For readers in the Southern California region, I’ll be speaking about the Common Core State Standards and nonfiction publishing at the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California’s spring workshop on Saturday, May 11, in South Pasadena. To register for the event go to http://www.childrensliteraturecouncil.org/events.htm, and I hope I see some of you there.

Roger Sutton
Editor in Chief
The Horn Book, Inc.

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Bernstein, Daryl Better than a Lemonade Stand!: Small Business Ideas for Kids
Gr. 4–6  190 pp. Simon & Schuster/Aladdin
Illustrated by Rob Husberg. New ed., 1992, Beyond Words. When Bernstein was fifteen, he wrote the first edition of this book based on his own experience as a young entrepreneur. Now, twenty years later, he’s updated the package to incorporate contemporary technology and cautions. Fifty-five business ideas are presented with suggestions and tips on supplies, pricing, advertising, and more. One-page profiles introduce actual “kid entrepreneurs” and their ventures. Websites.
Subjects: Occupations and Careers; Behavior—Responsibility; Entrepreneurship; Business; Moneymaking projects; Money

Concord, Juliet I Am Kind
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

Erroll, Mark I Am Honest
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

Goodman, Errol I Am Helpful
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

Hoffman, Mary Ann I Am a Good Citizen
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

Joseph, Kurt I Am Respectful
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth

National, Walt I Am Responsible
Gr. K–3  24 pp. Gareth
Kids of Character series. This leveled series makes somewhat abstract concepts accessible for early readers. All books follow the same structure: featured trait (kind, responsible, etc.) is first defined in general terms. Subsequent texts, accompanied by generic stock photos, highlight examples of that trait in practice in the neighborhood, at school, and at home, before the books end abruptly. They’re not exciting, but they could be useful. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Life Skills; Behavior—Kindness; Behavior—Honesty; Behavior—Helpfulness; Citizenship; Behavior—Respectfulness; Behavior—Responsibility

Doeden, Matt Conflict Resolution Smarts: How to Communicate, Negotiate, Compromise, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Donovan, Sandy Budgeting Smarts: How to Set Goals, Save Money, Spend Wisely, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Donovan, Sandy Job Smarts: How to Find Work or Start a Business, Manage Earnings, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Donovan, Sandy Scheduling Smarts: How to Get Organized, Prioritize, Manage Your Time, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Markovics, Joyce Relationship Smarts: How to Navigate Dating, Friendships, Family Relationships, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century

Scheff, Anna Shopping Smarts: How to Choose Wisely, Find Bargains, Spot Swindles, and More
High school  64 pp. Twenty-First Century
USA Today Teen Wise Guides: Time, Money, and Relationships series. Photographs, sidebars, and articles from USA Today combine with a conversational text to present a sound discussion of the featured subjects. Each title provides an appropriate amount of information on issues that are relevant to adolescents navigating the complexities of family, friends, first jobs, and money management. The corny posed photos are unfortunate, but they’ll do. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
Subjects: Life Skills; Communication; Finance, Personal; Economics; Savings and investment
Work; Entrepreneurship; Occupations and careers; Time; Adolescence; Friendship; Dating; Family; Money; Finance, Personal

Parker, Vic Helping Animals
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann

Parker, Vic Helping Family and Friends
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann
I Can Make a Difference series. Brief chapters cover the benefits of volunteering and different kinds of volunteerism, including adopting homeless pets, hanging up bird feeders, donating items to others in need, and recycling. The design is textbooklike, but volunteerism is presented as both important and diverting. Color photos of varying quality appear on every page. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Life Skills; Pets; Behavior—Helpfulness; Animals; Volunteerism; Friendship; Family

From the April 2013 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.

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Hengel, Katherine Cool Carrots from Garden to Table: How to Plant, Grow, and Prepare Carrots
Gr. 4–6  32 pp. ABDO

Hengel, Katherine Cool Green Beans from Garden to Table: How to Plant, Grow, and Prepare Green Beans
Gr. 4–6  32 pp. ABDO

Hengel, Katherine Cool Leaf Lettuce from Garden to Table: How to Plant, Grow, and Prepare Lettuce
Gr. 4–6  32 pp. ABDO
Checkerboard How-To Library: Cool Garden to Table series. Each book provides a brief description of the vegetable or herb; how to plant, grow, and harvest it; followed by lengthy picture lists of ingredients, cooking tools, and cooking terms. While not go-to gardening books, the six relevant recipes in each title (e.g., “Creamy Carrot Soup,” “Berry Good Vinaigrette Salad”) with easy-to-follow steps may help young readers accomplish their cookery goals. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Herbs; Cookery; Food; Fruits and vegetables—Carrots; Cookery

Heppermann, Christine City Chickens
Gr. 4–6  53 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
An endearing account of a home-based shelter for chickens in Minneapolis. Clear first-hand accounts of the shelter’s origins, why and how various chickens were rescued, and rescue-chicken caretaking will keep readers enthralled. Numerous captioned photographs of the shelter and its owners, charismatic rescued chickens, and some special chicken adopters underscore the love and dedication of this unique operation.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Minnesota; Animal shelters; Animals—Chickens; City and town life; Wildlife rescue

Malam, John Grow Your Own Butterfly Farm
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann

Malam, John Grow Your Own Cat Toy
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann

Malam, John Grow Your Own Sandwich
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Heinemann
Grow It Yourself series. In this DIY series for outdoorsy kids, minimal texts explain how to grow flowers, catnip, and tomatoes. Cat Toy and Sandwich end with step-by-step instructions for making the title products. Butterfly Farm is less focused, jumping from descriptions of butterflies to information on flowers to planning and care of a garden. Attractive close-up photos will engage readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Animals—Butterflies; Animals—Cats; Plants; Handicrafts; Fruits and vegetables—Tomatoes

Malnor, Carol L. and Hunner, Trina L. Molly’s Organic Farm
Gr K–3  32 pp. Dawn
Illustrated by Trina L. Hunner. In this picture book based on real events, when a stray cat appears at a community farm, she is welcomed by the farmers and makes herself at home among the plants. Molly the cat’s presence steers the text’s discussion of organic farming, with back matter adding more details about topics such as crop rotation, companion planting, and compost. The child-friendly illustrations, including photos of the real-life Molly, complement the approachable story.
Subjects: Picture Books; Gardens and gardening; Farms and farm life; Animals—Cats; Pets; Environment

Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard
Gr. K–3  40 pp. Knopf
Illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. Alice and her family grow edible plants, raise chickens, and enjoy the wide variety of living things in their backyard ecosystem. Scientific information is included about such topics as composting, plant life cycles, food chains and food webs, and nutrition, with anthropomorphized chickens explaining the underlying facts. Changes during the garden growing season are attractively portrayed in Lamont’s cheery illustrations.
Subjects: Farm Life, Husbandry, and Gardening; Life cycles; Plants; Food chains; Animals—Chickens

From the April 2013 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.

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Birds

Fish
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear

Invertebrates
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear

Mammals of the Northern Hemisphere
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear

Mammals of the Southern Hemisphere
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear

Reptiles and Amphibians
Middle school  64 pp. Brown Bear
Facts at Your Fingertips: Endangered Animals series. Each volume begins with background information about the title animal group, including consideration of the specific dangers faced by that type of animal. Profiles of various endangered species (classified by threat level) follow on double-page spreads with solid factual information (in very small type), accompanied by a field guide–like data summary, color photographs, illustrations, and habitat maps. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Pollution and Conservation; Animals—Birds; Environment—Endangered species; Environment—Conservation—Wildlife; Pollution and Conservation; Animals—Fish; Animals—Invertebrates; Animals—Mammals; Animals—Reptiles; Animals—Amphibians

Frydenborg, Kay Wild Horse Scientists
Gr. 4–6  80 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Scientists in the Field series. Researchers are attempting to control the horse population on Assateague Island by determining the sustainable number of horses and then developing a contraceptive vaccine that limits mares to a single foal per lifetime. The information — a combination of lab and field science details and personal observation — is accessible and engaging. Relevant and clear color photographs show both horses and scientists in situ. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
Subjects: Mammals; Animals—Horses; Environment—Conservation—Wildlife; Assateague Island National Seashore (MD and VA)

Hague, Bradley Alien Deep: Exploring the Mysterious Living World at the Bottom of the Ocean
Gr. 4–6  48 pp. National Geographic Books
The little-understood world of the deep ocean is explored in this examination of Earth’s hydrothermal vents. Color photos of underwater marvels and scientists at work supplement the authoritative text, which follows real-life research expeditions surveying these new terrains. An especially fascinating chapter presents links to the origins of life, and even to possible extraterrestrial life. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Natural History; Hydrothermal vents; Marine ecology; Oceanography; Oceans

Miller, Debbie S. Survival at 120 Above
Gr. K–3  32 pp. Walker
Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle. When sudden rain refreshes central Australia’s long-dry Simpson Desert, dormant seeds and estivating creatures emerge, absorb or lap up water, and sprout or reproduce in a new rush of life. Extreme conditions don’t deter the desert’s well-adapted creatures from survival in this difficult habitat. Double-page spreads of realistic wildlife paintings, bright-white superimposed text, and present-tense narration add immediacy. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Subjects: Natural History; Animals—Desert animals; Australia; Deserts

Yezerski, Thomas F. Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story
Gr. K–3  40 pp. Farrar
Yezerski adroitly captures the sometimes adversarial, sometimes beneficial relationship between humans and the environment in this marvelous ecological history of the Meadowlands of New Jersey. Each main double-page-spread illustration is bordered by tiny images with a wealth of additional taxonomical information (and sly humor) about the diverse flora and fauna (and mobsters and sports enthusiasts) of northern New Jersey. Websites. Bib.
Subjects: Natural History; Environment—Conservation; Wetlands; New Jersey; Environment—Ecology

From the April 2013 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.

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DeFries, Cheryl L. Leif Eriksson: Viking Explorer of the New World
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Feinstein, Stephen Captain Cook: Great Explorer of the Pacific
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Green, Carl R. Cortés: Conquering the Powerful Aztec Empire
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Napoli, Tony Vasco da Gama: Discovering the Sea Route to India
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Robinson, Kate Lewis and Clark: Exploring the American West
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow

Sonneborn, Liz Pizarro: Conqueror of the Mighty Incas
Middle school  112 pp. Enslow
Great Explorers of the World series. Examining the lives of well-known explorers, these biographies go beyond to offer information about the times in which the men lived; events leading up to and surrounding their travels; and the impact of their explorations on the world. The volumes are well illustrated with photos, archival art, and maps. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Geography and Exploration; Biographies; Vikings; Ericson, Leif; Cook, James; Cortés, Hernando; Native Americans—North America—Aztec; Gama, Vasco da; History, American—Lewis and Clark expedition; History, American—Overland journeys to the Pacific; History, American—Frontier and pioneer life; Native Americans—South America—Incas; Pizarro, Francisco

Hopkinson, Deborah Keep On!: The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole
Gr. K–3  40 pp. Peachtree
Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Alcorn’s illustrations, filled with swirls and stars and sunbursts, create an ethereal and almost mythical landscape in this biography of the African American explorer who, along with Robert E. Peary, became “the first to stand at the top of the world.” Hopkinson’s writing is crisp and fluid, with quotes from Henson lending additional veracity. Back matter discusses how racial prejudice obscured Henson’s achievement. Reading list, timeline, websites.
Subjects: Geography and Exploration; Henson, Matthew; North Pole; African Americans; Biographies; Arctic regions

Ross, Stewart Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air
Gr. 4–6  96 pp. Candlewick
Illustrated by Stephen Biesty. This remarkable book presents fourteen historical explorations, from Pytheas the Greek’s three-thousand-years-ago voyage to Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins’s moon shot, with the question “how did they do that?” as focus. Detailed cross sections, often displayed in foldout segments, diagram each mode of transportation; maps abound, also within foldout pages. The text diligently differentiates between fact and opinion. Bib., glos., ind.
Subjects: Geography and Exploration; Toy and movable books; Transportation; Vehicles

Serrano, Francisco La Malinche: The Princess Who Helped Cortés Conquer the Aztec Empire
Gr. 4–6  37 pp. Groundwood
Illustrated by Pablo Serrano. Reviewing the complicated reputation of La Malinche, the Nahuatl woman who provided Cortés with advice, translation, and eventually a child as he conquered the Aztecs, Serrano makes no judgments. He clearly lays out the facts (where known) of her life and the effects of her actions. Pen-and-gouache illustrations mimic the style of Aztec codices. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos.
Native Americans; Women—Native Americans; Mexico; Native Americans—North America—Aztec; Women—Biographies; Biographies; Exploration and explorers; Princes and princesses; Marina (Aztec princess)

From the April 2013 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.

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