Jazz Musicians Included in New African-American Collective Biography Series

Many jazz books for young readers understandably focus on the music's biggest names. However, that approach tends to narrowcast biographies to jazz's A-list. Unfortunately, important, fascinating figures are often lost in the shadows of presenting the life stories and musical contributions of globally-known figures.

To meet this challenge, Enslow Publishers presents its new "African-American Collective Biographies" series. This six-book group provides biographical sketches of prominent leaders as well as those of lesser-known contributors to culturally important endeavors. Incredible African-American Jazz Musicians, one of the books in the series, successfully incorporates that paradigm. Author Stephen Feinstein's well-written work features biographies of seminal figures such as Miles Davis. Readers and librarians will enjoy how the books' lively design leverages color photographs and illustrations to great advantage. As with all titles in the series, Feinstein's work also includes a brief timeline of each artist's life and achievements.

An excellent choice for reluctant readers, this 112-page book is well suited for grades 5 and up. This book, part of Enslow's Fall 2012 new releases, will be available in library-bound editions for $23.95. That cost represents a 25% school/library discount from Enslow's list price.

  

Today is the anniversary of the first American woman in space

978-0-7660-4073-1 library
978-1-4644-0078-0 paperback

On June 18, 1983, Dr. Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger. This was the second flight for Challenger, and the first flight for a five-person crew. Dr. Ride was a mission specialist, and during this flight, they deployed a satellite for Canada as well as one for Indonesia, among other duties. They spent 147 hours in space before landing. This is the same space shuttle that exploded in January 1986.

Enslow Publishers has recently published a six-book series entitled American Space Missions. Dr. Ride is mentioned in the Space Shuttle Disaster title, when President Ronald Reagan asked her to be part of the Rogers Commission, which was formed to try to determine the cause of the accident.

Written for the reluctant reader, this series will keep those students who are interested in space wanting to read all of them. Other titles in the series include: The Coolest Job in the World; Danger in Space; Eye on the Universe; Spacewalk; and Walking on the Moon.

Community Helpers and Common Core Standards

Look what's new for fall 2012! All About Community Helpers series will help to support your unit on community helpers and satisfy Common Core State Standards ELA, Speaking and Listening
Standards #1, #2, #3 for grades K–1.

Books in the series include:

Dentists Help Us
EMT's Help Us
Firefighters Help Us
Nurses Help Us
Police Officers Help Us
Sanitation Workers Help Us
Teachers Help Us
Veterinarians Help Us

Use nonfiction books to teach students about different community helper careers. Have each student choose a career they find interesting. They can use their speaking skills to discuss, in front of the class, what they learned about that career. Invite speakers such as police officers or firefighters into your classroom to speak about their career. Students can practice their listening skills and ask and answer questions during and after the visit. You can also ask students to use their speaking skills to present to the class, in an organized manner,  what they learned from their community helper.

Fun Flag Facts for Flag Day

     Flag Day is the official birthday of the U.S. flag.  It was on June 14, 1777 that the Continental Congress approved the flag design which was 13 alternating red and white stripes with a union of 13 white stars on a blue field.

If you have a flag that is so worn it is no longer fit to fly, you should know that Flag Day is when many American Legion Posts will conduct a dignified flag burning ceremony.

     

Library Binding ISBN: 978-0-7660-4057-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4644-0046-9

Did you know...

• A dozen seamstresses in Philadelphia are responsible for hand-embroidering each U.S. presidential flag.

• The flag is flown upside down only as a distress signal.

• Flag Day is not a federal holiday. 

• A foreign flag should be flown on its own pole and be the same size as the U.S. flag.

• The flag of one nation may not be displayed above that of another nation when flown together.

• When a flag passes in a procession, you should face the flag and salute.

Capture Young Reader Interest in Pro Basketball Finals with Enslow's LeBron James Biography

The NBA Finals, pro basketball's crown jewel series, begins this week. Among the participants is Miami Heat superstar LeBron James. One of the best known athletes in the country, "King James" is certain to draw interest from young readers passionate about basketball. One way for librarians to encourage young fans to read about these sports celebrities is to display age-appropriate biographies of these international stars.

Enslow Publishers' LeBron James: A Basketball Star Who Cares fits this profile. The 48-page, Guided Reading Level "O" title offers insights into James' life and career. Notably, author Kimberly Gatto's age-appropriate text includes a section on the player's philanthropic endeavors. By going outside the basketball arena, Gatto gives young readers a useful, humanizing perspective about star athletes' lives. This enriching dimension to the book makes it a solid addition to a library's sports biography collection, as well as a book parents would feel comfortable giving to their child.

LeBron James: A Basketball Star Who Cares, part of Enslow's six-book "Sports Stars Who Care" series, is available in paperback for $7.95. It is also in a library-bound edition for $17.95. That price reflects a 25% discount available to school and library customers.

It's Adopt a Shelter Cat Month!

Hopefully lots of cats will be adopted this month!

978-0-7660-3191-3

Learning to Care for a Cat, written by Felicia Lowenstein Niven, would be a great addition to a library collection, allowing families to read the book (before they adopt a new family member) in order to make sure that adopting a cat is the right move for them. Written for the elementary student, this title will allow elementary readers (and their families) understand what goes into caring for their new pet.

This 48 page title contains color photographs and has been approved by the American Humane Association. This library bound title is available to schools and public libraries for $17.95.

Who Will Win the Stanley Cup?

Library Binding: ISBN: 978-0-7660-3869-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-59845-357-7

Unlike other trophies, a new Stanley Cup is not made every year. Cup winners keep this trophy until another winner is crowned the following year. Who will win this year's Stanley Cup? That is yet to be determined.

Young hockey players who are inspired, by watching the top two teams battle it out, will want to brush up on their skills so they too can dream of playing on a professional team one day.

Top 25 Hockey Skills, Tips, and Tricks by Jeff Savage, includes tips on skating, controlling the puck, shooting, defense and how to get ready to play. For grades 4–up, this book provides basic instruction for the beginner and advanced tips, drills, and tricks that are used by the pros. This book, and others in the series, Top 25 Sports Skills, Tips, and Tricks, supports the National Standards for Physical Education and is great for students who play school or club sports.

National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month

How are you celebrating National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month?

The United States Department of Agriculture has several great resources on how schools can partner with their local farms.

They also offer a 10 Tips Nutrition Education series in a printable format perfect for posting on refrigerators or school bulletin boards along with MyPlate Graphic Resources.

To reinforce healthy eating and good food choices you might consider our All About Good Foods We Eat series for grades PreK–1 to support your lessons on nutrition.

These books are available in both library binding and paperback. Serve them up today!

June 6th is D-Day, But What Does "D-Day" Mean?

On June 6th, in 1944, the Allied forces' Normandy landings took place.  This event is commonly referred to as "D-Day", and most people assume that "D-Day" only refers to the Normandy landings.  In fact, "D-Day" is just a generic military term, usually referring to the start of an assault or a military campaign, and there are many different "D-Days". The precise name for the Normandy landings was "Operation Neptune", which was only a part of "Operation Overlord".

If you enjoyed learning this bit of military trivia or if you would like to learn more about World War II, check out World War II in Europe: From Normandy to Berlin from Enslow's "The United States At War" series.  Written by well-respected and long-time children's history writer R. Conrad Stein, World War II in Europe is an expertly-written introduction into the history of the most massive of all wars.  Visit the book page here: World War II in Europe: From Normandy to Berlin to learn more!

Once-Per-Century Transit of Venus Occurs Tonight

The transit of Venus, an astronomical phenomenon in which the Sun, Earth, and Venus are parallel with one another, typically occurs once per century. According to a NASA expert, there have been only 53 such transits since 2000 B.C. We are fortunate that this rare alignment will occur in today's early evening's sky. (One warning: do not look directly into the Sun!)

Highly unusual celestial events are a wonderful way to stimulate young readers' natural curiosity about astronomy. One book pertinent to the buzz about Venus can be found in Enslow Publishers' "Far-Out Guide to the Solar System" series. Author Mary Kay Carson's Far-Out Guide to Venus delivers a scientifically strong, age-appropriate text about this second planet from the Sun. The 48-page, Guided Reading Level "N" book includes excellent color photographs, stories of discovery in each chapter, and a profile of a scientist.

The paperback edition of Far-Out Guide to Venus, including a free, brief teacher's guide, is available from Enslow Publishers for $7.95. A library-bound edition is also available to schools and public libraries for $17.95: that represents a 25% discount from Enslow's list price for its library-bound edition!

Future Enslow employee?

Last month we had a baby shower for Chris, our Marketing Production Manager, and his wife, Liz. Their first child (a daughter) arrived on June 1, weighing 9 pounds and 2.8 ounces, 21 inches long, and with a full head of dark hair!

She was a little early, but the doctor decided she was big enough, and didn't want to wait any longer. The doctor was probably surprised that she was nine pounds!

Congratulations to Chris and Liz on their new daughter!

According to the National Hurricane Center, hurricane season in the Atlantic begins today, June 1st and ends November 30th. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season began on May 15th and also ends November 30th. Here are some ways to get ready for a storm:


When a storm watch is issued:
1. Fill prescriptions; drugstores may be closed or damaged for weeks.
2. Fill vehicles with gas, in the case of evacuations.
3. Have cash on hand for necessities.
4. Fill sinks/bathtubs with spare water, in case your house loses its water service
5. Move all easily blown objects inside.


For more information on storms and stories from survivors and rescue workers that have seen their wrath, check out our new title, The Deadly Storm Alert! by Carmen Bredeson for grades 5–9 from our new six-book  Disasters–People in Peril series.

AVAILABLE NOW!
ISBN: 978-0-7660-4014-4

New Fantasy Fiction Books Coming Soon!

We're excited to announce our fall release (September 1, 2012) of The Brightworking: Book I of the Brightstone Saga for young adults. This new three-book fantasy fiction series, combines an original fantasy world in a medieval-type setting filled with magical inventions and creatures created by author, Paul B. Thompson.

COMING SOON!
ISBN: 978-0-7660-3950-6
Grades 5–up

In Brightworking: Book I, Mikal, a blacksmith's son, enjoys working with fiery metal in his father's forge. But when the sorcerers' Guild of Constant Working comes to his small village, the young boy's destiny is changed forever. Before long, Mikal is apprenticed to the most powerful wizard in all of Phalia and confronts danger at every turn as he uncovers the mystery of the Brightworking. With the help from his friend Lyra and a magical metal head, she and Mikal confront danger at every turn as he uncovers the mystery of the Brightworking.

Click here to reserve your copy today and you can look forward to the release of The Fortune Teller: Book II, and The Battle for the Brightstone: Book III in 2013. 

Don't forget to sign up for the Enslow raffle!

Today's the last day to sign up for our monthly $100 in free books!

Author David Aretha's Blog Discusses His New Sports Fiction Book

David Aretha, who has written or edited thirty baseball books, has just come out with his initial sports fiction work. The book -- Rounding Third, Heading Home!  -- is among the new Enslow Publishers fiction titles for the Spring 2012 season. Aretha's 112-page story, with its appealing narrative, intriguing characters, and exciting ending, is an excellent choice for readers in grades 3 through 6.

Author Dan Gutman has praised Rounding Third, Heading Home!, stating that "If you like Matt Christopher,you'll love David Aretha. This is a classic underdog story that Little Leaguers are bound to enjoy."

Aretha's blog, linked here, provides details about the inspiration for the book, as well as an excerpt from the work.

Rounding Third, Heading Home! is available directly from Enslow Publishers in paperback for $9.95. A library-bound edition is also available to schools and libraries for $19.95; that price represents a 25% discount from Enslow's list price for the library-bound edition.

Happy Memorial Day from Enslow!

We would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day and a big thank you to those who have served our country in the Armed Services.

Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. New York was the first state to officially recognize the holiday in 1873. By 1890, all of the northern states recognized the holiday. The South refused to recognize the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I. It was after World War I that the holiday changed from honoring those who died in the Civil War to honoring any soldier who had died in any war.

Surprise! It's a Baby Shower!

Chris, our Marketing Production Manager and his wife Liz are expecting their first baby in June. So, we threw a surprise baby shower last week for the soon-to-be father. We wish Chris and Liz, all the best and can't wait for the arrival of their new baby girl.

SURPRISE! (I think he knew)

Chris opening gifts and receiving new parenting tips.

Chris wondering what the heck you do with all of this stuff!

Notice the fancy decorations done by our fabulous baby shower decorating committee!

Cake time!

Chris hoping this book holds all the answers.

Who on Earth is Rachel Carson?

Rachel Carson was born on May 27, 1907 and grew up in the tiny town of Springdale, Pennsylvania. As a child, Rachel helped take care of the family's farm animals. Chickens, pigs, and many dogs, were Rachel's constant companions on her nature walks. Rachel and her mother especially loved birding. She also loved reading and writing. As an eleven-year-old she became a regular contributor to the children's magazine, St. Nicholas Magazine.

Rachel's parents taught her strong environmental values throughout her life. Between 1910 and 1920, Rachel watched as the population of Springdale more than doubled. As she grew older, the town grew more industry, became dirtier and more polluted. Rachel never forgot the transformation of her rural hometown into an industrial working-class community. She never forgot the damage these changes caused to the animals, birds, and plants she loved. 

Rachel later attended college and after two years she changed her major from English to biology, at a  time when the scientific field was dominated by men. She went on to become a famous author and activist for the environment. She is most noted for her book, Silent Spring, that led to the study of the use of pesticides and the harm they were doing to plants, animals, and people and ultimately was responsible for the ban on the use of DDT in America. 

Though Rachel Carson died in 1964, her words have no doubt shaped the environmental movement and her words and legacy will live on. 

Rachel Carson Day is celebrated on her birthday, May 27th. Be sure to check our two Rachel Carson biographies to learn more about this fascinating woman.

Grades K–3
ISBN: 978-0-7660-3283-5

Grades 5–up
ISBN: 978-1-59845-116-0

Revving Up Reading Engines for the Indy 500

ISBN: 978-0-7660-3302-3

The Indianapolis 500, one of America's great sports traditions, will be held over the Memorial Day weekend. This exciting event, typically witnessed by a quarter-million spectators and a worldwide television audience, offers the flair and adventure that young readers often enjoy. Prominent among contemporary Indy drivers is Danica Patrick. Her interesting life story is the subject of an Enslow Publishers biography that's available now.

Danica Patrick: Racing to History provides an accessible, fun window into Patrick's drive to succeed. The 128-page title, part of Enslow's "Heroes of Racing" series, combines exciting full-color photos, author J. Chris Roselius' strong text, and career statistics into a well-rounded look at Patrick's life and career. The book's 6.7 AR reading level makes it a useful choice for reluctant readers in secondary and high school.

The library-bound book is available directly from Enslow Publishers for $23.95; the price represents a 25% discount from Enslow's list price for this title!

It's National EMS Week

Library ISBN 978-0-7660-4050-2

This year's theme is "EMS: More Than A Job. A Calling." Being an EMT is not an easy job. EMTs work hours somewhat similar to police officers and fire personnel: they work nights, on holidays, and are never quite sure what to expect upon arriving on a scene.

Enslow's latest preschool series, All About Community Helpers, includes a title on EMTs. This 24 page book will help young students and beginning readers learn about this important job in our community. Other titles in the series include titles about dentists, firefighters, nurses, police officers, sanitation workers, teachers, and veterinarians.