Waiting for Ice
by Sandra Markle (Author) and Alan Marks (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Far north in the Arctic Ocean on Wrangel Island, an orphaned polar ear cub struggles to find food. Without a mother to feed her, this young female must fend for herself. Due to rising global temperatures, food is hard to find because the pack ice that the bears rely on for hunting is late in coming.

Snippet:
This past December, on another hillside, she was born in a snow den.
Her mother kept her close, safe, and well fed,
even after she climbed out of the den in early April.
Polar bear cubs usually stay with their mothers two to three years.
But this cub is already alone–on her own.

Nonfiction Monday

This week’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up is here at Booktalking!

Here is what the kidlitosphere is reading this week:

Picture Books

Jeff at NC Teacher Stuff shares From Maple Tree to Syrup saying “This procedural text educates readers about the process of making maple syrup. It would be a good mentor text for creating ‘how-to’ books.”

At laurasalas, Laura shares Annie and Helen, “Great details, figurative language, and real people with real faults make this a terrific nonfiction picture book!”

Lisa of Shelf-Employed says, “If I were escorting a child or class to a museum, Meet Me at the Art Museum book would be on my “must share” list. Well worth the price of admission!”

At Wrapped in Foil, Roberta says that in Monet Paints a Day, author, Julie Danneberg, paints a word portrait of Monet in a way Monet created his own paintings, capturing the moment.

Abby shares two 2012 picture books about Florence Mills, African-American performer at Abby the Librarian.

Amy @ Hope Is the Word brings us If You Lived Here by Giles Laroche, a book that showcases various types of dwellings from all over the world.

Jennifer from JeanLittleLibrary has Paiute Princess by Deborah Ray, a picture book biography of Sarah Winnemucca.

At Fourth Musketeer, Margo reviews Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert, “a beautiful picture book on a lesser-known American saint, whose story is inspirational for all ages.”

Jeanne writes, “After I saw the new movie, Lincoln, I was inspired to feature the new picture book, Abe Lincoln’s Dream, written and illustrated by Lane Smith and designed by Molly Leach, his wife.” See it at http://jeannewalkerharvey.blogspot.com/2012/12/abe-lincolns-dream.html”>True Tales & A Cherry On Top.

At Apples with Many Seeds, Tammy is looking at how biographies, autobiographies and memoirs personalize history making it more interesting for kids. But, also wondering about the audience level of some picture books that focus on big topics (surviving WWII/Holocaust), unfamiliar celebrities, and dramatic events. Three very interesting, current titles to share.”

“Joanne Stanbridge’s book, The Extraordinary Music of Mr. Ives about the life of composer Mr. Ives brought music to my speech room” at SpeakWell, ReadWell. Jeanette says, “The students loved the story and it inspired them to listen to the sounds around them and make music of their own.”

Middle Grade

At The Nonfiction Detectives, Cathy and Louise write, “Ice! is a 2012 middle grade nonfiction book about how people harvested ice from rivers to keep food cold. We’ve pairing it with Twelve Kinds of Ice in today’s review.

Travis at 100 Scope Notes reviewed National Parks, a helpful guide to our national parks.

All About the Books with Janet Squires has a post for all the students and teachers who are looking fresh topics for those classic biography reports. With an interest level of 3-6 grade and a fifth grade reading level, The guy who invented home video games: Ralph Baer and his awesome invention provides an introduction to the life and times of this little known inventor.

Tara at A Teaching Life has two nonfiction reads of the week: a how-to book for comic book creators and a biography of the artist Marc Chagall.

P.S. Can you host Nonfiction Monday in January, February or March 2013? Sign up for a hosting date here.

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.