Flicker Is Lost and Found by Jodie Parachini, Bryony Clarkson (Illustrated by)

Flicker is old enough to go visit her grandparents by herself.  Her father gives her a map and her mother gives her a ball of string for Grandma.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She starts out full of confidence.  But soon she finds herself going by things she saw earlier.  She goes to find her friends.  They go with her but they follow the map.

Will they find the grandparents?

Flicker Finds Her Glow by Jodie Parachini, Bryony Clarkson (Illustrated by)

Flicker is a young firefly who is having a birthday.  It's time now for her to begin glowing but she doesn't.  She asks her friends for help.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She tries copying her friend's attributes but that doesn't work.  She just can't get her glow.

Do you think she will find it?

HeroRat!: Magawa, a Lifesaving Rodent by Jodie Parachini, Keiron Ward, Jason Dewhirst

This is a fascinating look at removing land mines.  They train the rats to smell the explosives and take them out to find them.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The rat tells you his story. He starts as he trains and then takes you into the minefields to watch him work.  He did so well, he got a gold medal.

I knew such animals existed but his story is touching.  This is a good way to teach your child some history.

Togo and Balto: The Dogs Who Saved a Town by Jodie Parachini, Keiron Ward, Jason Dewhirst

It's 1925 and diptheria has spread through a town.  The weather is bad.  The only way there is dog sleds.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss have let me read this book.  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

This is a true story.  Nome needs help.  

The two dogs get trained for a team.  The run fast and strong.  They become team leaders.  The trip is treacherous, a few mishaps happen but the serum does get to Nome.

Huskies are brave dogs.  Without them the serum might not have arrived...

Spidernaut : Arabella, the Spider in Space by Jodie Parachini, Dragan Kordic (Illustrated by) Series: Animalographies

This is a fascinating look at spiders that went into space.  They had to adjust to no gravity and learn to weave webs differently.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on October 1st.

You learn about how they weave a web on earth.  You learn about their trip to space, and you watch them adjust.

It sounds like it might be dry and boring, but it's not.  It's an up close and personal look at their mission and their success.

I never knew about these spiders.  Now I do and it's incredible!

Beautiful Jim : The World's Smartest Horse by Jodie Parachini, Dragan Kordic (Illustrated by) Series: Animalographies

This was a fascinating read and it's nonfiction.  This horse was smart and so was his owner.

Albert Whitman and Company and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will publish October 1st.

A slave worked with Jim.  He loved animals and he had a lot of patience.  If Jim got the answer wrong, he just had him try again.  He didn't reprimand him.  He even gave him treats for getting it right.

He learned the alphabet, to do math, to spell words, and he was generally a sensation where ever he went.  One of the journalists called him beautiful and it stuck.

He was a grand old horse. Since the slave had been freed, they toured the country.  They made a good pair for presentation.

I wish I had seen him.  I bet he was wondrous.