Children's Book - Sonia's Digital World

Title: Sonia's Digital World

Author: Shannon McClintock Miller

Illustrator: Clara Reschke

Publisher: Picture Window Books

Publication Date: August 1, 2023

Pages: 32 pages

Interest Level: Grades K - 2

Reading Level: Ages 5 - 7

About the Author
Shannon McClintock Miller, an international speaker and author, is the K-12 district teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School District in Iowa. She earned the Making it Happen Award by the International Society for Technology in Education in 2016 and was named the American Association of School Librarians Social Media Superstar Leadership Luminary in 2018. 

Sonia Uses Technology for Communication, Collaboration, and Learning
Sonia is a very tech-savvy young lady.

She uses technology (cell phone and camera) to stay in touch with friends and family. Her grandparents are far away but watch a school play on their laptop computer.

Sonia learns how to share new things she is learning by collaborating with other students on her tablet.

Sonia's teacher connects with classrooms across the world with technology. 

Sonia can look up information on the Internet and find answers to millions of questions.

Sonia learns how to use technology to help others in her community and the world.

The book ends with five questions that focus on the main ideas presented in the story.

My Thoughts
Most school-age children have an abundance of experience using technology for entertainment. They have watched videos and played games for many years.

This book emphasizes the use of technology for bringing people together and increasing knowledge. The author defines collaboration in a kid-friendly way...."We can put our minds together." 

The book contains very diverse characters. There are children of different races and nationalities. There is a boy in a wheelchair and several children wearing glasses. There is also generational diversity with children, parents, and grandparents participating in the story.

The story takes place in many different settings where technology is used. The color illustrations are excellent and add value to the story. If you take a close look at the pictures you will see examples of technology that are not mentioned in the text...cell phone tower, a drone, and an Internet dish on a building.

The questions at the end of the story are excellent for discussion. There is also a chart that displays the ISTE Standards.

I think this book provides a wonderful learning experience for young children. It combines learning and fun...a great combination!

RATING: 5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley.

Roosevelt Banks; Good Kid in Training - Children's Book Review

Title: Roosevelt Banks; Good-Kid-in-Training

Author: Laurie Calkhoven

Illustrator: Debbie Palen

Publisher: ONE ELM Books

Publication Date: January 7, 2020

Length: 128 Pages

Recommended for Grades 3 - 5.





About the Author
Laurie Calkhoven is a children's writer and editor living in New York City. She has written many historical children's books, including George Washington: An American Life and Harriet Tubman: Leading the Way to Freedom. You can visit her at lauriecalkhoven.com.

A Good Kid...EXCEPT When He Isn't
Roosevelt Theodore Banks is 10-years-old and in the fourth grade. His little sister's name is Kennedy and his dog's name is Millard Fillmore. Roosevelt's dad is a history professor at a local college and loves to talk about presidential trivia.

Roosevelt is an average kid who likes to have fun with his friends. He has two good friends that he hangs-out with every day after school. When his friend's father plans a thirty-mile bike ride and camping trip, Roosevelt will not be included because he does not have a bike.

The only way Roosevelt will get a new bike and go camping with his friends is to be "good" for two weeks. His parents promise him they will get him a bike if he passes the good kid requirement. That means he can't get in trouble at school and he must help with chores at home. 

Everything seems to go wrong while Roosevelt is trying to act right. There are lots of unexpected twists and turns before the end of the two weeks. Will his behavior be good enough?

My Thoughts
This is a good fast-paced chapter book for middle school readers. Boys will relate to the problems that Roosevelt faces in the story. The humor is outstanding and will have children laughing out loud while reading about some of Roosevelt's escapades.

The primary theme of this story is friendship. It is very important for children this age to be accepted by peers and have loyal friends. Roosevelt has to face rejection when his friends are preparing for the bike ride/camping trip and he no longer has a bike (his bike was wrecked while doing a science fair project).

Roosevelt's parents are supportive and help him resolve a problem that almost costs him the bike. Roosevelt learns that honesty is important in any relationship and taking responsibility for your actions is the best choice for success.

The illustrations add value and humor to the story.

I applaud the author for adding a few historical references to this story. I hope this will make young readers curious enough to head for the library and search for more information about U.S. presidents.

Recommended for students in grades 3 - 5.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI - I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair review from NetGalley.

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Children's Book Review: Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown

Waiting for the Biblioburro

Author: Monica Brown
Illustrator: John Parra

Publisher: Tricyle Press

Date: August 9, 2011





About The Author
Monica Brown, Ph.D. is the author of award-winning bilingual books for children.

Taking The Librarian Out Of The Library
Ana lives in a small village in Colombia. Her teacher moved far away so now the children of the village do not go to school. Ana spends her time reading the one and only book that she owns over and over.

One day, Ana looks down the hill below her house and sees a man with a sign that reads "Biblioburro". The man has two burros with him and the burros are loaded down with Libros! Books!

The children all come running out and greet the man. He tells them he is a librarian and the books belong to his moving library. He spreads out the books under a tree and the children sit around him. The librarian reads a story, sings songs and invites the children to choose a book.

When the Biblioburro returns several weeks later, Ana presents the librarian with a book that she wrote. He reads Ana's book to the children under the tree and takes it with him to share with other children.

This book is based on the life of Luis Soriano Bohorquez who lives near La Gloria, Colombia. This librarian and his two donkeys deliver books to children who live in remote Colombian villages.

My Thoughts
I remember visiting the Bookmobile when I was a child. I went to a very small country school and we did not have a school library. The teacher would pick four or five students from our class to go out and choose books for our classroom library. I still remember how excited I was when I was chosen to go out to the Bookmobile.

It is so inspiring to read about a librarian who is willing to get out of his comfort zone and deliver books to children in remote areas. Three cheers for this hero librarian!

If you would like to get a preview of this children's picture book, please take a look at this video book trailer.

I highly recommend this book for children of all ages. There are so many lessons that can be learned from this book...and it is a really fun read!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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