Officer Buckle and Gloria

Someone describes important concepts while a cute animal maintains attention.

Why does this sound familiar?

Rathmann, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York : Putnam's, 1995.

Plot: Officer Buckle comes to Napville School for a safety assembly. No one really pays attention, until Gloria comes. Gloria, a police dog, sits obediently on command, then playfully acts out each of Officer Buckle's safety tips while he faces the audience. The officer is shocked when people begin to listen. He becomes even more excited when he receives an entire envelope filled with thank-you notes, all featuring Gloria. He begins to offer more and more assemblies, shows, and meetings without seeing Gloria's act behind his back. Then he and Gloria are filmed, revealing the truth. Unsurprisingly, Officer Buckle is hurt, but he is not the only one...

Genre: Picture Books, Humor, Friendship, Animals

Reading Level: Pre-K through Grade 3

Similar Titles: Miss Fox's Class Gets it Wrong; Speak Up, Tommy!

Personal Thoughts: While the title is intended for a younger age group than tweens, it still offers a relevant lesson. Teens often feel the pressure to look for an identity, especially among their peers and community. Many seek it by participating in projects or events. It can be devastating when someone seems to get all the attention, even when the tween contributed a lot of effort. However, much like Officer Buckle, their work carries as much importance as their more flashy partners, even if they feel it does not. Even though they might not be the star of the project, they are still important, and that is a lesson everyone needs to know.

The title received the Caldecott Medal.

Side Note: A book with a dog and an award sticker on the cover, but the dog lives. The Apocalypse may very well be upon us.

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Polar Explorer: An Expedition You'd Rather Not Go On

Dragons don't like Antarctica

Green, Jen. You Wouldn't Want to Be a Polar Explorer: An Expedition You'd Rather Not Go On. New York : Franklin Watts, 2001.

Plot: The title follows Captain Frank Worsley on the first overland crossing of Antarctica. The expedition, led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, offers fame and honor in the event of success. It also promises a hazardous journey. Still, it gives the opportunity to avoid enlistment in the coming World War I, so it could not be that bad.
It is arguably worse.
The ship becomes trapped and destroyed by ice, costing both the means of escape and the bulk of the trip's supplies. A small group, including Worsley, eventually strike out to find help at a nearby whaling camp. However, rough weather, worse terrain, and questionable directions plague the rescue team. Still, they make it, without ever even beginning their intended expedition.

Genre: History

Reading Level: Grades 4 and up

Similar Titles: You Wouldn't Want to Be series, Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance

Personal Thoughts: Everyone learns about explorers as heroes. However, not everyone gets the opportunity to learn what such heroism requires. The title does not dismiss Shackleton, his expedition, or his crew. However, it does provide a realistic assessment of the situation: due to the starvation, the work, the cold, and the anxiety, most people would not like to be a Polar explorer!

Love in the Animal Kingdom

I'm not sure if he wants to watch the birds or eat them

Love in the Animal Kingdom presented by Nature

Plot: While all animals need to get together to produce a new generation. However, some take extra care and consideration when choosing potential mates. Some consider elaborate dances, bright colors, and synchronized calls as good indicators for a beau. Nice territory or high social position attract loyal mates. Many species obediently follow protocol, then immediately flirt with a neighbor's mate. Still, a few remain loyal to each other exclusively for the breeding season, occasionally longer. No matter the attraction or fidelity, relationships provide a means of continuing the species.

Genre: Animals, Documentary

Reading Level: Aimed at all audiences. However, some scenes between mates may be awkward to explain to younger viewers.

Similar Titles: Animal Odd Couples, Why We Love Cats and Dogs

Personal Thoughts: With Valentine's Day on the horizon, this is a relevant documentary. However, some of the "private" scenes may prove too mature (or giggle-worthy) for tweens to appreciate. Also, the documentary ends with an unnecessary Bambi-esque narration.

Side Note: Birds of paradise are hilarious.

Special Report: Science Fair Resources

Well, faithful readers, Science Fair season approaches. Here are some resources for setting up a prize-winning project and display.

Let's make some plans

California State Science Fair 2013 Category Awards:
http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2013/Awards
The site lists the award-winning projects of the 2013 California State Science Fair. While images of the projects are not presented, the write-ups, including hypothesis, experiments, and results are included. The site can assist student seeking projects or ideas on how to write their reports.

Education.com’s Science Fair Ideas:
http://www.education.com/science-fair/#all
While the site has a lot of advertisements, it also offers free science fair ideas. Visitors can use the search bar to find specific projects or the side filters to select specific topics and grade levels.

Food science!

Energy Quest’s Science Projects:
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects
After a brief description of what makes a good project, the site offers a list of science fair projects focusing on energy concepts. Many projects require the use of high temperatures, sharp objects, and complicated topics, so adult supervision may be necessary.

Iconic Displays’ Science Fair Resource Guide:
http://www.iconicdisplays.com/Science-Fair-Display-Guide.html
Rather than focus on the project, this site shows how to display projects at a science fair. The website includes color selection, graph creation, title creation, and layout advice.

Science Bob’s Science Fair Ideas:
http://www.sciencebob.com/sciencefair/index.php
This site does not present projects quite as clearly as some of the others, but it does provide selection advice and format recommendations. The site is a good resource for understanding the concepts behind a science fair project, rather than the projects themselves.

Garden science!

Science Buddies:
http://www.sciencebuddies.org 
This award-winning website provides project ideas, guides, and answers to visitor questions. “Help Me Find a Project” (http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas.shtml#helpmefindaproject) is especially useful for students with limited time and resources.

Science Fair Extravaganza: Science Fair Project Ideas:
http://sciencefair.math.iit.edu/projects
The website allows visitors to utilize household items to create science fair projects. It also lists additional resources and research recommendations.

Animal science!

Science Kids’ Science Experiments for Kids:
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html 
The site offers over forty different science experiments students can perform with household items. Each project includes a list of necessary materials, an experiment description, and an explanation of the results.

Science Fair Projects World:
http://www.sciencefair-projects.org/
This website offers detailed outlines for elaborate projects. Some require difficult to find materials, so consider the projects carefully before committing to them.

Technology science!