10 Great Science Reads

Below is a lost of some great science reads that children are sure to enjoy. Included in the list are some books that teachers will find are great resources for their science lessons, and parents may use to explore science with their children.

1. Where did Bunny Go? By Nancy Tafuri

            This book talks about Bunny, who plays a game of hide and seek with his friend Bird, Squirrel, and Chipmunk. When everyone has been found but Bunny, his friends start to worry that he has run away or doesn’t want to be found. Bunny finally comes out of hiding, assuring his friends he was still playing and just had a great hiding place and blended in very well. This book teaches young children about how animals use camouflage to blend into nature.

2. A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman

            This book is about a boy who sees a rainbow outside and decides to go out and play with it. He lets his imagination run wild and wonders what it would be like to have a rainbow of his own. When the sun comes out, the rainbow goes away and the boy is afraid that he will never see it again. He then goes into his room and finds that the sun is shining through his fishbowl and making a “rainbow of his own” on his wall. It teaches children the fact that sun and water are required to create a rainbow.

3. Floating and Sinking by Jack Challoner

            This book lists several activities children may complete to explore different items that float or sink, and why they do so. It also explores the difference between floating and swimming, so children have a real-world connection. Finally, the book explains how very heavy objects, such as hot air balloons and airplanes can possibly stay up in the sky without falling from their weight.

4. Animals on the Trail with Lewis and Clark by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

            This book explores the animal and plant species Lewis and Clark came into contact with and discovered while exploring the uncharted territory in the Western United States. The book includes real photographs of the animals and plants, as well as route maps the pair traveled are also available in the back of the book.

5. Make a Match: A Preschool Sorting Game by Tish Rabe

            This book, as stated in the title, is geared toward preschoolers and other young learners. It comes with its own sorting tray in which children are able to sort colors, shapes, animals, and more. It also offers six different ways in which children can sort the items, so they can explore with the different characteristics that may be used to sort things.

6. I Took a Walk by Henry Cole

            This book takes its young readers on a walk through nature, showing them the different things that can be found in the environment. It includes flaps children can fold out to find hidden aspects of nature and plenty of examples of common wildlife and plant species that can be found in nature, both on land and in the water.

7. Endangered Animals by Faith McNulty

           This book discusses different endangered animals from around the world, including panda bears, gorillas, and blue whales. It can serve as an introductory text for a lesson on what it means for an animal to be an endangered species, and which animals throughout the world are characterized as such.

8. Birds, Nests, and Eggs by Mel Boring

            This book serves as a take-along guide to identifying different birds in nature. Teachers and parents can easily use it with their children while on a nature or bird-spotting walk. It also discusses the different kinds of nests birds build, and where they build them, as well as interesting facts about birds’ young and how they care for them. The book includes a place for children to make drawings of what they see and take notes while observing and identifying birds.

9. The Best of Wonder Science: Elementary Science Activities, Volume 1 by James Kessler and Ann Bennett

            This book is a resource for elementary science teachers. It includes over 400 science activities that may be completed in an elementary classroom. Each activity includes step-by-step directions, as well as an explanation as to why the experiment turns out the way it does, and what it can teach children about science. The activities and experiments listed in it are hands-on and engaging, and are meant to get children interested in science.

10. A Head Start on Science: 89 Activities for children ages 3-7 by William C. Ritz

            This book is a great science resources for pre-k and elementary school teachers who needs inspiration for incorporating science into their classrooms or coming up with quick and easy science lessons. The book includes, as the title suggests, 89 different science activities to complete with children, and offers multiple literature connections, as well as follow-up and enrichment ideas for each.