Tag: science

Posted in Early Reader, Intermediate, Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction

Elise Gravel turns her microscope to Club Microbe

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Club Microbe, by Elise Gravel, (Apr 2024, Drawn & Quarterly), $17.95, ISBN: 9781770467026

Ages 5+

Elise Gravel makes some of the most fun science series: Club Microbe joins the ranks of Mushroom Fan Club and The Bug Club, making adorable cartoons out of subjects kids would normally scrunch their noses up at. Club Microbe is all about microorganisms: viruses, algae, bacteria, you name it, Gravel is fascinated with them. Gravel convinces readers that microbes get a bad rep because of a few creeps, like the coronavirus and rabies lyssavirus; there are loads of good microbes, like the bacteria that makes yogurt, or the germs that live in our intestines and help us digest our food (and make a little body music). There are microbes that help fight climate change, and microbes that help form snowflakes. Microbes are found everywhere on the planet – even volcanoes! – and without them, we’d be a dead planet. Gravel warms to her subject; her enthusiasm shines through, and her illustrations make expressive, brightly colored blobs of all sizes and shapes. A fun introduction that will delight any reader. Get a free virus printable and other science printables at Gravel’s author website.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Blog Tour: I Am Gravity, by Henry Herz

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

In 2021, Henry Herz and Tilbury House published I Am Smoke, a lyrical meditation into our world as seen through the eyes of Smoke: its presence in history, science, and culture. Now, we can look forward to its companion, releasing on April 16th: I Am Gravity.

I Am Gravity, by Henry Herz/Illustrated by Mercè López,
(Apr. 2024, Tilbury House), $18.95, ISBN: 9781668936849

Ages 4-8

Narrated by Gravity, I Am Gravity reveals its existence in our lives from the very beginning, at once revealing the beauty and the power of its force: “Over millions of years, I pack molecules into planets… I have existed since the dawn of time. I am gravity” and balances with its ethereal beauty: “You can feel me but not see me. I reach / everywhere, touching everything… / … a butterfly landing on your outstretched palm, / a whale diving deep, the moon far above.” López’s exquisite illustrations paint Gravity as a deep pink presence, guiding a whale underwater and wrapping around a planet in formation. A fantastic companion to I Am Smoke and an essential addition to picture book STEM collections.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Uncategorized

STEM Books to Explore

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m back with some new books to explore fun STEM concepts. I really miss having a Discovery Club at my library… maybe I’ll use these as a way to gauge some interest again.

Tree Spirits (2nd Ed., Revised), by Louise Wannier/Illustrated by April Tatiana Jackson, (Sept. 2023, True Roses Books), $24.95, ISBN: 9780990997658

Ages 3-8

This book was published in September of last year, but I’ve just seen a copy and wanted to include it here. Incorporating nature and art, Wannier creates fun rhymes that encourage readers to think and wonder at different photos of trees. The repeated questions invite readers to look at each photo, considering the swirls and bumps, shapes and bends of the featured trees. The author offers her point of view, and Jackson, with a turn of the page, offers an overlaid illustration of an animal in the tree. Color photos are crisp, with texture and detail. The rhyming text incorporates different emotions, making this a helpful inclusion in social-emotional collections as well as nature science and STEM/STEAM collections. A nice additional purchase.

 

Tree Spirits is an interactive picture book that encourages creativity, social-emotional intelligence, and seeing the world with fresh eyes. With 25 color photographs of trees, the rhyming text asks, “What do you see when you look up at this tree?” inviting a child to use their imagination. Turning the page reveals an illustrated overlay of a charming animal inspired by the lines and shapes of the tree bark. Each animal introduces a different emotion, helping children understand their inner spirit and feelings.

All About Color, by Elizabeth Rusch/Illustrated by Elizabeth Goss, (March 2024, Charlesbridge Publishing), $17.99, ISBN: 9781623543532

Ages -8

Rusch gets into deep stuff in this exploration of color, telling readers right off the bat that “Color doesn’t exist. The sky is not blue”, giving a few additional examples before explaining that we perceive color when light sends messages to our brains. Rusch discusses how color helps us in our day-to-day lives: they can describe emotions, like “seeing red” and “feeling blue”; they can warn us, as illustrated by the bright red triangle on a black widow spider; they can let us know when to stop and go, as with a traffic light. Goss’s boldly outlined illustration offers bright color washes to communicate Rusch’s succint explanations. Rusch uses simple sentences to allow emerging readers to enjoy this book on their own or as part of a readaloud. A good introduction to the science of color. All About Color is the companion title to All About Nothing (2023), an introduction to negative space.

 

 

Hands on Science: Motion, by Lola M. Schaefer/Illustrated by Druscilla Santiago, (Feb. 2024, Charlesbridge Publishing), $16.99, ISBN: 9781623542450

Ages 4-8

This introduction to the science of motion is too much fun! Enter the Physics Lab and let the narrator take you on an interactive journey where you can poke, tilt, and push the book to learn about gravity and friction: poke a dollop of whipped cream to discover how your finger’s force can change its shape, and guide a marble through a series of inclines to see how it changes its path. Scientific terms are bolded for easy reference, and colorful illustrations keep readers engaged. Caregivers and educators will love these easy experiments: no muss, no fuss! If you have a Science Club, you may even want to set up similar experiments to guide scientists through during a readaloud. Schaefer includes examples of journaling observations and predictions; back matter includes additional ways we use forces every day, and an experiment for readers (and their grownups!) to conduct at home. This is the third entry in the Hands-On Science series by Schaefer and Santiago. A very good addition to STEM collections for emerging readers. Download the free Hands-On Science activity kit at the Charlesbridge Publishing website.

 

 

 

Posted in picture books

It’s that time of year: I’m Trying to Love Germs

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m Trying to Love Germs, by Bethany Barton, (Nov. 2023, Viking Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593326725

Ages 4-8

As I sit here riding out the first head cold of the season, I’ve got a good read for your STEM and health collections: I’m Trying to Love Germs. The newest book in Bethany Barton’s I’m Trying to Love…series, I’m Trying to Love Germs is all about understanding germs: they’re not all bad! Sure, there are the germs that give us runny noses, bellyaches, and fevers, but there are germs that help us, too! If you like cheese and yogurt, or mushrooms, or use antibiotics when you get sick, you’ve experienced the good kinds of germs. Written in accessible terms with loads of fun, anthropormorphic microbes, Barton uses comic book art, word bubbles, and paneling to teach younger readers about staying healthy, safe, and smart. An excellent first purchase for collections. If you have a science club, consider adding some coloring sheets or worksheets as an extension activity; there are some good ones on Education.com.

I’m Trying to Love Germs has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Isabel and the Invisible World: Great for STEM Storytime!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Isabel and the Invisible World, by Alan Lightman/Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, (Apr. 2023, MIT Kids Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536223330

Ages 4-6

Isabel only wants one thing for her sixth birthday: something that will let her see “invisible things” that are invisible. Her scientist mother knows the perfect gift for Isabel: a prism, so Isabel can see the colors that make up light. This readable introduction to the science of light is a joy to read; Isabel is a curious young girl with a love of science, and the story conveys that sense of excitement and wonder to readers. The narrative builds the excitement leading up to Isabel’s birthday; Isabel’s mother explains how the prism works in an accessible, interesting way. Digital illustrations are warm and utilize the direction of light throughout the story; triangles show up throughout the spreads, and the rainbow spectrum shows up throughout the book. Isabel and her brother, Julian, are biracial: Mom is blonde and light-skinned; Dad is brown-skinned; Isabel is brown-haired, Julian is blonde; both are light brown-skinned. Back matter includes an explanation of light energy. A fun, readable choice for a STEM storytime or any time!

Hand out prism coloring pages for a post-storytime extension activity. There’s a good one from Science Workshop on TeachersPayTeachers. Try this prism experiment from Rosie Research either during a STEM program or hand out instructions for families to try at home: it’s easy!

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Big books for little ones: board books and more!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

You know I love a board book bonanza, but I’ve got other interactive books to crow about, too! Let’s go right to it!

Ultimate Spotlight: Caring for Earth, by Sandra Laboucarie & Sarah Reynard/Illustrated by Julie Mercier, (March 2023, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9791036353239

Ages 4-6

Twirl’s Ultimate Spotlight series is such fun for pre-readers and emerging readers. Loaded with interactive devices like lift-the-flaps, pull tabs, and spinners, each book is like a little adventure. Caring for Earth, the newest book in the series, is a fun and informative look into conservation and preservation. Spreads on respecting nature, creating gardens, eco-friendly living inform grown-ups and children about the many easy ways we can take action to keep our Earth green: create and support a seed library; compost food waste; switch from liquid soap to bar soap, and take a healthy walk when you can! Spreads on gardening show readers the different layers helpful in creating a layered ecosystem. Translated from the original French, the verbiage runs smoothly and is easy to read to younger learners. Flaps and pulls are sturdy and hold up to use (but I always suggest keeping an extra in your reference collection if you want to hold one for storytime and STEM programming). A good addition to a very fun series.

 

Hello Hummingbirds: Read and play in the tree!, by Hannah Rogge/Illustrated by Emily Dove, (May 2023, Chronicle Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9781797210094

Ages 2-4

This adorable book comes with two hummingbirds, attached to ribbons, that readers can use to swoop and play with the hummingbird narrator. A friendly hummingbird greets readers and takes them through a day in the life: swooping and flying, enjoying flower nectar, sheltering and building a nest. Quick, fun facts thread through the narrative, while the colorful artwork and playful fonts engage readers. The book stands up and pages open to become a tree. The pages are sturdy and the ribbons seem to hold up to extra tugging, making this a good storytime/playtime choice.

Let’s Go to Color Camp!: Beginning Baby, by Nicola Slater, (June 2023, Twirl Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9781797218724

Ages 0-3

The Beginning Baby friends return on a trip to Color Camp – and they need help identifying colors! Tabbed flaps with colors help children turn to a favorite color, or they can page through the story where they’re invited to identify colors in the camp surroundings as the Beginning Baby friends paint, eat lunch, go swimming, and enjoy a day at camp. The retro art and expressive, friendly animals are eye-catching, and the sturdy pages will hold up to multiple readings. Great for a read-aloud and quiet skill-building, this is a fun addition to a fun series.

 

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

New in the Nature Book series: A Shell is Cozy

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Shell is Cozy, by Dianna Hutts Aston/Illustrated by Sylvia Long, (May 2023, Chronicle Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781797212470

Ages 5-8

Enjoy a study on the world of shells in the newest entry in Aston and Long’s Nature Books series. Ink and watercolor illustrations bring the many types of shells to life; Aston moves between brief and meaningful observations – “A shell is cozy”; “A shell is everywhere”; “A shell is athletic” – and more informative explanations to explain her observations. Cursive font poses the initial observations; smaller, print text the explanations. Each shell is labeled, helping facilitate understanding and knowledge. Aston writes to educate and to delight, including facts like jazz musician Steve Turre using “the same shell instrument… as his Aztec ancestors did…”, or that sea scallops “clap” their shells to swim away from predators. A great addition to a long-standing, popular natural world series.

Create an activity pack with a seek and find sheet from Education.com, a set of seashell identification cards from Cara Ratner on TeachersPayTeachers, and this field journal from the American Museum of Natural History.

 

 

A Beetle is Shy, by Dianna Hutts Aston/Illustrated by Sylvia Long, (May 2023, Chronicle Books), $7.99, ISBN: 9781797215877

Ages 5-8

The softcover edition of the 2016 book, A Beetle is Shy, hits shelves this week and is a good choice for libraries that need a backup or whose budgets are facing some challenges. Here, Aston and Long introduce readers to the many types of beetles: their life cycles, their sizes, where and how they live. They touch on the beetle’s prehistoric origins, with a beautiful rendering of beetles preserved in amber, and discuss the many areas of the world where beetles are on the menu! The ink and watercolor art is breathtaking, with vibrant colors truly showing off beetle’s jewel-like appearances. Scripted verse observations, like “A beetle is tasty”; “A beetle is prehistoric”; “A beetle is a digger… a runner… a hopper… or a swimmer” lead to brief informational text to explain. A great addition to your nature, STEM, and insect collection.

Do you have bug fans, or want to do a program on insects? You can put together a fun learning activity pack with this Beetle Mania activity from Education.com, a beetle coloring sheet, also from Education.com, a Build a Stag Beetle activity from Teaching Resources by AJ, and a beetle lifecycle activity sheet from itsMamaMiller, both from TeachersPayTeachers. DK has a good Beetle Facts for Kids webpage, and NatGeo Kids has fact pages on both the stag beetle and the dung beetle.

Posted in Fantasy, Horror, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Excellent Speculative Fiction: The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie, edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt, (March 2023, Blackstone Publishing), $18.99, ISBN: 9781665047036

Ages 12-17

An anthology that puts the science in science fiction, The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie brings together 20 stories by standout names – Jane Yolen, Scott Sigler, and Jonathan Maberry, to name a few – who spin dark stories about Nobel Prize winning physicist Marie Curie. Driven largely by the childhood losses of her mother and sister, the stories and poetry in Hitherto dream of scenarios that formed Curie. Set in her young adolescence, there are dark tales, supernatural tales, and straight-up unnerving tales, with several mainstays: Curie’s break with religion, the Russian occupation of her beloved Poland, and her dedication to science and learning. Stories are rooted in science, and many include Science Notes to clarify the divergence of fact and fiction. Run from the whimsical, like Alethea Kontis’s “Marya’s Monster”, where Curie confronts the literal monster under her bed with level-headedness, to the bittersweet, as with Seanan McGuire’s “Uncrowned Kings”, where Curie battles the disease-carrying beast that’s infected her town. Stories like Henry Herz’s “Cheating Death” take a turn into horror, where Curie’s obsession with halting Death leads her to disturbing experimentation, and Christine Taylor-Butler’s “Retribution” is a science murder mystery (minus the mystery).

Every single story here is an excellent read, with something for dark fantasy, horror, and thriller fans alike. Science fans will rejoice at having Marie Curie front and center in her own adventures (I know I did), and resources for further reading keeps the momentum going, with books about Curie, women in STEM, and websites to explore. An excellent choice for YA collections.

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

What About…? Great series for developing minds

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Twirl Books has been great for producing high-quality, fun, and educational board books for the littlest learners. Their What About… series, originally published in France, skews slightly older and are “Illustrated Q&A Book[s] for Kids”.

What About: The Universe, by Bertrand Fichou/Illustrated by Pascal Lemaître, (Nov. 2022, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9791036345159

Ages 7-11

If you’ve been around kids, you’ve heard the questions: “Why don’t people on the other side of Earth fall into space?” “Is it cold in space?” “What’s in our solar system?” These questions, and many more, get answered thoughtfully and visually in What About the Universe, which begins with a glossary. I love this: get the vocabulary up front, preparing kids for words they’re going to see along the way! Answers are broken up into bite-sized, step-by-step responses, hopefully answering additional questions that pop up along the way. For instance, the answer to “How are stars born?” goes through a 5-step answer: “1) a nebula drifts through space; 2) the nebula shrinks, 3) everything starts to heat up; 4) the star ignites, and 5) planets form around the star”. Visuals make each concept easier to comprehend, and additional fun facts provide deeper context. Colorful cartoon artwork makes learning fun. An index makes searching for specific information easier, and a Table of Contents at the beginning helps readers locate their big questions with no fuss. A very good choice for reference and STEM collections.

I’m enjoying putting together activity packs these days; if you are, too, consider a few NASA coloring pages, a planets wordsearch from Ana DeSousa on TeachersPayTeachers, and this planet order worksheet from abunchofbrinsons on TeachersPayTeachers.  Have them available for any of your space fans!

 

What About: Philosophy, by Gwénaëlle Boulet & Anne-Sophie Chilard/Illustrated by Pascal Lemaître, (May 2023, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9791036353086

Ages 7-11

Kids are like mini-philosophers. Think of the big things they think about: “Why are there wars?” “What’s is fair or unfair?” “Why do I have to go to school?” There are 16 big questions in this book, all illustrated and considered with respect to the reader. Beginning with the biggie: “Why do humans exist?”, the book goes through age-appropriate explanations that consider existential theories and being self-aware. The authors explore concepts like being in love, being brave, and being free; what money is and why we use it, and abstract concepts like time.  Explanations are factual, non-judgmental, and age-appropriate, so younger learners will more easily be able to follow along and gain deeper understanding of emotions like anger or jealousy and how it makes a person feel. Overall, a good addition to the series and a good attempt at putting some big questions into context for younger readers. There is a table of contents, but no index in this volume.

PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization) is an organization that offers philosophy and ethics programming to students, educators, and families. Their philosophy toolkit offers free, downloadable lesson plans, organized by grade level, that you can share with your families and school partners.

Posted in Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Tween Reads

New nonfiction for Back to School

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

So the kids have been back to school for a minute. My Corona Kids are back in the library in full force – where were you all Summer, my friends? – and roaming the nonfiction stacks in search of stuff that interests them. I love this time of year, because this is the time where kids come in looking for nonfiction that relates to things they may be starting to learn about, or come across in school; whether other kids are talking about things they pick up on, they’ve seen something either in the halls or the library, or just noticed on TV. They’re in a learning frame of mind, and want nonfiction that sparks their brains. I’ve got some good picks here to share.

National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas, by National Geographic, (Sept. 2022, National Geographic Kids), $24.99, ISBN: 9781426372797

Ages 7-10

This is a no-fail, no-brainer purchase: it’s NatGeo Kids and it’s dinosaurs. Both are easily the rock stars of my nonfiction collection. The Dinosaur Atlas is everything my kids (my own and my Corona Kids) love: full-color artists’ renderings of dinosaurs (now with feathers!), vibrant color photos of fossils and fossil sites, and readable maps to highlight where featured dinosaurs lived. Organized into periods of time: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous, the “Preshistoric Planet” section is further organized into habitats, dinosaurs, and life in each era. “Finding Fossils” organizes dinosaur-centric areas of the world and further breaks down into spotlights on locations and the dinosaurs who roamed them. Fast facts, paleontologist profiles, and dino timelines run throughout the book; phonetic spelling helps reader pronounce each name. Back matter includes a Dino Dictionary, glossary, and further reading resources. This oversized reference is magic for dinosaur collections and is an essential purchase.

 

Can’t Get Enough Space Stuff: Fun Facts, Awesome Info, Cool Games, Silly Jokes, and More!, by National Geographic Kids, (Aug. 2022, National Geographic Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9781426372803

Ages 7-10

Nat Geo Kids’s Can’t Get Enough series has a new home run: Can’t Get Enough Space Stuff is loaded with photos, facts, games, and jokes about space. Great for trivia and STEM/STEAM groups: quiz your kids on astronaut facts or print out pictures of clocks to illustrate how long a day is on other planets; Try It Out! spreads help guide you and your readers through outer space crafts like a scale model of the solar system. Keep one in reference for yourself and put one in circulation. The Can’t Get Enough books are fun, loaded with facts, and just great purchases.

 

5,000 Awesome Facts About Animals, by National Geographic, (Sept. 2022, National Geographic Kids), $19.99, ISBN: 9781426372612

Ages 8-12

These facts books are a staple in my collection. My readers love fast, fun facts, accompanied by the gorgeous photos of adorable animals. This is an animal fan’s dream; a trivia fan’s delight, and a program backbone: Animal Jeopardy! Animal Question of the Day! Help, I need some extra facts for a report I’m writing on [insert animal here]! One of my Corona Kids was in last week and asked for “books with fun facts about animals”; books like this are tailor-made for those kids. Each section has a fun title to bring related facts together: “24 Burly Facts About Animal Tough Guys”; “100 Pup-ular Facts About Dogs”; “15 Facts About Animal Mascots to Cheer For”. Facts are fun and informative: Socks, the Clinton’s Presidential cat, was the first presidential pet to have a website, and the Obama’s dog, Bo, had  his own trading card. Ostriches flutter their wings to create a breeze to cool themselves down. A group of mountain gorillas is called a troop. You can have endless fun with this book, and your readers will love it.

 

The Power of Architecture: 25 Modern Buildings from Around the World, by Annette Roeder/Illustrated by Pamela Baron (Sept. 2022, Prestel Junior), $19.95, ISBN: 9783791375144

Ages 8-12

I love finding a good architecture book for middle grade. Recent picture book biographies like Maya Lin’s picture book biography, Maya Lin: Architect of Light and Lines, and Andrea Beaty’s Questioneers picture and chapter books have led to an interest in how buildings look. Plus, you know… LEGOs. The Power of Architecture showcases 25 modern buildings from all over the world: buildings like the TWA Flight Center at New York’s JFK Airport (I can confirm, it’s a beautiful building) and the Elbe Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg Germany; the scrap metal lily pads of Dandaji Regional Market in Niger, Africa, and the sustainable, environmentally beneficial Tree House in Singapore. Beautiful illustrations give each building center stage and factual, interesting text describes the buildings and what inspired their architects. Thought-provoking questions and suggestions to inspire young architects and designers run throughout the book. The beginning spread shows each building’s location on a world map and a timeline lays out each building’s construction and a biography on each architect. Prestel Junior’s books bring together art and nonfiction in the best of ways and have quickly become stars in my collection. A good purchase if you have budding builders. Put this out during your LEGO challenges and see who it inspires.

The Power of Architecture: 25 Modern Buildings from Around the World was originally published earlier this year in Germany.

 

 

Sleuth & Solve: Science: 20+ Mind-Twisting Mysteries, by Ana Gallo/Illustrated by Victor Escandell, (Oct. 2022, Chronicle Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781797214559

Ages 8-12

The latest Sleuth & Solve book from Ana Gallo and Victor Escandell is all about the “why”: what are the scientific causes to these 21 mysteries? Mysteries are classified by subject, with a key to the symbols used in the book. Each mystery has a difficulty grade from Easy to Difficult, and if you were interested in making this a STEM challenge (ahem!), each mystery has a point value. Mysteries are presented across every spread, with a flap disguising the solution: NO CHEATING! Mysteries include a little girl who swears she’s too sick to go to school – but what will her doctor say? Another mystery ponders whether a group of researchers will be able to set out on their journey to the polar ice caps; what does a flock of cranes have to do with this decision? The principles behind each experiment are revealed in the back matter. If you have a strong science experiment/science fair collection, this is a good one to consider.