' that will change their understanding of nature forever. 

This is the first title in a new series of spin-off adventures from The Lost Book of Adventure. 

My Thoughts:

Journey to the Last River is a fantastic adventure story that will inspire you to journal your own adventures while giving a first-hand account of the author/illustrator's journey into the Amazon after discovering a purposely smudged map at the Royal Geographical Society that showed an otherwise uncharted river.  

The "Unknown Adventurer" teams up with a friend, Bibi, and sets off to the Brazilian savanna, where they enter the jungle on a journey to find the lost river and encounter all that the rich habitat and ecosystems have to provide. 

This reads like an actual travel journal and I honestly wish more books were like this!

The author/artist included colorful illustrations and doodles around and along with the handwritten tale of their adventure, as well as actual taped-in samples of leaves, snake skins, fish scales, and even actual panned flakes of gold!
 I loved seeing what they saw and learning little things about plants and creatures and more that were added in the text or as footnotes alongside their illustrations. 

This was just absolutely fascinating and had me pouring over it and its beautiful illustrations as often as possible! I definitely recommend it if you enjoy first-hand accounts or nature or adventures or all of the above! 

Many thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this amazing book! 

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The Wild World Handbook: Habitats by Andrea Debbink & Asia Orlando (Middle Grade Nonfiction Book Review)

 We received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Wild World Handbook:
Habitats
Written by Andrea Debbink
Illustrated by Asia Orlando
Published by Quirk Books
on April 20, 2021
Genre: Middle Grade, Nonfiction 
Length: 231 pages
Ages: 8 - 12 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
Packed with real-life tales of adventure, breathtaking illustrations, and practical tools, this handbook is an inspiring guide for the next generation of climate activists, conservationists, and nature lovers. 

My Thoughts:

The Wild World Handbook: Habitats is a fantastic exploration of all the different major habitats in our world, with a focus on conservation that is perfect for nature-loving children.

This middle-grade nonfiction is split into 9 chapters that cover the mountains, forests, rainforests, deserts, grasslands, polar lands, the ocean, freshwater, and cities. Each chapter includes two biographies, a natural wonder, a field trip idea, a story of environmental success, a DIY project, and ideas for good stewardship in that particular environment. 

The field trip ideas are very interactive, prompting the reader to research or visit (or both!) a mountain or forest or ocean in the area and gives many questions to find answers to as well as how to wander, explore, and record their findings. The DIY pages are especially fun and the Stewardship pages give lots of great ways to care for or repair nature. 

There is lots to learn and do in this fun look at our world's habitats! 

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Forest Magic: A Guidebook for Little Woodland Explorers by Sarah Grindler (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

 We received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Forest Magic:
A Guidebook for Little Woodland Explorers
Words & art by Sarah Grindler
Published by Nimbus Publishing
on May 31, 2021
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Nature
Length: 32 pages
Ages: 4 - 8 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
A beautifully illustrated, compact, interactive nature guide to exploring the forest for young readers. 

Our Thoughts:

Forest Magic is a beautifully illustrated picture book guide to discovering nature and its many little surprises.

This picture book is not only a gorgeous book to look at; it's perfect for taking right out into the world as a guidebook!
You can learn to identify trees from their leaves, which birds and animals make the forest their home, different types of wildflowers and fungi and lichens, and how these things all play a part in a balanced ecosystem.

 It's a fantastic introduction to nature with lots of identification labels for tree leaves, animals, wildflowers, fungi, and lichen! We especially loved the fungi pages, as we so rarely come across mushroom identification in picture books and have been on the lookout for some! The mushrooms are accurately illustrated, as is everything in this book! There's even a 'Do Not Touch' page that shares which animals, plants, and fungi to avoid!

Perfect for outdoor storytime and/or wildschooling! 

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Gone to the Woods: Surviving A Lost Childhood by Gary Paulson (Middle Grade Memoir Review)

 

Gone to the Woods:

Surviving A Lost Childhood

by Gary Paulson

Published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux

on January 12, 2021

Genre: Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Memoir

Length: 368 pages

Ages: 8 - 12 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
A middle-grade memoir, giving readers a new perspective on the origins of Gary Paulsen's famed survival stories.

His name is synonymous with high-stakes wilderness survival stories. Now, author Gary Paulsen portrays a series of life-altering moments from his turbulent childhood as his own survival story. If not for his summer escape from a shockingly neglectful Chicago upbringing to a North Woods homestead at age five, there would never have been a Hatchet. Without the encouragement of the librarian who handed him his very first book at age thirteen, he may never have become a reader. And without his desperate teenage enlistment in the Army, he would not have discovered his true calling as a storyteller. 

My Thoughts:

Gary Paulsen narrates his own childhood in this fascinating memoir that reads like a novel for middle-grade readers.

Five-year-old Gary Paulsen is sent alone by train to live with relatives in the mountains where he learns to fish and forage mushrooms and appreciate the simple wonders of the world. It is a dream life athat would be short lived but the skills he learned in the wilderness help him to survive a neglected childhood with his mother in the Philippines, and later, enlistment in the army.

Gary lived a childhood that most could only imagine or read about in books, having to grow up fending for himself, with the woods and the local library as his only safe spaces and finding his love of stories a little late in life but at just the right time to have his own stories to tell. 

Hatchet was one of my favorite stories as a kid, next to Jean Craighead George's 'My Side of the Mountain', and it made a big impact on my childhood and helped shape my adult life so I jumped as soon as I saw this memoir. I've read a few more of his stories since Hatchet and loved seeing and making connections between the stories he has written and the story of his childhood. 

I definitely recommend it if you enjoy memoirs and have read any of Paulsen's middle-grade novels, or just love the wilderness or a good survival story! 

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