Category: Book Review (Page 49 of 63)

Bug of the Week: Tumbling Flower Beetles

Have you ever spotted a beetle and haven’t been able to figure out what kind it is?

Tumbling flower beetle-11Take these black insects, for example. You might not even be sure that they are beetles.

tumbling-flower-beetles-22Fortunately, I was able to key them out using a new book (see below for details). These are tumbling flower beetles, in the Family Mordellidae.

flower-beetle-closeTumbling flower beetles are distinguished by their wedge shape and the fact their elytra (hard wings) do not cover the abdomen.The abdomen is pointed at the end, as well.

They are called “tumbling” because the adults have an odd behavior of awkwardly jumping away from predators that leads them to tumble. The “flower'” part comes from the fact the adults are often seen at flowers feeding on nectar.

Have you ever seen tumbling flower beetles tumble? How would you describe it?

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The book I used to identify the insects is Beetles of Eastern North America by Arthur V. Evans, just published this month.

This book is an extensive desk-top reference for those interested in beetles. Along with the illustrated key to common beetle families, it contains detailed descriptions of 1,406 different species of beetles, each accompanied by a good sized full-color photograph.

In addition to helping with identification, Beetles of Eastern North America is also a fabulous place to start learning about beetles in general. There is an extensive introduction covering anatomy, natural history, where to look for beetles, how to observe and collect them, etc. It is filled with information, even the end paper in the back has a ruler and illustrations of beetles with their parts labelled.

Are you interested in working with beetles? On page 52, Evans discusses how to become involved in beetle research, encouraging students and amateur naturalists to participate in citizen science.

Examples of beetle-related citizen science projects:

Beetles of Eastern North America definitely is worth consideration if you have ever wondered, “What is that beetle?”

Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Princeton University Press (June 8, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0691133042
ISBN-13: 978-0691133041

Disclosures:  This book was supplied by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate for Amazon, and if you click through the linked titles or ads and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Proceeds will be used to maintain this self-hosted blog.

 

Brand New Meteor Shower and 2 New Science Books, Too

May is shaping up to be a wonderful month to study the night sky. After the Eta Aquarid meteor shower at the first part of the month (debris from Halley’s Comet, no less), we can now look forward to a never-before-seen shower on the night of May 23-May 24, 2014.

meteor-shower-may-24-2014

Way back in the 1800s, a small comet named Comet 209P/LINEAR jettisoned some debris. The Earth will be passing through this debris field on Friday night, May 23 through the morning of Saturday May 24, 2014. Some scientists are predicting that the dust entering the atmosphere will create an amazing new meteor shower. Of course, because it is a brand new event, no one knows for sure what we’ll be seeing. If it works out, the meteors are expected to come from the northern sky, appearing to arise in the constellation Camelopardalis or near the North Star. The shower is expected to peak around 2-4 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

This video from NASA explains more:

 

 

Some viewing tips:
1. Find a safe location with as few outdoor lights as possible. Remember, porch and street lights can fade out even the brightest meteors.
2. Remind your children there may be several minutes or more between sightings. In the wee hours of the morning it can be hard to be patient. Point out constellations and major stars to help pass the time and keep interest up.
3. Blankets and lawn chairs that allow for viewing in a prone position help prevent neck strain and keep chilly viewers warm.

Just think, you will be seeing the bright lights in the sky that result from pieces of a comet left behind over 100 years ago. How cool is that?

EarthSky has more about the meteor shower and viewing times.

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If learning about the meteor shower thrills your budding astronomers, we have two new books by Mary Kay Carson that might also interest them.

Did you know one of the planets in the solar system has a storm cloud that has been named Scooter? Or that one planet used to be called George? Those are just some of the amazing facts the reader will find out about in How Many Planets Circle the Sun?: And Other Questions about Our Solar System (Good Question!) by Mary Kay Carson and illustrated by Ron Miller.

The text is written in an engaging question-and-answer format so the reader can choose to read cover to cover, or jump in and pick out those questions that are most intriguing. For example, are you interested in learning more about comets and meteor showers? On page 27, Carson explains what comets and meteors are and how they are related.

Some of Miller’s colorful illustrations are so realistic, it seems like the reader could reach out and touch a planet.

Age Range: 6 and up
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books (January 7, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1454906693
ISBN-13: 978-1454906698

Why Does Earth Spin?: And Other Questions about Our Planet (Good Question!) also by Mary Kay Carson and illustrated by Peter Bull comes down to Earth to explain common questions children ask, such as why the sky is blue and why the moon is important to the Earth. A mixture of full-color photographs and artist’s renditions help clarify details like the relative sizes of the Earth and other planets. This one would be perfect for a unit on Earth Science.

Age Range: 6 and up
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books (January 7, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1454906758
ISBN-13: 978-1454906759

Conclusion: The question-and-answer format works well in both these books. I will definitely be adding them to my list of space and astronomy books for children at Science Books for Kids.

Please leave a comment if you see any meteors on May 23-24!

Disclosures:  These books were won in a giveaway contest. Also, I am an affiliate for Amazon, and if you click through the linked titles or ads and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Proceeds will be used to maintain this self-hosted blog.

 

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.

Earthrise: An Astronaut’s Story

Did you see the lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014? Whenever I view a lunar eclipse, I remember the 12 men who visited the Moon during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Can you imagine what it must have been like to walk around on the surface of the Moon?

Mitchell_Studies_MapPhotograph by NASA Alan Shepard from Wikimedia

For one thing, it must have been difficult to navigate because there are so few landmarks compared to the Earth. Here is an astronaut reading a map. Do you know who he is? I’ll give you a hint:  He would have flown on Apollo 14 in order for Alan Shepard to take the photograph.

The photograph is of Dr. Edgar Mitchell, who reveals what it is like to explore the Moon in his new book for older children, Earthrise: My Adventures as an Apollo 14 Astronaut, written with Ellen Mahoney and with a foreword by Dr. Brian Cox.

Dr. Mitchell starts his narrative with his approach to the Moon in the spacecraft dubbed “Antares.” Suddenly the on board computer signals for them to abort their mission. Have the astronauts come this far, only to be turned away?

He then goes back to describe his childhood, starting with his birth in Texas. He gives a quick overview of growing up on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. In many ways his childhood is typical:  raising steers in 4-H, playing musical instruments in the band, and camping under the stars with his family. More unusual are his experiences flying in a biplane at four years old and becoming a pilot at 16, possibly influenced by seeing the World War II planes at nearby Walker Air Force Base.

After going to college, getting married, and a stint in the Navy, Mitchell starts training as an astronaut. Most of the rest of the book is devoted to how he became an astronaut and his journey aboard Apollo 14. He includes many details that people might wonder about, such as how did the astronauts eat, sleep and go to the bathroom while in space. He also talks about the time he spent on the moon’s surface and more briefly, the trip back to Earth. During the trip back, he reveals he had an experience which changed the focus of his life.

In addition to Dr. Mitchell’s narration, the book has the fascinating sidebars filled with background information and clarifying details, a timeline of “Key Life Events,” and several pages of suggested resources for further study in the back matter.

Certainly, some of the 12 Apollo astronauts who went to the moon have more name recognition than others. Earthrise goes a long way towards shining some well-deserved light onto someone who (dare I say it?) may have been eclipsed by others in the past. This may partially have been due to Dr. Mitchell’s change of focus after leaving NASA, something he explains briefly, but does not dwell on.

Although obviously a must-have resource for future astronauts, Earthrise is also likely to appeal to those interested in history, science, engineering, and aviation. It is a revealing look at how one man’s sense of adventure took him places that the rest of us can only imagine.

Suggested activity:

Dr. Mitchell mentions building model aircraft and hanging them from his ceiling when he was a child.

planes-model

First,  build a model of an airplane out of paper, manila folder, or from a kit. You can find instructions for many paper models online, for example these card stock gliders. Hobby and craft stores often carry kits to assemble, as well.

Fishing line works well to hang the models, because it is durable and nearly invisible when hung, giving the best illusion that the plane is flying. You will also need a good ladder.

If you don’t want to mar the ceiling, lightweight paper planes can be hung temporarily with painter’s masking tape. This tape (often blue) is used for masking walls prior to painting and should remove easily.

For more permanent displays and for heavier models, you might want to consider installing hooks to anchor the lines. The planes in the photograph above are installed on hooks in such a way that they can be lowered for cleaning and then raised and repositioned without the need of a ladder.

Then it is only a matter of letting your imagination run free.

Earthrise: My Adventures as an Apollo 14 Astronaut

Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Chicago Review Press (April 1, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1613749015
ISBN-13: 978-1613749012

You might also be interested in our list of space-themed poetry books for children and list of space and astronomy books for kids, both at Science Books for Kids.

Disclosures: This book was provided for review by the publisher. Also, I am an affiliate for Amazon, and if you click through the linked titles or ads and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Proceeds will be used to maintain this self-hosted blog.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.

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