I’m very honored to have been
asked to contribute a post to Melissa’s blog. When thinking about five
expository books that I wanted to highlight, I went back and forth between the
five most circulated expository texts in my library last year and the five expository
texts I was most excited to share with students this fall. Because I couldn’t
quite choose, I decided to do a combination of the two…the three most
circulated expository titles and the two expository titles I am most excited about
right now! (Win-Win!!)
texts for the 2016-17 school year.
Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Infographics by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016)
style information displayed in visually appealing and varied charts,
graphs, and tables and you have a recipe for a book that will be well-loved by
kids. The excitement level and conversations prompted by this book are
incredible.
Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals by Jess Keating with illustrations by David DeGrand (Knopf/Penguin
Random House, 2016)
Keating’s book grabs readers from the minute they see the cover (Ewww!)
Photographs, descriptions, and facts are included in each spread showcasing
some of the world’s most interesting creatures while dispelling the myth that
all things pink have to be soft and pretty.
Snakes by Nic
Bishop (Scholastic, 2012)
loved by my students. The amazing photography gives students an “up close
and personal” look into the world of snakes. In addition to the interesting
facts provided, students are captivated by the large, detailed color
photographs.
texts are new books that I’ve been excited to share this year.
Can an Aardvark Bark? by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Beach
Lane/Simon & Schuster, 2017)
sure to delight children as they explore the various sounds made throughout the
animal world. Jenkins’ signature artwork is combined with Stewart’s text,
that in addition to sharing the variety of sounds animals make, explains the reasons
these animals might make these particular sounds. This book is sure to be a hit
with young animal lovers!
What Makes a Monster?: Discovering the World’s Scariest Creatures by Jess Keating, illustrations by David
DeGrand (Knopf/Penguin Random House)
of Weird Animals series, Keating and DeGrand return with another book sure
to create excitement for young science lovers. This time the book focuses on
animals that appear to be “monsters” and even an animal that appears to be
sweet is actually somewhat “monster-like.” Each spread includes stunning
photographs, interesting facts, and cartoon drawings.
Michigan. Now in his 28th year of teaching, Kurt feels privileged to share his
passion for reading with his students. You can follow Kurt on Twitter at
@strohreads or on his blog Kids Talk Kid Lit. (www.strohreads.blogspot.com)
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