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Tag: Nonfiction Monday (Page 4 of 8)

#Nonfiction Monday #kidlit: Cool Math for the Hot Summer

July 13, 2020 / / 1 Comment

Need a math book to help keep skills sharp for the summer? Look no further than Cool Math: 50 Fantastic Facts for Kids of All Ages by Tracie Young and Katie Hewett.

Organized as a series of two-page spreads, this small book packs in a king-sized number of tips, games, cool facts, and tricks that will interest even the most math adverse. Examples range from tips for quick multiplication to how to make a magic square. Tucked in are practical refreshers, like how to calculate area and volume.

Although designed for middle school, the title is correct; it could be fun for adults as well. You could read it cover to cover, but Cool Math is so easy to browse. Glance through the table of contents or thumb through the book. Either way, something will catch your attention and before long you’ll grab a pencil to figure out how it works. Plus, the practical tips will make you want to return to it again and again.

Cool Math is a fun, painless way to hone those math skills.  Explore a copy today!

Related:

1. Try Sudoku puzzles.

Sudoku is an extremely popular game and it is easy to find instructions and free puzzles online. The puzzles can teach number and pattern recognition in preschoolers, as well as logic, spatial awareness, and problem solving to older children.

Here’s one example of an instructional video:

 

2. Look for other posts and activities in our math category.

3. Check out our growing list of math books for children at Science Books for Kids.

 

Age Range: 12 – 16 years
Publisher: Pavilion Children’s (March 3, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1843654482
ISBN-13: 978-1843654483

 

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

 


Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.

this raindrop book

#Nonfiction Monday #kidlit: This Raindrop

April 20, 2020 / / 2 Comments

Just in time to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2020 we have a new picture book This Raindrop: Has a Billion Stories to Tell by Linda Ragsdale and illustrated by Srimalie Bassani.

This picture book…
Starts with a single raindrop that “has billions of stories to tell” then follows it through time and space at it cycles again and again. Readers will be thrilled as the words flow like water.

“Its magical molecules morph into thin air
then shape-shift into something new,
like a single drop of dew in the morning. “

This picture book…
Has incredibly imaginative illustrations that play with perspective, zooming in and out, then up and down from spread to spread.

This picture book…
Has a little something extra. It features a lovely arlin paper cover with foil text enhancements, illustrated end papers, plus back matter including an explanation of the water cycle, the importance of water conservation, and resources for further reading.

This picture book…
Could help save the planet. As the sticker on the cover says, “Every Book [purchased] Plants a Tree.”

What could be better than that?

Related Resources and Activities:

1. The author suggests learning more about water conservation and celebrating World Oceans Day, June 8, 2020.

2. Check out our previous posts with activities for Exploring the Water Cycle and Water Can Be… Very Important.

3. Visit our growing list of children’s books about water and the water cycle.

4. Check Parade magazine’s list of 50 Activities for Earth Day for water conservation organizations and events like the #WednesdaysForWater Twitter hashtag.

Age Range: 5 – 8 years
Publisher: Flowerpot Press (April 7, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1486718175
ISBN-13: 978-1486718177

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

 


Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.

Jumping into #Kidlit with Not a Bean

November 4, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Because Charlesbridge has two new children’s picture books about moths coming out tomorrow (November 5, 2019), we decided to celebrate with a series of posts about moths and butterflies this week.

Today we are going to highlight Not a Bean by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez and illustrated by Laura Gonzalez for Nonfiction Monday. You’ll learn about the second book on Friday.

What does a book called Not a Bean have to do with moths? It might be clearer when you find out the bean in question is a Mexican jumping bean. Still not clear? The Mexican jumping bean moves around because there is a tiny larva (caterpillar) inside that eventually emerges as a moth.

Claudia Guadalupe Martínez starts the story with the plant that produces the “beans” (seedpods or capsules) and explains how the larva gets inside to feed on the seed. Next she shows how the hidden caterpillar behaves under natural conditions. When children find the “bean”, they use it for a simple racing game. After the bean stops jumping (because the caterpillar has pupated), the children abandon it. After a moth emerges, the life cycle continues.


Photograph of jumping bean moth by AuldAlliance at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, Link

Along the way, Martínez introduces young readers to a smattering a Spanish words including the numbers from one to ten.

There is a glossary of Spanish words in the back matter, as well as an author’s note with more details about the caterpillar’s biology. Only an entomologist would notice this, but she has used an older scientific name for the jumping bean moth in the back matter, Laspeyresia saltitans, rather than the revised name, Cydia deshaisiana.

Laura Gonzalez’s digital illustrations are lush and inviting, with exactly the right amount of playfulness.

Because Not a Bean is multifaceted, it could be used either for a lesson on Spanish language and Mexican culture, or for a science unit on insects (or both!) Plus, who isn’t intrigued by a “bean” that jumps? Investigate a copy today!

Related Science Activity Suggestions:

Seeds are packed with nutrients to support the plant embryo, so they are a good source of food. Are there any other insects that spend at least a portion of their life inside seeds? What are their life cycles? How do they behave? To find out, check:

You might want to look online for videos about Mexican jumping beans.  This one is a bit dry, but informative. Note:  the first moth shown sitting on a yellow flower is not a Mexican jumping bean moth.

Compare the Mexican jumping bean moth life cycle to that of other butterflies and moths using our growing list of children’s books  at Science Books for Kids.

Age Range: 3 – 7 years
Publisher: Charlesbridge (November 5, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1580898157
ISBN-13: 978-1580898157

Related posts for Moth Week:

 

Disclosure: The book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.

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