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Best Children's Nonfiction Health Books

Smile
What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. Grade 5 Up—When she was in sixth grade, Telgemeier tripped while running and lost her two front teeth. The dental case that Telgemeier documents in this graphic memoir was extreme: a random accident led to front tooth loss when she was 12, and over the next several years, she suffered through surgery, implants, headgear, false teeth, and a rearrangement of her remaining incisors.
Reviews
"What I liked about this book is that is a comic,well not necessarily a comic, but more like a graphic novel."
"I am in middle school and this book made me feel special that I was strong."
"Great story!"
"My 10 year old daughter loved this book--it encouraged her to love reading."
"This book is excellent."
"She's read "Drama" about six times now, and is once again reading "Smile" this week to keep busy as she anxiously waits for "Sisters" to arrive. Recently my mom was taken to the hospital, thank God she's getting better, but our daughter has even read "Smile" to my mom to cheer her up until she's able to come home."
"I JUST LOVE IT HAVE HAD BRACES WHEN 12 OR SO FOR OVER A YEAR.I THINK RAINA TELGEMEIER BOOK ABOUT HER HVING BRACES IS ONE OF CUTES, AND FUNNIEST COMIC BOOK NOVELS I HAVE EVER READ. HAVING THIS ONE BEING MY FRIST OF BOOKS I MAY READ HER OTHER BOOKS, BUY SMILE AND READ IT YOU WILL LOVE IT LIKE I LOVE IT."
"Another side note - any child going through friend trouble or getting braces may enjoy this book even more than other kids."
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The Care & Keeping of You
Girls will find answers to questions about their changing bodies, from hair care to healthy eating, bad breath to bras, periods to pimples, and everything in between. Jos?e Masse grew up in Montreal, where she painted with her father in his studio as long ago as she can remember.
Reviews
"I think that this is one subject where you really have to take into consideration your own child's personality and decide how to approach these sensitive topics. She understands her body now and is actually excited about the changes taking place (I was NOT as a child BUT no one gave me a book like this or talked to me about anything!). I think the book has given her courage to ask questions and even given her vocabulary about the issues she otherwise wasn't sure how to articulate, if that makes sense. If there's something in ANY book that we don't exactly agree with then we use it as a teaching moment and explain that some people think dealing with emotions or friends "this way" is okay but this is how our family chooses to do it."
"I bought this for my daughter who currently is seven with the thought I would have it stored away until I felt like she was ready to start talking in more detail about puberty, maybe sometime in the next year or when she is eight. While my daughter does have a positive self-image at the moment and we have worked hard to cultivate that, I also know (and remember) how fragile that can be at the tween stage and the power of suggestion is huge at this age. I could imagine her thinking, “Wait, are freckles considered to be ugly?”. Page 50-51, three questions are about girls’ insecurities of having a flat chest, then this one: “I have bigger boobs than all of my friends. I realize the book is trying to prevent these kinds of thoughts, but the question in itself may get girls wondering and thinking about these things, not to mention re-enforcing the message that if you are fat, you are unlikable. This is getting so long, but just know there are other parts in the book talking about comparing yourself to others physically; calling someone pizza face because of acne; insecurities if you haven’t gotten your period yet and are not considered a “woman” like your friends, etc. Again, I know that these are presented as questions and the book is telling the girls not to do those things or feel these ways, but the power of suggestion is so strong. I wish there was a simple book about bodily changes/puberty which I could read to an eight year old girl without going in to explicit details about sex."
"The very first page of this book starts with "Its a struggle for any girl to ask questions when she's dying of embarrassment..." My daughter is in no way embarrassed by her body, but this book over and over again tells her over and over again to not be embarrassed. We know that these tween years are the years that will erode self confidence for our girls - I really feel like this book will feed into that. We have settled on _What's happening to me?_ by Usborne, which had a much more matter of fact approach to what is happening, with very similar content."
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Vegetables in Underwear
The unexpectedness of vegetables in their unmentionables is enough to draw giggles, but the pride with which the “big kid” attire is flaunted in front of the baby carrots in diapers will tickle readers of all ages. ( Kirkus Reviews 2015-02-15). "The glories of underwear are celebrated in this humorous book, which successfully merges a child’s desire to transition from diapers with bold, comical illustrations."
Reviews
"I really enjoyed reading this book to my almost 3-year-old grandson, who is mostly potty trained and suitable scoffing of the poor babies who don't get underwear."
"My 4 and 2-year-old boys think this book is hilarious!"
"Great book."
"My son thinks this book is hilarious."
"Such a fun book."
"Love this book."
"Super cute."
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Best Children's Diet & Nutrition Books

The Omnivore's Dilemma: Young Readers Edition
In a smart, compelling format with updated facts, plenty of photos, graphs, and visuals, as well as a new afterword and backmatter, The Omnivore’s Dilemma serves up a bold message to the generation that needs it most: It’s time to take charge of our national eating habits—and it starts with you. Grade 7 Up—Based on Pollan's best-selling adult book of the same title, this (slightly) shortened version will appeal to thoughtful, socially responsible teens. The book is divided into four sections: "The Industrial Meal" (exemplified by the fact that only two companies, Cargill and ADM, buy nearly a third of all the corn grown in the U.S.); "The Industrial Organic Meal" (covering most of what's found in stores like Whole Foods); "Local Sustainable" (small farms typically based on grass, not corn); and what he calls the "Do-It-Yourself Meal" (where he hunts a wild pig and gathers wild mushrooms).
Reviews
"If you'd like to know what you're eating, where it comes from and what the dilemna is, this book is for you."
"Taught it as part of my 8th grade ELA curriculum and it spawned incredible conversation with my students."
"As a kid, I was expecting such a long book to be boring and not worth a read."
"This book and In Defense of Food should be required high school and college reading."
"I just finished reading the book myself and am so excited to share this with students."
"I am now more aware of what I eat, but changing my habits and my family's will be difficult."
"Very informative."
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Best Children's Humor Books

Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids
Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids provides children ages 7-10 many hours of fun and laughter. Rob Elliott has been a publishing professional for more than fifteen years and lives in West Michigan, where in his spare time he enjoys laughing out loud with his wife and four children. He lives in Michigan, where in his spare time he enjoys laughing out loud with his wife and four children.
Reviews
"The book looks small and thin in the ad but it's actually 7"x4.5" and 1/4" thick."
"My son loves to pull out the book and read us the jokes, and there’s times the whole family will get into it trying to answer and it makes for a good time with everybody laughing."
"Sure, not all the jokes are super funny to adults, but it's great to see my kids squealing with laughter :) The recipient is very happy, so five stars!"
"My 7 year old loves it, she is motivated to read even the hard words."
"Some of the jokes are REALLY lame, even for kid standards."
"My daughter tries to make her own joles, but she sucks."
"More knock knock jokes than I would have like, but a cute book to add to a classroom library."
"My 10 year old and I had a lot of fun reading these on a road trip."
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Best Children's Toilet Training Books

Potty (Leslie Patricelli Board Books)
A new toddler title charts a crucial achievement. In the first book, the toddler has to "go potty." These appealing books feature simple text, bright acrylic illustrations, and everyday situations that are certain to engage the very young. —School Library Journal.
Reviews
"This book shows (so you can decide if it matches your needs): - A gender-less baby character (12 months to 24 months max). - Child using a toddler potty (not the regular toilet). - A naked baby with privates cleverly covered; one image of a bare butt (see pic). - A dog and cat going potty outside and in cat box. - No actual poop or pee. - Baby running with toilet paper in celebration at the end (see pic). The story, in a nutshell [I say he, but baby could easily be a girl]: Baby has to go potty and wonders where he should go (in diaper or somewhere else). Last page spread just depicts all kinds of underwear, presumably to help your little one can get excited about wearing them (boy and girl styles shown). This book has short, simple sentences and clearly target the younger potty training crowd (definitely for under 2, though older toddlers may still enjoy). I'll be reviewing every potty training book I can get my hands on in the near future as I find the ones I like best so stay tuned!"
"I missed out - oh darn ;-) - on most of the process with our middle grandson since my daughter-in-law became a stay-at-home mom as he was almost ready to begin, and now it's coming time for the youngest grandson to start. ), VERY simple words that a 2 year old can relate to, and the nice thick pages on this 7" x 7" book (perfect for a youngster to hold while waiting for something to happen on the pot), but ALSO how terrifically it reflects the growing awareness a child must have before he/she is ready to begin the process. It's so sad to think that - according to the American Academy of Pediatrics - more abuse occurs during toilet training than at an other stage of development, with parents'/caretakers' expectations sometimes exceeding a child's abilities/understanding, mistaking a child's imperfect attempts for acts of willful disobedience. Not all kids are ready at the same time, and trying to force it too early is going to backfire in terms of stressing a child out and prolonging the process."
"My kid loves this book."
"However, she LOVES the book."
"We just started potty training."
"I have a lot of books from this collection and love love them."
"Really fun book written the right level for kids."
"She still read it while on the potty just about every day."
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Best Children's Nonfiction Math Books

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books)
Linking to a popular feature in the super successful National Geographic Little Kids magazine, this book brings the browsable fun of the bestselling National Geographic Kids Almanac to a new audience: preschoolers! She has written several popular titles, including Little Kids First Big Book of Why and numerous installments for the National Geographic Readers series.
Reviews
"One of the reviews said it has misinformation because it classifies humans as "carnivores", but some recent studie shave classified humans as such "based on the percentage of meat in the typical human diet". See: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/04/20/150817741/for-most-of-human-history-being-an-omnivore-was-no-dilemma. Another negative review said the information is shallow and gave this example: "Some question do not even have answers like this one, 'why some animals are big and some are smalls?'. Why are some animals big and others small?"
"I bought this book and a few others that were similar for my kids (Ages 6 and 12) for Christmas."
"This is one of the best books I've purchased!"
"This was a great book to give my curious 4 year old."
"I bought this for my 4 year old for Christmas and it was a quick favorite."
"I bought this book for my 6 year old daughter."
"A little discombobulated format wise, but the subject matter stimulates valuable discussion between parent and child."
"Not exactly what I expected."
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Best Children's Nonfiction Nature Books

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia (Millbrook Picture Books)
In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. This inspirational true story shows how one person's actions really can make a difference in our world. As a girl, Ceesay realized that the goats on which her village relied were dying because they were eating plastic bags. She also saw that people were tossing the used bags on the ground just as they had always thrown away their baskets when no longer useful—except the plastic bags, unlike the baskets, weren't biodegradable. An inspiring account.—Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX "The simple format of this picture book belies the strength of its content, a story lovingly supported by charming collage illustrations.
Reviews
"This books transcends age and gender and race, it will appeal to any audience, and can be used with young children to teach them early the importance of recylcling and protecting our environment everywhere."
"Elizabeth Zunon's vibrant illustrations depict the amazing transformation made by one woman's mission to save her village."
"Peggy is the one that started the women's group that this book is written about."
"I've found that the story is engaging for a wide range of students (1-8 so far, have not read it to high schoolers yet) and the illustrations are bright and colorful for little ones as well."
"Great book to get kids, and their adults, thinking of the consequences of garbage vs reusing and recycling."
"I loved this story so much I bought it as a Christmas present for a child."
"beautiful story!"
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Best Children's Nonfiction Transportation

Monster Trucks! (Step into Reading)
It’s a monster truck! Susan E. Goodman has written numerous works of historical fiction and nonfiction for kids, including the Ultimate Field Trip series and beginning readers such as the Step into Reading titles Motorcycles!
Reviews
"He was super excited about learning to read this book because there were monster trucks!"
"Grandson loves monster trucks."
"My grandson loves Monster trucks, and was a nice Christmas present for him, he likes the pict."
"My Nephew is crazy about monster trucks, he lives in India and you do not find books on monster truck."
"My son (3) loves monster trucks."
"This is probably my problem....I bought it for my 5 year old grandson and found it way more advanced than expected."
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