Tito Puente, Mambo King (Rey del Mambo) – Monica Brown

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• Age Range: 4 – 8 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – 3
• Lexile Measure: 740L (What’s this?)
• Series: Pura Belpre Honor Books – Illustration Honor
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Rayo; Bilingual edition (March 5, 2013)
• Language: English/Spanish
• ISBN-10: 0061227838
• ISBN-13: 978-0061227837

EXCERPT from Booklist:
“¡Tum Tica! ¡Tum Tica! The dancers twirled, the lights swirled, and the mambo went on and on.” Like so many of Brown’s biographies, such as Waiting for the Biblioburro (2011) and Side by Side/Lado a lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/La historia de Dolores Huerta y César Chávez (2009), Tito’s story introduces readers to a vibrant Latino figure. As a baby, Puente made music with pots and pans, and he later grew up to fulfill his dreams as a musician and beloved bandleader. Award-winning illustrator López brings Tito’s story to life in vibrant acrylic salsa reds and oranges, which are splashed behind every shake of Tito’s hips and wink of his eyes. The swirling, whirling compositions add to the text’s rhythmic beat. To continue the rumba after Tito’s story has ended, the last page of the book offers a simple melody to play on its own or alongside the book. An author’s note (in both English and Spanish) sheds more light on Puente’s life. Grades K-3. –Angie Zapata

Rationale for Inclusion:
Bilingual books offer an enriching, horizon-expanding experience to young readers and create cognitive connections. This book is a lively biography about Puente, set to musical rhythms. Introduces topics like genres of music and dance, reading music, and musicians.

Bonus: Learn more about the author, book and artist here.

 

The Right Word: Roget and his thesaurus – Jen Bryant

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• Age Range: 7 – 18 years
• Grade Level: 2 – 5
• Lexile Measure: 590
• Hardcover: 42 pages
• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (September 15, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802853854
• ISBN-13: 978-0802853851

EXCERPT from School Library Journal:
Those who have relied upon a thesaurus (meaning treasure house in Greek), either in print or through the tool menu of word processing software, will gain a greater appreciation for the reference tool in this beautifully designed picture book biography of its creator, Peter Roget. Bryant describes bibliophile Roget, taking him from a timid, studious child who was always compiling lists to an accomplished doctor who by 1805 had compiled the beginnings of the first thesaurus. Busy and exuberant, Sweet’s charming watercolor illustrations, layered over collages of vintage images and fonts, capture Roget’s passion for classification while also providing readers new opportunities for discovery (Latin translations of animal names, mathematical terms, and a plethora of synonyms). Expertly researched and well written, Bryant’s narrative not only details the creation of the thesaurus; it also conveys a sense of Roget the man: his shy nature, his keen intelligence, and his passion for knowledge. There truly was a particular blend of artistry and intellect that went into Roget’s book, as evidenced from a reproduced page from the original thesaurus. The book contains extensive back matter, including an incredibly detailed time line that goes into the man’s other inventions (the slide rule, the pocket chess set) and an author and illustrator’s note, as well as Roget quotations that are sure to inspire if not a love of language then at least a search for the perfect turn of phrase. An excellent illustrated biography.—Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

Rationale for Inclusion:
This charming book includes beautiful illustrations, and a warm introduction to a little known contributor to modern English. Topics like synonyms, antonyms, and inventions are included.

Hear The Right Word read aloud.

 

A Rock Can Be – Laura Purdie Salas

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• Age Range: 4 – 8 years
• Grade Level: Preschool – 3
• Lexile Measure: NP
• Series: Millbrook Picture Books
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (March 1, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1467721107
• ISBN-13: 978-1467721103

EXCERPT from School Library Journal:
As they did in A Leaf Can Be…(2012) and Water Can Be… (2014), Salas and Dabija have teamed up for this third imaginative creation. Simple rhymes and verses relate various aspects of a rock, explaining how it can be used as “a hopscotch marker” or as a “fire sparker.” Listeners meanwhile absorb delicious synonyms and adjectives for a rock that they may have originally thought of as an ordinary object. To help augment their imaginations and knowledge, there are appended pages where children can find a glossary, as well as learn additional facts, such as how rocks can be used to create harbors or how chickens swallow pebbles to help digest their food. Dabija uses traditional as well as digital techniques to illustrate with a bright, colorful palette that is appealing to children. Purchase for your rock hounds or where the earlier books in this series are popular.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

Rationale for Inclusion:
Rocks capture the imaginations of many young children, and they will no doubt be delighted by this rhyming book. Introduces topics like geology, color, and imagery.

Bonus: Is your child a rock hound? Check out this collection of children’s books about rocks.

 

The History of Money: From bartering to banking – Martin Jenkins

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• Age Range: 9 – 12 years
• Grade Level: 4 – 7
• Lexile Measure: 1160
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Reprint edition (September 22, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763679739
• ISBN-13: 978-0763679736

EXCERPT from Amazon.com:
With clarity and humor, Martin Jenkins and Satoshi Kitamura take readers on a fascinating tour of the history of money.

What can take the form of a stone with a hole in the middle, a string of shells, a piece of paper, or a plastic card? The answer is money, of course. But when did we start using it? And why? What does money have to do with writing? And how do taxes and interest work? From the Stone Age to modern banking, this lighthearted and engaging account traces the history of the stuff that makes the world go round.

Rationale for Inclusion:
Books about money for kids are a relatively new undertaking, and this book does a great job of introducing young readers to the topics of economics, money management, taxation and interest.

Bonus: The History of Money is featured in a curriculum for children about money, available here.

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans – Don Brown

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• Age Range: 12 and up
• Grade Level: 7 and up
• Lexile Measure: GN920L (What’s this?)
• Series: Ala Notable Children’s Books. Older Readers
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (August 4, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 054415777X
• ISBN-13: 978-0544157774

EXCERPT from Amazon.com:
Kirkus’ Best of 2015 list
School Library Journal Best of 2015
Publishers Weekly’s Best of 2015 list
Horn Book Fanfare Book
Booklist Editor’s Choice

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina’s monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some places under twenty feet of water. Property damages across the Gulf Coast topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage—and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality.
Don Brown’s kinetic art and as-it-happens narrative capture both the tragedy and triumph of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. A portion of the proceeds from this book has been donated to Habitat for Humanity New Orleans.

Rationale for Inclusion:
This book colorfully depicts a multi-faceted picture of Hurricane Katrina. It portrays many different aspects of the event and its aftermath. Topics like natural disaster, emergency response, and community healing are introduced to the young reader.

Bonus: Drowned City was featured on Books for Busy Students book reviews.