50 Things You Should Know About the First World War by Jim Eldridge: Book Review

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FTC Disclosure: Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

As time moves on and the children of today see more world wide conflict, the first World War fades into a history that few understand or even try to. But so much of what happened in the first world war is still relevant today.

Through illustrations and actual war time photos, the war is brought to life. The reader learns the role of trench warfare, artillery types, and poison gases in easy to understand text. Fact boxes give interesting tidbits about the war without overwhelming young minds with too much information

Soldiers weren't the only ones who suffered during the war. Those left behind had endured food shortages and rationing and many civilians died from malnutrition or disease. 

Writing from a British point of view, Eldridge mentions the battles in Turkey and the Middle East but glosses over the far reaching effects of bringing the war to the region. However, he does a good job introducing events that led up to the first world war while leaving the reader with plenty of questions that call for further research. An excellent resource for introducing reluctant readers to the first World War.

Rating: ★★★★✬ (4.5/5)

Publishing Information: 

Publisher: QEB Publishing (July 1, 2014)

Ages: 8 and up

ISBN: 978-1609926304

Pages: 80

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Spot the Monkey in the Jungle by Stella Madiment and Joelle Dreidemy: Book Review

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FTC Disclosure: Book received at no charge to facilitate unbiased review.

Get out your looking glass and swing on by. A bright, colorful jungle awaits. 

While searching for the cute monkey, your bound to learn some fun facts along the way about other jungle animals. Did you know that little birds fly into the mouths of crocodile to pick meat off their teeth? The jungle is full of other things to find and other interesting facts.

Watch the reader interact Spot the Monkey in the Jungle with curiosity and joy all while increasing vocabulary and teaching differentiation through adjectives. A fun book that will help stimulate conversation while reading together.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Publishing Information:

 QEB Publishing (April 1, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1609927288
Pages: 24
Ages: 3-5

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Joshua and the Lightning Road by Donna Galanti: Book Review

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FTC Disclosure: Book received at no charge in exchange for honest review.

Joshua never understood why his grandfather repeatedly warned him about lightning. But when he and his best friend, Finn get too close to the windows during a terrible storm, his grandfather's warnings take on new meaning. In a flash of lightning, Finn is snatched through the window. A hand  grabs Joshua as well and the pair are taken to another realm where they must work as slaves to provide the energy to power the strange world.

Even worse, the two friends are separated and Joshua must devise a plan to find Finn. Together with his new friend, Charlie, they escape their work quarters only to find themselves on the Lightning Road in the face of a frightening "child collector" and beasts scarier than anything they could have imagined. Joshua must find courage he never knew existed to face the battle of his life against the fallen Greek Gods in the Lost Realm of Nostos. Will he have what it takes to rescue the kidnapped children and return them to earth?

Galanti creates a vivid mythological world with plenty of action that will keep the attention of the reader. At times terrifying, Joshua and the Lightning Road also touches on more heartwarming aspects like friendship and what it really takes to make a family. A solid recommendation for the fantasy, adventure fan. Strong, relatable characters and imaginative world building make this debut children's novel one you will hope will continue in a several book series.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Publishing Information

Publisher: Month9Books May 19, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-1942664048

Pages 278

Ages: 9-12

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Omega City Book Release

Tweet   Coming this April 28th, Diana’s first book for readers eight and up is a thrilling adventure story, perfect for people who like their books with a side of rocketships and hidden treasure. Find out what secrets are hidden beneath the Maryland countryside in...

Omega City

Gillian Seagret doesn’t listen to people who say her father’s a crackpot. His conspiracy theories about the lost technology of Cold War-era rocket scientist Dr. Aloysius Underberg may have cost him his job and forced the family to move to a cottage in the sticks, but Gillian knows he’s right, and plans to prove it. When she discovers a missing page from Dr. Unerberg’s diary in her father’s mess of an office, she thinks she’s found a big piece of the puzzle–a space-themed riddle promising to lead to Dr. Underberg’s greatest invention. Enlisting the help of her skeptical younger brother, Eric, her best friend, Savannah, and Howard, their NASA-obsessed schoolmate, Gillian sets off into the ruins of a vast doomsday bunker, deep within the earth. But they aren’t alone inside its dark and flooded halls. Now Gillian and her friends must race to explore OMEGA CITY and find the answers they need. For while Gillian wants to save her dad’s reputation by bringing Dr. Underberg’s secrets to light, there are others who will stop at nothing to make sure they stay buried...forever.

 

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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

• “With seamless writing, a thrilling plot, lots of engaging science puzzles, and remarkable characterization, Peterfreund's exciting tale keeps the adventure solidly in the foreground. Young readers looking for a page turning quest should get into this planned series on the ground floor." — Booklist *Starred* Review "Peterfreund's focus on character development is complemented by the equal attention she gives to the vast underground city itself. Gillian’s instincts to protect her friends and clear her historian father’s tarnished name are admirable, but Peterfreund gives every character the opportunity to grow, revealing themselves for who they really are."— Publishers Weekly “With nonstop action, sly humor, and nothing short of the end of the world at stake, Omega City is the alpha book in a new series that mashes up mystery, scifi, and action/adventure into a thrilling novel you’ll want to devour in one sitting. I did, and I can’t wait to read what comes next!” — Peter Lerangis, New York Times Bestselling author of the Seven Wonders series “Peterfreund’s boundless imagination takes on a new and exciting adventure!” – Jessica Day George, New York Times Bestselling author of Tuesdays at the Castle” “Diana Peterfreund takes us to an underground city that’s utterly mind-blowing, yet disturbingly possible. A knockout of a story that will have readers cheering straight through to the final, shocking, twist.” — #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman

  Diana Peterfreund has published ten novels for adults, teens, and kids, including the four-book Secret Society Girl series (Bantam Dell), the “killer unicorn novels” Rampantand Ascendant (Harper Teen), For Darkness Shows the Stars (a post-apocalyptic retelling of Jane Austen’sPersuasion), and Across a Star-Swept Sea (inspired by the classic series The Scarlet Pimpernel). Her newest novel, OMEGA CITY, is a contemporary adventure novel for younger readers set in a secret bunker city somewhere under modern Maryland. Her works have been named to the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list, the Capitol Choices (metro DC-area) reading list, and the Texas Lonestar List, as well as having been named to Amazon’s Best Books of the Year. In addition, she’s written several critically acclaimed short stories and a variety of non-fiction essays about popular children’s literature. Diana lives outside Washington D.C., with her family.

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You Do The Math: Solve a Crime

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FTC Disclosure: Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

"You have been chosen to lead a team of detectives..." It is up to you to use your head to solve the burglary at an apartment building. Brush up on your math skills, you're going to need them. Do you have what it takes to join the team?

Koll and Mills explore the math concepts of deduction, using a grid, interpreting statistics, ratios, and more. Using these concepts in a real life scenario helps young readers develop skills in a way that is both interesting, fun, and challenging. Those who struggle with numbers and how they relate outside of the classroom will have some "aha" moments. Besides building math and reading skill, Solve a Crime gives an inside look into what it takes to be a detective. Not just the idolized version of it, but the mundane work and attention to detail that is part of the job. Recommended for those who want to learn how math fits into the "real world."

Rating:  ★★★★☆

Publishing Information:

Publisher: QEB Publishers (April 1, 2015)

Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 60992 732 5

Ages: 7-11

Book can be purchased from the following retailer: