Anastasia Suen

February 21, 2020February 20, 2020

My Wild Cat

My Wild Cat
by Isabelle Simler (Author / Illustrator)

Booktalk: A merciless hunter, an unrivaled expert in stealth and deception–a cat is no ordinary pet! Sure, he may look harmless as he snoozes on the sofa, or under the rug, or on top of the radiator. Sure, he may seem sweet as he snuggles a stuffed animal, but don’t let that fool you! When you least expect it, he’ll pounce . . .

Snippet: At times, my fierce hunter goes on the attack. *

*From the tips of its whiskers to the bottom of its chin, a cat is very sensitive to vibrations, which allows it to detect changes in air pressure and sense when obstacles are nearby.

See the book trailer.

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

February 14, 2020February 13, 2020

Creek Critters

Creek Critters
by Jennifer Keats Curtis with Stroud Water Research Center (Authors) and Phyllis Saroff (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Do you like scavenger hunts? How do you tell if creek water is clean and healthy? Join Lucas and his sister as they act like scientists looking for certain kinds of stream bugs (aquatic macroinvertebrates) that need clean, unpolluted water to survive. What will they find as they turn over rocks, pick up leaves and sort through the mud? Read along to find out if their creek gets a passing grade.

Snippet: Galumph! We step right into the water. This part of the creek is called a riffle. It’s shallow and the water runs fast enough over thr rocks to make a bubbling noise. Downstream is a pool. It’s deep and the water is calm.

BONUS! Download the Teaching Activity Guide

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

February 7, 2020February 6, 2020

Seeds of Spring

My new Focus on STEM column: Seeds of Spring is in the February Quick Tips for Schools and Libraries newsletter.

Booktalk: Prepare for the first day of spring with a celebration of the tiny seed!

Snippet: These new picture books introduce young readers to the wonder of seeds as well as the changes that come as things grow.

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

January 31, 2020January 30, 2020

You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks

You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks
by Evan Turk (Author / Illustrator)

Booktalk: From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawaii, experience 23 of our 60 national parks.

Snippet:

See how the book was made.

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

January 31, 2020January 30, 2020

AstroNuts Mission One: The Plant Planet

AstroNuts Mission One: The Plant Planet
by Jon Scieszka (Author) and Steven Weinberg (Illustrator)

Booktalk: AstroWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StinkBug are animals that have been hybridized to find other planets for humans to live on once we’ve ruined Earth. So off they rocket to the Plant Planet! Will that planet support human life? Or do Plant Planet’s inhabitants have a more sinister plan?

Snippet:

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

January 24, 2020January 23, 2020

Snowy Owls

Snowy Owls (Spot Arctic Animals)
by Anastasia Suen (Author)

Booktalk: Bundle up! It’s time to discover the unique animals that live at the top of the world. This search-and-find book invites young readers to look for new vocabulary words and pictures while giving simple facts about a snowy owl’s arctic habitat, body parts, and behaviors. Find out how their bodies are adapted to the frigid climate and what they do to survive.

Snippet:

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

January 17, 2020January 16, 2020

Extinct: An Illustrated Exploration of Animals That Have Disappeared

Extinct: An Illustrated Exploration of Animals That Have Disappeared
by Lucas Riera (Author) and Jack Tite (Illustrator)

Booktalk: This exploration of over 90 animals that we have lost over the past century, from the California grizzly to the Persian tiger, aims to create awareness and inspire children to act responsibly toward their environment. How each of these animals came to extinction is told in short snippets of text. Further scientific resources and profiles of animals that have been rediscovered or successfully reintroduced into the wild are also included in this over-sized volume.

Snippet:

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

January 17, 2020January 16, 2020

Loony Little: The Ice Cap Is Melting

Loony Little: The Ice Cap Is Melting
by Dianna Hutts Aston (Author) and Kelly Murphy (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with this climate-focused twist on the classic “Chicken Little” story.

Loony Little and her friends set off to tell the Polar Bear Queen that the polar ice cap is melting. Sly Foxy Loxy attempts to lead the animals to his lair to eat them, but Loony Little saves the day, tricking the fox into being devoured by the Polar Bear Queen. Includes information about climate change and the animal species in the book.

Snippet:

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

January 10, 2020January 9, 2020

How to Win a Nobel Prize

How to Win a Nobel Prize
by Barry Marshall (Author), Lorna Hendry (Author), and Bernard Caleo (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Mary has always wanted to win a Nobel Prize. She loves running her own science experiments at home. But how can she become a real scientist and win the greatest prize of all?

One day, Mary stumbles on a secret meeting of Nobel Prize winners. Dr. Barry Marshall agrees to travel with her through time to learn the secrets behind some of the most fascinating and important scientific discoveries. They talk time and space with Albert Einstein, radiation with Marie Curie, DNA with Crick, Watson and Wilkins – and much more.

Includes experiments that young scientists can do themselves at home.

Snippet:

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

January 3, 2020January 2, 2020

Life Under Ice

Life Under Ice: Exploring Antarctic Seas (2nd edition)
by Mary M. Cerullo (Author) and Bill Curtsinger (Photographer)

Booktalk: The organisms that live year-round under the ice of the Antarctic Ocean are truly amazing. Enormous jellyfish and fish with blood like antifreeze are just a few of the creatures captured in their unique habitat by underwater photographer Bill Curtsinger. This new edition is fully updated and traces the impacts of climate change and ice-shelf melt on the abundant life in the waters beneath a frozen desert.

Snippet: By New Year’s Day, when the sun is overhead twenty-four hours a day, billions of microscopic single-celled floating plants called phytoplankton will be in full bloom, forming a thick sea soup and making underwater photography impossible.

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