National Geographic Kids Chapters: Animal Superstars: And More True Stories of Amazing Animal Talents (NGK Chapters)

Aline Alexander Newman is a longtime contributor to National Geographic Kids magazine and a former teacher. She's a lifelong animal lover who has written more than 50 magazine stories about them. Her previous books for National Geographic include Lucky Leopards! And More True Stories of Amazing Animal Rescues!, one of Amazon's picks for Best Children's Books of 2013; Rascally Rabbits!: And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly!; and How to Speak Cat: A Guide to Decoding Cat Language, coauthored with Dr. Gary Weitzman.

The format of fun and factual tidbits that National Geographic Kids is known for is presented here in an accessible and user-friendly chapter-book approach that reads much like fiction. Newman outlines the story of three incredible animals: a daredevil Australian shepherd, an infamous soothsaying groundhog, and a cat who loves the limelight. Each talented animal’s real-life story is told in a narrative style that encompasses three chapters of equal length, a perfect formula for fostering fluency and comprehension skills. These three tales serve as the scaffold for additional information about the species at hand, from interesting trivia to practical advice for pet owners. Full-color photographs highlight each animal’s story, while sidebars about interesting factoids and web resources for additional information are included. Not only do the stories recount anecdotes about talented pets but they also remind readers of the undeniably strong bond between animals and humans. Animal lovers and reluctant readers alike will approve. Grades 2-4. --Erin Anderson