Display: Coral Reefs

By Laura Knowles and Jennie Webber

Lake Forest, CA: Words & Pictures, 2018. Informational.

From brightly colored corals to shimmering shoals of fish, the diversity of life on a coral reef is celebrated in this visually stunning picture book with a strong ecological message about the need to protect this most precious of environments. Through gentle rhyme and intricately etched artwork, it explores the life cycle, diversity and color of the coral reef ecosystem, as well as the threats the reef faces and what we can do to save it. With each page packed full of delightful sea creatures to discover and enjoy, this is a lyrical and engaging way to learn about the life cycle of a coral reef.

Coral

By Molly Idle

New York; Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2020. Picture Book.

A disagreement between Coral, Filly, and Manta, three young mermaids who work together to build and safeguard the reef that is their home, must quickly be set right.

Tropical Terry

By Jarvis

Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2019. Picture Book.

Coral Reef City is home to the most dazzling shoals of tropical fish in ALL the ocean. And then there is Terry. Terry looks gray. Terry feels dull. And although he is the best at playing Hide A Fish, he can't help but wonder... Just what would it feel like to be part of that dashing, flashing crew? So, with the help of his friends, he fashions a flashy costume and is ready to impress... Hello-o-o everybody! Just call me TROPICAL Terry! But will life as a tropical fish be everything he dreamed of?

Swimmy

By Leo Lionni

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. Picture Book.

A little black fish in a school of red fish figures out a way of protecting them all from their natural enemies.

Who Needs a Reef?: A Coral Reef Ecosystem

By Karen Patkau

Toronto, Ontario: Tundra Books, 2014. Informational.

Colorful coral reefs, astonishing in their beauty, bustle and teem with life. The author and illustrator takes us on a magical journey through one of the earth's most important ecosystems. In this book, we discover, in breathtaking art and lyrical text, the plants and animals that flourish in its tropical conditions -- from coralline algae, phytoplankton, and sea grasses to hermit crabs, moon jellies, whale sharks, and porcupinefish.

Coral Reefs

By Jason Chin

New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2011. Informational.

During an ordinary visit to the library, a girl pulls a not-so-ordinary book from the shelves. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs, the city around her slips away and she finds herself surrounded by the coral cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live, hunt, and hide there.

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.

Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages. Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog