BOOKS,  Homeschool

Earth Day Reads!

Genres: General Fiction, Juvenile, Juvenile Fiction

*Thanks to HarperCollins for providing copies and in some cases Advance Reader Copies for review.*

15760571The Berenstain Bears Go Green

The Berenstain Bears live in a wonderful place, filled with green grass, blue skies, and lots of furry friends. But, on a fishing trip at the creek, the Bear family discovers that the town dump has become overrun. It’s spilling garbage into the water! Can the Berenstain Bears find a pollution solution before their beloved county is filled with garbage?

We love our Berenstain Bears books and especially for the things they can help teach or reinforce, in this case that would be conservation and recycling. This is great because it doesn’t just jump on the issue and preach it out, it comes around the corner from praising what beauty there is to explain how things can get messed up and then providing a solution for helping to better things. There is also a page on the back flap with tips for what readers and their families can do to better save water and bits of the environment. A perfect introduction for my preschooler to recycling and conservation of our Earth’s natural resources.

Written and illustrated by Jan Berenstain – 9780062075505 – 2/26/2013 – $3.99 – Ages 4-8
 
Little Sweet Potato

It’s not all mulch and sunshine out there.
When Little Sweet Potato rolls away from his patch, he is forced to search for a new home. He stumbles upon some very mean plants and flowers on his journey and begins to wonder if maybe he is too lumpy and bumpy to belong anywhere. Will Little Sweet Potato ever find a home that’s just right for him?

At first I was not sure what to think about a picture book about a sweet potato. But then I realized one of my favorite things is a show that is themed around a bunch of Veggie Tales! So, in the realm of children’s books I think a story about a Little Sweet Potato could definitely work. And it does, so much more than I expected. This is a fabulous picture book about fitting in and belonging where you are just right. It is a great way to introduce to children that they will come up against animosity for seemingly no reason at all, but there is always a patch of green that will be welcoming and home. Very cute, and worthy!

Written by Amy Beth Bloom, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones – 9780061804397 – 8/21/2012 – $16.99 – Ages 4-8

6280454Emeraldalicious

Pinkalicious combines magic, love and imagination to turn an ordinary place into an Emeraldlicious world.
Pinkalicious and her brother Peter decide to take a trip to their favorite park. But when they arrive, they discover that the park isn’t as clean and green as it used to be. To make matters worse, Pinkalicious’s favorite wand breaks! Luckily, Pinkalicious knows just what to do.

We are really loving the character of Pinkalicious and this time we get to have her brother Pet along for the adventure as well. As the duo journeys to their favorite park and picnic spot instead they find a place filled with garbage, but using a little nature and the magic of love they have a fun adventure and come to a new realization of just how powerful a little nature and love can be. A good leeway into a discussion on replanting and bringing back the green of the Earth from the damage that trash can leave. The pictures are so vivid and fun. I know Pinkalicious is a girl’s character, but with this one I’d easily recommend it for a boy’s read as well.

Written and illustrated by Victoria Kann – 9780061781261 – 1/29/2013 – $17.99 – Ages 4-8


Never Say Die

In the fast-paced tradition of FAR NORTH and GHOST CANOE, Will Hobbs delivers a suspenseful page-turner with danger at every bend. At only fifteen years old, Nick Thrasher is already an accomplished Inuit hunter. After scoring a solid cut of caribou to bring home to his ailing grandfather, Nick loses his game to an aggressive and fearsome creature never before seen in the wild. Experts will soon be calling it a “grolar” bear because it looks party grizzly, part polar bear. Though he has lost his dinner to it, Nick knows his grandfather, Jonah, will be quite impressed by his story of escape.

Written by Will Hobbs – 9780061708787 – 1/29/2013 – $16.99 – Ages 8-12



Riley Mack Stirs Up More Trouble

Riley Mack and the other known troublemakers return in this hilarious second book in the tween series that’s Ocean’s Eleven meets Robin Hood, by award-winning author Chris Grabenstein.

Written by Chris Grabenstein – 9780062026224 – 4/9/2013 – $16.99 – Ages 8-12


Coral Reefs

Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon (called “the dean of the children’s science book field” by the New York Times) brings you this full-color photographic introduction to one of the most beautiful life-forms under the sea–coral reefs! Not only is CORAL REEFS stunning to look at, but it also carries an ecologically sound message!

This is my first experience with a science picture book from Seymour Simon, but after reading through an advanced copy of Coral Reefs I want to collect them all. Complete with a glossary in the back and filled with incredible photography through out. Not everyone can go deep sea diving and reading through a book like this is the next best thing. The font used is nice and clear and a large size for a budding reader.

Written by Seymour Simon – 9780061914959 – 4/23/2013 – $17.99 – Ages 6-10

Screen Shot 2013-02-14 at 4.15.45 PMThere are also a good amount of choice to read for free online through WeGiveBooks.org and you can see them all listed out on their Pinterest Board for Earth Day.

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(No spam, I promise. Just creative madness ramblings, reviews and life-stories, with quilting and cross stitch inspiration in between!)

The Creative Madness Mama also known as Margaret is a Christian Stay-at-home Mama, married to the Enginerd, quilter, cross stitcher, avid reader and book-a-holic. As book blogger for various publicists, she loves to share the latest and greatest about books coming out as well as her needle art and other crafty projects with some pictures of her fourteen-year-old AppleBlossom, twelve-year-old OrangeBlossom (the Princess), nine-year-old Almond Blossom (the Rascal boy!), six-year-old (red) Mermaid Warrior, the four-and-a-half-year-old Viking Dragon, and Huckleberry (due in June 2024!) in between. Homeschooling, cloth diapering, breastfeeding, babywearing, bone broth brewing, tea drinking, list making mama full of a little creative and a lot of madness.

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