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EARTH

A SHIPMATE'S GUIDE TO OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

A colorful kid’s-book supplement for reports, projects and science fairs.

Another eye-catching earth science book for kids by award-winning author and former teacher Simon (Coral Reefs, 2013, etc.).

Simon’s signature, vivid color photographs adorn this readable primary text, which begins by comparing the Earth to a spaceship on a long journey. As the ship’s inhabitants, we humans must “learn to use our supplies wisely and protect our planet carefully,” writes Simon. After the book briefly introduces readers to the planets in the solar system, it covers topics such as the Earth’s orbit, its main climate zones, the five layers of the atmosphere (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere), the jet stream, and the oceans and continents. The book’s organization is a bit awkward, as there are no boldface headings or clear divisions of topics. However, there are additional notes about the photographs at the end of the book for curious readers. Tidbits of modern-day information sprinkled throughout the text should also pique kids’ interest; for example, according to the author, over 180 billion email messages are sent on the planet Earth each day. This book could also be used to teach children about diversity, as it includes facts about the populations of various continents; according to Simon, for example, 2 out of every 3 people on Earth live in Asia, in sharp contrast to Australia, where fewer than 1 out of 100 people live. Additionally, the kid-friendly tone is sure to leave a lasting impression; at one point, Simon describes the Earth as a “Goldilocks planet,” meaning it is neither too hot nor too cold, but “just right” for life to exist on it. He also adds a weather-themed tongue twister, which ends with the playful, memorable line: “We'll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.”

A colorful kid’s-book supplement for reports, projects and science fairs.

Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2012

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 58

Publisher: StarWalk Kids Media

Review Posted Online: April 2, 2014

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WRECKING BALL

From the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series , Vol. 14

Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.

The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.

When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.

Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)

Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Amulet/Abrams

Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019

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THE WILD ROBOT ON THE ISLAND

A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.

What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?

“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.

A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: June 24, 2025

ISBN: 9780316669467

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025

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