January 02, 2014

Students' New Year's Resolutions and saving money

For the middle grade student, the Be Smart About Money and Financial Literacy series helps students develop the skill and strategies needed for financial planning, savings, and investment. This six-book series also contains math and financial literacy questions at the end of each chapter, helping students to see how financial planning will make their lives easier in the long run.

Topics covered include credit, investing, money, shopping, careers, and the student's future. This series will be correlated to the Common Core, and are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

These titles are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and enslow.com.

December 22, 2013

Happy Holidays from Enslow Publishers!

Enslow Publishers would like to wish everyone a happy holiday. Our office will be closed Wednesday, December 25, through Friday, December 27. We will reopen on Monday, December 30.

December 20, 2013

Curious about who invented windshield wipers?

Mary Anderson, the inventor of windshield wipers, is portrayed in this new spring 204 title for elementary students. Written by Sara Latta, this title is one in a new series called Inventors at Work!.

Other titles in this series focus on chocolate chip cookies, an air conditioner inventor, the microwave, and Scuba gear.

All of these titles will be correlated to the Common Core and are available from your preferred vendor, independent bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and enslow.com. They are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

December 13, 2013

Happy Birthday Taylor Swift

978-0-7660-3870-7 Library
978-1-59845-286-0 Paperback
Enslow's biography, written for the middle school student, offers personal stories, quotes, as well as a timeline of Taylor Swift's life and success. Written by award-winning author Jeff Burlingame, this title gives insight into Taylor's life for her fans.

The Hot Celebrity Biographies series is also correlated to the Common Core. These titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats, and is available from your preferred vendor, local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

December 06, 2013

Congratulations to November's book raffle winner!

Congratulations to Blue Ridge Middle School in Arizona for winning our monthly book raffle!

December 03, 2013

Looking for inventor biographies for different grade levels?

Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas is written for the upper elementary reader, while Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies is geared toward the middle school reader.

The seven titles in Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas cover Philo T. Farnsworth (TV,) George Ferris (Ferris wheel,) Stephanie Kwolek (Kevlar,) Theodore H. Maiman (laser,) James Naismith (basketball,) Les Paul (electric guitar,) and Vivien Thomas (cardiac surgery.) All of these titles are correlated to the Common Core, and are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

The Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies series contains six titles, each of which is also correlated to the Common Core. George Ferris, Theodore H. Maiman, and Les Paul are also in this series, with the addition of Thomas Gallaudet (sign language,) Igor Sikorsky (helicopter,) and Madam C.J. Walker (hair care products.) These titles are available as library-bound books.

All of the above titles can be found at your local independent bookstore, your preferred vendor, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and enslow.com.

November 27, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving from Enslow Publishers!

We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a Happy Hanukkah!

From Enslow's Corny Thanksgiving Jokes to Tickle Your Funny Bone:

Why should you never talk like a turkey?
Because it's rude to use fowl language.

What do you get when two peas fight?
Black-eyed peas.

Our office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, and will reopen on Monday!

November 22, 2013

Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens tonight

The second installment of the Hunger Games franchise opens tonight. With Jennifer Lawrence playing Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, this movie is based on the 2009 science fiction young adult novel written by Suzanne Collins. This sequel continues the story of Katniss Everdeen and the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem.

Both Jennifer and Josh are featured in Enslow's Sizzling Celebrities series. Written for the upper elementary and middle school market, these 48-page titles have been aligned with the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards and are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

November 21, 2013

Score with Sports Math

This six book series shows upper elementary readers how math is used in sports. General rules and facts about the sport opens each chapter and is followed by sample math problems showing how math is used in the sport.

Written by Stuart A.P. Murray, each 48-page book covers a different sport (baseball, basketball, football, race car, soccer, and track and field). Your readers will learn about some of the history behind these sports, as well as practice doing some math!

The Score with Sports Math series is available in library, paperback, and eBook options. This series is currently being matched up with the Common Core anchor standards, and this information will be added to our website when available.

November 13, 2013

Upcoming Book Fairs

The Miami Book Fair International will take place from November 17 through the 24th.

During Street Fair weekend, which is from the 22nd to the 24th, more than 250 publishers and booksellers exhibit and sell books.

Friday the 22nd is the Festival of Authors with more than 350 authors reading and discussing their work. There are also Children's Alley activities, which include theater, arts-and-crafts, storytelling, and readings by children's book authors.

The Kentucky Book Fair is Friday and Saturday, the 15th and 16th. Children's Day is the 15th and the book fair is the 16th.

Congratulations to our October 2013 raffle winner!

Congratulations to Jacks Valley Elementary School in Nevada for winning our October raffle!

November 11, 2013

Thank you, Veterans!

We want to take this time to thank our veterans for their service to our country.

November 08, 2013

Tomorrow's anniversary

On November 10, 1938, Kristallnacht, the "Night of Broken Glass," took place in parts of Germany and Austria. The name Kristallnacht originated from the fact that the streets were littered with broken glass from the windows and doors of Jewish homes and businesses that had been attacked and ransacked, by the Nazis, destroying thousands of them. Hundreds of synagogues were burned down, and many people were murdered. This event marked the beginning of something even worse: the Holocaust.

This title, and the other titles in the The Holocaust Through Primary Sources series, are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They are available from your local preferred vendor, local independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and enslow.com.

November 06, 2013

An innovative way one public library tries to get kids to love reading

The Arlington Public Library in Virginia has a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. Parents and caregivers can sign up and receive a reading log, in which they fill in a circle after they finish reading a book to a young child. There are prizes (and stickers) upon reaching certain milestones.

There is also a Reading Superheroes program for older children who read to younger children who are enrolled in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program.

What a great idea to encourage older kids to read, as well as encourage younger children to learn to love books!

Does your school or public library offer programs similar to this?

November 01, 2013

Looking for science books to pair together?

Great for a STEM Friday post!

Pairing up The Case of the Flesh-Eating Bacteria with Learning About the Musculoskeletal System and the Skin gives readers the opportunity to read about skin diseases while also learning about the skin as a body system.

Both titles are written for the middle school reader, and give detailed explanations of what skin is, as well as what types of illnesses and diseases can be found on skin.

Fun fact: did you know that a baby's skeleton has about 350 bones? By the time that baby is an adult, he or she will have 206 bones because many of the bones fuse together.

Available in library and paperback from your preferred vendor, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, enslow.com, and your independent bookstore, both of these titles are also available as multi-user eBooks.

Wondering how these titles fit into the Common Core? You can find that information on enslow.com.


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October 31, 2013

Some fun Halloween facts

Did you know that trick-or-treating was stopped at one point in time? Because of a sugar shortage during World War II, children were not allowed to trick-or-treat. People were asked to cut back on the amount of sugar they used, so many people switched to using honey to sweeten their food.

Did you know that carving jack-o-lanterns began a few hundred years ago? People in Ireland carved potatoes and turnips, and when they immigrated to the United States they brought that skill with them. When they arrived in America, they found that pumpkins could be carved just as easily.

These facts (and more!) can be found in Kooky Halloween Jokes to Tickle Your Funny Bone by Linda Bozzo. This title is part of the Funnier Bone Jokes series. All six titles in the series are available in library, paperback, and eBook versions.

Look for them at your local bookstore, or you can order them through your preferred vendor, enslow.com, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

Happy Halloween!

October 30, 2013

Upcoming Book Festivals Nov 2 and 3

Going to be in the area of Kirkland, Washington this weekend? This is the third year of the Northwest Bookfest, and this year's focus is on the benefits and challenges of digital publishing. There will be events open to the public, and the Bookfest will be at Northwest University. The festival will take place from 8 am to 6 pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

The 10th annual Louisiana Book Festival will take place on Saturday at Capitol Park in downtown Baton Rouge from 10 am to 5 pm. There is also an app available on the website above.

The 26th annual Buckeye Book Fair, featuring over 100 Ohio authors and illustrators, will take place on Saturday at Fisher Auditorium on the OARDC Campus in Wooster from 9:30 am to 4 pm.

October 28, 2013

Sizzling celebrities

Enslow's new biography series, written for the reluctant reader, contains 48 page books on high-interest celebrities. These titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

Adele is one of the subjects in the Sizzling Celebrities series. Read about her childhood, her first musical interests, and her rise to fame. Demi explores this talented actress life, and struggles with bipolar disorder. Read about Drake's rise to stardom, his family, friends, and fans. Discover what motivates him, and his plans for the future. Growing up in Arizona, Emma Stone began acting by joining  the Valley Youth Theatre. Learn how Emma convinced her parents to allow her to move to Hollywood, and more! Jennifer Lawrence started her acting career in New York City. The roles she took in the beginning to get her foot in the acting door are described, and what she had to do as those characters is explained as well. Another Hunger Games actor, Josh Hutcherson is featured in a sixth book in the series. He got his first role at the age of nine. Learn more about his career path and his plans for the future. The seventh title in the series is about Logan Lerman. Read about Logan's early acting roles, his rise to fame, and what his plans are for his future.

The titles in the Sizzling Celebrity series will soon be aligned with the Common Core standards.

All of these titles are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

October 25, 2013

Zombie 99 Cent Special -- Offer Ends November 8th!

This Halloween season, fill your book buying "trick or treat" bag with Enslow Publishers'  e-books! As an introduction to our Speeding Star: Keep Boys Reading! imprint, we're offering the e-book version of Book 1 of our four-title "Zombie Zappers" series -- Zombie Camp -- for 99 cents!

Zombie Camp presents author Nadia Higgins' playful 64-page tale of young adventurers encountering the living dead. Her age-appropriate storytelling style embraces language suitable for children while avoiding graphic violence. The book also provides a character development focus as the kids in the story learn a valuable life lesson.

The "Zombie Zappers" fiction series is included in Enslow's new Speeding Star: Keep Boys Reading! imprint. Speeding Star's mission is to publish easy-to-read, high-quality fiction and informational texts suitable for boys from third grade through high school. "Speeding Star" books are currently available in e-book format as well as trade hardcover editions.

Zombie Camp, other Speeding Star titles, and many other Enslow Publishers' K-12 nonfiction books are available via bn.com, amazon.com, and other retail e-book sellers. Act now: Enslow's 99 cent offer for Zombie Camp ends on Friday, November 8, 2013!

Looking for a title containing several inventors in one book?

Amazing American Inventors of the 20th Century, now available from Enslow Publishers, will help your middle school student find the scientist he or she needs to write that report or create that project. Part of the Inspiring Collective Biographies series, this 112 page book contains biographies of ten American inventors.

Written by Laura S. Jeffrey, these inventors created everything from the microcchip to the Super Soaker! Learn about Gertrude Belle Elion, Philo Farnsworth, Charles Ginsburg, Gordon Gould, Lonnie Johnson, Beatrice Kenner, Jack Kilby, Stephanie Kwolek, William Lear,  and Robert Shurney.

This title (and the rest of the titles in this series) are available in library, paperback, and eBook versions, and are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. They will soon be correlated to the Common Core Standards, as well.

October 23, 2013

Book Festivals the weekend of October 26 and 27

The National Black Book Festival starts tomorrow, October 24 and runs through the 27th, in Houston, TX. Admission is free to the general public.

The Texas Book Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, the 26th and 27th, in Austin. There is a mobile app you can download.

October 21, 2013

Biographies and eBooks

Of the hundreds of eBooks Enslow has available, there are two biography series that would be a great match for books for both early readers and middle school readers.
In the Famous African Americans series, written for the elementary reader, Paul Robeson is one title in this series of twelve books. A short biography of him is also included in Amazing African-American Actors, which is part of the African-American Collective Biographies series.



There is also an elementary biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., in the Famous African Americans series, as well as a short biography of him in Inspiring African-American Civil Rights Leaders from the African-American Collective Biographies series.

Titles in both series are available in library and paperback editions, as well as eBook formats. These titles are available from your preferred vendor, your independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

October 18, 2013

American Space Missions

With the new film, Gravity, now being shown, American Space Missions—Astronauts, Exploration, and Discovery focuses on dramatic stories of space mission milestones. Great for the reluctant reader, these six titles contain exciting stories about space exploration. Each 48 page book discusses one particular aspect of space exploration and discovery.

The Coolest Job in the Universe reveals how astronauts eat, sleep, work, and more at the International Space Station (ISS.) The ISS is examined from its design and construction to the amazing astronauts who work there and the types of research and experiments they perform.

Danger in Space is about the Apollo 13 mission and the survival of its three astronauts after an explosion in the oxygen tank. Apollo 13 was more than two hundred thousand miles from Earth when the explosion occurred, and the astronauts had a new mission: not landing on the Moon, but surviving.

The Hubble Space Telescope is the subject of Eye on the Universe. This telescope captures the amazing wonders of space, relaying the photographs back to Earth, and allowing scientists and astronauts the ability to study parts of space that were completely unknown. Want to see the black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy? What does a storm look like on Saturn? The answers to these questions (and more) can be found because of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Space Shuttle Disaster is an in-depth look at the Challenger disaster. On January 28, 1986, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Challenger blasted off from the launchpad, only to explode in mid-air less than two minutes later. What caused the explosion? Who were the seven people aboard? What has changed since this disaster to make flying to space safer? The answers to these questions, and more, are answered in this title.

The Gemini 4 mission is the subject of Spacewalk. Pilot Ed White was able to see the states while walking in space. This first American spacewalk was a monumental achievement, and it helped push the space program towards its ultimate goal of landing on the Moon. Learn about the technology that made it possible and the brave astronauts who helped to get this accomplished.

Learn about Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon's surface in Walking on the Moon. On July 29, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin were aboard the Eagle as it touched down on the surface of the Moon, with Buzz Aldrin exiting the Eagle shortly thereafter, joining Armstrong on the Moon's surface.

All six of these titles are available in library and paperback editions, as well as eBooks. They are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

October 16, 2013

Book Festivals for October 17th through the 20th

Starting October 17 and running through the 20th, the Madison Public Library will be celebrating its Wisconsin Book Festival. There will be book sales, a High School Friday,  a selection of children's activities, and more!

The Boston Book Festival runs from October 17 through the 19th in Copley Square. With over 150 world-class presenters, there will be something for everyone. Wondering what to do with the kids this weekend? There is a Kids & Teens section, which includes a story time, a craft session, meet the medalists, and more!

October 14, 2013

Enslow Halloween Special: "Zombie Zappers" E-Book for 99 Cents

This Halloween season, Enslow Publishers' "trick or treat" bag contains a special discount incentive for e-book readers: we're offering Book 1 of our four-title "Zombie Zappers" series -- Zombie Camp -- for 99 cents!

Zombie Camp presents author Nadia Higgins' playful 64-page tale of young adventurers encountering the living dead. Her age-appropriate storytelling style embraces language suitable for children while avoiding graphic violence. The book also provides a character development focus as the kids in the story learn a valuable life lesson.

The "Zombie Zappers" fiction series is included in Enslow's new Speeding Star: Keep Boys Reading! imprint. Speeding Star's mission is to publish easy-to-read, high-quality fiction and informational texts suitable for boys from third grade through high school. "Speeding Star" books are currently available in e-book format as well as trade hardcover editions.

Zombie Camp, other Speeding Star titles, and many other Enslow Publishers' K-12 nonfiction books are available via bn.com, amazon.com, and other retail e-book sellers. Act now: Enslow's 99 cent offer for Zombie Camp ends on November 8, 2013!

October 11, 2013

Are your students and/or children getting enough sleep?

Several studies have shown that students don't get enough sleep. Between sports, homework, other after-school activities, as well as social media sites and games found on tablets/phones/computers, it's harder for students to get that needed sleep.

Want to know what happens when you sleep? Why do you need sleep? What happens when we dream, and do we dream every night? What is REM sleep? A Handy Health Guide to Better Sleep answers all of these questions and more. Written for the middle school student, the book also gives suggestions on good sleeping habits.

This title is available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, your local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. It is available in library, paperback, and eBook versions.

October 09, 2013

Oct 10 to Oct 13 book festivals

The Southern Festival of Books will take place October 11 through the 13th in Nashville, Tennessee. Free and open to the public, this festival has events for children and young adults, and features many authors from across the nation.

The Iowa City Book Festival will take place from October 10 through the 13th. This is a four-day celebration of books, reading, and writing. The festival includes readings, discussions, and demonstrations.

From October 11 through October 19, Litquake 2013, a literary festival, will take place in San Francisco. More than 800 authors and journalists will appear in more than 160 events over a nine-day period.

If you are in the area and can attend one of these events, enjoy!

October 08, 2013

Hispanic Heritage Month

Written for the middle school reader, the titles in the Latino Biography Library series cover famous Latinos whose careers range from acting to teachers. These books are also correlated to the Reading and Language sections of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards.

Ellen Ochoa was the first Latina to enter space. Freddie Prinze, Jr., is a successful Latino actor and George Lopez is known for his stand-up comedy. Jaime Escalante was an inspirational math teacher, and inspired inner-city youth. Pablo Neruda was a talented writer who openly denounced the president of Chile and was declared an enemy of his own country. Sandra Cisneros is a writer and activist who encourages women and members of minority groups to achieve their full potential.

All of these books are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore,  enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

October 07, 2013

Congratulations to our latest raffle winner!

Congratulations to the Hancock County Library System in Mississippi for winning our most recent monthly raffle!

Enslow author wins award!

Congratulations to Linda Bozzo, winner of New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) Outstanding Author or Illustrator Award.

Per the NJASL website:  "This award is presented to recognize an author or illustrator who is or was a resident of New Jersey or whose work represents/reflects New Jersey and who has made a notable contribution to the field of literature for children and young adults. This award is presented at the NJASL Fall Conference."

Linda has authored many books for Enslow, most of which are written for the elementary school reader.


October 04, 2013

Exploring Hands-On Science Projects

The six titles in the Exploring Hands-On Science Projects are written for the middle school reader. These titles have been leveled to the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading, Writing, and Language.

Each book in the series covers a different topic.  Plants discusses the process of photosynthesis, the life cycle of plants, the differences between short day and long day flowers, and more. Sound describes how it's possible to hear and feel sound, how sound travels, and moves, as well as dimensions of space. Solids, Liquids, and Gases investigates the states of matter and the properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Sports introduces an object's center of gravity and the laws governing the collision of objects. Toys and Games discusses gravity, friction, electrical charges, and more. The concepts in Magic include magic through chemistry, magic through light and through sticky water, as well as magic through motion.

Each title is 128 pages and is available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. Copies of these titles are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

October 02, 2013

Book Festivals October 3-6

If you are in the area of either of these book festivals, please go!

Two book festivals begin tomorrow. The Brattleboro Literary Festival in Vermont runs from October 3 to October 6. Taking place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, the Wordstock Festival is from October 3 to October 6, with the book fair on the 5th and 6th.

According to the website, "Wordstock is a literary art and education non-profit that celebrates and supports writing in the classroom and in the community. Our mission is to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people’s lives."

October 01, 2013

Attending the upcoming NJASL conference?

Our sales reps, John and Lina Gosden from BigBrain Resources will be there, as will Enslow author Linda Bozzo. Linda will be walking around, so look for her!

The conference will be this Friday and Saturday, October 4 and 5 at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ.

September 30, 2013

Joke books for upper elementary students

As part of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards, the titles in the Funnier Bone Jokes series meet the standards for Reading, Writing, and Language.

This six-title series, written for third and fourth graders, not only includes fun and silly jokes, knock-knock jokes, limericks, tongue twisters, and fun facts for readers to tell each other, it also includes an activity section. In Funny Valentine's Day Jokes, readers are directed in creating their own valentine. Kooky Halloween Jokes instructs students in creating their own knock-knock jokes. Ho-Ho-Ho Christmas Jokes includes a make your own card activity. Corny Thanksgiving Jokes instructs the reader in how to write a limerick. The activity in Brainless Birthday Jokes shows the reader how to make a funny birthday card. The activity in April Fool's Day Jokes helps the reader pull a prank on a friend or family member.

All of the books in the Funner Bone Joke series are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

September 27, 2013

Family Health and Fitness Day

Handy Health Guides, a 12-book series, is written for the middle school reader. Each 48-page book
contains information about the science behind common illnesses and injuries, and includes an activity.

Some of the topics covered include ADHD, bites and stings, burns and blisters, dyslexia, diabetes, and headaches. Did you know that Orlando Bloom is dyslexic? So is Britney Spears! And George Clooney! President Woodrow Wilson was also dyslexic, and he was a college professor before he became president. It seems that dyslexia is detected more often in boys, but just as many girls have dyslexia. It is thought that boys have a tendency to misbehave in class if they have learning problems, which the teacher will notice, however girls have a tendency to keep to themselves and will not try to attract attention.

Interested in any of these titles? They are all available in library and paperback editions, as well as in single-user and multi-user PDFs and as epubs. You can contact your preferred vendor or local independent bookstore, as well as find the books on enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

September 25, 2013

More book festivals this weekend

The Orange County Children's Book Festival will take place on Sunday, September 29 in Costa Mesa, California. Rosemary Wells is a featured author.

The Baltimore Book Festival will also take place this weekend, starting on Friday and continuing until Sunday. There is an App for this festival, downloadable on Apple and Android products.

If you are in the area where these festivals are scheduled to take place, please attend!

September 23, 2013

See Mark Enslow Up Close With Poison Dart Frogs

In light of New York State's and New York City's adoption of Enslow Publishers' Poison Dart Frogs Up Close into the Grade 3 curriculum, company president Mark Enslow recently hit the road in search of these beautiful, but lethal, creatures. Mark was able to get up close with poison dart frogs (as shown in the photograph) during a visit to a Pennsylvania site that humanely showcases benign or deadly amphibians and reptiles.

Right now, young readers can safely up close with poison dart frogs with Enslow's Poison Dart Frogs Up Close. Author Carmen Bredeson's 24-page, Guided Reading Level K work offers on-target informational text, excellent color photographs, and a reader-friendly design. The book is available in paperback direclty from Enslow Publishers for $6.95. A library-bound edition and a multi-user e-book version is also available.

Poison Dart Frogs Up Close is also available from your preferred vendor, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

It's Banned Books Week

For Banned Books Week, Enslow's series Authors of Banned Books contains five titles, each of which contains a brief biography of a banned author.

Some people have contended that the Harry Potter books endorse witchcraft, and that children should not read them. The author, Joan Vos MacDonald, analyzes the books and explores both sides of the argument over censorship.

John Steinbeck's life and several of his most controversial works are analyzed by author Maurene J. Hinds. The history of book censorship is explored to help readers understand both sides of the debate.

Madeleine L'Engle's titles have been banned because they endorse an occult philosophy. Author Marilyn McClellan discusses L'Engle's work, life, and beliefs, while looking at both sides of this censorship debate.

Michelle M. Houle discusses Mark Twain's life and times, analyzes two of his best-known books, and explores both sides of the censorship argument. There is a great deal of controversy over whether his books should be taught in schools because of Twain's language and attitudes in his writing, which reflect a more racist time in the history of this country.

Wendy Hart Beckman discusses the life of Robert Cormier, analyzes three of his books, and helps readers understand both sides of the censorship debate.

Each of these titles include a page of discussion questions, giving the reader ideas for discussing these books with their classmates and peers.

All of these titles are available from your preferred vendor, independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

September 20, 2013

Animal Bodies Up Close

Did you know that honeybees have more than two eyes? Or that squirrels use their tails for balance? Or that hippos have their ears on top of their heads? Or that polar bears have the best sense of smell of any animal on Earth? Or that a cow uses its tongue to clean its nose? Or that one sea star has hundreds of feet?

Discover the answers to these and other questions in the Animal Bodies Up Close series, written for the elementary reader. Each title in this series has a words to know section, a learn more section, and index, as well as a guessing game.

All six titles in this series fit Reading and Language Common Core standards, and are available in library, paperback, eBook, and book/eBook combos. They are available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, your local independent bookstore, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

September 18, 2013

Several book festivals taking place this weekend

There are several book festivals taking place this upcoming weekend.

The South Dakota Festival of Books takes place September 20-22. There is an app available which can be found on the website. There are lots of events taking place, some of which require tickets. Some of these ticketed events are free. There will be authors there as well.

The Library of Congress National Book Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday on the National Mall. There is a children's and teens pavilion as well.

The Brooklyn Book Festival is taking place this weekend, with a large celebration on September 22 at Brooklyn Borough Hall. This festival also has an associated app available for download from the website. There are youth and children events taking place as well.

If you are in the area of any of these festivals, make sure to attend!

September 16, 2013

Looking for a craft book for Halloween?

978-0-7660-3730-4 Library
978-0-7660-3731-1 Paperback
Haunted House Adventure Crafts is a 32 page book written for upper elementary readers. Not only does this title give instructions on creating crafts, it also has a feature about creating your own story using those crafts.

Want to make a coffin? How about a mummy or a skeleton? How about a haunted house or Frankenstein? Following step-by-step instructions and using easily found materials, if readers are not interested in creating their own story, they can read the scary story included at the end of the book.

This title is available from enslow.com, your preferred vendor, local independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

September 13, 2013

Biographies about Inventors

For STEM Friday, we are going to focus on two series for the upper elementary/lower middle school reader. Both series focus on inventors.


Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas, a new series for 2013 and written for the upper elementary reader, takes the reader on a journey of learning how different inventions were made and created. One of the books in this series is about Stephanie Kwolek, the woman behind the creation of a fiber, made from petroleum and other products, that was eventually used in bullet-resistant vests.

Other titles in this series focus on Theodore H. Maiman, Les Paul, George Ferris, Philo T. Farnsworth, James Naismith, and Vivien Thomas. All of these titles are 48 pages in length, and are available in library, paperback, ePUB, single-user PDF, and multi-user PDF formats.



The Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies series is written for the lower middle school reader. This series also covers six inventors: Madam C. J. Walker, Igor Sikorsky, Thomas H. Gallaudet, W. K. Kellogg, Samuel Colt, and Ralph Baer. Each book is 32 pages in length, and is available in a library edition.

Titles from both of these series are available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, local independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.



September 11, 2013

Book Festival on September 14

The Westchester Multicultural Children's Book Festival will be held on Saturday, from 11 am to 4 pm at the White Plains Public Library.

This is the second year of the festival, and it will feature both children's and YA authors.

September 09, 2013

Read Cows on the Family Farm for Free!

Read the eBook for Cows on a Family Farm for free through 9/30/13.   Author Chana Stiefel takes readers onto the family farm. Find out how cows live, what they eat, and how they spend their days. For ages 5-8.

Review of Smokin' Race Cars in Booklist

Smokin' Race Cars, a new fall 2013 title from Enslow, has been reviewed in the September 1, 2013 issue of Booklist.

Here is an excerpt:

"This title is everything NASCAR, from what NASCAR is to vehicles designed specifically for racing . . . The 48-page high-interest book is ideally suited for reluctant readers and is chock-full of bright pictures of zooming cars and suited-up racers."

This title is available from enslow.com, your preferred vendor, your independent bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.


September 08, 2013

Congratulations to our latest book raffle winner!

Congratulations to the Evansdale Public Library in Iowa for winning our August book raffle!

September 06, 2013

Local book festivals this weekend

The 9th annual BookMarks Festival of Books and Authors will be in Winston-Salem on Saturday. If you live near or will be in the area on Saturday, attend!

The above website also has local hotel links. Hopefully there's rooms available!

There's another book festival in Topeka, Kansas this weekend as well. The Kansas Book Festival will be on Saturday, and includes a nice line-up of children's authors!

Attend either of this events if you can!