Fantastic New Book for Middle Graders!

Inside Biosphere 2: Earth Science Under Glass tells the story of the original Biosphere experiment, but it doesn’t stop there. With well-written text by Mary Kay Carson and remarkable photographs by Tom Uhlman,this amazing book takes us inside this unique research facility and lets us follow the scientists who work there. While readers learn about the researchers and their experiments, they'll also pick up information about photosynthesis, soil erosion, solar energy, animal survival, and other topics related to environmental science. This book paints a fascinating picture of scientists at work and brings scientific method to life. Highly recommended! Get it here!

How Great is This Book?

How Strong is an Ant? and Other Questions About Bugs and Insects is a well-written and well-researched book that will appeal to readers age six and up. As always, Mary Kay Carson's language is lively, clear, and kid-friendly. The book is packed with the basic information young readers need to know about this topic, but Carson also includes other fascinating facts and quirky details. (Did you know cockroaches hear with hairs on the end of their abdomens?) The question-and-answer format of the book will keep even reluctant readers turning the pages. Photographs and AMAZING illustrations by Carol Schwartz bring the insect world to life and perfectly complement the text. I highly recommend this book! Get it here.

Weather With Wow!

This exciting new book about weather presents a wealth of information using well-written and intriguing text, amazing photos, easy-to-understand illustrations and charts, and fun fold-out pages. The author's explanations of weather concepts and phenomena are clear and informative but never "textbooky." She makes sure that readers develop not only a good understanding of the subject matter but also an appreciation for the wonders of weather. This is a fascinating book with a format that encourages kids to explore, think, examine, and return later for more. You can get this great book here.

Get your hands on this great new blog!

Now that school has started, I wanted to spread the word about a new blog called HANDS-ON-BOOKS. It's written by three award-winning writers of nonfiction for kids -- Mary Kay Carson, Kerrie Hollihan, and Brandon Marie Miller. These ladies have written some wonderful books -- and now they have a great blog about fun and educational science and social studies activities that could be used with or without their books. Recent posts include fascinating information about various subjects (Thomas Jefferson, writing process, tornadoes, etc.) and hands-on activities like making a barometer, roasting a marshmallow with a solar oven, and making paper. This is a helpful and practical blog for homeschoolers, school teachers, and parents!