Science Books for Children

Libraries and bookstores now have available an enormous number of excellent science-related books for children. When making selections, you may want to consider questions that the National Science Teachers Association uses in evaluating books. For instance:

• Does the author have a good science background and reputation?
• Is the content interesting to children?
• Is the sequence of events logical?
• Is the format (the placement of pictures, photographs and text) pleasant and easy to follow?
• Are the pictures, photographs and illustrations accurate, and do they match the text?
• Is the vocabulary appropriate? (Big words are OK if they are explained and used in context.)
• Are controversies handled fairly?
• Are the suggested activities safe? Practical?

When selecting books, also keep in mind:

• Children can learn science from “non-science” books too, such as fictional stories, biographies and historical accounts.
• Recommended age or grade levels are usually printed on a book’s back cover, but they are recommendations only. You’re the best judge of which books are appropriate for your child, regardless of age. Just take special care with age-level recommendations for those books that could pose potential safety hazards, such as the use of certain equipment or chemicals.

The following list is only a small sample of the many excellent science-related books that your child might enjoy. Many of the books listed here appear on the recommended lists prepared jointly by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council and the lists prepared the American Association for the Advancement of Science. For additional titles or for titles about specific science-related topics, go to the Web sites of these organizations or ask your local or school librarian for recommendations. Many of the following books also are available in languages other than English, and your librarian can help you locate them.

The books are arranged according to subject. For each book, you’ll see a suggested age range: P indicates books that are most appropriate to read with preschoolers and children in grades K through 2; E indicates those books that will appeal to children in grades 3 and up, who read independently.

By Barbara J. Feldman

Barbara J. Feldman is a syndicated columnist and the publisher of Surf Net Parents, Surfnetkids.com and 51+ other family-friendly sites. She has been creating websites since 1996, and loves teaching others how to solve WordPress problems.