Here is a selection of titles added just before the Christmas break.

 A Native American thought of it: amazing inventions and innovations /Rocky Landon ; with David MacDonald. Everyone knows that moccasins, canoes and toboggans were invented by the Aboriginal people of North America, but did you know that they also developed their own sign language, as well as syringe needles, a secret ingredient in soda pop, and other clever inventions and innovations which are still in use today? Explore the creativity of these people in this information-packed and superbly illustrated book.

 A young innovator’s guide to STEM: 5 steps to problem solving for students, educators, and parents /Gitanjali Rao. Rao, innovator and America’s Top Young Scientist, brings to you an interactive experience to help immerse students in the process of innovation. The accomplished author builds on her experiences and provides a prescriptive step-by-step process for identifying problems and developing solutions.

 An introduction to Akkadian literature: contexts and content /Alan Lenzi. A short introduction to the study of Akkadian literature from ancient Babylonia and Assyria, encompassing some two thousand years of literary history of the ancient Middle East.

 At the pond /Werner Zimmermann. The book was inspired by Werner’s granddaughter, who was fascinated by his goldfish pond. But this is not a simple counting book – we also see all the flora and fauna of this tiny ecosystem change and interact over the course of a single day. Children can count the fish and spot the other pond denizens. Adults will appreciate the peacefulness and beauty of the paintings and note details such as the shifting light on the water as the book progresses.

 Calling all minds: how to think and create like an inventor /Temple Grandin with Betsy Lerner. From world-renowned autism spokesperson, scientist, and inventor Temple Grandin — a book of personal stories, inventions, and facts that will blow young inventors’ minds and make them soar. Grandin delves into the science behind inventions, the steps various people took to create and improve upon ideas as they evolved, and the ways in which young inventors can continue to think about and understand what it means to tinker, to fiddle, and to innovate. And laced throughout it all, Temple gives us glimpses into her own childhood tinkering, building, and inventing.

 Classroom-ready number talks for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teachers: 1,000 interactive math activities that promote conceptual understanding and computational fluency /Nancy Hughes. Classroom-ready number talks for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade teachers includes: number talk how-tos, questions to build understanding, grade-level specific strategies, visual and numerical examples, common core alignments, scaffolding suggestions.

 Clinical ethics handbook for nurses: emphasizing context, communication and collaboration /Pamela Grace, Aimee Milliken, editors. This handbook provides tools for nurse educators, ethics educators, practicing nurses and allied health professionals for developing confidence and skill in ethical decision making in interdisciplinary settings such as acute and chronic care hospitals and clinics. This is a resource to develop moral agency on behalf of individuals and to address broader barriers to good care raised at the local, community, or social levels.

 Eyes & spies: how you’re tracked and why you should know /Tanya Lloyd Kyi ; art by Belle Wuthrich. This book looks at the way information and data is collected and used by individuals, governments, companies, and organizations. Arguments for both increased security and increased privacy are offered, encouraging readers to think critically about the issues. Topics relevant to children are included, such as being tracked at school, cyberbullying, and online safety..

 I like, I don’t like /written by Anna Baccelliere ; illustrated by Ale+Ale. Children have different reactions to the same object due to their circumstances.

 Islandborn /by Junot Díaz ; illustrated by Leo Espinosa. Lola was just a baby when her family left the Island, so when she has to draw it for a school assignment, she asks her family, friends, and neighbors about their memories of her homeland…and in the process, comes up with a new way of understanding her own heritage.

 It’s all about thinking: creating pathways for all learners in middle years /Leyton Schnellert, Nicole Widdess, Linda Watson.  The authors focus on teaching and learning in the middle years, transforming principles into practices

 Ocean meets sky /The Fan Brothers. A little boy builds a ship to honor his late grandfather and sets sail for the magical place where ocean meets sky from his grandfather’s stories.

One plastic bag: Isatou Ceesay and the recycling women of the Gambia /Miranda Paul ; illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon. The inspiring true story of how one African woman began a movement to recycle the plastic bags that were polluting her community.

 Reading wellness: lessons in independence and proficiency /Jan Burkins & Kim Yaris, Foreword by Christopher Lehman. Burkins andYaris want to reignite the passion in teachers and drive them to instill confidence in their students.

The big book of the blue /words and pictures, Yuval Zommer, sea life expert, Barbara Taylor.  Alongside everything the young oceanographer needs to know, Zommer’s charming illustrations bring to life some of the slipperiest, scaliest, strangest, and most monstrous underwater animals.

 The journey /by Francesca Sanna. A mother and her two children set out on journey; one filled with fear of the unknown, but also great hope. Based on her interactions with people forced to seek a new home, and told from the perspective of a young child, Sanna has created a beautiful and sensitive book that is full of significance for our time..

 The Old Testament: a literary history /Konrad Schmid ; translated by Linda M. Maloney.  Schmid provides a comprehensive discussion of the task, history, and conditions of the history of Old Testament literature. He carefully considers the dynamics of language, orality, literacy, and the range of social and political conditions that shaped Israel’s writing at each period  of its history.

 The water princess /written by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. The story of one young girl’s quest to bring clean drinking water to her African village.

 The world is not a rectangle: a portrait of architect Zaha Hadid /Jeanette Winter. A biography of architect Zaha Hadid, who grew up in Baghdad and went on to design buildings all over the world.

 Thomas’ calculus: early transcendentals /based on the original work by George B. Thomas, Jr., A text that goes beyond memorizing formulas and routine procedures to help students generalize key concepts and develop deeper understanding.

 Tiny stitches: the life of medical pioneer Vivien Thomas /by Gwendolyn Hooks ; illustrated by Colin Bootman. Biography of Vivien Thomas, an African-American surgical technician who pioneered the procedure used to treat babies with a heart defect known as ‘blue baby syndrome.’ Includes author’s note and author’s sources.

 What a waste /Jess French. Everything you need to know about what we’re doing to our environment, good and bad, from pollution and litter to renewable energy and plastic recycling. This environmental book will teach keen young ecologists about our actions affect planet Earth. Discover shocking facts about the waste we produce and where it goes. Discover plans already in motion to save our seas, how countries are implementing schemes that are having a positive impact, and how your waste can be turned into something useful.