Books for Kids

We hope your library card is up to date – check out these terrific science books.

Grossology by Sylvia Branzei
Who would have guessed that the human body was so gross? Or that it would be so much fun to learn about? Branzei explores the world of boogers, poop, pee, sweat and more with grossly entertaining facts and experiments. The book has spawned further sequels of grossness.

The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole and Bruce Dergin
Our school was never as cool as Ms. Frizzle’s. She certainly takes better field trips. This popular and informative series has books on a vast number of topics. Among our favorites are In the Time of the Dinosaurs and Inside a Beehive.

Bill Nye’s Consider the Following and Bill Nye’s Big Blast of Science by Bill Nye
Bill Nye the Science Guy has a number of books, and these two cover the biggest range of topics. Lots of info, and lots of experiments.

Make It Work series
In this series, vividly illustrated with tons of photos, common household items and tools can be used to create a vast array of things. The series includes books on buildings, machines, flight --- plus more exotic subjects like ancient Egypt. Great projects for parents and kids to do together.

Math Curse and Science Verse by Jon Scieszka
Whimisical books – one about a girl who starts to see math everywhere (more fun than it sounds), the other spoofing the works of Poe, Frost, Carroll and nursery rhymes with goofy poems about science.

Nibbling on Einstein’s Brain by Diane Swanson
Targeted for grades 4-8. Critical thinking is a critical skill in science, but sadly undertaught. This book, sort of a junior version of Sagan’s The Demon Haunted World, is a fun start to learning about it.

My Life with the Chimpanzees by Jane Goodall
The world-famous primatologist talks about her childhood, her meeting with renowned anthropologist Louis Leakey, and of course her research with the chimps in Tanzania.

The Crocodile Hunter: The Life and Adventures of Steve & Terri Irwin by Steve & Terri Irwin
An exuberant autobiography by the tragically late zoologist and his wife is filled with their passion for wildlife, stories of how they met and how they came to study animals, and lots of wonderful photos.

Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu. Strange but true. Owen, a baby hippopotamus orphaned by the 2004 tsunami, was rescued and then ‘adopted’ by Mzee, a 130 year old tortoise. A sequel (The Language of Friendship) has also been published.

The Ben Franklin Book of Easy and Incredible Science Experiments by The Franklin Institute
Big Ben did experiments with all kinds of things, not just electricity. This book by the staff of the venerable science museum talks about Franklin’s discoveries, and features loads of experiments you can do yourself, about electricity, weather, music and more.