Middle Years Summer Science Reading 2023: Home

Humans think they invent everything, but the fact is, us animals have invented ways of solving problems, making unbelievable materials, ways of getting around and working out how to survive on our own for millions of years. In this book you will meet the animal inventors who have shared their super inventing powers to make amazing things for humans.

Answers all your questions about what goes on in your head when you snooze, including the difference between light and deep sleep, where dreams come from, and how essential sleep is to staying healthy. Discover facts about how people slept in the past, and how people sleep in different ways around the world.

Simply told, grandly shown, and now with eight additional pages of brand-new art and more in-depth information about the historic moon landing, here is the flight of Apollo 11.

Packed with colorful illustrations and fascinating facts, this book begins by looking at the anatomy of the human brain, its different regions, and what they do. It also covers the rest of the nervous system and how nerve cells communicate.

This book is a light-hearted, yet highly informative study of two of the most natural human resources in the world - poo and wee. Illustrated with fun artworks and characters, you'll be entertained by wizards using 'magical urine', soldiers fighting with exploding piles of dung, wee-wielding beauty therapists and much more.

This book gives children an in-depth look at DNA and its role in all living things--from why we have different-colored eyes to why we age. Discover what DNA is, what it does, and how it shapes our lives.

In this book, we share the facts, but we also share hope. Learn about the causes of climate change and how it is affecting our world. Explore the human impact and what it means to have a carbon footprint. Read about creative ideas for tackling the climate crisis.

Likening a thread to a river that embroiders the planet, a gentle celebration of the role of rivers explains how they carry life-sustaining water while connecting the world and providing shelter, energy and memories.

Young readers can learn all about the incredible life of naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, whose explorations created the basis for modern ecology, in this adventure-filled picture book that will spark a passion for discovery and conservation in the youngest readers.

A guide to the 92 elements that make up everything in the universe.

Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world.

The author details how he ignored naysayers and was able to bring electricity and running water to his Malawian village when he built a makeshift windmill out of scrap metal and spare parts.

Describes the behaviors, habitat, and physical characteristics of the honeybee.

What wonders wait beneath the waves? Dive in and find out with this beautiful split-page book that celebrates ocean habitats from the sandy shallows to the darkest depths.

For thousands of years, First Nations people have listened and responded to the land and made friends with fire, using this knowledge to encourage plants and seeds to flourish, and creating beautiful places for both animals and people to live.

Explores the geological history of Earth from the Big Bang to the present. A graphic novel.

Sure to engage anyone from the ages of 8 to 80 (and beyond), this is a funny, fascinating whistle-stop tour of the history and science of the universe, life on Earth, the ins and outs of biology, geography, geology and the weather, how life evolved and how it works, and how people use chemistry and the forces of nature to create amazing things.

Explores the extraordinary life and scientific discoveries of Maria Merian, who discovered the truth about metamorphosis and documented the science behind the mystery in this visual biography that features many original paintings by Maria herself.

Describes how the cocoa bean is used to make chocolate and how the animals and other living things in the tropical rainforest play important parts in its creation.

Do you have what it takes to become a vet, a horse trainer or to work at a nature reserve? Find out all about the incredible animal jobs you could do, from training to become an animal behaviourist or a wildlife rehabilitator to working at a zoo or even becoming a bug wrangler!

Welcome to Dinosaurium. Our museum is open at all hours. Its halls contain an extraordinary collection of Mesozoic creatures, from the tiny troodon to the gigantic brachiosaurus. Learn how dinosaurs evolved and why some had feathers and others had scales.

Text and illustrations present twenty-five different science projects featuring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

Historical photographs combined with narration bring the story of the first photograph of a black hole to life. Kids will learn why it was so hard to take a photo of something so dark it does not reflect light, and so far away it could barely be reached.

In this first volume of the full-color illustrated adaptation of his groundbreaking book, renowned historian Yuval Harari tells the story of humankind's creation and evolution, exploring the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human".

An introduction to the history of science, exploring beneath the surface of Earth, charting the evolution of the periodic table and the quest that revealed the DNA molecule, and relating stories of scientists both famous and little known.

Reveals the forgotten life of Alexander von Humboldt, the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world--and in the process created modern environmentalism.

Examines the stories behind the creation of the periodic table, focusing on the history of gold, carbon, silicon, and neon.

Takes readers from scientific investigation and the engineering design process to the Periodic Table; forces and motion; forms of energy; outer space and the solar system; to earth sciences, biology, body systems, ecology, and more.

Traces Alfred Wallace's life from his childhood in the Welsh countryside to his rise to prominence among the scientific community, via dense tropical jungles and perilous journeys -- and shines a light on one of the most important contributors to the theory of evolution.

Before humans took their first steps, there were billions of years of vibrant and varied life-forms on Earth. Discover the story of our planet during this time, from the formation of the universe to the first mammals and all the incredible life that flourished in between.

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as "Human Computers," calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women.

Recounts the early years of air and space exploration and the daring exploits of America's first astronauts--both the men and women who were called upon to train.

Author, HP Newquist, writes about the history of forensic science for young readers. The book also includes classroom activities and full-color photos.

Examines the lives and accomplishments of women scientists in the field of chemistry.

Explores the critical steps taken toward building a successful nuclear bomb and the female scientists who grappled with the destructive aftermath of their own creation, all while striving to be recognized for their work.

Readers are welcomed to the Lobe Labs and Dr. Brain activities in this brightly illustrated, highly engaging book that uses science to answer interesting questions that kids have about the brain and human behavior.

Looks at the study of human nature and explains more than one hundred groundbreaking ideas in this field.

A look at storms, covering tornadoes, hurricanes, and other severe weather and discussing when, where, and how they form.

Citizen science has opened up the world of scientific research to anybody and everybody. It is being done in all areas of science including zoology, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and more. Some projects involve going outside and observing nature while others revolve around data obtained and shared over the internet.

At only eight months old, identical twin sisters Ariel and Zan were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome--a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely. They were the first twins known to survive it. Growing up, Ariel and her sister endured numerous appearance-altering procedures.

Thanks to humans, bumble bees are world travelers, spreading to countries that never hosted bumble bees before. For centuries these insects pollinated our crops. But are they pushing out native pollinators? Why are some species of bumble bees flourishing whereas others are floundering, to the point of possibly disappearing forever?

Presents a collection of two hundred chemistry questions, focusing on people and animals, plants, household chemistry, and other topics.

A young reader's guide to understanding and battling climate change. Full of stories of young leaders all over the world, this book offers young readers a comprehensive look at the state of the climate today and how we got here, while also providing the tools they need to join this fight to protect and reshape the planet they will inherit.

This book explains how plastics are ever more present in our oceans, lakes, and streams.

Jeanne Villepreux-Power was never expected to be a scientist. Born in 1794 in a French village more than 100 miles from the ocean, she pursued an improbable path that brought her to the island of Sicily. There, she took up natural history and solved the two-thousand-year-old mystery of how of the argonaut octopus gets its shell.

This title provides a series of brilliantly simple diagrams ('blueprints' if you want to be complicated about it) that show how important things work: from the nuclear bomb to the biro. It's good to know what the parts of a thing are called, but it's much more interesting to know what they do.

"What would you say if I told you that looking at abstract paintings could give you the confidence you need to speak up in class? Or that learning the history of donuts could help you think like a super spy and train like the CIA? smART teaches readers how to think critically and creatively, a skill that only requires you to open your eyes and actively engage your brain.