Fabulous Finds Friday!

While having a great time shopping with a friend who is visiting, I happened to come across some fabulous finds...some wonderful expository tradebooks from the Voyages of Discovery Books series  by Scholastic:
The World of Theater
The History of Actors, Singers, Costumes, Audiences, and Scenery

The Story of Flight
Early Flying Machines, Balloons, Blimps, Gliders, Warplanes, and Jets

Bikes, Cars, Trucks, and Trains 

From Nomads to Wagon Trains to Race Cars: How People Move Across Land

Boats and Ships 
Rafts, Galleons, Pirate Ships, Whalers, Ocean Liners, and Submarines

Now, what is an expository tradebook, you ask?
Basically, an expository tradebook is an informational book written for children.
In the homeschooling world, they are far more accessible than most textbooks, generally more interesting and enticing than a traditional text, and less expensive in many cases.
Expository tradebooks can be used to enhance a textbook if you happen to have a textbook, but they can also be used in lieu of a textbook.

While trying to find some additional information online about this series, a wonderful page appeared in the search:
Helping Children Successfully Read Informational Writing by Joyce Melton Pagés, Ed.D.

This is what Dr. Melton has to say about the Voyages of Discovery books:
Scholastic's Voyages of Discovery books use beautiful, bright, close-up photographs, fold-outs, content-oriented stickers, plastic overlays, and many other special features to complement the interesting writing.   These books also use headings, subheadings, bold face type, captions, and other typographical aids to support student learning.   These science/natural history books are written for children nine-years-old and up, but young children enjoy perusing the interesting pages.

This is what Big Bro has to say about the books:
These are so cool! and beautiful! I want to read Taming Fire first!!!
Then, The Story of Flight...and then, the other ones. They are great! Thanks, Mom!

So, another week of fabulous finds (and this week, fabulous friends too! We are having such a fun day with our friends.)