A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

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A Place Inside of Me

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Zetta Elliot, in A Place inside of me, gives us a poem to heal the heart of young people of colour.    In this sensitive picture book we see a young skateboarders’ response to living, before and after, a community member is wounded by the police.  This review is on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

Just so you know, affiliate links will be used in this post. 

A Place Inside of Me

What I am Reviewing

Published by Farrar Straus Giroux, A Place inside of me is written by Zetta Elliot.   Within it’s 32 pages of reinforced binding, this hardcover picture book contains a poem to heal the heart.   Noa Denmom illustrates with care and feeling, bringing to light those hidden emotions inside.

From the cover: 

Summertime is filled with joy – skateboarding and playing basketball – until his community is deeply wounded by a police shooting. As fall turns to winter and then spring, fear grows into anger, then pride and peace.   …….

Here is a groundbreaking narrative that can help all readers – children and adults alike – talk about the feelings hiding deep inside each of us.

The details for A Place Inside of Me

This is not a book of simple rhyming poetry, but a poem filled with emotion from deep inside of a young man.    Enjoying his summer, until damage happens.  Then pain and anger flow out.   

 Illustrator Noa Denmon does an excellent job articulating the depth and nuances of a child’s experiences following a police shooting.  You’ll see with washes of colour, the grief, and anger, and healing and eventually the community.   

You’ll find the text generally in a large enough format to read with a group of children gathered round, and yet easy enough on the eyes to sit and read with a single child.  A Place Inside of Me is geared to youth 4-8 years old, but would be good with older children as well. 

Should you Get it?

Well-written, covering sensitive pain.  Opening hearts and minds to the inner turmoil of others when a member of their community is hurt.   Even though this specifically applies to Black Lives Matter, I can easily seen the theme crossing boundaries.  An excellent bridge to help children be sensitive to the feelings of those around them. 

A Place Inside of Me is definitely worth reading and I suggest you give it a good look.  Add it to your history.  🙂 

Let’s Fly a Plane

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You may remember that I reviewed Let’s Ride a Wave a couple weeks back.   Today I have another in the series called Let’s Fly a Plane.   Another well done book from the Everyday Science Academy series. It is chockful of good science information for the junior crowd.  Come along… let’s discover what it takes to fly a plane!

Let's Fly a Plane review

What am I reviewing?

Let’s fly a Plane!  Launching into the science of flight with aerospace engineering.   Created by Chris Ferrie who writes science books for children.   Sourcebooks Explore is the publisher, the length is 40.  

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my review for Raincoast Books.  Chris Ferrie’s series Everyday Science Academy seeks to answer the big science questions that children have.  Let’s Fly a Plane is no exception to that goal. 

Let’s Fly a Plane, the details

Just as in Let’s Ride a Wave, Red Kangeroo plays a pivotal role.  She asks the question that begs to be answer “How can something so big stay in the sky when I cannot?”  Dr. Chris comes to answer the question. 

sample page from Let's fly a plane

Using accurate language over colour filled pages, Dr. Chris helps his readers understand terms like thrust, drag, friction,life and airflow.    If you miss any of the definition they are also provided in the glossary. 

You’ll find the text easy to read. An easy to read font the remains consistent throughout it’s 40 pages. 

You will appreciate the details provided as you learn about all the things that help keep an airplane up in the sky. 

No science book would be complete without experiments to help cement the learning.   Let’s Fly a Plane is not exception to that rule. 

Should you get it?

For sure!   It’s a fun, informative book with good experiments for children 4-8 years old. The bright colourful pages will keep their eyes on the page while a parent reads to them.  In fact, go out and get the whole series! 🙂

Let’s Ride a Wave

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One of the things I’ve been doing for the past few years is marking a papers for a biology course.  It’s been a good field to venture into and I enjoy doing it the longer I do it.  I’m learning to connect with my students and offer them better, more specific feedback. Part of marking this biology course is seeing if my students understand waves…not just ocean waves though they play a role, but also wavelength, sound, light etc.  Let’s ride a wave! would be an excellent book to help some of my struggling 9th graders.   Let me tell you all about this latest review. 

Let's Ride a wave review

Introducing Let’s Ride a Wave!

Let’s ride a wave! is part of a series called Everyday Science Academy.   Chris Ferrie has put together this series to help answer questions children have about the world around them. 

Red Kangeroo asks the question while sitting at the beach “I wonder if the waves ever stop?”  Dr. Chris steps in to help Red Kangeroo understand. 

Let's ride a wave

Starting with watching the ocean waves, Dr. Chris helps the reader understand that some waves you see, like the ocean waves, and moved along to other waves you see the results of but can’t actually see. 

Sourcebooks has put together a brightly coloured 40-page picture book to help 5-9-year-olds understand the physics of waves.  Chris Ferrie helps children dive into the science of light and sound waves.   I have the pleasure of reviewing this book for Raincoast Books. 

You’ll find the text easy to read using accurate terminology.  Learning about ultraviolet, electromagnetic, wavelength, tides, x-rays and more.  At the close you’ll find a glossary in language easy enough for children to understand but detailed enough to be accurate. 

I LOVE that experiments are included to test out ideas! From listening to different pitchs and tones, to making your your wavelengths. 

let's ride a wave sample page

Should you get it?

Yes, if you have any interest in any questions, or learning more about how waves work as light and sound.  Let’s Make a Wave! is a fantastic primer into how waves work.   It’s great for elementary students as is, giving steps into learning physics, and the excitement of having questions answered.

If you are struggling to make sense of your grade nine/ten biology, reading picture books like this one make complex ideas simple enough to understand.  This gives the building blocks you need to further advance your studies.

Others in the series are  (affiliate links)

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If looking for additional physics resources, check out SchoolhouseTeachers.com.  They have a variety of physics courses from Red Wagon and other sources from grade five and up. 

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Cannonball

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Ah, the joy of looking forward to summer, swimming, camping, and spending time with family and friends.  It’s a time to boost skills, explore new places, and learn more about yourself.  Cannonball takes the goal of one young person and helps us look forward to all that summer has to offer.  This is my review on behalf of Raincoast books. 

Cannonball by Sacha Cotter

What I am Reviewing

Take a multi-generational family, add summer heat and a swimming pool.  Then over the course of 40 pages, children aged 4-8 will be amused as one child learns to soar.  Full colour images by Josh Morgan bring the words of Sacha Cotter to life. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky is the publisher of this delightful picture book entitled Cannonball. 

The Details for Cannonball

Every page is filled with detailed, full colour images. Pages like this are so great when reading with young children.  They can use them to help tell the story, and there’s always so much to see and talk about.  From the blues of the water, to the significance of war paint, and to the birds flying in the sky.  What can you see in this page’s pictures?  Let’s talk!  I love that kind of thing with youngsters.  

Cannonball sample page

The story in and of itself is quite simple, but in simplicity there is the beauty of family love. The joy of a gramma’s confidence.  And the pleasure of discovering something new within.  It’s good you know?

Should you Get it?

Cannonball by Cotter

The only name used is that of Nan, which makes her stand out as a person of significance.  What does that tell you about her relationship with this grandchild of hers? 

So go on, get this book.  Enjoy a simple read and revel in the joy of good family connections.  🙂 

Outside In

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Sometimes you run across a book that can be read in different ways.  Outside In is one such book. Between the images, and my take on text used, I had one impression, but when I read the description, I can see another vantage point.   Books like this linger with me, perhaps this one might linger with you as well.   This is my review.

Outside In Review

What I am Reviewing

Deborah Underwood (best selling New York Times author) wrote Outside In which has been published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  Cindy Derby used a mixture of dark dreary colours with bright pops of colour to illustrate this hardcover picture book.   Written for primary school children, at 40 pages it is a nice book to share with a lap-child or for beginning readers to pick up.  

Because of the different perspectives, you can take with Outside In, it’s an imaginative book with good nature themes. 

Reviewing on behalf of Raincoast Books. 

The Details on Outside In

Cindy Derby’s artwork has left me feeling very conflicted about which way I should read this book.  Parts feel very low and depressive, and other parts feel very bright and ready for almost anything.  At the same time nature abounds, making this tome a place of exploration and dreaming.   It makes for an intriguing look-see.

Outside In

Ooh… the colours in the leaves eh?  Juxtapositioned against the bleakness of winter.  How sad and quiet it can be in the winter, unless we look for the colour and life within it. 

Outside In

Too often that bleakness stays with us.  Bring the light in, bring nature in, rejoice in the colour and life!

The large text size makes it easy for child and adult to read easily. 

sample page outside in

Should you get it?

Outside In is such an interesting book.  Nature, colour, and emotions.  There is much to see and discuss in this picture book. 

Bring nature indoors whether with light or colour.

Don’t get stuck in a rut of quietness within. 

Mindful Day

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Mindfulness is a big thing now-a-days, promoting a growth orientation. Mindful Day is a book geared to little ones, helping them learn to think in the moment.  To carefully pay attention to what you are doing, slowing down using rhythmic breathing so you can experience everything you can. 

Mindful Day by Deborah Hopkinson

What I am Reviewing

Mindful Day is written by Deborah Hopkinson, and is geared for children preschool to grade three. Illustrations are done by Shirley Ng-Benitez.  32 pages of lyrical narrative and illustrations to brighten each page.  It plugs into the mindfulness movement to teach early concepts to young children.  This children’s health book aim to help your children experience new and routine experiences in an emotionally healthy way. Published by Sounds True.  I am reviewing this book for Raincoast Books. 

Mindful Day

Details of Mindful Day

In this picture book you will find a mom and her children going about their daily business.  As they do so they will carefully pay attention to everything they are doing.  They will often take the time to focus on their breathing. 

Mindful Day

Illustrator Shirley Ng-Benitez has taken the time to draw amazing pictures.  I love the details she has incorporated. 

From the cat meowing as the children have breakfast.

Mindful Day

To the variety in the colours used on every page.  This book is done in all the brilliant colours you find in life.  The grey of a rainy day, the darkness of nightfall and fresh greens of the market. Lots of details to draw out of your children as you sit to read together.

Mindful Day

With large letters and excellent use of white space you’ll find it a pleasure to read to a group of children.  The simple lyrics roll well off the tongue.  They are not done in a rhyming style, but more like a mom telling a story to her children, talking together about the day they have had.  Remembering together all the things they experienced. 

Mindful Day

My Thoughts

There is much in this book that I like, but I am having a hard time with this whole mindfulness element.  Mindfulness tends to be fairly self-centered, a horizontal relationship between you and your view of the world. 

I love the simple enjoyment of every day activities, taking the time relish them, and appreciate them in the moment.  There is much to be said about appreciating what you have and taking the time to breathe through what happens in life that you don’t like. 

BUT the element of mindfulness that runs clearly through Mindful Day has me concerned.  I would issue this caution: if you are a person of faith, read it first and then decide if this book is right for you and your littles to read.  Pay attention to the language used, change it if you must, work on the vertical relationship more than the horizontal. 

Cookies For Santa

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OH!  I think I have a new cookie to make!  Santa’s Krinkle Cookies!  In Cookies for Santa, children the world over come to Santa’s rescue.  It’s a fun, cute read just in time for Christmas. Let’s dive into this review shall we?

Cookies for Santa

What I am Reviewing

Cookies for Santa is the Story of how Santa’s favourite cookie Saved Christmas.   Johanna Tarkela with the help of America’s Test Kitchen brings us a gorgeous picture book all about cookies for Santa.  

Santa’s tradition of baking cookies for all of Santa’s helpers is under threat!  Where’s the cookbook? Christmas is bound to be cancelled if proper thank you’s can’t be made.   Who will help Santa?

Children 4-8 years old will be delighted with the 32 full-colour pages of this beautiful picture book.  A delightful Christmas book, takes the folktale of Santa and his cookies and flips it on it’s head.  What a great way to look at one of the many Christmas myths!  🙂  

Cookies for Santa

The Details of Cookies for Santa

Johanna Tarkela has done a remarkable job illustrating Cookies for Santa. I loved the colours and details in the illustrations.  Seeing the children’s faces come to life… just marvellous don’t you think? 

Cookies for Santa

Thoughts/Recommendations

I rather enjoyed this picture book. It was interesting how they took the “leave cookies for Santa” and turned it into a deeper meaning, helping Santa save Christmas. 

If it wasn’t for America’s Test kitchen they probably wouldn’t have managed.  But that’s the joy of cooking isn’t it?  To experiment until you get it just right.  🙂 

Cookies for Santa

Through them, the recipe was perfected and the whole world worked to help Santa. Cookies were made for Santa to eat, and enough that he can share them with all his loved ones and helpers. 

It was a cute story and well worth reading, even if you don’t believe in Santa.

Cookies for Santa

You might remember The Complete Baking book for Young Chefs that I reviewed a bit back.  This was also from America’s Test Kitchen.  

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