Category: children

children, mystery

Museum Mysteries: The Case of the Haunted History Museum

Bergers Book Reviews

The Case of the Haunted History Museum
Author: Steve Brezenoff
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Genre: Middle grade / Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-4342-9691-7
Pages: 128
Price: $6.95

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Wilson Kipper’s mom works for the Capitol City Museum of Natural City. While he’s visiting, the huge Quetzalcoatlus model crashes to the floor, and he and his friends, Clementine, Amal and Raining, witness it happening. When a ghost is suspected of haunting the museum, the four sleuths jump into action.

The museum director brings in a ghost hunting team led by a famous psychic to track down the ghost, but the kids start looking elsewhere. Since Wilson doesn’t believe in ghosts, there must be a person staging the unusual events taking place at the museum. Trying to determine who most benefited from the ghost’s appearance, they examine the clues and track down the perpetrator of the hoax.

The Case of the Haunted History Museum is part of the Museum Mysteries series. The story is reminiscent of Scooby Doo cartoons, when a band of kids gets together to thwart the bad guy. However, the cast of characters is more diversified, featuring other ethnic backgrounds. Children will enjoy solving this mystery along with Wilson and his friends.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

cats, children

Lazy Hero Cat: The Rise of the Nap

Bergers Book Reviews

Lazy Hero Cat - The Rise of the Nap
Author: Stanford Crow
Illustrator: Christian Paniagua
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children / Cats
ISBN: 978-1940021232
Pages: 70
Price: $8.99

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Lazy Hero Cat of Egypt: Bubastis the cat is very lazy. He sleeps all day on top of the sarcophagus of Queen Nefertari, too lazy to look, listen or smell anything. So he doesn’t move at all when two tomb robbers break in to steal from the sarcophagus. But being lazy is just the right way to handle these thieves. In a comedy of errors, Bubastis manages to knock them both out, just by doing nothing. And the next day, he is hailed as a hero when the men are discovered in the tomb.

Lazy Hero Cat and the Pirates: Bubastis “Bub” the cat is back and this time he’s sunning himself on the bank of the Nile, enjoying a cozy catnap. When the river floods, he’s too lazy to notice he’s floating away. Pirates net his cat bed and bring him on board their ship to catch rats. Bub just continues to snooze, so the pirates get angry and make him walk the plank. But Bub has no intention of doing anything but sleep. Luckily for the pirates, his laziness will pay off in ways they never expected.

Lazy Hero Cat and the Dragon: Bubastis the cat is sleeping by a volcano on an island. When the volcano explodes, he flies through the air, landing in a cave inhabited by a dragon. Soon he finds himself inside the dragon’s belly along with a knight. But instead of being concerned, Bub keeps on sleeping, and as the knight pets him, he begins to purr. Dragons aren’t used to purring cats in their bellies, and soon his ongoing slumber benefits both the knight and the dragon.

Lazy Hero Cat:The Rise of the Nap is a delightfully humorous read. Kids will really enjoy these fun stories.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature

The Kid’s Guide to Exploring Nature

Bergers Book Reviews

The Kid's Guide to Exploring Nature
By: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Educators
Illustrator: László Veres
Publisher: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-889538-88-4
Pages: 120
Price: $16.95

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A budding naturalist needs a good guidebook. Brooklyn Botanic Garden has created The Kid’s Guide to Exploring Nature to give kids a head-start in learning about the natural world around them.

Before they’re off and running, children are introduced to the tools they will need to begin exploring. Then they are guided on a seasonal tour of the woods, meadows, beaches and city. Kids will discover the different animals and plants they can expect to encounter, plus the seasonal activities each will display. Drawings of the natural world, some of which are number-coded to identify specific items in the scene, accompany the text.

This book was created with the city dweller in mind, and many of the photos and descriptions pertain to animals and plants kids will find there. But there is enough diversity to also educate the suburban or country child. I highly recommend this interesting and informative guide.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature, science

Smithsonian Readers: Early Adventures Level 1

Bergers Book Reviews

Smithsonian Early Adventures
Authors: Brenda Scott-Royce, Ruth Strother, Emily Rose Oachs, Kaitlyn DiPerna
Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books
Genre: Science / Nature / Children
ISBN: 978-1-62686-451-1
Pages: 192
Price: $14.95

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Science and nature are interesting for kids, and Smithsonian Readers capitalizes on this desire to learn more about these topics. Early Adventures covers safari animals, animal habitats, insects, vehicles, outer space, and reptiles. Beautiful photos fill each page, bringing the text alive and making it more engaging. Each section closes with a multiple choice quiz to determine reading comprehension.

The Smithsonian Readers series is designed for early, developing, engaged and fluent readers. In this level 1 book, kids will read basic factual texts with familiar content and simple repeated sentence structures.

Smithsonian Readers: Early Adventures Level 1 is sure to generate some curiosity and enthusiasm in the home and classroom. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, birds, children, nature

Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon

Bergers Book Reviews

Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon
Author: Christie Gove-Berg
Publisher: Adventure Publications
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-59193-516-2
Pages: 32
Price: $12.95

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Maggie was still young and learning to fly when she crashed into the side of a building. For most peregrine falcons, this would have led to her eventual death as she struggled to see and eat. But Maggie was lucky. Someone found her and brought her to a wildlife hospital for treatment.

Although her beak was damaged in the crash, it would eventually heal so she would be able to eat normally. But her eye was hopelessly damaged and would need to be removed. Falcons need both eyes to hunt, so Maggie couldn’t be released back into the wild. Instead, she visits with children as part of an educational program.

Maggie’s story has a happy ending, and children will enjoy seeing her in the many photographs that fill this book. They’ll also learn about animal rehabilitation and the importance of caring for and maintaining peregrine falcon populations. Kids who love animals will enjoy reading Maggie’s story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children, nature

Tooth & Claw: The Wild World of Big Predators

Bergers Book Reviews

Tooth & Claw
Author: Jim Arnosky
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8624-2
Pages: 32
Price: $14.95

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Big predators are more likely to be seen in a zoo than our own backyards. These incredible beings inspire awe and fear, as we appreciate how quickly they can corner and kill their prey. But even though they are dangerous, they are also incredibly magnificent.

Author and artist, Jim Arnosky, captures their beauty in Tooth & Claw. Sharing a bit about lions, leopards, cheetahs, bears, and wolves, he also paints detailed portraits of each. The images are so lifelike, one can almost reach out and touch these animals.

It’s easy to lose sight of the wildness of caged lions and tigers, but underneath their docile exterior lies the heart of a powerful beast. Arnosky clearly admires these creatures and inspires the reader to do the same.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, nature

Letters of the West

Bergers Book Reviews

Letters of the West
Author: Michelle E. Walch
Illustrator: John Maddin
Publisher: Craigmore Creations
Genre: Children / Nature
ISBN: 978-1-940052-10-6
Pages: 32
Price: $17.99

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A is for Alpenglow, F is for Foxglove, X is for Xeriscape…” This unique alphabet book features the many plants, animals, and other curious features of the west. Each letter is presented on its own page along with an accompanying whimsical drawing in bold scratchboard art.

Letters of the West is not your typical alphabet book. Some of these entries will be familiar, but many will be surprising, and kids will enjoy learning about nature as they learn their ABCs.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

animals, children

Pet Shop Heroes

Bergers Book Reviews

Pet Shop Heroes
Author: Stanford Crow
Illustrator: Christian Paniagua
Publisher: Bliss Group Books
Genre: Children / Animals
ISBN: 978-1-940021-11-9
Pages: 60
Price: $4.99

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Sly, the snake, has been working on a magic potion. When a mosquito flies through the smoke, he begins to transfer super powers to all those he bites. After being bitten, Sly realizes he has the power to take over the city and heads straight for mayor’s office.

Meanwhile, the mosquito also bites four animals living at the pet shop. Kitty the cat, Grace the guinea pig, Petruchio the puppy, and Carmine the chameleon all race to the mayor’s office to try to save the city. Each has a unique new super power that will help them defeat Sly.

Pet Shop Heroes blends action, science, and humor into a fun story kids will enjoy. Move over Superman – the Pet Shop Heroes are ready to save the world!

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, farming

Big Tractors With Casey & Friends

Bergers Book Reviews

Big Tractors With Casey & Friends
Author: Holly Dufek
Illustrator: Paul E. Nunn
Publisher: Octane Press
Genre: Children / Farming
ISBN: 978-1937747534
Pages: 32
Price: $14.99

Octane Press
Case IH farm equipment
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Happy Skies Farm is a big farm, and it needs big equipment to manage its work. But Casey has two good friends – Big Red the Magnum and Sammy Steiger – who help her get the job done. Along with Tillus the worm, Casey shows us how Big Red and Sammy help her with her work.

In order to understand how powerful these two big tractors are, Casey first explores the concept of horsepower, showing us the evolution of tractors since they first appeared in 1920. Weight balancing and power output are demonstrated, and wheel size and shape are discussed, as Casey explains how a tractor is designed so it won’t sink into loose soil or flatten the soil too much. Finally, we see the inside of the tractor from the operating console to the interior mechanical workings. A glossary of terms concludes the narrative.

Big tractors are a necessity on large farms, and knowing as much as possible about the equipment they’re operating will be helpful to farm kids. But even those who live in the city or suburbs will be fascinated by this large and useful equipment. Big Tractors With Casey & Friends is a great read for anyone interested in learning how big farm equipment works.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

A Hippo in Our Yard

Bergers Book Reviews

A Hippo in Our Yard
Author & Illustrator: Liza Donnelly
Publisher: Holiday House
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3564-7
Pages: 32
Price: $16.95

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Sally insists there is a hippo in the yard, but her mother doesn’t believe her. After feeding it some lettuce, she notices a hungry tiger in the tree. While her family continues to ignore her, Sally is soon feeding the tiger, as well as some zebras and koalas. An emergency phone call confirms Sally’s words. The zoo animals have escaped!

Any child who is frustrated at the lack of attention he’s getting from his parents will be pleased when Sally is finally proved right. A Hippo in Our Yard will have kids giggling as they read it over and over again.

Reviewer: Alice Berger