The Night Santa Got Lost, How Norad Saved Christmas
Written by Michael Keane
Illustrated by Michael Garland
Age Level: 4 – 6
Grade Level: PS and up

I wasn’t sure about this story at first, but the more I read, the more I liked it. By the end I loved it! It’s written like The Night Before Christmas, but this version tells how Santa got stuck and NORAD and the military came to his rescue. The back matter tells how NORAD got started and got into the business of tracking Santa. It brings back great memories of how my kids used to follow Santa on Christmas. 

Heart on Fire:  ​Susan B. Anthony Votes for President
Written by Ann Malaspina
Illustrated by Steve James
Age Level: 6 – 9
Grade Level: 1 – 4

​I love stories that teach me something new. I already knew Susan B. Anthony was instrumental in getting women the right to vote, but I didn’t know that Susan voted because of the 14th amendment, or that she went to jail, or that she was fined for voting. BTW, she never paid the fine.
 
Susan’s story is retold in a way that’s outrageous, unbelievable but true. It’s a great read! In prepping for this review, I found out something new, sad, but true. Susan voted illegally on November 5, 1872, but it didn’t count. Women got the right to vote in 1920, but Susan never voted. She died in 1906, fourteen years too soon. So depressing, unfair, but true.

Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush
Written by Melissa Stoller
Illustrated by Sandra Sonke
Age Level: 4 – 7
Grade Level: K - 4

I picked this book after my painting experience! I thought it’d be about the joy of having a Magic Paintbrush. Pre-painting I’d always wanted one, but I’m rethinking that. Scarlet discovered she’d rather paint her own way than have a perfect paintbrush make all the decisions. Perfection is great, but staying true to yourself is even better! Post-painting, I think Scarlet was right! I learned things from painting myself that I’d never learn with a magic paintbrush.

​Dr. Seuss The Great Doodler
Written by Kate Klima
Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Age Level: 5 – 8
Grade Level: K - 3

I love this book! It’s a Step 3 book for kids in grades 1-3, but it’s a great source for a biography or book report. It even has some of Ted’s original cartoons inside.

Here’s my favorite fact that I learned about Dr. Seuss…he took an ocean trip and kept hearing the ship’s engines. He didn’t get irritated. He wrote to the beat, and that became his 1st book, And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry St. Twenty-seven publishers turned it down, but #28 picked it up. I love how Ted went with the flow, and he didn’t give up.

​A Dog Like Daisy
Written by Kristen O’Donnell Tubb
Age Level: 8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 - 7

I knew when I was halfway through this book that I had to review it. The hook, a dog is 2 days away from being put down when 3 people enter the pound. They’re looking for a special dog that can be trained to become a therapy dog. This is the perfect book to honor our veterans, many of whom return home with PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. After serving our country, they find themselves flashing back to the horrors of the battlefield. It makes life difficult for them, difficult for their families. Read this book to find out how Daisy passes her tests to become a therapy dog, and how she heals her new pack of humans. If you are interested in learning more about therapy dogs, read all the way to the back matter. Kristin will tell you how she got the idea for this book, and how she researched it. Daisy has become one of my favorite books, one of my favorite dogs!

I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson's Blackboard
Written and Illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann
Age Level: 5 – 8
Grade Level: K - 3

​This week my blog went home to my last classroom. The teacher next-door, Mrs. Benson. Really! I had to pick this book! This story brought me back to when I taught 2nd grade, and earning a star was a dream come true. Really! Poor Rosie, she can’t earn one for school things like math, reading, or cleaning. Her biggest fear…having her desk dumped out on the floor. This is life in the primary! Read and find out how Rosie gets her star. If you’re looking for a book for a teacher, or for a child who’s struggling to achieve, this is the perfect gift. Perseverance works!

​Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark
             Became the Ocean’s Most Famous Scientist​
​Written by Jess Keating
Illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens
Age Level: 4 – 8
Grade Level: P - 4

I saw this cover and had to read it! Girl meets sharks! What a great idea for a book! As a kid Eugenie was told she couldn’t be a diver. She refused to listen. She started diving, taking every class she could till her dream was as large as a whale shark. Large enough to teach people that women can be scientists, and that sharks are worth understanding. Read this book, and you’ll discoverEugenie Clark, AKA Shark Lady.

​Vincent Comes Home                       
Written and Illustrated by
​   Jessica Bagley and Aaron Bagley
Age Level: 4 – 6
Grade Level: P - 1 
​
I liked the beginning, but I loved the ending to this story. The hook— Vincent is a ship’s cat who travels all over the world. Check out the map to see where he’s been. Lucky Vincent! Now the ship’s heading home, and Vincent doesn’t understand why everyone’s so excited, not till he finds a home of his own. Fun facts— Jessixa and Aaron are married. They’re both published writers and illustrators, and this is their 1st book together. Here’s to many more collaborations from them!

​Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates
Written by April Jones Prince
Illustrated by Steven Salerno
Age Level: 4 – 7
Grade Level: 1- 2

If you love Goldilocks AND pirates, have I got the story for you! You don’t have to be a 7 year old second grader to read this…Really!  You must love pirates, or fixing things, or sneaking into a house to test out all the good stuff. In this version of the classic story Mama Pirate is domestically challenged. Really! Luckily Goldenlocks comes in and saves the day. How? Read the story, and you’ll find out! 

​Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible ALVIN
Written by Michelle Cusolito
Illustrated by Nicole Wong
Age Level: 5 – 9
Grade Level: K - 4

​I was on a different kind of boat this week, but I was hooked by this book. It takes you through a day inside ALVIN as it searches the sea floor for treasures. Imagine, finding the Titanic!
​
The back pages are great! They tell you how how small Alvin is, only 7 feet in diameter. Can you imagine spending a day inside, with 2 other people? Talk about crowded! They also tell you how the author and illustrator researched this book. And one last fun fact…did you know Alvin started exploring the deep in 1965? Since then it has had 40 male pilots, and 1 female. I think it’s time for some girl power!