Geology, Earth Science, etc.

Beaton, Clare. Weather = El tiempo / illustrated by Clare Beaton. Hauppauge, N.Y. : Barron's ; London : Hi Marketing, 2001. 0764116908. (Ages 2-6) [Bilingual: English/Spanish] Grade: A-

Very simple word book introduces 11 weather related words in English and Spanish. Does what it sets out to do. My only complaint is the illustration showing lightening shows a bear-child riding a bike, something that children should know not to do. KWR, UIUC MLIS, UIUC. (02-04)

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Field Trip to the Earth, CD-ROM, Sunburst: Grade: B/B-
[Note: Don't confused with the Field Trip Earth Web site]

"Field Trip to the Earth is a database that deals with geology, natural disasters. There are many activities involved with it and once the user comes to understand the information, he or she can participate in games that are presented as an incentive. The fourth graders in my school study geology and the teachers are always looking for good sources for their children to get information about their study.

One of the information locations is the Field Guide to which the children can go to to get information about many geological topics. An example would be rocks. Children can read about how rocks are formed, view pictures of the rocks and also view a video of the formation of the rock. Listening to the text is also a possibility.

While all of this sounds quite exciting, in reality it is a bit tedious due to the length of the articles and the fact that if the listening of the text is stopped to view a film or look at a picture, the sound does not return to where the child left off but rather to the top of the article. This is a real drawback as is the length of the articles. Dictionaries and glossaries are provided to help the students. The information provided on this CD is sound but the delivery is not particularly engaging or easy to locate. As a result, I'm in the market for something new." © 2003 Joyce McCaffrey, UIUC MLIS Student. (November 2003)

Orme, Helen. What makes weather? / by Helen Orme. Milwaukee : Gareth Stevens Pub., 2004. 0836837886 (lib. bdg.) Ages 4-8 Grade: A

Colorful and inviting book introduces weather. Topics covered include: clouds, rain, hail, wind, thunder, and lightening. Each page has a bright background and some photographs. The text is broken up into small chunks. There are quiz-type questions asked throughout the book. Includes an extensive glossary and an index. KWR (07-04).

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Rosinsky, Natalie M. Rocks : hard, soft, smooth, and rough / written by Natalie M. Rosinsky ; illustration by Matthew John. Minneapolis, Minn. : Picture Window Books, c2003. 1404800158 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) (Ages 4-8) Grade: A+

Introduces igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The writing is simple and remarkably concise for a book aimed at this age group. For example, "Rocks form in three ways. In the first way, melted rock bubbles up from inside the earth. Then it cools down and becomes hard igneous rock." Colorful and friendly looking book layout. Includes a rock chart, activities and an introduction to Mohs Hardness Scale. There is also a glossary, bibliography, and index. KWR, UIUC MLIS, UIUC Certificate of Professional Development in Crop Science. (02-04)

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Saunders-Smith, Gail. Sunshine. English & Spanish. La luz del sol / de Gail Saunders-Smith ; traducción, Martín Luis Guzmán Ferrer = Sunshine / by Gail Saunders-Smith ; translation, Martín Luis Guzmán Ferrer. Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, c2004. 0736823107 [Pebble Bilingual Books] Ages 6-9 Grade: A

Excellent introduction to sunshine and the effects on weather and seasons. There is a glossary and index. (11-04)

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Stille, Darlene R. Earth / by Darlene Stille. Chanhassen, Minn. : Child's World, c2004. 1592960480 (lib. bdg.) Grade: A

Clean, clearly written discussion of Earth that contains extraordinary photographs. Includes a brief history of the study of Earth and hypothesizes on its formation. Some topics covered are the green house effect, tectonics, and erosion. Especially fun are the "Did you know?" and "Fast Fact" sections. Also includes a glossary, bibliography, publisher-updated web site, and index. (Ages 9-12) KWR, MLIS. (January 2004) [Cross-listed in Astronomy]

Weintraub, Aileen. The Grand Canyon : the widest canyon / Aileen Weintraub. New York : PowerKids Press, 2001. ISBN: 0823956415 (alk. paper) (01-04). Grade A

Well organized information covers topics such as the formation and history of the canyon as well as the composition of the rocks. Unique book design looks like signs posted with thumbtacks on top of identical background photographs. Then it has some photo on top of the signs that add to the three dimensional look. Except for the photo with the park ranger, the photos are exceptional. Contains glossary, index, and a list of two web sites. (Grades 2-5). KWR, MLIS. (01-04)