Luna, Mags, Scarlett, and Dakota (Scarlett's service dog) — aka the G.H.O.S.T Squad — are all about helping ghosts. In this episode, the school principal asks the girls to solve a mystery at the school-carnival fun house. This is typically the highest-grossing attraction at the carnival, but not this year. Something or someone is frightening away all of the children. The girls skip lunch, sneak into the fun house, and catch sight of the ghost! Assisted by Luna's psychic mother, they return to the fun house with a surefire plan to draw out the ghost and save the carnival. The plot may...

Each volume in the wide-ranging Science Alliance series introduces a specific science concept to elementary-school readers. By keeping the language accessible and limiting the depth of coverage, readers should come away with a basic understanding of the topic at hand. Nearly every page pairs a short paragraph with a large color photograph or diagram relevant to the text. The books also feature simple experiments that demonstrate a particular concept and prompt critical thinking. Rather than assembling collective nouns, Animal Groups focuses on the advantages group living can provide, from safety to increased food supply to social orders. In Animal Senses, the text is...

Multiethnic babies smile from every page of this bilingual board book, which seeks to illustrate happiness. An emotion can be a tricky thing to define, but this book manages it by drawing attention to behaviors commonly associated with this feeling. The layout is clean and inviting, featuring a close-up of one child per page, placed against a white backdrop. Simple, colorful text runs along the top and bottom of the pages, with English words printed in red and Spanish in blue. Starting with the prompt, "When I am happy," the book offers cheerful possibilities, such as "I am silly /...

Young aspiring pet owners looking for something a little out of the ordinary will find plenty of inspiration and realistic guidance in these entries in the You Have A Pet What?! series. Bearded Dragon offers tips on body language, care, and feeding of these friendly reptiles, which are considered "one of the best lizard pets." The adorable photos of fuzzy-nosed creatures in Miniature Donkey might catapult them to the top of pet wish lists, but be prudent: these animals require companionship and lots of room, and they can live for decades. Pygmy Goat emphasizes the playfulness of these pets as well as their extensive hygiene and...

Basic information about reptiles. Spreads feature one or two sentences and one photograph. Facts are limited to a mere handful, which works for the intended audience. Simple comprehension challenges are included with the text. For example, after reading that “Reptiles are cold blooded” and “Snakes are reptiles,” readers are asked: “Are they cold blooded?” This pattern, used four times per book offers learning potential, but can disrupt narrative flow. A final page applies this logic sequence to kids: “You have bones and muscles. Are you a reptile?” Some facts are broad and simplified with the age level in mind; though...