Books for Young Scientists

There are so many good books for young people who are interested in science and the study of the world around us. Most of these are not technically nonfiction, but have plenty of factual elements in them. Perhaps my favorite of this group are the two based on women scientists, Rachel Carson and Katherine Johnson. Both lived in an era when it was unusual for a woman to pursue a career in science or math and they both overcame the odds to live their lives immersed in their chosen fields. Enjoy sharing these books with children you know!

Spring After Spring : How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement by Stephanie Roth Sisson

A brief biography of Rachel Carson with highlights that tell of her journey to writing Silent Spring. Sisson has done a masterful job of writing and illustrating a book that can be understood by children and adults alike. She shows how miniscule poisons can affect not only bird’s eggs, but the wildlife that eat the birds as well, and ultimately the humans in the environment. The book ends with a brief note on the importance of Silent Spring to the environmental movement as well as additional information about the story that is being told on each page. Perhaps a copy of this should be sent to the Trump administration.

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker, Illustrations by Dow Phumiruk

A short biography of Katherine Johnson, the mathematician who worked on several manned space flights, including the one that landed Americans on the moon for the first time. Katherine was an amazing math wizard and a self-effacing woman who achieved at the highest level allowed for a Black woman of her time. Becker interviewed Katherine before writing this book and includes additional notes on her life at the end.

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty, Illustrated by David Litchfield

Tongue in cheek, earth speaks to the reader giving a bit of history and telling us how to take care of the planet we know of as home. While most events and information are given only a superficial treatment, McAnulty does a great job of introducing big ideas to children: what is a planet, why we should take care of the earth, etc. She concludes with a few additional facts as well as sources for her information. Get the scoop on Planet Earth!

One Day a Dot by Ian Lendle, illustrated by Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb

Clever use of metaphor to tell the story of the Big Bang Theory appropriately for children. Moving quickly from the first life on earth to the cavemen and beyond, Lendle gives information in a way that children can relate. He even leaves room for questions and discussion. Where did that first dot come from anyway?

Hello, My Name is … by Marisa Polansky, Pictures by Joey Chou

As a small octopus floats into new territory, he realizes that all the other sea creature have names that reflect what they look like or what they can do. But, this little sea creature has no name, until a scientist taps on the tank window and calls him Adorabilis. While the story is told in an anthropomorphic way, it is based on facts and the end notes explain who Adorabilis was found and how this creature got its name.

What’s Your Favorite Bug? Eric Carle and Multiple Authors

In the tradition of Eric Carle and friends, this book poses one question and has multiple answers from many well known illustrators. This means that each page is illustrated in a different style giving us Carle’s colorful caterpillar as well as Eric Fan’s personified working bee complete with bowler hat and briefcase. Lots of fun details about the work that insects do for us as well.

If Polar Bears Disappeared by Lily Williams 

Another book about the effects of humans on the environment. While Williams uses big words and huge concepts to tell the story of what is likely to happen to polar bears, much of this book can be explained to young children with time and patience. The end notes give ideas that all of us can try to alleviate our negative effect on the environment. Throughout the story, multiethnic children encounter a variety of wildlife in nature. Let’s hope that this is something that can continue for many more generations.

Hawk Rising by Maria Gianferrari, Pictures by Brian Floca

A young girl watches a hawk family as young chicks hatch and the male hawk hunts for prey throughout the day. Poetic language matches the dreamy illustrations, giving a soft, hazy view of the hawk chasing and finally catching a small animal. The book ends with facts about raptors and hawks in particular. This will need to be read with care as it is clear that the hawk will kill and eat the squirrel it finally catches and young readers may need some context within the cycle of life.

Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the World by Christy Hale

A concept book told with limited words and a refined color palette. Hale illustrates each land and water form with yellows, blues and simple cutouts to make her point. The end of the book is a foldout page with a map of the world, labeled with the vocabulary used throughout the book. Simple enough for first grade, but extremely useful for older learners who need to master this vocabulary.

Summer Reading: Where did the time go?

The Truth about Hippos and The Truth about Bears and The Truth about Dolphins by Maxwell Eaton III

   

All three of these books are filled with facts about the respective animals and while the facts are interesting and true, it would be difficult to classify them as nonfiction. The author uses a self-referential metafictional style to tell the story that keeps even the most bored student interested. These would be great books to use as a model for a report on animals. Ask the students to read and them copy the style to make their own metafictional report.

Words and Your Heart by Kate Jane Neal

The first thing that you notice when encountering this book is the red cover and the red, black and white drawings throughout. The second thing is that the author is speaking directly to the reader and trying to get their attention. While the message of this book could be perceived as somewhat didactic, the illustrations keep the tone light, fanciful and not so much of an I-told-you-so book as a suggestion book. This book needs to be read more than once for the message to sink in. To label it simply as an anti-bullying book does not do it justice. Check it out.

Nerdy Birdy Tweets by Aaron Reynolds, Pictures by Matt Davies

And now we have it, a story of two birds, one ignores the other to play online with Tweety Friends. How do they resolve their issues when tweeting gets in the way of their friendship?  Modern day book on manners in the age of electronic toys.

Not so Different: What you Really Want to Ask about Having a Disability by Shane Vurcaw with photographs by Matt Carr

Shane Burcaw has Spinal Muscular Atrophy which is a long name for a disease that causes his muscles to be very weak. He has had this disease since birth and it causes him to be in a wheelchair. In spite of this, Shane has a very positive outlook on life and has written this book to help others, particularly children, understand a little about his disability. One of the things I like about this book is that it is told in the first person. This is Shane’s story and there is no reason why he cannot tell it. While Shane never says it, it is clear that he does not see himself as disabled, rather he is differently abled. He gives frank answers to questions that he receives frequently in his life and he speaks from his heart.

Hooked by Tommy Greenwald, Illustrations by David McPhail

How can a father become close to his child? This could be an alternative name for this book. Joe loves to fish and his dad (perhaps a single father) emphatically does not like fishing. Until one day when Joe really needs his dad to go with him on an ice-fishing trip. Joe and his dad form a special bond that day; they talk and laugh and share memories while making new memories. And, finally, Joe’s dad is hooked on fishing. And that is how a father becomes close to his child.

The Bat Can Bat: A Book of True Homonyms by Gene Barretta

As Barretta explains in the beginning of this delightful book, a homonym represents a pair of words that are spelled the same, pronounced the same and have different meanings, like bat and bat. They are not to be confused with homophones which are spelled differently, but sound the same, like sea and see; or with homographs, which are spelled the same, but pronounced differently: like tear and tear. Barretta has set the book up to tell a story about animals playing various sports and uses at least one homonym on every two page spread. Sometimes, he cleverly works two homonym pairs into a single sentence like this one: “So, the FLY has to DUCK and the DUCK has to FLY.” Well, I’d say this was well done!

Vincent Comes Home by Jessixa Bagley and Aron Bagley

Vincent is a cat who lives on a cargo ship. He enjoys his life, eating fish, chasing seagulls and watching the stars in the night sky. But, he is unhappy because he does not get to go home. Finally, when docking in home port, he follows one of the sailors to see if he can find out what this place called home is and he finds that “Home is where the people who love you are.” With this realization, Vincent is unhappy because he feels he must not have a home. Just then, the captain finds him wandering the streets of the city, picks him up and says, “Let’s go home!” Vincent’s home is with the captain and the sailors, on the ship. A great way to introduce the idea of alternative homes and the importance of people in our concept of what a home is.

Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates  by April Jones Prince, Pictures by Steven Salerno

Following the trajectory of Goldylocks and the Three Bears, Jones introduces three dastardly pirates and then follows Goldenlocks around their ship, tasting gruel, and mending stools and hammocks. The use of sea-faring language gives an added dimension to the story, which is also enhanced by the liberal use of alliteration. Goldenlocks proves to be so handy that they invite her to join them on their ship. Fracture Fairy Tales could not have done better.