PICTURE BOOKS: S Is for Smithsonian by Marie and Roland Smith

The Smithsonian museums were such a large part of our time in DC this summer, I had to pick up this book as well, also published by Sleeping Bear Press.

The format is the same as the other alphabet books in the line - a short poem and a longer descriptive piece for every letter of the alphabet. S Is for Smithsonian includes a page on the Smithsonian Castle (in my opinion, it is more interesting to read about than to visit), the elephant in the entry of the Natural History Museum, the dresses of the First Ladies (probably my favorite part of the American History Museum), Dorothy's ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz (another exhibit in the American History Museum), and the National Zoo (something we didn't get to visit on our trip).

This is another good memento for families that have visited DC, but it can be an even better introduction to the Smithsonian museums for those planning a future trip.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 7.2

PICTURE BOOK: N Is for Our Nation's Capital by Marie Smith

While our family was in Washington DC I came across some books I wanted to add to our school library.

This line of books from Sleeping Bear Press is one of my favorite non-fiction series available. The books are beautifully done. The content works for both young readers (with a poem for each letter of the alphabet) and older readers (with detailed content for each letter).

N Is for Our Nation's Capital includes discussion of the cherry blossoms, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech which was delivered at the Lincoln Memorial, the White House and the Library of Congress.

If you are planning a trip to DC, or you want to have a souvenir to help you remember a trip, check this book out. If you are a history teacher, there's plenty here for you as well.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 6.8

MONDAY: Alphabet Books, part 2

I love the line of alphabet books from Sleeping Bear Press.  There is something for everyone in this line.

Each letter ties to a term in the the theme of the book. The term is used in a short poem, and then the sidebar includes additional facts and/or terms that relate to that letter or the term for the letter.

Some other titles in the series include:
G Is for Grand Canyon : An Arizona Alphabet (Alphabet Series) 
R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet 
M Is for Majestic: A National Parks Alphabet (Alphabet Books) 
S is for Smithsonian: America's Museum Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Alphabets) 
K is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet (Alphabet Books) 
R is for Race: A Stock Car Alphabet (Alphabet Books) 
and A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet (Sports) among others.

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