Booktalk: Thinkers who like to tinker will enjoy these inspiring pairings of project books and biographies.
Snippet: Some thinkers are also tinkerers. As they think, they play, working with their hands, trying this and that until it’s just right. Thinkers and tinkerers build and plant, paint and code. They make things that others can see, hear, and use. These new biographies and DIY project books will help inspire the thinking, tinkering makers at your school or library.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Booktalk: A cantankerous cactus explains the significance of different colors of flowers in terms of which pollinators (bees, bats, birds, etc.) different colors “talk” to.
Snippet:
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Booktalk: Ten illustrators delve into the woodlands to explore the creatures, culture, and conservation of our forested areas. Each spread of this over-sized book opens in the middle with a gatefold on both the left and the right giving each topic 6 pages of content. See all four parts of the rain forest, wind your way through the fir trees, and dive to the depths of the kelp forest to uncover the fascinating facts of these unique ecosystems.
Snippet:
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Booktalk: The story of life on earth unfolds era by era in this concertina book that takes readers from 4.6 billion years ago to the present day. When the book is fully open, the timeline is as long as a triceratops! (That’s 26 feet / 8 meters.)
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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Booktalk: An homage to all things wetland. From raccoons to muskrats, frogs to heron, it’s a celebration of biodiversity, art, poetry, and healthy ecosystems.
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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Soar High, Dragonfly
by Sheri M. Bestor (Author) and Jonny Lambert (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Dragonflies are some the world’s most beautiful (and fascinating!) insects — and one many children can find right in their backyards! This scientific look at a dragonfly’s life-cycle includes informative sidebars that let children learn even more about these amazing insects.
Snippet:
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Booktalk: Young children are full of questions about how the world works; the processes and machinations behind the scenes. Why does a light come on when you flick a switch? How can cheese from the supermarket have come out of a cow? What happens when you send a text? Where does your poo go when you flush?(!) All very good questions, and all explained–along with many more–with flowing illustrations and chunks of text from the early beginnings to the very end.
Booktalk: Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world’s leading scientists to become the next generation of great explorers. But for Cruz, there’s more at stake. No sooner has he arrived at the Academy than he discovers that his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize his future. In the midst of codebreaking and cool classes, new friends and augmented reality expeditions, Cruz must tackle the biggest question of all: Who is out to get him, and why?
Snippet: It wasn’t a swish, like a fish or turtle passing. It was a good pull. And it could mean only one thing: shark! Cruz tried to slide to the left side of his board, away from the shark, but it had a firm hold on his ankle. He was being dragged down, away from the surface.
Don’t panic! KICK!
Cruz clung to his surfboard, the only thing that would keep him afloat, and kicked with all his might. If he could manage to turn around, he could use the board to bop the shark on the nose and break loose. As he struggled, a million thoughts raced through his head.
Stupid! Sharks feed at dusk. You should have gone in when Dad called. You’re not supposed to drown. Stupid!
He was swallowing water. He couldn’t breathe.
No. No! NO!
The words pounded in rhythm to his heart.
He would not die this way.
With his lungs burning and his energy waning, Cruz twisted his body in one last effort to strike a blow. He lashed out and his fist hit something smooth and hard. Bubbles swarmed around him. He saw a yellow snake. No! A tube. This was no shark. It was a person!
Booktalk: From the first wheel to the International Space Station, the miracles of engineering are all around us. Think cars, bridges, skyscrapers, and yes — even bubble wrap! Engineers dream up new ideas and bring them to life while figuring out creative solutions to problems they encounter along the way. But how do they do it? Find out as YOU take the challenges in this book! Then see how different National Geographic explorers tackled the challenge. (Psst! There’s often more than one solution!)
Snippet: The Situation:
Your friend left a library book at your house, but you can’t return it because you’re quarantined with the flu. Fortunately, you live next door to one another and your bedroom windows are across a mere 15-foot (5-m) expanse. How can you deliver the goods without leaving your room?
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
