Big Numbers and Pictures That Show Just How Big They Are by Edward Packard

Big Numbers and Pictures That Show Just How Big They Are by Edward Packard (28 pages; 1 book) #35

Packard, Edward (2000). Big Numbers and Pictures That Show Just How Big They Are. Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press.

Awards: No awards.

Grade Level: 4-6 grades

Author Credibility: I could not find any information on Edward Packard. This book is done in comic book style.

Summary/Response: The book begins discussing what the numbers would look like in terms of green peas. It begins with one pea on a plate and multiplies it by ten with each addition. It gives a visual of numbers and how big they are when multiplied by 10. When he moves up to 1,000, he compares it to age. One thousand days from now you will be three years older. When the number moves to 100,000 then it moves it to different multiplication terms like 100X1,000 or 10X10,000. At one million it begins the discussion of exponents. It explains 10 to the 6th power is the same as one million and one million fleas would stretch a mile. Ten million peas would cover up the table and pile on the floor. Ten million grains of sand will fit in a tea cup. You write ten million quickly by writing 10 to the seventh power. The number seven tells you how many zeros are in the number. A line of one billion mice can reach around the world. Ten million bacteria or ten to the tenth power can fit in a drop of water. A line of ten trillion ladybugs can reach Mars. It mentions that a zillion and a gazillion is not an actual number. The book stops at the number a million, billion, trillion peas and shows the symbol for infinity. At the end, it explains how they figured out many peas can fit in a house.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Math: understand the place-value structure of the base-ten number system
Illustrations: Color pictures. I didn’t find any specific information, but it looks like colored pencil.

Access Features: None.

Related Texts: Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathmatician’s Guide to Lightning Calculations and Amazing Math Tricks by Arthur Benjamin and Michael Shermer, The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang and Harry Biggs

Classroom Use: This would be a good book for the math center.

Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery

Quest For the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery (80 pages; 1 book) #34

Montgomery, Sy (2006). Quest For the Tree Kangaroo. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Awards: 2007 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book,2007 Orbis Pictus Award, 2007 ALA Notable Book for Children, 2007 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children

Grade Level: 4-8 grades

Author Credibility: Montgomery is a noted award winning author. She has several books that are written for a group of books known as scientists in the field. On this particular adventure Sy met several obstacles. She had an orangutan are her interview tapes and her notebook fell out of her backpack while riding an elephant, the elephant was nice enough to pick it up for her. She had also suffered from altitude sickness and was very ill. Through it all, she never once thought about giving up or going back to a desk. The photographer Nic Bishop had to carry 25 pounds of camera weight in the jungle. He knew he had to prepare for such a strenuous journey, so he went for cross-country runs at home. He was familiar with the Tok Pison language the natives spoke because he lived in New Guinea as a teenager.

Summary/Response: Montgomery follows Lisa Dabek around a Cloud Forest in New Guinea. She uses the description “big stuffed animal” to describe the tree kangaroo and that is exactly what it looks like. Its features are a cross of a bear, monkey, and kangaroo. These animals are becoming rare because of the destruction of the cloud forest. Lisa is here to find out how many are left and what can be done for their survival. Montgomery goes into detail about some of the fascinating creatures that live in the cloud forest and through her descriptions; you can’t help but have respect for this “Stone Age Island.” Lisa was a fragile child with asthma growing up. She couldn’t even have a pet. However, she never let this stop her love for animals and when she went to New Guinea she found her breathing to be better despite the 10,000 foot altitude. It was America’s pollution that made her asthma worse. Montgomery does an outstanding job describing the thought process of a scientist. The crew land in the village of Yawan, where there adventure begins. They are excited to find a tree kangaroo which is darted, vital signs are taken, radio collar applied, and are released back into the wild. With Lisa’s efforts, she has started a conservation effort to save these animals.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: Structure and function in living systems, Reproduction and heredity, Regulation and behavior, Populations and ecosystems, Diversity and adaptations of organisms

Illustrations: Beautiful colored had drawn maps by R. Wingrave, Breathtaking color photographs.

Access Features: Lisa’s Advice For Kids, Tree Kangaroos Near You, Let’s Tok Pison, Acknowledgements, Index, A Note from the Author, A Note from the photographer.

Related Texts: The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery, The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery- all show scientific thinking

Classroom Use: This would be good for science in showing how scientists think and work.

The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery

The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery (80 pages; 1 book) #33

Montgomery, Sy (2004). The Tarantula Scientist. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Awards: 2005 Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book

Grade Level: 4-8 grades

Author Credibility: Montgomery is a noted award winning author. She has several books that are written for a group of books known as scientists in the field. For this book she accompanied Sam Marshall to French Guiana in South America. They searched for tarantula burrows to mark and measure tarantulas in Tresor Reserve. They then traveled to Les Grottes and looked at tailless whip scorpions and collected Holothele tarantulas. From there she went to Hiram College in Hiram, OH. She is very knowledgeable in following scientists around and capturing their true nature.

Summary/Response: Sam Marshall begins by poking into a hole trying to get a tarantula to come out of its hole. The spider he coaxes out is the Goliath birdeater tarantula. This spider is so big that it could cover the area of your face. Despite being tricked out of her hole, she doesn’t attack her human intruders. She simply retreats partially down in her hole. Tarantula blood is clear, blue, or yellow. They shed their exoskeleton periodically and can even grow back lost legs. If their legs get injured, they pull off the injured leg and eat it! Unlike other spiders, they can live up to 30 years. Sam is one of only four or five scientists that study tarantula. The tarantula’s came by mistake. The name tarantula was originally used for the wolf spider and even then it was misused. There is a smaller spider that carried a bad bite and people would dance around to get rid of the venom, this dance was called the tarantella. People thought this bite was coming from the wolf spider. When they came to America they found the hairy spiders and dubbed them the name tarantula. The ingenuity that scientist carry comes out in Sam and his “scientific supplies.” He carries plastic deli containers, empty pill bottles, giant tweezers, a kitchen knife, and a hoe. I like the way Montgomery points this out. It lets children know that you don’t have to have a lot of expensive equipment for research. The book goes on to talk about the spider’s defense consisting of small hairs being released from their rear that irritates the folds of the neck, nose, and eyes. Sam compares this to the same defense system of a porcupine. Sy Montgomery outdoes herself again.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: Structure and function in living systems, Reproduction and heredity, Regulation and behavior, Populations and ecosystems, Diversity and adaptations of organisms

Illustrations: Color photographs, map,

Access Features: Map, Update, Tarantulas Prefer Not to Be Handled, Spider Stats, Spider Speak, How This Book Was Researched, Special Acknowledgements, Selected Bibliography, Spiders on the Web, If You Visit French Guiana, If You Buy A Tarantula, Index, Teachers.

Related Texts: The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery, Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery- they all accurately depict the scientific process and how scientist think and work.

Classroom Use: Great for the scientific method and to observe how scientists questions and studies their species

Bats by Lily Wood

Bats by Lilly Wood (32 pages; 1 book) #32

Wood, Lilly (2000). Bats. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Awards: No awards given, but blog worthy.

Grade Level: K-4 grades

Author Credibility: I searched for a half hour and could not find any information on her. I could only find three books she has written. I want to believe because she is new because her bats book is well written and beautifully done. She has the outstretched bat on the front cover enticing her reader; she uses small icons of bats numbering the pages. There are Close-up pictures pointing out features of the bat and there is an x-ray included of the bone structure of a bat. She pays attention to detail in her explanations and they go right along with the photographs. She even includes why bats should be saved.

Summary/Response: Bats can turn fast to catch flying bugs. They are not birds because they have fur instead of feathers and they do not have the same wing structure. Some bats can even hop, swim, and climb. Because they have fur and secrete milk for their young, they are called mammals. They have claws that help them hang down when they sleep. They live in many parts of the world in family groups called colonies. Their diet consists of bugs, fruit, and nectar. Only the vampire bat licks tiny amounts of blood in cows and birds. Bats find their way in the dark by making sounds that give off echoes. Some bats migrate for the winter while others hibernate. A bat has one baby a year called a pup. They are good to farmers because the eat the bugs and can carry pollen from one plant to another.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: Structure and function in living systems, Reproduction and heredity, Regulation and behavior, Populations and ecosystems, Diversity and adaptations of organisms

Illustrations: Color photographs, x-rays

Access Features: Glossary, A Note to Parents, Suggested Activity

Related Texts: Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats by Anne Earle, Bats: Creatures of the Night by Joyce Milton, Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Bats by Kim Williams, Rob Mies, Donald Stokes, and Lillian Stokes

Classroom Use: This is good for a biological science classroom. Books like these are used to expand my student’s mind and to let them know that all of the animals they are afraid of aren’t really “bad.”

What Are Atoms by Lisa Trumbauer

What Are Atoms by Lisa Trumbauer (32 pages; 1 book) #31

Trumbauer, Lisa (2004). What Are Atoms?. Danbury, CT: Children’s Press.

Awards: No awards given, but blog worthy.

Grade Level: K-4 grades

Author Credibility: She is the author of over 200 children’s books. Many of those books are science related. She is a former editor of Scientific American Library Books and has edited several science programs for early learners. She has written numerous books on physical science.

Summary/Response: It begins by asking a question and getting children to extend their thinking. The first question asked is “What is the smallest thing you can imagine?” It gives a reasonable answer, ants, but then asks the children to think smaller. The book jumps in then about seeing things with a microscope and says that atoms are so small you can’t even see them with it. Atoms are what matter is made up of. Trumbauer has a table drawing of an atom and labels its parts. She explains how atoms make molecules and molecules make up elements and how elements join to form things like water. Molecules are used to make up solids, liquids, or gas. If a molecule is close together, it makes a solid. If it’s far apart, it makes a gas.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: Properties and changes of properties in matter, Motions and forces, Transfer of energy

Illustrations: Color photographs, drawing

Access Features: Index, About the Author, Photo Credits

Related Texts: What is Matter? by Don L. Curry, Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Ginger Garrett, What is Electricity? by Lisa Trumbauer

Classroom Use: I have found very few books on physical science and this is one I can use in my classroom to extend what it taught in the textbooks.

Howl: A Book About Wolves by Melvin & Gilda Berger

Howl! A Book About Wolves by Melvin and Gilda Berger (40 pages; 1 book) #30

Berger, Melvin and Gilda Berger (2005). Howl! A Book About Wolves. New York: NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Awards: No awards given.

Grade Level: K-5 grades

Author Credibility: Melvin Berger writes books by himself or co-authors with his wife Gilda. He received his major in music and played the viola professionally before he decided to write books. His first book was Science and Music which helped him connect his two interests music and science. This led to almost 50 years of nonfiction writing. He stated that while researching and working on one article, it brings up questions for another article. Gilda Berger has a Master’s Degree in Education. She writes a variety of nonfiction books ranging from drug addiction to animal biology. There is no mention of how he researched for this book.

Summary/Response: The Berger’s are quick to mention that they have consulted with experts in this book. Again, the book is divided into chapters but no table of contents. No one knows why a wolf howls, but there is several speculations like to bring a pack together before a hunt. Wolves howl all times of the day, not just at night. They are the largest members of the dog family. They are very good hunters. Wolves walk on their toes instead of the soles of their feet to help them move fast. In fact, they can move up to 30 mph. Wolves have sharp teeth and a great sense of smell, up to 100 times better than a human. It is also speculated that they can hear for up to 4 miles away. Timber wolves, commonly known as gray wolves, are the biggest of all the wolves. Arctic wolves may go weeks without eating. Red wolves are the smallest of the wolves and there are only a few left. Baby wolves are called pups. There are usually five or six in a liter. The top male and female leaders of the pack are called alpha wolves. The alpha males are the ones who decide when it’s time to hunt. It takes the group to bring down a large animal and they only catch one in ten elk they hunt. If there hunt is successful, they don’t eat for another two weeks. Despite the fairy tales we’ve heard, wolves only kill for food and they hardly attack humans.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: Structure and function in living systems, Reproduction and heredity, Regulation and behavior, Populations and ecosystems, Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Illustrations: Color photographs

Access Features: Index

Related Texts: Wild, Wild Wolves by Joyce Milton, Wolves by Carolyn B. Otto

Classroom Use: This book is a good addition to a science classroom.

Dive by Melvin Berger

Dive by Melvin Berger (40 pages; 1 book) #29

Berger, Melvin (2000). Dive. New York: NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Awards: No awards given.

Grade Level: K-5 grades

Author Credibility: Berger writes books by himself or co-authors with his wife Gilda. He received his major in music and played the viola professionally before he decided to write books. His first book was Science and Music which helped him connect his two interests music and science. This led to almost 50 years of nonfiction writing. He stated that while researching and working on one article, it brings up questions for another article. However, there is no mention of how he researched for this book.

Summary/Response: The book does not have a table of contents, but it is divided into chapters which make it easier to read. How do you visit the bottom of the sea? By a submarine! Once you get a mile down the ocean is black. The fish, however, have a special way of adapting to this. They make special chemicals in their body or have glowing germs to help the see or attract prey. An angler fish has a “fishing line” attached to her head with a light at the end. When a fish gets close enough to get a look at the light, she snatches the fish for dinner. Others have lights along the bottom, inside their mouth, or under their eyes. A flashlight fish has lights under their eyes; if they meet a predator they “flash” them with their lights then cover them up with a flap of skin. This allows the fish to turn and run while the predator is temporarily blinded. Octopus and squids do not use the light method; they have big eyes adapted to the dark. When they see the lights of another fish, they wrap their arms around it and lunch is served. Whales do not live at the bottom of the ocean, but they love to go deep sea diving for food. Many fish at the bottom have big mouths and elastic stomachs; this is because they can go a long time before another meal becomes available.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: Structure and function in living systems, Reproduction and heredity, Regulation and behavior, Populations and ecosystems, Diversity and adaptations of organisms

Illustrations: Color photographs

Access Features: None

Related Texts: Chomp: A Book About Sharks by Melvin Berger, Scholastic Q & A: Do Whales Have Belly Buttons?, Seahorses by Sally M. Walker

Classroom Use: This book is a good addition to a science classroom. Wow! With all of these fish books, I have a lot to teach about the sea.