Tag Archives: Science

Elem. – Animal Survival (Series NF)

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Animal Survival. ABDO Publishing. 2023. $23.95 each, $143.70 for set of 6. Grades. 2-5.

Holmes, Parker. Hiding and Bluffing to Survive. 978-1-532-19851-9.
MacCarald, Clara. Getting Smelly to Survive. 978-1-532-19850-2.
—. Hunting to Survive. 978-1-532-19852-6.
—. Migrating to Survive. 978-1-532-19853-3.
Perdew, Laura. Fleeing to Survive. 978-1-532-19849-6.
—. Working Together to Survive. 978-1-532-19854-0.

There are a wide variety of animals alive on earth. Whether they are on land, fly through the air, or swim in the waters, all animals and species need to be able to survive. The Animal Survival series informs readers of the many ways animals adapt in order to survive. Although each survival skill is unique, they all play an important role in the survival of its species. This reviewer read Getting Smelly to Survive by Clara MacCarald. After reading, the reviewer can say that this book is downright stinky! Odors play an important part of life, whether it be to help animals come closer or to move away. Filled with photographs of different animals, showcasing themselves in their smelly nature, this book informs readers of a unique survival tactic some animals utilize.

THOUGHTS: Filled with delightful photographs, easy-to-read text, and web links to additional information, this book showcases a few animals that use scent to survive. A fun read for explorers with a sense of humor!

591.57 Means of Protection

Elem. – The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of

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Larson, Kirsten W. The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of. Illustrated by Katherine Roy. Chronicle Books, 2023. 978-1-452-17287-3. $18.99. 48 p. Grades 2-5.

Cecilia Payne was born in Wendover, England in 1900. As a young girl she would spend hours outdoors studying nature. She was endlessly fascinated by insects, plants, and animals. In 1912 her family moved to London so that her brother could receive a proper education. Cecilia was sent to a religious school for girls. There were no science classes, and there was no opportunity to spend time with nature in the busy city. Then Cecilia discovered a science lab meant for older students. She would sneak into this lab to read the textbooks and work with the chemicals to educate herself in chemistry. When a new science teacher was brought to her school, Cecilia was encouraged to study and learn all she could about science. Cecilia earned a scholarship to study botany at Cambridge University. One day she heard a lecture by a famous astrophysicist. Fascinated, Cecilia attempted to change her major, but she wasn’t allowed to. She decided to move to the United States where she was accepted into the astronomy program at Harvard College Observatory. While at Harvard, Cecelia discovered that stars are made of hydrogen and helium. Author’s notes include a timeline, bibliographic references and an explanation of star development that is easy to understand.

THOUGHTS: Cecilia Payne is not well known to most children. Her research laid the groundwork for modern astrophysics. This picture book biography compares Cecilia’s journey to becoming a scientist with the physical creation of a star. The gentle story, combined with pencil and walnut ink illustrations by Katherine Roy, makes an inspiring biography.

Biography
Picture Book

MG – Lo and Behold

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Mass, Wendy. Lo and Behold. Illustrated by Gabi Mendez. Random House, 2023. 978-0-593-17963-5. 205 p. $20.99. Grades 4-7.

Addie Brecker’s life is full of wonder and imagination until her mother breaks her leg in a bicycling accident. Unable to cope with the pain of leg surgery, her mother becomes addicted to painkillers and even begins to sell them. While her mother is incarcerated for her crime, Addie and her father temporarily move to a college campus where her dad has gotten a job mentoring students working on virtual reality projects. Addie keeps to herself despite the efforts of Mateo, her neighbor across the hall. Even though he wants to be friends, Addie is not interested in sharing anything about herself. She assumes he has enough company with his mother and little brother. To fill the long hours while her father is at work, she straps on her virtual reality headset and tries out the students’ VR gaming prototypes. Mateo eventually leaves her alone, frustrated that his efforts to make a friend have been met with resistance. After she finds out what happened to Mateo’s family, she realizes she has to apologize. She stops by the hospital where Mateo volunteers in his free time. During her visit, Addie interacts with chemotherapy patients and  discovers a way to make a difference in their lives while also starting a healing process of her own.

THOUGHTS: Wendy Mass has been fascinated with technology since she was a child, and her knowledge of virtual and augmented reality clearly comes across in the story. The events in the story are timely and touching, especially when paired with Gabi Mendez’s eye-catching illustrations. Lo & Behold is a touching story about coping with grief and using technology to improve the life of others.

Graphic Novel

Elem. – The Frozen Worlds: The Astonishing Nature of the Arctic and Antarctic

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Bittel, Jason. The Frozen Worlds: The Astonishing Nature of the Arctic and Antarctic. DK Publishing, 2023. 978-0-744-07000-2. $16.99. 80 p. Grades 2-5.

This beautiful and busy book is an informative and delightful look at both the Arctic and Antarctic. Divided into four main sections that discuss the similarities of each region as well as the different types of life forms that are unique to each pole, and a concluding section covering climate change, its implications for life in these ecosystems, and practical, kid-accessible suggestions to help our planet. Beautiful illustrations composed of hand drawings and photo collage by Clarie McElfatrick are a definite highlight of this selection. Includes a full table of contents, glossary, and index.

THOUGHTS: This is a fabulous choice for elementary nonfiction readers and researchers. Chock-full of information presented in small chunks. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. Informative and entertaining, this is a great choice if you are looking to update your animal ecology section.

591.7 Animal Ecology
Animals Characteristic of Specific Environments

Elem. – Butt or Face?

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Lavelle, Kari. Butt or Face? Sourcebooks Explore, 2023. 978-1-728-27117-0. 40 p. $14.99. Grades K-5.

Is it a butt or a face (insert uncontrollable giggles)? Through a series of 13 close-up photos, readers are asked to determine if each picture displays a butt or a face. And they will be surprised by some of the answers. In addition to correctly identifying which body part is shown, readers are given each creature’s name and some facts about it. Though the creatures may be unfamiliar (Cuyaba dwarf frog), each likely is related to a more common animal. The end of the book includes an author’s note, about the author, and map with accompanying table describing where each critter rests their butts and what goes in their faces. Useful for a science lesson, an introduction to animal research, or a hilarious read aloud, young learners will have fun guessing butt or face while the reader has a hard time keeping a straight face. Put this one in a featured display, but be prepared to replace it often.

THOUGHTS: If the title doesn’t catch the attention of young readers, the cover is sure to do the trick. Highly recommended for elementary collections.

Picture Book
571.31 Animal Anatomy

Elem. – Earth Cycles (Series NF)

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Gieseke, Tyler. Earth Cycles. ABDO Publishing, 2023. $22.95 ea. $137.70 set of 6. 32 pgs. Grades 2-5.

The Carbon Cycle. 978-1-098-24219-0.
Migration Cycles. 978-1-098-24220-6.
Plant and Animal Life Cycles. 978-1-098-24221-3.
The Rock Cycle. 978-1-098-24222-0.
The Water Cycle. 978-1-098-24223-7.
Weather Cycles. 978-1-098-24224-4.

This reader had the opportunity to review The Water Cycle. There are many different cycles found on Earth related to plants, animals, even the weather. The Water Cycle attempts to break down in simple terms how the water cycle works from beginning to end. There are four chapters: an overview chapter, a chapter on evaporation, a chapter on condensation, and a chapter on precipitation. There is a glossary at the back of the book, as well as an index. There are QR codes throughout the book that lead to videos, games, or just more information about the topic. There also is an online resources section in the back of the book.

THOUGHTS: This is a great introduction to the water cycle and would make a decent read aloud, even if you only read parts of the book. This book would make a great research starter for younger grades and could be used as supplemental research material for slightly older students or learning support students.

500s Earth Science

Tags; water cycle, earth, science, series nonfiction.

MG – Mixed Up

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Korman, Gordon. Mixed Up. Scholastic Press, 2023. 978-1-338-82672-2. 256 p. $17.99. Grades 4-8.

Reef Moody has a lot to deal with. Not only is he still grieving the death of his mother, but he is also adjusting to a new house and a new family. Jen, his mother’s best friend, took him in after his mom’s death since he had nowhere else to go. Unfortunately, Jen’s son Declan is making his life a living nightmare. On top of that, Reef has been forgetting important memories of his mother which is particularly devastating. In their place are different memories, memories he doesn’t remember making. Across town, Theo Metzinger is having the same problem. His memory has been failing him lately. Theo cannot remember how to take care of the plants in his beloved garden. Some days, he has trouble finding his way home from school. Instead of his own memories, Theo keeps seeing memories of someone’s mother in a hospital bed. Reef and Theo meet each other one day after Reef sees the cupola of Theo’s school on TV. Reef has never been to that school, but he recognizes the cupola from his memories. They quickly realize they have been swapping memories with each other. The boys discover they were born on the same day at the same hospital, and that could be the key to why this phenomena is happening to them. Together they embark on a scientific adventure to regain their memories and stop the swap.

THOUGHTS: This is the first book I’ve read where a main character is grieving the loss of a parent to COVID-19, making it timely and relatable as many students are still reeling from the pandemic. The characters are likable and realistic; readers will be rooting for them. Like many of Korman’s books, the chapters are told in alternating points of view between Reef and Theo. This is a must-buy for middle grade libraries.

Fantasy

Elem. – When the Sky Glows

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Beckerman, Nell Cross. When the Sky Glows. Illustrated by David Litchfield. Beach Lane Books, 2022. 978-1-534-45039-4. Unpaged $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

Undoubtedly at some point in your life, you have looked up into the sky and wondered about what you see–why does the sky look that way? What is that light up in the sky? Author Nell Cross Beckerman aims to answer these questions for young readers in her nonfiction picture book When the Sky Glows. Shooting stars, auroras, rainbows, lightning storms, volcanic eruptions, and full moons are just some of the natural events that fill the sky with light and amazing colors. Simple and  lyrical text introduces each topic on a spread with an accompanying illustration depicting humans (or animals) observing the sky. The following spread is illuminated with color showing the glowing sky above the scene. A brief paragraph in the lower right explains the science behind the event. David Litchfield’s digitally rendered illustrations saturate each scene with lawyers of glowing yellows, pinks, purples, greens, and blues. Backmatter includes sources for additional research and a section of text discussing the issue of light pollution.

THOUGHTS: This title is ideal for read alouds and could easily be incorporated into lessons involving science, meteorology, weather, etc. Illustrator David Litchfield’s illustrations put the “glow” into When the Sky Glows and will surely inspire a sense of wonder and appreciation for light in readers. Highly recommended for elementary collections.

551.26 Meteorology          Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD

Elem. – Serengeti: Plains of Grass

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Bulion, Leslie. Serengeti: Plains of Grass. Peachtree, 2022. 978-1-68263-191-1. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades 2-5. 

The Serengeti Plains of Africa host an amazing ecosystem that is explored in Leslie Bulion’s Serengeti: Plains of Grass. In winter, winds carry rain to the Serengeti. Grasses grow, flowers bloom, and then the migration of millions of animals, including wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles begins. Millions of animals travel to the plains to feed on grasses and other plant life. Other animals, like lions and cheetahs, prey on the migrating travelers. Bulion relates these facts via a combination of poetry and narrative. The book is primarily told through verse. As she explains in the back matter, Bulion uses a modified form of the East African Swahili poem form called utendi to create her verse. Each spread includes one stanza of poetry as well as narrative that shares ecological facts relating to the verse. The text is accompanied by Becca Stadtlander’s gouache and pastel illustrations, which bring the open space of the grasslands and its wild inhabitants to life. Back matter includes a glossary, additional resources, and map.

THOUGHTS: The variation on Swahili utendi as a medium to tell this story makes this title an excellent option for read alouds. The verses are both lyrical and informative. A great choice for units on poetry, ecology, geography or animals. Highly recommended.

577.48 Ecology          Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD

Elem. – Transforming Animals (Series NF)

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Gieseke, Tyler. Transforming Animals. Abdo, 2022. $21.95 ea. $131.70 set of 6. 24 p. Gr. K-2. 

Turning into a Butterfly. 978-1-098-24114-8.
 Turning into a Dragonfly. 978-1-098-24115-5.
 Turning into a Fish. 978-1-098-24116-2.
Turning into a Frog. 978-1-098-24117-9.
Turning into a Jellyfish. 978-1-098-24118-6.
Turning into a Newt. 978-1-098-24119-3.

The ability of animals to transform and grow has been a source of fascination to people of all ages for centuries. The Transforming Animals series explores the life cycle processes of six common creatures. This reviewer had the opportunity to examine the Turning into a Butterfly volume. The text takes readers on a journey of the life cycle of the butterfly–from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to adult butterfly. Each spread includes high-quality close-up photos of each stage of the butterfly’s life cycle. QR codes within the book allow readers to access a video, additional information, useful links and activities. Back matter includes a Making Connections page and a glossary. 

THOUGHTS: This series would be a worthwhile addition to any library serving primary age students. The life cycle of each animal is clearly and simply explained. Characteristics of each animal are also identified and explained. The supplemental material available via QR code is high-quality, and the activities easily could be incorporated into classroom science lessons. Highly recommended.

570s; 590s Insects, Animals           Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD