Tag: STEM Friday

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#Cybils Picture Book Biographies: Fabre’s Small Wonders

For STEM Friday we have a picture book biography that was nominated for a 2015 Cybils award in the Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction category.

Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre and His World of Insects by Matthew Clark Smith and illustrated by Giuliano Ferri delves deeply into the life of one of the first naturalists who explored the insect world with a scientific eye and at the same time wrote with the goal of sharing his insights not only with colleagues, but also with essays written for regular people.

Potential authors thinking of writing a picture book biography would do well to study the story arc of this book. Rather than following strict chronological order, Smith starts out by creating an air of mystery around the eccentric old man who lives in a small village in France. He then flashes back to the man’s childhood and his intense curiosity in the natural world around him. Using rich descriptive language, Smith captures Fabre’s fascination with the “small wonders” around him. Circling back, Smith finishes with Fabre as an elderly man again, now receiving great honors for his life’s work.

The rich, lush illustrations are delightful, with insects to find and discuss in every one.

Although touted for ages 6-9, the text of this book is a bit heavy for the average picture book biography reader, and probably should be read by an adult. Appearances aside, it might be more appropriate as a read alone for the middle grades.

Small Wonders will intrigue budding naturalists, particularly entomologists. It might also appeal to almost anyone who felt at times that they don’t really fit in.

Find a related post at Growing with Science blog.

Age Range: 6 – 9 years
Publisher: Two Lions (May 12, 2015)
ISBN-10: 1477826327
ISBN-13: 978-1477826324

Picture book biographies

Monday: Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine
Tuesday: Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews
Wednesday: Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton
Thursday:  Growing Up Pedro

Disclosures: This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at not extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.

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Promoting STEM and Writing With The Trouble With Ants

Are you looking for a middle-grade realistic fiction title that promotes STEM?  The Nora Notebooks, Book 1: The Trouble with Ants by Claudia Mills and illustrated by Katie Kath is a complex, multi-layered story that encourages children – particularly girls – to take an interest in science, while at the same time helping young readers understand some of the challenges of life more deeply. It is also an excellent tool for teaching the persuasive essay.

The best books are multi-layered, with the capacity to give different messages to different readers, or even to the same reader over time when reading the book again. The Trouble with Ants is one of the those books.

Layer One: Myrmecology (The Study of Ants) and STEM

Nora, the main character, is a 10-year-old budding myrmecologist with an ant farm and a passion for studying ants. The text is sprinkled with scientific facts about ants and also reveals basics about how scientists work. For example, Nora reveals that her mother specializes in studying only Saturn’s rings, not other planets or even the planet Saturn. In another part, Nora’s dad explains to her how scientists publish their work in scientific journals, something youngsters probably have no inkling about.

Layer Two:  Boys Versus Girls

In a fourth grade stereotype, boys and girls tend to keep separate from one another. In this book, the relationships are more realistic. Nora and Amy are platonic friends with Brody and Mason. Dunk is a boy who likes Emma, but shows his interest in immature ways, which leads to conflict. The insights into human behavior are likely to help some readers understand their peers better.

Layer Three:  Dealing with Crushed Expectations

At one point Nora has some very high and unrealistic expectations, and without revealing details, her hopes are crushed. How she deals with this blow and some unexpected successes, show that life sometimes takes unexpected directions.

Layer Four:  The Persuasive Essay and Writing in General

This book would be an excellent choice for teaching the persuasive essay. It includes full examples of persuasive essays written in the voices of different students.

The book also encourages writing practice. The main character keeps a journal where she writes down her thoughts and facts about ants. Other tips about writing are gently included, such as leading an essay with a question to spark interest.

Other Threads:

The story carries multiple threads, such as references to taking care of different kinds of pets, popular culture in the form of cat videos, and even a gentle introduction to the topic of death.

With all that layering, however, The Trouble with Ants is still a coherent and entertaining story, complete with foreshadowing and rising conflict. Kudos to author and philosophy professor Claudia Mills for pulling off the difficult feat of creating such an intricate work!

In fact, I was so impressed with The Trouble with Ants that I nominated it for a Cybils in the Middle Grade fiction category.  Hand a copy to a young reader today and see what messages they discover in it.

Related:

Be sure to visit Growing with Science Blog for ant science activities and Wild About Ants for some entertaining Kids’ Questions about Ants.

Looking for more information? Try our list of children’s books about ants at Science Books for Kids.

Age Range: 7 – 10 years
Grade Level: 2 – 5
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (September 22, 2015)
ISBN-10: 0385391617
ISBN-13: 978-0385391610

Disclosures: This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at not extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.

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Something Stinks: STEM Can Be Fiction, Too

When we think of promoting STEM books for kids, we usually think of nonfiction. Fiction can play a role as well, however, especially for the middle-grade reader.

In the middle-grade novel Something Stinks! by Gail Hedrick the main character, Emily, is an aspiring writer who finds out that science can help answer tough questions.

A lot of things change during middle school. Emily is discovering that her friends are looking and behaving in unexpected ways, and she isn’t sure how to react. On top of that, piles of fish are dying in the river near her uncle and aunt’s farm, and Emily wants to know why. Is it run off from local farms, pesticides from a nearby golf course, or pollutants from a local factory that are causing the fish to die? Will she be able to solve the mystery without getting into trouble and losing all her friends?

This is the type of book that is likely to inspire readers who might otherwise avoid STEM to give it a chance because it reveals how science can have important real-world applications. At the same time the characters are not hardcore science whizzes, but kids who many middle-grade readers will find easy to recognize, with problems that are relatable.

The waters are not always smooth as author sets up the characters and their conflicts in the beginning of the book. Once the story was underway, however, it becomes a compelling page turner.  In fact, Something Stinks! was chosen by the National Science Teachers Association – Children’s Book Council’s Outstanding Science Committee as an Outstanding Science Trade Book in 2014.

Want to encourage a middle grade reader to appreciate science? Give Something Stinks! a try.

  • Age Range: 9 – 12 years
  • Paperback: 183 pages
  • Publisher: Tumblehome Learning, Inc. (April 1, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0985000899
  • ISBN-13: 978-0985000899

Disclosure: This book was provided electronically for review. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.

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Two Books about Plants for Young Kids

Today we are going to look at two children’s books about plants that cover the same material in different ways.

The Common Core Standards suggest introducing plant concepts in PreK and Kindergarten. Some of these include:

  • Understanding plants are living things.
  • Understanding plants have structures: root, stem, branch, leaf, flower, fruit, and seeds.
  • Understanding each plant structure has functions. For example, roots support the plant, and take in water and food.
  • Being able to describe the life cycle, starting with plants grow from seeds.
  • Realizing plants need water, sunlight and nutrients (food) to grow.
  • Understanding plants are important to our world for many reasons, including the fact they provide food, clothes and shelter.

All About Roots (All About Plants) by Claire Throp

As part of the All About Plants series, All About Roots is an informational beginning reader that presents the concepts in a logical and straightforward way. It uses carefully controlled vocabulary and short, clear sentences. It is illustrated with high quality color photographs, most that focus on different kinds of roots. The text emphasizes plant structures and their functions.

The best part about All About Roots is in the back matter. There is a note for parents and teachers with suggestions for activities to do before reading and follow up discussion questions after reading. These are great ways to reinforce learning.

Other books in the series include All About Flowers, All About Leaves, and All About Seeds.

Age Range: 4 – 6 years
Publisher: Heinemann (July 1, 2014)
ISBN-10: 148460508X
ISBN-13: 978-1484605080

A complimentary book to read for the same age group is Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell.

The first thing the reader notices about this book is the brightly colored-pencil-and-gouache illustrations, starting with the cover. The second is that the illustrations are filled with a lively selection of smiling children with a diversity of looks. The presence of children throughout the book draw readers in by making them feel like they are part of the action.

Another factor that draws readers in is the story is told in the first person by a young boy. The very first line is: “I am a plant eater.” The use of the first person is unusual for informational books like this, but it works well.

Although the plant structures are labelled and named, the main thrust of this book is that plants provide us with food. Like All About Roots, the sentences are short and use a controlled vocabulary, making it perfect for those beginning to read.

Plants Feed Me is a nonfiction book that is likely to appeal to a wide variety of young readers. It is a must have for a beginning unit on plants and it would pair well with All About Roots.

Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Holiday House (January 30, 2015)
ISBN-10: 0823433072
ISBN-13: 978-0823433070

Looking for more books about plants for children? Be sure to visit our growing list of gardening and plant science books for kids, as well as our list of children’s books about seeds.

Disclosure: All About Roots was provided by the publisher for review. Plants Feed Me was from the library. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.