Education | Page 8 of 39

Fandex Kids, carefree, curiosity-inviting stem content for 8-12

When elementary school students get into the third grade they’ll start writing reports on basic subjects. It’s more than likely that those reports will center on an animal that probably has an unusual name or disgusting characteristic. Unfortunately for the students, they all can’t do their report on the Rainbow Dung Vampire Beetle. While it might be for the teacher’s sanity, they’ll limit the number of students that can do reports on a certain thing. Fandex Kids, Facts That Fit in Your Hand covers 49 main examples of a subject on one sturdy piece of cardboard.

Fandex Kids has been redesigned with more colors and a more engaging look for younger audiences. Ocean, Bugs and Dinosaur are out to entertainingly educate kids 8-12.

It’s a thin line between education and entertainment

The Kid’s World Factbook, the straight, smart reference book that kids need

The Kid’s World Factbook is a research book for elementary school students that’s presented in a way that those audiences might not expect. It’s also priced at a point that parents aren’t expected. Of course, the price of a book is meaningless, dependent upon whether or not kids will actually willingly read it and engage with the content. This book succeeds on both fronts, wildly surpassing the former and exceeding the first qualifier for most young readers.

The Kid’s World Factbook is a no nonsense look at every country in the world, their main stats and things kids need to know.

A smart, go-to reference for ages 10 and up

Overground Railroad for young adults, history for middle school and up

Overground Railroad is a book that looks at how black people traveled from the mid-1930s through the mid-1960s. In my mind’s eye that’s the way, I described Overground Railroad, the Green Book, and the Roots of Black Travel in America to myself. It felt odd when I stated it that way, but that’s because I hadn’t heard about the Green Book and I was thinking about the topic from my modern-day perspective. It’s also worth noting that this is the Overground Railroad version that’s been adapted for young adults. In 2020 a book with the same title, by the same author came out, but that was geared for an older audience.

Overground Railroad is historical, non-fiction that looks at the Green Book and its influence in commerce for black Americans from the 1930s through the 1960s.

A non-fiction slice that most people haven’t heard

Speak UP, Speak OUT!, mglit on Shirley Chisholm that comes alive

In fifth-grade social studies the topic of civil rights isn’t touched on too much. It does dig deeper than the “I have a dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr., but other speeches, incidents or players in the movement won’t be addressed until middle school. Shirley Chisholm is one of those historical figures that should be mentioned in that class. In 1968 she was the first black woman elected to the United States Congress and the first black woman to run for the President of the United States of America as she sought the nomination from the Democratic Party. Speak UP!, Speak OUT!, The Extraordinary Life of “Fighting Shirley Chisholm” by Tonya Bolden is out on Nat Geo Kids and does what they do best.

To celebrate Black History Month and the release of Speak Up, Speak Out!: The Extraordinary Life of Fighting Shirley Chisholm by Tonya Bolden (January 4th), 5 blogs across the web are featuring posts from the book and author, as well as 5 chances to win!

A book your 6th grader and up will love and learn

Prisoners of Geography, natural barriers shape our world for ages 9 and up

I mentioned the phrase prisoners of geography to a group of fifth-grade students in social studies one day. At the time we were learning about the westward expansion of the United States, specifically, how impactful it was when The Louisiana Purchase opened up that massive area. When I used that phrase the term ‘prisoners’ and ‘geography’ threw them for a loop and immediately led to the things that fifth-grade students will say. I quickly told them that it wasn’t an incarceration, rather the term meant that people and countries are largely defined by the physical boundaries that surround them. Prisoners of Geography, Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps is not your average world book. This is a very smart book that leads to questions, answers and an actual discussion about what’s happening in our world and why things have happened.

Prisoners of Geography is the illustrated young readers edition of the international bestseller. It’s fun, educational and a go-to STEM for ages 9 and up.

Maps and stats to make ages 9 and up curious and talkative

An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language, is the unsaid, muddied truth

The vast majority of people muddle on purpose or accidentally, twist their day-to-day communication. Sometimes it’s quite innocuous, it’s those other times when people or organizations leave things unsaid or pepper their language with certain phrases that make things opaque. An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language is a book that looks at euphemisms, spin, bias, or things that are not said in arguments, in order to persuade people. It’s a very smart book that logic-based people will love reading. The subtitle is Learn To Hear What’s Left Unsaid, and if you can hear the opinions or direction that a conversation is trying to lead you in then this book will speak to you.

An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language is a grammar book on semantics and subtle inferences that are used all the time, here’s what to look for.

When you hear things, are you leading, being led or unaware of the fact?

When Plants Took Over The Planet, smart illustrated young STEM

We have a dinosaur tree in our front yard. It’s my favorite tree, having said that, I don’t know any people who have a preference for their tree. When Plants Took Over The Planet is an illustrated book that will really grow on STEM kids, plant geeks, science students, dinosaur people, or just those who want to be entertained while learning about plant evolution.

When Plants Took Over The Planet is an illustrated book that offers a deep dive-at an approachable level, about the evolution of plants.

Fear not the smart illustrated book meant for elementary school readers

The World Book, world nugget stats for upper elementary

At work, for the past three weeks, I’ve been helping fourth and fifth-grade students craft and edit informational powerpoints. They’ve run the gamut of the usual suspects that any 10 or nine-year-old would find interesting. However, there were a couple of the students that really took the assignment one step further. These were the students that researched little-known topics that they were passionate about, as well as, those kids who were doing subjects that they simply wanted to know more about. Specifically, there was a student who writing about the history of Nintendo and one who was doing Egyptology. The World Book is a reference book that balances illustrations with elementary-aged content in a way that can provide a slightly deeper dive into countries, in addition to introducing students to new areas of Earth.

The World Book explores stats and 411 from every country in a way that introduces many of them and adds information to some.

This is geography catnip for elementary school kids