Secrets of Sound by April Pulley Sayre

by April Pulley Sayre (Suggested reading level: Grades 4-7) Amber (10) loves science, especially topics dealing with animals, and the Scientists in the Field series is perfect for her. Amber and I read this together and we both enjoyed this look at bioacousticians, scientists who study sounds made by mammals, insects, birds, frogs and other creatures. Squeaks. Wails. Whistles. Snorts. Songs. Drumming. Allover the globe, animals are making sounds, and these days, more than ever, scientists are listening to them. (pg. 7) Dr. Christopher Clark listens whale songs.  Katy Payne studies elephants' communication and their use of infrasound which is too low for humans to hear. Bill Evans listens to night migrating bird and has set up a website, oldbird.org, to help others listen from their own homes. Others work on projects studying hippos and kangaroo rats. The variety of information they collect and how they do it is fascinating. One thing they all seem to have in common, aside from their love of...
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S is for Shamrock by Eve Bunting

S is for Shamrock by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Matt Faulkner (Suggested reading level: Age 4 - Grade 3) Happy St. Patrick's Day! Did you know that St. Patrick wasn't born in Ireland? He was actually born in Wales or maybe France around 385 and was named Maewyn, but he grew to love Ireland. That's just one of the tidbits of Amber (10) and I learned from S is for Shamrock. We read the book together last night and it was an enjoyable book. Each letter stands for a person, concept, folktale or event associated with Ireland. For each there is a 5-line verse, with further information in the sidebar. We read all of the verses and only the sidebars that interested us, which turned out be be most of them. U is for Ulster Ulster is a province in the North of Ireland. On its flag it's plain to see a red and bloody hand. There's trouble still in Ulster. It's very sad to see Irish fighting...
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Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery

Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop (Suggested reading level: Ages 9-12) This is the third collaboration between Montgomery and Bishop that Amber and I have read. We're huge fans and this book was as great as we expected it to be. The book follows biologist Lisa Dabek and her team of scientists and local guides through the rugged, remote cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in search of the Matschie's tree kangaroo. This elusive, adorable creature is fascinating. The team first has to find and capture the kangaroos and then they can fit them with radio collars to learn more about them. It is certainly not an easy effort, but Dabek's love for the animals shines through, and conservation efforts of the local people are also highlighted. Bishop's photographs capture the expedition in brilliant detail. Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest. And the...
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The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu

The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu The title sums this book up. It answers a myriad of questions with brief, usually only one or two paragraph, clear responses, so while you may have to look elsewhere for more in-depth info, this gives you at least an answer to start with. It covers everything from outer space to math to animals. It answers questions like "What is a booger?" and "How does a cellular phone work?" The sheer variety of topics is amazing, really. "What is Euclid's elements?" I had no idea. "How thick is a lightning bolt?" I never even considered the question. It even explains why women in some countries wear veils. Of course, it can't cover everything. For example, I wanted to see what it said about Christmas - nothing. But I did find "Are angels real?" In many religions, angels are powerful spiritual beings who live with God but who sometimes become involved in the...
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You Wouldn’t Want to Be Sick in the 16th Century! by Kathryn Senior

You Wouldn't Want to Be Sick in the 16th Century! by Kathryn Senior, illustrated by David Antram (Suggested Reading Level: Ages 9-12) This is the first of the You Wouldn't Want to... series that I've read, but I was definitely impressed. Fun and factual history go hand in had in this short book, and parts are just downright gross, which is always attractive to kids. The introduction sets the stage. Your name is Nicholas Knight, and you are a barber surgeon in the 16th century, known in England as Tudor times. (pg. 5) We then learn about how patients were diagnosed, "surgery" techniques, infections and the plague. We travel to a battlefield in northern France and aboard a ship during the Spanish Armada. We're even present at the bedside of Queen Elizabeth I. This is not always a pleasant experience—she becomes bad-tempered and bitter as she gets older. (pg. 28) To be honest, I learned a lot about medicine in the 16th century, most of which I...
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X Marks the Spot by Margaret Hall

X Marks the Spot: Mapping the World by Margaret Hall (Reading level: Ages 9-12) This book traces the history of cartography, map-making, from thousands of years ago with a photo of a clay map, to modern times, discussing GPS units.  Maps have been and still are important to travelers, traders and explorers. Navigation tools, like compasses, sextants, chronometers were also described. It was really interesting and I actually learned a lot. For example, I didn't know that Ptolemy was a.) a cartographer or b.) the first to put north at the top of the map. I didn't realize that the first aerial photographs used by mapmakers were taken from hot air balloons, even though it makes sense. The history is told simply with important words in bold and defined in a glossary. The photos of maps through the ages are fascinating. I also like the list at the back of books to read to learn more. This is a great book for middle...
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