Conjunction Junction, What's Your Function?

But and For, Yet and Nor: What Is a Conjunction? by Brian P. Cleary; illustrated by Brian Gable

When I think conjunctions, I think School House Rock—to me, they are synonymous. It’s what I grew up with, and I still have the song Conjunction Junction on my iPod.

Written in rhyme with wacky, colorful characters, Cleary’s concept is almost as catching and fun as that classic hit. The descriptions are clear and introduced in a fairly straightforward manner, and they are described by their different uses (time, compare/contrast, etc.). Conjunctions used as examples are printed in color to distinguish them, though the author offers a challenge at the beginning of the book: find all the conjunctions not highlighted too! The rhymes used are comical, often achieving extra meaning when paired with the illustrations.

Silly illustrations will have younger kids laughing, while the information will be useful and informative to older grades as well.

And really, with lines like “Both and and can work that way as in this next example: both my parrot and my friend would sure like one free sample” (p.20-21), how can you not crack a smile?

Additional books in the series cover nouns and adverbs, to name a few.

-Jenny

Age 7-11
Copyright March 2010
ISBN: 9780822591535
Image from www.librarybooks.com

Geology Rocks!

The Wonders Inside the Earth by Jan Stradling

A short while back I absolutely ripped apart an introductory geology book because, well, I didn't like it. That is not the case this time around.

The Wonders Inside the Earth explores everything from the external forces of weather and planetary rotation to the geology and hydrology that has shaped the world. Each page spread covers a single concept, breaking it down through images and specific examples and diagrams, almost like a large, expanded glossary. See-through page layers give this book an interactive feel and help to expand the understanding of some terms. The illustrations are large and colorful, utilizing images as well as diagrams of processes to engage the reader. Images of animal life and human interaction—penguins, antelope, clams plus surfers on the waves, sunken ships on the sea floor—give some depictions a fun touch, allowing kids to relate to what they’re seeing. A series of chapters on human relationships with the earth, such as oil and coal usage, is straight forward and non-judgmental—issues such as pollution and global warming are clearly not the intended focus of this book.

Now to the important part: The Wonders Inside is interesting enough to capture the attention span of most students, which is no easy feat. By breaking down concepts so thoroughly, breaks in reading should not create confusion or a loss of comprehension, and terms that students may be fuzzy on are easy to relocate. The facts are accurate and clearly stated in plain language while still utilizing the new terms introduced, and the flow of information is rational. A complete glossary and index are located in the back.

The only flaw, in my humble and non-judgmental opinion (ha!), is a lack of a timeline for earth’s history, though it's a minor complaint as the age of the earth is mentioned in several sections.

I definitely recommend this book for classrooms and libraries, especially for units studying the earth’s systems and geology. Beyond that, though, it would be a great book to keep around the house if interests sway that direction, maybe on the shelf next to The Way Things Work. Definitely a solid addition to the non-fiction library!

-Jenny

Age 8-12
Copyright April 2010
ISBN: 9781571459503
Images from www.silverdolphinbooks.com