STEM Friday

December 6, 2019

Can You Hear The Trees Talking?

Time to check out an amazing new middle grade book, Can You Hear the Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest by Peter Wohlleben.

Peter Wohlleben is the well-known author of the bestselling popular science book for adults, The Hidden Life of Trees. Now he’s applied his eye-opening approach to understanding trees in this book for young readers. He asks kid-friendly questions, such as “How do trees drink?” and answers them using current scientific knowledge and appropriate vocabulary. Even if you already know a lot about trees, be prepared to say, “Wow!”

Each question is answered on a two-page spread with gorgeous color photographs. Many of the spreads have activity suggestions, labelled “Try This!” I counted 18 hands-on activities. There are also many sidebars with extra cool facts and some quick quizzes to reinforce learning.

Let’s look at one example. Wohlleben asks, “What do tree children learn at school?” Wait, trees go to school? What is that about? Turns out that in mature forests young saplings spend a lot of time being nourished and shaped by their mother tree and other mature trees nearby. Isn’t that a cool idea?

Can You Hear the Trees Talking? is a must-have resource for educators and young botanists interested in trees. You could spend months with it. Check out a copy today!

Be sure to stop by Growing With Science blog for activity suggestions to extend learning.

December 6, 2019December 5, 2019

Superlative Birds

Superlative Birds
by Leslie Bulion (Author) and Robert Meganck (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Explore the fascinating world of superlative birds–from the bee hummingbird, the tiniest bird in the world, to the peregrine falcon, the fastest creature on Earth. The back of the book includes a science glossary, notes on poetry forms, and resources for more information about these birds.

Snippet:
Superlative Birds:
Which bird can do what birds do, best?
Which put world records to the test?
Which birds are beaks above the rest?
Superlative birds! Come see!

A 2019 Cybils Poetry nominee

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

December 6, 2019November 26, 2019

Growing Up Gorilla

Growing Up Gorilla, by Clare Hodgson Meeker. 48 pages; ages 8-12. Millbrook Press, 2019

The subtitle says it all; this is a book about “how a zoo baby brought her family together.” As the book opens, we meet Nadiri, a 19-year old gorilla preparing to give birth. She’s gathered a thick nest of hay around her, but when her baby is born she has no idea of how to respond and care for a tiny baby.

The keepers and staff at the Woodland Park Zoo were committed to having Nadiri raise her baby. But they were also ready for the possibility that she might not embrace motherhood immediately, because Nadiri had been rejected by her own mother and was hand-raised. So while they began caring for the new baby gorilla, they were determined to help Nadiri bond with baby Yola in a safe, non-threatening environment.

What I like about this book: Reading this book gives you a front row seat into what goes on behind the scenes in a zoo. Author, Clare Meeker takes us into the gorilla dens, introduces us to the other gorillas that become family, and shows us the love and dedication of the zoo staff. There’s also plenty of back matter so kids can see how humans compare with gorillas (we share 97.7% of the same genes), and some of the ways people are working to protect gorillas and their habitat.

Head over to Archimedes Notebook for an interview with the author.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 29, 2019November 26, 2019

The Day the Universe Exploded My Head

The Day the Universe Exploded My Head: Poems to Take You into Space and Back Again
by Allan Wolf (Author) and Anna Raff (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Ever wonder what the sun has to say about being the closest star to Earth? Or what Pluto has gotten up to since being demoted to a dwarf planet? Or where rocket ships go when they retire? Listen closely, because maybe, just maybe, your head will explode, too. With poetry that is both accurate and entertaining — this book will enthrall amateur stargazers and budding astrophysicists as it reveals many of the wonders our universe holds. Space travelers in search of more information will find notes about the poems, a glossary, and a list of resources at the end.

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 29, 2019November 25, 2019

Bird Count

by Susan Edwards Richmond; illus. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman

32 pages; ages 4-8 | Peachtree Publishing, 2019

I shake Mom in the dark. “Wake up, sleepy head! It’s Bird Count Day!”

Ava is excited because this year she gets to keep tally of the birds “her” crew finds during the annual Christmas Bird Count. She’s dressed for the weather, and has the tools she needs: a notebook, a pencil, and most importantly, her eyes and her ears.

What I like about this book: We get to go along on the bird-finding field trip without leaving the warmth of our cozy home. Bird-by-bird we meet (and count) owls, chickadees, catbirds and geese. It’s a great way to become familiar with how the bird count works, in case we want to join a local census circle. Back matter tells more about each species featured in the book as well as additional information about the Christmas Bird Count.

Head over to Archimedes Notebook for another Bird Book and some hands-on Bird activities.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 22, 2019November 21, 2019

Adventures on Earth

Adventures on Earth
by Simon Tyler (Author / Illustrator)

Booktalk: Follow in the footsteps of the world’s most famous explorers and travel to the extremes of our environment on Earth–learn about the highest and deepest, hottest and coldest places on Earth. Discover the world’s most wild terrain–deserts, mountains, volcanoes, rivers, jungles, oceans, the polar regions and more and learn about how they were discovered and explored by human adventurers. Find out how these regions are under threat from global warming and other issues, and learn what we can do to conserve them.

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 15, 2019November 14, 2019

Pluto Gets the Call

Pluto Gets the Call
by Adam Rex (Author) and Laurie Keller (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Pluto loves being a planet. That is, until the day he gets a call from some Earth scientists telling him he isn’t a planet anymore! You probably wanted to meet a real planet, huh? Join Pluto as he takes you on a journey through the solar system to introduce the other planets (who commiserate about his situation).

Snippet:

FYI: “‘I am here to tell you, as the NASA administrator, I believe Pluto is a planet,’ said Bridenstine during a keynote on the final day of the International Astronautical Congress in Washington, D.C. on October 25.”

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 15, 2019November 11, 2019

Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails

by Eric Ode; illus by Ruth Harper
32 pages; all ages
Kane Miller Books / EDC Publishing, 2019

Will I find you here
where cedar wears her mossy shawl

With an otter as our guide, we meet the amphibians, mollusks, birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and plants that inhabit a wetland.

What I like about this book: I love that the otter shows up in most of the spreads – as though they’re our tour guide. It reminds me of the time my youngest insisted there “might be otters” in our little stream and so we hiked the length of it – finding crayfish, insects, mammal tracks, birds … but no otter! And there’s a wonderful poem about the heron that “measures the morning in slow, perfect strides” – which perfectly captures the heron that stalks the river’s edge nearby.

I love Ruth Harper’s artwork. Can’t think of a medium more perfect for capturing the feel of wetlands than watercolors!

Head over to Archimedes Notebook for another book about our connections with nature, and some hands-on Beyond the Book activities.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 8, 2019November 8, 2019

As We Grow

As We Grow
by Libby Walden (Author) and Richard Jones (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A lyrical look at each stage of life and the journey of transformation that we experience as we grow up.

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 8, 2019November 8, 2019

Not a Butterfly Alphabet Book

Moths have gotten pushed aside by their day flying cousins, but now Jerry Pallotta gives them some well-deserved attention with his new Not a Butterfly Alphabet Book: It’s About Time Moths Had Their Own Book! illustrated by Shennen Bersani.

Don’t let the name “alphabet book” dissuade you. Although they are wryly humorous (as you can tell from the title) and full of quirky facts, these are serious nonfiction books that use the alphabet as a way to organize information. This one highlights 26 different species of moths, from the giant Atlas moth to the gorgeous zigzag moth (you’ll see immediately how it got it’s name). Along the way readers learn about aspects of moth biology, such as facts about their mouthparts, wing scales, and life cycles.

Shennen Bersani’s amazing illustrations explode the myth that moths are drab or boring. You are likely to say, “Wow!” with every page turn. They are gorgeous. Seriously!

Not a Butterfly Alphabet Book will thrill budding entomologists and artists alike. Pick up a copy and find out why moths deserve their day in the sun.

Be sure to fly over to Growing with Science blog for an activity suggestion and links to related books for our Moth Week celebration.