Books with author JoAnn Macken

Maple seeds twirling in the wind, tumbleweeds rolling across the prairie, burdock seeds sticking to socks, coconuts drifting across the ocean, fig seeds falling to the ground in bat droppings, and acorns buried by forgetful squirrels are some of the examples used here to introduce methods of seed distribution. Each is introduced on a double-page spread, in which a few lines of poetic text provide information succinctly, while the occasional use of internal rhyme or onomatopoeic words gives verbal punch to the presentation. The plants’ varied habitats give broad scope to artist Paparone, who offers a series of acrylic paintings that show seeds traveling within distinctive locales. Pleasing in their colors, compositions, and decorative elements, the pictures clearly show points made in the text.

Amazing animals of the desert fill the pages of this exciting bilingual series. Redesigned with new features, each book invites readers to discover the world of creatures that live in the desert. Young learners will read about each animal’s unique physical characteristics, behavior, and adaptations to their environment. Through fascinating facts and brilliant photographs, these books paint a vibrant picture of the incredible array of animal life in the desert habitat.

The Code Breaker series is designed to complement explicit teaching of sounds/letter relationships through a multisensory approach, like in the Orton Gillingham program. Ms Mack decided to create this series after struggling to find quality reading materials for older learners with learning differences, many of whom are English Language Learners. The Code Breaker series is designed to be graphically appealing to an older audience while providing sequential phonics practice.Letter sounds used: a, c, t, m, r, n, b