Science-obsessed fourth grader Nora has ants all figured out—now she just has to try to understand her fellow humans! The trouble with ants is . . . . . . people think they’re boring. . . . they are not cuddly. . . . who would ever want them for a pet? Nora Alpers is using her new notebook to record the behavior of ants. Why? Because they are fascinating! Unfortunately, no one agrees with her. Her mom is not happy about them being in the house, and when Nora brings her ant farm to school for show and tell, her classmates are not very impressed. They are more interested in cat videos, basketball practice, or trying to set a Guinness World Record (although Nora wouldn’t mind that). Mostly they are distracted by the assignment their teacher Coach Joe has given them—to write a persuasive speech and change people’s minds about something. Will Nora convince her friends that ants are as interesting as she thinks they are? Or will everyone still think of ants as nothing but trouble? With real science facts, a classroom backdrop, an emphasis on friendship, and appealing black-and-white interior illustrations from artist Katie Kath, The Nora Notebooks is perfect for newly independent readers—especially budding scientists like Nora!—and adults who want to encourage awareness of STEM subjects in young readers.

The final book in the Nora Notebooks series finds Nora trying to navigate the unscientific matter of making friends with someone you have nothing in common with. Nora Alpers, fourth-grade scientist, likes things to be just so. Her ant farm, her hobbies, her friends. So when Coach Joe, her teacher, informs the class that all the students have to try something new and write a report about it, Nora is not pleased. She is even less pleased when her classmate Emma seems to decide that befriending Nora will be her “new” thing. Does Emma really want to be friends or is this just an assignment for school? Nora, meanwhile, has to figure out her own new thing. Will she discover that she has interests outside of science or will all her efforts end up being nothing but trouble? Praise for the Nora Notebooks series: “Will resonate with children who have a passion for something out of the ordinary.” —Publishers Weekly, starred “Readers will be drawn into the story by the sincere and realistic characters Mills has created, as well as the pleasing and appealing illustrations found in every chapter.” —School Library Journal “Middle-grade readers will hope for more Nora Notebooks soon.” —Kirkus Reviews

An updated compilation which offers criteria for selecting good read-alouds, indexing over 1,700 books for children by author/illustrator, title, and a wide range of subjects; it includes strategies for book selection, recommendations for struggling readers, and annotations with related titles.