Science Friday - 2024’s Best Science Books For Kids

Episode Date: December 9, 2024

It’s that time of the  year when you’re making your list, checking it twice, for gifts that spark a love of science for the kids in your life. Ira talks with Mahnaz Dar, young readers’ editor at Kirkus Reviews and Carrie Wolfson, collection development librarian at the Boulder Public Library to  round up some of the top kids’ science books of 2024 and make recommendations based on listener questions.See their full list of recommendations on sciencefriday.com.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

You're making your list, you're checking it twice. It's books all around for kids naughty and nice. At the end of the day, the best book for a kid is the book that they're going to read and enjoy. It's Monday, December 9th, a new week ahead of us, and it's also Science Friday. I'm SciFRI producer Kathleen Davis. Here on this show, we feel pretty strongly that books are a great gift for kids, especially books about science. but it can be hard to know what kind of science books your little ones might be interested in

and which ones are worth the buy. If you're not, we've got the expert picks for the top science books for kids of 2024, and we've also answered some of your questions about what books the kids in your life might enjoy. Here's Ira Flato. Manaz Dar, young readers editor at Kirkus Reviews in New York and Carrie Wilson Collection Development Librarian at the Bolden, Public Library in Boulder, Colorado. Welcome to Science Friday. Way to be here. Thank you. Good to be here. Nice to have you, of course. Okay, let's go right to these because I know folks are waiting to hear your recommendations. Broadly speaking, let me ask both of you. And Manaz, you can go first. What makes a good kid's science book? Obviously, you want something that's going to be informative, that's going to be

accurate. But I think it's also important to have a good entry point, you know, something that's going to be a grab a kid's attention. And I feel like humor is often a really good way to do that. We've been seeing a lot of books with graphic formats, you know, just a way to kind of spice up the information. I remember when I was a little kid, I had a lot of science books in the library, but they didn't quite have the fun that a lot of these books now have, which I think is such a great thing about nonfiction and science in particular. Yeah, Carrie, you agree? Yeah, absolutely. There's just such a wonderful array of choices and creative formats out there now that have really exploded over the last, you know, decade or so. One of the things that you might think about as what kind of kid you're buying for, there are a bunch of different kinds of nonfiction for children.

You've got sort of active nonfiction. That's like your cookbooks or your outdoor exploration or your craft books. So if you have a kid who's really into creating and making and doing, that might be a good format for them. You also have more sort of literary nonfiction where it might have a really great narrative. It might use the same kinds of things that a fiction book does. So the characters will be brought to life. It will be told as a linear story. So if a child really enjoys that kind of reading, think about that. And then we also have sort of browsing.

stuff where you can just hop in anywhere and a kid can, you know, come back to it again and again and experience the book that way. You know, it's been my experience as a father and a grandfather that there are books that you love as an adult, but the kids don't seem to really appreciate it as much as you do, Carrie. Yeah, absolutely. Some of kids' favorite nonfiction books might be ones adults might turn their noses up at a little bit. But like Manas is saying, these are often ones that are like really fun and engaging. So series like Who Would Win, which tracks animal characteristics. Sometimes it's even books of ghost stories or, you know, shipwrecks, that kind of thing. But at the end of the day, the best book for a kid is the book that they're going to read and

enjoy. All right. Let's get right into your picks. And Manaz, You go first. Give me your first pick, please. Yeah, so one book that I love is called The Observologist, a handbook for mounting very small scientific expeditions by Jazele Clarkson. And this is a book for other explorers, and you might think, well, I don't have access to the rainforest or any kind of rural setting, but you don't need to. You can live anywhere and go on little expeditions. The book teaches kids about something called observology, the study of looking.

And it offers them pointers on identifying, you know, bugs that they might find and telling them where they might find them, you know, on the pavement outside, in the garden, even, you know, behind the drapes in the living room. And it's just so hands-on. I feel like a kid will spend hours with it. They can read it straight through or they can just pick a chapter. And it's the kind of book that's really going to stay with you. I think you read this and then you just become. a more observant person in all of your life, really. Right.

And Carrie, give me your first book. Yeah, my first pick is called The Next Scientist by Kate Messner, illustrated by Julia Quo. This is one of a series of books, and it is a chronicle of what famous scientists were up to as children. So we have folks like Isaac Newton and Mae Jemison and Jay Goodall, but also a ton of scientists from across time and the globe that we might not have heard from before. And it's just a stunning picture book. It's got beautiful colors that fill the whole page.

And it bounces back and forth between scenes of scientists as kids kind of messing around, maybe taking things apart, maybe building things, maybe doing sports or doing. art and then connects those scenes to how scientists use those traits in adulthood. So it's a great one for showing the diversity of the scientific community and for showing kids kind of models of what they might look like as scientists themselves. And it's also really fun, great engaging pictures and lots to share with kids and adults. Yeah, yeah. Manaz, you're up next. Yeah, so I've actually got a book that pairs really well with that one. It's for a slightly older audience. My Antarctica, True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and so much more, by Genearie, illustrated by Corbyn Wilkin. And so the author, Genearie, spent two months on a grant-funded trip to Antarctica. And he just was blown away by all the things he came across a mummified seal, like in the title.

he talks about how you dispose of poop in Earth, you've got to dispose of it safely and bring it back. And I think what really comes through is less the information, which is great, and more the idea that really stem is for everyone because the author, Gianni, struggled with science and math as a kid, and he didn't see, as a person of color, a lot of scientists or explorers who looked like him,

but he realized on the trip that he had this great gift for translating science into stories and captivating other kids and showing them the beauty of science. And it's a book that really shows you that STEM is for everyone. Science is for all of us. Even if you're not going to become a scientist, you can still love science in your own way. I'm putting that on my list because as someone who's been to Antarctica, I want to see what that book is all about. Oh my God. So you can actually fact check that one. Especially the part about the poop. I remember that one. Let's move on to some of the requests we've received from our listeners.

Kay from Charlottesville, Virginia, is looking for a book for a 13-year-old boy who likes looking for critters in streams. What would you recommend? Manaz, you got anything for our listener? I do. I have a book that's about lakes. It's called Spooky Lakes by Gio Rutherford. And the author is a TikTok creator, and the book has spun off of these TikTok videos. and it's just all these really cool stories about lakes all over the world.

So I feel like it would be a really cool way for this kid to expand his interests a little bit. And it's got the kind of creepy element. And I think then you could also check out the videos with some parental supervision if you wanted. Carrie, you have a book, The Scientists in the Field Series, right? I do, but I can attest to Manaz's suggestion that one is really popular at our library. doing really well. So I would recommend the scientists in the field series. First of all, looking for critters in streams just sounds like a wonderful, wonderful activity. So that sounds really fun. The scientists in the field series follows scientists as they're out in the wild

doing science, and there are a number related to marine biology. So for a kid who's maybe interested in river systems, this has wonderful photographs, lots of really interesting. storytelling and showcases a lot of wonderful scientists. Sounds great. Our next question from our listeners is from Beth from Southwestern Ohio. Here it is. The child is a newborn, and I would like suggestions for books that will plant ideas in his little head that are related to plants and animals, both earth and sea.

The baby shower included a call for books, so there are already many. Therefore, I am looking for something like a series or grouping of books that I could give as successive gifts off and on throughout his first two to three years. Carrie, any suggestions? Yeah, one of my favorite new board book series this year is from the Caldeca honor winner Brendan Wenzel. He has a series of board books called Hello, Hello, Hello, Colors, Hello, Hello, Shaps, Numbers, and Opposites. and they all feature brilliant, colorful illustrations of real wildlife, but also introduce those early concepts to young learners. So you'll see everything from, you know, a sloth and a cheetah for your opposite books.

And then animals of all kinds of different shapes and sizes and speeds. So recommend that one. And then I also recommend as that child gets older to really use your public library. The folks there are there to know books, get to know your kid, and find stuff that really supports your family throughout a child's reading life and lifelong. So definitely get to know your local library professionals. When we come back, we'll talk about kids' books that tackle ice cores, pigments, and the great big universe. Stay with us. All right.

Our next question comes from Suzanne P. from Maristown, New Jersey, and let's take a listen. My son, Simon, is 11 years old, and he's in 6th grade. He loves math, physics, pottery, and anything to do with plants or gardening. He also loves to swim, sail, and loves listening to Science Friday. Any book suggestions you have would be very welcome. Thanks. You're welcome. Thanks for that call. Manaz, suggestions. Yeah, the author Jorge Chum has a really great, it's a new series now. Last year he had one called Oliver's Great Big Universe and now there's a sequel Oliver's Great Big Universe. Volcanoes are hot. And it's kind of, I describe them as Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets good, hard, accurate stem because they're very accessible, they're fun, they're written from the point of view of a young boy who's writing his own. comic and he just takes these really big concepts like volcanoes or the Big Bang theory and puts them into mixed comparisons that are just going to make a lot of sense to kids. And I think this kid sounds like a really fun creative child. I think you get a kick out of Oliver.

Yeah. Carrie? Yeah. I'm a big fan of the big ideas that change the world series from Don Brown. These are nonfiction comic books that cover some great developments in the history of STEM. The latest one is called All Charged Up and it's about the history of electricity. And it goes through the very earliest experiments with electricity all the way to the modern age and has a wonderful artwork and sort of a scientist leading you through the book. And again, a great one for a creative kid who loves learning about all kinds of topics. You know, that was my first experience with science books, was electricity.

It was just fascinating stuff, and I think it's a way to draw people in. It's really good. Absolutely. Our next question is from Kathy from Vancouver, Canada, who says, 12-year-old who loves reading and thinks of themselves as sciencey, went through a rock phase a couple of years ago, but seems to be drifting to chemistry and biology. Carrie, what do you think? Yeah, my pick for this reader is Frozen in Time,

what Ice Corps can tell us about climate change. This one is by Carmela Van Fleet, and it is a longer book for kind of older kid readers that goes through how scientists use ice to look into the history of climate and environment and analyze those samples to tell us what might be coming or what we can do in our own time. So it has a lot of hard science in it for a kid who's maybe getting into chemistry, but it's also just really engaging and well told.

So recommend that one for Kathy's 12-year-old. Now, what's interesting is that Kathy said they went through a rock phase a couple of years ago. Carrie, any suggestions for geology lovers? Absolutely. I'm so glad you asked. One of my other picks for the best STEM books of 2024 for kids or my favorites is called All the Rocks We Love. It's by Lisa Varshal Peron and Taylor Peron, illustrated by David Shearer. This one is going to be great for younger kids. And it is a wonderful overview of different kinds of rocks.

There are just stunning watercolors that just. show us some rocks up close. And then it has illustrations of kids in a ton of different natural environments from, rural areas to urban parks to suburban neighborhoods, exploring rocks and discovering these in their environment. So it would be a great one to pair with an outdoor adventure and perfect for those young kids who are seeking treasures outside. and being little scientists themselves.

You know, I'm getting that one for myself. You absolutely should. It's wonderful. And the authors are a couple, they're actually a professional poet and a professional geologist. So really great knowledge behind that. Science and the arts, something we love here.

Marnie T. from Downers Grove, Illinois, asks, I'm shopping for a 10-year-old girl. She's very creative, loves to sing, draw, paint, write poetry, and cook. She also loves experimenting with cooking and performing chemistry experiments. We have the wow in the world books, and she loves those. Monaz, suggestion? Yeah, I've got one called What Is Color, the Global and Sometimes Grose story of pigments, paint,

and The Wondrous World of Art by Stephen Weinberg. This one sits really beautifully at the intersection of science, art, even history. So I think it's a really great book for our book. a 10-year-old girl who seems like a real Renaissance girl, it goes into the science of, you know, the electromagnetic spectrum, how different pigments were developed, and also how that led to the creation of different artistic works of art.

And it's also a really funny book. The author inserts himself as a character as the narrator, and he has this really funny commentary. He explains science. He expounds on art from Michelangelo to O'Keefe, even musing on, you know, what even is art. So I think this is a really good one.

And that's about all the time we have for now. Thank you so much to Manaz Dar, young readers editor at Kirkus Reviews, based in New York, and Carrie Wolfson, Collection Development Librarian at the Boulder Public Library in Boulder, Colorado. Thank you so much. Thank you. Good to be here. And if you need a specific type of kids science book, Carrie and Manaz will be on hand for a few more recommendations during the upcoming week.

So you can go to sciencefriady.com slash kids' books and find out how to send us info for the kid on your list. Yeah, and to read their full list of their favorite kids' books from last year. We have that all there up on our website. That's all the time that we have for now. A lot of folks helped make the show happen, including...

Ph. Ramsey, Sandy Roberts, and many more. Tomorrow, we'll stick on the... holiday theme and talk about what you need to do to kid-proof your home for the holidays. Sci-Fri poison control is on the line, but for now, I'm SciFri producer Kathleen Davis. We'll see you then.