Science

Glow: Animals with Their Own Night Lights by W. H. Beck

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 

Summary: An introduction to bioluminescence, showing a variety of glowing animals on a background of black pages with white text. The “how” of bioluminescence is very briefly described, as well as a variety of reasons why animals glow.  An author’s note explains that some photos have been enlarged and that some are a bit blurry due to the difficulties of photographing animals deep in the ocean.  Thumbnail photos and descriptions of all the animals are included on the last two pages.  32 pages; ages 4-7.

Pros:  Bioluminescence is very cool!  The photos are eye-catching and the text is simple enough for young children.

Cons:  The explanation of why animals glow is very brief.

Tooth by Tooth: Comparing Fangs, Tusks, and Chompers by Sara Levine, illustrations by T. S. Spookytooth

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Published by Millbrook Press 

Summary:  How many teeth do you have?  What are the names and functions of different types of teeth?  What kind of an animal would you be if you had really long incisors?  Or teeth that were all the same? Tooth by Tooth draws readers right in with questions about something all of us are pretty familiar with—our teeth.  Kids will learn which types of teeth are used by carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, and why only mammals have different types of teeth.  The last few pages include a glossary, additional resources, and more information about mammals and their teeth.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  The first book by this author/illustrator team, Bone by Bone is one of my favorite nonfiction read-alouds.  The questions make both books very interactive, and the illustrations are lots of fun, showing what you would look like with different types of bones or teeth.  Not only that, but there’s a ton of information packed into a short amount of text.

Cons:  I didn’t find teeth quite as varied and interesting as bones.

Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh, illustrate by Raul Colon

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Simon and Schuster 

Summary: Marie Tharp fell in love with maps when she and her family moved from place to place for her father’s job. After attending 17 different schools, she studied geography in college, then got a job at Lamont Geological Laboratory at Columbia University.  Looking for a groundbreaking project to work on, she teamed up with her colleague Bruce Heezen to map the ocean floor.  For 20 years, from 1957 to 1977, Heezen collected data on many ocean trips, and Tharp turned the data into maps.  Along the way, she discovered a deep rift in the Atlantic Ocean which helped support the theory of continental drift.  Her maps have been used in schools and museums around the world.  End matter includes more information about Marie Tharp, a glossary and bibliography, and a page entitled, “Things to Wonder About and Do”.  40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros: The first person narration imbues the story with Marie’s own energy and enthusiasm. Colon’s illustrations beautifully capture the light and colors of the seas and the intricacies of Tharp’s maps.

Cons:  The continents are moving an inch or two every year?!

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by April Chu

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Published by Creston Books

Summary:  From the time Ada Byron was a child, she loved the world of science and, especially, math.  She designed a flying machine at the age of 12, shortly before becoming very ill with a case of the measles that left her temporarily blind and paralyzed.  She persevered with her education, however, and when she was 17, she met Charles Babbage, a mathematician and inventor who had created a mechanical calculating machine.  He had also designed, but not built, an Analytical Engine, which was a more sophisticated machine, the forerunner of a computer.  Ada studied his designs for this machine, and created a numerical algorithm that would instruct it.  Although Babbage never built his machine, Ada’s algorithm is considered to be the first computer program.  Back matter includes an author’s note, timeline, and bibliography.

Pros: An inspiring story of a brilliant girl growing up in a time when such brilliance was not generally recognized and nurtured. Chu’s illustrations evoke the early 19th-century feel of Ada’s time in history.

Cons:  The pages describing the young Ada’s design of a flying machine, followed by her bout with measles, seemed a little disjointed and confusing to me.

Forgotten Bones: Uncovering a Slave Cemetery by Lois Miner Huey

~ Janet Dawson ~ 4 Comments

Published by Millbrook Press

 

Summary: When construction workers near Albany, New York, dug up a human skull, police, town officials, and archaeologists were all called in. The skull was determined to be over a century old.  Construction was halted, and an archaeological site was set up.  More skeletons were found, indicating a cemetery had been there.  Since there were no markers and it was far away from the main house of the farm that had been there in the 1800’s, the archaeologists were fairly certain it had been a slave cemetery.  This book looks at how scientists, historians, and artists worked together to learn the history of the people who had been buried there, as well as in two other slave cemeteries in New York City and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Using clues from the bones, DNA, and artifacts found on or near the bodies, much could be learned about the people, where they came from, what their lives were like, and even what their faces looked like.  Back matter includes an author’s note, glossary, bibliography, and places to visit to learn more.  112 pages; grades 5-7. 

Pros:  A fascinating blend of science and history, covering both the history of slavery in the northern United States, and the science of how the skeletons contributed to this knowledge.

Cons: A picture of a slave being burned alive near the end of the book could be disturbing to some readers.

The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry edited by J. Patrick Lewis

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Published by National Geographic 

Summary: Over 200 poems are paired with nature photographs, arranged in sections about animals, seasons, specific places, and natural disasters. J. Patrick Lewis, former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate, edited the collection and wrote an introduction about looking at nature and responding to it poetically.  He includes six of his own poems in post-it note form at the end, and an essay on “Who is Mother Nature?” that invites kids to write their own poetic answer to that question.  Also included at the end: a bibliography of children’s books on wordplay in poetry arrange by category (acrostics, anagrams, epitaphs, etc.), and indices by title, poet, first line, and subject.  192 pages; grades K-6.

Pros:  This is a rich collection of poetry by many different writers that invites children to engage in the creative processes of enjoying poetry and creating their own.  Readers will be drawn in by the beautiful, National Geographic quality photographs on every page.

Cons:  It would have been interesting to know a little more about some of the lesser-known poets; at the very least, the year they wrote their poems.

Breakthrough! How Three People Saved “Blue Babies” and Changed Medicine Forever by Jim Murphy

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary: In November, 1944, Dr. Alfred Blalock made history by performing delicate cardiac surgery on 18-month-old Eileen Saxon, repairing heart defects that had caused her “blue baby syndrome”. Standing beside him was Dr. Helen Taussig, a pediatrician who had worked with blue baby patients for many years before recruiting Dr. Blalock to help her.  Although Blalock received most of the fame and celebrity from this groundbreaking operation, the procedure had been developed and refined by his research assistant, Vivien Thomas.  It would be years before Thomas, who was African American, received any credit for his contributions.  Whether this was because of racism or his position as a research assistant instead of a doctor is unclear, but despite this, Thomas continued his hard work and dedication for many years, training many other surgeons at Johns Hopkins.  In 1971, his work there was recognized when his portrait was hung in Blalock Building alongside other great surgeons from that institution.  Back matter includes extensive source notes, a bibliography, and an index.  130 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros: A fascinating look at medical history and the contributions of three unique and interesting individuals.

Cons:  This could be a hard sell in the middle school community.

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Published by Candlewick 

Summary:  Seven animals are profiled—the land snail, hummingbird, garden spider, honeybee, potter wasp, beaver, and stickleback.  The emphasis is on what each animal builds to help it stay alive.  A web, a nest, a honeycomb; each example of animal architecture is marvelously illustrated with intricate pop-ups that show the animal with its creation.  The final page, “Neighbors” has one magnificent pop-up that includes all of the animals, and explains how humans and all these creatures are interdependent inhabitants of the “neighborwood”.  16 pages; all ages.

Pros:  The text is interesting and educational, but the incredible pop-ups are the real stars here.  Readers will gasp with delight as each page is turned to reveal an amazing animal habitat.

Cons:  Due to the price and the fragile nature of pop-ups, this may more suitable as a gift for a special child in your life than a purchase for the library shelves.

 

Inside Biosphere 2: Earth Science Under Glass by Mary Kay Carson, with photographs by Tom Uhlman

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Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing 

Summary: Back in 1991, eight scientists sealed themselves inside Biosphere 2, a gigantic structure built to approximate different habitats on Earth. They lived there for two years, eating food they raised and breathing oxygen created through photosynthesis.  Those Biospherians have moved on, but the structure still stands in the Arizona desert, and it is still being used by scientists to model various ecosystems.  Chapters in the book cover rainforests, oceans, earth science, and sustainability.  Each chapter profiles a scientist working in one of these fields, the work he or she is doing, and how it is relevant to our lives.  The original experiment is described in the first chapter, and sidebars entitled “Flashback to the Biospherians” scattered throughout the book tell anecdotes about what life inside Biosphere II was like for those eight.  Back matter includes a glossary, bibliography, and how to find out more information.  80 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros: Another excellent entry from the “Scientists in the Field” series which seems to unfailingly be able to make science look both fun and inspiring. As always, the photos and text work together to bring the science to life.

Cons:  I read quite a bit about the Biospherians while working at the Boston Museum of Science in 1991, and they seemed a little loony to me.  This book didn’t do a whole lot to dispel that perception.

Simple Machines by D. J. Ward, illustrated by Mike Lowery

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Published by HarperCollins 

Summary:  Machines make work easier.  The six simple machines—lever, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, ramp, and wedge are all around us, helping us in our everyday life.  This book looks at each simple machine in turn, describing how it works and showing common examples.  Compound machines are briefly explained.  End matter includes a lever activity called “Seesaw Cents”, a glossary, and a couple of websites to check out for more simple machine information.  Grades 1-5.

Pros:  I am a huge longtime fan of the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series.  Started in 1960, it’s an amazing resource for explaining scientific concepts to young children.  There are two levels (Simple Machines is level 2); level 1 could be used with preschoolers, and level 2 is appropriate for all elementary grades.  They provide basic but thorough explanations told in a down-to-earth tone with plenty of real-world examples and fantastic illustrations.  I challenge anyone to find a basic scientific concept that hasn’t been written about in a Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science book.  (Okay, I once tried to write an article for The Horn Book on this series, but it was turned down for being too promotional.  Gee, imagine that).

Cons:  You might not get all your questions about how simple machines work answered in this book.  It’s a good starting point, not a comprehensive treatise.