Although this book is fun, it is a little too loud to properly teach the ABCs to beginning readers. Also, a younger audience will not be familiar with most band references.

A comic format of a child's emergence into an Elvis Presley impersonator.

Lovely rhyme, perfect for reading aloud. Introduces new vocabulary (solo, duet, different groups of instruments).

Age: 1st-2nd grade

A telling of maria Mozart that includes wolfgang but she is not shadowed by him. Well progressed plot that follows the structure of a sonata--Maria's most played music. Excellent supplementary material at the end.

Age: 4th-7th grade (advanced reader)

"Two girls separated by race form an unbreakable bond during the tumultuous integration of Little Rock schools in 1958.

"Twelve-year-old Marlee doesn't have many friends until she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is bold and brave, and always knows the right thing to say. Liz even helps Marlee overcome her greatest fear - speaking. But then Liz is gone, replaced by the rumor that she was a Negro girl passing as white. But Marlee decides that doesn't matter. Liz is her best friend. And to stay friends, Marlee and Liz are willing to take on integration and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families" (Goodreads).

The beauty of this book lies in its tragic ending when Marlee and Liz realize that they can't maintain the friendship they so desire due to cultural stigmas. (So tragic since they were such perfect, complimentary friends.) For a younger age group, this might be hard to swallow. However, because it is historical fiction, kids can reflect on how these dangerous stigmas rarely exist in their lives and how tragic it would be without friends of theirs that have different skin colors. This would be excellent for book group or class because it requires a deeper contextual understanding, especially when Marlee so casually uses the word "Negro" because it was acceptable at the time. This may bring up controversy like Huck Finn.

One minor note, I got thirsty quite often reading this book! Marlee had several lovable quirks about her including comparing people to beverages and counting prime numbers in her head when she was nervous.

Favorite line: Marlee's mother reflects on her daughter's emergent courage (and how she's always been mesmerized by the nearby zoo) by stating, "She talks with the lions."

Fun read but ends abruptly and didactically about pitch and tempo. One less instrument would have been perfect. The artwork is fun and I love the varying texts for each instrument. It helps when reading aloud to remember how it sounds.

Good for children familiar with alphabet, not just starting off (letters are hard to distinguish amidst the art).

This book fills each page with alliteration punches and several objects that begin with the letter at hand. It would have been nice to have all or most of the objects start with the letter, but alas. This book also highlights letters within words, not just at the first letter, giving kids a fuller grasp regarding the extent of letters.

Age: Baby - Preschool
Character Series: Book 5

The Night Visitors pay another visit to Jack the dog and party all night long. But what happens when Jack's leash is hooked up to their spaceship as they fly away?

Age: K - 2nd grade

Slow moving poetry details the monthly names of the moon. Darker artwork helps soothe a child to sleep.