Moon Shot by Brian Floca

This incredibly striking nonfiction picture book takes readers along on the NASA's Apollo 11 mission to the moon... from liftoff to splash down. The moon shines down on Earth, where three men don spacesuits, climb into Columbia, and wait for liftoff. On a nearby beach, people gather to watch the rocket blast the astronauts into space. The astronauts fly to the moon, circle it, land on it, walk on its surface, and see “the good and lonely Earth, glowing in the sky.” After flying back to the orbiter, they return to Earth and splash down, “home at last.” The writing is poetic: “Here below / there are three men / who close themselves / in special clothes, / who—click—lock hands / in heavy gloves, / who—click—lock heads / in large, round helmets.”
The main text is beautifully illustrated with line-and-wash artwork, technological details and some visually stunning scenes. An appended note discusses the mission in greater detail. Beverly - teacher

Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

This is the true and now familiar story of Dr. Greg Mortenson who went hiking in the mountains of Pakistan in 1993 and got lost. He found his way to a small village where the locals helped him recover from his ordeal. While there, he noticed that the students had no building and did all of their schooling out of doors. Advised by a wise elder to “listen to the wind,” Mortenson becomes aware of children’s voices, children he has helped teach during his recovery, and he decides to build them a school.

It's a adventurous and thoughtful story. The picture-book version captures Mortenson’s story by using colorful fabric and cut-paper to depict the dramatic landscape and incredible undertaking. The book includes an appended scrapbook of photographs, maps, and additional information. Check out the adapted version for young adults, "Three Cups of Tea". This story is makes a for great study in multiculturalism. Beverly - teacher

Spot the Plot: a Riddle Book of Book Riddles by J. Patrick Lewis

It's another must have for libraries and classrooms. J. Patrick Lewis has written riddle poems about 13 great children's books. On each page, two detectives (children dressed in detective clothing) are there to figure out the book in the riddle. The poems are written in ways that give clues. The illustrations help a bit with the detective work, too. They are quite cleverly done--just enough to think about but not too much information.
Can you guess this one?It ‘s great fun figuring out the books in the riddles. It's also great fun to read and hear the wonderful writing and the careful choice of words. This book is perfect for an interactive read-aloud, especially if the illustrations are held back until after the text has been read.
K-2nd Grades Beverly-teacher