There are different literary vehicles for upper elementary through middle school students to get their Earth science on. A commonality between most of the interesting ones is that there is not a narrative device. Sure there are dozens to hundreds of engaging photos and text that do the trick but organizing this non-fiction stuff in a way that keeps them reading is challenging. They might jump in for one nugget, but it’s a different story when trying to lock down their attention for an entire book. Road Trip Earth is a book from Molly Bloom, Marc Sanchez, and Sanden Totten, the folks who created the Brains On! podcast and seems intent on shifting expectations, or at least reading duration.
Science, meet graphic novel, graphic novel, meet scienceTag: upper elementary
The Midnight Children is realistic fiction that crackles with life
The trailer to a book or movie can be a great or horrible thing. If you give too much away then one might as well not see or read the project. The Midnight Children doesn’t have a trailer per se, but it’s a great example of not judging a book by its cover. If one were to do that then you might think that it’s about a teen who hangs out in the forest with lightning bugs while his reclusive friends hide behind the trees. What’s great about The Midnight Children is that even as readers get to the one-third mark of the book, they’re still discovering exactly who the characters are and what they’re trying to accomplish.
MGLit and realistic fiction that grabs readers by handFandex 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.
It’s a thin line between education and entertainmentConsider the Octopus, silly nautical fun with an eco-twist
Consider the Octopus was such a wonderful surprise to read. Having finished the book the clues to what adds up to make it fun are shown on the cover. A casual glance at Consider the Octopus has a teen girl and boy on the cover, while a mid-size ship is cruising through an area of the ocean that’s covered with plastic. The book has elements of all of those things, but its result is far more entertaining and fun, than you’re prepared for.
A message book that uses comedy and timing to deliver the (fun) punchSorceline, ethereal graphic novel with manga touches for upper elementary
Granga. Magic novel. I’m looking over those two Frankenstein words in my head whilst trying to describe Sorceline. They’re words that I made up because thinking of the audience that’s best for Sorceline constantly got my head moving. It’s a graphic novel with spooky sensibilities. It’s a manga with graphic novel touches and hooks in it that’ll make the book a slam dunk for Potterheads. Sorceline is all of those things, it just depends on what fandom or delivery, that you prefer as to how you’ll describe the book.
Manga graphic novel, spooky readHidden Powers: Lise Meitner’s Call to Science, unexpected power in poetry
Imagine that you love pizza. Granted that’s not a stretch for most people, but let’s establish the fact that you love pizza. Now, you’re given something that has all of the ingredients of pizza, but it’s not circular or square, it’s a rhombus or some other rogue shape that shakes up your otherwise perfect pizza senses. You eat this oddly shaped thing and it tastes great. Then you find out that the crust is made of cauliflower, but it’s great so you keep on eating it. At the end of the pizza, you’re rethinking shapes that previously couldn’t possibly be that greasy wheel that you love so much and are thinking of different shaped food that you could enjoy.
Pardon us while we ramble-but this excellnet book defies descriptionSports Heroes, illustrated book on athletes breaking barriers for 8 and up
The style of art that’s used in Sports Heroes is the type that makes elementary-aged readers effortlessly flock to it. The lines are crisp, its edges are sharp, it’s loaded with contrasting colors, the shapes are absurd-but not too silly, and everything has a retro look that’s at home for Mad Men or today’s eight-year-olds. What elementary-aged readers, as well as some middle school readers will come to terms with when they look through Sports Heroes, Inspiring Tales of Athletes Who Stood Up and Stood Out; is that sports-and a variety of them can bring about the best in people.
(brief) Stories that kids don’t know, but want to read, they just don’t know it yetIt Takes Guts makes reading about the body fueling process fun
It Takes Guts, How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (And Poop) is seemingly custom-made for the reading level, humor, patience, and temperament for sixth-grade students. It’s also intelligent enough to be appreciated by those older readers, even those who have no idea what chyme it is. That’s another reason that middle school ages will enjoy It Takes Guts, it’s funny and laden with puns or other learning pneumonic devices. The puns in the book are so sublime that some readers won’t even get them, but they’ll know that they’re there to make the book more palatable.
Fun biology middle school Stem you seek?