Librarians

Children's Literature - Kimberly Brown

One exceptional quality of these stories is the appropriateness of the text in relating to a child's interests. The clear, full color photos highlight the concept being discussed on each page. The concepts are presented sequentially, with an emphasis on relating new vocabulary to a child's existing experiential vocabulary. This excellent reader skillfully walks a young reader through the various jobs of a librarian and the tools a librarian would encounter along the way. This book would be an excellent addition to a classroom when studying community workers and the way that they impact our lives. It could also be used in conjunction with writing activities for students about what they would like to be when are grown. The text is printed in a large font with clear lettering. The sentence structure is simple yet varied, including some wrap around text, making it just perfect for the early reader. These books are engaging with up-to-date photos and clear, easily understood concepts. The book also includes a picture glossary in the back, with thumbnail photos referencing the page on which the word is found. There is also a list of challenge words with pronunciations and definitions included in the back, making it an excellent source for introducing nonfiction book elements to early readers. This book is just one in a series of "Tools We Use" nonfiction readers presented by this author and designed for early readers in Marshall Cavendish's "Bookworms" leveled reading program. Reviewer: Kimberly Brown

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2
These books have simple sentences, limited text, large print, and ample white space. Beginning readers, however, may need help with some multisyllabic vocabulary words, such as "stethoscope" and "temperature." Subjects are covered in age-appropriate depth, but the writing is just average. While attractive, full-page color photos complement the texts and feature people of various ethnicities, some reinforce gender stereotypes: most of the EMTs are men, and all of the librarians are women. The final pages include a pictorial vocabulary review and "Challenge Words." Libraries needing additional easy career books may want to consider these titles, and early childhood teachers might find them useful for community-helper units.
—Barbara KatzCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.