Series Samplings from Bearport, as reviewed by Yoda

Today we are looking at three new nonfiction offerings from Bearport, each representing a new series for the Fall. First up:



While the cover you see above does not match the copy we have, if you click on the "Look Inside" link you do get the correct cover. Both are cute, so I don't think it matters much - but it's worth clicking on and enlarging to full size just to see that big ol' face staring out at you!

Like many of Bearports' series, this one from their "Spectacular Animal Towns" is extremely accessible for the reluctant or beginning reader, with the pages dominated by colorful pictures and text broken into small chunks and fact boxes. I am personally still stuck on the idea of a prairie dog town covering 16 million acres! My tank suddenly seems way too small. Other books in the series look at ants, bats, bees, beavers, and coral reefs (now there's a home for a turtle! Er...except for the whole salt water thing).

Next up:



part of the "Going Green" series, a popular topic these days. In fact, we are looking at remodeling a bit in our library to save on energy costs, so it was interesting to see all the different things that can be done. Freaky was excited to see the photo of Chicago's City Hall, which is covered in a huge garden - what a great place to take your lunch break! (see his post about The Curious Garden by Peter Brown) Often pictures of just buildings can get dull, but the different angles and perspectives used keep these buildings from blending together in the reader's mind. Very nicely done! An extra feature in the back of this one tells readers how they can "live green" without reconstructing their entire house.

Last but not least:



Again, Amazon's photo does not match the final cover, but no biggie. This selection from the "X-Moves" series contains plenty of close-up high-action pictures to appeal to our adventurous readers (and for their moms, there is a page illustrating safety gear at the end). I haven't been on too many bikes, myself - hard to find one my size - so I learned a lot from this one. Thank goodness for the glossary, which the books in all three series contain - as well as bibliographies, index, recommended reading, and a link to Bearport's site where you can find up-to-date internet links for more reading. Other titles in this series cover snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, motocross, and rally cars. This series in particular would be a great one for school libraries, especially those with upper elementary or middle school students. Click on any of the covers above to order yours.

Thanks to Bearport for the review copies!