Reviews (1)

great book, for 4 to 6 year olds
My kids can't get enough trucks, truck books, construction videos... you get the idea. We've read practically everything out there for toddlers, which is all pretty much the same - loaders, cranes, backhoes, loaders, cranes, backhoes. Frankly, they've advanced beyond simple descriptions of machines. So it was refreshing to find this book which is loaded with information about how a tall building is built. It tells the story from start to finish, from the surveyors at the beginning, the welders in the middle, the utility workers at the end and lots of machines throughout. One caveat: this is NOT a "baby-preschool" book. It is really for 4 - 6 year olds (possibly even older) or preschoolers who are ready to jump a level of sophistication. For example, it explains the difference between the live load and the dead load that the building must support, and why steel frames allow people to build so high. Lots of big words are used without introduction, like architect and pyramid. My almost 4-year-olds get it, but they wouldn't have a year ago. If you are looking for a different type of construction book, or need to provide your young child with new, more advanced construction info, this will fit the bill. ... Read more

Book Description

Maria's wish burns as brightly as a star.

Maria longs to be an astronomer and imagines all the strange worlds she can travel to by looking though her papa's telescope. One night Maria gets her chance to look through the telescope. For the first time, she sees the night sky stretching endlessly above her, and her dream of exploring constellations seems close enough to touch.

In this story, inspired by the life of Maria Mitchell, America's first woman astronomer, "viewers will find the cobalt-blue nights, lit with constellations that make imaginary (and actual) pictures in the sky, every bit as attractive as Maria does." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great for astronomy units!
The first grade classes at our school read MARIA's COMET then went on a field trip to a planetarium. This book really enriched the factual part of the lesson, and helped the students think about all the people in the past who have looked up at the stars in wonder and curiosity. Highly recommended!

What an inspiring book!
I got this book for my daughter, who loves to look at the stars. It's inspiring to read about a girl who pursued her dream of being a scientist at a time when such careers weren't open to women.

A beautiful and inspiring book
This is the kind of book I wish I'd read as a child. The art makes you think you are back in time, and the story reminds me of how important childhood dreams can be. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A wonderful treat!
Beautiful, whimsical pictures, a strong, sympathetic hero and a charming, inventive tale about science and imagination make this a wondeful book for children, and a lot of fun for adults! The Man in the Moon playing his pale violin will become an icon for those who read this as children - this has the makings of a classic. ... Read more

Book Description

Bbrrr! Slam! Kar-oom! What's all that noise? It's a building going up!Ready to excavate? Then come join the crews of workersas they construct a new office building from bottom to top. Brightly colored, profusely labeled cut-paper pictures introduce readers to the various parts of each fascinating machine, while the playful text explains all the action! The many stages of this big and important job will delight every child who has ever been mesmerized by a bulldozer, dump truck, excavator, cement mixer or crawler crane. ... Read more

Book Description

A hot, dry desert. A tired, thirsty crow. A tall pitcher of water. Think you know the story? Think again! In her reinterpretation of Aesop’s classic fable of perseverance, Stephanie Gwyn Brown guides readers through all six steps of the scientific method—from question to communication—with Crow as the model scientist. But it takes a strong work ethic and a series of comic attempts before he invents a way to bring the water to a life-saving drinking level. Readers are ultimately invited into Crow’s laboratory, where they learn much more than just a moral to the story. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Unique and delightful retelling of an old favorite.
Illustrations and text form a delightful combination for this unusual retelling of a favorite Aesop fable. Your child or class will get a special perspective by reading this scientific solution to the crow's problem "how to get a drink of water." Complete with drawings, charts and side panels a thorough explanation is given for this unique science experiment. Read it as a picture book or look carefully into every detail of the experiment, either way you will find plenty to enjoy and chuckle over. Grades K-4 ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

When Madge Bettany decides to start a school in the Austrian Alps, little does she realize how such a small idea will so completely change her life. Now, in this classic series of books, first PUBLISHER in the 1920s, join the Chalet School's first pupil, Joey Bettany, as she forges strong bonds of friendship with girls from Europe and America. Independent, intelligent, resourceful, and bold--the girls of Chalet School make each new term and adventure. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A really fun Chalet book
The Chalet Girls in Camp follows the Chalet School during the summer break, when they go camping with their Guide patrol (similar to Girl Scout camp or Campfire Girls in the US). The adventures that happen in this book are referred to humorously throughout future books; The middles get into trouble as usual, Joey falls into a pit and they pull up something very odd from the bottom of the lake.... Old girls Juliet Carrick and Grizel Cochrane come back to help with the Guide camp before going to start the school at the Sonnalpe, so it's nice to see them again before they become official mistresses and while they still act like schoolgirls. A great book. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (14)

My Class Loves Gotta Go!
I am a kindergartener from Morgan Hill, CA. My uncle, who lives in New York City, gave me the book and I loved it so much I brought it to school for Reading Day. He's helping (making) me write this. So far it has been our all-time favorite book of the year, all the kids in my class can't wait to take it home to read it to their brothers and sisters and their parents and grandparents. My teacher loved it so much that she has ordered several copies for our school library. I'd like to give Gotta Go! Gotta Go! 100 stars but for some reason that wasn't a choice. My parents took me to see the Monarch butterflies near the beach and they were dancing in the sky just like in the book. It was very exciting.

Gotta Get! Gotta Get!
This book is wonderful! The illustrations are superb and the book simply draws in the young listener. The book is suitable for ages 4 and up, and is the best book for young nature lovers that explains simply the lifecycle of the caterpillar. This book easily compares to the Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, but is much more suitable for the pre-school and early elementary age child. It is better than books describing the Monarch butterfly, as the illustrations are just incredible. A must buy for the nature lover in all kids! Gotta Get! Gotta Get!

Cute as a bug
This is a simple and charming story of a caterpiller with an urge to travel to Mexico. Her neighboring animals tease her (it's too far), but she recedes into her cocoon, emerging as a beautiful monarch butterfly, and proves them all wrong by flying south.

The story has a winsome sing-song refrain ("I gotta go, I gotta go, I gotta go to Mexico!") that children will love, and simple engaging line drawings. I'm impressed that the basic science in the story is accurately presented - the stages of the butterfly's life, its migration, its mating (gingerly and sweetly handled as a "dance" between butterflies) and its eventual return home.

My daughter loved this so much we donated a copy to her pre-school, where they watch monarch butterflies hatch in a terrarium every year. A big hit with the 3-to-5-crowd!

Great!
This is one of the best children's books I have read in a long time...my kid's love hearing it and I don't tire of reading it again and again....

Wonderful because it tells a true 'nature story' in such a whimsical way.

Factual, entertaining... what more could you want?
Gotta' Go, Gotta' Go is a wonderful book about a monarch caterpillar and his lifelong "journey." I am a nature center director and we use this book to teach about the magnificent monarch migration. The book is entertaining, fun to read out loud, and best of all, factual.

Eric Carle's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is a cute book, but he did us all a disservice when he wrote that butterflies come out of cocoons. Butterflies hatch out of chrysalis, moths hatch out of cocoons. This book by Sam Swope has the correct information.

You'll love it, your kids will love it, and your kid's science teachers will love it when your child already knows one of the major differences between butterflies and moths. ... Read more

Book Description

Did you know that an eighth-grader from New Jersey invented the snowboard? Or that the inventor of the trampoline demonstrated his invention by bouncing with a kangaroo? Would you believe that the first effective vacuum cleaner was the size of a refrigerator? This book is packed with fifty incredible stories about how things we now take for granted came to be. Perfect for trivia fans of all ages, The Kid Who Invented the Trampoline has a hip retro look and is illustrated with fabulous old-time advertisements and photos. You'll never look at a toilet or a TV the same way again! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Inventions Galore.....
Have you ever wondered how all those simple inventions, you know, the ones we use everyday and often take for granted, came about? Well fortunately for us, Don Wulffson has always "wanted to know" and has taken the time to research, and compile a fascinating book about the origins of fifty common inventions, many that we use everyday. Find out who invented Post-it Notes, toilet paper, napkins, and the pencil eraser. Or maybe you've always wanted to know how ketchup came about, or hair coloring, deodorant, the toothbrush, or even the vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. Well now you have the opportunity to find out. Each short chaper is written in an easy to read, conversational style, and is chock full of historical information, fun facts, and trivia, including photographs, old advertisements, sidebars, and fact bubbles, to grab your attention, and enhance learning. Perfect for youngsters 9 and older, The Kid Who Invented The Trampoline is a book that whets the appetite, and peaks one's interest, and once your kids start reading, it's a book they just won't want to put down. So find out who invented the birthday cake, and the Happy Birthday song, and enjoy!

Will delight any young fan of odd facts
This leisure read will delight any young fan of odd facts - and plenty an adult reader. From a New Jersey 8th grader who invented the snowboard to Jules Leotard - who was in love with his image, and the invention of catsup by the Chinese, this delightful compendium for kids covers many a common item and provides delightful facts in a lively photo-embellished presentation. ... Read more

Book Description

Corgan, hero of the Virtual War, has been living a blissful, if placid, life on the Isles of Hiva, his reward for winning the War with Sharla and Brig. But what he doesn't know is that Brig died soon after the War, and yet is not truly gone. Sharla had saved some of Brig's DNA and has created clone-twins with it. Corgan's world is disrupted when Sharla brings one of the clone-twins, Seabrig, to him to raise on the island, while she keeps the other, Brigand, with her in the Domed City.

However, when circumstances force Sharla to bring Brigand to the island, they find that while the boys might look identical, their temperaments are not. And, as a result of the cloning process, both boys are growing at an astonishing rate. This leaves Corgan alone with an increasingly dangerous and unstable Brigand -- who is looking to get rid of Corgan once and for all! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Try i want to read the next one!!!!!!
I have read Virtual War and The Clones and until I read these books I never really was interested in science fiction, but now I have started reading more of it. I loved both of the books I couldn't put them down, my whole school loved the books. Now I'm waiting with increasing excitement to read The Revolt, I am going to read it the first day it comes out . These books are great even if your not sure about science fiction you should try them

I love this book
I thought that I had every good book our high school library had to offer, but as I was scanning the shelves those bright, bold letters poppped out at me, THE CLONES , it immidiatly piqued my interest and when I started to read it I couldn't
put it down. The mystery, the action, the romance. This is a very good book and I highly recommend it for anyone who even slightly likes science fiction. my only complaint is that the ending is a cliffhanger. Monday morning I am going back to my library to find the third book!

Brigand or Seabrig-- Which will survive?
Second in a planned series, the author takes us to the Island of Hiva, where battle hero Corgan now lives. His friend and former companion Sharla comes to the island with a surprise-the cloned baby of their friend Brig, who died soon after the war. As a result of Sharla's genetic research, cloned twin infants are growing at a whirlwind rate, maturing years in a matter of weeks. Despite their identical features, Corgan soon realizes their dispositions are quite different. When Seabrig, the twin he is raising, loses a hand in a swimming accident, Corgan can't overcome the terrible feeling that Sharla's twin, Brigand, did it on purpose. Whatever the outcome Brigand desired, it seems to have backfired when he is left on the island with Corgan, whom he sees as a rival for Sharla's affection.

Welcome back, Corgan and Sharla
I met Corgan, Sharla and Brig in the Virtual War. As a grandparent and teacher I always look for good science fiction. The Clones can be read as a stand alone since Gloria Skurzynski fills in the backstory. Good fast moving tale that took me back to the doomed city. Gave my copy to my grandson. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Cut-no-corners discussions of hot-button issues
Written by ALA Notable book author Dale Carlson, In And Out Of Your Mind: Teen Science Human Bites presents scientific ethical and moral dilemmas in layman's language that any young reader (our older reader for that matter!) can understand. Written especially for teenagers and young adults, yet very relevant to anyone pondering the problems of science and the limits of humans, In and Out of Your Mind discusses evolution, physics, the brain, DNA, environment, and most importantly, the ethics of modern-day medicine, genetics, and how humans are treating the biosphere. An ideal addition to school and community library collections, In And Out Of Your Mind offers frank, cut-no-corners discussions of hot-button issues that will shape the future of the world.

'Voice of Youth Advocates' library magazine says:
"In eleven chapters divided into three main sections--Where Are We From?,Where Are We Now?, and Where Are We Going?--Carlson explains the scientific view point on the origins of life, cosmology, genetics, intelligence, bioethics, and the environment in terms that teens (and any nonscientific person) can understand...She passionately defends evolution and animal rights...and challenges her readers with questions to make them think...she succeeds in making science more understandable...

School Library Journal says:
"Contemplating the connectivity of the universe, atoms, physics, and other scientific wonders is heady stuff.Add human beings and their biology, philosophies, foibles, successes, ecology, and ethics (or lack of) to the mix, and the result is this oddly titled yet thought-provoking guide.Carlson delves into the mysteries of Earth and outer and inner space in an approachable way...Black-and-white drawings are informational and often humorous, which adds appeal, as does the quirky cover of a teen dressed as a cave man, playing guitar and crooning to the cosmos.A glossary and bibliography round out the book.-- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

The Book Reader says:
"DALE CARLSON HAS WRITTEN OVER 50 BOOKS, AND SHE IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO OPENING UP YOUNG...MINDS...A GREAT IDEA OF A GIFT FOR THE TEENAGER WHO WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THE REAL WORLD OF MODERN SCIENCE...The psychological wisdom of Carlson makes this a sophisticated survey that's very easy to read...'It's not what others tell yoU, but what conclusions you come to based on abundant information and common sense,'she says.Carlson grapples intelligently and passionately with such difficult topics as drugs, science, ethics, ecology, and the physical universe."-- THE BOOK READER

The Book Reader says:
"DALE CARLSON HAS WRITTEN OVER 50 BOOKS, AND SHE IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO OPENING UP YOUNG...MINDS...A GREAT IDEA OF A GIFT FOR THE TEENAGER WHO WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THE REAL WORLD OF MODERN SCIENCE...The psychological wisdom of Carlson makes this a sophisticated survey that's very easy to read...'It's not what others tell yoU, but what conclusions you come to based on abundant information and common sense,'she says.Carlson grapples intelligently and passionately with such difficult topics as drugs, science, ethics, ecology, and the physical universe."-- THE BOOK READER ... Read more

Book Description

Looking suspiciously like toddlers in "feety" pajamas, these inquisitive bunnies launch their rockets and zoom away. Measuring comets and gathering moondust is nothing compared to floating weightless and meeting the three-eared bunnies from another planet! But no matter where astro bunnies roam, they will always come back home, especially when it's time to snuggle down for the night. A lilting, refreshing alternative to earthbound bedtime books, this new collaboration features art by an award-winning artist who has an uncanny ability to create the most sophisticated, childlike world you've ever seen. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

astro bunnies are go!
I could not resist a book titled Astro Bunnies, and I'm not disappointed either. What a delightful book, about intrepid bunnies who see a star and want to go there. They climb into their space suits and proceed to their rocket ships. Once in space, they "measure comets, chart the weather/gather moondust from a crater, scientists can study later." What I like about this book is its simplicity for a baby (perhaps 8 or 9 months) as well as some thoughtful concepts for the older child. You can sing the rhymes to the song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or read them as is. The artwork is fun, humorous, and charming, almost 50s minimalist. An excellent book for your youngster.

A very enjoyable bedtime story!
I'm writing as a collector of kids space books and I have to say that this is one of the best space stories I have seen in quite a while. It has great rhymes and terrific artwork and is just a wonderful story for bedtime. I've already purchased two for my nephews! Ora and Christine, my thanks to you for a wonderful book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Australian Students Teacher's Reveiw
A great childrens' book - really encourages discussion about the pictures vs the text.( the crabs are having their own parties and hiding from the people!) Beautiful art work and simple meaning for 4-8's. I'll be buyingthis for sure (when i find it! ) ... Read more

Book Description

Why do some things float and others sink?
Does a small, wide container hold more water than a tall, thin one?
How can you make a toy boat that floats sink to the bottom of a bathtub?

Let's Try It Out

Let's Try It Out in the Water contains fun-filled activities that encourage young children to use familiar and safe objects found in their homes or classrooms to make observations about the world around them. Whether guessing how much water fills up a bathtub, or pretending to be searching for sunken treasure, children will be entertained while they begin to learn important and basic science concepts.

In this innovative new series for young children, acclaimed science writer Seymour Simon and Nicole Fauteux encourage children to think about the world around them by engaging kids in fun and simple activities. Each bookcontains tips for parents and caregivers on how to create positive learning experiences for even the littlest of scientists.

Charming and lively illustrations by New York Times best-selling illustrator, Doug Cushman, ensures that the Let's Try It Out series is as much fun to look at as it is to try out! ... Read more