by Brenda Boreham and Terri Mack
illustrations by Bill Helin
Strong Nations Publishing, 2015
We Live Here: ISBN 978-1-77174-101-9
We Share the Seasons: ISBN 978-1-77174-102-6
We Are a Community: ISBN978-1-77174-103-3
$29.95 each, softcover, 16 pp, educator notes and charts, ages 5 – 7
strongnations.com
The titles in the “From the Mountains to the Sea” series are written for three grade levels—We Live Here for Kindergarten, We Share the Seasons for Grade One, and We Are a Community for Grade Two. The three books follow and show the reader a journey through the river ecosystem, starting at the source and ending at the ocean. The first two books in the series begin with an excellent note providing information on each of the pages in the book. Also included is extra information to share with students during instructional time. The font style, labeling, and use of colour, photos, and amazing illustrations make these books visually appealing to early learners.
Curriculum Connections: Kindergarten to Grade 2 teachers will enjoy using the “From the Mountains to the Sea” series. The British Columbia Aboriginal Learning Standards in Science and Social Studies are supported in each book and are well explained in the book notes. The books provide opportunities for class discussions or partner talk with the questions that are posed on the Social Studies pages. The first two books provide the teacher with student expectations for talking circles. The progression in the number of written words and facts throughout the three books is level appropriate and lends itself to beginning research skills. These books are an excellent addition to a primary teacher’s collection of Science and Social Studies resources.
Review by Cindy Haack.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Sept/Oct 2016 issue.