momto2Cs Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I'm looking for more science books I can read aloud. We are very much enjoying The Magic of Reality (Dawkins) and I would love to find more science books written at about that level, on a variety of topics. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 (edited) Oh, do I have one! It is written on a somewhat higher level (and the literary style is phenomenal), but thanks to a gift from a board member who will not be named (OK, it was Moira :tongue_smilie:) I got a gift of a book called "Hard Road West." What a strange and fascinating book it is thus far. It blends a fascinating study of geology and science, including cosmological elements (did you know we are made out of stardust?) with the story of the Gold Rush and the settlement of the West. It sounds like a super-weird mix, and it is. But what an amazingly weird mix it is! I liked it so well I decided to make it a read aloud with my son. Because some of the ideas are pretty lofty it does require a good deal more discussion than our normal read-alouds to ensure he is fully getting the picture, but it is so worth it! He has actually been "journaling" about the book as school homework and we get teacher's comments like, "Wow! You are reading this?! Yes, we are :D Top notch! Bill Edited March 17, 2012 by Spy Car Strange iPad typos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Oh, do I have one! It is written on a somewhat higher level (and the literary style is phenomenal), but thanks to a gift from a board member who will not be named (OK, it was Moira :tongue_smilie:) I got a gift of a book called "Hard Road West." What a strange and fascinating book it is thus far. It blends a fascinating study of geology and science, including cosmological elements (did you know we are made out of stardust?) with the story of the Gold Rush and the settlement of the West. It sounds like a super-editor mix, and it is. But what an amazingly weird mix it is! I liked it so well I decided to make it a read aloud with my son. Because some of the ideas are pretty lofty it does require a good deal more discussion than our normal read-alouds to ensure he is fully getting the picture, but it is so with it! He has actually been "journaling" about the book as school homework and we get teacher's comments like, "Wow! You are reading this?! Yes, we are :D Top notch! Bill :DThat's fantastic. It's the best non-fiction I've read in the last couple years, and it'll be my go-to gift book for the next while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 :DThat's fantastic. It's the best non-fiction I've read in the last couple years, and it'll be my go-to gift book for the next while. I wonder where it's going next (don't tell me :D). Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I wonder where it's going next (don't tell me :D). Bill Get back to me when you and your son have finished Why Evolution is True. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I would love to find more science books written at about that level, on a variety of topics. I'm "supposed" to be cleaning up a bit (self-imposed purgatory), but here's the first batch. Russell Stannard: Black Holes and Uncle Albert Uncle Albert and the Quantum Quest Time and Space of Uncle Albert and the poetry book Space, Time Rhythm & Rhyme Jay Hosler: Clan Apis The Sandwalk Adventures: An Adventure in Evolution Told in Five Chapters Optical Allusions Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Thanks for all the suggestions! We're looking forward to more good science reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Every Bone Tells a Story A World in a Drop of Water and Life in a Bucket of Soil. Not really read-alouds but my kids like for me to read from them... The Elements The Solar System I could think of more if my shelves weren't bare in preparation for our move. How do people live like this!? :thumbdown: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Guinea Pig Scientists: Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine Snake Pits, Talking Cures and Magic Bullets Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates The Illustrated Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream Life on Earth -- and Beyond: An Astrobiologist's Quest Architecture is Elementary: Visual Thinking Through Architectural Concepts Fantastic Feats and Failures Hoaxed!: Fakes and Mistakes in the World of Science There's a great series called "Scientists in the Field" worth seeking out at your library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jar7709 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) ooh, I'll play! This kind of thing is my favorite. Anything by these writers are wonderfully written, interesting science topics that also touch on history, art, psychology, etc. Written for adults but we've done portions of some of their stuff as read-alouds with my kids, just skipping any chapters that might be too "adult": Mark Kurlansky Mary Roach (my 6yo loved her book on space travel!) Victoria Finlay Simon Winchester John McPhee If you're interested in earth science topics I have a bunch of book lists on my blog for a variety of ages. Edited March 17, 2012 by jar7709 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 If you're interested in earth science topics I have a bunch of book lists on my blog for a variety of ages.Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 My hold lists are overflowing - Thanks everybody! Now how to find the time to read MORE to everybody in order to fit them all in. I'm thinking more processed foods, housecleaning gets dropped first, of course, more books on cd, waterproof editions for bathtime, maybe post a few pages a day across from the commode.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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