Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta

Hospitals, libraries, bifocals, Daylight Savings Time, lightning rods, odometers, swimming flippers! These are just some of the institutions and innovations created by Benjamin Franklin. Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta, is a clever picture book where readers are introduced to many of Benjamin Franklin’s inventions that are still in use today. Each page is either titled "Now" to show how we use the invention in the present or "Ben" for how Franklin’s invention was originally used. For example, Now…every automobile has an odometer to measure the distance it travels. Ben…invented the odometer when he was postmaster general so he could measure his postal routes. With lively, colorful cartoon illustrations, this title both entertains and educates and leaves the reader wondering how Franklin’s inventions will influence the future. What a great book to inspire the inventor in all of us!

Why Do Bears Sleep all Winter? A Book about Hibernation by Mary Englar

This book is from our "First Facts" series and introduces our youngest readers to hibernation. How can bears and other animals sleep all winter long without eating or drinking anything for months? Just before they go to sleep they eat and eat and eat! When the food runs low and the days get shorter they hibernate for the long cold winter. Do all animals hibernate? No, some bury their food to help them in the winter, some migrate to warmer places. This book includes short "Did You Know?" facts like, Did you know? Black bears gain up to 30 pounds (14 kilograms) of fat each week as they get ready to hibernate. Check out Why Do Bears Sleep all Winter?

Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Georgeanne Brennan

We cannot keep the cookbooks in our library on the shelf! As soon as one comes in, it goes right back out. Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook is no exception. With Dr. Seuss' original words and illustrations this is a pleasure to read, plus you can make some great dishes : Green Eggs and Ham; Cat in the Hat Pudding; Sneech Salad; and Moose Juice and Schlopp. You will enjoy making this wacky recipes with your family.

All in Just One Cookie by Susan E. Goodman

Have you ever made chocolate chip cookies with your family? Did you ever think about where all the ingredients came from? In this non-fiction book Grandma takes us step by step though how to make chocolate chip cookies while we learn where the ingredients originated. Did you know that it takes twenty-one pounds of milk to make one pound of butter? Learn the fascinating facts about butter, salt, vanilla, flour and the main ingredient that makes the cookie so good - the chocolate chips! Yum - I think I am going to make some chocolate chip cookies right now!!

Using Math to Fly a Jumbo Jet by Wendy and David Clemson and Chris Perry

So much in the world relies on math to understand how it works. If you like to think and problem solve using math, you've probably already noticed how much math there is in our world. Imagine what would happen to the NASA space shuttle if the mathematicians working for NASA made an error when they plan each space flight. How would you feel about flying in a jet on your vacation if the pilot and crew members didn't know how to calculate how much fuel was needed? That would be scary! Using Math to Fly a Jumbo Jet is one title in the popular Mathworks! series. Each title focuses on something that relies on precise math skills to make it work. The series looks at building skyscrapers, doing movie stunts, solving crimes, working in the emergency room, and many more. In each book you'll find important facts and challenging activities. You'll be able to collect data and see how people actually use math in their work. There are actual photographs, too. Oh, and I should also let you know that the answers to the challenges are included in the last pages. When you finish reading any of the books in the Mathworks! series, you'll be thinking about math in a whole new way and seeing it all around you in real-life situations.

Every Minute on Earth by Steve Murrie and Matthew Murrie

Are you interested in knowing the strange and unusual? Do you like to amaze your friends and family with little known facts? This book was written for just those times when you need a quick book to read that will amaze you as you flip through it. Yes, you can just skip around many non-fiction books! Look at the captions, charts, and graphs. Browse the index to find what is interesting to you. A non-fiction book does not need to be read from the first page to the last. Every Minute on Earth is a perfect book for reading just fun facts. Every fact in this book is something that happens in one minute. Here are a few 60 second fun facts. There are 2,000 thunderstorms on Earth every minute. A sneeze travels 1.7 miles per minute. Wilson makes 3.5 NFL footballs every minute. Aren't those interesting facts to know?

True Stories : Girls’ Inspiring Stories of Courage and Heart from American Girl

Calling all girls and boys ages 8 to 15! I know, the title says that this book is about girls with courage but boys would also like to read about these amazing girls. After all, they could be your sister, neighbor, cousin, or school friend. Whoever they are, they’ve shared their amazing true stories inside. Each 2 or 3 page story includes photos and is written by the girl herself. Some have shown courage in dangerous situations like Tanya who had a moose charge at her while building a snow fort with her friends in Alaska. Megan collected videos and donated them to hospitals in her state. Jennifer, a sixth grader who was tired of seeing students being bullied, started an anti-bullying program with her friends and it has really worked! If you have a true story of courage to tell, you may write one too. Everything you need to know to mail in your story is included. Pick up a copy of True Stories : Girls’ Inspiring Stories of Courage and Heart at the library soon!

Sniffles, Sneezes, Hiccups, and Coughs by Penny Durant

Are you beginning to read on your own? Do you like to learn fun facts? Have you ever had a bad cold? Have you wondered why we sneeze and cough? Sniffles, Sneezes, Hiccups, and Coughs is the perfect book for you if you answered 'yes' to those questions. Inside this book you'll learn what causes us to sneeze, how we breathe, and even why we yawn. This 32 page book also has many diagrams and photographs to help you understand sniffles, sneezes, hiccups, and coughs. Drink lots of water, wash your hands often, and read this book. Maybe this year you'll stay healthy and not have to miss school with coughs and sniffles. Ah, ah... choo! I better get some rest.

A Seed is Sleepy by Diana Hutts Aston

Following up An Egg is Quiet, author Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrator Sylvia Long bring us another brilliant book, this one about seeds. The author has provided us with beautiful information about a seed's journey, its secrets, and its abilities and the illustrator has created beautiful and vibrant artwork. If you have ever been interested in learning about seeds from their beginning to their end, then this is the perfect book for you!

Hook, Line, & Seeker by Jim Arnosky

If you've ever read a nature book that taught you all about an animal, the seasons, nature or the outdoors and you loved the pictures and illustrations, chances are good that it was written by Jim Arnosky. He has been writing and illustrating nature books for children for many years. In Hook, Line, & Seeker: A Beginner's Guide to Fishing, Boating, and Watching Water Wildlife, you will find exactly what the title states. Jim has experienced fishing, small craft boating, and animal watching, photographing and drawing and in this book he shares his best tips with you, the reader. His photographs are crisp and colorful; his drawings help with understanding and some are taken directly from his journals. If you like being outdoors, you'll want to read this book. Take a copy with you as you travel Up North this summer. See you on the water!

Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans

This alphabet book is anything but ordinary. David McLimans has created a unique and captivating book about endangered animals. Each letter forms the silhouette of an endangered animal that begins with that letter. For example, take a look at the spotted owl below for the letter "o." Neat!

The drawings are all in black and white and a sharp red picture of the animal included along with some facts about the animal on the opposite page. The drawings are simple and elegant. So much so, that this book received the Caldecott Honor Medal this year for great artwork in a children's book. Go wild, and check out this book!

Hey Batta Batta Swing! by Sally Cook & James Charlton

Spring training has just started and soon the Detroit Tigers will be taking the field again at Comerica Park. It's an exciting time!
Get in the mood by reading this fun baseball book. Hey Batta Batta shares the history of baseball, interesting facts, and clever vocabulary. Learn how Babe Ruth got his nickname, why Brooklyn's team was called the Dodgers, and what Roger Clemens had to give up to keep his lucky number 21 when he traded teams.
The colorful text and illustrations make this book even more enjoyable. This is one for true baseball fans!

Scholastic Book of World Records 2006 and Sports Illustrated for Kids Year in Sports 2006

Are you someone who would rather read about real things? Do you like to discover interesting bits of information that few people know about? Will great photographs make you want to read a book even more? Then you should be reading the Scholastic Book of World Records. Each year a new edition is published with the world records from that year. Some records are broken, some remain the same. Either way, you'll find something strange but true inside these pages. Would you like to live in the world's richest country? Do you own the world's most valuable comic book? Want to ride the biggest Ferris wheel? How would you like to celebrate "Wiggle Your Toes" day? You'll find all those answers each year in the Scholastic Book of World Records.

Calling all sports fans! And I mean NASCAR, tennis, hockey, Olympics, snowboarding and bike stunts. All the others are here, too - football, baseball, basketball and soccer. If you want stats on sports for men and women, ask for this book at your library. Of course it must be published each year because all those stats are changing each year. Don't miss the live action photos when you read Sports Illustrated for Kids Year in Sports 2006 - a name you can trust to cover sports!

Let Them Play by Margot Theis Raven

As we watch our Detroit Tigers play in the World Series, boys and girls are imagining themselves as great baseball players - some in T-ball, others in Little League. Read Let Them Play and learn about a time in our history when all people could not play. In 1955, an all-black Little League team in Charleston, South Carolina had no teams to play against because the white teams would not play them. The white teams left the Little League in protest. Sad isn't it? Hard to believe that could ever happen, yet it did. The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars, as the black team was called, were invited to the Little League Baseball World Series but only to watch! They hadn't officially earned the right to play because they had never played against other Little League teams. Check this book out at your library and find out how the crowd reacted during the 1955 Little League World Series and what happened when the boys returned home to Charleston. This story of hope, sadness, and happiness is rich with beautiful illustrations by Chris Ellison.