A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Science

O is for Ocean

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for O is for Ocean through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

Alphabet books can be so much fun!  Greg Paprocki focuses on oceans as he walks us through the alphabet.  We’ll see flying fish, lagoons, and submarines.  Do you think you could walk your way alphabetically through the ocean?  What types of things might you think of?  It’s fun to look through these books to see if the author is seeing the same things in the ocean that you are! 

O is for Ocean review

The Basic Details of O is for Ocean

Title:  O is for Ocean
Author: Greg Paprocki
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Pages: 32
Format: Board Book
Genre: alphabet books, oceans, water book, oceanography, ecology,
Series: BabyLit
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Received: Boardbook

About the Author

Greg Paprocki works full-time as an illustrator and book designer.  He’s worked with the Curious George books, as well as a number of other BabyLit alphabet books. 

About O is for Oceans

An engaging collection of illustrations teaching children all about the plants, animals, and features of our beautiful oceans from A through Z. 

O is for Ocean Review

A closer look

Aren’t the illustrations in O is for Ocean engaging?  Lovely bright colours dotting the pages, with details sharply contrasting so you can clearly see everything that is going on?   Children imagining the whale swimming with the fish, and sea creatures darting in and out among the anemones?  

So many talking points on each page, engaging readers.

As you can clearly see, the font is large and very easy to read using proper terminology.  Yet, while children are taught in a non-complicated manner.  Easy words with brilliant images. 

One word for every page, gradually taking young readers through the alphabet in a nicely created, well-built board book. 

If you have a love for the ocean, and want to help your children learn the alphabet, O is for Ocean by Greg Paprocki is one that you will want to pick up.  Let your children fall in love with the ecology of the ocean and build their love for learning. 

If you are a homeschooling parent doing a unit on the oceans, what a fantastic way to include your youngest children in your studies.  🙂   A great way for your older ones to explain what they are learning to your littles as they help them learn the alphabet. 

The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

You might remember I recently reviewed A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest.  You will find The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed to be just as excellently done. I can’t wait to tell you all about this fantastic resource, I learned so much!  You will too and your children will have fun with the variety of activities included within! 

The Science & Superpowers of seaweed

The Basic Details for The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

Title: The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed
Author: Amanda Swinimer
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
Formats available: paperback
Pages: 168 pages
Intended Audience: 6-12 years, grades 3-4,
Genre: Seaweed, Kid’s activity books, Education resource, flower and plant book, environment and ecology book,
Reviewed for: Harbour Publishing
Format received: paperback

The Author

Amanda Swinimer moved to British Columbia where she opened her business Dakini Tidal Wilds. She holds a bachelor of science degree from Dalhousie University with an advanced major in Marine Biology. For two decades, Amanda has been sustainably harvesting, by hand, wild, edible seaweeds.  She is passionate about preserving the diversity of our coastlands and the health of our oceans.  An international speaker who eagerly shares her love of seaweed. 

About The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed

This colourful, activity-packed book explores the science of seaweed from the Atlantic and Pacific coastlands.  As you learn about the different types of seaweed, you’ll be shown how to sustainably harvest and use it.  You will be provided with many fun facts about marine plants and animals. Expand your nature studies with a unique focus as you comb the beaches around you.

The science & Superpowers of seaweed

Taking a closer look

Did you know just how many different types of seaweed there are?   Brown, red and green varieties.  Amanda Swinimer takes her time in introducing us to seaweed from Pacific and Atlantic coastlands.  Seven chapters round out the 168 pages. 

I don’t know why I found this amusing to learn about the dead man’s fingers seaweed.  What a unique name, and I can see why they chose the name.  What would you call them if you saw these bloated seaweed on the coast?   As she goes through the different types of seaweed you’ll find drawings, pictorial images, the latin name, and basic information on them. 

Discovering, as you learn about seaweed, a variety of activities to do, from making a sea weed soak to using seaweed in recipes, learn about cleaning up the coastlands, and the importance of reducing the amount of plastic you use.  Did you know you can use Turkish seaweed as a dishcloth? 

Tons of images dot the pages.   Every page has images or drawings.  From seeing the size of brown kelp next to orcas to making boas out of feather kelp. 

The sheer amount of information shared, you can just see how passionate Ms. Swinimer is about seaweed and the coastlands. 

Would I recommend?

I absolutely adore books that provide excellent resources to supplement learning about a topic.  Can’t you just see the delight on your children’s faces if they find a detached dead man’s finger and squirt you with water?   Or made use of Turkish seaweed to wash the dishes when you go for a picnic lunch at the beach?   

The Science & Superpowers of Seaweed is a fantastic resource to expand your studies of life on the coastland of Canada or the USA.  Observe, learn, and create!  Use this excellent kid’s guide to help your children better understand the importance of seaweed in the world’s ecology. 

A Kids Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for A Kids Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest through Harbour Publishing. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. ðŸ™‚

I ADORE books that seek to teach in practical ways as well as educate.   A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest is a fantastic book, complete with teacher’s guide filled with cool facts, activities and recipes to delight the reader.  Reading through this paperback makes me wish they had one called “Plants of Ontario!”  Although, observing the layout and activities I’m sure it could be adapted!  🙂 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

The Basic Details for A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

Title: A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Author: Philippa Joly
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
Pages: 192
Intended Audience: 6-12 years, grades 3-4
Formats Available: Paperback
Genre: Pacific Northwest, Plants, Flower and Plants book, Children’s plant books, Environment and ecology, children’s activity books,
Reviewed for: Harbour Publishing
Copy Received: Paperback

Author

Running an outdoor school for children, and leader of workshops, Philippa Joly uses her education and a clinical and community herbalist, paramedic and outdoor educator to open up nature to children.  She lives in British Columbia with her plant-savvy daughter and cat.  Ms. Joly delights in helping people understand the healing properties of the plants around us while teaching about ethical wildcrafting.  You will see her knowledge brought out in A kid’s guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest

This Resource

Encourage your children to get outside and enjoy the weather and nature as they take in the world around them in the Pacific Northwest. 

Plants surround us wherever we are, and using them we can boost our children’s self-confidence, increase their attention spans and their physical well-being.  This book helps our children appreciate the world in which they are growing up in. 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

Looking More Closely

I have enjoyed walking the trail near my house, figuring a berry I would eat regularly were some type of raspberry.  In reading through A Kid’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest I learned these berries are blackcap raspberries.   Fantastic to learn eh? 

Discover within, recipes, games, mysteries, personal anecdotes, crafts and so much more.   You can even learn how to make your own salves!  Plantain grows all around where I live so this would be rather cool to try don’t you think? 

The font is easy to read. The copious use of images and photos makes it so easy to follow instructions or to learn what the plants are you are learning about.  Latin names, pictures of leaves and berries, wildlife you might see around, and so much more. 

a kids guide to Plants of the pacific Northwest

Personal anecdotes add such a nice touch, drawing out stories from the reader itself.  Drew to mind a time when I was out walking in the bush and came across a youngish possum hiding in a stump.  The sheer amount of noise coming from such a small critter.  You would have thought it was a small bear!  🙂  I thought for sure it would play dead but it chose to hiss and hiss at me.   

Plant profiles are divided into seasons, spring is probably the biggest section.  You’ll also find chapters dedicated to the indigenous peoples of the area, the regions covered, the dos and don’ts of wildcrafting, plant families and guilds, poisonous plants and invasive plants.   

At the close you’ll find a glossary, a plant quiz, suggested readings and comprehensive index. 

What do I think of a Kids guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest?

A Kid’s Guide to Plants of the Pacific Northwest is a fantastic resource for teachers, or parents, wanting to ensure their charges/children learn more about plants in this area.  With interesting facts, a variety of activities and yummy recipes, this book is sure to please!  With all the work done for you it makes it easy to review, gather supplies, and let your children learn. 

Don’t think this book isn’t helpful if you don’t live in the Pacific Northwest.  Many of these plants grow in a wider area.  I live in Ontario, not in British Columbia through to California.  And just think of the ideas you will get!  And the fun you will have with your children learning the value in the plants around you.  🙂   Add this resource into your bookbag as you conduct your nature studies. 

Outdoor School

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Outdoor School) through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Did you know that in just a few short months spring will be upon us? A time for plants, and all outdoor growing things?  AND we literally just finished fall… a season of exploring for mushrooms, and in the winter… berries to see on bushes!  What do you need to help you in your explorations?  Outdoor School by Mary Kay Carson.  This lovely book is your definitive guide to tree, wildflower, and mushroom spotting.

outdoor school by mary kay carson

The Basic Details

Title: Outdoor School: Tree, Wildflower, and Mushroom Spotting. The Definitive Interactive Nature Guide.
Author: Mary Kay Carson
Illustrator: John D. Dawson
Pages: 416
Publisher: Odd Dot
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Formats: Paperback
Intended Audience: 10-14 years
Type: non-fiction, interactive guide
Series: Outdoor School
Special Note: the corners of this interactive guide are reinforced with what feels like metal.  Keeps the corners from curling when using this interactive guide.

Please note: I tried to make the colours in my photos match the book, but the photos turned out more muted than the original product. The colours are much more brilliant in real life. 

About the Author

Mary Kay Carson specializes in writing non-fiction science books for children.  She has some 50ish books to her credit.  Living in Ohio with her hubby (a photographer), dog, cat and fish, writing books is her job. 

About Outdoor School

This interactive field guide to plant and mushroom spotting includes:
– Immersive activities to get you exploring
– Write-in sections to journal about experiences
– Next-level adventures to challenge even seasoned nature lovers.

No experience is required – only curiosity and courage. Inside you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions on how to:
– Grow mushrooms with cardboard
– Compare bark types
– Count tree rings
– Survey leaf patterns
– Create fern spore prints
– Press and preserve wildflowers

Looking deeper into Outdoor School

You know how using a highlighter helps you find keywords in a text?  And if you use differently coloured highlighters how it helps tie key ideas together?  Well, when you colour code pages in a nature guide it helps you find the pages you need more quickly.  Looking for how to identify flowerss, turn to the purple pages, or for mushrooms, the orange.  How easy could it be eh? 

So you’ll discover five parts in this interactive guide divided into 

  • What is plant spotting
  • Trees and shrubs
  • Wildflowers
  • Mushrooms and other fungi
  • Ferns and mosses

Writing assignments,  I found it notes, mini-tests, scavenger hunts, and more fill the pages. 

You will find so much information trapped with these pages, a nice sturdy paper that will hold up to fieldwork.  You can take this guide with you as you meander through the great outdoors. 

Each page is loaded with images with the text presented in different ways.  Mostly presented like in a textbook, and other times wrapped within images or highlighted within the Try It pages.   

North American Based

You’ll find several plants to discover in each colour-coded section.  All these plants are found in North America.   One of my quibbles is you are asked to denote the state you found it in, I would have rather a generic location which is more inclusive to ALL of North America be used.   Illustrator John D Dawson did a great job of demonstrating what each plant looks like.   It’s a nice additional tool for nature study. 

You’ll find room for note-taking, though the spacing might be a little tight for younger readers. I love how you learn about bark types, leaf shapes and margins, differences between mosses and ferns, and the importance of paying attention to the mushroom cap. All these little details will help create better observers of the nature around us.  Good that eh? 

My Thoughts

I don’t know if you’ll remember that I reviewed another book by Mary Kay Carson called Mission to Pluto.  Having thought that book well done, I expected this one to be as well and I was not mistaken. 

I like this book, it’s an excellent size to stow into a “meandering through the fields” backpack or bag.  Has spots for note-taking, encourages the reader to understand what they are learning, and has plenty of helps.    Outdoor School: Trees, Wildflowers, and Mushrooms is an excellent addition to your nature study in the spring, summer, fall or winter adventures.

Just so you know, there are other outdoor school books to check out. 

Build your own Science Museum

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Build your own Science Museum) through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Do you have children that love to learn while doing?  Have a love of activity books and science?  Well, build your own science museum combines those two loves.  Learn what science is, build some exhibits and explore different fields of science.  Let me tell you more about Build Your Own Science Museum.

build your own science museum

A basic glimpse of what I’m reviewing!

Lonely Planet Kids has done it again, creating another build your own book, this one about Science!  24 pages in an oversized book, complete with activity pages and cut-outs. 

The Chapters are

  • what is science
  • the age of science
  • the information age
  • flight
  • planet earth
  • exploring space
  • electricity and forces
  • the human body
  • robotics
  • science quiz
  • future science

With these pages you’ll discover 5 pop-ups to make and display on the pages. Can you imagine making a steam engine? Sounds fun doesn’t it? 

Looking closer at Build your own Science Museum

At the beginning of Build Your Own Science Museum, you will find a pocket entitled Fragile Scientific Objects.   Within this pocket, you’ll find all the punchouts needed to create the various pop-ups.   

But never fear!  Instructions are included!

Are you as intrigued as Lizzy is about what all you and/or your child can make? 

You’ll note those white lines on this page?   Those are for inserting the punchouts so you build your pop-up! A good amount of informative text surrounds each pop-up.

Just as in any museum you’ll discover placards of information scattered throughout. 

Not all the elements are large builds.  Some are simple punch-outs to fill a single spot. 

Should you pick this up?

You may recall, though honestly it’s been a while, that I reviewed Build your own History Museum as well as Build your own Dinosaur Museum.  I love these books and jumped at the opportunity to review Build your own Science Museum.   Just as the first two books were filled with hands-on learning, so is this third one.  The reader is given the opportunity to put together 5 amazing pop-ups illustrating different aspects of science.  Smaller cut-outs that illuminate smaller points. 

So YES, go pick it up!   I’ve given you a good insight but have purposefully NOT shown you any of the builds. You want to be able to enjoy it completely yourself, don’t you?   Go pick up your copy of Build your own Science Museum today!

The Science Spell Book

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (The Science Spell Book) through Raincoast Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂 

I LOVE science.  I find it absolutely fascinating looking at how God put the world together.  The intricacies of animals, the movement in plants, the wonder of chemistry.   It is so incredible it delights the mind and shows me the heart of God.   So when I saw The Science Spell Book I thought, cool!  A science book to explore!!!  How neat.  But I have to caution you… turning science into magic… it rubs me the wrong way.

There is much that I like in this book. I love the science contained within.  But I am hesitant about how it combines science with oracles, spells, portals, and lodestones.

The Science Spell Book

The Basic Details

The Science Spell book: Magical Experiments for kids was put together by Cara Florance.  Published by Sourcebooks, this is a 224-page tome will with science experiments for children 7 and up.  

I am reviewing a softcover ARC for Raincoast books.   Part of this ARC was in full colour, it will be a gorgeous book when it’s completely done. Most of it was in greyscale so you need to be aware of that with images. 

Looking Deeper in the Science Spell Book

The Science Spell Book is divided into seven sections.  Each of the five main sections contains six experiments.

  • Introduction with includes a foreword to caregivers, how to use this book, and what you need overall.
  • Infusions:  Elixir of Englightenment, Masked Message, Spectral Breath, Color Inversion Spell, Sanguine Energy, and Transfigured Fare.
  • Illumination:  Glowing Gauntlets, Extinguishing Effervescence, Magic Wand, Spellbound Circuits, Fluorescent Feast, and Astal Invocation.
  • Sorcery:  The Oracle, Rune Stones, Planet Portal, Chaotic Calling, North Divination, and Magnetic Manisfestation. 
  • Alchemy:  Starch Transmogrification, Forge of the Microbes, Aquafaba Ascension, Primal Pigments, Magical Manna, and Sorcerer’s Stone.
  • Alchemy: Arachnid Revivification, Forest Nymph Conjuring, Dance of the Druids, Biomineralization, Mercurial Larva, and Bewitching Blossoms. 
  • Glossary

You’ll find lots of colour.  This page below is part of the stuff to have section in the introduction.  This type of illustration is found throughout. 

I love the use of full colour for the title page with each experiment.  It’s so attractive don’t you find? It certainly draws me into wanting to do the experiment!   ðŸ™‚ 

Each section is introduced with a full-colour page and a bit of a write-up.  You’ll have to excuse the greyscale version here, I did want to provide some variety for you.   The write-ups introduce you to the field of study. Most of the information in these write-ups is purely factual.  Occasionally bits of magic creeps in, but overall it’s pretty innocuous. 

Each experiment lists supplies and instructions very clearly. Illustrations accompany to help stave off any difficulties you may encounter. 

I absolutely love that each experiment contains a section on how you can connect this to real life and explains the importance of what you have learned. 

A glossary at the close of the book helps you understand any words that might mystify you.  🙂  These definitions are very factual. 

Should you Get it?

Honestly, the science in these experiments is just science.  You can find many of these experiments without the hocus-pocus about them in a lot of different science books. You’ll find yourself working with batteries, red cabbage juice, cornstarch, needles, leaves and water.  Nothing too alarming anywhere in any of these experiments. 

The Science Spell Book is just creative marketing.   That said, I’m not keen on encouraging kids into the sorcery/witchcraft/magic end of things, particularly within faith households.  It’s one thing if it’s totally just a pretend world in fiction books but it’s completely different when you are linking it with the tangible world of science. 

So if you want a science experiment book this will work just fine.  If you use it as an educator, just for the experiments, it will work nicely for you.  It would be easy enough to avoid the hocus-pocus.  🙂  Just don’t get caught up in it! 

The Bridge to Sharktooth Island

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (The Bridge to Sharktooth Island) through Ascot Media.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so.

Three youth, living their lives, and then suddenly they are magically transported else where.  This is the start of an adventure they will not soon forget!  They will have to use all their ingenuity and individual skills to see their way through.  

The Bridge to Sharktooth Island

The Basic Details of The Bridge to Sharktooth Island

The Bridge to Sharktooth Island is the first in a series from A Challenge Island STEAM adventure.  West Margin Press gives us a book put together by Challenge Island Founder/CEO and award-winning educator Sharon Duke Estroff, with award-winning author Joel Ross and internationally-known illustrator Mónica de Rivas. 

Running at 128 pages, youth 7-10 years old are entertained and then challenged to learn the skills presented in this STEAM adventure. 

Learning more

Imagine, you are just out having fun with your cousin, you hear a drum beat and suddenly you are whisked away.  Can you figure out how to get home?  Or even how to get to safety?   Clear text tells the story with clues provided appearing in italics.  Pay attention, you might find the solution before these explorers do! 

Sometimes you need to see a potential solution before you can work it all out.  Will this solution be the key or do they need to re-read the clues given? 

One of the things I like about this book is that readers have a choice.  It’s one they have to actively make.  Will they  wait and let the trio figure it all out OR will they try to figure things out before moving on in the story?   It’s easy to find places to stop to think it through before moving on in the story.  AND if you want to try your skills a variety of activities can be found at the close of the book.   From bridge-building, to learn facts about sharks, to doing art or math.  It’s a full-ahead STEAM adventure!  

Who would this STEAM book be good for?

I can totally see teachers in public and private schools picking up this resource to use with their students.  The natural breaks between the clues and figuring out how to use them.  Wonderful helps at close that you can actually put into practice… fantastic all-round. 

My own quibble was .. it didn’t make sense… these kids just doing their own thing and then suddenly they are transported into a dangerous situation. I was lost for a bit when it happened as the disconnect was so solid.  Other than that the story made sense logically.  

Dangerous situation, they had a strong need to figure out a workable situation and were provided the clues they needed to do so.  The Bridge to Sharktooth Island is a good STEAM adventure to take your 7-10 year olds on. 

OH!  And did you know you could even plan a trip to Challenge Island?  They have a variety of locations in Canada and the USA.Â