Here are a few books I read last week. Click on the covers to go to the book's page on Goodreads.
Loved it! Full Review tomorrow.
Alan Katz writes silly books and poems and this series is no exception. None of the information is actually true and the events never happened. There is a very short (factual) biographical section at the end. It has fun illustrations and kids may like it, but it was not my cup of tea.
I LOVE books about lesser-known, but super-important people. German born Emmy Noether was a gifted mathematician in a time when women were barely allowed to attend college. Her research was vital and she even helped Einstein with his Theory of Relativity. Of course, men took all the credit for her work. This book would make a nice companion to science units and to examine gender stereotypes and fairness.
Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark Illustrated by Katy Wu Published May, 2017 Sterling Children's Books 48 Pages Nonfiction Picture Book Hardcover Review copy provided by publisher Goodreads Summary
Who was Grace Hopper? A software tester, workplace jester, cherished mentor, ace inventor, avid reader, naval leader—AND rule breaker, chance taker, and troublemaker. Grace Hopper coined the term “computer bug” and taught computers to “speak English,” and throughout her life succeeded in doing what no one had ever done before. Delighting in difficult ideas and in defying expectations, the insatiably curious Hopper truly is “Amazing Grace” . . . and a role model for science- and math-minded girls and boys.
My Thoughts
Do you know where the phrase "computer bug" came from? You will after reading this book. Every time I read a nonfiction picture book, I learn that there is so much to learn. I did not know about Grace Hopper, I am so glad that I do now. This book takes her from a curious girl, who took apart household appliances to find out how they work, to computer code queen. Grace's story teaches us that STEM talent knows no gender or age. She was an invaluable resource, writing code for the navy until she was 80 years old! She is a great role model for perseverance and growth mindset. I really loved how the author captures her spirit and insatiable curiosity. One cannot help but be inspired by her tenacity.
The author tells the story with just enough text to keep it interesting for young readers and up through middle school. Actual quotes from Grace are sprinkled throughout the book in creative ways. One of my favorites is, "If you've got a good idea, and you know it's going to work, go ahead and do it."
The back matter consists of a timeline of Grace Hopper's life, a selected bibliography, additional reading about women in STEM and a summary of Grace's many honors.
Not only is the book entertaining and informative, it is visually enticing as well. With a variety of interesting formats, backgrounds, fonts and bold colors, there is much to keep readers engaged.
Grace Hopper: Queen of Code is an essential addition to every classroom, school and public library.
Kelsey Kline is the best reader in the third grade--well, maybe tied for best with know-it-all Simon Ellis. When the principal Mr. Boone announces a school-wide reading contest, complete with a pizza party for the winning class and a special certificate for the top readers in each grade, she knows she's just the person to lead Mrs. Molina's third graders to victory. But how can they win when her classmate Cody Harmon doesn't want to read anything, and even Kelsey's best friends Annika and Izzy don't live up to her expectations? And could Simon possibly be reading all of those books that he claims he is, or is he lying to steal Kelsey's rightful spot at the top?
My Thoughts
I really like the three friends (Kelsey, Annika and Izzy). They each have their own strengths and talents and balance each other well. Kelsey is determined to win the individual reading contest and help her classroom win first place. Throughout the book she tries to get Cody to read in order to boost the classroom total. At first she is annoyed by his reluctance. Then as she gets to know him her feelings change. He begins to trust her and starts reading. To me, this is one of the most important parts of the book. It all ties up nicely at the end and there are some great life lessons emphasized.
Annikka Riz, Math Whiz
by Claudia Mills
Pictures by Robb Shepperson
Published May 2014 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
128 Pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher Goodreads Summary
Annika Riz loves math more than anything. She's trying to teach her dog, Prime, to count. She's determined to beat fellow math whiz Simon Ellis in a Sudoku contest at the public library. She even sleeps under number-patterned sheets. But Annika's best friends Kelsey and Izzy think math is boring. All they care about is the upcoming school carnival: their principal is going to be dunked in a dunking tank and their class is going to have a booth selling home-baked cookies. But then disaster foils the friends' cookie-baking plans. Can math save the day?
My Thoughts This most recent installment in the series features Annika in the forefront. I enjoyed seeing the increased interaction among the three friends. This book also contains many areas where math is used in "real world" situations. The baking mistakes are very entertaining as the girls learn first hand how important it can be to follow a recipe's measurements carefully. Since they have no cookies to donate to the school carnival, they decide to sell lemonade. Math comes into play again as the girls figure out how much they need to charge for the lemonade in order to make a profit. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next. I would recommend this series especially for grades 3-4 although some second graders will likely be able to enjoy it alone or as a read aloud. Although on the surface the books seem to be centered around a competition, they turn out to be about so much more as the stories develop. There are themes of teamwork, dedication, differences, learning from mistakes, jealousy, acceptance and, or course, friendship. Claudia Mills has provided a curriculum guide to use with this series on her website. It contains discussion questions and many other curriculum connections complete with CCSS alignment. The next book, Izzy Barr, Running Star is set to be released in April 2015.
Visit her website to learn more about Claudia Mills' books.
