Get Kids Interested in Science: Recommended Reading

Children are naturally curious, they enjoy learning. Getting kids interested in science while they’re young will plant the seed of learning in their youthful brains, to hopefully blossom into a lifelong appreciation of such an important educational subject. Greg Laden from ScienceBlogs.com has some great reading ideas to get kids interested in science. Parents will enjoy learning right alongside.

Animal Grossapedia. From the publisher: “Think all animals are cute and cuddly? Read this book to discover just how disgusting they can really be!

There are plenty of books out there that focus on “gross” substances in the human body, but many animals use these same substances in ways that will surprise and fascinate kids! Did you know that Komodo dragons use their saliva to poison their prey, but mice use their saliva to heal their wounds?

ABC ZooBorns! is one of several “Zoo Born” books that emerge from the Zoo Born Website world. A great choice for little ones, because who doesn’t like looking at little baby animals.

No true collection of science books for kids would not include one about squid. Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster by Mary Cerullo fits the bill. “…This sea monster is real. It lurks in the freezing black depths of underwater canyons. Nearly 50 feet long, it hunts with its long arms and tentacles. Its powerful suckers leave giant round scars on those that live through a battle with it. But this enormous beast, with its huge, strange eyes, remains hidden from humans. We rarely see it and know little of its ways. What is this monster? The giant squid. This famed member of the cephalopod group has a history of frightening fishermen, starring in fictional adventure tales, and keeping scientists guessing. What is the story of this mythic creature? Why is it so hard to study? What secrets does it keep? Clyde Roper, ocean scientist and squid expert, has been seeking this secretive creature for decades. Come along as he and other researchers unravel its mysteries in Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster.”

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins is for little kids and is spectacular looking and has multiple levels of info to keep both the little ones and adults informed, and to track your genius child’s mind as she grows in to a etymologist. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Kids books about habitats, environmental issues, and rocks

Every kid need an alphabet book and D is for Desert: A World Deserts Alphabet  is a good one, covering desert habitats around the world.

A Warmer World by Caroline Arnold… Booklist says: “…With clear explanations and bright, handsome collage artwork, this picture book packs in a lot about the effects of global warming on particular animals and the connections between them. Even small changes in temperature can produce big changes in animals’ chances for survival, and up to one million species could be threatened with extinction as the planet heats up. As global temperatures rise, the warmer water is destroying coral reefs and many coral species are becoming extinct, while creatures in higher zones have nowhere to go to find cooler places…”

Waiting for Ice by Sandra Markle is the true story, apparently, of a Polar Bear cub who is separated from its mother in a warming world. Help your child not grow up into a Climate Change Denialist before it is too late!

When Julia was little, she single handedly discovered an oil spill, alerted authorities, and ultimately caused the salvage of a long-sunk ship that had shifted on the ocean bottom in such a way that it resumed leaking it’s fuel. If you want your daughter to do this too, consider Saving Animals from Oil Spills.

All little kids eventually make this series of discovery: 1) Pockets exist. 2) Rocks exist. 3) Pockets are where you put rocks 4) Maybe daddy should have bought that service contract on the washing machine after all. If You Find a Rock is not going to help with this situation, but it may help the child learn along the way.

Thanks to Greg Laden for this very englihtening article about getting kids interested in science by recommending this great reading list!

Source: http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2012/12/18/kids-science-books/