Education | Page 12 of 39

Spies, Lies and Disguise presents WW II in a way perfect for middle school

I firmly believe that kids honestly want to learn. So far as the content, there are those things that they need to learn and those things that they want to learn. In middle school when kids start to earnestly learn about WW II they’re faced with the quandary of studying a horrifying period of human history, yet actually wanting to do it. Teaching or educating kids about this period of time is tricky too because there are so many angles that an author could approach it. Spies, Lies and Disguise, The Daring Tricks and Deeds That Won World War II by Jennifer Swanson with illustrations by Kevin O’Malley is an excellent supplemental text to those kids who already know the basics of WW II and want to learn more.

If your middle grade student is tough to embrace history, check this out

Machines In Motion, pointed vehicle history with great art

Imagine that Billy from The Family Circus was all grown up and has become an engineer. From time to time he still reverts back to his habit of drawing where he’s visited around the neighborhood. Machines In Motion, by Tom Jackson with illustrations by Chris Mould has moments that will remind cartoon fans of his exploits, but at a much more educational level. Think of a vehicle that moves people and it’s covered in this book to some extent. It’s a big, over sized book that will grab upper elementary through middle school readers by the hand and make them want to learn about transportation.

Entertaining education about machines and technology at its finest

Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds, fascinating reference book for the masses

Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds, 100 New Ways to See the World by Ian Wright is an unexpected time suck in the best of all possible ways. For example, I’ve never actively thought about those countries or territories that have smaller populations than greater Tokyo. I have also never thought about how the ratio of heavy metal bands per 100 thousand people. Regarding the later query, those in Scandinavia-especially Finland, love some metal, whereas a metal group in central Africa would have a tough time finding an audience. Some of the maps in Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds are serious, some are trivial, but for curious people 10 and up they’ll all be fascinating.

This is an unexpected book that will love. It’s unique, fun to read and educational.

KIBO Robot Kits are the STEAM skill toy you wish you had as a child

It would be deceiving to describe the KIBO Robot Kit as easy. Initially I compared it to the literary equivalent of a board book in that it’s geared towards younger users. KIBO Robot Kits are geared to a similar age as their book brethren, except their goal is much more in the STEAM camp. We’ve played with numerous “kid coding” toys and KIBO Robot Kits are easily the best-and most immersive for what they’re trying to accomplish. It is incredibly simple to use, has almost no learning curve and can challenge the older children for whom the robot is intended for.

If your 4YO can scan an item at the grocery store they can learn coding with KIBO

Mammal Takeover! is a full immersion educational graphic novel

Graphic novels can be so much more than entertaining and fun to read. They can be educational!! Really, they can be and they’re so much more than what some parents, educators or kids might think that they are. The Earth Before Us series from Amulet Books is a great example of how much and how different a graphic novel can be. Mammal Takeover! is the third book in this entertaining and educational series that is about old school Earth.

Mammal Takeover! is a semi-deep dive graphic novel into the prehistoric story of Earth

Life, The First Four Billion Years, lives and breathes

It takes a certain degree of gravitas and chutzpa to title a book Life, The First Four Billion Years and only have the book be 80 pages. A title like that implies that the book would be encyclopedia-esque, covering many volumes. This book doubles down on its confidence and is an oversized book that’s worthy of being on your coffee table, if you have one. Thankfully, Life delivers in its content and illustrations in a way that we’ve seen very few books accomplish. It covers incredibly complex material in a way that can be understood by those students in upper elementary who are interested in life.

If you’re looking for a book to pump up and encourage grades 5 and up about evolution, this is it

Science Comics: Cats, as enjoyable as a kitten video, but educational too

Graphic novels are meant to be entertaining and are incapable of being educational. Granted readers might gleam something from the art and the book’s cultural relevance, but on the whole, it’s for fun. It’s OK if you have thought that. Education and entertainment sometimes don’t mix. That’s why the best teachers, the ones that you still remember from middle school managed to entertain you while they were teaching you. They lower your defenses and then –BAM, start the soft messaging of teaching you something. Science Comics: Cats is like that and for middle school readers and up who want to learn about animals that will leave you feline fine keep on reading.

Science Comics: Cats by Andy Hirsch is an entertaining graphic novel masquerading as a cat bio book. Ages 8 and up will laugh, learn and love it.

Science Comics: Cats, as enjoyable as a kitten video, but educational too

Creepy and True, Mummies Exposed!, superb, non-fiction, mummy funny

Mummies are something that we’ve had a keen interest in for decades. When I was single and childless I would plan my vacations around places where mummies could be seen. On one particular excursion I was near Siwa, Egypt and visited a series of tombs that the locals were talking about.* Sure enough, there were mummies there, just chilling out in a series of enclaves that were cut into the side of a mountain. I never disturbed any of the remains-or took anything from the burial site. I’ve seen The Brady Bunch Hawaii episode, I know that taking things from sacred locations never, ever ends well.

Creepy and True, Mummies Exposed! is such a fun, non-fiction read that any middle school kid with degree in STEM interest or curiosity will love it.

If you’re a middle grade student and want mummies-you got em. You will really dig this.