It's a Good Thing There Are Bats

Rookie Read-About Science

by Joanne Mattern

Many people thing ladybugs are pretty. Some even think they bring good luck. But ladybugs are actually a farmers best friendthey eat the bugs that would otherwise harm plants. The well-organized chapters help students identify key details. The illustrations and text features such as captions and bold print help students navigate the text while the photographs add clarity and enable students to better understand the text.

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

About the author

Mattern is the author of many books for children. Her favorite topics include animals, biography, and history. She lives in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice photos and information about ladybugs.

[Heather McGrew]

It’s a Good Thing There Are Ladybugs

Rational
Both of these are books about ladybugs. I like taking the animal of a nonfiction book and giving it a voice. Lucy Lady Bug also teaches students that it is ok to be different. These two books would be good to show the differences between fiction and nonfiction books.

Text Structures
Description
Compare and contrast
Cause and effect
Question and answer

Text Features
Title Page
Table of Contents
Index
Glossary
Captions
Headings
Bold Print
Diagram
Photographs

Strategy Application: Compare using a Venn Diagram. I would compare a real lady bug with the fiction lady bug to see the similarities and differences between the two.

Camp, D. (2010, February). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. The
Reading Teacher, 53(5), 400-408.
Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2006). Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking,
talking, and writing about reading, K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
King-Chai, S. (2016). Lucy ladybug. Random House.