Digital Commons @ ACU (Abilene Christian University)

Stasney, Lea Ann

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  GRACIE UNDER THE WAVES 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Park, Linda Sue 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Maxine Vee 
 
Reviewer 
Lea Ann Stasney 
 
 
Pages 
162p 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-06-334629-1 
 
Publisher & Date 
Allida, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
Middle school 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
GRACIE UNDER THE 
WAVES 
Ten-and-a-half-year-old Gracie lives in New York.  Her “…favorite activity in 
the whole world was snorkeling.”  The story centers around her planning the 
family Spring Break trip to Roatan, Honduras.  Gracie is quite knowledgeable 
about marine life due to her passion for the subject as well as her three 
previous trips to the British Virgin Islands and the Caymans. 
 
The family vacation is well-executed and flawless until her six-year-old 
brother swims into a jellyfish bloom and Gracie bangs her shin “…hard 
against a coral outcrop.”  Park uses both injuries to help the reader 
understand the dangers that lurk in the ocean as well as to learn about first 
aid and how to use downtime to continue in knowledge of marine life.  
Though Gracie is injured, she learns about a local endangered staghorn and 
elkhorn coral.  With her island friend, Gracie explores the reef and teaches 
the reader the importance of preserving ocean life. 
 
GRACIE UNDER THE WAVES is a book that would seem to be more 
appropriate for readers living on the coasts due to prior knowledge of these 
areas of the country.  However, this is certainly a good book study for readers 
anywhere who are interested in the story’s topics.  
 
 


English

Gracie Under the Waves

Carruth, Leah D.

Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  HOW TO MAKE A PICTURE BOOK: THE ULTIMATE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Dolan, Elys 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by the author 
 
Reviewer 
Leah Carruth 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$17.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-5362-3142-7 
 
Publisher & Date 
Candlewick, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction 
 
Grade Level 
K-5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
** 
Book Review:  
HOW TO MAKE A 
PICTURE BOOK: THE 
ULTIMATE 
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 
Come inside this book and follow along as you learn how to make your own 
picture book.  The story is creatively written in first-person with the author 
as the narrator, who--because of time--illustrates himself as a worm and is 
accompanied by his trusty assistant, Bert.  This interactive text begins with 
brainstorming ideas of what to write about.  An activity is embedded to 
create a gallery of muses to help writers have something to pull from when 
an idea does not come so easily.  Each step has the reader practice the 
activity to engage in this stage of creation.  Writing the actual story comes 
much later, after character development and setting selection.  The book 
ends with Bert’s book, Dino Pizza, created throughout this text to show 
readers it can be done. 
This is a delightful book readers and writers will enjoy.  Dolan does a 
wonderful job of telling the readers exactly what it takes to write a picture 
book.  His assistant Bert works on the skills just as the reader does, and 
Dolan provides feedback each time to further guide Bert in the process.  This 
dynamic is enjoyable to the reader and lessens some of the stress of writing 
a story.  The illustrations are varied and meaningful to the story line.  One 
example is the section on the building blocks of writing the story.  On these 
two pages, the author introduces four examples of how building blocks can 
assist with story development.  Each story line is in a colored box with the 
building block type outside the box accompanied by Dolan’s efforts to guide 
 
Lorgnette v.37 no.2 
Book Review:  HOW TO MAKE A PICTURE BOOK: THE ULTIMATE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 
the story along.  This book will be a wonderful addition to any elementary 
classroom.  
 
 
 


How to Make a Picture Book: The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide

Waggoner, Jan

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  ADDY MCBEAN, NUMBERS QUEEN 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Cuyler, Margery 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Stacy Curtis 
 
Reviewer 
Jan Waggoner 
 
 
Pages 
88p 
 
Price 
$17.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-5344-8957-8 
 
Publisher & Date 
Aladdin Quix, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
ADDY MCBEAN, 
NUMBERS QUEEN 
Addy McBean is a second grader who does not like change.  Her parents are 
divorced.  Addy and her mother live in New Jersey, and her dad lives in 
California.  Star is Addy's best friend and is usually her partner in projects, 
but now the math teacher decides that the class should work with different 
partners for the Family Night.  Addy is assigned to work with Willard Gluck, 
whom she doesn't even like.  Addy is mad about numbers, and Willard 
doesn't like numbers either.  Addy thinks that this will be a total disaster and 
that Willard will not even have an idea for a project.  It turns out that Willard 
has a great idea!  However, disaster strikes, not just once but numerous 
times.  In the end, Willard comes up with a project that is quick and easily 
done so that they have a project to display at the Family Night. 
 Addy learns that it is not always bad to work with someone new and that it 
doesn't destroy old friendships.  Actually, she learns to like Willard, and they 
receive a reward! 
The introductory page to this Aladdin Quix book states that the stories are 
fast to read, have colorful characters, kid-friendly humor, entertaining story 
lines, and easy-to-follow action along with tables of contents, word lists, 
short questions, and questions about the stories.  This basically sums up the 
book, and it is one that I would recommend. 
 
 
 


Addy McBean, Numbers Queen

Martinez, Shan

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  BEFORE THE SEED: HOW POLLEN MOVES 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Buhrman-Deever, Susannah 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Gina Triplett and 
Matt Curtius 
 
Reviewer 
Shan Martinez 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-5362-2657-7 
 
Publisher & Date 
MIT Kids, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (571.8642) 
 
Grade Level 
3-5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
** 
Book Review:  
BEFORE THE SEED: 
HOW POLLEN MOVES 
This book fills a knowledge gap by describing how pollen gets to where it 
needs to go.  In other words, how does pollen move when it has no wings, 
no wheels, and no feet?  Each plant is designed with a special method that 
ensures the successful creation of its seeds and then plants.   
This book uses brightly colored, digitally created illustrations to help tell this 
story.  The author designed it with two levels in mind.  The main narrative 
uses a larger font, while the smaller font covers the more specific details.  
The author begins by describing pollen and the fact that it gets where it 
needs to go in a variety of different ways.  Some pollen floats through the air.  
Some pollen rides on fur and feathers or on the bodies of beetles and bees.  
Animals are lured to plants because they know they will get a sweet treat of 
nectar or find a cozy place to rest.  There is a lot of information in this book, 
and older elementary readers will get the most out of it. 
  
 
 
 


Before the Seed: How Pollen Moves

Stephenson, Arlene

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  HOW TO CHEER UP A FRIEND 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Calmenson, Stephanie 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Shannon McNeill 
 
Reviewer 
Arlene Stephenson 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-6659-1024-8 
 
Publisher & Date 
Beach Lane Books, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
K 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
HOW TO CHEER UP A 
FRIEND 
This is a cute story about a sad little elephant and the little boy who tries to 
find a way to cheer him up.  The story shows several ways that we might help 
sad and lonely friends: offer them a treat, give them a bubble bath, or just 
do something silly to make them laugh.  Maybe a hug would help or a walk 
with some time simply to talk.  And when the friend starts to talk, you just 
listen as they share their troubles, unhappiness, or sadness.  Your friend 
might stomp around, shout, or shed tears.  Only then, offer a treat and a hug 
again, and don’t be surprised when your friend hugs you back with a big 
smile.  There are certainly a lot of good teaching points in this one. 
Illustrations of the little gray elephant and tousle-haired little boy make the 
perfect combination to make the story come alive. 
 
 
 


How To Cheer Up a Friend

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  IF YOU SPOT A SHELL 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Sicuro, Aimee 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by the author 
 
Reviewer 
Arlene Stephenson 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-0-593-65099-8 
 
Publisher & Date 
Random House Studio, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
PreK-K 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
IF YOU SPOT A SHELL 
This is a book with a fictional story line but with the additional identification 
of real shells of all kinds.  The story takes the reader on a day at the beach, 
exploring the sand and shallow waters and finding a wide variety of shells 
that stimulate the imagination as to what they might be: a hiding place for 
treasures, a swimming cap, or a place to hide from the sun.  Maybe the big 
shells can take you on a ride when they become wheels on your bicycle.  The 
starfish becomes a Ferris wheel, a giant clam becomes a raft that floats, and 
the spiral shell could be a rocket ship or a submarine--all depending on your 
imagination. 
There are a couple of art projects in the back as well as the scientific names 
for a wide variety of shells found at the ocean beach.  
All in all, this is a wonderful little book for reading aloud with a lot of “can 
you finds.” 
 
 
 


If You Spot a Shell

Isbell, Melinda

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  JEWISH MINDFULNESS FOR KIDS 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Sissa, Blanca 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Camila Carrossine 
 
Reviewer 
Melinda Isbell 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-7284-8644-4 
 
Publisher & Date 
Kar-Ben, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (158.1) 
 
Grade Level 
K-3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
JEWISH 
MINDFULNESS FOR 
KIDS 
This book explores the concept of mindfulness--the practice of being 
present--from a Jewish perspective.  The narrative and accompanying 
exercises are written using ideas rooted in Jewish tradition, which creates a 
connection between readers and their faith.  The language and illustrations 
used throughout the book promote the sense of calmness that is essential 
when practicing mindfulness. 
While this book explains the concept of mindfulness in a way that is easy for 
young readers to understand, readers who are unfamiliar with Judaism may 
find it less relatable.  I highly recommend this book for libraries that serve 
Jewish communities, but it may have limited appeal in more general 
collections.  
 
 
 


Jewish Mindfulness for Kids

Pye, Erica

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  RUFFLES AND THE COLD, COLD SNOW 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Melling, David 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by the author 
 
Reviewer 
Erica Pye 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$17.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-5362-3766-5 
 
Publisher & Date 
Candlewick, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
PreK-2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
RUFFLES AND THE 
COLD, COLD SNOW 
Ruffles is a little white dog with a black spot around one eye.  Ruffles loves 
doing many things like howling, digging, and sleeping--what dog doesn’t love 
these things?  But today, Ruffles is in for a new experience, because today it 
is snowing!  At first when Ruffles goes outside in the snow, he does not like it 
very much.  It is very cold and wet and slippery.  But Ruffles has some tiny 
kitten friends that love the snow, and they run outside to play in it.  The 
kittens are so small, and the snow is so deep that soon the tiny kittens get 
stuck in the snow.  Even though Ruffles doesn’t love the snow, he goes out in 
it to help his kitten friends get unstuck.  By the end of the day, Ruffles 
decides that maybe snow can be fun to play in occasionally, especially with 
friends.    
Author and illustrator David Melling has written multiple books about Ruffles 
the dog, so readers may already be familiar with this lovable pup.  This story 
is perfect to read during the winter season and is a great example of how to 
be brave and try something new.  Children in particular will find this story 
helpful because it will encourage them to try new things, whether it is trying 
a new food, a new sport, or a new outdoor activity.  Older readers can try to 
remember the first time they experienced snow and certainly may be able to 
relate to the uneasiness Ruffles feels upon seeing strange white stuff on the 
ground.  Even if readers are not fans of snow, they will still love this book 
about an adorable puppy and his even more adorable tiny kitten friends! 
 
 
 


Ruffles and the Cold, Cold Snow

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  SPEAKING OF AMERICA: UNITED STATES PRESIDENTS AND THE WORDS THAT CHANGED HISTORY 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Cohen, Jared 
  
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by Vivian Shih 
 
Reviewer 
Melinda Isbell 
 
 
Pages 
102p 
 
Price 
$19.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-6659-2226-5 
 
Publisher & Date 
Atheneum Books, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Nonfiction (080.973) 
 
Grade Level 
3-7 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
** 
Book Review:  
SPEAKING OF 
AMERICA: UNITED 
STATES PRESIDENTS 
AND THE WORDS 
THAT CHANGED 
HISTORY 
The President of the United States holds the most powerful office in the 
country, and those who have served in this role have been at the forefront of 
change.  From George Washington to Joe Biden, each President has 
delivered speeches that have shaped the American mindset.  This book 
highlights a powerful quote from a speech made by each President, provides 
the history surrounding the speech, and explains how the President’s words 
made a difference at that time.  
Given the political divisiveness of the last few Presidential elections, New 
York Times bestselling author Jared Cohen takes a fair position, presenting 
each President and his quotation in a factual and objective manner.  The 
focus is on what was said and how it fits into America’s broader historical 
narrative. 
In addition to offering a timeline of presidents, the book includes tips on 
how to write a speech.  It also includes speeches that were written that 
presidents did not have to make, such as Eisenhower’s speech in the event 
of a failed D-Day invasion and John F. Kennedy’s speech that he was about to 
give in Dallas. 
This is an exceptional book and would be a valuable addition to any public, 
home, or school library.  It is highly recommended. 
 
 
 


Speaking of America: United States Presidents and the Words That Changed History

Blake, Pam

Lorgnette v.37 no.3 
Book Review:  KEEPING QUILT, THE 
 
 
 
 
 
Author 
Polacco, Patricia 
 Rev. format ed 
 
Illustrator 
Illustrated by the author 
 
Reviewer 
Pam Blake 
 
 
Pages 
Unpaged 
 
Price 
$18.99 
 
ISBN  
978-1-6659-4804-3 
 
Publisher & Date 
Paula Wiseman/Simon & 
Schuster, 2024 
 
 
Classification 
Fiction 
 
Grade Level 
K-3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Book Review:  
KEEPING QUILT, THE 
  
When Great-Grandma Anna was young, she came to America from Russia 
with her parents.  All she had that reminded her of home was her dress and 
her babushka wrapped around her head.   When the dress became too 
small, her mother took it, the babushka, and some of the other family 
members’ worn clothing and made a quilt.  She told Anna that it would 
remind them of their home and family in Russia.  Now the quilt, bordered 
with pieces of the babushka, serves many purposes, from tablecloths, 
huppas at weddings, wrappings for newborn daughters, and even 
make-believe costumes.  Through generations it is passed down to the 
women of the family until, finally, it becomes the possession of the author.  
She wraps her newborn daughter in it as well, with the promise that one day, 
it will be hers.     
The story also tells about the Jewish customs and traditions of this family.  
For example, when Anna’s suitor asks her to marry him by giving her a gold 
coin, a dried flower, and a piece of rock salt, each has a special meaning.  
Children may want to discuss why the man used these items to show wealth, 
love, and flavor in their lives.  If a child knows about huppas and why they 
are used at some weddings, the teacher might invite him or her to share.  
Boys and girls can learn the meaning of “to emigrate” and the difference 
between it (to leave your country for another) and “immigrate” (To go to a 
different country--I emigrated from Russia to immigrate to the United 
States.)  Children might also discuss other ways the quilt could be used or 
what they might take with them if they had to emigrate from their home 
country.  
The illustrations are pencil drawings with only the quilt being in color.  This 
helps bring out the main focus of the story. 
 
 
 


Abilene Christian University

Not a member yet