Children's Book Review: Adventures in Science - The Human Body By Courtney Acampora

ADVENTURES IN SCIENCE 
The Human Body

By: Courtney Acampora

Published: December 12, 2017

Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books

Non-Fiction/Activity Kit

Stop the summer slide and keep kids excited to learn about science by teaching them about our amazing human body. This kit is more than just a boring book.

Besides the book, there is a poster with stickers, flash cards and a skeleton for kids to put together. The book covers all parts of the human body from cells and tissues to the five senses, to the brain, digestion, and even the importance of exercising to stay healthy. 

The book offers lots of photography and small fact sections to give kids just enough information to keep them interested and not overwhelm them. Explaining how our muscle and tendons or even our digestive system work can be confusing, but the details in this book make it easy for kids to grasp. 

The flash cards included are just the right size and offer a way to quiz or find information quickly. I would have loved playing school with this set as a kid. This is also a great set for homeschooling families or students that need extra help with science.

I was excited about the included skeleton, but unfortunately found it quite frustrating to put together. I finally gave up. I was able to get part of it together until it would fall apart and I would have to start over. I can see that this would definitely frustrate elementary aged children and would need parent support to help put this together. 

The accompanying poster and stickers are also an excellent way to quiz and check for understanding of all the body parts including the bones and internal organs. I was disappointed in the fact that these stickers are a one-time use. It would have made more sense to make this a laminated type of poster with reusable stickers for multiple uses. For a homeschooling family that may want to reuse this resource several times, the stickers were not made for that. 

So, even though this is a great resource, it does have its limitations. There is still much to learn from the book alone about the how the amazing human body works and offers lots of important information. This kit can still be a helpful resource for elementary classrooms and homeschooling families. 

To purchase a copy of ADVENTURES IN SCIENCE: The Human Body, click the photo below:

All summer I'll be sharing books for children and youths that are great choices to keep your children interested in reading and learning. These may be books that encourage reading, play, and kindness as well as keeping kids interested in science and history all while continuing to read. The summer slide is real and teachers will appreciate kids that continue to keep their minds active along with their bodies. See all the Summer Read-to-Learn books, HERE. 

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama's regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children's and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and sometimes even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.


Other posts you may be interested in:

Two Books for Back-to-School

B is for Breakdancing Bear

How to Ace the National Geographic Bee

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018

Three Career Books from National Geographic Kids

Science Encyclopedia

How Things Work

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. 

Children's Book Review: Science Encyclopedia from National Geographic

SCIENCE ENCYCLOPEDIA
Atom Smashing, Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More!

Published: October 11, 2016

Publisher: National Geographic

Non-Fiction

Everything you ever wanted to know about Science is in this book. Nothing was left out and the photography is absolutely amazing. This is National Geographic at its best....taking a subject and sharing everything possible in an easy-to-understand format for kids....and adults! The pictures will grab your attention and the tidbits of information on each page will make you want to learn more.

The book is broken up into two parts of science, Physical Science and Life Science. Physical Science includes sections on Matter, Forces and Machines, Energy, and Electronics. Life Science includes The Universe,  Life on Earth, The Human Body, and Planet Earth. There is also a huge glossary of terms and an index of places to get more information including websites, books, and movies.

I was especially interested in the Flowering Plants section. Did you know the sunflower is made up of thousands of tiny flowers? I had no idea. The world's biggest flower is found in Indonesia and measures about three feet across but shockingly it smells like rotten meat! I think I will pass on growing that flower!

I was also extremely fascinated with the section on ancient medicine and how Leonardo's sketches of the human organs were amazingly accurate. Also, the use of everyday materials, like honey, can truly heal and something that many of us today are choosing to use rather than chemicals.

Throughout the book, there are also several experiments for the kids to try, for example, using a magnet with cereal fortified with iron or making your own magnifier.

This is a book that has everything you need for that science-loving child. There is much to learn in this book and one that can be referred to throughout upper elementary or middle school years. I'll be gifting this to our daughter's sixth-grade science teacher as I am sure it will get a lot of use there.

To purchase a copy of SCIENCE ENCYCLOPEDIA, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama's regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children's and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.


Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Children's Book Review: How Things Work By T. J. Resler

HOW THINGS WORK
Discover Secrets and Science Behind Bounce Houses, Hovercraft, Robotics, and Everything in Between. 

By: T.J. Resler

Published: October 25, 2016

Publisher: National Geographic Kids

Non-Fiction

Does your child love to take things apart to see how they work? Do they constantly ask why or how something is made or created? Do you think they could create the next big invention? Then this book is for them!

Ask any teacher and STEM is what everyone is talking about in the education world. These are where the jobs are going to be when our kids graduate and how educators are focusing their lessons. STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math...four areas educators are focusing on for both boys AND girls in the classroom. I personally like STEAM, adding Arts into the teaching as well as I believe they are just as important to the mind and body.

National Geographic and Resler feed every kid's question with the answers they've been looking for. How do refrigerators work? Find a pretty cool explanation in this book. Is your child wanting to be a roboticist? Meet Helen Greiner, an engineer, computer scientist, and roboticist in this book. Need to explain the importance of flushing the toilet to your boys (I STILL have issues in my house), then show your kids how a toilet and plumbing works with this book. There are even "Try This" experiments you can do at home with everyday household objects to learn...you guessed it....how something works.

The pages are full of easy to understand flowcharts and quick facts about a variety of topics. Some of my favorites to learn about were how a robot vacuum works (I've been wanting one) and how various instruments make music. There are even sections on roller coasters, surfing, and tightrope walking.

This book explains it all. So, if you have a child that asks a lot of Why? and How? questions, get them this book!

To find out more about T.J. Resler, check out his website, HERE.

To purchase a copy of HOW THINGS WORK, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama's regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children's and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.


Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com.