It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul; but how do eyes work, exactly? This collection of books helps young readers understand eyes in all their complexity. From how sight differs from one animal to another to the inner structure of a human eye, there is a great deal to learn. This book list is designed for readers of all ages, including more elementary explanations through more advanced texts. Contributed by: Mary Lanni
This title describes the invention and development of artificial eyes. It explores the trials and tribulations along with the technological advances seen today. Includes glossary, websites, and bibliography for further reading.
The Eye in 3D presents information on the human eye, discussing its structure, function, and importance, complemented by labeled diagrams that provide an in-depth look beneath the surface.
Young readers are introduced to the nature and structure of the eye and the process through which the eye and the brain work together to create vision.
Duprat’s Eye Spy uses liftable flaps to show how all different kinds of animals see the same scene, from sharp-eyed eagles to purely light-sensing earthworms.
Eyes
By: Pete Jenkins
Illustrated by: Hazel Quintanilla
A boy sees his own eyes and his friends’ eyes and wonders about the ways they are different and what they do.
Little readers will learn about their eyes while strengthening their reading skills. Simple, short sentences appear alongside colorful photographs.
Apples are one of the most iconic fruits of fall, becoming the centerpieces of pies and scents as the weather gets colder. Like many other fruits, apples grow on trees and are harvested to be sold at supermarkets and farmers’ markets worldwide. Green, pink, red, or yellow, apples come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. This book list includes titles for children that detail the science behind apples: how they grow, how they are harvested, and how to cook with them. The next time readers enjoy a mug of hot apple cider, they will know more details about the process each apple went through to make their delicious drink. Contributed by: Mary Lanni
Explains how apples were brought to America, how they grow, their traditional uses and cultural significance, and some of the varieties grown.
Apples A to Z
By: Margaret McNamara
Illustrated by: Jake Parker
Fox, Bear, and their friends lead young readers through an apple alphabet—from apple buds and blossoms, through nutrition and orchards, to the X on an apple pie. Along the way, apple lovers will pick up a windfall of apple science and lore, as well as fun facts and child-friendly information. And twenty-six apple varieties are introduced, even ones for X, Y, and Z
Visit an apple orchard and learn how apples grow, how cider is made, and what foods we make with apples. Color photos and easy-to-read text tell about this favorite treat in the season of fall.
The process of a new life starting is fascinating! Watch an apple tree grow from a seed to a fruit-bearing tree. Young readers will learn about the stages in an apple tree’s life, as well as its appearance. The life cycle of an apple tree is a beautiful thing to see!
Apples are a tasty food, but do you know where they come from and how they end up on supermarket shelves? Follow the story of an apple from the first pink buds on an apple tree, through the farming process to packing houses and eventually to your fruit bowl! Large, attractive photographs accompany the simple text.
Hello, World! is a series designed to introduce first nonfiction concepts to babies and toddlers. Told in clear and easy terms (“Apple seeds start to grow when they are planted in soil and given sunlight, water, and fresh air”) and featuring bright, cheerful illustrations, Hello, World! is a perfect way to bring science, nature, and culture into the busy world of a toddler, where learning never stops.
Make cooking super simple with these Super Simple Recipes. This book features a delicious main ingredient kids will love—apples! With step-by-step instructions on how to make easy and tasty recipes like crispy apple chips and sassy apple salsa, young cooks will jump at the chance to prepare their favorite food in new ways. Includes measuring guides and tools and ingredients lists to help enhance early learning.
Who lives around the apple tree? Shine a light behind the page and see … Explore a tree up close and you will find a small world filled with great surprises! From worms wriggling among the roots to birds nesting high in the branches, the hidden wonders of this amazing habitat are revealed.
Briefly introduces the life cycle of the apple, from planting a seed through harvesting and selling the fruit. Bilingual text.
Though everyone has times where they want to do things on their own, teamwork is what helps get big things accomplished. Teams can take shape on soccer fields and in swimming pools, but they can also appear in a classroom or on a playground. Working together utilizes the strengths of everyone in the group in order to reach a common goal. It is not about being the best; rather, it is about helping one another and finding a shared purpose. The books in this list are selected for readers ages 4-7 and showcase both humans and animals helping each other in a variety of situations. Hopefully, these stories will help inspire young readers to become team players in their own lives. Contributed by: Mary Lanni
Duck is Stuck
By: Zoubida Mouhssin
Illustrated by: Pascale Moutte-Baur
When he falls asleep while on the lake and wakes up stuck in ice, Duck needs the help of other animals to get loose.
Duncan the Dragon loves to read, but he keeps accidentally lighting his book on fire, leading him to try to find a friend to read to him so he can get to the end of his story.
As they head off to find breakfast, the mighty Little Guys conquer all obstacles in their path through teamwork, but when they amass more than they need, their fellow forest creatures worry about what happens if no one can stop the Little Guys.
Melia is scientific and loves to create things in her backyard laboratory, but something is missing. Her inventions just aren’t quite right. Enter Jo, her new friend with an artistic spirit. When you add the arts to the sciences, something magical happens!
Told in rhyming text, Excavator, Bulldozer, Crane Truck, Dump Truck, and Cement Mixer will all need to work together as they tackle their biggest job yet—a massive building.
Pedro would love to be the goalie in the team’s first game, but another boy is bigger—so, all his friends come over to help him practice before the tryout.
Ursula, a bear, and Ricardo, a human, are preparing for the water ballet competition. But a new regulation at the community pool—no bears—leaves Ursula cut from the contest. Luckily, she encounters a group of undaunted animal swimmers at a local pond, and Ursula and her new team figure out a way to participate in the competition and make sure everyone is welcome at the pool once and for all.
When a big tuna attacks his school of fish, Swimmy goes out on his own and discovers the wonders of the sea. While there, he finds a new school, and he helps them find a way to venture out and stand up to the bigger fish.
When a bear, a moose, and a beaver go on a canoe trip, they have all sorts of disagreements, until they find themselves stranded up the creek and decide that working together is the only way to make it home safely.
Badger brothers Grub and Bristle want to build a boat, but when everyone decides to help, all they’ve built is a big argument. The only way to decide whose idea is best is a race down the river. Will that prove one of them right, or will teamwork win the day?
When Pencil Met Eraser
By: Karen Kilpatrick and Luis O. Ramos, Jr.
Illustrated by: Germán Blanco
Pencil loves to draw and isn’t happy when he meets Eraser. Eraser soon convinces Pencil that he’s the one who can fix things when Pencil makes a mistake, and Pencil finally agrees that they make a good team together.
Matter By: Ann O. Squire Reviewed by: Natalie Gurr
From the tiniest neutrinos to broad, sparkling galaxies, matter is everywhere. It is found on the playground at school, the air in a balloon, and rain as it falls from the clouds. Discover what atomic power means and why hydrogen is listed first on the periodic table. Learn what happens when atoms collide and combine. What are neutrons and protons made of, and just how big is an electron? The most microscopic details about matter are examined in a way that students and adults will understand. Diagrams help explain difficult concepts such as when atoms share electrons to create compounds. Brilliant photographs featuring children of diverse ethnicities and cultures are scattered throughout and shine against the white background. The photos and diagrams combined with the large margins and font make for an easy and enjoyable reading experience. Each book in the True Book Physical Science series is similarly organized with an appealing table of context, glossary, and index. While written for grades third through fifth, the content and difficulty of matter make this book appropriate for more advanced readers. With the help of adults, younger children will also be able to easily access the information. Highly recommended for schools and children who love science.
Learning the names of body parts is an important part of childhood. Readers between the ages of 0 and 5 will love these books about human body parts, as it is easy to connect the images on the page to their own bodies. While reading these books is fun, doing so in conjunction with doing activities and singing songs about body parts (like the song Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes) reinforces the learning and helps young children begin to recognize the vocabulary that corresponds with the various parts of their bodies. Contributed by: Mary Lanni
The interactive Look & Learn series is designed to grow along with your child. A multi-layered skill-building approach introduces concepts with context reinforcement, so learning sticks. These eye-catching books make early learning fun!
Presents an infant’s early actions, sensations, and emotions, as he expresses his happiness at his new-found abilities and explores the world around him. On board pages.
Young children are fascinated by their eyes, ears, nose, fingers, and toes. This board book teaches toddlers all about the human body, with shapes, sizes, colors, and super-simple facts.
When the ice on which three polar bears are standing breaks loose, they seek a new home but find they are unwelcome in most places.
Science: This book could introduce climate change. It could also serve as a first step in learning about animal habitats, with the example being the polar bears, panda bears, giraffes, and monkeys.
Social Studies: The inside book flap states that this book was inspired by the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. Depending on the age group, discussions and research could be developed about various worldwide refugee situations in the past and in the present.
Language Arts: Throughout the book many words in the text are in bold, larger font. There is no obvious reason as to why certain words were picked- some are nouns, some are adjectives, etc. To build vocabulary, in reading groups (or in pairs), have readers think of different words to replace those words in bold.
A town built on a landfill. A community in need of hope. A girl with a dream. A man with a vision. An ingenious idea. Ada and her family live in Paraguay in a town that is the main garbage dump for the capital city. Many in Ada’s family and her neighbors survive by recycling or selling items they find in the dump. Instead of the idea of the items being trash, Ada chooses to believe that the garbage is full of surprises. Others realize the garbage is full of surprises after the trash is transformed into musical instruments needed for children to participate in a music program.
Math: Pose a problem-solving activity for the students to solve together. Each student is asked to think of an orchestra instrument he/she would like to learn to play. The student must find out how much that instrument would cost to purchase new. Then, the class will find out how much it will cost for all the students to create a classroom orchestra. But, the students could create the classroom orchestra cheaper by purchasing used instruments. Have students now find the instruments on an online instrument selling site and then compare the used price with the new price to see how much cheaper it would be for the entire class to purchase used instruments..
Art: Following the math activity listed above, let students think creatively on how they can create their own musical instruments. Provide materials, particularly used materials, for students to create musical instruments.
Reading & Science: Provide books about environmental issues, such as those listed in our Thematic Reading List, for students to read.
The story of Wilbur the pig and his friendship with Charlotte the spider, as they live together on a farm.
Art: Use pipe cleaners to create spider webs.
Reading: By reading the inside flap of other E. B. White books, discuss with children if other books by E. B. White share themes that are present in Charlotte’s Web.
Science: In the story, Charlotte the spider teaches Wilbur about the life and life cycle of a spider. Using books from the library, compare the spider’s life and life cycle to other insects, including worms, caterpillars, etc.
Social Studies: Charlotte’s Web is a story about friendship. While Wilbur and Charlotte would appear to have very little in common, they become friends. Discuss with children how even though people have differences, referencing people from different countries or regions, they can still be friends.
Technology: Help children learn good research skills by researching the book’s author, E. B. White.
To explain how celebrating holidays are important. Discuss why Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Math: Use pennies or fake coins to measure “pots of gold” on a scale
Science and Technology: Use the internet to find out how rainbows are formed
Writing prompt: If I found a pot of gold, I would….
Science: Four-Leaf Clover activity: Provide some outside time for hunting for four-leaf clovers. Once back inside, discuss the process of plant growth from winter to spring.
Reading: Tell students that a limerick is a silly and humorous poem. Explain how limericks are created by specific rhyming lines, and how syllables and wording emphasis create a sing-song effect when correctly pronounced. Have students create funny limericks with St. Patrick’s Day themes and then read aloud to others.
Reading #2: Read Irish Folk Tales- Just as many different countries celebrate different holidays, many countries have their own folk tales. Check with your librarian to find Irish folk tales to share with your class.
