I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to read and review with NetGalley. There are so many great books out there, and it would be impossible to compile complete lists of books because there are new resources published every day. How do teachers keep up with the ever-changing world around them, and have a classroom library that reflects that? Well, they don't. They try to add here and there, when they can. So in the off chance you are a teacher who does get a nice budget for some science resources, here is the list for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a sneak peek at these awesome science resources! Click on the titles of the books to find their Amazon or NetGalley listings.
Nature/Biology
By: Jane Hirschi
This book has great information about gardening and growing plants and food. It has lots of simple experiments or activities children and can try and gives lots of hands-on and sensory activities for young children who need to explore the world around them. The activities are fairly easy to understand or follow and use materials that most people have around the house. There is a mix of real photos and drawn pictures which will draw lots of kids in. This book is targeted towards children in the age 3-6 range and I think that's a great estimation, but I also think slightly older children in the 7-9 range would probably really like this book too! I could definitely see this book in my Grade 3 classroom library!
Carol Matas Ills. Cornelia Li
This beautiful and detailed picture book gives readers the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a variety of living beings such as whales, ants and people with glasses. The illustrations feature a field of vision that is different from the outside of the vision, demonstrating the colours, vibrancy, and precision of different animal's vision. There is also information about adaptations related to these animals such as being able to see prey or distinguish between food or other objects. I would recommend this book for families and teachers of children in the age 6-10 range. I could definitely see using this book in my study on animal adaptations and habitats in science. Outside of that, I think this would just be a really neat book for kids to enjoy!
By: Johanna Wagstaffe ills. Julie McLaughlin
This book tells the story of a pine cone who is observing a forest fire. The pine cone explains that forest fires are natural and necessary, and that animals are able to escape and survive. He also explains that sometimes fires get out of hand and talks about the necessary safety measures people may make such as clearing dry leaves from their yard and even evacuating. While this is a fiction story about a pinecone, it is filled with important information about animals, plants and fire. I would recommend this book to families and teachers of children in the 4-10 age range, especially for children who are concerned about or interested in forest fires. I could definitely see this book in my classroom library and being used for lessons on animals and habitats, natural disasters and fire safety.
Lynn Leitch ills, Scot Ritchie
This is an interesting book. Each page introduces a species of dinosaur, such as velociraptor or brachiosaurus and states what kind of car they would drive. As someone who really does not know very much about dinosaurs I didn't know why they drove these particular cars, for example the Iguanadon (let's be honest, I didn't even know that this dinosaur existed, much less anything about it) drives an electric car, I was like why? At the end of the book there is a page with each of the dinosaurs and one characteristic. Turns out the Iguanadon is a vegetarian so I guess the idea is that he was also conscious of his impact on the environment? Some of the car choices are a little more obvious, for example the Diplodocus (again, I had no idea this was a type of dinosaur and not a kind of loaded chip dip) is evidently very long, so he drives a school bus because it is a long vehicle.
Aside from the insanely long dino names (which, as a teacher I know is not a problem for most dino-loving kids) the book is quite easy to read. Each page has one line of text and a very clear picture. The sentence structure is fairly repetitive, with most pages reading something along the lines of Dinosaur Name drives a Vehicle Name. The font is colourful, bold and fairly large. The background of the pages is white and the pictures are not overwhelming or too distracting. I would recommend this book to parents or teachers of young children in the age 3-8 range who enjoy dinosaurs and are beginning to explore repetitive beginner books with increasing independence.
Rochelle Strauss
This book tells the story of a global ocean, rather than the 5 oceans we currently know. The story also shares what we can do to help, empowering young children to become the change. Despite being called 5 separate oceans, they are all connected and we as global citizens are also interconnected, both concepts are important to teach young children. The story tells the problems that humans have created, but also gives calls to action from small tasks to monumental change. The illustrations are beautiful and thought-provoking for both children and adults. I can definitely see this book being an important part of early and middle grade classroom libraries and used as part of lessons in environmental stewardship, sustainability, geography and natural science. I would recommend this book for families, teachers and librarians serving children ages 5-12+.
Erin Alladin ills, Andrea Blinick
This beautiful and poetic nonfiction book brings children's observations of the world around them into focus through interesting facts and a variety of questions. Bringing out an element of mindfulness and the importance of fulling experiencing the world in the present. Information about animals, plans and all elements of nature you can find right outdoors can support children in answering their own questions through exploration and research. The story also recognizes and celebrates the fact that no matter where you live there are so many opportunities to go outside and explore the world, weather it be the park across the street, your back yard or even the sidewalk right outside your front door. I could definitely see using this book as an introduction to inquiry and learning about nature. I think that this book is perfect for teachers and families of inquisitive young children in the 3-10 age range. With text that is fairly easy to comprehend, I can see this book being read by older students but enjoyed as a shared reading for young children as well.
Stepanka Sekaninova
This bold and beautiful picture book tells the story of 41 amazing plants and their very unusual special qualities. Each page shows an interesting picture and gives about 1-2 paragraphs of informational text about a plant that most people might not have heard of. With a circus or "museum of wonders" type theme the title fonts and slightly creepy pictures will keep kids engaged and interested. I could absolutely see having this book in my classroom. I teach about plants in science and one of the themes that we explore are unusual plants with unique adaptations, and this book would totally fit into that unit. Beyond that, I think this book would be interesting for kids in the same way that ripley's believe it or not type books keep them coming back for more. I think this book would work well in grade 3-8 classrooms or school libraries. My only caution is that there are some plant names or concepts that might not fit in every teacher or family's comfort zone. For example there are plants such as the devils hand and the strangler tree that are a bit more on the creepy/scary side of the list as well as a plant called the naked man orchid that has a tiny little pink part at the bottom that might be a bit scandalous in middle grade classrooms. Teachers and parents of younger children may want to give it a quick read first to see if it will be appropriate for more sensitive children.
Anita Sanchez
This middle grade, nonfiction chapter book introduces students to the glaciers that are slowly disappearing. With tons of great information as well as very informative photographs and beautiful illustrations, this book will give young readers a peek at a very important part of our natural world that needs saving. From the science and history behind the glaciers, the impact of climate change on our collective future and actionable steps children and adults can do to make a difference. I could definitely see having this book in my classroom library. I think it is perfect for middle grade students to learn about the environment in a slightly longer text than the average non-fiction book usually written for this age group. I would recommend this book for families and teachers of children in the grade 2-7 age range.
Michelle Cusolito Ills. Nicole Wong
This non-fiction picture book teaches children about all of the different ways to explore the ocean. From different types of diving such as snorkeling and scuba diving to machines and technologies that work under water such as submarines, the pages of this book tell both the story of exploring the ocean in short paragraphs as well as describing each type of dive and technology in text boxes. The book concludes with an author's note, information about measurements and a glossary. I could definitely see this book in my classroom library. I think that it is a perfect blend of nonfiction and fiction in a very accessible and non-intimidating picture book. I would recommend this book to parents, teachers and librarians of children in the 5-10 age range.
Jan Andrews, ills Dorothy Leung
In this story a tornado or similar storm hits a small rural area and a family must hide in their cellar, and then rebuild their home and life afterwards. Despite the fear and challenges the family faces, the two children find ways to make joy. I especially love the last few sentences “those laughs didn’t change anything. They made no difference. Those laughs changed everything. They made all the difference in the world.” I think that this message shows children that even in times of uncertainty, a family taking care of each other and a moment of joy such as laughter is all you really truly need. Balancing between learning about the destruction caused by natural disasters with the values of community and friendship, this book is perfect for both the social studies and science classroom. I think this would make a great addition to any early years classroom or elementary school library. The sentences and paragraphs are short and the pages have few lines of text and beautiful illustrations. This makes it great for young readers.
Charlotte Guillain
This book will captivate readers as it takes them on a guided tour of the deep sea. With information ranging from magma to fish to plant life and even the light sources underwater, this book has an extensive amount of information about almost anything you want to know about the ocean. The text is mainly black in a fairly easy to read font imposed on a light colour semi translucent text bubble over an area of the illustration. As a result, it is usually fairly easy to read, but at times is a bit more challenging depending on what shape and colour of illustrations are under the bubble. There are multiple text bubbles per page with anywhere from 1-5 sentences. The content does have some scientific and content area vocabulary and would likely need to be read with an adult if the child is just beginning to read, but I think most grade 3-5 students would be able to read the majority of it independently. There does not appear to be a glossary or index or other text structures to help students comprehend the text, but I don't think that is too big of a deal. I read an ebook copy and I would be really interested to see the book as a paper copy because the ocean zones are labeled at the top of the pages and they seem to line up with previous pages, I think it would be neat to see how it all comes together in the print form.
Clive Gillford
This book is really neat! Each page explores a plant that has interesting characteristics and what it can be used for. It also offers connections between plants and scientists who are using them to create solutions to problems and protect our environment. This book is perfect for an inquiry into STEM or for children who are interested in plants and innovative ideas in the field of Science. I can think of tons of ways to use this book in lessons in Science. I also think that it would quickly become a favourite in my class library because it is one that is accessible to a variety of students, with beautiful and detailed diagrams at pictures, even children who struggle with reading can gain information from this text. For those who are strong readers there are lots of small text boxes throughout the book that give opportunities for deeper reading and understanding. The text boxes, labels and diagrams also teach non-ficton text features, an important understanding for young readers encountering non-fiction texts for the first time. I would recommend this book to teachers and families of children in the 7-11 age range. I look forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom library now that it is published!!
Lucy Brownridge, ills Margaux Samson-Abadie
This book is divided into the months of the year and tells short, 1-page stories about different parts of the world each month of the year. The stories discuss the plants and animals interacting together in their habitat during each passing month and season. With beautiful, intricate pictures and short 1-2 sentence blurbs of text scattered throughout the picture, a story can be told in short spurts across one page. There is tons of great geographic and scientific information about things such as life cycles, weather, plants and animals adaptations, astronomy and more. I think this book will be intriguing and educational for children interested in learning more about the vast and beautiful world we live in. I love that it is organized by month so that you can see that different months are different seasons depending on where in the world you live. I also think that it is great that there are such a mix of ideas and content because auroras and eclipses are as interesting as life cycles and adaptations, each in their own way.
Geology
Storey Publishing
I LOVE this book! As a grade 3 teacher about to teach a unit on Rocks and Minerals with my class, I'm devastated that this book doesn't come out until February! That's ok, I'll still definitely need to purchase a copy for my class library in the new year! This book is filled with fun and interesting activities that children can do to learn more about different rocks and minerals. There is a mix of real and drawn pictures that are intriguing and will draw in a young readers attention I think this book would be a perfect fit for any little aspiring geologists in the age 4-10 range.
Etta Kaner
I can so see my students loving this book! Each page of the book features a picture of a rock, plant or animal that could easily look as though it fit in one of the other two categories. The pages also give great information about these unusual plants, animals and rocks, and encourage readers to want to learn more about them! The pictures are very interesting and the fun game of trying to guess what kind of object you are looking at will keep readers entertained from beginning to end. This is a fun and engaging book that will trick young kids into reading and learning in the best way. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 6-10 range.
Mary Lindeen
This book contains beautiful photographs of nature and landforms from all over the earth as well as short paragraphs (1-2 sentences per page) with simple, decodable and high frequency words that will make this book perfect for young readers. Often non-fiction texts are inaccessible for young readers because of the content and vocabulary used. The author of this story obviously took time and care to make this book more accessible for young readers. I would say this book is likely in the grade 1-2 reading level range, but is appropriate for slightly older students who struggle in reading. It does not look like it is written for little kids, however the font and text would be perfect for students in the grade 3-6 range who struggle with reading or are learning English. The book also includes comprehension questions and prompts, a glossary, and word lists that adults can use to support reading. I could see using this book in my classroom during our science or social studies units on geography, landforms, habitats, biomes, oceans or natural resources. I would recommend this book for teachers and families of children in the 5-11 age range, with a focus on younger readers or older readers who needed lower leveled texts.
Engineering/STEM
Gregor Craigie ills Kathleen Fu
This non-fiction text is approximately 80 pages and is divided into 11 chapters with titles such as “security, ingenuity and utility” answering the question “why humans build up”? The book explores historic structures, interesting architectural and engineering concepts and the math, science and art behind tall structures. It is truly a book for anyone who loves STEAM. With a mix of illustrations and real photos, images help readers visualize the scientific concepts and the buildings being discussed. The text is quite small and there is a fair amount on a page, but there is a good amount of detail. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 9-14 range.
Michael Butler
I'm not gonna lie, I have no clue what Blizzy code is, but after reading this book I have to say it sounds pretty cool! This book is made up of 14 chapters, each with a different group of characters, including one in the tween-ish years, each facing some kind of problem that can be solved by this Blizzy code technology. For example, a germaphobe mother who does not want to enter the mall at Christmas (not sure I've ever related to a mother character so much in my life lol!) uses a 360 Blizzy Code app to explore the mall from the safety of outdoors! I could definitely see middle grade kids loving this book. It is a chapter book but really it is just a bunch of short vignettes all about technology, I know lots of kids who'd be saying "where can I find this book?" The content, while intimidating for low-tech people like me, is actually really straight forward and relatively easy to understand. There are a mix of female and male main characters so it will be fairly easy for most readers to relate to at least a few characters and I think it would get them hooked on Blizzy code and wanting to know more. I would recommend this book for parents and teachers of students in the middle grades, approximately ages 8-12, especially those interested in STEM.
Nick Arnold, Ills. Giulia Zoavo
This book has a variety of STEM building challenges that children can replicate with household and recyclable materials. Along with clear photographs are step by step directions as well as explanations of the scientific ideas behind the experiments and activities. I could definitely see my Grade 3 students interested in this book and excited to create some of the structures they see in the book. I could also see this being used as a resource for teachers or parents wanting to help teach scientific and engineering ideas to young children. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the 5-11 age range.
Tom Crestodina
This non-fiction children's book tells about several different types of boats and how they are used. Each boat has a cross section which shows the inner workings of all areas of the boat. Going even further, the book often breaks down each of the parts and describes their functions, for example, zooming right in on a motor and all of the pieces within it. There is also quite a bit of detailed information about how the ship moves, what it is used for and how of the sections work together to make the ship perfect for the job and travel it is about to complete. I think that curious kids who are interested in how things work and wonder about different types of boats will absolutely love this book. I could also seeing it fit well into a non-fiction or high-interest level section of a classroom library. While the font is small, it is broken up and supported by the detailed pictures so that it does not look or feel overwhelming. I would definitely recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 8-13 range.
Katie Yamasaki
This picture book biography tells the story of the author's grandfather, a Japanese American who faced adversity in trying to attend college and earn a degree during the time between the world wars. Due to excessive amounts of racism towards Japanese people, especially closer to WWII, the experience of Japanese Americans was very difficult during the mid 1900s. The author mixes the positive parts of her grandfather's life with the challenges he faced and also compares them to the racism and destruction created surrounding 9/11 in NYC. As an architect, her grandfather had a passion for buildings and even though he was not alive when the towers fell, the author was able to share the grief he would have felt in a way that young children would understand. The book ends with an extensive author's note about her grandfather and his studies of architecture and his challenges facing racism.
I think this book would be great for teachers wanting to teach about diversity, racism and inclusion both in America's past and where we are today. I think it is also a great opportunity for teachers to show students that even if someone faces significant challenges related poverty and discrimination, it is possible to persevere. I also love that this book shows both sides of architecture: a science and an artform. Picturebook biographies are very popular right now and I think this book would be no exception! I would highly recommend it to parents and teachers of children in the 6-10 age range.
Careers in Science/Women in Science
Samantha Pillay
This book tells the story of a young girl imaging what it would be like to be an astronaut. The font is large and accessible and the text is fairly simple and uses several sight words and decodable words. I really like that the phrase “when I’m” is used instead of “if I” to show that this young girl can and will reach her dreams. This is particularly important because she is female and black. Empowering young girls and people of colour with such a simple affirmative phrases is a great step towards helping more people see their own potential. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 4-9 range.
by Maria Marianayagam
I love this book! It melds together STEM and women in science, with women's rights in general and the strength of women and girls. Using a literal force from science vocabulary, such as high friction, buoyancy and magnetism, the author both explains the scientific force and how it can be used in a figurative way as well. The illustrations feature a diverse group of girls and women who look strong and powerful and are leading the way or making change in different situations. There are a wide range of careers or passions included in this book from music, to chemistry to gymnastic, proving that not only does science appear in all types of situations, but that girls can be anything they want to be.The text is very simple and would be fairly easy to decode outside of the scientific vocabulary. The definitions and short descriptions are straight to the point and easy to understand. I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers, especially of young girls, in the age 5-11 range. It sends positive messages, ties in scientific vocabulary and literary language techniques and is an all-around really well written book. I will definitely have to get a copy for my classroom library!
Samantha Pillay Ills. Harry Aveira
This book shows a young girl picturing her life as an entrepreneur. On each page there are positive affirmations, a variety of career choices, and the idea that trying new things will be challenging but always possible. Each page has about 1 sentence and they all start with the phrase "When I'm an entrepreneur". This makes the book quite accessible for young readers. The pictures are so detailed and interesting.
I could definitely see this book fitting in to a classroom library in the PreK-2 level or in families with young children. The idea that girls should be able to see themselves of capable of anything is an important message to send to young girls, and this book would be engaging for children in that age group. I think this would be slightly below my student's interest and reading level, but not by a lot. I would definitely recommend this book to early years teachers and families.
Heidi Fiedler Ills. Brendan Kearney
The Know-nonsense Guide to money is a fabulous non-fiction book that teaches important economic and mathematical concepts and vocabulary related to money and trade. Each term has one page of text, with a short 1 sentence definition and a paragraph of about 5-10 sentences with more depth, as well as an illustration that is meant to be a little silly but also demonstrates the concept in a way that is very clear and easy to comprehend. A I wish that I already had a copy of this book in my classroom library because it would have made a lesson I taught in March 2022 much easier! Terms like investing, bills and expenses are difficult concepts for young children to grasp, and can be difficult for teachers to teach! I think this book would be a wonderful resource to add to my units on money in Math as well as any lessons about trade (ie. the fur trade - Canadian history) or project based learning assignments where money is part of the project. I love the play on words "know-nonsense" and think that this guide would be interesting and helpful for teachers and families wanting to impart a sense of monetary systems with children in the 6-12 age range.
Chemistry
Liz Lee Heinecke
This 120+ page book is filled with great science experiments which require minimal equipment and are bound to keep kids entertained for hours. Each experiment has a list of materials and safety tips or hints, a Mess factor and Complexity scale, a list of steps and a blurb about the science behind the experiment. The following few pages in each experiment show real photos of the step-by-step process with children doing the experiments. These photos are great because they can give the children a very clear sequence of events and they will be better able to follow the instructions once they know what to expect. I also love that it is pictures of real kids because it will also make it more intriguing to the readers. I know that my students would love this book. I tend to be a little unimaginative when it comes to fun science experiments but I feel like with some of these ideas so easily explained and with such an easy step-by-step guide even I would be willing to take on some of these fun experiments with my students. I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers of miniscientists who are looking for some fun and learning activities this summer!
John Devolle
This non-fiction picture book teaches young readers about the atom. By explaining the size of an atom and how many are required to make up objects around us, as well as an explanation that everything is made up of atoms, the book does an excellent job giving readers a clear understanding about a difficult scientific concept. The pictures are interesting and very detailed. There is also a lot of colour contrast, for example, a bright yellow sun against and dark night sky filled with colourful stars and planets, or a dark silhouette of a person filled with colourful dots on a bright yellow background. The font is easy to read and is black on light, plain coloured backgrounds. I think that young readers will enjoy this book and that it will encourage them to inquire more about the idea of atoms and what is everything made up of. I would recommend this book for children in the age 6-11 range. I could definitely see this book in my classroom library.
Nick Arnold ills. Giulia Zoavo
This awesome non-fiction book holds several excellent opportunities for children to explore and experiment in their own kitchens! With step-by-step directions, and simple, common ingredients, this book offers opportunities that will teach children so much about nutrition, cooking, baking and how to prepare and understand different types of foods. Beyond just food there are experiments that have to do with kitchen tools, basics in chemistry and physics and tons of background information about the scientific concepts being explored. The book includes real photographs as well as diagrams and simple pictures and features text boxes with interesting facts. I can definitely see young children being very interested in this book. It is also a great opportunity for parents and children to connect and learn together in the kitchen without having to go to too much trouble organizing and planning. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 4-12 range.
by Brianne Grajkowski
This fabulous cookbook is perfect for families wanting to get their children cooking more at a young age. The book is filled with beautiful real photos that include pictures of kids doing things like cooking on a stove, measuring ingredients and using knives, showing readers that kids can be involved in all steps of the cooking process, with support and supervision and with different levels of involvement depending on age and skill set. The book has lots of great information about supporting young chefs in their learning journey and showing each step with writing and detailed photos so that children can see what they need to do as well as reading it with an adult. There is a huge variety of meals that include lots of "kid friendly foods" and the delicious pictures will make your mouth water, enticing children to want to cook and helping even the pickiest eater want to choose something to make. The book is colourful but not overwhelmingly so, the fonts are accessible and easy to read. There are images such as pots to show the difficulty (1 pot means relatively simple, three pots means challenging) and symbols like knives and pans to show whether or not cooking and cutting is required. I can't say enough great things about this wonderful cookbook and would highly recommend it to parents as well as librarians and teachers who might want to share it with students.
Astronomy & Physics
By: Nicole Mortillaro
This book contains biographical and scientific information about five women who have made an impact in the field of space exploration. There are 5 sections, each about 15 pages in length, tell the story of a woman, her contributions and achievements and other important biographical information about her life and career in science. Additionally, sections include illustrations, time lines, text boxes with facts, quotes and subsections to support the reader in comprehending the information.
I would definitely consider purchasing a copy of this book for my classroom library. There is quite a bit of text on the page, so it is likely aimed at slightly older children, but I think that some younger elementary age students could still enjoy this book, especially if reading it with an adult. I think the content would very interesting for middle grade students, and also feel that the message; that women can make and have made huge contributions to fields like astronomy, which are typically very male dominated. This book shows readers that with true dedication and passion, gender and race are hurdles that can be surpassed. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 8-14 range.
Dean Regas, Britannica Group, ills. Aaron Blecha
This non-fiction book about planets and the history of astronomy is so much more than your average space book! Based on the premise that millennial (and older) parents are reluctant to confirm to the notion that Pluto is not actually a planet, this book prepares children with the information required to win an argument with their parents about why Pluto is not a planet. Through hilarious additional content, such as describing the 5 stages of grieve grown ups might go through, silly pictures, and interesting chapter themes, this book teaches a lot of really important information without feeling like a typical non-fiction or educational text. I can definitely see this book being a hit in my classroom. And as a millennial who grew up with nine planets I would recommend the section on the stages of grief to my peers (just kidding). This is a great book and I think kids in the 9-12 age range will love it.
Steven Aitken
This nonfiction text is about 50 pages and is divided into 4 chapters. The chapters center around ideas like: the history of sound, natural sound, sound health and conserving the environment. There are many non-fiction text features such as glossary, index, table of contents, text boxes, and bold text to help readers comprehend the text. Quite a bit of text on the page in small font but nice headings help separate content and match the table of contents. I like that this book melds together the scientific areas of sound and nature (physics and biology). The book covers interesting topics such as how the ear works and echolocation. It would be the perfect compliment to a science teacher’s resource collection. I could definitely use this book in my lessons, and I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 8-12 range.
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