The History of Fun Stuff: The Scoop on Ice Cream! (Ready to Read: Level Three)

Gr 1-3—What could be more scrumptious than a bowl of ice cream? Perhaps a brief history on the frozen treat. This tasty treat of a read begins with the murky origin of the food, dating back nearly 2,000 years. From there, readers explore how ice cream came to America and how the evolution of technology and industry brought the creation of this sweet dish from a painstaking process to a standard household item. The book ends with a fun quiz that tests what readers have learned. The book itself is full of interesting trivia that any ice cream lover will enjoy. Though it's marketed as a beginning reader title, it's definitely not one for younger and less skilled students. The text itself is long, with lots of new vocabulary. The illustrations are lively and amusing but are cursory to the text. Some of the historical figures may elude the knowledge of readers, but the book briefly introduces each with a concise and comprehensible introduction. VERDICT Those up for the challenge will enjoy the fun facts, and students making their first foray into school reports may find it helpful.—Kaitlin Connors, Virginia Beach Public Library