Two intrepid librarians

Two intrepid librarians review the best nonfiction books for children

Monday, May 28, 2012

The U.S. Army by Matt Doeden

The U.S. Army
by Matt Doeden
Pebble Plus: Military Branches series
Capstone Press, 2009
ISBN: 9781429617338
Gr. K-2

The reviewer borrowed a copy of the book from her school library.

In honor of Memorial Day, we're featuring a book from the Military Branches series published by Capstone in 2009. We typically review newly published books on our blog, but this series is a huge hit with the K-2 crowd in my library.

Each book in the Military Branches series is designed the same way. A full page color photograph is placed on the right side of the page with text on the left page. Using simple text, the author describes   tasks that soldiers perform. Ample white space and a large font make the text accessible to young readers.

"Army pilots fly helicopters. Pilots use Black Hawk helicopters to carry soldiers and supplies." (p.8)

Male and female soldiers are shown riding in Humvees, repairing engines, and providing medical treatment to children. Back matter includes a glossary, list of books for further reading, and related web sites. Other books in the series include The U.S. Air Force, The U.S. Coast Guard, The U.S. Marine Corps, and The U.S. Navy.

I've found this series fits a niche in our K-2 nonfiction collection. The children in my library often request books about the military, but many books are geared toward older readers or focus on weapons instead of soldiers. The Pebble Plus series provides young readers with a glimpse into military life while providing children an opportunity to practice their reading skills and learn new vocabulary words.


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