Scholastic True or False: Amphibians Paperback – November 1, 2011

This addition to the Scholastic True or False Series is a welcome one to the exceptional books written by Melvin Berger and/or Melvin and Gilda Berger. This book is a husband and wife collaboration. The images of amphibians are stunning. I found myself dwelling on each image for a while before continuing on to the next page, they are just so fascinating. And even beautiful.A child (and a lot of adults too) perusing this book will learn many new and amazing facts, each second page concluding with a cliffhanger question: "True or False?" And then one has to turn the page to learn if the answer is right or wrong, as the case may be).First of all, the reader learns what amphibians really are: "...animals that generally spend their lives part in water and part on land." We even learn that the word "amphibian" comes from a Greek word meaning "living a double life."Some True or False statements include "Brightly colored frogs are usually poisonous", "Tadpoles become adults all at once", "All Salamanders have tails", and how about "A mudpuppy is a large salamander." Accompanied by beautiful and colorful images, this book is a wonder for the eyes as well as the mind.And let's don't forget the Caecilians. What are they and where do they live? You'd be surprised!And, yes, amphibians are gravely endangered. "It's too late to save the amphibians."--True or False?Melvin Berger, prize-winning author, has stated he believes that "science should always be fun." In 1983, he was elected to the New York Academy of Sciences. He is the recipient of awards from the Children's Book Council, National Science Teachers Association, Child Study Association, Library of Congress and New York Public Library. Gilda Berger has co-authored many children's science books with Mr. Berger. I am wishing she would create an author's page so we could learn more about her writing career.I have read many of Melvin Berger's books (including those co-authored by Gilda Berger) and, while I love the recently published book,  The Beetle Book  wherein Steve Jenkins even creates his own illustrations, I consider the Bergers to be the best writers in this genre.

My second graders LOVE these true/false books. They read to each other and quiz each other whenever possible using these books. I would love to have a set of these for every topic we teach! The photos are excellent and the info is fascinating even to adults. My students are now writing their OWN true/false "books".

My students LOVE this series, and this book is no different! Although the readability is fairly low (2nd-3rd grade-ish), my 4th and 5th graders can't get enough! They form groups and quiz each other using the question and answer format of the books. I would recommend checking out this and all the other True of False books, especially if you teach or have reluctant readers.

Great

Great

Great learning book for kids. My son just loves Scholastics and I would recommend it to everyone who has kids.

Great learning book for kids. My son just loves Scholastics and I would recommend it to everyone who has kids.

My first graders use this book when we study animals, It is informative and engaging for the children. Good book.