Every once in awhile, I like to do a nonfiction version of What are You Reading? This week I am sharing five titles that jumped out from the stack.

Build, Beaver, Build! Life at the Longest Beaver Dam by Sandra Markle; Illustrated by Deborah Hocking (Millbrook Press, January 1, 2016) - I am a big fan of Sandra Markle and love her animal stories. I learned new things about beavers from reading this one. Resources at the end include additional beaver facts, additional websites and books to check out, and a short author's note. This will be a fun read aloud in second and third grade.

Animal Planet Polar Animals (Animal Bites Series) by Laaren Brown/Animal Planet (Animal Planet, March 1, 2016)

Animal Planet Ocean Animals (Animal Bites Series) by Laaren Brown/Animal Planet (Animal Planet, March 1, 2016)

Both the above books are produced by Animal Planet and contain fabulous photographs and lots of great facts.

These books tend to be popular books that students share with a peer or two as they read.

There is an excitement as they share new information and facts learned with friends and often checked out of a classroom or school library.

Interior Spreads Credit:
From ANIMAL PLANET ANIMAL BITES: POLAR ANIMALS and ANIMAL PLANET ANIMAL BITES: OCEAN ANIMALS
by Laaren Brown; published by Liberty Street, an imprint of Time Inc Books
© 2015 Discovery Communications, LLC

Raindrops on a Roller Coaster: Hail (Bel the Weather Girl) by Belinda Jensen; Illustrated by Renée Kurilla (Millbrook Press, March 1, 2016)

Weather Clues in the Sky: Clouds (Bel the Weather Girl) by Belinda Jensen; Illustrated by Renée Kurilla (Millbrook Press, March 1, 2016)

Bel the Weather Girl is a new series published by Millbrook Press with six titles released at the beginning of March. They are available in both paperback and library binding versions. Though I only read the two listed above there is a clear formula to the series. The story is told through the point of view of Bel, a young girl who loves weather and has a meteorologist for a mom. The narrative story has weather related facts and vocabulary in boxes woven across the pages. In the book about HAIL, I was excited to discover that if you cut a large hailstone in half you can see rings inside. The end resources include a glossary, further resources to learn more about hail and clouds, and a simple experiment to try with kids. This series can be read aloud to a class of second or third graders or used at home by a parent and child.

All five books would be nice additions to classroom or school libraries and worth tracking down at your local bookstore or public library.