May 2022 – STEM Friday

May 20, 2022May 19, 2022

I LOVE Strawberries!

I LOVE Strawberries!
by Shannon Anderson (Author) and Jaclyn Sinquett (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: With scrapbook-style journal entries, young readers learn how Jolie convinces the “old people” (aka her parents) to let her grow her own strawberries from seedling to table. Growing strawberries is a lot of work and responsibility, but Jolie is ready with the help of her faithful rabbit Munchy! Together they find out just how delicious, rewarding, and sometimes complicated it can be to grow your own food.

Creating a garden calendar and notebook, how strawberries grow, what pests to look out for in a garden, why ladybugs are helpful, and how a good gardener takes care of strawberry plants are all explained in Jolie’s journal entries. Informational backmatter includes tips on growing strawberries, an explanation of integrated pest management for greener, safer gardening – and even tips for how to find a pick your own strawberry patch near you.

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BONUS! Download the coloring pages and Educator’s Guide

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

May 13, 2022May 12, 2022

The Cottonwood Tree

The Cottonwood Tree
by Serena Mangus (Author) and Anait Semirdzhyan (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Cottonwood trees grow throughout North America and play a critical role in their ecosystems. In this “autobiography,” a cottonwood tree tells its life story beginning when it is only a seed in a bed of fluff, floating over a river somewhere in the American heartland, and ending more than 80 years later when it is toppled by a fierce storm. Along the way the seed grows into a majestic tree, spreading its life-giving branches to birds, insects, and animals.

The tree also recounts its visits over the years by a special human who was born in the same year. As a boy, this human climbs the cottonwood’s branches to watch the river and dream. As a father, he brings his daughter to visit. As an old man he grieves to see the tree knocked down but rejoices when he sees new sprouts emerging from the stump. He knows the tree is not done yet!

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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

May 6, 2022May 5, 2022

Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers

Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers (Storytelling Math)
by Rajani LaRocca (Author) and Chaaya Prabhat (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: For the Hindu holiday of Raksha Bandhan, Bina is determined to make beaded bracelets for her brothers all by herself. She finds out which colors her brothers like and dislike and sets to work. Working with her every-other-one beading pattern causes Bina to discover something new about patterns–and her brothers.

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¡Ahora en edición bilingüe inglés-español! @ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

May 2, 2022May 26, 2022

Time to Shine

Time to Shine: Celebrating the World’s Iridescent Animals
by Karen Jameson (Author) and Dave Murray (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Have you ever noticed the rainbow-like shimmer on certain bird feathers, insect bodies and animal scales? This effect, called iridescence, changes depending on the angle from which its viewed, and animals across the globe use the effect to both blend in and stand out. Take a closer look at these creatures and their sparkly “clothes” with rhyming couplets and prose text with further context for each animal’s particular environment and adaptation.

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Linda is hosting Poetry Friday at A Word Edgewise

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)