Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Books
Spontaneous Human Combustion
by Craig Boutland (Author)
Booktalk: This book explores the phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion — what can we learn about it through historical documentation and the theories surrounding it?
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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth (Build It Yourself series)
by Laura Perdew; illus by Tom Casteel
128 pages; ages 9-12
Nomad Press, 2019
We share our planet with millions of other species – from bacteria to plants to fungi and animals. This tremendous variety of life on Earth is called “biodiversity”, a shortened way of saying “biological diversity.” In six chapters, author Laura Perdew introduces biodiversity, why it’s important, threats to biodiversity, and how we can protect it.
In discussing climate change, Perdew discusses human activities that contribute to a warming planet, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. The warming planet is melting polar ice, causing sea levels to rise and flood coastal habitats. The increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reacts with ocean water to create acidic ocean water which, in turn threatens coral reefs and clams. Perdew also delves into pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, and over-exploitation of resources. Fortunately, there are things people can do, from implementing conservation policies to developing new energy technologies to taking personal actions.
In addition to informative text and photos, each chapter contains a comic strip, text-boxes of “words to know”, quick facts, sidebars, and primary source links with QR codes (urls listed at the back). There are more than twenty hands-on STEM activities, from field trips to making things. Want to make bio-gas? You’ll need some help from microbes, but all you need are a plastic bottle, an uninflated balloon, and some dead leaves. There are directions for making a water filter and even instructions for making your own smartphone-microscope.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Sue Heavenrich All Rights Reserved.
Save the Crash-test Dummies
by Jennifer Swanson (Author) and TeMika Grooms (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Cars take us to work. To school. To soccer practice. To the grocery store and home again. Can you imagine a world without them? It’s not easy! One of the reasons we can use cars so much in our everyday lives is because they are safe to drive. But that hasn’t always been the case. If it weren’t for the experiments conducted over decades that involved all kinds of crash test volunteers–dead, alive, animal, or automated–cars as we know them might not be around. And then how would you get to school?
Snippet:
See the book trailer.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
I See Sea Food
by Jenna Grodzicki
32 pages; ages 4-9
Millbrook Press, 2019
Pineapples, pancakes, and chocolate chip cookies are tasty treats. But did you know they all live in the ocean?
Wait! Really? Chocolate chip cookies? Ok, maybe not cookies, but chocolate chip sea stars live in the ocean. So do pineapple fish, pancake batfish, and pizza crust sea slugs! Excuse me – I’ve got to grab a snack now, but I’ll be right back…
… OK, where was I? <brushing cookie crumbs off keyboard>
Oh yes, What I like love about this book:
Plus, dare I say it, Back Matter! In addition to a glossary and further reading, there’s a “Sea Food or Me Food?” quiz.
Head over to Archimedes Notebook to explore the Deep Dark Sea with Gail Gibbons, and some Beyond the Books exploration.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Sue Heavenrich All Rights Reserved.
My new Focus on STEM column: Coding is in the October Quick Tips for Schools and Libraries newsletter.
Booktalk: Catch up on computer science with this list featuring female coders, interactive guides, and other coding activities.
Snippet: The first computer-to-computer message was sent on October 29, 1969, and the system crashed before the entire message was entered. (Sound familiar?) Only the letters “L” and “O” were delivered to the other three computers. Fifty years later, even pre-readers are learning to write computer code. As December’s annual Hour of Code approaches, look to these recent books about coding to inspire and prepare.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
by Ann Marie Stephens; illus. by Jia Liu
32 pages; ages 4-8
Boyds Mills Press, 2019
Don’t call these mathematicians “bird brains” – because they are busy solving problems. Cheeping and chattering, they count rocks, flowers, and how many steps it takes to reach the park. Once there, they play – and add. With three chicks swinging high into the air, and six more at the lowest vertex of the arc, there are nine in all, swooshing through the air – while one holds up a scorecard so we can keep count.
What I like about this book: This is a great resource for teachers, homeschoolers, and parents who are looking for a fun way to introduce the idea of addition. Each spread shows a different way to add up the chicks – and back matter explains the different ways that you can use to represent addition. Most of us are familiar with basic equations and tally marks, but this book includes number bonds, counting on fingers (or feathers, depending on your species), number lines, and more.
Head over to Archimedes Notebook for a review of Pigeon Math and some hands-on activities.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Sue Heavenrich All Rights Reserved.
At Growing with Science blog last week I wrote about a saguaro cactus flowering in September (they usually flower in June). This week I found a lovely picture book that celebrates them, The Night Flower by Lara Hawthorne.
Lara Hawthorne is an illustrator, so it is no surprise this book is an incredible visual treat. The first thing you notice is the stunning cover with a bold white saguaro flower standing out against the black background of night. The image above doesn’t do it justice because because many of the details are outlined with a metallic shiny gold. It has a luminescent 3-D effect.
Inside, the book starts with an informational paragraph about the saguaro cactus. From there gentle rhyming text takes the reader on a journey through one day and night in the desert. Along the way readers meet many different animals and learn about the role the saguaro plays in their lives.
You won’t want to skip the fully-illustrated back matter. Hawthorne describes the life cycle of the saguaro and names the parts of the plant. Next she asks “Did you spot…?” In a two page spread she shows the different creatures mentioned in the text, giving more information about each and challenging the reader to go back through the book to find them. She ends with a glossary of the scientific terms she used.
The Night Flower is a picture-perfect introduction to a unique plant and its habitat. It can be used to accompany a unit on deserts or plants, or to prepare for a trip to Arizona. Poke around in a copy today!
Be sure to check Growing with Science blog for more information and suggestions for related activities.
Copyright © 2019 Roberta Gibson All Rights Reserved.
A Different Story
by Adolfo Serra (Author / Illustrator)
Booktalk: Sometimes the world is a small place. Other times it feels huge. Sometimes we feel as though we’re sinking. Other days we can soar. And every creature on Earth is unique. But no matter what the circumstances are, no matter how different we may seem, even a rhinoceros and a beetle have something in common.
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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story Of A World-Traveling Bug Hunter
by Christine Evans; illus. by Yasmin Imamura
40 pages; ages 5 – 10
The Innovation Press, 2019
“Back in 1881 when Evelyn Cheesman was born, most people thought girls should be quiet, clean, and covered with lace.”
They definitely weren’t supposed to kneel in the dirt and hunt for bugs – but Evelyn did. She loved insects and other animals, and wanted to be a veterinarian. But in the early 1900s, women weren’t allowed to become veterinary doctors. They weren’t even allowed to vote! So Evelyn worked as a veterinary nurse until one day she learned that the London Zoo’s insect house needed a keeper. Evelyn applied and soon found herself scooping insects from ponds and collecting caterpillars, beetles and other buggy creatures to fill the tanks of the insect house. And when that wasn’t enough, she went on collecting adventures around the world to find new arthropods for the Insect House.
What I like about this book: I am passionate about bugs – and illustrator Yasmin Imamura fills this book with them, from the end papers to illustrations. I love the story about Evelyn and can only imagine having to fight my way free from a sticky curtain of spider webs (which she has to do on one of her adventures).
I like the way author Christine Evans weaves fun images into the story: crowds swarming into the insect house, and bugs creeping, sliding, scurrying. And I really like the way she portrays Evelyn as an intrepid and curious explorer graced with an indomitable spirit.
And there is back matter: more information about Evelyn, an interview with an entomologist, and a list of books and other resources for curious readers who want to know more.
Head over to Archimedes Notebook for some hands-on Beyond the Book entomology activities. This review is from a copy provided by the publisher.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Sue Heavenrich All Rights Reserved.