Issue #0

A Very Busy Firehouse (Community Helpers)

Plot

Kindergarten-Grade 2-These titles will enhance community-helper units. Each one starts off with a "Word Hunt" that uses photographs and a phonetic pronunciation guide to give children an instant snapshot of the profession. Next, readers are led through a day in the life of the workers through a page of large font, descriptive text opposite a full-page photograph showing the people at work. Additional photographs and text provide behind-the-scenes looks at each profession. Readers see the kitchen where firefighters prepare and eat their meals as a family and the barracks where they sleep, a library storyhour, and the full-scale kitchen used to prepare nutritious meals for zoo animals. The recommended Web sites offer many educational games and activities that correlate to fire prevention, the zoo, and the library. The cover indicates the guided reading level, word count, decodability percentage, and sight-word count of each title. These creative, well-thought-out books provide comprehensive perspectives on community workers and how what they do impacts those they serve. A definite faux pas in Library is "Where else can you rent a DVD...," but this should not deter purchase.-Wanda Meyers-Hines, Loudoun County Public Schools, Ashburn, VA

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