The Very Lonely Firefly

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Eric Carle
PUBLISHER: Philomel Books PUBLICATION DATE: 1995
GENRE: Fiction PB READING LEVEL: 3-5 years
BRIEF OVERVIEW: In this book a firefly was born, but it could not find any more fireflies. He kept seeing lights but it would never be fireflies. He searched and searched until finally he found a whole group of fireflies.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Give students different sizes of circles including 3 big and 10 small circles. Then give them 2 big hearts. Instruct the students to glue the parts together and make a firefly. They will also draw eyes and a mouth on the dragonfly.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Hayley Morris, Valdosta State University ECSE
LABELS: Insects, Family, Fiction

The Butterfly

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Anna Milbourne/ Cathy Shimmen
PUBLISHER: Usborne Publishing Ltd. PUBLICATION DATE: 2005
GENRE:Nonfiction/Informational picture book READING LEVEL:2nd Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book follows a little caterpillar through his life span. The little caterpillar munches through leaves until you see him turn into a beautiful butterfly.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Life cycle of a butterfly: Students will receive a sheet of paper that has four sections on it. The sections will include the egg, caterpillar, cocoon, and butterfly. The students will be given four different types of pasta to put in the sections. The students will glue each pasta piece into the correct section and then they will have the life cycle of the butterfly made out of pasta.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Hayley Morris, Valdosta State University ECSE
LABELS: Informational, Insects, Life

Inch by Inch

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Leo Lionni
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins PUBLICATION DATE: 1960
AWARDS: Caldcott Medal, New York Times Best Illustrated Book

GENRE: Fiction READING LEVEL: 1st Grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A story about a worm who measures his way out of being eaten by birds
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Give the students a worksheet with pictures from the book and an “inchworm” ruler. Have them measure each item on the worksheet and label the measurement.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Rhonda Herb, Valdosta State University ECSE
LABELS: Nature, Animals, Measurment, Birds, Insects

A Dragon in the Sky: The story of a Green Darner

AUTHOR: Laurence Pringle

ILLUSTRATOR: Bob Marstall

PUBLISHER: Scholastic

 PUBLICATION DATE: 2001

GENRE: Non Fiction

 READING LEVEL: Fourth

BRIEF OVERVIEW: An educational book about dragon flies and other insects and how their life cycles work. 

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Discuss the types of insects and what climates, locations, and various living conditions that are required for full and productive lives. 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Nicole Stuart - Valdosta State University

Starting Life: Butterflies

Author: Claire Llewellyn

Illustrator: Simon Mendez

Copyright: 2003

Genre: Non-FPB

Reading Level: K-3

Activity Grade Level: 3rd

Book Description: Takes readers through the whole life and death process of many animals. Full of great accurate illustrations.

Integrated Idea: Students will make a diagram of their favorite animal and explain the life cycle it goes through.

Reviewer & Affiliation: Claire Brink, Valdosta State University

 

Bugs

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Nancy Winslow Parker ( Author and Illustrator) and Joan Richards Wright ( Author and Photographer)
PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books PUBLICATION DATE: 1987
AWARDS: Reading Rainbow Book
GENRE: Nonfiction READING LEVEL: age 4-8
BRIEF OVERVIEW: A guidebook of different insects for readers young and old.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will identify bugs and their differences and draw a picture of the bugs from the books. Students will go outside and locate different bugs.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Tavia Hundley    VSU

The Spider and the Fly

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Tony Diterlizzi

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers               

PUBLICATION DATE: October 1, 2002

GENRE: Fiction                     

READING LEVEL: Ages 5-8

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This poem is about a spider trying to convince a fly to come upstairs. The fly denies every offer because she knows whatever goes up does not come down. She left and one day returned. The spider didn’t ask to go upstairs, he captured her. From that day on the fly was never seen again.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: I would read this around Halloween, and I would have the students create their own spooky poem.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Emily Cribb, Valdosta State University

The Beetle Book

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Steve Jenkins
PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
PUBLICATION DATE: 2012
AWARDS:School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, American Library Association Notable Books for Children
GENRE: Non-Fiction
READING LEVEL: Kindergarten-3rd grade
BRIEF OVERVIEW:This book describes many different types of beetles and how they adapt to their surroundings. Jenkins provides beautiful illustrations that bring the beetles to life
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will identify different types of live beetles from the pictures in the book.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kacy Flesher; VSU

The Spider and the Fly

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi

PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers                PUBLICATION DATE: 2002

AWARDS: 2003 Caldecott Honor Award

GENRE: Picture Book/Poetry        READING LEVEL: 2nd-5th Grade

BRIEF OVERVIEW: A spider persuades a naive fly by using flattery to coax the fly into his web to be his dinner.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will create black and white charcoal drawings of a spider or any other type of insect.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Kirsti Slaughter, Valdosta State University

Izzy the Lizzy

AUTHOR:  Renee Riva      ILLUSTRATOR:Steve Bjorkman

PUBLISHER: WaterBrook     
PUBLICATION DATE: 2012
GENRE: Fiction        READING LEVEL: grades 1^st- 4^th
BRIEF OVERVIEW:A lizard named Izzy is super hungry and sees a spider she wants to eat for lunch, the spider already has a bee caught in his web for his lunch.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Have students pick which insect they would most likely want to save. Have students write a description of their favorite insect and why.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Katelynn Pappas- Valdosta State University

The Spider and the Fly

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mary Howitt/Tony DiTerlizzi

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books            PUBLICATION DATE: 2002  

GENRE: Narrative Verse               
READING LEVEL: grades 4-5 

BRIEF OVERVIEW: This book consists of a smooth poem about the relationship between a spider and a fly.  Just when the fly thought she had out-smarted the spider, he catches and traps her with his wit and charm.

INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: Students will use a "word web" to pair the names of animals with their predator and prey.  The words will be in the shape of spiders and flies.

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Jasmine Strickland- Valdosta State University 

The Honeybee Man

AUTHOR: Lela Nargi

ILLUSTRATOR: Kyrsten Brooker 

PUBLISHER: Schwartz & Wade              

PUBLICATION DATE:  2011

AWARDS: A Junior Library Guild Selection, a Bank Street College

of Education Best Book of the Year, a Cook Prize Honor Book, 

and a NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book

GENRE: Realistic Fiction                      

READING LEVEL: Ages 4-8

BRIEF OVERVIEW: Fred is an elderly bee keeper. He makes honey from his three bee hives. This story tells about how bees make their honey and how Fred puts the honey in a jar. This book tells a story but uses facts about bee keeping throughout.

 INTEGRATED ACTIVITY:  Have the students decorate a bee and put it on a large bee hive. Discuss how important bees are to pollinating flowers and making delicious treats like honey.
Bring some honey in for the class to try. 

REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Shayla Samaras Valdosta State University