Book Finder

Wally starts his science project on his iguana, Spike, but is soon sidetracked by his observations which prove that dinosaurs are not extinct, but live and thrive in his neighborhood! “Photographs” and notes are often laugh-out-loud funny and cleverly formatted to look like a notebook bound with yarn.

Ever wonder why some people’s eyes look red in a photograph or why egg whites can literally be whipped into shape? The Exploratorium has the answers! This hands-on museum is in San Francisco, California, but its discoveries are now available in the form of a book. With some curiosity, a bit of experimentation, and some insight from museum folk, you can explore this museum from your own home. This intriguing book can inspire curious minds of all ages.

Koko was an extraordinary real-life great ape who learned hand signs to communicate with her teacher (and the author of this book). For her birthday, Koko wanted a cat. Full-color photographs emphasize not only the size difference between Koko and her kitten, but the affection and trust they shared. This sensitive and revealing glimpse at animal communication is sure to win over animal lovers of all ages.

The laughs begin even before a third grader’s science project – Super Slime – gets out, and things quickly get out of hand! Goopy, frumpy, and slightly gross illustrations accompany the rhyming text, and is sure to cause laughter as the school is almost consumed.

What icky creature looks the same from both ends? The worm, of course! For the first time ever, get the insider’s view of life from this creepy crawler’s perspective. He lives underground with his family, eats his homework and does his best to annoy his sister — documenting it all in a diary. Simple illustrations are the ideal complement to the understated humor (though nonetheless laugh-out-loud tone) of the text.

One of nature’s most volatile weather events is the tornado. In this updated edition, the author presents the formation, tracking, and devastation created by twisters. Dramatic photographs and a brief list of additional resources conclude this fascinating book.

Hurricanes, their origin and their destructive power (as well as their relatives, the tropical storm and depression) are presented here in striking photographs and cogent text.

Animals can seem unusual to the uninitiated. Why do lions have manes? (No, it’s not to show off or because they eat barbers.) Why do walruses have moustaches? These “whys” and more are addressed by silly answers as well as brief facts in this attractive book of large, comic illustrations and varied typefaces.

When is “pink for crow…”? When it has “just hatched from its egg.” Vibrant, uncluttered paintings accompany the straightforward text to explore different ways of looking at things and prove that blueberries can be white!

Though few have ever considered dust – what it is or where it came from – this informative, evocative book may change that. Consider, for example, that the film on a computer screen may have been the dust on a dinosaur. Poetic language and suggestive illustrations pique interest through their simplicity.

Literalist housekeeper Amelia Bedelia is back to help a teacher with the science fair. Snappy dialogue, slapstick humor, and recognizable situations are easy to read and sure to engage.

A biologist introduces spiders and their webs through stunning full color close-up photographs and a lively text. Spider facts include the arachnids’ common and scientific names, size, where they live, and what they eat. A technique to find webs and additional sources of information conclude this handsome volume.

Two children play hide and seek outdoors on a warm night. Little do they know that a culex, a newly matured mosquito, is also looking for them. Bordered, color photographs taken with an electron microscope are inserted on black and white photographs of the playing children. Additional information about mosquitoes, micrographs, and more is appended in this fascinating and informative book.

The garden that Eddie and his Mum plant while his younger sister “helps” grows in the warm earth with the help of sun, rain, and beneficial creatures like worms. Eddie learns that other creatures (like slugs) eat plants. This gentle, engaging family story informs and illuminates many aspects of gardening.

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.

3…2…1…lift off! Take a journey into space exploration. With fun facts like what astronauts eat and how they sleep, kids will learn about today’s space adventures and how people from all over the world work to continue space exploration.

A brightly colored and intricately detailed space shuttle prepares for liftoff, then shoots into space, leaving Earth’s atmosphere and going into orbit.

For Ms. Splinter, the second grade field trip to the circus provides a chance for serious learning. Not so for inquisitive, bold Emeline who explores the circus in unforgettable ways to the delight of the other students and to her teacher’s horror. Humor abounds, and watercolor and line illustrations complement the understated, surprisingly informative text.

Charles Lindbergh was only 25 years old when he made his historic non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Through Burleigh’s vivid retelling and Wimmer’s bold paintings, the reader soars with Lindbergh as he follows his dream.

Have you ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Wondered what it might be like to see the sun set sixteen times in one day? Open this book and be transported on an information-packed voyage aboard the space shuttle.

In 1802, when Champollion was eleven years old, he vowed to be the first person to read Egypt’s ancient hieroglyphs. He faced great challenges over the next twenty years as he searched for the elusive key to the mysterious writing.

Much has been written about the vast scientific importance of space exploration, but very little about the human side of being a member of an astronaut crew. In this book, with the help of journalist Susan Okie, Sally Ride shares the personal experience of traveling into space. America’s first woman astronaut answers questions most frequently asked about a journey through space.

Join the crew and find out how rockets, probes, telescopes, and space shuttles work! Illustrations and text introduces young readers to the amazing variety of spaceships past, present, and ready to blast off into the future.

Ms. Frizzle, an unflappable science teacher, drives the magical school bus into a cloud where the children shrink to the size of water droplets and follow the course of water through the city’s waterworks system.