Magic School Bus & Climate Change

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge     Joanna Cole   Scholastic 2010

One notable feature of the older Magic School Bus books is the sheer amount of detailed density that appears on each page. Oftentimes this format would get too busy, and it would take on the characteristics of an Eye Spy book in its busyness. Under such circumstances, it is easy for the reader to get bogged down.

This title is sparser in layout, and I would count that as a strength. It is still chock full of information, yet it is far more accessible. Additionally, it is substantially easier to adapt into a read aloud.

This book retains the examples of Frizzle’s students’ “notes” and “reports”. Not only do they model the research process for the reader, but they also provide information on the topic in a way that does not interrupt the narrative of the story.

When Ms. Frizzle brings an old book about the Earth to the class, they notice that it is out of date. Ms. Frizzle then takes the class on a field trip around the Earth in order to update the information in the book. In short, they are cross checking their sources. Additionally, as the readers take in the “student work” interspersed in the book, they are gathering “additional sources” as well.

As the students journey, they see the impacts of global warming throughout the Earth. They then investigate the causes of climate change. There is also a section that shows how various (both standard and alternative) electric generators work.

The book ends with ideas and suggestions that kids can use to help remedy the situation.

Earthquakes: Witness to Disaster

Earthquakes: Witness to Disaster    National Geographic      2009

This book opens with a fantastic presentation of the 1964 earthquake and tsunami that features dramatic photos and eyewitness testimony. These elements are put together in a way that lends a sense of immediacy and urgency to the narrative.

The following chapter starts with a treatment of early beliefs about the causes of earthquakes, and then extends into a presentation of earthquake science.

The next chapter presents famous earthquakes throughout history.

All of the above is presented in an attractive and informative format that is accessible and informative. Additionally, on a local note, you get two eyewitness accounts of the 89 SF earthquake – one from a driver on the Bay Bridge, and the other from the Goodyear Blimp pilot who was covering the World Series game at the time of the quake. (p38)

I like this book for the above reasons, and I think it can be a valuable resource.

However, I must take umbrage with this book on one important point. There is a chapter titled “Predicting and Preparing For Earthquakes”. Do notice the word order and emphasis in this title. It simply overstates, overreaches, and over sells in its claims.

The fact remains that we can not predict earthquakes.

The chapter starts with detailing cues that can be used to “predict” earthquakes, and it goes on to state this case in detail for several pages before getting around to quoting an actual seismologist -  “No one knows if we ever will be able to consistently predict eathquakes.”  It is only after this that the book talks about how to minimize the death and destruction caused by earthquakes. The quasi-fanciful takes precedence over the concrete and practical in this chapter.

This is simply shoddy, and indicative of the sensationalism that often pervades the presentation of scientific topics in books aimed at an elementary audience. By no means is this type of presentation limited to this age group or format. A cursory glance at the way science topics are often covered in the news media will readily confirm this.

We must remain vigilant. National Geographic is a trusted and venerable source, yet even they are susceptable to emphasizing the sensational over the scientific. In short, we must evaluate our sources critically, and not have blind faith in a particular publisher or name. 

Mummies: Ew, Gross!

Mummies: Dried, Tanned,Sealed, Drained, Frozen, Embalmed, Stuffed, Wrapped, and Smoked… and We’re Dead Serious     By Christopher Sloan  National Geographic 2010

Eww, Gross!

And that is precisely the point. This book grabs the reader with vivid photos of a delightfully macabre nature. Eleven ways to mummify people are explored in this volume as the book provides details of famous mummies. The mummies discussed in the book are from all over the world, and they span different time periods.

Accidential mummies are also covered in this book, and it is interesting to juxtapose the natural and man made process that create mummies. Because of the tremendous diversity of mummies that are covered, the reader is sure to find types of mummies and mummification processes that were previously unfamiliar.

In the back, there is a useful timeline of mummies through the ages and a map of the world that displays the locations and dates for mummies.

Once again, I must emphasize that this book is quite gross, yet it is very informative – maybe just the thing to pull in some of your reluctant readers.

Upper elementary only, and please consider your audience in any case. Some of the photos are quite scary looking indeed.

Everything Rocks & Minerals

National Geographic Kids Everything Rocks And Minerals      2011

As expected in a National Geographic product, this book features striking photos. The approach, however, is scattershot and eclectic. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing., however. 

Students’ curiosity about a topic often follows an eclectic approach, and at the same time, there is still much in the book that can be used for focused study on the subject

Igneous rock, metamorphic rock, sedimentary rock, and the rock cycle – each gets an eye pooping 2 page spread that is rendered in infographic style. These presentations are both attractive and informative, and they contain a nice amount of content. There is also a great spread that compares raw materials to finished products.

There is a short section at the end that provides hands on activities for students.  They are making “fossils”, panning for gold, and making crystals.

The afterword features a quick blurb about responsible stewardship of the environment.

Other notable features include a world map that show the distribution of resources that we gather from rocks, a diagram of a NY street scene that shows all of the uses of rocks and rock related resources that appear in the photo.

Additionally, this book encourages readers to take an expansive view in considering the resources that we obtain from rocks, as well as the rocks themselves. This conception includes the metals that we use, as well as energy sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas.

Panorama: A Fold Out Book

Panorama: A Fold Out Book       Fani Marceau & Joelle Jolivet

Abrams Books For Young Readers 2007

This is a very impressive book that illustrates habitats around the world through gorgeous woodcut style art. The edges of each panel shares some commonalities with its adjacent neighbors. The result blends together seamlessly, yet each panel shows a distinct location in the world.

There is a huge variety of habitats and localities depicted in the 18 accordian style panels that comprise this book. When completely unfurled, the book extends to 15 feet. As you can imagine, this book makes an impressive read aloud. The effect is always sensational.

I find this book ideal for introducing different habitats to students, especially in conjunction with classroom study of the topic. One can use the art to tease out some of  fundamental similarities of different parts of the world in terms of types of habitats. Additionally, the art allows opportunities to share background knowledge while simultaneously gleaning new details.

Once all of the panels have been unfurled, you can flip the entire structure around in order to show what each location looks like at night.

This book is extremely sparse in terms of text. It has about the same proportion of text to image as you would find with photos and their captions. Therefore, it is not intended to provide depth and detail. It does excel, however, as an introduction for younger students, and it makes a fantastic read aloud. 

I use this book for grades K-3