The STEM Club Goes Exploring. Lois Melbourne. 2016. 48 pages. Greenleaf Books. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] I’m in love with this book! It is a phenomenal exploration of STEM careers, education, and how they make society run smoothly. It’s a great introduction to the different ways people contribute to society, and does so in a fun and engaging way. First, the characters are a diverse group of students, representing a range of cultural and gender identities. This will really help students relate to the people who guide them through the story. Additionally, the writing is easy to understand, and explains the careers in age-appropriate tone and language.

Prairie Anna. Peggy House. 2012. 112 pages. JourneyForth. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] Prairie Anna is a historical fiction novel that has Anna as its protagonist. She is the daughter of Russian immigrants who are trying to build a life in the prairies of Dakota. At only ten years old, Anna has a great deal of responsibility in helping her family survive, and throughout this book, she sees a great deal of hardship, including the death of her mother and newborn sister, the loss of the family home, and difficulty of keeping her faith in the face of all of this.

Change the World Before Bedtime. Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, Karen Good. 2013. 32 pages. Schiffer Publishing. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] This book reminds me of the quote “Be the change you want to see in the world.” It is a story that shows what kids (and adults) can do to make the world a better place by engaging in small tasks that impact the people and community around them. Some lessons include taking care of oneself by eating well, being sustainable, taking care of others around you, etc.

Ladybugs Have Lots of Spots. Sheryl and Simon Shapiro. 2013. 24 pages. Annick Press. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] This is a cute and fun read for younger readers that focuses on shapes. It’s good to read to your child, but is also a fantastic start for emerging readers to try on their own. The rhyming scheme also helps with sounding out words they may not be familiar with.

Big Cat, Small Cat. Ami Rubinger. 2009. 28 pages. Abbeville Kids. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] This is a cute picture book about … cats. It’s filled with contrasting descriptions (big/small; fair/dark, sick/well) of illustrated cats. Although we’re not huge cat fans in my household, we did enjoy the book. The illustrations are extremely colorful, and the details are fun/quirky.