Good Reads: Science Books for Children

All of the books below (both fiction and non-fiction) have been approved by the National Science Teachers Association and would be great books for your child to read. All of the book descriptions come from Amazon.com, and by clicking on the title of each book you will be directed to that book's page on Amazon.com. 

1) A Mother's Journey, by Sandra Markle 

With evocative watercolor-and-ink images, this beautiful picture-book tribute to female emperor penguins plunges children into the harsh icy landscape and frigid waters of Antarctica, home to the penguins. The understated, lyrical text follows a young mother penguin as she lays her first egg and then, leaving her mate to tend it, joins the other females as they travel for five days to reach the pack ice and food. Once there, she swims day after day, swallowing her fill of fish and watching for dangerous seals and hunters. In all, she travels 930 miles on a zigzag course until the beginning of August, when instinct tells her it's time to return to her mate and the egg's hatching.

2) A Platypus, Probably, by Sneed B. Collard III

 This informational picture book introduces the platypus, which lives only in Australia, and describes the physical characteristics and behaviors of this unusual animal. Comparing its appearance in water to that of a lizard and a beaver, Collard explains that the platypus is a toothless, egg-bearing mammal that lives in and around streams, burrows in the earth for a safe place to sleep and bear young, and finds its food by sensing electricity in the bodies of its animal prey.

3) African Critters, by Robert Haas 

With a dramatic first-person narrative and close-up photography that brings kids into the thick of the action, National Geographic photographer Robert B. Haas gives us a rare glimpse into the struggles for survival in the African wilderness. We accompany him in his jeep, camera primed and ready to react. With stories and photographs that portray actual events, we wait patiently to spot leopard cubs coming out of their cave to play; we are charged by protective adult elephants who surround a new-born; we move side-by-side with a clan of wild dogs as they hunt impalas.

4)  Alien Deep: Revealing the Mysterious Living World at the Bottom of the Ocean, by Bradley Hague 

Alien Deep outshines the competition by following a recent, specific deepwater exploration that illuminates new knowledge about our oceans. Following alongside a current expedition, Alien Deep will enable children to observe the processes involved in marine exploration. As scientists delve into the mysterious depths of the ocean, children will be able to witness the excitement of scientific exploration and discovery through enriching text and stunning photography. By describing a recent exploration, children will be able to read and see the new methods and technology that oceanographers use to conduct research.

5)  Bananas! by Jacqueline Farmer

You've heard of coffee-table books. Well, this is the perfect breakfast-table book. While you are munching your morning meal, pore over the pages of Bananas! and start your day with some surprising facts. Did you know that bananas don't grow on trees? The banana plant, which can reach 30 feet high in a single year, does not have a woody trunk. The plant is really the world's largest herb! This book discusses many aspects of the banana, including its ancient history, how it grows and how it was displayed as a curiosity at the U.S. Centennial Exhibition in 1876 (where Alexander Graham Bell introduced the telephone). Don't forget to enjoy a banana as you read.

6) Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein, by Don Brown

This well-crafted picture-book biography focuses on Einstein's hard-to-classify brilliance, which led to awesome scientific discoveries, but all too often left him a misunderstood outsider. Brown describes his subject's loving, cultured parents who were frequently nonplussed by their son's behavior and temper. He found himself the "odd boy" at school, and as the only Jewish student, was sometimes taunted by other children. He puzzled his instructors as well; though clearly gifted in science, math, and music, he was an indifferent student in most subjects. This book will pique the interest of readers with little or no knowledge of Einstein.

7) The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, by Mordicai Gerstein

 As this story opens, French funambulist Philippe Petit is dancing across a tightrope tied between two trees to the delight of the passersby in Lower Manhattan. Gerstein places him in the middle of a balancing act, framed by the two unfinished World Trade Center towers when the idea hits: "He looked not at the towers, but at the space between them and thought, what a wonderful place to stretch a rope-." On August 7, 1974, Petit and three friends, posing as construction workers, began their evening ascent from the elevators to the remaining stairs with a 440-pound cable and equipment, prepared to carry out their clever but dangerous scheme to secure the wire. 

8) The Heart: Our Circulatory System, by Seymour Simon  

Simon presents a clear and thorough a look at the human circulatory system as he has at so many other subjects. With the aid of computer-enhanced photographs taken with an electron microscope, Simon explains the system of blood vessels, the role of blood, lungs, and the heart, and a few of the problems which can develop in the circulatory system. At times he uses familiar references to make a point, explaining, for example, that the heart weighs only "about ten ounces, about as much as one of your sneakers." The text, layout, diagrams, and photographs work together to make an eye-catching and useful book.

9)  The Constellations: Stars & Stories, by Chris Sasaki

Beginning with an introduction to stargazing and how to read star maps, the author relates how figures and creatures came to be represented in the patterns called constellations. The 88 alphabetical entries are often a page in length and are accompanied by large, sometimes full-page illustrations. The descriptions include information about the myths behind the patterns and note where and when it is best to view them. Some of the entries include bits of information on the scientist(s) who "invented" the constellation, how the pattern has changed over time, and occasional trivia. The images of the constellations, outlined in light blue with white star points against dark blue backgrounds, add essential information and visual interest to the text. The text font is large and easy to read. This volume will serve the needs of those interested in astronomy.

10) Somewhere in the World Right Now, by Stacy Schuett 

What's happening around the world when it is one o'clock a.m. in England? Lots! Exploring this fascinating concept, this story takes children around the world to show what's going on at the exact same moment in other areas. A time-zone map on the endpapers, which includes the times and names of places shown in the pictures, allows readers to follow the action around the globe. Schuett's illustrations, each overlaid onto a map, capture the mystery of early morning hours on the plains of Kenya, the freshness of a new day dawning in India, and the subtle humor of a dog running off with a worker's lunch in Russia at noon. Her story takes readers through busy cities and family homes, rainforests and swampland, exploring all varieties of settings. A book that is perfect for sparking an interest in geography, emphasizing the amazing concept that at the same moment we are getting ready to sleep, other people are starting a new day.