The Way We Work by David Macaulay and Richard Walker

Macaulay, D. & Walker, R. (2008). The way we work. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books.

The Way We Work by David Macaulay and Richard Walker is an enormous nonfiction book filled with information about the inner workings of the human body. It contains hundreds of colorful, intricate illustrations and loads of interesting facts. Each chapter describes a body system in great detail.

This book would be a good resource when teaching nonfiction text features. Also, this book would be a good research tool when teaching about the human body and living systems. Students could use the book to research a body system and then create a diagram to be displayed in the classroom. A project like this would be a good way to incorporate both artistic and written elements.

The authors included a plethora of information in an organized and concise manner which made the book easy to read and understand. I also really like the detailed diagrams found throughout the book! They are intricately drawn and labeled. Students would love to peruse the illustrations in this book even if they are not able to understand some of the more complicated facts. I feel this book would be a nice addition to any library collection!

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Who Was First? Discovering the Americas by Russell Freedman

Freedman, R. (2007). Who was first? Discovering the americas. New York, NY : Clarion Books.

Who Was First? Discovering the Americas by Russell Freedman is an informational book that looks at different theories about who actually discovered the Americas first. While most people consider Christopher Columbus to have been the first person to discover the Americas there are theories that the Vikings, Mayans, or Chinese were actually the first people to locate the “new world”. Each chapter explores a new theory and examines the facts behind the theory.

This book could be used in conjunction with the social studies curriculum particularly in third grade where students study the exploration of America. Who Was First? Discovering the Americas would be a valuable resource to engage students in a critical thinking lesson. Students could explore the theories offered in the book and determine the reasonableness of each theory in small groups.

This is a fascinating book filled with detailed paintings, colorful maps, and authentic photographs. The reading level of the book would be best for upper elementary students as some of the vocabulary is a bit advanced. It would be useful to create an ongoing word wall while using this book in the classroom. I think upper elementary and middle school aged students would be interested and engaged while reading this book.

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The Might Mars Rover: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch

Rusch, E.The mighty mars rover: The incredible adventures of Spirit and Opportunity. (2012).Boston, MA : Houghton            Mifflin Books for Children.

The Might Mars Rover: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch is an informational book that is part of the Scientists in the Field series.  It was published in 2012 and was on the ALSC Notable Book List in 2013. It’s the intriguing story about the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, launched in 2003 to find out if there was water on Mars that could have once supported life.

This book could be used in the classroom for research on space exploration. Students could work in groups to create presentations on various space missions including this one. Other missions could include the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon and the difficult Apollo 13 mission. Then students could present their findings to the whole class or even other classes.

I really enjoyed this informational book on the rovers!  It is filled with facts and history about the Mars rover programs.  The photographs are stunning and the captions really help enhance the story. The story is told in such a way that you want to keep reading to find out what happens next. Students would love this kind of suspense especially in a nonfiction text.  This book would be a great addition to any elementary or even middle school classroom or library!

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The Animal Book by Steve Jenkin

Jenkins, S. (2013). The animal book. New York, NY:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.

The Animal Book was written by Steve Jenkins and is an informational book on the topic of animals.  It was published in 2013 and was placed on the ALSC Notable Children’s Book list in 2014.  The Animal Book is an almanac of hundreds of animals that includes interesting facts and wonderful illustrations.

In the classroom, this book could be used by students to conduct research on a specific animal.  The book gives a plethora of information for each animal such as size, habitat, and diet.  Students could research an animal, create a poster or video, and then give a short presentation to the class. Alternatively, this would be a fantastic resource to use when teaching nonfiction text features. Students could complete a text feature scavenger hunt where they would need to use the book to find certain features such as heading, index, bold word, and glossary.

I really enjoyed this informational book! The illustrations are colorful and creative. They were created using cut and torn paper and are located in several places throughout the book. I also enjoyed the vast array of animals presented in this book. Kids of all ages would love looking at the illustrations and reading the hundreds of neat animal facts in this book.

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Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh

• Thimmesh, C. (2006). Team Moon: How 400,000 people landed Apollo 11 on the moon. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh is a biographical subject book. In this book, the subject is discovery and exploration of the moon. It tells about the lives of all of the people who helped make the moon landing happen, such as the engineers that built the lunar module and the seamstresses who designed and sewed the space suits.

Of course this book could be easily used in a science lesson on the moon or the exploration of space. Students could use this book as a resource while learning about the moon. In groups, students would be assigned to read a certain portion of the book and do research about that topic. Then, using the jigsaw method, students would be regrouped and share their knowledge.

This book has a wealth of information! The photographs are breathtaking and integrated beautifully throughout the book. I really enjoy that this book focuses on the hard work and ingenuity of everyone involved in space exploration rather than just the astronauts. I think students would really enjoy learning about the moon from a different perspective. This was a wonderful informational book that I would recommend to readers of all ages!

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