Introduce children to the variety of habitats and some plants and animals that live there. Excellent photographs and simple text make for a totally captivating non-fiction read.

These books do a great job of introducing life in different biomes in simple language with captivating photographs. Every book in the series follows the same format. It begins with a concise, kid-friendly definition of the biome and them proceeds to sections on animal life and plant life found in the habitat. Each book ends with a page called “Living Together” which emphasizes the interconnection between plant and animal life.

The books are Level H-I using the Fountas and Pinnell guided reading gradient. The word count ranges from 123 to 147, making these books ideal for children at an end of first grade reading level. The clear presentation and high interest level work for a wide range of ages of first grade level readers. I find the books appropriate for preschoolers up through third graders.

The series includes the following titles:

Life in a Desert
Life in a Forest
Life in a Polar Region
Life in a Pond
Life in a Rain Forest
Life in a Wetland
Life in an Ocean
Life in a Stream

The Capstone Digital Pebble Go: Animals website provides a wonderful extension for kids who would like to know more about specific animals. Information about a wealth of different kinds of animals is chronicled in five categories: body, habitat, food, life cycle and fun facts. There is a feature that enables children to hear the text read aloud as they follow along with the cursor. And there is also live video footage of each animal. The only drawback is that the membership fee may be excessive for an individual family. But you can always try recommending it to the teachers at your child’s school. It’s a website that any elementary school teacher would be happy to have access to!

Membership information: 800-747-4992