Sea Stars

by Lola M. Schaefer

Text and photographs introduce the physical characteristics and behaviors of sea stars, also known as star fish.

24 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Lola M. Schaefer is an educator, writer, and gardener, and the author of many acclaimed books for children about math, art, science, technology, animals, and nature. She uses shovels, hoes, rakes, and scissors when she works in her garden. Lola M. Shaefer grew up in Indiana, and now lives in northern Georgia.

Reviews

[Megan Mandl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: This book would be beneficial for an emergent reader. It has very few words on a page, and they are written in large, clear, black letters on white pages. When you open the book to any page, the page on the left is a full page-sized photo of a sea star. The page on the right is a white page with black letters which makes it very simple to read. The photos are colorful and interesting, and children enjoy seeing real photos in books. This could be used as one of the first books that a young reader learns to read on his/her own. I also like this book because it has an index, resources in print and online for further learning, and a list of vocal words to know.

Purposes:
- ages 4-6
Independent Reading:
- This book is made to help a child learn how to read, so it would be beneficial for independent reading. That way, the emergent reader can learn sentence structure, sight words, new words using context, etc. which they may not get from reading aloud.
- This book would be especially good for a student who is interested in the ocean.
- This is random, but I would also recommend this book to a student who is a big fan of Spongebob Squarepants, because the main character's best friend, Patrick, is a sea star, and I could see children enjoying that connection. That sparks a reader's interest and can be used to make connections about what is true and false about Patrick.
For nonfiction: This book could also be an informational book, as everything written is true. The author, Lola Schaefer, had a consulting editor named Gail Saunders-Smith who has a Ph.D. in marine biology, and a consultant named Jody Byrum who is a science writer and worker for the SeaWorld Education Department. It could be used in a unit on ocean life or the beach.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool pictures!