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 Frizzle brings an old book about the Earth to the class, they notice that it is out of date.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.

Tornado!

Tornado! The Story Behind These Twisting, Turning, Spinning and Spiraling Storms

National Geographic 2011

Fantastic photos. They are absolutely stunning in their ability to convey the extent of damage and the degree of devastation that tornados can cause.

I also appreciate the fact that the authors conducted fresh interviews of tornado survivors and witnesses in their research for this book. These eyewitness accounts are heavily featured in the book’s excellent treatment of the devastating tornado in Greenburg, Kansas.

The chapter on tornado science is very well put together. There is an excellent infographic type diagram that details how tornadoes are created. It is simultaneously uncluttered, yet dense in information.

This style of infographic is regularly interspersed with the text . Not only does it offer access to the information through various modalities, but it also keeps the straight text relatively uncluttered, and thus, more accessible.

The treatment of the Greenburg tornado takes up the entire first chapter. It is covered extensively as a way to introduce readers to many of the common characteristics of tornadoes.

The coverage of other devastating tornadoes is not as extensive as the Greenville section, yet it is still well done and full of information.

Big Irony:

National Geographic also does a series called “Witness to Disaster” that implies that there will be a great density of eyewitness accounts in its treatment of natural disasters. However, the eyewitness accounts contained in that series of books are sporadic and rather sparse.

 

In comparison, this book features a much greater amount of interviews and accounts than the “Witness” titles, despite the fact that its title contains no implied promise of such an emphasis.

A Warmer World: Climate Change & Wildlife

A Warmer World: From Polar Bears to Butterfies, How Climate Change Affects Wildlife

By Caroline Arnold         Illustrated by Jamie Hogan    Published in 2012    32 Pages


This may be the most accessible book on global warming that I have seen. The layout is attractive, concise, and full of information.

The book provides information on how climate change impacts the earth. From there, it details specific examples of the adverse effects that global warming has already had on wildlife. The treatment is well done and presented with lots of engaging examples. There is also a glossary and reference list included.

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival

By Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery
Illustrated by Jean Cassels
2008
32 pages

The "two Bobbies" are a cat and a dog, both survivors of Hurricane Katrina.They were able to survive because they had each other to depend on. This is a great way to introduce the topic of hurricanes to younger students, while also discussing the meaning of friendship.

Additionally, there are some fascinating dimensions to this story. After the two Bobbies were rescued, it was discovered that Bob cat was blind. The dog acted as a seeing eye dog for the cat in the weeks that they wandered New Orleans. After their rescue, their owners could not be found, so the two Bobbies were featured on Anderson Cooper 360. Their story was told to a national audience, and the show was swamped with requests to adopt the animals. They currently live in Oregon.

There is an actual photo of the two Bobbies in the back of the book. The kids love seeing it at the conclusion of a read aloud.