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Need interesting science books, sort of like books by Rachel Carson


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I think that's what we'll do next year, just read Carson's books and books written by scientists. I would like some recommendations of well-written books on any science topic. DD tends to veer towards books about mammals, so I'm hoping to broaden her knowledge with a variety of subjects. So far our science has been limited to Clover Creek physics, McHenry's Elements (though we will do Carbon Chemistry this summer), Attenborough's Mammals, and Apologia science books. She's capable of high school/college level reading material.

 

The problem is I don't know enough about well-written, non textbook science books to even start a list. I don't need a huge list, just enough to provide sufficient reading material for the next grade.

 

ETA: She reread The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony at least 4 times.

Edited by crazyforlatin
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I'm not sure how old your child is, but my son enjoyed these as an accelerated middle schooler:

 

Anything by Carl Sagan 

Anything by Oliver Sacks

The Upright Thinkers

The Disappearing Spoon

Napoleon's Buttons

The Third Chimpanzee (there is a young people's version of this too)

 

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I'll suggest The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray. It's a visually stunning book!

 

 

"An eye-opening, original collection of gorgeous, never-before-seen photographic representations of the 118 elements in the periodic table.

The elements are what we, and everything around us, are made of. But how many elements has anyone actually seen in pure, uncombined form? The Elements provides this rare opportunity. Based on seven years of research and photography, the pictures in this book make up the most complete, and visually arresting, representation available to the naked eye of every atom in the universe. Organized in order of appearance on the periodic table, each element is represented by a spread that includes a stunning, full-page, full-color photograph that most closely represents it in its purest form. For example, at -183°C, oxygen turns from a colorless gas to a beautiful pale blue liquid.

Also included are fascinating facts, figures, and stories of the elements as well as data on the properties of each, including atomic weight, density, melting and boiling point, valence, electronegativity, and the year and location in which it was discovered. Several additional photographs show each element in slightly altered forms or as used in various practical ways. The element's position on the periodic table is pinpointed on a mini rendering of the table and an illustrated scale of the element's boiling and/or melting points appears on each page along with a density scale that runs along the bottom.

Packed with interesting information, this combination of solid science and stunning artistic photographs is the perfect gift book for every sentient creature in the universe."

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

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In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall is a very easy, interesting read.

 

I thought The Soul of the Octopus was really good too - and Sy Montgomery also writes specifically for kids and teens, so her voice is an accessible one.

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In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall is a very easy, interesting read.

 

I thought The Soul of the Octopus was really good too - and Sy Montgomery also writes specifically for kids and teens, so her voice is an accessible one.

I was looking at The Good, Good Pig also by Montgomery. We'll start with The Soul of the Octopus since DD is fascinated with intelligent creatures, which is why The Elephant Whisperer was such a hit here.

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It would take some work to whittle it down, but if you've never perused nmoira's science year reading list, I recommend it. It has all types & all levels of books, but there are LOTS of gems in it.

 

Napoleon's Buttons, Disappearing Spoon, and the Illustrated Longitude are all on it, for example. If we had a decent library, I would let my dd#3 just read from nmoira's list for a year. (Our library might have ten out of 246 of them. I think I own at least five of them myself!)

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It would take some work to whittle it down, but if you've never perused nmoira's science year reading list, I recommend it. It has all types & all levels of books, but there are LOTS of gems in it.

 

Napoleon's Buttons, Disappearing Spoon, and the Illustrated Longitude are all on it, for example. If we had a decent library, I would let my dd#3 just read from nmoira's list for a year. (Our library might have ten out of 246 of them. I think I own at least five of them myself!)

 

That is a great list! Thank you for posting it, RootAnn!

 

Here are a couple suggestions:

 

Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World 

by Mark Miodownik - We loved this one. It does contain a mention of an attempted mugging (and a resulting knife wound).

 

Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting 

by Thomas D. Seeley - We're not done with this one, but it is very interesting.

 

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It would take some work to whittle it down, but if you've never perused nmoira's science year reading list, I recommend it. It has all types & all levels of books, but there are LOTS of gems in it.

 

Napoleon's Buttons, Disappearing Spoon, and the Illustrated Longitude are all on it, for example. If we had a decent library, I would let my dd#3 just read from nmoira's list for a year. (Our library might have ten out of 246 of them. I think I own at least five of them myself!)

Thanks for the reminder, I mean, I do know about it but I just haven't visited it for some time.

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Science Living Books:

 

Wild Season Allan W. Eckert (narrative on the food chain)

Summer World by Bernd Heinrich (ecology)

Winter World by Bernd Heinrich (ecology)

Trees in My Forest by Bernd Heinrich (ecology)

The Frog Book by Mary K. Dickerson (herpetology)

Adventures in Nature by Edwin Way Teale (mostly insects)

According to Season by Mrs. William Starr Dana (wildflowers, vintage)

Life in the Soil by James B. Nardi (ecology/soil science)

Discovering Amphibians by John Himmelman

Discovering Moths by John Himmelman

The Living Year by Richard Headstrom

Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy (plants and insect ecology)

Swampwalker’s Journal by David M. Carroll

The Year of the Turtle by David M. Carroll (herpetology)

Following the Water by David M. Carroll (herpetology)

The Edge of the Sea Rachel Carson

Noah’s Garden by Sara Stein (native plants)

Planting Noah’s Garden by Sara Stein (native plants)

Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer (moss)

Broadsides from Other Orders by Sue Hubbell (insects)

Waiting for Aphrodite by Sue Hubbell (invertebrate sea life)

Chasing Monarchs Robert Michael Pyle

The Thunder Tree Robert Michael Pyle (butterflies and childhood experiences in nature)

Walking the High Ridge Robert Michael Pyle (butterflies)

Suburban Safari by Hannah Holmes (backyard nature)

The Life of an Oak by Glenn Keator

Near Horizons Edwin Way Teale (insects)

Whisper in the Pines by Joanna Burger (pine barrens ecology)

Annals of the Former World by John McPhee (geology)

Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin (evolution)

Earth: An Intimate History by Richard Fortey (geology: plate tectonics)

Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth by Marcia Bjornerud (geology, evolutionary bio)

Trilobite by Richard Fortey (paleontology)

The Periodic Kingdom: A Journey into the Land of the Chemical Elements by P. W. Atkins (chemistry)

 

* A Guide to Night Sounds CD by Lang Elliot

 

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